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.  :)

Belle

I have a soft spot in my heart for pale yellow dresses; there's just something about them that's very feminine, yet unexpected. I wore the mint version of the Unique Vintage Garden State dress in this blog post from last winter, but when they recently released it in some new shades, I knew I needed to have this yellow colorway. I also knew I wanted to pair it with this Beauty-and-the-Beast-inspired rose brooch from Deer Arrow – because honestly, as a lover of all things Disney, how could I not style this in a "tale as old as time" kind of way?

I'm thinking about change this week. This is a pretty extensive topic to cover, but I'm trying to figure out the next steps I want to take for my life. I've been living in this little safety bubble for quite some time now, and though I've crossed some major things off my to-do list, I still have a lot more left to tackle. I've been in a "caught in limbo" state for the last few years – pursuing my passion on a small scale, but feeling sort of left behind in terms of hitting certain milestones. It's always taken me a little bit longer to forge my own path, and I'm okay with that, but I don't want to feel stuck anymore just because I don't know what I want. I don't feel a strong pull to up and move somewhere else at the moment, but I don't think I want to feel settled here yet, either. I get really overwhelmed when I think about all the things I need to do, so right now, I need to focus on just a couple of major pieces of the puzzle. Taking these steps is a scary thing, but I have to remember that being brave means doing things before you necessarily feel ready, and putting myself outside my comfort zone is the only way I'll grow and learn... and I definitely want to do that. Anyone else feel this way?

Outfit Details

Garden State Dress: c/o Unique Vintage

Spellbound Rose Brooch: c/o Deer Arrow

Petticoat: Pinup Girl Clothing

Shoes: B.A.I.T. Footwear

Have a great start to your week!

PS: Don't forget, you have just a few days left to enter my 3-year blog anniversary giveaway! Get the details and enter here.

Friday Favorites #121

Another week is at its end (and not a moment too soon!). Here's what I've been adoring this week:

Love these new printed midi-skirts from Chicwish!

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I'm swooning over this rose print dress – perfect for Valentine's Day!

Or if you'd prefer a red rose dress, this one's gorgeous:

I'd definitely need this coordinating purse, too.

These new "Ophelia" dress colors from Lindy Bop are so pretty.

1   //   2   //   3

These shoes would probably be easy to DIY, but I like them nonetheless!

I may or may not have decided to get an early Valentine's gift for myself in the form of this perfume sampler... I've been wanting to try this line out, and this is the perfect (and inexpensive) way!

Love this timely garland!

These little guys are so sweet!

a  ||   b

This printed dress is wonderful!

And so are these:

a   ||   b   ||   c

This photo series is lovely.

THIS SKIRT HAS CROISSANTS AND JAM JARS ON IT!

Even more novelty purses! I love the pretzel especially, and the keyboard actually plays music!

a   //   b   //   c

I'm rejoicing over the new vegan Ben & Jerry's flavors! I'm not vegan, but I do have dairy sensitivities, so I'm really excited to try their new additions that are made with almond milk.

I know I had a couple of rotten days this week, so if you've been feeling the same, you need these two tumblr-related lists...

19 Tumblr Posts That Will Make You Feel Better About Your Day

32 Of The Greatest Things That Have Ever Happened On Tumblr

Have a great weekend, and don't forget to enter my 3-year blogiversary giveaway! You could win 1 of 3 incredible prize packages. Get more info & enter here!

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!

Lingerie et parfum

I hope your week is going well so far! The snow has melted since I snapped these photos (the weather has actually been really nice for the past few days), though I'm sure that won't last for long. But if I have to venture out into the cold, at least I can do it in outfits like this! I'm totally obsessed with this skirt from Lil' Lou Lou – the print is of vintage undergarment advertisements! – and I ended up really loving this whole ensemble.

I featured two other Lil' Lou Lou pieces last month in this post, and while I really like both of them, I have to say that this skirt is definitely my favorite. It seems to be made of a slightly heavier cotton than the other Jivin' Skirt I have, and it fits me like an absolute dream. I don't own a lot of navy blue (I've just never really been drawn to it for some reason), so coordinating this outfit was actually a fun challenge. I finally got a chance to wear this Erstwilder perfume bottle brooch, and I brought out an older pair of shoes I completely forgot I had! The thing I love most about fashion is that it gives me a chance to think creatively, and I really have a blast putting pieces together. (Is that weird?)

Outfit Details

Jivin' Skirt in Vintage Undergarments Print: c/o Lil' Lou Lou

Eau De Toilette brooch: c/o Erstwilder

Cafe Parfait Top: ModCloth (other colors)

Petticoat: Pinup Girl Clothing

Bow heels: old (similar)

Bow belt: similar

In case you missed Monday's post, I'm celebrating 3 years(!) of blogging with a gigantic giveaway! You can enter to win 1 of 3 incredible prize packages. Get all the details & enter here!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

3-year blogiversary giveaway! [CLOSED]

Goodness gracious! I can scarcely believe that this month marks my third year(!?) of blogging! When I started The Soubrette Brunette three years ago, I didn't really have any expectations for it – other than wanting a creative outlet where I could showcase my pretty dresses. My life looked a bit different back then, and I've gone through many ups and downs since. But through it all, this little corner of the internet has been such a gift; among other things, it's allowed me to "meet" so many wonderful people, to really cultivate my style, and to have a creative space that's totally mine. I want to express my thanks to all of you for being such an integral part of it. And because I always like giving back to my lovely readers, I'm hosting an awesome giveaway to celebrate my blogiversary – with some equally awesome brand sponsors! Keep reading to find out more about 3rd annual blog anniversary giveaway...

Much like my birthday giveaway back in October, this giveaway will have THREE different prize packages up for grabs! (I thought it was only fitting, since that's also the same number of years I've been blogging!) When you enter the giveaway, you will automatically be entered to win all 3 prize packages – so no need to choose between them. (Seriously, all 3 are amazing!) In the interest of fairness, the winner of each prize package will be assigned in the order they're picked (i.e., the first winner will get prize package #1, and so on). Here are the details about what's in each prize package:

Prize Package #1

- $60 gift certificate to Heart of Haute

- Monroe red heart wicker purse from Voodoo Vixen (shown above)

- Customized sterling silver or 24k plated name necklace from oNecklace

- "Vivian" hair flower from NicCoCo Creations

Prize Package #2

- $50 gift certificate to Erstwilder

- "May" Floral Swing Dress from Unique Vintage

- Winner's choice of Tootsie Cropped Cardigan from Doll Me Up

- Copy of Vintage Parties: A Guide to Throwing Themed Events (pictured above)

Prize Package #3

- $50 gift certificate to Cats Like Us

- Navy Ship Shape Purse from Sourpuss Clothing

- Pretty Dress Fund jar, hologram power bank + kitty mug from Ankit

- "Vivian" hair flower from NicCoCo Creations

Enter the giveaway through the Rafflecopter widget below. Three (3) different giveaway winners will be chosen at random through the widget; prize packages will be determined by the order in which the winners are chosen. There are certain mandatory entries you must complete in order to be eligible to win, and then there are numerous optional entries you can complete to get extra chances to win. You must be a follower of The Soubrette Brunette to enter (no unfollowing after the giveaway ends, please!). The giveaway is open worldwide and will run from now until 11:59 PM (EST) on Wednesday, February 10th. Winners will be contacted via e-mail (so be sure to provide a valid e-mail address!) and must respond within 48 hours, or a new winner will be chosen. Winners will be announced on the blog within one week of giveaway's end.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Best of luck!