Friday Favorites #47

Another week has come and gone!  This week went by pretty quickly, and I'm very glad to be home.  There's a lot going on in the next few weeks (my mom's birthday, Mother's Day, a big event for the orchestra I work for, an audition, and other things), but I'm just so excited that spring is here that I can't get too stressed about it.  Even though it's been chilly and rainy this week, the sight of blooming flowers is enough to put me in a positive frame of mind.  Here are some lovely finds that also put a smile on my face this week, starting with three pretty dresses that are perfect for spring and summer:

a // b // c

I especially love the one in the middle!  It has ric-rac trim, and I think red and mint are a fantastic color combination.  Plus, I'm fairly fixated on plaid, and the silhouette is beautiful.

Speaking of mint, I'm so crazy about this dress (but I'm not sure I can justify another mint dress!):

I really love these mint-colored plastic sneakers, though.  They even have star and heart cut-outs!

I really love swimwear, and some of my favorites happen to be food-themed.  There are a lot of cherry print swimsuits out there, but this one could almost be mistaken for real vintage:

This mixed fruit print swimsuit is too cute!

I adore this ice cream cone print swimsuit, but it's better for smaller cup sizes (which counts me out, sadly).  You can find the separate top and bottoms at ModCloth.

I featured this breakfast print in its dress version before, but I didn't realize it came in a two-piece set!  I love these types of sets because they show a little skin, but are still appropriate.  Plus, as someone who can't really pull off the crop top trend under normal circumstances, this is a great retro option.  You can find the top and skirt set over at Steady Clothing.

These hot dog sunglasses are too funny!

More ice cream!  This ice cream dress from Sugarhill Boutique is so fun!

My favorite food-related item has to be these wedges that are filled with faux goodies.  As someone who is completely obsessed with both fake and real food (I always have been -- playing grocery store and restaurant were two of my favorite games growing up), these shoes are total eye candy for me!

This macaron print is so sweet, too (and perfect, since I pretty much always want another treat):

I wish I could figure out a way to wear the fluffiest pink tutu skirt with confidence!  I feel like I'd get way too many looks in this, but I adore it. O, to be a Carrie Bradshaw!

I love looking at Irregular Choice shoes, and this lavender pair from them is so darling!

I am a firm believer in the wonders of the "Luck Be A Lady" dresses that ModCloth carries (which are from UK brand Closet), and this is one of the newest versions that's coming soon to the site.  Like I said before, I'm a sucker for plaid, and this color scheme is so pretty!  I now have this silhouette in four different colors -- that's how flattering it is!

I also swooned over this apple green dress!  The little bows!  The cap sleeves!  So adorable!

Gah, this kitty paw mug is wonderful!  I need!

This necklace and earring set from Betsey Johnson is perfect for the mermaid in your life:

a // b

Or for the retro-lovin' gal in your life, this burlesque artist print dress would be fantastic:

As would either of these beautiful dresses from Lindy Bop:

one // two

These new novelty bags from Betsey Johnson are awesome (especially the lipstick one!):

1 // 2

Finally, I am determined to get to NYC sometime this summer (blogger meet-up!  It's happening, I swear!), and when I go, I fully plan on visiting as many of these frozen treat meccas as possible.

Have a great Friday!

xox Sammi

C'est magnifique

Outfit Details:

Bernie Dexter Paris print dress: eBay

Necklace & coat: ASOS (old)

Spectators: BAIT Footwear (similar)

Whew!  It feels so good to be back home and blogging again.  Getting away was nice, but I was starting to go stir-crazy.  I probably should have taken the opportunity to completely unplug from technology (as much as possible, that is), but instead I just cursed my iPhone's horrible battery life and watched more Boy Meets World in a 3-day span than I'd ever thought possible.  I'm so grateful to my guest blogging gal pals, who took such good care of my blog while I was away!  That sort of sounds psychotic, like my blog is a living, breathing entity -- but actually, I sort of believe that about most creative sources, so maybe it's not so crazy.  At any rate, thank you for bearing with me during my little vacation!  I'm back now and it's spring (ignore the snow in these photos!  They're from before my computer died!), and I couldn't be happier to get back in the swing of things.

This dress was a lucky eBay snag (from Bernie herself, no less!).  I'd purchased a different version of this dress on ModCloth (it had thin straps and more of a shelf-type bodice), but the unfortunately, the sizing was wonky and I had to return it.  I've gotten pretty good at knowing my size in Bernie Dexter's dresses, and for whatever reason, that dress simply missed the mark (pretty much across the board, according to the reviews).  To my joy, I found that Bernie was selling some of her pieces on eBay (she still does this from time to time, which is wonderful!), and I was able to grab this lovely version in my size.  I love the little sailor bow on the neckline, and there are puff sleeves, too!  The combination of this dress and coat remind me of Funny Face -- one of my favorite movie musicals.  Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire are a delightful duo, to be sure, but Kay Thompson steals the show for me.  I read her biography a few years back, and she was such an intriguing figure.  She sings a song called "Think Pink" at the beginning of the film, and then the three stars sing "Bonjour, Paris!" about halfway through; this outfit is kind of a hybrid of those two ditties, I think!  If you've never seen the film, you should.  It's so visually stunning, and the performances are wonderful!

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

xox Sammi

My Favorite Outfit: Katie from Butterfly Loves Snapdragons

A note from Sammi: Hi, friends!  I'm back in town from my trip, but because of my computer snafu, I'm a little behind on my own posts, so I have another installment of the "My Favorite Outfit" mini-series for you today!  I've asked some of my favorite blogger ladies to contribute a guest post about their absolute favorite outfits from their own blogs, and today's guest blogger is sweet Katie from Butterfly Loves Snapdragons!  Katie has an incredible eye for vintage fashion, and her hat collection is to die for!  I had a feeling Katie would showcase both of these in her timeless outfit of choice!

Hello there, everyone! I am so glad to have a guest post on Sammi's blog because she is one of my very favorite people I've never met. I absolutely adore her style and get so much inspiration from her each time I visit! Not to mention she is one of the sweetest bloggers out there, both in style and personality. 

It was a difficult decision to choose my favorite outfit! Honestly, my style varies so much from day to day that it was tough to hone it into one look. However, this black and blue combo I wore last November tops my list as a favorite to wear. I wore my grandmother's blue knit sweater and paired it with a rummaged skirt, thrifted coach bag, and vintage hat. This sweater is such a special piece to me because I treasure anything that belonged to my grandmother! Not to mention, vintage knits are so much more fitted and flattering than any sweaters one would be able to find today. I find them so much more comfortable to wear and they make me feel better about my shape, too! Modern sweaters make me feel boxy and lumpy like a marshmallow -- not so with this blue number!

The hat is an item I received from a friend who sells vintage clothing. She wanted to get out of the business of selling hats, so she sold me her inventory of about 70 vintage hats for super cheap, and I was giddy to take them off her hands! This blue satin makes me feel so special, and I have worn it everywhere from the grocery store to my husband's swanky work Christmas party. We could just fasten it to my head permanently and I'd be a happy lady :) Do you have any items like that in your closets, readers?

Have a lovely day and don't forget to smile! :)

My Favorite Outfit: Sara of Swing the Day Away

Note from Sammi: Hello, lovely readers!  I am currently out of town with *very* limited internet access, so I've decided to start a little mini-series on the blog while I'm gone.  I've asked some of my favorite blogger ladies to contribute a guest post about their absolute favorite outfits from their own blogs!  It's kind of a Sophie's Choice situation (at least, I know it would be for me!), since these are some of the most stylish girls I know, but I'm so excited to see what they've chosen!  Today's guest blogger is the lovely Sara from Swing the Day Away, who always manages to look both impossibly adorable and totally polished.  I love this sweet girl's style, and I know you will, too!

Hello, Soubrette Brunette readers! I'm Sara and I blog over at Swing The Day Away. While Sammi is away, she asked me to fill in for her and write about my favorite outfit. Well, I have a lot of outfits from the 4 years I've been blogging and I'm terrible at making decisions and narrowing things down, so I'm here with 9 of my favorite outfits within 3 of my favorite fashion themes. That's right, I'm doubling up on the favorites, people. I'm breaking the rules!

The first of my favorite fashion themes is nautical. I live on the shoreline of New England, so I have grown up always being about 5-10 minutes away from the ocean. I love it that way, and I can't imagine ever living somewhere landlocked. I love everything about all the little seaside towns along the coast - the smell of the air, the little food shacks, the boardwalks, the knick knack stores...just the overall nautical flair. It's really grown to be a part of me, and I love incorporating it into my wardrobe.

Ahoy//Nautical By Nature//Into The Ocean, Into The Sun

 Next up is fall fashion. Like Sammi, I am an October baby, and I am very proud to be! Autumn is my favorite season and October is my favorite month. I promise that it's not just because it's my birthday month, though that has a small portion to do with it. I really can't describe my love for autumn. I think I'd marry it if that were a thing and didn't make me a crazy person. I love the colors and smell of the leaves, the crisp air, Halloween, apple and pumpkin picking, and apple and pumpkin baked goods. It's the best time to go to the orchards, which is my favorite place to go! Plus, it is seasonally acceptable to watch Hocus Pocus. Enough said. I will not watch that movie unless it's October, no matter how much I love it.

"Delicious Autumn! My Very Soul Is Wedded To It"//Green Mountain Forest, VT//It's Just A Bunch of Hocus Pocus

The last one I'm not sure would be called a theme, per se. It's basically just that I like to try to mix colors that aren't normally mixed. I know there's this whole thing about "clashing" colors and a whole method of how to use colors in the color wheel with primaries, secondaries, etc., but I don't follow it. I don't really believe in clashing, unless you literally threw on about 6 different patterns at once or something. I think that any colors can be worn together if you do it right. So I say down with the idea of clashing! Mix away, my friends.

Up In The Air//Grad Student//Hi Ho! Cherry-O

I want to thank Sammi for letting me jabber on here and share some of my favorite outfits with you all! Hopefully, I'll see you all around and get to see some of your favorite outfits too! :)

My Favorite Outfit: Modern June Cleaver & Amelia Jetson

Note from Sammi: Hello, lovely readers!  I am currently out of town with *very* limited internet access, so I've decided to start a little mini-series on the blog while I'm gone.  I've asked some of my favorite blogger ladies to contribute a guest post about their absolute favorite outfits from their own blogs!  It's kind of a Sophie's Choice situation (at least, I know it would be for me!), since these are some of the most stylish girls I know, but I'm so excited to see what they've chosen!  Today's guest bloggers are Modern June Cleaver and Amelia Jetson (otherwise known as Amanda and Katie) from Junebugs and Georgia Peaches!  This dynamic duo never fails to impress with their fantastic '50s looks!  Without further ado, here are June and Amelia with their favorite outfits!

Hello, Soubrette Brunette readers!

As Sammi said above, we're June + Amelia.  Some of you may know us from our own blog or Instagram, but we're stoked about being here! We've only been blogging since January and are excited to work with someone who is so well-spoken, interesting + stylish.  Now that we've gotten our lady crush on Sammi out of the way, we'll tell you a little about our all time favorite outfits.

Modern June Cleaver

Hello, I'm June! If you'd asked me what my favorite outfit was a week ago, it would've been something totally different.  But this week, it's this Peek a Boo Top by Steady Clothing paired with the High Waisted Thrills Skirt in Olive, Wide Shakira Satin Belt by Pinup Girl Clothing, Persia Heels from Miss L Fire and Carmen Fruit Clips by Andy's Eye Candy.

These Miss L Fire heels were inspired by Great Gatsby era fashion, but I hopped in my TARDIS and brought them forward 30 years, to my usual, late 1950s inspired style.  I really love this top because I think it's a flattering way to show a little skin but not full out cleavage which makes me feel totally awkward.  The skirt has a great shape and accommodates a large enough petticoat to achieve the perfect amount of fullness.  And I actually don't usually like big hair pieces, but I LOVE these, I'm definitely channeling my inner Carmen Miranda, who was actually equally as adorable without the fruit hats. ; )

Tied for first place this week as my favorite outfit would be my Bernie Dexter Beatrice Dress in BBQ Print (I'm sorry I can't link it, she no longer sells this piece.)  This was my birthday dress last year and my first Bernie, so it holds a special place in my heart.  I can't decide if it's the dress or the fact that I'd just officially reunited with my now fiancee, Collin (proposal post + video here).  My opinion might be a bit jaded.

Bernie Dexter's dresses always have adorable prints and have in-seam lipstick pockets, which is awesome.  All dresses with pockets automatically get preferential treatment, because I mean... who doesn't love hidden pockets?!

Amelia Jetson

Hi there, I'm Amelia!  It's hard to choose one outfit that I love the most so I had to choose two.  The first outfit is the Trashy Diva Annette Dress in Sci-Fi print, which is sadly no longer made.  This dress is one of my favorites, because it reminds me of Ms. Frizzle!  I just need a magic school bus and a pet chameleon and I'll be set.  I love this dress for its print, quality and overall appearance. I simply paired it with a lucite cherry brooch and my B.A.I.T. Irene's in red.  This outfit will definitely continue to be one of my Summer essentials!

I must have a love for dresses that are no longer being made! This was my dress for June's birthday last year, and it was my first Hell Bunny dress also.  I love the color on this dress and the polka dot print. The back is a deep 'V', which makes it a fun Summer dress!  I paired it with plain red patent shoes, because I love the color combination of light purple and red!   

  Honorable Mentions

Left: Amelia in her Bernie Dexter Veronique Dress in High Street print and June in her Sugar Doll Dress in Yellow Cherries  |  Right: Amelia in her Vintage Geisha Print Dress and June in her Pinup Girl Clothing Harlequin Print Jenny Dress. 

We're excited we got to share a few of our favorites with you, and we hope to see y'all around the blog-o-sphere!

xoxo,

June + Amelia