Take Me To Church

 Dress: Sketch Scarf V-Neck Dress by Spruce & Sage (size 4x) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month for $10 & help me earn an extra garment for a month)

Cardigan: Talbots

Tights: Catherines

Socks: Sock Dreams

Boots: Doc Marten

Pin & Bracelet: Vintage

Earring: Me

Photography: Super Boo & Me (Canon Rebel & iPhone)

I wore this outfit to church. I adore the fun 70s retro feel of this purple scarf-like print faux wrap dress...you know, since purple has become one of my favorite colors. I wish it were a few inches longer & that pin was necessary as this neckline needed more help than just a safety pin could provide. Super Boo liked it on me so much that I bought it, so I am going to add a snap so it stays closed.  The material is rather thin, so it will be wearable in summer as well paired with teggings. I especially like how these multi-striped socks bring all the shades of purple together. 

The story of what brought me to church is not about clothes, so the clothing talk ends here. 

I grew up Catholic, but haven't gone to church in years & certainly not on my own...without family obligations. My attendance in church on this day was for a purpose. It will be 3 years in March that my best friend from high school took his life. Shane had a strong psychic connection to the people he loved...he would see images of everyday things they were doing & he would sense when something wasn't right. He shared these thoughts with me often enough that I had no choice but to believe he had this gift. So when his cousin told me their family had been getting signs from him, which included the song, Take Me To Church...I believed them. I had had some signs lately too which has never happened to me before. 

I'm not sure I believe in heaven, but it's a nice idea. Shane didn't have strong beliefs either when he was alive, but perhaps he knows something more now. In any case, Gregory & I took him to church. The regular service was extremely moving & their Saturday night service is a candlelit one at the end. When it was over Pastor Jeff (a former Catholic priest) took us up on the alter & had us place Shane there & asked us who Shane was & is. He took the time to listen to us & try to understand, total strangers to him. Pastor Jeff blessed Shane's ashes in a lovely touching ceremony that involved both Gregory & I. It felt peaceful. It felt...right. 

I wore this fleur-de-lis earring that I made because Shane adored this emblem & it has come to symbolize him; the pin is one he gave me as a gift long ago; & the bracelet was my paternal grandmother's, but I wouldn't have it any longer if not for Shane...he rescued it from beneath the sand in Lake Superior hours after the waves had buried it. That was another one of his special gifts, going out of his way to make those he loved happy.


I miss you, Shane. I hope all of us taking you to church has helped. I hope you're happy & that I get to hear your amazing laughter again...someday. 

The Portrait of a Lady

 Dress: Faux Wrap Dress in Black & Red by London Times (size 24) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month for $10 & help me earn an extra garment for a month)

Tights: Catherines

Shoes: Dansko

Necklace: Me

Earring: etXarte

Photography: Super Boo & Me (Canon Rebel & iPhone)

I wore this dress to work & out to lunch (Indian buffet, yum!) with Super Boo. I was prepared to be not too keen on this dress due to the smaller pattern on top/larger on bottom...that look never works for me...until now. I felt sexy & confident in this dress, so it is now part of my permanent closet. The vibrant red & the wallpaper print are divine...the fabric was soft & silky. And I wish all faux wrap necklines stayed in place as well as this one. 

We were forced inside on this below 0 day & decided to visit the Edgewood College campus near our office to find a place to snap photos...we discovered this lovely round prayer/study room full of windows that neither of us had seen before despite having spent 2 years here for grad school. 

 Hey, let's use a book for a prop!

 The Portrait of a Lady.

1 Girlie, 2 Skirts

 Skirt: Skater Skirt in Burgundy & Plum by Lucie Lu (size 5x) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month for $10 & help me earn an extra garment for a month)

Sweater: Lane Bryant

Socks: Sock Dreams

Shoes: Dansko (garage sale find)

Necklace: Vintage

Earring (burgundy): etXarte

Earring (plum): Age Before Beauty

Photography: Super Boo & I (Canon Rebel & iPhone)

I wore these 2 skirts to work with the same sweater a few weeks apart. The heavy fabric is great for winter & both skirts have a raised pattern, so even though they are a solid color...there's a bit of fun going on up close. I bought the burgundy skirt because it was only $15 & I have a lot of tops I can wear with it. The waistband on these is awkward...thick & gets easily twisted, which adds bulk...they are also a bit long. I guess the thing is...I didn't feel pretty in these skirts, they felt dowdy on & had I spent the day wearing it, I probably wouldn't have bought it even for as cheap as it was. It's not the skirts fault...I just need pretty patterns. As always with Lucie Lu, I size up one since they run small. 

I like the way the wind caught the skirt & belled out the bottom...if only it lay that way on its own. 

Vintage floral sofa pattern on the burgundy skirt...

Basket weave pattern on the plum skirt...

New Year's Eve

Dress: Gold Shimmer Dress from Igigi (size 26/28, very old)

Kate's Dress is from Anthropologie (from our shopping trip)

Tights: Catherines

Shoes: Savers, glitterfied by me

Bracelets: Vintage

Earring: etXarte

Necklace: former etsy seller

Photography: Super Boo, Kate, & Me (Canon Rebel & iPhone)

I wore this gold shimmery Igigi gown out for NYE dinner with Kate. The last time I wore this dress was 7 years ago on NYE. Sadly, the best photo I could find is the one below. Kate wore the same dress in copper (see, we were wearing matching dresses long before Gwynnie Bee). elly is in the middle looking adorable (shhh, don't tell her I used a picture of her...sorry, e, it's the only one I had!). 

Look at the girlie's amazing accessories! Peacock purse & fascinator. It was bitterly cold NYE...but I decided to wear the dress the way I wanted to, with bare arms...& Kate went for comfort with layers of leggings & boots. I wonder what that says about us?

Our menu for the evening, which we also got the matching wine pairing for. 

We started our meal with an amuse-bouche of cava & blood orange gazpacho that made all my taste buds stand up...acidy & delicious, served with champagne. Kate & I both chose seafood salad for our first course. The entire meal was extraordinary...however, if I could get just one of these courses again...it would be the pasta. Homemade spaghetti with escargots, butter, & garlic *swoon*...it was perfection. 

Scallops for our third course, then duck for me & squash for Kate...finally, dessert. It was an amazing meal paired with spectacular wine & the loveliest girlie dinner companion. 

I bought these vintage shoes for $5.00 at Savers over the summer & a few hours before dinner...I ran to Michaels to get Mod Podge & gold glitter to glitterfy them. When I told Super Boo my plan he said, that sounds like you. I may be a procrastinator. But, sparkly!

If it hadn't been -1 outside, I may have remembered to get some close-up photos of my eye make-up. I was wearing stila's magnificent metals foil finish eye shadow  in vintage black gold, which matched my dress perfectly. Happy New Year!

Petal to the Metal

 Dress: Petal to the Metal Dress by Poppy & Bloom (size 22/24) via  Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month for $10 & help me earn an extra garment for a month)

Cardigan: Lane Bryant

Teggings: Re/Dress

Socks: Sock Dreams

Shoes: Andiamo (thrifted from Savers)

Necklace: A Luscious Thing

Bracelet & Earring: Wendy Baker

Photography: Super Boo & Me (Canon Rebel & iPhone)

I wore this ensemble on our last full day in California, as well as to fly back to Madison the next day. I love Poppy & Bloom! I know I've said it before, but they constantly impress me with the quality of their dresses. I'm glad I got this for my trip, because it is much more California in December than Wisconsin. I would wear this dress all summer...the colors are so joyful & vibrant...& with so many shades to choose from, I could wear a different tegging/sandal combination every time. 

Goodbye oranges...see you next year. You mandarins are coming home with me...

 Back in Wisconsin...

 Multi green eyeshadows...

 Flowers!

Short Dress/Nude Lips

 Dress: Fit & Flare Sweater Dress with Lace Sleeves by Eliza J (size 3x) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month for $10 & help me earn an extra garment for a month)

Tights: Catherines

Shoes: Dansko

Bracelet & Black/Chain Necklace: Vintage

Necklace: Babil & Bijou

Earring: etXarte
Lipstick: Bronze Shimmer by MAC

Photography: Super Boo & Me (Canon Rebel & iPhone)

I wore this short black dress on a lovely sunny day in California. There is much less dress here than I feel comfortable wearing (I'm 5'7"), but it's good to step outside your comfort zone once in a while, right? I liked the fit of this dress, with the exception of the incredibly tight lace sleeves & the length. I was the first person to get this acrylic garment, & it was pilling after a few hours of wear. The weirdest part of this dress though is the cuffs...they are like a sweatshirt cuff & clash with the dainty lace sleeves. Odd. 

Super Boo, his mom, & I spent some time at his grandma's house this day. Across the street & down a business driveway, there was this huge tree heavy with citrus that we'd been lusting after all week...it looked like a lemon tree...sadly, when we finally walked over to it...it was just an orange tree...but sooooooo extravagantly overflowing.

I stepped outside my comfort zone in another way on this day...nude lips. What do you think?

Black celebration...

Christmas Day

 Dress: Sleeveless Rose Printed Dress by Taylor Dresses (size 24) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month for $10 & help me earn an extra garment for a month)

Cardigan: Avenue

Tights: Catherines

Shoes: Simply Vera by Vera Wang (found at Savers)

Necklace/Earring/Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me (Canon Rebel & iPhone)

I wore this shimmery dress on Christmas Day. If I had been at home, I would have worn this with a purple cardigan, but black is what I had to work with. Ideally...I'd own a gold cardigan...I'll be on the look out. Luckily for me, Taylor Dresses runs big, so their 24 (largest size) is always a good fit, so size down one. The colors & fabric were lovely...sparkly on Christmas...yay! The box pleats in front poufed out awkwardly...but I felt like such a princess in this dress, I didn't mind. 

Christmas morning at Super Boo's grandma's house. 

I nearly didn't grab these Simply Vera gold shoes for $3 at Savers because they aren't really me, but I'm so glad I did...every once in a while...a girl needs gold blingy shoes. 

Wearing Bite Beauty Cashmere Lip Cream in Burgundy, which is a purple berry color & not actually what I think of as burgundy. I LOVE Bite Beauty products. 

I found these 3 vintage pieces one at a time...the necklace & bracelet are exact matches, while the earrings have the same stones, but are from a different maker. I love how pretty the back of this set is...

Christmas Eve

 Dress: Naomi Dress in Scarlett Dahlia by Igigi (size 26/28) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month for $10 & help me earn an extra garment for a month)

Socks: Sock Dreams

Shoes: Ariat

Purse: Dooney & Bourke

Necklace: Age Before Beauty

Earring: etXarte

Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me (Canon Rebel & iPhone)

I wore this outfit on Christmas Eve. The colors in this dress are magnificent...this is by far the most stunning winter floral I have ever seen. Igigi, can you make me a wrap dress in this fabric, pretty please?? The style of this dress was not especially flattering on me. The top, particularly the semi-batwing sleeves...were sized as if for a much larger dress compared to the bottom, which was a perfect fit. The elastic waist hit me between my natural waist & below the bust, so I wore it hiked up slightly to achieve the empire look. It came with a solid black fabric belt, but as there were no belt loops...it did not stay in place to cover the elastic & I did not think it added anything visually...so I didn't wear it. I'd get this again & wear it with a cardigan to cover up the problem areas on top. Gorgeous pattern & color combination. 

Photos taken in Super Boo's parent's backyard up in the mountains before going to his grandma's house to celebrate Christmas Eve. My favorite part of Christmas with Super Boo's family is when we sing Christmas carols accompanied by piano or guitar. Singing I'll Be Home For Christmas next to him always makes me tear up. 

OPI nail polish, Lost on Lombard.

I adore these Cronert socks made in Italy. They stay up on me all day & fit my 19" calves fabulously, although the floral pattern does distort a bit. 

The colors *swoon*