Ladybug

One thing about being a fashion blogger is that it can be really tough to silence the little voice in my head that tempts me to buy all the things. I tend to get excited about wearing or reviewing freshly acquired pieces here, and sometimes I get carried away. I have to admit that I do enjoy showing off my new purchases, and I don't especially like repeating myself, probably out of fear of boring my readers. That's silly, I know. I've always tried to be better at remixing the items in my closet, and rationally, I know that showcasing that would probably make me seem more authentic and relatable (ah, blogger buzzwords!). And although I've definitely cut down on how much I spend on my clothes, there's still that compulsive urge that eggs me on, and tells me that I need that new dress...

The closet in my new apartment actually collapsed over the weekend (sob!), and it got me thinking even more about something that's crossed my mind lately: I really need to get a handle on the emotional attachment I have to my clothes. Fashion is incredibly personal, and there's a reason why I feel so connected to the clothes I wear: namely, they serve as my creative outlet and bring me infinite amounts of joy. But I definitely need to practice letting go of the things that don't instantly provide those things for me. Letting go is hard. I have difficulty with it in most aspects of my life, to be honest. I'm a pack rat, and it's hard for me to get rid of things if I think I might use or need them one day, or if I'm afraid I might miss them. But enough is enough. I've been facing some of my fears this summer, and frankly, it's been the season of Getting Shit Done. So it's definitely time to clear out what I truly don't need, and keep only the pieces around that make me without-a-doubt happy. Once I go through everything, I'll be listing a TON of pieces in my Shop My Closet store, so keep your eyes peeled.

Neither of these pieces is super new, but I've never worn the top here before. It's still available at PUG, but I bought it second-hand in a Facebook group because I can't resist the vamp tops (I have most of the colorways at this point). I've worn this skirt on the blog before, though – it's the Retroversible skirt by Julie Mollo. She's having a huge sale at the moment, and I have to stop myself from getting the lavender/gingham one (remember, Sammi: you don't even have a functional closet right now!!!). I honestly just wanted to dress like a ladybug when I took these photos. So I did. No matter how many articles of clothing I may or may not have, I always want to have fun with fashion. :)

Outfit Details

Retroversible Circle Skirt: c/o Julie Mollo

Vamp Top: available at Pinup Girl Clothing

Melissa wedges: similar

Belt: from another dress

Necklace: similar

Have a wonderful Wednesday! Oh, and by the way: the winner of my giveaway with Le Bomb Shop has been chosen! Congratulations to Ruby and a big thank you to everyone who entered!

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Lilac Atomic

Trashy Diva may have just released their new Psychadelic Ferns collection, but I'm just getting around to styling my acquisition from their Lilac Atomic range! As soon as this Debbie style dropped, I knew I had to grab one for myself; from the beautiful periwinkle background, abstract atomic print and the ruffled bust, it just called out to me. Since I missed out on getting the similarly styled seersucker version in my size (side note: if you have the "Apple Tart" dress in size 10 you're looking to get rid of, let me know), I didn't want to wait on this beauty!

I decided to go explore an arboretum out by my parents' house (which I didn't even know existed!) for these photos. Since I don't have super-easy access to my parents' backyard anymore, I'm having a lot of fun finding new locations. I'm branching out of my comfort zone quite a bit lately, and I have to remind myself to take time to appreciate that. I'll be delving more into another change in my life (fyi, I'm not engaged or pregnant, don't worry) very soon, but I'm keeping it mostly under wraps for now. Suffice it to say, it's exciting and I feel very optimistic about what the future holds.

Outfit Details

Debbie Dress in Lilac Atomic: Trashy Diva

Opal necklace: similar

Bettie Page heels: Amazon

Have a great Monday!

Friday Favorites #139

Happy Friday, all! This week has been a surprisingly low-key one for me (for reasons that I will go into very soon!), so I actually had time to put together a Friday Favorites post! Here are some of the things I've been loving as of late...

These landscape skirts are super pretty!

a    ||    b

And I adore this dress, too.

These shoes are so cute!

I have the t-shirt version of this, but I might need this print to frame for my place! PS: Sophie's shop, Dreaming of Johnny (formerly known as You Were Swell) is back!

How amazing are these dresses!? I Dream of Jeannie and The Sound of Music prints?! I died a little bit when I saw them.

a    ||    b

This iPhone case is so fun!

Of course, I had to include some novelty purses!

1    //    2    //    3

I want this cherry pie print for my kitchen.

I might need this dress – for work purposes, of course!

And finally... since one of my main style icons growing up was the one and only Claudia Kishi... this definitive ranking of the Baby-Sitters Club cover outfits is EVERYTHING.

Have a great weekend!

PS: Don't forget... you have just a couple of days left to enter my giveaway with Le Bomb Shop! You could win your own "Soubrette Brunette Dress"(!!) – get all the details and enter thru Sunday 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 promote only items and brands I absolutely love. Thank you for supporting The Soubrette Brunette!

Starburst

As most of you know, I've been a loyal fan of Erstwilder's intricate, quirky designs for the past few years. They recently launched an out-of-this-world galactic collection, and I'm totally over the moon for it. ;) I'm not always the biggest sci-fi fan, but I really love this retro-futuristic range. I'll be showing off another piece from this collection very soon, but for today's post, I decided to pair this vibrant star burst brooch with my new pastel yellow Jenny dress from Pinup Girl Clothing for a real shining star feel! Be sure to check out the whole Erstwilder Goes Galactic range for even more fun pieces.

Most of the Erstwilder brooches I own would qualify as "statement pieces," but I think that's particularly true of this collection. These pins are so detailed, brightly colored and just plain fun. I didn't want to go too over-the-top with my actual outfit, so I went the simple route. It's been so hot here lately, so I couldn't even wear a cardigan with this outfit, but I can definitely picture myself wearing a bright pink or turquoise one to complete this look in the cooler months. I actually wasn't sure I was going to purchase this yellow Jenny dress, but I quickly found myself powerless to resist (oops!). It's definitely getting to be time to list some more pieces to sell in my shop my closet store... I'm running out of room for all my pretties! Keep an eye out for that within the next couple of weeks.

Outfit Details

Pinup Couture Jenny Dress in Yellow: Pinup Girl Clothing

Star Burst Brooch: c/o Erstwilder

Shoes: B.A.I.T. Footwear

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

PS: Did you enter my latest giveaway with Le Bomb Shop yet? One lucky gal will win her choice of The Soubrette Brunette Sweetheart Dress! Get all the details & enter here!

GIVEAWAY // "The Soubrette Brunette Sweetheart Dress" from Le Bomb Shop! [CLOSED]

It's been a little while since I hosted a giveaway here on the blog, but I have a special one in store for you today! I've really enjoyed working with Le Bomb Shop in the past, so you can imagine my delight when they told me they had named a new dress after my little blog! The Soubrette Brunette Sweetheart Dress is an adorable retro frock that comes in several vibrant colors with a variety of pretty prints. Le Bomb Shop sent me two colors in the polka dotted style to showcase here, and the best part is: one lucky follower will win her choice of The Soubrette Brunette Sweetheart Dress!

Outfit Details

The Soubrette Brunette Sweetheart Dress in Fuchsia and Mint: c/o Le Bomb Shop

Necklace: Betsey Johnson  ||  Brooch: Kate Gabrielle

Flats: Aerosholes  ||  Heels: similar  ||  Belts: old

Firstly, since this is a completely new style for Le Bomb Shop, I wanted to include a brief review for sizing and quality. I'm wearing both the fuchsia and mint colorways of the polka dotted style (the other colors include black, royal blue, light pink, navy and red), and this same dress also comes in two lovely floral prints (a deep blue with pink roses and a green with yellow roses). All versions are unlined and are a cotton/spandex blend, which makes them ideal for the warmer months. The spandex already provides stretch, but there's also an elasticized waist panel in the back that makes them even stretchier; I'm wearing the size medium here, and there's still quite a bit of room (so much that I could have possibly sized down to a small!). Suffice it to say, this style definitely runs a bit large, but it's nice to not feel restricted and uncomfortable like I do in some of my vintage-inspired garb. The dress comes in sizes S-3X (but could potentially accommodate larger sizes because of said stretch), and I love the fact that it can be styled in so many different ways, as it can easily be dressed up or down. The quality is on par with many of the other dresses Le Bomb Shop carries, which means that they're an affordable, mid-level option that I'll wear quite a bit; I love my fancier, pricier items, but they don't get as much wear as some of my more casual cotton dresses. So are you excited to win one of your own?? Read the giveaway rules and enter below!

Enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below. One (1) winner will be chosen at random through the widget, and will win her choice of "The Soubrette Brunette Sweetheart Dress," courtesy of Le Bomb Shop. Entrants must complete all mandatory entries in order to be considered eligible to win; entrants can choose to complete as many of the optional entries as they choose to increase their chances. Entrants must be a follower of The Soubrette Brunette to enter (no unfollowing after the giveaway ends, as this will disqualify you from future giveaways!). This giveaway starts at 12:01 a.m. EST on Monday, August 15th and ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on Sunday, August 21st. The giveaway is open worldwide. The winner 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. The winner will be publicly announced on the blog within one week of the giveaway's end, and only after the winner has sent a confirmation reply. Best of luck!! <3

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Cupcake

Goodness, I'm glad it's Friday. Normally, I kick off the weekend with a Friday Favorites post, but I just couldn't wait to show off this adorable cupcake skirt from Unique Vintage! You all know that I love a healthy dose of kitsch (and I have a wicked sweet tooth!), and I thought this skirt would look perfect against the backdrop of my little pastel kitchen. I'll be giving you a full tour at some point soon, but since I still have quite a bit of decorating to do, hopefully you'll make do with this little sneak peek.

I was honestly a little afraid this skirt would be a bit too over the top for me (which is saying a lot!), but I ended up liking it a lot in person. It'll definitely make for a great birthday outfit – but I'll be getting quite a bit of use out of it until October rolls around. I've found these skirts to fit true to size, and they have a nice weight to them; I might not wear them with a full crinoline (they're actually a gathered A-line, not a true circle skirt), but I think that makes them a bit more wearable. This skirt is the same style as the watermelon skirt I wore here on the blog earlier this summer. Unique Vintage keeps coming out with new seasonal designs for them, and I look forward to seeing every one. This carousel version is adorable, and I'm freaking out over this Haunted-Mansion-inspired design – a definite must-have for Halloween!

Outfit Details

Pink Cupcake Swing Skirt: c/o Unique Vintage

Top: c/o Unique Vintage

Shoes: B.A.I.T. Footwear

Teapot  //  Tea towel

Have a great weekend!