Blue Python at The Gardens

 Dress: Cold Shoulder Dress in Python Blue by Mynt 1792 (size 4x) via  Gwynnie Bee Try Then Buy (use my link to get your 1st month free & help me earn GB credit)

Teggings: Re/Dress

Sandals: Born

Necklace & Bracelet: Vintage

Earring: Babil & Bijou

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

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I wore this outfit to work one day & on another to spend time with my parents. I was the first person to get this swing dress & I couldn't bring myself to part with it...so I bought it. It's just so different than anything in my closet..also, longer & in better shape than the same style Mynt dress I had from GB in red or black. I am in love with the cold shoulder style...I always feel extraordinarily sexy & feminine when wearing it. I should strive to only own things that make me feel this good...& so should you. 

My parents usually come to visit on a weekend so we can go to our big Saturday farmers' market, but this was the first time we went to the smaller Wednesday market. Right as we got there a woman asked me if I was the muffin queen & then told me I was even more fabulous in person. Thank you Madison follower...you made my day! And confused my mom. Lunch at Alchemy...veggie stuffed grilled cheese & sweet potato fries. 

After lunch my mom & I walked around Olbrich Gardens while my dad & their dogs napped in the car. It was a gorgeous day! Notice how drawn I am to water...I passed by all the flower pictures I took & went straight to these. I could live in water. 

My make-up with this dress included...Blue Velvet eyeshadow from the Anastasia Artist palette, eyeshadows from Urban Decay's Naked 3 palette, NYX eyeliner in deep blue, & my favorite MAC lipstick, Korean Candy. 

Samba with My Parents

 Dress: Kenley Dress in Taupe Aqua Print by Lucie Lu (size 5x) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit)

Teggings: Re/Dress

Sandals: Earth, thrifted

Necklace & Bracelet: Vintage

Earring: etXarte

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

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I wore this faux wrap dress to work & out to dinner with my parents. As always, I needed to size up to a 5x in Lucie Lu. The color combination in this dress is unusual & stunning, the fit was great, & the ruched empire waist was flattering. The only negative is I'd like a few extra inches of length. 

My parents came to visit for a few days. They brought me this lamp my uncle made out of an antique sewing machine. It just so happens that I have an antique Singer sewing cabinet (with the machine still inside) that I dug out of my porch to display the lamp on. The cabinet was a present from my ex, Chad, on our first Christmas together. I was 18. Chad is the reason I live in Madison, as he transferred to UW shortly after we started dating. 

My parents, Super Boo, & I went out to dinner at Samba. They usually think the restaurants I like have weird food, but I thought they'd enjoy this. I started out the evening with this delightful cocktail made with Cachaça, then on to the salad bar, then meat (I nabbed those 2 photos off the web). The salad bar at Samba is amazing...my favorite things being the huge bowl of roasted garlic, the caramelized whole baby cipollini onions, & the many beautiful roasted & pickled vegetables. The waiters come to your table with a variety of grilled meats on a skewer & they randomly keep coming by & slicing off bits for you until you beg them to stop. 

Super Boo took our picture after dinner.

My make-up that day included...eyeshadows from Urban Decay's Naked 2 palette & a mixture of 2 MAC lipsticks, Bronze Shimmer & Fetish.

Dress As A Top

 Dress: Urban Safari Dress by Nic + Zoe (size 3x) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit)

Skirt: Enwrapture Vintage Silk Sari

Sandals: Born, gift from Super Boo

Necklace: Age Before Beauty
Earring: etXarte

Bracelet: Romancing the Bling

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

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I wore this outfit to garage sales, run errands with Super Boo, & farmers' marketing. This Nic + Zoe dress was incredibly soft & comfortable...so despite it not being dress length on me...I had to find a way to wear it. The colors in this were gorgeous & it was a lovely summer weight fabric with a thin white net lining. My favorite touch was the button at the v-neck to keep everything in place. I have ~60 of these sari skirts, but unfortunately, back when I was collecting them...I disliked cool colors...so this brown skirt with smatterings of blue flowers is the best I could do.

My garage sale finds on this day included lots of things that make pretty sounds & 4 salt cellars for a quarter a piece...

Men on penny farthings at farmers' market...

Breakfast! Asparagus & strawberries from market. Omelet drenched in hollandaise. 

My make-up that day included...Freeze & Last Sin eyeshadows from the Urban Decay Vice 3 palette with MAC Rubenesque Paint Pot underneath, NYX Tropical Green eyeliner, MAC Korean Candy lipstick with some Rubenesque patted on top. 

Estrellón Preview

 Dress: Scuba Dress in Black Floral by Gabby Skye (size 24) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit)

Teggings: Re/Dress

Sandals: Born

Earring & Bracelet: Wendy Baker

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

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I wore this stunningly gorgeous fit & flare to work one day & on another day to farmers' market, garage sales, & to a restaurant sneak preview. The colors in this dress *swoon*...if it weren't for the cut-outs on top, I would have had to own this dress. Not only are laser cutouts not my thing, but they were frayed around the edges & I was the first person to get this dress. I loved wearing this dress because: the colors were marvelous, the length was just right, fit & flares were made for me, the fabric felt lovely, & the armholes were PERFECT. I'm not sure why so many plus size designers get this wrong...I don't want to be able to fit both arms in one hole, nor do I want the entire side of my bra to show. A perfectly exquisite summer frock!

Garage sale finds...the 3 metal things came from a Victorian house I've been admiring for decades that I used to live just up the block from. The Willy Street neighborhood was having their garage sale weekend & as I was walking back from one on my list...I noticed this guy was having a tiny yard sale. I spied that round decorative metal piece & had to have it, then I noticed the leaf...as I was paying him he asked me if I liked metal stuff...yes!! So he told me he had a lot more he hadn't gotten around to bringing out & he wanted to show me one he was certain he was getting rid of. As he walked into his marvelous home he turned around & told me to come in!! Oh, I wish I could have taken pictures...it was far more amazing than I ever dreamed inside. He is a collector of spectacular antiques & unique things. Covering the walls in his tiny bathroom off the kitchen were bits & bobs of decorative metal...his prize possession being an ornate letter T for his last name. I bought this bit of fence from him & he told me he would be selling more, but first, "I need to fall out of love with them." I was so enthusiastic about his many beautiful things, that he showed me around & told me stories about some of his special items. It was fantastic & magical. 
Super Boo, Angie, & I attended the sneak peek of Tory Miller's soon to open restaurant, Estrellon. How could we pass up all the food & drinks you could consume by a James Beard award winning chef for only $20?! The food was delicious, but I can't remember what my favorite bite was...something with seafood. The only review I could find of the evening leaves out several things that were served. The sangria was the best I've ever had other than my own (I make phenomenal sangria). 

These croquettes filled with manchego were delightful, but the surprise of the evening for me was how much I liked the morcilla (blood sausage). Blood sausage is a popular Polish food that my dad has always loved, but that I could never bring myself to fully swallow. 

Porróns! How adorable are those wine vessels?! Kate needs one. 

The rhubarb cocktail with star fruit was pretty, but not nearly as tasty as the sangria they ran out of. It was a fun preview & I look forward to dining at Estrellón without all the chaos of a preview night. 

My make-up with this outfit included...eyeshadows from Urban Decay & Sugarpill, as well as my favorite summer orange lipstick, Korean Candy by MAC. 

Green & Blue

 Dress: Fit & Flare Dress in Abstract Print by Jessica Howard (size 24) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit)

Teggings: Re/Dress

Sandals: Dansko

Earring: Ebay

Bracelet: Vintage

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

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I wore this outfit garage sale-ing & to work. I adored the colors in this fit & flare & it's the perfect length on me. I bought it because it is an easy dress to wear to work (no cleavage to think about), it will be adorable with a cardigan in the cooler months, & it will be fun to style many different ways. Lovely fit & I don't have nearly enough grass green garments, but a ton of jewelry in that shade. 

My garage sale finds, including a Winnie the Pooh record for Super Boo & a Muppet one for Kate (which she already had). 

What do you think that little brass genie lamp was used for? I tried rubbing it, but nothing popped out.

My make-up that day included...Alchemy & Dragon eyeshadows from the Vice Ltd palette by Urban Decay & Dust from Naked 3, as well as Quince lipstick from Bite Beauty. 

Kris Delmhorst

 Dress: Scuba Fit & Flare Dress in Azalea by Taylor Dresses (size 24) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit)

Teggings: Re/Dress

Sandals: Dansko

Necklace: Me

Earring: etXarte

Bracelet: Vintage

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

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I wore this outfit to work & to see a concert with Kate. I wanted to love this dress...it looked fun & I typically like Taylor Dresses. The bottom was a good fit, but the top was all wrong...too big all over, but especially the arm holes. And those cap sleeves...can you really call those cap sleeves?? Those gave me a boxy linebacker look that just wasn't attractive. And then there was the horrible thick scuba fabric. Sometimes scuba fabric works, but not here. Oh, & I nearly forgot my boobs...where did they go?? This design & neckline minimized them into nonexistence.

I wouldn't let Kate eat until we took photos...she's so good to me. My need for a different pose overrode my desire to hide my 3 inch larger arm. The girlie is also wearing GB, Dip Dye High Lo Hem Dress by Karen Kane. 

Weenie Mac & Fatty Boombalatty (isn't that fun to say?) at The Shitty Barn to see Kris Delmhorst. During intermission, we enjoyed the peanut butter ice cream...soooooo peanut buttery!

My make-up that day included...Junkshow & Perversion eyeshadow from Urban Decay's Vice Ltd palette, a mixture of UD Illicit & Bite Beauty's Quince lipsticks, & Morgan Taylor's J'Adore My Mani (pink sparkle!) on my nails. 

Fit & Flare in Oscar's Yard

 Dress: Vibrant Damask Fit & Flare by Triste (size 5x) via Gwynnie Bee (click on my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit)

Teggings: Re/Dress

Sandals: Born, thrifted

Necklace: Me

Earring: etXarte

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

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I wore this dress to work & to garage sales on one day & to farmers' market with the girlie on another. These house brand fit & flares are a great fit & shape. From a distance, I loved the pattern on this one, but close up...there is a lot of grey...which is an unflattering color on me. Kate thought it looked good. I have found I get an extra few inches when I get these dresses in a size up & I am happier with how they look. My only wish is they'd make these dresses in nicer fabrics as they always feel cheap to me. However, these are fabulously easy dresses to throw on to market or garage sale. 

Behind me is our herb garden...which I had to plant 3 times this year. Because...Oscar. Luckily, Angie lent us this handy wire hoop to put over it & it has been a success in keeping Oscar out. That pile of dirt is left over from his digging in the herbs. Poor Oscar...he just likes to have fun. 

Garage sale finds! I originally thought I'd use the yellow bowl for the dogs...but I looked it up & it was made by some famous mid-century designer...so perhaps I'll make a soufflé in it instead. The plates I picked up to use in mosaic...but I ended up thinking they were too pretty to break & I've been serving dinner on the green ones. The metal star is hanging in the backyard. 

My make-up that day included Urban Decay Chaos shadow from the Electric palette, Year of the Dragon shadow by Mon Ennui, & MAC lipstick in Head in the Clouds.

Dotty Work Day Outfit

 Dress: Sleeveless Dress with Keyhole Lace Back by Taylor Dresses (size 24) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit)

Cardigan: Torrid, thrifted

Tights: Catherines

Shoes: Franco Sarto, thrifted

Purse: Dooney & Bourke, gift from Super Boo

Necklace: Wendy Baker

Earring: etXarte

Bracelet: Vintage

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

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I wore this subdued outfit to work. This is way too grown up & conservative for me! I loved the idea of this dress & wish it was available in a size larger as it was incredibly tight. What I liked most about it was the ribbing (click on the photos to get a closer look)...I loved the texture...it felt very luxe. The back has a bit of lace which I thought was a pretty feminine touch, however, I had to cover it up because I was so excited to wear this dotty cardigan & shoes together. I probably would have adored this dress had it come in my size. It is a lovely LBD that would fit in at any occasion. 

Do you love this cardigan & shoe combination?! I am head over heels! I found both of these pieces at Savers last 50% off sale. The cardigan was $3! And the shoes were $5. 

My shoes in Super Boo's office. We put a lot of effort into making our offices comfortable & inviting...I love how warm & flattering the lighting is. SB has the bigger office, so we see couples together in there...my office is smaller & cozy. 

My make-up that day included...Stila eyeliner in Deep Burgundy (not pictured); Sonic, Bondage, & Brokedown shadows from Urban Decay's Vice 3 palette; & Nars lipstick in Cruella.