Merry Christmas, Darling

I tend to use upcoming holidays as excuses to buy new dresses – i.e., "this would be perfect for my birthday/Christmas/New Year's Eve/some other day we only celebrate once a year!" I feel weird wearing this Bernie Dexter dress at a time other than Christmas, but since I first bought it a couple of years ago, I've gotten a fair amount of use out of it. I wore it for a Christmastime post two years ago (you can read it here), but it seems like such a long time ago and I wanted to style it a different way. My style has evolved in a lot of ways, but even more importantly, I've changed a lot as a person since then, both emotionally and physically. Maybe I'm still sans boyfriend on Christmas, but I'm definitely not in the same place I was two years ago (thank goodness!). I sometimes beat myself up for not achieving the goals I set for myself, but when I look back on old posts, I realize how far I've really come. Who knew that one dress could act as such a pivotal reminder?

My first weekend of shows went well, and we have off until the day after Christmas, which is going to be a little strange. I do, however, need the time off because I still need to wrap all of my gifts, do lots of baking and (most vital of all) watch a few Christmas movies. I'm a little disappointed that it looks like we're going to have a green Christmas this year (a very rare event for Rochester), but I guess I can't really complain too much. I'm just glad the holidays are almost here – I think most of us are in dire need of a little break. We're doing our usual Christmas Eve festivities (aka opening all of our presents and eating a lot) and then seeing a movie (maybe Star Wars?) and going out for Chinese on Christmas Day. What are your plans for the holiday?

Outfit Details

Bernie Dexter dress: ModCloth (old)

Name necklace: c/o Onecklace

Faux fur stole: Target (similar)

Shoes: B.A.I.T. Footwear

Petticoat: Pinup Girl Clothing

Have a great start to your week!

Friday Favorites #116: Christmas Wish List

Can you believe Christmas is just one week away? I've finished all of my holiday shopping for my loved ones, so I'm sharing some things that I'd love to find under the tree for myself this year! I've been nowhere near this good (ha!), but here's hoping Santa Claus got the memo and brings me a few things... :)

a  //  Sounds Like Me: My Life (So Far) in Song by Sara Bareilles

b  //  Harlequin Getaway Skirt from Heart of Haute

c  //  Urban Decay Vice4 Palette

d  //  "Book" perfume by Commodity

e  //  Faux fur stole

f  //  Miss L-Fire booties

g  //  Ampersand necklace

h  //  Bernie Dexter New Year's Eve print dress

i  //  Your Beauty Mark by Dita Von Teese

j  //  Betsey Johnson bouquet writstlet

k  //  Kate Spade champagne bottle clutch

l  //  Gold crown headband by Crown and Glory

m  //  Miss Ladybug lambs t-shirt

n  //  Secret Garden coloring book

o  //  Popcorn iPhone 6 case

p  //  Candy cane Christmas dress by Oh My Honey

q  //  Harney & Sons earl grey tea

r  //  Downton Abbey tea ornament

s  //  B.A.I.T. Footwear scalloped heels

t  //  Erstwilder Christmas tree brooch

u  //  Balsam & Spice candle

v  // Friends quotes long-sleeved tee

What are you wishing for this Christmas?

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!

Purely ornamental

Are you getting tired of my Christmastime outfit posts yet?? I hope not, since I still have a few more to go! I'm generally a fan of photographic prints (second only to novelty prints), and when I featured this Chicwish skirt in a Friday Favorites post a few weeks back, I knew I wanted to nab one for myself. I've only ordered a couple of other things from Chicwish in the past, so I was a little nervous about quality and sizing, but I was actually pretty pleased with the outcome.

I had heard that the skirts from Chicwish tended to run a bit small, so I ordered a size larger than I normally would have. I definitely should have had more courage and followed their size chart, as the skirt is definitely a bit too big (though you can't really tell in these photos). Luckily, the skirt fastens with both a zipper and two metal hooks, which could be moved if needed for a more snug fit. I didn't have time to mess with it prior to taking these photos, but the addition of a belt hides the problem pretty well. The quality isn't going to be as superior as a higher-priced skirt, but the flip side of that is that it's lined, holds up well and doesn't need to be dry cleaned. I could've worn it with a petticoat for some extra "oomph," but I opted to style it in a more casual way here. It's the perfect outfit for decorating the Christmas tree!

Outfit Details

Merry Ornaments Midi Skirt: Chicwish

Red boatneck tee: Target

Gold bow belt: eBay

B.A.I.T. heels: Zulily

On the docket for today: a much-needed haircut and the final dress rehearsal for the show I'm in! We have performances both before and after Christmas, so it's making the end of this month a bit more hectic than I'd like. I've done all of my holiday shopping, but I'm not sure when I'll actually be able to wrap presents. Plus, we haven't baked any cookies yet! Eeek. Time, slow down just a little!

Have a great Wednesday!

Alpine

As someone who loves dressing thematically, I'm really glad I decided to have almost an entire month of holiday outfits – I just hope you all aren't bored with it yet! When I saw this skirt at Lindy Bop, I knew it had to come live in my closet (just look at that print!). It's amazing how much I really love separates now, when just a few months ago, I avoided them like the plague! This print actually does come in a dress version (with a matching bolero), but I love the skirt so much more. I topped off this look with an adorable bow brooch that was kindly sent to me as a birthday gift from Match Accessories (an ode to Christmas gifts!). This outfit isn't one I'd traditionally wear on Christmas, as I like to get really fancy for the holidays, but I love it as a lead-up to it... and I can continue to wear it throughout the winter!

I followed the Lindy Bop size chart and ordered up from my normal UK size, as I was afraid that it would be too tight to accommodate a sweater underneath. Lindy Bop's sizing is usually pretty generous, but since I hadn't owned one of their skirts before, I felt it was better to be safe than sorry. Realistically, I probably could've gone with my normal size, as this one is just a tiny bit big, but moving the buttons over to provide a better fit would most likely be an easy fix. I also got this cute short-sleeved sweater to go with it, and both the fit and quality are very nice. The prices of both were extremely reasonable, and Lindy Bop offers free shipping to the US with orders of $75+, which is a plus.

Outfit Details

Adalene Alpine Swing Skirt: Lindy Bop

Onassis Green Sweater: Lindy Bop

Bow brooch: c/o Match Accessories

Shoes: B.A.I.T. Footwear (similar)

Have a great start to your week!

Hungry for books

It's been a little while since I posted a book review here, but I haven't had a chance to do much reading these days! Fall flew by, and the holiday season has been pretty crazy. But I finally got around to reading Food: A Love Story by comedian Jim Gaffigan – a very timely read for a season filled with favorite indulgences – and wanted to share my thoughts on it today (in a fittingly food-centric outfit, of course!).

Food: A Love Story is essentially comedian Jim Gaffigan's food diary that chronicles all the different types of typically American cuisines he's sampled (or rather, engulfed) during his cross-country travels. It serves as a foil to any and all health-conscious reads, and as someone who definitely loves an indulgence or two, I thought I would enjoy this one. Here's the thing, though. Comedy is really hard. It's probably one of the most difficult things you can do as a performer, especially if you aren't blessed with an innate gift for it. And even if you're a successful stand-up comedian (like Jim Gaffigan is), it's difficult to be able to translate that into a medium that people merely read, rather than watch. I actually like Jim, but overall, I felt like he was trying a little too hard to make this book funny – which is pretty much a death sentence in comedy – and like he was really trying to stretch out a very simple concept to fit a certain length. I'm an avid reader, but I really had to slog to get through this one; it became very repetitive very quickly, and honestly, it just wasn't that interesting to me after a while. I've had an on-again-off-again unhealthy relationship with food, and I related to a lot of his sentiments on some level... but even so, I had to force myself to keep reading it – which isn't exactly what you want with a book like this. The book has a lot of positive reviews on Amazon, so perhaps if you're less critical than I am – and you're looking for something lighthearted – you'll enjoy it. It made me think a lot about how acceptable it is within society for a man to be overweight and indulge in whatever he wants virtually without judgment, but women are rarely afforded the same courtesy. As someone who's struggled with weight for most of her life (and as someone for whom food is certainly a vice), perhaps I am just too sensitive to enjoy this book as it should. In addition, I'd rather read a funny memoir than a concept book, so take opinions with a grain of salt (food pun intended). I usually love anything to do with food, but this book let me unsatisfied. At least it gave me an excuse to wear this skirt! The Very Hungry Caterpillar will always be one of my favorite food-related reads. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for Food: A Love Story. However, it might just be a really great gift for the junk-food-lover (or basically any dad) in your life. If you're interested, you can find it here!

Outfit Details

Very Hungry Caterpillar Skirt: Interrobang Art & Fashion

Red top: Bernie Dexter (similar)

Belt: from another dress

B.A.I.T. shoes: Zulily

Have you read any good books lately? I'd love some recommendations!

I received this book from the Blogging For Books program in exchange for an honest review.

Have a great weekend!

Friday Favorites #115

Ah, it's Friday again! My Christmas spirit is now in full swing. One of my favorite stores to visit during the holiday season is Anthropologie. Forgive me for basically including half of their holiday offerings in this post... but they're all so pretty! If I could just live inside an Anthropologie, I would. (Their decor and housewares sections are also surprisingly affordable, which is another reason why I love going there during this time of year!) This post contains a lot more than just their stuff, but I'm starting off with a bunch of Antho pieces I love...

These ornaments are gorgeous!

a   ||   b

When I have my own tree, it'll definitely have some pastel ornaments, but our current tree is mostly decorated in golds and greens. This ice skating ornament would be a great addition!

These candles sound absolutely scrumptious.

Balsam & Cedar  //  Snowflakes & Icicles

These glass trees are so pretty:

I love these pastel cake servers!

I might need to get some of these gingerbread house mug toppers...

And I don't even drink, but these jingle bell bottle stoppers are amazing!

I adore this gift tag set, too!

I kind of really want this tacky present sweater...

This Christmas stocking print dress is wonderful!

Party dress alert!

a   ||   b   ||   c

This Christmas kitty brooch is everything!

I love this list of Christmas tumblr posts.

(image via)

This dress is absolutely stunning:

Wouldn't this star headband be lovely for Christmas Eve or NYE?

This Mary Poppins skirt is so cute!

Um... a bubble tea bag? Yes, please.

I've never even seen The Mindy Project (I know, I know), but after reading this, I think I should.

(image via)

I'm getting excited for the premiere of Downton Abbey's final season in January, and this clip of a few cast members doing a scene with American accents is so good:

This article about changing one's "default setting" from self-deprecating to confident really resonated with me. As someone who values humility, it's easy to not overdo it by under-valuing yourself and coming off as insecure. I'm adding this to my list of resolutions for 2016.

(image via)

And finally, doesn't this video speak to all of us?

Have a great Friday!

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!