Friday Favorites #78

Thank goodness it's Friday.  This week was kinda rough (maybe because the holidays are all over?), but here are some things that brightened up my mood over the last few days:

Barbie has kind of a negative connotation these days, and I absolutely understand why (between the unrealistic body proportions and the lame career fields, it's no surprise she isn't seen as a feminist trailblazer)... but that being said, I will always love Barbie with all my heart.  This Barbie-inspired line by Wildfox is what pastel Mattel dreams are made of.

a   //   b   //   c

(I mean, the birthday sweater is VANILLA SCENTED!!!)

This coat is pretty Barbie-esque, too (and very Valentine-y):

Truly, the '90s are back in full-force, and this iPhone backup charger is sparkly nostalgic goodness:

I could use a bit of sparkle in my life right now... and these Kate Spade gold glitter glasses(!) would certainly do the trick.

Speaking of Kate Spade, this hot air balloon skirt from their newest line is adorable:

And of course, I'm dying over this coordinating hot air balloon purse (and a couple of other fun novelty bags I found this week):

a   //   b   //   c

This red dress is so darling!

Good news, Twin Peaks fans: there is an iPhone case that not only looks like Cooper's tape recorder, but it will apparently turn Siri into Diane?  I can't tell if this is real or how it works, but I remain hopeful.  You can get this phone case here.

I adore these three dresses from Pinup Girl Clothing (two are coming soon):

1   //   2   //   3

I love all of Sara's artwork, but this Marie Antoinette piece is one of my favorites:

Someone please buy me this sweatshirt:

Revamp Vintage has a ton of amazing pieces, but goodness, I'm going ga-ga over these green beauties:

a   //   b

And here are some links I loved this week:

I can't possibly be the only one who gets incredibly nostalgic for computer games from my childhood (even though they gave me anxiety)... did you know that over 2,500 MS-DOS games (INCLUDING OREGON TRAIL AND CARMEN SANDIEGO) can now be played online?!  Check out all of the titles at the Internet Archive. 

- I loved this piece about breaking up with your breakup.

This piece on 21 Oddly Satisfying Disney Moments is SO spot-on for me!!  Numbers 6 and 10 were some of my favorite animation moments as a child.

Evidently, Joni Mitchell is modeling for Saint Laurent, which is pretty cool.

(via)

And finally... this list of 15 places in London for afternoon tea pretty much sealed the deal that I need to go there... especially since our one local teahouse just experienced a bad fire!  :(

That's all for now!  Have a great weekend!

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

Label Love: Retrolicious by Folter Clothing

I'm sure most of you know by now that I can never say no to a novelty print.  Luckily (or unluckily, for my bank account), the Folter Clothing brand always has me covered when I'm jonesing for a fun or funky printed dress.  Because I've been a longtime fan, I'm highlighting some of my favorite prints from Folter's sub-label, Retrolicious, in today's installment of Label Love.

Original posts: 1  //  2  //  3 (borrowed from Marisa)

Founded in 2005, Folter Clothing is an L.A.-based brand that likes to juxtapose tough + creepy with pretty & delicate.  Skulls, zombies and spiders often adorn their dresses, but in a way that manages to be much more charming than off-putting.  Retrolicious is Folter's other line, which focuses more on vintage-inspired prints that are often colorful or kooky.  As I am more inclined to be drawn to dresses that are more silly than scary, I tend to prefer this line to Folter's main label.

Original posts: 1  //  2

Folter sells their clothing on their own site, and is also carried by ModCloth, Unique Vintage, Sourpuss Clothing and Amazon.  From personal experience, I've found that their dresses tend to run a little small (especially since their fabrics typically don't provide stretch), so I've learned to size up if I'm between sizes.  Their dresses are usually unlined (which makes them good for summer ensembles and as layering staples), and their dresses usually range from $60-$115 in price.  If you're on the hunt for a unique yet wearable print, this brand is a great place to start.

Original posts: 1  //  2

I have a pretty sizable collection of Retrolicious dresses, but here are a few I'm still coveting:

a   //   b   //   c   //   d

On a separate note, it's strange to look back at some of my old posts!  I haven't worn some of these dresses in quite some time, and although I'm never fully satisfied with the quality of my photos, peeking back at some of these photos from early on make me realize how far I've come with that (though I still have a lot to learn, since most of what I pick up is through trial and error).  One thing that has stayed the same, however, is my love of whimsy when it comes to fashion, and Folter has no shortage of that in their pieces!

Original posts: 1  //  2  //  3

What about you?  Are you a fan of the Folter label?

If you own any of their pieces, let me know which ones you have in the comments!

Have a great Wednesday!

xox Sammi

White gold

I've always loved matching dress & coat sets.  This outfit didn't come as a set (I bought the dress a couple of years ago, and the coat was one of my Christmas presents this year), but I think they look pretty perfect together!  I ended up being a total couch potato on New Year's Day, but had I gotten dressed up, I would have worn this outfit, for sure.

It's supposed to get really cold and snowy here this week.  I don't mind the snow, but I'm not looking forward to 18-degree temperatures (that's just way too chilly for photos!).  But on the upside, I can start tackling some of my resolutions!  I definitely want to get back to exercising, and I also really want to learn how to sew this year.  I'd love to be able to make my own dresses!  I'm spending lots of time on sites like Spoonflower in anticipation of buying fabrics to use.

  Outfit Details

Dress: Kohl's (similar)

Coat: gift (similar)

Necklace: similar

Shoes: ModCloth

Have a great Sunday!

xox Sammi

Friday Favorites #77

Good morning!  I hope you all had a wonderful start to 2015!  In other news: it's Friday already?!  Here are some of the things I've been loving this week...

If you know anything about my sense of style, you'll have guessed how much I adore this apple purse!

How silly are these carrot mittens?!  There are lots of different fruit + veggie versions, too!

These breakfast sandwich rings are so delectable and delicate:

I wish I played the ukelele so I could have this sweet cupcake one!

I wish this darling dress came in my size!

B.A.I.T. Footwear just started carrying these super-sparkly heels!  I can't wait to see their full spring line.

I absolutely need this cosmetic bag:

How gorgeous is this dress (coming soon to Pinup Girl Clothing)!?

These My Little Pony boots are so fun:

I have to admit that I ordered this dress as soon as I saw it.  It's the perfect color and shape!

This little hot air balloon is actually a bird house!  How cute!

I don't yet own any Swedish Hasbeens, but I always admire them.  This pair is so pretty!

I'm the kind of person who needs a new planner every year.  As much as I like my iPhone, I need to physically write things out and have my schedule in front of me (especially because my hours and activities are always changing).  I love the planners from this shop, because they're made from recycled books.  It was hard to decide on one to order (I ended up going with a retro Barbie one!), but this one was one of the top contenders: 

If only this scalloped beauty were a better silhouette for me!

And speaking of scalloped beauties, this swimsuit is beyond adorable:

This balloon animal necklace is too cute to pass up!

...As are these sewing pattern note cards:

And finally... this is the prettiest bistro chair!  Which reminds me that I need to add "painting my bistro chairs" to my list of resolutions for this year... oops!

Have a wonderful weekend!

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

Resolutions & Wrap-Ups

Happy New Year!  I normally feature a blogger Q&A interview post on the first of the month, but since today marks the beginning of a brand new year, I wanted to share some of my 2015 resolutions with you.  I've found that it really helps me to write down my goals by hand and then display them; I know some people have enough will-power to keep them in mind all the time, but I need a good visual component.  And speaking of visuals... I know I recently did a seasonal round-up of outfits from this past autumn, but I wanted to include a small sampling of my favorite outfits from the last 365 days -- just to remind myself that although this was a tough year, it was filled with a lot of great ensembles!

I came up with a goal chart earlier in the year, at a time when I was feeling very lost and in limbo.  I found it helpful to divide my goals into different categories, so I decided to continue with that for my resolutions list.  For instance, my health goals include sticking to my Weight Watchers tracking, implementing more exercise into my day, a specific weight loss goal, and to focus my attention on my skincare routine.  My financial goals are to limit and keep better track of my spending, and my career resolutions include finishing my professional website, finding a new (or second) day job, and putting definitive plans in motion to move.  My blogging resolutions are to continue to expand my readership, improve my photography and establish sponsorship with brands.  I also wanted to make sure to include some other resolutions that are focused on my well-being, like getting a car of my own, seeing friends more often, getting a massage, reading more, and making an effort to keep a clean and organized personal space for myself.

There are times when coming up with resolutions makes me focus too much on what I didn't achieve during the previous year.  Because I don't want to discount all of the good things that happened in 2014, I made a little list of what I achieved from my other goal chart.  These accomplishments included getting my driver's license, being cast in some new and exciting projects, surpassing my blog readership goals, and taking some much-needed time to focus on myself.

But my last (and favorite) resolution is to keep dressing in ways that make me happy!  It was hard to pick just one outfit per month from 2014, but here are my favorite 12 outfits from the past year -- all of which brought me a lot of joy:

January  //  February  //  March  //  April  //  May  //  June

July  //  August  //  September  //  October  //  November  //  December 

Thank you all for spending 2014 with me (and sticking with me through these past 12 months)! Although it's been a bit of a tough year, it's been a very valuable one, too.  I'm eager to see what the next 12 months will bring.

So tell me: if you make resolutions, what are some of your goals for 2015?

Have a great start to your year!

xox Sammi