ModCloth Fall Wishlist (at 30% off!)

The jury's still out on whether it's okay to consider September 1st part of fall, but I think we can all agree that back-to-school shopping season is typically an enjoyable one. In honor of ModCloth offering 30% off all regularly priced items for Labor Day weekend, I put together a little wish list of all the pieces I've been eyeing on their site. Things are selling out quickly (especially from their Halloween shop!), so don't sleep on something you like! Don't forget to use the code YAYDAY at checkout to get your discount!

Please note that this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links, I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you!) that helps to run my blog. Thank you for supporting The Soubrette Brunette!

a.  Book print dress

b.  Shakespearean deaths card game

c.  The Wicked Baker book

d.  Banned crimson bow bag

e.  Witch's brew skirt

f.  Halloween tea towels

g.  Raccoon trinket dish

Have you started your fall shopping yet? If you're looking to add something new to your wardrobe without spending any money, be sure to enter my current giveaway with Dolly & Dotty! The winner will receive a dress of their choice from Dolly & Dotty's current selection!

An Apple a Day

I've been sick for the last week, so it probably stands to reason that I should be eating more apples to keep the doctor away. Fortunately, we ended up getting a lot (plus donuts and cider, of course) at our trip to The Apple Farm. Apple-picking season is over by now, but I'll definitely be enjoying the fruits of our labor (literally!) for at least the rest of this month! I've never been one for apple pie, though... I'm a pumpkin gal all the way there.

This look is a bit more classic (read: maybe basic?) than I normally go for – but holy wow, this dress from Torrid is SO soft. I started shopping at Torrid for swimsuits and bras a while back, but hadn't ventured into real clothes until I purchased this. Although the elasticized waistband sits a bit high for me (which I easily fixed with a belt), this dress is really nice and sooo cozy. It looks like it's currently out of stock, but there's a red version that looks like it would be beautiful for the holidays! For anyone who's kind of on the cusp of straight sizes and plus sizes like I currently am, I'm definitely a fan of shopping with them. (Just wait until there's some kind of sale, which they have often!)

Outfit Details

Dress: Torrid (similar here and here)

Plaid scarf: available at ModCloth

Belt: similar  ||  Boots: similar
Basket: similar

I'm looking forward to the holidays this year – mostly for outfit-planning reasons, if I'm honest. I don't know what Thanksgiving and Christmas will bring this year. Things have been tough lately and I'm kind of in a period of uncertainty. But I think that probably means change is on the horizon. And while that can be scary, I'm inclined to believe that's a good thing.

Have a sweet start to your week!

Air of December: an autumnal wrap-up

I absolutely cannot believe that it's December 1st today.  I know winter doesn't technically start 'til much later in the month, but I essentially consider Dec. 1 to be the start of the season.  It's weird, because summer doesn't feel like it was that long ago to me, and I guess the fall was kind of a blur.  I want to start documenting my outfits in a wrap-up post; I thought about doing it monthly, but I kind of like the idea of a seasonal one better.  It's something a tiny bit different, at least!  So here is a sampling of my favorite outfits from each month of the fall (feel free to tell me which one you liked best!):

September

(From upper left: Easy as pie // Meow mix
Heartbreak Hotel // Forever Autumn)

October

(From upper left: Red October // Pale Blue Dot // BOOO-OOOOOK!
snuggle bunny // Milkshakes and Amaretto Sours // Pumpkin spice
Sweets for the sweet // Hey, cupcake! // High school hellcat)

November

(From upper left: A whiter shade of pale // One lump or two? // Roses Blue
A certain shade of green // Suzy Snowflake // Violet mints
She's a full-on Monet // Switchboard operator // Fairisle)

As emotionally-difficult as this whole season has been for me, I feel like I've also kind of found my stride in certain ways.  I'm still struggling and consistency is kind of a foreign concept at this point, but I am a strong person -- or at least, I'm trying to be.  This blog (not to mention all of the lovely friends I've made and comments you all leave me) has brought me a lot of joy, and that's always important -- but it's meant so much to me during these last few months.  My goal is to continue moving forward; learning not to dwell and to simply live in the present is difficult, but all I can do is trust that it will eventually be alright.  In the meantime, I will continue to do what makes me happy (I obviously have other, specific goals too, but they all fall under that umbrella). So thank you all for being a part of that! 

Happy December and have a great Sunday!

xox Sammi 

Bountiful

Outfit Details:

Sights to Season Dress: ModCloth

Cardigan: Forever 21 (old, similar here)

Tights: ModCloth (similar here)

Shoes: Stylish Surprise from ModCloth

Leaf crown: Sterling Renaissance Festival

Bow ring: Urban Outfitters (similar here)

Belt: from another dress

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!  I love this holiday (let's face it: any holiday that involves eating a ton of yummy food is going to be at the top of my list).  Our Thanksgiving is going to be pretty low-key this year -- I'll be with my parents, my grandparents, and aunt at our house -- but I always look forward to my mom's cooking.  She always makes everything (except the lime jello, which my grandma always brings... I have no idea how this tradition got started).  I need to learn how to actually cook things.  But for now, I will be stuffing myself full of her mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top.  

This fall has obviously been pretty difficult for me, and because there are so many holidays that focus on family, it's been hard to ignore the fact that a person I considered to be an integral part of my family is suddenly gone.  It's hard to come to terms with that, especially when there are still a lot of things that cause confusion and pain for me that stem from that situation.  But I am determined to not wallow in self-pity (since not only is that an unattractive quality, but it's also in poor taste to do so during a holiday that's about counting one's blessings).  And in the spirit of counting one's blessing, here is a short list of things I am thankful for, today and every day:

- my supportive parents, who generously let me live at home until I can figure out my next steps (and who also drive me around constantly, until I can get my license)

- being able to work as an actor and singer, in any capacity

- a day job that I actually enjoy

- my cat, Pumpkin (and poor old Pepper, my dog)

- kind, funny and talented friends

- music

- plays

- pumpkin pie

- pretty dresses

- my heritage

- my health

- hot drinks on cold days

- Friends reruns

- paychecks 

- shopping

- snuggling

- warm fuzzy blankets

- laughing really hard

- quirky, charming movies

- text messages

- feeling pretty

- my degree and my knowledge

- my good ear (for pitch and dialects)

- people who love and care about me

- being an emotional person, even when it hurts

- everything that has stemmed from this blog: readership, sponsorship and blogger friends!

I know I'm forgetting a ton of things... but these things definitely make me smile (oh, and smiling!  I'm thankful for that, too), and that's a very important quality to me these days.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

xox Sammi

Fairisle

Outfit Details:

Coach Tour Dress in Stitch: ModCloth

Dream of the Crop Cardigan in Black: ModCloth

Sheer black tights: Urban Outfitters

Lady in Rad Boot in Ink: ModCloth

Ampersand ring (part of a set): ModCloth

It snowed on Saturday -- enough to stick!  I took some photos yesterday in the snow, but these are actually from last weekend (after our first dusting of snowed had thawed).  I finally invested in another dress I can wear with casual boots (good thing, too... since I found out the hard way that any other types of shoes have a good chance of getting ruined in the snow).  I have two other dresses in this same style (one in red and one in a bright aqua-emerald color), but I really like the print on this.  It almost looks like it could be embroidered, at first.  It's also super comfortable, and I do love a dress with pockets (even if I never put them to use).

The weather was actually really gorgeous when I took these, and I didn't even need a coat!  I was able to go a little further in my backyard, for a change of scenery.  My family actually has a couple of acres of land on the property of our house, so it was fun to go exploring more than I'd been able to for a while (since it gets really overgrown in the summertime).  But now it's freezing out, and it's probably going to stay that way for the most part.  Upstate winters last forever, so I'm going to enjoy the early stages of it for as long as they last (i.e., before the gross slush stage sets in).

I'm excited for a short work week, and this week has not one but two holidays in it!  Chanukah actually starts the night before Thanksgiving this year (Thanksgiving is on the late side and Chanukah is way early), so we'll be feasting on latkes prior to turkey day.  Does anyone have any fun holiday plans?  Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  We're staying here, and my mom is cooking for when my grandparents and aunt come over.  I'm looking forward to mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes (with marshmallows on top!) and pumpkin pie.  :)

Have a great Monday!

xox Sammi  

Scarf it down

Outfit Details:

Black turtleneck dress: a shop on Storenvy (no longer available)

Tights: Anthropologie (similar here)

Quote Me Ring: ModCloth

White belt: from another dress

Black boots: Chinese Laundry

Scarf: can't remember!

This is kind of a departure from my usual outfit posts, I think, in that it's a bit more casual than what I usually wear.  But I actually wear this dress all the time (it even made it into the show I did for the Fringe Festival, back in September).  It's the perfect neutral dress, and I love that it has long sleeves and a turtleneck (important features for lake effect snow regions).  I posted a couple photos from this in the most recent Flock Together Style Challenge post, where we showcased everyone's favorite fall accessory: scarves!  I actually have quite a collection of scarves, but they barely ever make it into my outfits (or if they do, it's more for function than for fashion!).  But I'm determined to incorporate them more -- especially since winter is fast-approaching!

This week has been a little emotionally-challenging so far.  I won't go into details, but suffice it to say that I've reaffirmed that I need to take time for myself.  I don't want to feel pressure to do things a certain way, or to be over things by a certain time.  I think I just need to take away the clock.  I'm obviously not over everything that's happened, and I can't really force myself to be.  I'm going to try to focus on the things I really want to accomplish for my own well-being.  Distractions are good sometimes (and sometimes, I do need them), but I also don't want to use them as an excuse.  This is all very cryptic, probably, but what I'm trying to say is that I'm caught between being kind to myself and pushing myself forward.  I probably need an equal amount of both right now.

Have a great Wednesday!

xox Sammi