Forge & Esmé Patterson

 Dress: Mixed Print Dress in Green & Blue by Julian Taylor (size 24) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit)

Teggings: Re/Dress

Sandals: Dansko & Born

Necklace, Earring, Bracelet: Wendy Baker

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I immediately closeted this dress after seeing it on Kate's friend Lindsay at farmers' market...maybe it's a bit too precious on me?  I adore the mix of blues & greens with a dash of purple thrown in. This dress was a great fit & length...& the scuba fabric would work all year...with a cardigan in cooler months. 

I ended up with a different pair of shoes for the first photos because I wanted to see them both in pictures before deciding. 

I was thrilled to be able to wear these peacock teggings as they don't go with much & the color is so gorgeous. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Junkie eyeliner by Urban Decay; UD eyeshadow in Goldmine, Mean, Hatter, Blindsided, & Sketch; MAC lipstick in Model Behavior; & This Color's Making Waves nail polish by OPI. 

The former Madison Brass Works building is being remodeled & taken over by the community center across the street...but before that happens...artists went in & created art inspired by this space...much of it using stuff that was in the building. Forge...

This is what the glass block wall I often use for photos looks like inside...

Doggie!!!

Esmé Patterson at The Shitty Barn...but first, Nick Brown (he's from Ishpeming in the U.P., the next town over from my hometown, Marquette). 

Savers 50% off 4th of July sale finds...including some leopard slippers which I will wear all winter long. 

And...surprise cookout at Angie & Toby's on the 4th. Angie texted us earlier in the day to invite us & I was SO excited...we were at our new house working (like we do every day)...& I needed a break...AND...not having to think about what to make for dinner after a long day...it was perfect. 

Tile, Found

 Dress: Cold Shoulder Blouson Dress by London Times (size 24) via eBay 

Teggings: Re/Dress

Sandals: Auditions, thrifted

Earring: eBay

Necklace & Bracelet: Wendy Baker

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I wore this dress from GB a few years ago & adored all the colors, but am never crazy about blouson dresses...however, it came in a GB clothing lot off of eBay which had 2 dresses in it that I really wanted...so...it found its way back to me. It's a fantastic dress other than being blouson...I prefer things with a waist. And...I'll admit it...I rather like the cold shoulder trend. I know a lot of people are sick of it...or never liked it in the first place, but it feels sexy to me. 

I'm so happy I found these sandals at Savers...where I find 1/2 the shoes I wear...most under $10. Thrifting is so much fun because you never know what you'll find. 

I've decided to put all the fashion info up front...followed by pictures of what I did in the outfit...for those that would rather skip that bit...but that's always my favorite part of the blogs I read. 

My make-up with this outfit included...NYX eyeliner in Green Shimmer, Urban Decay eyeshadow in Urban & Thrash, Legend eyeshadow from Kat von D, Habanero lipstick by MAC, & OPI nail polish in A Roll in the Hague. 

I haven't gone to many garage sales this year since we are so busy remodeling the house, plus...we don't need more things to move when the time comes. Also...I promised David that I will only keep/buy things that have a place in our new home. But...jewelry doesn't count...I found these beauties at two different garage sales I happened to drive by...

Bathroom tile! We've been looking forever & finally went to Milwaukee & instantly fell in LOVE...the girls working there were laughing at us...we must have looked like we don't get out much...all our oooooooo-ing & aaaah-ing...but we were SO excited to have finally found tile we liked. The fish scales in both blue & green will go in the shower, the arabesque in just the green will be on the walls, & the speckled mustard will be a chair rail separating the tile from the paint on the walls...the black arabesque is for the floor...but the best part? David said yes to black grout with GOLD GLITTER!!!
New flavors of Klarbrunn made me ridiculously happy...although the cherry lime is the only one I liked. Rye & Olive at the private dog park after an unfortunate incident (no dogs or people were hurt) with Angie & Toby's dog, Val...we just can't seem to get our dogs to be friends. Kim Novak's former car next to David's truck at the shop. I'm not much into cars, but old cars were so pretty...I think everything should be pretty. 

Embrace Your Style

 Dress: Dolce Vita Dress in Etched Dot by Effie's Heart (size 4x) via Gwynnie Bee, Try Then Buy (use my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit)

Teggings: Re/Dress

Sandals: Nurture, thrifted

Earring: eBay

Necklace: Wendy Baker

Bracelets: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

Marcy Cruz of Fearlessly Just Me asked if I'd do a collaboration with her on this fun dress from Gwynnie Bee. O!M!G! Of course! I am beyond flattered that she immediately thought of me & tagged me in her Facebook photo of this dress while trying it on at GB. To me, Marcy is a totally famous blogger that I really look up to...she puts herself out there & dares to be vulnerable. She's a strong female role model that truly advocates for us fat chicks...remember her 22+ Style Lookbook last fall? Also, I LOVE that we wear the same size & she's over 40. It makes me so happy to see other women my size represented in fashion...& she is a total sweetheart with a huge heart. Look how amazing she looks in this Effie's Heart dress...

Like me, Marcy is not afraid to embrace color or prints. She always puts her unique spin on whatever she wears & the fun she has with fashion really shines through. And how cute is that purse?! More photos & Marcy's thoughts can be found here. 

Superhero Marcy, representing in SWAK Designs fabulous rule breaker campaign. Curvy girls most certainly SHOULD wear prints...or anything else they feel like putting on their body.

Marcy is on Instagram @fearlesslyjustme, where she posts lots of fun pictures that aren't on her blog...& often gives us sneak peeks into what is coming up on Gwynnie Bee (she's a first fit reviewer). 

I have grown to simply adore Effie's Heart over the years...but it was not love at first sight. I've always thought the prints were fun, but was not a fan of the thick cotton t-shirt material their clothing is made out of. Now I think...what was I thinking?! EH is my favorite go-to brand for casual cute. This dress is crying out for some orange or yellow Chucks...don't you think? 

I also own this dress in a lemon print & orange floral...so I'd say I like it. In going back through my blog...I have ended up purchasing every EH I've ever worn through GB, with the chipmunk exception. 

Wearing color & prints makes me so happy! I had a goth period in my 20s when I wore mostly black...I could have never imagined myself wearing so much color...pink? Please...I'm not Barbie. Now I wear & love it all...the older I get, the more I embrace color...& prints. Fashion is full of possibilities & opportunities for experimenting...if you love it, wear it...there are no rules. This may sound silly, but wearing clothes I feel good in helps calm both my depression & anxiety...I find when I look at the bright colors I wear, it makes me smile...& others smile back at me. It's contagious. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Esmeralda eyeliner by NYX; Kat von D eyeshadow in Analogue, Fran, Legend, Misfit, & Lemmy; Habanero lipstick from MAC; & Aim to Misbehave nail polish by Essie. 

I wore this dotty dress to The Shitty Barn to see The Sea The Sea & Hannah Busse. I did not adequately capture the stunning red hair of The Sea The Sea's singer...she looked like a mermaid. 

And in Chicago with Angie & Toby. Angie found a yummy hipster diner for breakfast, Dove's, it was ridiculously delicious. I had brisket burnt ends hash with the most delightful crispy potatoes I have ever put in my mouth. And there was a jukebox!

And just across the street...donuts! This place was adorable & tasty...my favorite was the lemon pistachio old fashioned that I nibbled on during our drive back to Madison. 

Dead Horses

 Dress: Blouson Dress in Pink Medallion Print by London Times (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: Kerala Rose

Necklace & Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I wore (& now own) this dress in blue late last summer...I was tempted to purchase this one as well...because ALL the colors...but I'll wait until it shows up in the GB Shop for under $20. Everything about this dress is magnificent...except for the blouson bit...why can't all dresses just be fit & flares? The neckline, armholes, length, pointy hem...all perfection. 

Wearing summer length teggings...

Testing a new angle...all the good stuff on old buildings is up so high that it never makes it into the photos...so we were just goofing around...

I wore this dress to the Eastside Market, work, The Shitty Barn, & to check out what was new at Deconstruction Inc. 

Dead Horses at The Shitty Barn with Angie & Toby...

I spied these amazing maple column room dividers in the back room of Decon not yet out for sale...*gasp*...it was just what I wanted to divide our dining room & living room...they are now awaiting stripping in our basement. I shared some photos with the Decon crew of how the fireplace surround we bought from them is coming along...& Mark suggest this wax to gild with (I've used Rub n Buff since I was a teen & never even explored other options). We left behind this stunning phonograph cabinet. 

Look how lovely these earrings are with this dress! I love all the earrings I got from Shawna at Kerala Rose...I'm so happy I stumbled upon her on Pinterest. 

 My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Abyss; Kat von D eyeshadow in Analogue, Fran, Legend, & Swoon; Habanero lipstick by MAC; & Essie nail polish in Aim to Misbehave. 

Nick Cave at The Auditorium Theatre

 Dress: Feather Print Maxi Dress by City Chic (size XXL) via 

GB Reseller

Shoes: Auditions, thrifted

Earring: Kerala Rose

Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I first wore this dress last fall to see Death of a Salesman, then returned it to GB...& recently bought it from one of the GB reseller girls. Maxi dresses are effortlessly elegantly summer. I love all the colors in this dress...the last time I wore it, I played up the rust...this time... pink, blue, & chartreuse. 

I adore City Chic dresses, however...they are obviously designed by someone who doesn't need to wear a bra. Luckily, David discovered that they make a fastener that joins your bra straps together in the middle of your back & it takes care of the majority of these unusual necklines. Or I just let my bra straps show if he's not around to help me. 

I wore this dress to farmers' market, work, & to travel to Chicago with Angie & Toby to see Nick Cave. On the way to our Airbnb, we stopped at Mitsuwa, a Japanese marketplace I have heard about for decades, but had never been to. I bought 4 different orange pens...that doesn't sound very Japanese, does it? I like orange pens. This dragon fruit reminded me of Barcelona where Kate & I bought some from an outdoor market. SO many Japanese beauty products. 

After checking into our Airbnb, we Lyfted to Russian Tea Time for dinner where I ordered one too many dishes...but it was all delicious...especially the duck salad. 

In line for Nick Cave...this woman had a great look...her lips were perfect & red...such a cute dress...there were a lot of great dresses at Nick Cave...but this is the only one I took a photo of. 

I had never been to The Auditorium Theatre before...it was stunning. I told Toby, it's not ornate enough for me though...but it was still fantastic. Angie informed me that it was designed by Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright's mentor. We looked it up & it seats just over 4,000...compared to the 3,600 seat Chicago Theatre that Nick Cave usually plays (which *is* ornate enough for me). 

I wasn't sure how I felt about the show at first...I've seen him over 1/2 a dozen times & this was different. It was his first tour since his son died. In the past he's picked out a girl or two in the front row to worship him, which leads to some intense, sexually charged play...this time he lovingly surrounded himself with as much of the audience as he was able...including walking out into the crowd & inviting them onstage during the encore...& they all showered him with the adoration he craves during a performance. I like this kinder gentler Nick Cave who seemed grateful to all of us for being there & held a lot of hands. 

This Kat von D lipstick came in my June Sephora Play! box...that I forgot to take a photo of. I saw it on the dining room table as I was packing & brought it along...although I didn't wear it in Chicago. I had been wearing make-up all day, so I felt too greasy to pull off this shocking color when it came time to touch up at night. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Abyss eyeliner by Urban Decay; Kat von D eyeshadow in Anthem, Löve, Swoon, & Vinyl; Kat von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in K-Dub; & OPI nail polish in Who The Shrek Are You? & No Tan Lines.