It happened. This morning at 6:47am, on a quiet residential street corner nestled somewhere in Broward County, I officially declared it sweater weather.

The Autumn season kicked off nearly two weeks ago, but to a Floridian like me, this carries as much significance as informing me that it was National Meerkat Day. I puttered outside to walk my dog in my thin sleep cami and Gilly Hicks pj pants, still rubbing the sleep from my groggy eyes and was suddenly greeted by a friendly chill in the air. I needed a sweater. My dog needed to tinkle more though, so her peeing took precedence over my declining body temperature and overall discomfort. I hugged myself for three reasons.

1 - In order to keep myself warm.

2 - I love myself.

3 - Because my fashion rotation was now open to a whole new world of outfit possibilities.

Lately, whenever I pass a shop window I find myself stealing longing looks at the cozy sweaters draped over the mannequins in the displays. Cozy fisherman and granny sweaters that I want to curl up in, accessorized with heaping mugs of Swiss Miss, thick textured knee highs and equestrian style weathered boots.

My sweaters from last season are all but destroyed from unsightly pilling to permanent Starbucks stains, and my Weather Channel app is promising me lows in the 70's all week long which ultimately means that Sammy needs a new pair of sweaters.

Thanks to a recent trip to Urban Outfitters I have my eye on the Ecote Intarsia Cardigan and the byCORPUS Popcorn Sweater that are both wicked cool in a vintage/Sherlock Holmes on the weekend/herding sheep in the British countryside kind of way.

I get goosebumps just thinking about wearing them.

Enjoy your sweater weather, wherever you are.

p.s. I also want a new puffer jacket.

I'm leaving for a quick mid-week getaway to Orlando in less than 48 hours and am happier than the Happiest DJ on Earth because I will get to visit not one, but two of my two favorite places - The Magic Kingdom and H&M (which is rather redundant considering that H&M is technically like Disney World to me).

I have in my possession a carefully constructed, itemized list of all of the clothing items I want for the Fall season including a cozy granny sweater like the ones I blogged about yesterday, a new warm and woolly or puffy winter coat, something military inspired, a classic fitted white shirt for my Halloween costume and a pair of chic gloves that will actually fit my abnormally tiny hands.

To make me even happier, I just scored a 20% off any item from my new H&M app! Yippee ki-yay!

On a side note, I'm really glad that I'm not being filmed right now, because any video footage of me from the last 3 minutes or so would make the Happy DJ dude look sane.

Dear Sammy,

-Brandy

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A pony.

Jeez Brandy, I don't know. You didn't give me any real direction here so I had to go with the first thing that came to mind. When I was a little girl I had a cocker spaniel named Brandy so I'm imagining that you have really shiny hair, hence the pony idea.

The truth is that asking me what you should be for Halloween is like asking me what you should be when you grow up. I'm not going to advise you to milk goats for a living if the thought of handling goat nipples udderly freaks you out, nor would I advise you to be a sexy kitten/angel/devil/nurse if the idea of slipping on fishnets and short skirts had an equally repulsive effect.

For the most part, women have three choices when it comes to Halloween costumes - Sexy ho, Funny/dumpy, Pop Culture Icon, or some combination of the three. Let's face it Brandy, there are going to be a lot of meaty Lady Gagas and blue chicks from Avatar out there trolling for treats, why not take a walk on the wild side and step out of the Trick-or-Treat for Unicef box?

My advice is to unleash your imagination. I will always frown on sporting a costume from a bag. Put together a getup that expresses your personality. Are you a preppy girl who wears polo shirts with giant horses on them? Be a goth equestrian. Love monkeys? Wear a suit, an Uncle Bill Hello my name is tag, a monkey mask and oh snap, you're a monkey's uncle.

The point is, a little creativity goes a long way. Last year I was the money you could save by using Geico. You'll get more nods than being a ready-made store bought Cinderella and save some cash in the process.

Or you can be a pony.

Leave it to Beiber.

If the 16 year old singer/Ellen Degeneres lookalike hasn't gotten under your skin and nails yet, he's about to get on them.

Justin Bieber has partnered with Nicole by OPI to design a collection of nail polishes inspired by his hit songs. I'm serious.

*News flash to the People of WalMart: The first six shades of the One Less Lonely Girl collection will hit WalMart stores in December featuring a series of primary colored junior prom perfect polishes with names inspired by Bieber hits like One Less Lonely Glitter (lavender), Prized Possession Purple (grape), Give Me The First Dance (silver), Me + Blue (dark blue), OMB! (bright red), and Step 2 the Beat of My Heart (heart-shaped glitter). Eight other Beiber fever shades will debut in January.

In other news, WalMart will also be selling iPads. Like anyone really cares about iPads when there's Justin Beiber nail polish and beef jerky available in the same store.

I'm thinking of getting a haircut this weekend and am debating whether or not to depart from my signature style cut.

This is a big step for me. Me and my bangs go back a long way. We played in the sandbox together at age 3 and collected Strawberry Shortcake and Cabbage Patch Kid dolls up until the fifth grade. We parted ways, literally, for most of my middle school years with my fringe making brief appearances here and there throughout high school, but we weren't in a fully committed relationship.

Then my bangs and I rediscovered one another (I think on Friendster), and now we have been inseparable for the past five or so years, through the good hair days and the bad hair days.

I would like to try something new, but I feel locked in.

If any of my readers out there have a preference, let me know, but please don't suggest the Rachel, dreds, a mullet, fro or beehive. That's not Sammy's style.

Today is my Mom's birthday.

Even though she is no longer with us, I always feel the urge to celebrate her in some way. A bright colored assortment of autumn flowers, wearing a special token piece of her jewelry, going to Applebee's for lunch and ordering a special birthday dessert...

I just realized that my mom shares a birthday with Chuck Berry, Zac Efron, Erin Moran (Joanie from Happy Days/Joanie Loves Chachi fame) and Pam Dawber from Mork and Mindy.

Happy Birthday Mom, you're in good company.

The experts in catalog shopping over at Catalogs.com have just released their new Catalogs.com for the iPad app that allows you to shop, flip and buy a hot outfit from your favorite catalog or multiple catalogs faster than it would take you to find a parking spot at the mall.

Now you can page-flip, click, purchase and repeat from your lightweight, go-anywhere iPad tablet while taking advantage of mega savings and deals that are exclusive to Catalogs.com for iPad customers, and with a fashion catalog starting lineup featuring Spiegel, Tilly's, Metrostyle, Newport News and Bare Necessities, you can build your entire new winter wardrobe from outerwear to sexy underthings with just a few simple flips.

There's more. You can browse page by page, select items to purchase and even create a Wish List feature where you can save your favorite items until pay day. I likey.

*Plus, you'll enjoy instant updates and new catalogs that are being added every day.

You can even use the new Catalogs.com for iPad app to buy a new iPad from MacConnection. Sweet.

Download it for free at iTunes, then iPad catalog shop 'til you drop.

My niece, Mattie, loves Brenda Song's character, London, in the Suite Life with Zack and Cody. For Christmas, I would love to buy her an accessory like a cap, scarf or bag that would be Ms. Song's style but not require my being in Ms. Song's tax bracket. Can you give me some hints on some styles, appropriate for her age, that emulate the look London has on her favorite show?

Auntie Pam

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Hi Auntie Pam,

Thanks for writing in! I love Brenda Song. Although it's been more than a decade or two since I tuned in on the Disney channel, I recently caught Ms. Song as the high maintenance girlfriend of one the Facebook founders in The Social Network. We friended each other soon after.

Back to your question. Brenda's Disney character, London Leah Tipton from The Suite Life series has a bold, colorful and rich fashion sense, bearing a striking resemblance to another famous hotel heiress named after another popular European destination.

Although London's looks scream designer brands that only those living the suite life can afford, we can still achieve the London look with a few key accessories. Here are my posh picks that follow London/Brenda's style rules with price tags that are all under $10.

1. Wear something that will get you noticed.

Whether it's with an oversized pair of Hollywood shades or a decadent feathery boa, when it comes to accessorizing, London likes to turn heads. This Faux Fur Scarf is the perfect accessory that will capture London's luxioriousness while keeping Mattie's neck warm and PETA away, for $9.80.

2. Don't be afraid of color.

Miss Tipton never shies away from color, so give your niece a hint of London's signature shade of hot pink with these adorable Knit Fingerless Gloves for $4.80 from Forever 21.
FYI - F21 also has a fab selection of colorful Winter Beanies, all Tipton approved and under ten smackers each.

3. Bling it up, baby.

This Rhinestone Initial Necklace from Love Culture exhibits all of London's inner and outer sparkle while personalized with an M for Mattie and a price tag of $4.90. Plus Love Culture gives you 5% off of all online orders.

Who's living the suite life now?

Merry Christmas Mattie!

xoxo,
sammy

Having a fashion dilemma or crisis?

Need to know what top goes with what bottom?

Don't go it alone. Ask Sammy!

she sees a shrink in her future.

It has been discovered that after years of loyal companionship, people begin to resemble their pets.

I can attest to this, especially when I go to the dog park to witness white curly haired ladies playing fetch with their white curly haired poodles and sour faced bull-like men releasing grumpy grump growls that complement the slobbery snarls of their English bulldogs.

I do not believe that this trend is limited only to human/animal relationships. Let's face it. Just like those pet owners and their doting dog doppelgangers, sometimes, we end up looking like our significant others.

Whether it's a facial characteristic, matching t shirts that read "I'm With Stupid" or similarly groomed hairstyles, this strange occurrence isn't always intentional. Sometimes it just happens. We become a unit. We begin to gravitate towards our partner's signature style and find ourselves wearing identical colors without even realizing it.

Rather than fight this bizarre and inevitable happening, I am going to embrace it.

I was doing a little online window shopping at my go-to tee store where all the cool kids go to buy basics, Alternative Apparel, where I found the Cropped Large Collar Jacket, a dreamy faux Elmer Fudd patterned winter coat for chicks.

Then I spied with my little eye the Buffalo Plaid Jacket, a similar style for dudes featuring a matching Elmer Fuddian print but executed in a rugged, manly man design.

I immediately pictured myself walking in a winter wonderland with my man, clad in these companion coats and holding hands, like two warm peas in a pod. Then my fantasy was hijacked by a couple of random passersby who threw snowballs at us while alternating between producing obnoxious gagging and kissing sounds.

They were just jealous, no doubt.

Feel free to ride your honey's coattails in these matching jackets, and get 15% off your initial purchase at Alternative Apparel with promo code CWC711...

And while you're at it, get your dog one too.

Halloween is less than a week away, but I celebrated prematurely last weekend at my friends' annual All Hallows' Eve Bash.

Normally, I begin to look forward to this party as early as August, but in preparation for this year's festivities, I made an unwise decision that cast a black shadow on my entire night. I felt compelled to share my experience with all of my loyal Let's Talk Style followers. With my efforts, I hope to ensure that this unfortunate experience does not plague another living soul on this Halloween or any other Halloween hereafter.

I'm not going to delve into proper apple bobbing hygiene or how to detect pop rock candy disguised as crystal meth. No, my warning is of a simpler nature, but it can save you hours of manic panic and duress.

WARNING: Do not color your hair with hairspray from a can.

My story: This year I decided to be Mrs. Mia Wallace, Uma Thurman's iconic character from Pulp Fiction who had a weakness for $5 milkshakes, hand-rolled cigarettes and hitmen who could bust a twisty move.

I purchased a short, straight banged black wig for the event, but when the evening arrived, I had doubts. Staring back at me in the mirror was an early Beatle, not Mia. I didn't even come close to resembling the Cleopatra lady on the cover of the package. I tried to flatiron the wig, but ultimately made it worse. Rather than show up at the party as an electrocuted Ringo Starr, I decided to improvise and take matters into my own hair. Since I have a similar style to the Mia Wallace bob, I decided to pick up a bottle of temporary color hairspray to spray paint my hair black instead.

[Cue Nightmare on Elm Street theme].

I styled my hair, as instructed by the can, then sprayed from 8 to 10 inches away. At first my hair looked a bit gray and ashy, but not horrible, so I continued to spray until I felt color dripping down my ears. I scrubbed at my blackened skin with a washcloth until I achieved the right level of darkness. I washed my hands, slipped on my crisp white freshly ironed shirt and gave myself one last look. I touched up my makeup, accidentally leaving a swipe of black across my face, leftover from my just washed hands. Trying to get it off just made it worse, so I stopped before I transformed into Al Jolson.

I redid my makeup with a sponge, only to look down and find makeup spots staining my shirt. I tried to rub the makeup stains out, adding more black to the mix, pushing my bangs out of my eyes in frustration and contaminating my digits even more. This went on for another 15 minutes or so in what became a dye job domino effect before I gave up and settled for messy Mia.

The drive to the party sucked since I couldn't rest my tainted head on the headrest, and once I got there I was scared to hug anyone, worrying that I would infect them as well. During the next few hours I couldn't wait to go home and wash my hair.

On the can it read "Color is easily removed." Lies. It took four shampoos and Silkwood like scrubbing before the water ran clear, and my tub was left looking like a crime scene.

If you consider buying a bottle of this nightmare in a can, just don't. Wear the wig, no matter how bad it is. You'll wear it again and the wig can be taken off.

Mia is cool, but after my ordeal, George Harrison is a winning alternative.

Who won the skeleton beauty contest?
No body.

Happy Halloween, from Let's Talk Style.

Now go eat something.