Friday Favorites #157: Valentine Wish List

It's been about a month since I last posted anything here on the blog. In all honesty, I've been busy working, spending time with friends, cooking, and taking care of myself. It's also been WAY too cold to muster up the courage to take photos outside. But since Valentine's Day is just around the corner, I thought this would be a good time to share some of the pretty and pink pieces I'm looking at lately!

Please note that this post contains some affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on one of those links, I may earn a small commission that helps to run my blog. Thank you for supporting The Soubrette Brunette!

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Love Is All Around

Happy Valentine's Day! It's supposed to be a sunny, slightly warmer day today and I'm excited to be taking some time for myself. I'm working only a few hours today (one of the perks of having a flexible, full-time job) and am going to spend some time outside. I'm not doing anything super romantic tonight or anything -- I'm just planning on hanging out with my boyfriend and taking his niece to her dance class -- but that's alright by me. I'm supposedly going to be doing something more Valentine-y this weekend instead. I'm not usually a big fan of surprises, but I definitely could use some time away from stress... so I'm kind of up for anything.

Is it possible to have too many pink, lovey-dovey outfits in one's closet? And is it wrong that you'd still want more if given the opportunity? I think I may have too many dresses I can wear for this holiday. I actually don't even know what to wear today (or this weekend). I definitely need to do another closet clean-out in the near future... if for nothing else than to afford all of the amazing spring dresses that are on my wish list.

Outfit Details

Gena Dress in Pink Harlequin: Pinup Girl Clothing

Hair flower: similar  ||  Shoes: B.A.I.T. Footwear

The winner of my 5-year blogiversary giveaway has been chosen, just in time for Valentine's Day! Congratulations to Maren and thanks so much to everyone who entered! 

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Have a sweet holiday!

L-O-V-E

I throw the word "love" around a lot. I never say it when I don't mean it, but I mean it frequently. I've always felt it was important to love freely and deeply. I have never shied away from being vulnerable; even when it might have been smarter to put walls up, I've given my whole heart in many situations. I have always believed it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. That, of course, means my heart has been broken many times. But even when it hurts most, I still feel it's worth it.

I find myself in a situation now wherein my heart breaks a little bit on a daily basis. Tiny little breaks and cracks, imperceptible to anyone but me. I cover up those little breaks with bandages in the form of distractions -- friends, food, laughter, other comforts -- and try to heal myself. That's difficult to do, though, when the heartbreak in question is because the person you love is in so much pain and you end up taking on some of that pain yourself. I guess I didn't realize at first how much it was hurting my own heart. When the heartbreak doesn't come from a breakup and it happens just a smidgeon every day, it's hard to notice until it starts to be too much. And still, you solider on -- battle wounds and all.

I realize this sounds kind of cryptic and probably a bit dramatic. The point is that I'm struggling right now. All I really want to do is talk about cute clothes and chocolate and other things I really like about Valentine's Day. But I've been thinking a lot about love and relationships and having those two things with someone else relies on having love for and a healthy relationship with yourself. That's definitely easier said than done for me. But even though I will be spending this holiday with the guy I love, I'm vowing not to forget about me.

Outfit Details

Dress: Pinup Girl Clothing

Heels: B.A.I.T. Footwear (others)

Hat: vintage (similar)  ||  Necklace: similar

4th Blogiversary Giveaway: Valentine's Edition! [CLOSED]

It's pretty astounding, but in a couple of days, I'll have been blogging for four whole years! Time has flown by, and yet so much has happened since I first began. When I started, I had recently moved back to Rochester and wasn't sure what I wanted to ultimately be doing – so I filled my free time with clothes, slowly figuring out my personal style and my voice along the way. I was still living at home, was doing as many shows as I could, still thinking I'd move back to New York at some point. Now, I'm working full-time as a writer, doing shows only when I feel like it, and living in my own place here that I love. In short, my life now looks totally different from what I pictured for myself four years ago. But I really am glad things in my personal and professional life have turned out the way they have.

As is customary on my "blogiversary," I'm holding a little giveaway for all of my wonderful readers! I hope you all know how much I appreciate you. I may not always have the time to respond to comments here or on social media, but I always read them – and every one of you holds a special place in my heart. And speaking of hearts... since February is my blog anniversary month, I decided to make my giveaway Valentine's Day-themed this year! You can enter to win an adorable prize package of fun goodies. Here's what's up for grabs and what you need to know to win:

Valentine Blogiversary Prize Package:

- Red Velvet Cupcake swing skirt from Unique Vintage

- Pink rose hair flower from Stardust Dames Boutique

- "My Funny Valentine" art print by Kate Gabrielle

- Betsey Johnson heart print cosmetic bag/wristlet

- Duo of Valentine heart coffee mugs

Enter the giveaway through the Rafflecopter widget below. One (1) winner will be chosen at random through the widget. There are a few mandatory entries you must complete to be eligible to win, along with other options for extra chances to win. You must be a follower of The Soubrette Brunette to enter and you must leave a comment (believe me, I check!). The giveaway is open worldwide and will run from now until 11:59 PM (EST) on Saturday, February 4th. This shorter run period will ensure that the winner can get her prizes in time for Valentine's Day! The winner will be contacted via e-mail, so be sure to use a valid e-mail address or leave one in your comment. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen. Once the winner has been contacted, it will be announced on the blog. Best of luck and thanks to all for entering!

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Lucky in love

I don't consider myself to be very lucky in love. I'm fortunate in many ways, but when it comes to matters of the heart, I've historically been a bit... cursed, shall we say. Maybe that's too strong a word. This isn't a "woe is me" kind of post (on the contrary, I feel sort of amused by the whole thing as I'm writing this); I've had a few rather dysfunctional relationships, a couple of bad breakups, a lot of unrequited feelings... but there's been a lot of good in there, too. I've fallen head-over-heels and have been loved hard. I've been "the other woman" and "The One." I wear my heart on my sleeve (and sometimes in purse form), and I usually listen to and follow it pretty closely. I've spent the last year or so trying to heal my little heart, and I've let myself love again, in spite of all the risks. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable is one of the bravest and most beautiful things you can do, in my opinion, and I feel glad that I can be in that place again – even if it means getting hurt in the process. Our hearts are so resilient, aren't they? A couple of years ago, I don't think I would've been able to look past what I'd experienced (much less be thankful for it), but here I am: happy, hopeful, and loving myself more than ever. So maybe I am lucky, after all... lucky that I feel so deeply, and lucky to be where I am now.

Moving on to something more superficial...  I have to take a moment to say that this Tatyana dress is AMAZING. I don't think I'm doing anything fancy for Valentine's Day, but if I do anything that requires changing out of pajamas, I'll be wearing this. I was initially a little worried about how it would look on me, but I was so thrilled when I tried it on after receiving it for Christmas (thanks, Mom!). It's playful and sexy, but I still feel totally well-covered and classy in it. It also fits like a glove, which always helps. I decided to keep it fairly simple with the accessorizing (well, except for the holiday-appropriate novelty bag), but I'm already thinking of other ways I'd like to style this special dress. It's currently out of stock at Tatyana, but you can sign up for the waiting list!

Outfit Details

Shame Red Circle Dress: Tatyana Boutique

Skinnydip Lady Luck purse: ASOS

Petticoat: Pinup Girl Clothing

Shoes: ModCloth (similar)

Vintage hat: Etsy (similar)

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Rosette

I'm feeling sort of indifferent towards Valentine's Day this year. Don't get me wrong; I really enjoy the kitsch of this particular holiday, and any excuse to eat a lot of candy and celebrate the people you love is always great. But I don't really know what (if anything) I'll be doing – other than perhaps going out for brunch with my best friend – and I feel neither bitter about nor excited by February 14th. I guess I just have no expectations, and maybe that's okay. If it ends up being a delightful day, then that's wonderful. And if it's not, then I won't be disappointed. Managing my expectations is actually a goal of mine this year, and there's no better time than the present. This all sounds sort of depressing, but it isn't meant to be. I actually just feel sort of content about the whole thing. Whatever will be, will be (a rare sentiment for an anxious, sensitive person!)... and if nothing else, I will have Reese's peanut butter hearts. So that's enough of a reason to rejoice.

This dress (which actually might be more of a nightgown?) is a vintage find I snagged from one of the clothing swap + sell groups I belong to on Facebook. If you're trying to hunt down a specific piece or are a vintage-lover, I highly recommend seeking out some of these groups, since oftentimes items are listed there before eBay or Etsy. I'm honestly not 100% happy with this outfit (i.e., I wish I could find my nude slip and wore a different cardigan), but I like that it's a bit dreamy and romantic, and it's a bit of a departure from what I've worn as of late. The rose brooch is also vintage, and reminds me SO much of my late-Grandma (peach was her favorite color, and for whatever reason, the pin immediately spoke to me). Wearing vintage pieces already makes me feel like I'm carrying a bit of the original owner(s) around with me, and I love the idea of being able to wear someone's history and continue it by giving a piece new life. And being reminded of someone you love while wearing a vintage piece is even better!

Outfit Details

Vintage dress/nightgown: Facebook group

Brooch: Sweet Bee Finds

Cardigan: ModCloth

Hair flower: similar

Heels: similar

Don't forget: today is your LAST DAY to enter my 3-year blog anniversary giveaway! You could win 1 of 3 incredible prize packages from some awesome sponsors. Don't miss out! Hurry up and enter here.  :)

Friday Favorites #120

I'm really glad it's finally Friday. And I can't believe January is almost over! Here are a few things I've been loving this week... starting with the perfect Valentine's gifties to treat yo' self with:

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This brooch by Kate Gabrielle is pretty purrfect:

I may have already ordered this suspender skirt from The Oblong Box Shop...

... And I kind of really want to pair it with this sweater!

I need to take a trip just to have an excuse to get this weekender bag:

This might be the sweetest lip gloss set in the entire world.

And I <3 these flats!

I'm all googly-eyed over these purses:

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This looks like the coziest sweatshirt ever.

And these lapel pins by Creature Type are adorable!

Flamingo shoes!!

This dress! Ah!

And this one, too:

I love this vintage makeup tutorial! So fascinating.

These swimsuits have me dreaming about warmer weather (and also about baked goods):

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Hats off to Aerie for this! It's awesome to see more "mainstream" brands embracing body positivity.

And for that matter, kudos to Mattel for finally introducing Barbie dolls with different body types and skin tones! (Though honestly, it took them long enough, and I think the "curvy" Barbies look pretty average-sized by actual human standards.)

Someone please get me these stuffed animal otters, please!

And finally, this list is all too real for me!

Oh Jinkx, I love you.

Have a great weekend!

PS: Be sure to check back here on Monday for a very exciting post I promise you won't want to miss! :)

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 and brands I absolutely love. Thank you for supporting The Soubrette Brunette!