Enchantment Under the Sea

I'm so glad to be surrounded by balloons (40,000 of them, in fact!) instead of snow for today's post!  Every year, the Rochester-based balloon folding artists known as Airigami put together an amazing exhibition called Balloon Manor, and this year, it's all ocean-themed!  They're even holding an event on Friday that's based off of the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance from Back to the Future.  Since I can't attend the dance (which is a shame, since there's even going to be a vintage costume contest!), I was able to convince my friend Henry to take some prom-inspired photos with me during the day, when Balloon Manor is open to the public. 

The artistry of Airgami's work is truly astounding.  They make everything from epic scale sculptures to wearable balloon dresses!  I don't have a balloon print dress (shocking, I know), so I opted to wear my Nishe seashell dress and add some vintage accessories.  Henry is a vintage fiend, so I knew he would be the perfect partner for these shots (and he kindly did my hair for the occasion, too!).  

 Outfit Details

Dress: ModCloth (old)

Hat: vintage (Etsy)

Pearls: similar

Clutch: old

Shoes: ModCloth

 Have a wonderful Wednesday!

xox Sammi

Chamomile

Guys.  I finally figured out how to do victory rolls!  They're definitely not the best, but this was the first time I was able to create something that looked passable (every other time I've tried, I can get the first one and fail miserably at the second).  I was bummed when I realized it was raining outside, and I thought my chances of documenting this feat were ruined... but then the sun miraculously came out for the last bit of daylight!  I suppose it just goes to show that things have a way of working out in the end.

I don't wear this gorgeous dress from Tatyana very much (it's such a special piece), but one of the only good things about winter is that I can pull this out of my closet again.  The neckline is probably my favorite part.  I wore this dress last year on the blog, but my favorite styling of this dress has to be Ashley's recent post of the wiggle version!

Outfit Details

Dress: Tatyana (no longer available)

Petticoat: eBay (similar)

Tights: ModCloth (similar)

Brooch: ModCloth (similar)

Shoes: ModCloth

I spent this past weekend in New York City with my mom, and we're coming back home today.  I was glad to get out of town, even for just a few days, and we did lots of fun things!  We saw A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder with my college roommate on Friday, went shopping and saw John Cameron Mitchell in Hedwig and the Angry Inch (the whole reason for the trip) on Saturday, and we're meeting up with some family to have tea at Alice's Tea Cup today before we leave for the airport.  I'll have a post devoted to the trip soon, but suffice it to say that I've had a very nice last few days.  :)

Hope your weekend was wonderful, too!

xox Sammi

Friday Favorites #84

Today's Friday Favorites is a bit of a quick one, because I'm currently on a plane for a little weekend getaway to NYC!  I'll tell you all about it once I'm back, but in the meantime, here are a few things that caught my eye this week, starting with the most darling + springy Kate Spade purses:

a   //   b   //   c   //   d   //   e

These dresses are pretty springy, too!

1   //   2   //   3

I love this carousel horse brooch from Tatty Devine!

And this unicorn purse is quite magical:

I'm fawning over these dresses from Kitten D'Amour!

a   //   b

This swimsuit from Unique Vintage is so sweet:

As a true '90s girl, I can't turn down a good jelly shoe, and these two pairs from Mel by Melissa are adorable!

a   //   b

And finally, I love Emma Munger's drawing of the ladies of Twin Peaks as pin-up girls!  See more here.

(via)

Have a great Friday!

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 that I absolutely love, from companies I wholeheartedly support.  Thank you for supporting The Soubrette Brunette!

Flora

This endless winter has really been getting me down, but I came up with a fun little way to escape the 0° weather!  I knew I didn't want to take photos of this beautiful Lady Vintage dress in my frozen tundra of a backyard, so I was racking my brain trying to come up with an alternative... and then I remembered this little conservatory in one of Rochester's larger parks!  My best friend Wayne came with me for this little adventure, and it was so rejuvenating to spend an hour in a faux tropical oasis!  Hopefully it'll be enough to tide me over until spring arrives.

I'm ecstatic that the timing finally worked out to collaborate with Lady Vintage on this post!  Their beautiful spring line recently arrived on their website, and they allowed me to choose this gorgeous dress to review.  I'd never been particularly drawn to orange before, but when I saw this dress, I fell in love!  The colors are so saturated and scrumptious.  I really love this particular cut, and though I opted to wear it with a thinner pettislip, it also looks great with a fuller petticoat.  I found this dress to run true to size (though buyers should note that it contains no stretch), and I love the addition of the sash tie in the back -- it's a feature that definitely flatters my figure!  The fabric is fantastic quality (it feels far more expensive than it is!), and I can't wait to style this in the summer.  This particular style is a limited edition, so if you have your eye on it, I'd act fast!  

Outfit Details

Orange Floral Eliza Swing Dress: c/o Lady Vintage

Cropped Cardigan: Trashy Diva

Pettislip: Amazon (on sale!)

Heels: similar

Necklace: old

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

xox Sammi

Rococo

I had been on the hunt for this dress for a long time.  I had seen it on a couple of bloggers when I first started taking a real interest in fashion, but by then, it was gone from the ASOS website.  I had searched for it on eBay and through closet sales with no luck.  And then back in the fall, Kate sent me a huge and unexpected box of clothes she didn't want anymore.  As I sorted through all of the pieces, I gasped out loud when I realized that this dress (which had eluded me for so long!) was among what she sent me.  It's such a romantic and unique piece, and I'm so happy it's found its way into my life.  I guess it was closet kismet!

It's been unbearably cold and incredibly snowy here over the past couple of weeks, so it's fortunate that I have a backlog of outfit photos to post.  The temperatures have hovered anywhere from 0-20 degrees, and the snow in my backyard is knee-height!  I'll eventually have to brave the frigid weather, but goodness, I'm already desperate for spring to arrive.

The show I'm in closes today.  I've really had a lot of fun (and I honestly wasn't really expecting to), and though it's not a show I'd want to do forever, I'll be a little sad when it's over.  I won't be in another show until May, so I'm hoping to tackle some of the items on my resolutions list (like learning to sew and starting to exercise again) in March.  The Oscars are on tonight, but I'm probably going to continue the tradition of watching The Great British Baking Show and Downton Abbey.  I love Sunday evenings these days.

Outfit Details

Dress: gift from Kate (Oasis brand from ASOS)

Cardigan: Trashy Diva

Heels: similar

Have a great day!

xox Sammi

Friday Favorites #83

Good morning, friends!  I'm very glad it's Friday, and I'm also very sick of the snow.  There's a ton of it here, and I am so ready for spring.  Here are some of the springy things I've been loving this week (hopefully, they'll tide me over until the snow melts and spring arrives again)...

Novelty brooches are my favorite.  The chalkboard one from Sugar + Vice is customizable(!), the Bae(thoven) brooch by Kate Gabrielle is hysterical, and the Tatty Devine lamb brooch is one of the sweetest things I have ever seen in my life.

1   //   2   //   3

I love these pretty spring dresses from Ruche!

a   //   b   //   c   //   d

Voodoo Vixen has released some of their spring line, and I'm swooning over these pastel gingham pieces:

a   //   b   //   c

These Irregular Choice shoes are EVERYTHING.

I've kind of been indifferent to orange in the past, but these three floral beauties have made me change my mind -- I'm now a fan!  I'll be reviewing the middle one in a post next week, so stay tuned.

a   //   b   //   c

I like all of ban.do's wordy headbands, but this one is especially cute:

Pinup Girl Clothing just released previews of their Magic of Mary Blair Collection.  All of the pieces are pretty extraordinary, but these are two of my favorites:

a   //   b

Coco Fennell's spring line is now available for preorder.  I love her embellished collars!

a   //   b   //   c

I adore these new Betsey Johnson purses (especially the alarm clock one!):

1     //     2

This delicate balloon necklace is so darling!

Give me all the novelty prints!!

1   //   2

I'm so bummed this Katy Perry cake case isn't compatible with the iPhone 6!  But at least I could have a hair brush that looks like an ice cream treat.

a   //   b

I'm obsessed with this Hell Bunny dress.  It's coming out in another style too (which doesn't seem to be available for purchase yet).  Hell Bunny's entire spring line is the dreamiest!

This peach purse isn't available yet either, but you'd better believe that I'll be ordering it the second it is!  If you're anything like me, you'll click the "Notify Me" button so you'll know when it arrives!

Birdman was one of the best films I've seen in a long time (GO SEE IT!), and I love this segment of Michael Keaton and Jimmy Fallon reading scripts written by children:

And finally, I would like to have a domesticated fox, please:

Have a fantastic Friday!

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!