Costume Parade

Since I feel like I live much of my life in costumes, it should be of no surprise that Halloween has always been my favorite holiday.  Not only was I nearly a Halloween baby, but costumes and candy are two of the best things in the whole wide world.  I've never been one for seriously scary movies or haunted houses, but I adore decorating our house with all things spooky.  My mom instilled in me a love for this holiday, and at the core, that love has always been based in the joy that comes from creating the perfect costume.  I don't have any plans for Halloween this year, but that hasn't stopped me from coming up with a few spur-of-the-moment options, should I need them:

I adore this cute + easy Minnie costume!  I'd definitely have to add tights and a cardigan, though.

(Dress: Le Bomb Shop // purse: Jump From Paper // heels: similar // ears: Party City)

My novelty purses sure come in handy at a time like this!  I thought going as a sweet treat might be a fun idea.  The blue dress (which has a print of shells, seahorses and fish) would be great for a mermaid or even the ocean -- or if you're a redhead, you could be Miss Frizzle!  All the red dress needs is a blonde curly wig for a Goldilocks costume!

(Dresses: Bernie Dexter, ASOS, Yumi, Bodyline // Purses: New Look, ModCloth, ASOS, eBay //
Shoes: Mel by Melissa, BAIT Footwear, JC Penney, YesStyle)

I get so nostalgic for Halloweens past! The Halloween celebrations and costume parties we had in college were among my favorites.  All of our parties were themed costume parties, but Halloween was one of the major ones (second only to our end-of-the-year party, called The Waggies, which was kind of a hybrid of Halloween, the prom and the Tony Awards).  Our class always created costumes with one big theme for both Halloween and The Waggies, which was always really fun and allowed us to be really crafty and creative.  Here are some of my favorite costumes from a few years ago:

Our theme here was Myths & Monsters!  I decided to be Monster Energy Drink.  I loved my headband!

Our senior year Waggies theme was Drink of Choice - mine was the Mudslide (and again, my favorite part was the hat!).

We dressed up as Looney Toons/Hanna-Barbera cartoons one Halloween, and I chose Hong Kong Phooey.

We decided on "It's a Small World" for our senior year Halloween theme.  I was especially proud of my Union Jack dress, since the back featured tons of British pop culture references and landmarks, all in puffy paint.  I've never been especially gifted when it comes to visual art, but I always managed to do pretty decent work on my costumes, and I've loved making them.

Sophomore year Halloween was candy-themed.  These were all pieces I already had, and I think I even made the York logo out of a blue plastic binder cover and White-Out!  We were robbed in the costume competition!

Our Waggies theme was the United States one year, and my mom and I made this Declaration of Independence dress out of an old bed sheet.  I did all the lettering by hand, which was fun.  This was probably my favorite costume idea! 

I think that, unless you live near a lot of close friends, Halloween tends to be less of a big deal as you get older -- or at least, that's been the case for me.  I'm in sort of a weird limbo state when it comes to this time of year; not only do I not have many friends nearby, but Halloween was also my anniversary with my ex, so it's been sort of a solitary day these past couple of years.  In addition, I don't really drink, so that aspect of Halloween parties doesn't interest me.  I had a rehearsal on Halloween last year, so I didn't have much time to dwell on it.  I actually have to work on Halloween this year, and I'm not sure I'll even be dressing up.  I hope that I'll eventually be in a place where I'm able to celebrate Halloween again in the way I'd like -- but for now, I'll revel in the simple fact that this is a holiday allows me to dress in even kookier attire than I normally do!  Since I don't have a costume prepared right now (if I do dress up, it'll probably be something I came up with on the spot), here are the two costumes that I posted last year:

Original posts: Hey, Cupcake!  //  High school hellcat

What I liked about both of these costumes is that, like the ones at the beginning of this post, they used existing clothes in my closet and used them in a different way to create a costume look.  I wish I had had a little neck scarf (and better hair) for the sock hop look, but it'd work in a pinch!  I love this cupcake dress by Nishe, and I found a headband in a Storenvy shop that worked perfectly with it.  I already had the white tights and shoes as well.  I already spend a fairly substantial amount on my wardrobe, so it seems silly to me to spend a lot of money on a Halloween costume when I have a chance to use my wardrobe in a creative way!  Plus, I have a ton of quirky pieces that really lend themselves well to being part of a costume.

What about you?  Do you like to buy a new costume every year, or do you like to create one from pieces you already own?  Tell me what you're being for Halloween so I can live vicariously!

Have a great day & a spook-tacular Halloween!

xox Sammi

PS: Don't forget - there's still time to enter my Big Birthday Giveaway!  Saturday is your last full day to enter, and you don't want to miss this one!  Get all the details + enter here!

Cake and presents

It's my 26th birthday today!  Honestly, it doesn't really feel like anything special this year; maybe it has something to do with the fact that being in your mid-to-late 20s isn't as exciting, or maybe it's just the circumstances in which I currently find myself.  I'm not doing much of anything to celebrate, other than going out to dinner with my parents.  This year has sort of been weird, but I'm trying my best not to feel down.  Fortunately, it's difficult to feel down while wearing this dress!  It's originally from ASOS, but I'd been searching for it on eBay for what feels like forever -- I even missed out on it once before in a smaller size.  This was truly serendipity though, because I happened to find it one day in my exact size for a reasonable price, and I knew I had to have it!  It's such a fun print (especially for someone who loves tea parties as much as I do!), and I just adore its little details, like the built-in crinoline and heart cut-out in the back.  It really is the perfect birthday dress, and wearing it feels like a present to myself.

Speaking of presents... I had an unexpected, extraordinarily-good mail day the other day.  I came home to find packages from two of my favorite internet friends!  Amanda had sent me a beautiful dress and blouse (from Voodoo Vixen and Steady Clothing, respectively) that she couldn't use, and Kate sent me an absolutely gigantic mystery box!  I couldn't imagine what she had sent me, and I gasped in surprise when I realized that Kate had sent me tons of dresses and sweaters!  Turns out that she was doing a big closet clean-out and thought I would be able to put them to good use.  I was so incredibly touched that she had thought of me, and that she would be so sweet to send me all of those pretty things -- including another ASOS dream dress that I had missed out on!  I feel very lucky to have two such wonderful friends in my life (especially because we've never met in person!), and these packages were so timely and made my birthday feel much more special.

Oh, and let's just talk about this donut clutch for a second.  It's perfect, and I was powerless to resist it.  This exact clutch is included in my Big Birthday Giveaway, and there's still plenty of time to enter, so make sure to do that if you haven't already!  In addition to this sweet purse, there are gift certificates to ModCloth and Unique Vintage, a copy of Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham, art and jewelry from some wonderful friends (Modern Girl Blitz, Flapperdoodle, Wanderlust Print Co., Rachel Sullivan Illustration & She Loves Cute Stuff), and so so so much more up for grabs!  Get all the details and enter the giveaway here!  :)

Outfit Details

Tea Party Print Dress: eBay (originally from ASOS)

Teacup necklace: ModCloth (similar)

Hair bow: Clip a Bow Boutique 

Donut clutch: New Look

Tea set ring: exact

Heels: Amazon

Have a sweet day!

xox Sammi

Big Birthday Giveaway! [CLOSED]

It's finally time for my Big Birthday Giveaway!  I know I don't hold giveaways on my blog very often (which is something I'm going to work on in the future), but I always do one in February for my "blogiversary," and this year, I wanted to hold one for my birthday as well.  Since it's been a long time since I've hosted a giveaway, I wanted to make sure this one was HUGE -- and boy, is it ever!  I've been compiling a bunch of wonderful stuff for this, and I hope you're all as excited as I am for...

In total, this prize package is worth over $300!  I've included two gift certificate prizes, a bunch of awesome Etsy art and jewelry, a delectable novelty purse, a fantastic book, beauty supplies, and a ton of great retro nostalgia and cute gifties.  Basically, it's a big birthday care package of all the things I'd personally love to get.  :)   Here's what's up for grabs!

I'm so happy with all of the fun & cute things I managed to gather up for this giveaway!  This prize package is absolutely gigantic, so if you're overwhelmed (like I am!), here are all the details you need to know:

One (1) winner will receive:

- a $50 Unique Vintage gift card

- a $25 ModCloth gift certificate 

- a novelty donut clutch from New Look

- a copy of Not That Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham

- a collar clip set from Flapperdoodle

- a lipstick brooch from Modern Girl Blitz

- an ice cream ring from She Loves Cute Stuff

- a print of your choice from Wanderlust Print Co.

- a non-customized print of your choice from Rachel Sullivan Illustration

- DVDs of Disney's The Aristocats and Oliver & Company

- a My Little Pony dress-up mug 

- a pair of pink cat eye sunglasses

- an eyeshadow palette from e.l.f.

- a pair of cherry earrings by Hey Viv!

- a pretty unicorn necklace

- a fast food lip balm set

- a cute pair of kitty socks 

- a pot of peach panda hand cream

- a fall assortment of salt water taffy

Entering the giveaway is easy - just use the Rafflecopter form below!  There are some mandatory entries, as well as optional ones that will increase your chances of winning.  The giveaway will run for one week (it starts at midnight on Sunday, Oct. 26th and will close at midnight on Sunday, November 2nd). This giveaway is open worldwide, and you must be a follower of my blog to enter (no un-following after the giveaway closes!).  The winner will be contacted via e-mail, so be sure to leave a valid e-mail address in your comment.  The giveaway winner will be announced on my blog by Wednesday, November 5th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Best of luck! <3

xox Sammi

Friday Favorites #69: Birthday Wish List

For those of you who don't know, my 26th birthday is on Tuesday!  I thought it might be apropos to make this week's Friday Favorites post into a birthday wish list.  Some of these pieces are brand new arrivals, and some of them have appeared in previous FF posts... but either way, they're all items I'm dying to unwrap!  :)

a  //  Irregular Choice cherry deer heels

b  //  Black & white polka dot swing dress

c  //  Lindy Bop 'Tuesday' collared swing dress

d  //  Yes Please by Amy Poehler

e  //  BonLook Keiko Frames in Lily White

f  //  Crust Be Dreaming USB Warming Pillow

g  //  Melissa + Karl Lagerfeld ice cream heels

h  //  Hey Viv! pink pillbox hat

i  //  Tatty Devine poodle brooch

j  //  Mermaid Perfume Spray 

k  //  My Little Pony: The Complete Series

l  //  Tending the Tunes Sweater

m  //  Moschino mirror iPhone case

n  //  Lime Crime Lipstick in Glamour 101

o  //  Be Still My Locket Necklace 

p  //  Betsey Johnson radio crossbody bag

q  //  Flower veil hair combs

r  //  White faux fur tied cape

s  //  The Vintage Tea Party Book

I won't be doing much celebrating this weekend (I'll be working and performing, instead!), but I do have something very special planned for Sunday right here on the blog!!  I promise that you won't want to miss it, so be sure to check back later this weekend.  <3  

Have a great Friday!

xox Sammi

This post contains affiliate links.  If you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links, I may receive a small commission, which helps to run my blog.  I link only to items I absolutely love, from companies I wholeheartedly support.  Thank you for supporting The Soubrette Brunette!

Daisy Bell

I know autumn is the time for plaids and rich colors... but who says you can't wear pastels in the fall??  Kate recently sent me this dress as a gift (which was incredibly sweet of her), and I couldn't wait to wear it.  It's not a dress that I would necessarily pick out for myself, but the details are incredibly darling, and I ended up really loving it.  I decided to pair it with this cropped cardigan -- which I own in like, 6 other colors because I love it so much! -- and the pillbox hat and daisy brooch just jumped out at me.  I wish I had a pair of little yellow shoes, though!

This whole week looks like it's going to be rainy and cold(ish), so these sunshine-y photos are making me happy!  I have lots of fun stuff coming up here on the blog within the next week, so stay tuned -- especially this Sunday (hint hint)!  :)  My birthday is next Tuesday, though it honestly doesn't feel like it.  Maybe bloggy stuff will help put me in the celebratory spirit.  

Outfit Details

Dress: gift from Kate (similar)

Cardigan: Pinup Girl Clothing (exact)

Nude heels: ModCloth (similar)

Pillbox hat: Neely Auction

Daisy brooch: Mom's

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

xox Sammi

Baby's in Black

I don't wear black very often on my blog, which is sort of funny, since I essentially lived in black clothes not too long ago.  When you're a theatre student, wearing black is a requirement for a lot of classes, but since graduating from college, I wear it far less often than I used to.  Still, it's nice go back to black every once and a while, and who doesn't love a good LBD?  I only own a couple of black dresses, and this one is probably the most formal one I have.  I wore this Lindy Bop dress back in June when I sang with my dad's band during the Rochester Jazz Festival, but hadn't worn it since then.  I wasn't totally in love with it the first time I wore it, honestly, but it's grown on me a lot since then -- and looks about a million times better with a petticoat!  This would be good cocktail party attire... but since I don't often frequent those, I think it'd be a cute New Year's Eve outfit, too.

I've been working a ton this week, and my parents have been away on vacation, so I've had the house to myself.  I've spent lots of quality time with Pumpkin (who has been extra snuggly), and the time alone has actually been very nice.  I've thought many times about whether I'd want to live alone if I moved, and this has been a good test for that on a small scale.  Oh, and my best friend Wayne is finally home from the hospital and on the mend.  So, good news all around.

 Outfit Details

Dress: Lindy Bop

Heels: ModCloth (similar)

Belt: from another dress

Necklace: similar

Petticoat: eBay

Have a great Sunday!

xox Sammi

Friday Favorites #68

Happy Friday!  I'm definitely glad the weekend is (nearly) here!  Here are some lovely little things to start off your day:

This breakfast-inspired collection from Italian brand Lazzari is amazing.  The croissant collar!  The milk carton pocket!  The toast pockets!  And a Tori Amos reference (though proclaiming yourself to actually be a "cornflake girl" is not necessarily a good thing)!  I'm head-over-heels for this whimsical line.

a   //   b   //   c   //   d   //   e

And speaking of breakfast, I so want this Orange Is The New Black cookbook:

These Miss L-Fire cherry heels are divine:

I really don't need another red coat, but if I did, this one by Kling would be on my list:

While we're on the subject of coats... I have to mention these two from Ruche:

1   //   2

And I love this sweet spearmint coat, too!

I'm so smitten with this dress from Sugarhill Boutique.  The cut is perfect, and the print is adorable!

I really love velvet dresses, and these two would be perfect for the chilly months ahead.  (And would you believe that the one on the left is from Abercrombie & Fitch?!)

1   //   2

I also love these velvet Mary Janes!  They make me think of Christmastime.

It's certainly no secret that I love plaid, and this version of the Record Time Dress from ModCloth is so great for autumn and winter!  I have this dress in light pink, but I think this one is much more versatile.

This locomotive clutch from Kate Spade is wonderful:

I couldn't resist this dress.  Polka dots and scallops?  C'mon!

I think this is such a fun & simple idea for Halloween: make a spooky sock bun with this spidery kit!

I could watch this corgi play with a pumpkin all day long:

I looked in my sock drawer the other day and realized that half my tights from last year have runs in them, which means I'll have to start stocking up soon.  I reeeeally want these tights from Tabbisocks!

I loved this piece on 5 fictional characters that have an influence on the author's fall style!  I especially agree with Judy Funnie and Fiona from the Josie & the Pussycats movie.

This photographic print dress from Yumi is so gorgeous:

I love this circus-inspired collar from Lady Petrova:

And finally, even though blossoms and blooms are a far way off... these botanical pieces from Vivetta seem perfect for almost any season.  Totally swoon-worthy!

a   //   b

Have a great Friday!

xox Sammi

This post contains affiliate links.  If you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links, I may receive a small commission, which helps to run my blog.  I link only to items I absolutely love, from companies I wholeheartedly support.  Thank you for supporting The Soubrette Brunette!