IKEA: A Survival Guide

GUESS WHAT? I moved into a new apartment! Which means the obvious: A TRIP TO IKEA! I love everything I bought there, but it did not come without its fair share of pain and suffering: Mistakenly buying incorrect parts, being unable to assemble what seemed like a simple chair, hour long chit chats with customer service. My hands and brain hurt, but it was all worth it, everything is looking great! Here is a nifty guide to better understanding your next Ikea experience:

Italy, Ti Amo! Vacation of Dreams

It's been almost four months since my magical journey through Italy, and I think it's time I share the juicy details! It was one of the best trips I've ever been on, and it's all due to my bestie Marissa (and her husband Jeremy) who were such amazing gracious hosts in Rome. And it didn't hurt that Marissa is an expert in planning amazing vacations for people. Pretty much ever second I spent in Italy was pure heaven, but here are some highlights:

-Our trip began on the beautiful island of Ischia, where the views from the hotel pool make you want to cry out of pure joy! It was all about sitting by the pool and relaxing in Ischia, which I did not mind one bit!

-I drove in Italy! Can you believe it? I wasn't originally supposed to, but due to a last minute change in plans, I stepped up to the plate. Luckily we made it from Ischia to Rome in one piece. This involved driving down a scary cliff (honking the horn every 5 seconds so the people driving up the "two way street" would hear me from around the corner), then onto a car ferry, and finally from Naples to Rome. They say if you can drive in NYC, you can drive anywhere (or did I make that up?). I guess it's true!

-My first meal in Rome: Cacio e Pepe at Ulisse. I'm still dreaming about it 'til this day (and unsuccessfully trying to find one as good in New York)! Cacio e Pepe is just pasta with cheese and ground pepper. So simple, but delicious!

-Salumeria Roscioli in Rome. The Burrata with Shrimp Ceviche & Bottarga: Out of this world! Also, ordered meats and cheeses galore. Cholesterol Schmolesterol!

-Ahh, where do I begin about my cooking class at a Tuscan villa in Florence. Yes, you heard me right, "Tuscan Villa", sounds terrible, right? Our teacher Luciano was possible the most adorable man on earth, and full of knowledge! We cooked a five course meal, and by "cook" I mean, I started drinking red wine at 11am, and vaguely remember Luciano sautéing some garlic at one point in the day. Haha, just kidding. I actually did learn a lot. We made lasagna from scratch: I'm talking homemade pasta, tomato paste from fresh tomatoes...Amazing! At the end of the class, we all sat down and enjoyed our lovely home cooked meal.

-Mmm a truffle sandwich and tomato farro salad at Procacci in Florence. Delizioso!

-Venice! Oh Venice! One of the most amazing places I have ever been. Loved my Squid Ink Pasta with Clams & Zucchini Flowers at Al Covo.

-Peach and Lavender gelato at Gelateria Del Teatro. I never thought I was a huge fan of gelato, but this was so refreshing and unlike anything I had tasted before. And the shop was tucked away in my favorite Roman neighborhood, Campo de Fiori.

Cannot wait for my next journey to Europe, which happens to be in 8 days! I'm going on a work trip to Milan, London & Paris. So excited! Hope crossing the street in Milan is less scary than Rome, where there are no rules, and Vespas actually drive on the sidewalk too! Crazy madness!

Happy New Year! A Few Resolution Ideas...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Hello 2013! Hope you all had a lovely night, I know I did! No New Years Day would be compete without coming up with the perfect resolution. Here are just a few ideas I've come up with for myself:

-Don't let slow-walkers frustrate you, and try to stifle your desire to take their phone (which is most likely causing them to walk slowly in the first place) and throw it down the street! Although how awesome would that be, seriously???

-Strive to set your Spotify to private session more regularly, no one needs to know you are listening to the Spice Girls in 2013!

-Stop calling Siri mean names when she can't understand you (which is always!), she means well!

-Use less exclamation marks! You're the girl who cried enthusiasm! People can't tell what you're really excited about if every sentence ends with an exclamation mark! Ok, need to work on this one :) Oh, and use less emoticons, you're not 16 anymore! Not that emoticons even existed when you were 16. And stop talking about your age all the time!

-Try not to get mad when people start crowding your gym as part of their new years resolution. I know, I know, you've been going all year round, but you need to get over it! Plus, it's never going to last anyway!

-You're a grown woman, try not to obsess as much about your birthday, which is coming up in exactly 28 days, or 4 weeks...WOOOHOOO It's going to be the party of the year!!! I mean, whatever, it's just another day, stop obsessing about all the attention and presents (which are going to be amazing! Yay!). Still working on this one as you can see.

But seriously, I think this is the one I'm going with: Stop trying to change who you are, you're PERFECT!

Happy new year! And really hope to blog more in 2013!! That's a New Year's resolution worth keeping!

Supergreat Holiday Cards Are Here!

Hi! Remember me? Ok, so I know it's been a while since I've written, but there's something I am very excited about, and had to share! Supergreat Greetings will be at the Bust Magazine Craftacular Holiday Fair on Sunday December 2nd from 11am-7pm. And I'm so thrilled to be selling some new holiday cards! Check them out, there they are:

They're not even for sale online yet, you can only get them at the Craftacular, so please come say hello (and buy some cards!)

But wait, there's MORE! We're featured on the Bust Magazine Website in the vendor spotlight!!! See for yourself here. WOOOOHOOOOO!

Hope to see you December 2nd! And really hope to get back on track with updating my blog. I still have to tell you about my recent trip of a lifetime to Italy (Pasta! My Italian boyfriend Luciano! Driving in Rome!). And there's lots more to tell! See you soon, I promise!

The Best School Portraits You Will Ever See...EVER

Every now and then, you meet someone who changes your life forever. For me, this person was Kris who, just a few minutes after I met him at my friend Dave's BBQ, shared with me the most extraordinary (100% real) school portraits from his youth. I can't even imagine the look on his mother's face when he brought them home to show her (and the dread she must have felt each year wondering he would do next!). So here they are, the most amazing hilarious school portraits that were ever taken in the entire world!!!

Kris, with My Buddy

Kris, wearing coonskin cap and holding panda

Thanks for sharing, Kris!! YOU ARE A ONE OF A KIND PERSON!!

A Steamy Love Story

For those of you who think real life romance isn't possible, let me tell you a story about a pizza delivery man who changed my life forever:

I was coming back from my lunch break, and was just about to get into the elevator of my building when I overheard the pizza delivery man tell the doorman he was going to "dos cero seis" (which means 206). We both got into the elevator together, and that's when things started steaming up.

I went to push the second floor button for him.
He said seductively "Hablas Español?" {Do you Speak Spanish?}
I innocently replied "Un poco" {a little}
He looked deep into my eyes and said "Eres Hermosa" {you are beautiful}
I said "Thank you" (can't remember if I said it in Spanish or not)
We arrived at the second floor, he declared passionately to me "I love you"
I was surprised, but it was completely understandable. I told him graciously: "Thank you"
And just as he was about to leave the elevator (and possibly my life forever) he begged "A kiss???"
And that's when I pushed the "doors close" button as quickly as possible!!

Ahhh, just when you think it's impossible to find love in the city, fate delivers! I still think about that pizza delivery man to this day, and wonder what might have happened if I didn't push the doors closed in his face. Would we ride off on his bicycle together into the night? Would he be able to get me extra toppings for free?

Alas, we just weren't meant to be together, it was a pie in the sky idea!

One of My Most Painful Childhood Memories (Not Including Camp, Of Course)

Those that know me know I LOVE to tell stories! Especially about myself! One of my all time favorite stories took place in third grade....

We were given an assignment to do a report on the historical figure of our choice. Don't ask my WHY but I chose Duke Ellington (pretty cool for a third grader, eh?). 

Simple enough right? WRONG! At the last minute, our teach informed us that we would need to dress up as the person we chose. I WAS DEVASTATED! Had I known this would be part of the assignment, I definitely would have chosen Lady Di, or someone with less facial hair.

On the day we presented our report, my teacher FORCED me to draw a mustache on my face, and (SHOCKER) I cried! Of course she took a photo to capture that moment forever. Unfortunately I don't have that photo today, but I can still picture it in my head (permanent marker mustache on my face, red eyes, sad face. Ridiculous!), and here's a pretty good re-enactment of it:

Letters From Camp-Part 6

This letter is actually from the first camp I went to, which apparently made me cry a lot less. Look, I actually sound happy! And boy, was I full of surprises!

To check out past letters from camp, click here!

Letters From Camp-Part 5

OH WHEN WILL THE DRAMA EVER END???? Another delightful letter from camp to start your week off right!

Did my Mom and Dad ever pick me up from camp? How on earth did I survive such mediocre food? To be continued...

To check out past letters from camp, click here!

Letters From Camp-Part 4

I don't know what disturbs me more about the following letter, the fact that I seemed absolutely miserable at camp or the fact that I was obviously confused about how to spell the word "please". This is the third time I've seen "pleazzz" written in one of my camp letters. Where on earth did I get that from??? Anyway, here's another awesome letter:

Ahhh, nine year old Sam, so dramatic! I love "There is no fun whatsoever here". If you haven't read all my other hilarious letters, here they are...and plenty more to come!

Letters from Camp-Part 3

Ahhh, time to share another scary letter from camp from when I was 9 years old! Don't these ridiculous letters make Mondays more tolerable? For those people that feel bad for me after reading these letters: DON'T!! Ok, so camp wasn't exactly an enjoyable experience for me (for more on that, click here), but I had a great childhood, and I turned out just fine! Ok, back to all my pain and suffering at camp:

Letters From Camp-Part 2

Dear Camp, Why did I hate you so much?

According to this fill in the blank letter I sent my parents, I was NOT a fan:

Letters from Camp-Part 1

GUESS WHAT???? My parents are cleaning out their house, and they found a STACK of letters I wrote them from camp when I was ages 9-12. To give you an idea of how much I enjoyed camp, here's a self portrait I drew and sent to my parents:

hand written note in drawing says "I want to go home paleeeezzz"

More hilarious letters from camp to follow!

A Special Memorial Day Post: Celebrating a Day Off From All the Mail!

Happy Memorial Day! On a national holiday like today, I celebrate a break from mail! Never-ending mail that endlessly collects, taking up valuable real estate in my small (but adorable!) studio apartment. Hundreds of magazines a month I never have time to read, bills, catalogs, credit card offers....It is a miracle I ever see the surface of my coffee table (a.k.a. the place I keep my mail until I have time to go through it). I embrace the rare occasion I receive a card or invitation, especially during the holiday season where lovely cards are aplenty (except for the ones from people (my super, mailman etc) gently reminding me to tip them. I don't like those!). Anyway, hope everyone is having a wonderful day off (from work, and from mail!)!

The #1 Thing NOT to Do After You've Had Your Eyes Dilated By A Doctor

I know what you're probably thinking. If your eyes are dilated, don't drive. And definitely don't operate heavy machinery! But (shockingly) what the doctor doesn't warn you, is that it's probably not the best idea to go swimsuit shopping after you've had your pupils dilated.

And swimsuit shopping is just what I tried to do last Thursday after my appointment! I was heading to the beach the next day for the weekend, and it was my last chance to find a new bikini! You should have seen me at Macy's. Dark sunglasses on. Feeling around to find different styles. Putting the price tag right up to my face in a fruitless attempt to read prices. I could barely see a thing! It was ridiculous!

In hindsight (pun intended!), not the best idea. And if you're wondering, I did end up buying something...but it turned out I was not happy with my purchase (shocker of the year!) and plan on returning it. Lesson learned!

Delicious Things I Ate Last Weekend

Woweeee! I ate like a queen last weekend! It's weekends like these that make me wonder why I don't weigh more than I do! (Must be all the running!). If you get food from any of these places, you'll be a happy camper, I promise!

Francesca

Ladurée

Roberta's 

Russ & Daughters

A Special Mother's Day Post

Happy Mother's Day to my favorite Mom in the whole world: My Mom!! (And she tells me I'm her favorite Samantha! Awww, Mom!). Every day, I think to myself how lucky I am to have a Mom like her!

Here's a little story to illustrate how much I love her:
Many years back when I was about seventeen, my Mom was driving me somewhere, when we came to a red light. At that moment, I thought to myself how much I loved my Mom, and blew her some air kisses (I know, I was a difficult teen!). She reciprocated and blew some back to me, but at that very moment, a women was crossing in the crosswalk and thought my mom was blowing kisses at her. She definitely had a puzzled look on her face. My Mom and I had a good laugh! And we still laugh about that moment 'til this day.

Point is: I love you Mom! Can't wait to celebrate with you today!

I Don't Want To Brag, But I Have Awesome Friends: Part 1

What I'm about to say might shock you. Are you sitting down? Ok here it is: everyone once in a while I let other people pick the restaurants I dine at. I know, CRAZY, right? In fact, there's one person in particular, one of my BFF's Marissa, who I would let plan my entire trip, not just a meal for one night. And lucky for all of us, she just started a website, Trip Love Travel, where she does JUST THAT for people! You tell her where you're going, and what type of experience you want to have (adventure (NO!!!!!), relaxing, luxurious etc) and she will plan an amazing authentic itinerary for you. She will tell you about the places only the locals frequent. Pretty cool, eh? Lonely Planet, Schmonely Planet! 

I Don't Want to SEE That-Offensive Locker Room Behavior

Why does everyone love being naked at the gym all the time? Is all that nakedness REALLY necessary? I THINK NOT! Here are just some of the nude moments that have left an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach:

You, NAKED, blowing drying your hair, with your leg up on a chair (Really? Leg up? Why?????).

You, NAKED, chatting with your friend about your weekend plans (Hopefully those plans involve buying a coverup, or something that will allow you to walk around the gym less naked). 

You, NAKED, picking up something that dropped on the ground (Maybe you were picking up a manual on how not to offend others in society?).

You, NAKED, with a towel on your head (If you already HAVE the towel, why not use it to cover up your lady parts?).

You, NAKED, checking your twitter (but strangely not tweeting about how weird it is that you're so naked).

You, NAKED, checking your voicemail (Hopefully someone was calling to request that you stop being so naked in public?).

You, NAKED, applying your makeup (If only you would apply some principles of decency instead!).

And it's never the pretty ones that are naked either!

Other NY Fears Besides FOMO, Part 2

Remember last year when I delved deep into the world of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and other NY fears? That was only the tip of the iceberg! Unfortunately for us all, there is a LOT more to be afraid of in this city! Here are some more horrifying fears, let me know if I left anything out!