My heart beats true for the red, white and blue

Outfit Details:

Dress: permanent swap from Elana

Name necklace: c/o Onecklace

Boater hat: River Island (similar)

Flats: Urban Outfitters (similar)

Cherry pie ring: gift from Kate

This is what I ended up wearing for my admittedly low-key 4th of July celebrations.  Honestly, it was one of the nicest I've had in at least a couple of years.  My dad grilled (turkey burgers and hot dogs -- pretty standard fare but delicious nonetheless), and I mentioned before that my best friend Wayne and I went to go watch the fireworks nearby.  It was one of the better fireworks displays I've seen as of late, and it was so nice to spend time with my best friend (who I haven't seen much of lately, due to his health issues).  I wore this outfit there, though I later wished I had worn sweatpants like Wayne did!  Luckily, I remembered to bring warm blankets and a sweatshirt.  

I found wild raspberries growing in our yard (and they are scrumptious)!

This darling little dress was originally a Flock Together swap from Elana, but she generously let me keep it after I borrowed it!  It's such a sweet little piece for summer, and I thought it was perfect for the 4th.  It's not technically the most flattering dress I own, but it's so breezy and even though it's a dressier fabric, it's perfect for more casual occasions.  And I love the little row of buttons down the front!

I've definitely been in better spirits the past couple of days.  Thank you to all of you who left such kind, thoughtful comments on my last post.  I suppose that having bad days for "no reason" is sort of part of the whole process.  Like everything else, I'm figuring things out as I go along, and I'm trying to find joy in life's simple pleasures.  I guess that's all anyone can do, really!

Have a great Wednesday!

xox Sammi  

It's not easy being green

 Outfit Details:

Emily and Fin dress: ASOS

Petticoat & belt: eBay

Basket purse: Mom's

Ring: Ever Ours (similar)

Flats: YesStyle

 

 

I hadn't worn this dress in quite a while -- probably since this time last year.  It's one of my swapping dresses for Flock Together, and seeing Katie style it inspired me to wear it again.  Emily and Fin is a great label, and their dresses are especially well-suited for the summertime.  I really love the length of this one, in particular.  I own two other Emily and Fin dresses (see how I wore them here and here), and I love their vintage-inspired, casual vibe.  Side note, I ended up changing the title of this post to be something more-fitting for its content, and I later realized that it also makes a lot of sense with my little bicycle ring (because after all, Kermit is a bike-riding frog).  I appreciate serendipity.

I've kind of been "in my head" a lot lately.  Everyone grieves differently, and I think I'm still reeling from everything that's happened over the past year.  I feel a lot of pressure to act like I'm doing okay.  Sometimes, I really am.  But other times, I'm not.  People tend to forget to be patient and understanding when it isn't a situation that's directly affecting them.  I certainly don't want to drive people away by fixating on everything.  But the truth of the matter is, I'm not over my breakup, and I'm certainly not over the death of my friend.  I'm not sleeping well, and I've been having more intense mood swings than usual (I'm prone to them anyway, but they're definitely worse than normal).  I don't want to ramble on about it, but I'm definitely struggling.  Time supposedly heals all wounds, but I'm very impatient to start feeling like myself again.

   I hope you have a nice start to your week.

xox Sammi

You don't bring me flowers

Outfit Details:

Vintage floral dress: swap from Ashley

Hair flower & tulle underskirt: Forever 21

Pink heels: Marshall's 

Bracelet: old

I think most (if not all!) of us can agree that Ashley of Southern (California) Belle is one of the sweetest ladies around, with an even sweeter wardrobe.  Getting to know Ashley better through Flock Together has been an absolute delight, and I always love seeing how she remixes items.  From the moment I laid eyes on this vintage dress over on Ashley's blog, I was swooning.  Ashley wore this dress for the rehearsal dinner for her brother's wedding, and she was so incredibly kind to let me borrow it.  She managed to score this beauty for $29 on Etsy (which is amazing), and I told her that I had just one problem with it: namely, that I never wanted to take it off!  Ashley is much smaller than I am, but somehow, this dress fit me perfectly (sometimes I think of Flock Together like the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, only with dresses).  This dress might be the dress of my dreams.

I'm also envious of Ashley's dreamy pink hair (especially because of pairs so beautifully with her wardrobe!).  She opted for a slightly more casual look, and styled this dress with a pretty aquamarine cardigan, belt and pink mermaid flats.  Ashley always looks like a mermaid to me!  <3   

Did you all have a nice Independence Day?  I went to see fireworks with my best friend, Wayne, and it was a lot of fun.  This year is proving really hard for me, and I feel like a lot of the important people in my life have quickly dissipated for one reason or another.  I'm thanking my lucky stars that I have Wayne.  It's imperative to find reasons to be thankful these days.  I know being thankful is not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the 4th of July, but I am, nonetheless.  I'm thankful for fireworks and cotton candy, and also for friends and family and my health and to live in a country that allows me to make my own choices.  So maybe Independence Day is about being thankful, after all.

Have a great Saturday!

xox Sammi

Friday Favorites #54 + July 4th promo codes!

Happy 4th of July, everyone!  There are lots of fun things in today's Friday Favorites, plus there are a TON of discount promo codes & sale information from some of my favorite online shopping destinations at the bottom of the post!  There are lots of good deals to be had this weekend, so you'd better get shopping!  :)  And now, some of my favorite picks from this week...

Anyone who knows my aesthetic knows that I love anything kitschy.  Although I tend to gravitate towards delicate, understated jewelry, these awesome novelty necklaces are perfect for any 4th of July BBQ or picnic!  I especially love the bomb pop one (and it's scented!!).  I will always adore miniature food.

a // b // c // d

If you're headed out by the pool this weekend, either of these gingham swimsuits would be ideal:

a (top, bottoms)     //      b

Boater hats are the perfect summer accessory, and these two are at the top of my list:

a   //   b

These dresses from Lindy Bop are perfectly patriotic!  I especially love the red and white checked one.

a  //  b  //  c

This little hair bow is adorable!

I absolutely adore this sweatshirt, and the fact that ASOS is selling official Disney ears!

1  //  2  //  3

My favorite pair of ears are these white ones with the flowers!

This dress by Dear Creatures is lovely (Kate was right-on when she said it reminded her of "It's a Small World") - I wouldn't think to pair lavender and mustard together, but it's such a good combo!

Speaking of lavender, this lilac bag has stolen my heart!

And because lilac and mint are my favorite color combination, I have to mention this adorable minty polka dotted dress from Sugarhill Boutique:

If you're searching for something to satisfy your sweet tooth... look no further than these little (change?) purses from H&M!  We don't have an H&M where I live anymore, but at least they have an online shop now!  I especially love the donut one.

Okay, without further ado... on to the promo codes and discounts!

American Apparel: 25% off site-wide with code USABDAY

ASOS: 20% off of full-priced items with code PARTYINTHEUSA

Betsey Johnson: 30% off select items with code BABE30

Boohoo: 24% off everything for 24 hours with code GOTIME

Chicwish: 40% off orders of $50+ with code JULY4

Delia's: 40% off of full-priced items with code FIREWRK

ever+mi.crush: 40% off full-priced items with code BOOM40

Flapper Doodle: 50% off orders of $20+ with code CHRISTMASINJULY

Forever 21: up to 65% off sale items (no code needed)

The Kissing Tree Vintage: 20% off Etsy store (no code needed)

LuLu*s: 15% off site-wide with code stars15stripes

Missguided: 10% off all orders with code 4JULY10

Miss L-Fire: 20% off red, white & blue shoes from current collection (no code needed)

ModCloth: 10% off full-priced items with code JULY4, plus 50% off thousands of items (no code needed)

Nasty Gal: up to 80% off select items (no code needed)

The Oblong Box Shop: 15% off most full-priced items with code ROCKETS20

Pinup Girl Clothing: 15% off all swimwear with code CCSWIM4

Poppy England: online sample sale (no code needed)

Raleigh Vintage: 20% off everything (no code needed)

Rococo Vintage: 20% off store-wide with code FIREWORKS

Ruche: 20% off site-wide with code ANNUAL20

she and reverie: 25% off with code PARTY

Sourpuss Clothing: 20% off site-wide with code FREEDOM

Sugar Doll Swim: 30% off site with code AmericanGirl30

Tatyana: 20% off site-wide (no code needed)

Unique Vintage: 20% off all UV brand swim with code UVSWIM

Urban Outfitters: up to 70% off sale items (no code needed)

Have a great 4th of July!

xox Sammi

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 only link to items I absolutely love, from companies I wholeheartedly support.  Thank you for supporting The Soubrette Brunette!

Fireworks (Flock Together)

Happy (almost) 4th of July, everyone!  I'm posting over on the Flock Together blog today in an awesome Bernie Dexter dress that I borrowed from the lovely Jana!  Although the print is technically of rocket ships, I've decided they could also easily be bottle rockets -- and what could be more Independence-Day-appropriate than fireworks?!  Follow me over to Flock Together to get all the details & see how some of the other girls styled this lovely dress! 

 Have a happy and safe holiday!

xox Sammi

You are a garden rose

Outfit Details:

Flora Dress: Voodoo Vixen

BAIT Footwear spectators: ModCloth

Necklace: Forever 21 (similar)

Okay, so here's some real talk about this outfit.  First of all, I absolutely love the colors and print of this dress.  I've mentioned before that I can be picky about floral prints, but this one is incredibly stunning.  I have some major love for UK brand Voodoo Vixen, who makes this dress; they have really great prints and do some awesome vintage reproductions.  And normally, I'm all about a fit & flare dress.  But unfortunately, there is something about the fit of this dress that just doesn't work on me.  I think part of the problem is where the pretty pink piping and the seaming falls on my body -- it emphasizes some areas on the sides that I'd rather not.  It might be the kind of thing that could be corrected with some shapewear underneath, but that's not an ideal solution for hot summer days.  I think the seaming on the bust is a little strange on me, too.  All in all, it's a gorgeous dress, but I'm still on the fence about whether or not it'll remain in my closet.  Since I've had good success with the first week of relaunching my "shop my closet" store (again, thanks to all of you who've already purchased something -- and to those who haven't, there are still plenty of great pieces left!), I'm definitely going to be doing at least one other update within the next month or two, so I'll have to decide whether this dress and I will stick it out or part ways.    

The Jazz Fest gig on Saturday went well, under the circumstances (i.e., having no real sound check and not being able to hear ourselves the entire time).  We had a pretty huge turn-out (thousands of people!), so that was cool.  But the calling hours and funeral for my friend were also this weekend, and those were incredibly difficult.  These past couple of weeks have been a bit of an emotional roller coaster.  I think I've been trying really hard to keep it together.  I go back and forth between being motivated and wanting to curl up into a ball.  I guess maybe that's part of my mourning process.  I'm frustrated because I feel like I'm stuck in a "one step forward, two steps back" situation sometimes.  I suppose a little headway is better than none though, and I'm trying to remain positive, even though it's proving hard.  Mostly though, I just miss my friend.

I hope you have a nice Wednesday.

xox Sammi