Whole Hog Dinner at Heritage Tavern

 Dress: Bell Sleeve V-Neck Dress in Purple by Kaktus (size 4x) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit) 

Tights: We Love Colors

Shoes: Fluevog Rubens

Earring: etsy

Necklace: A Luscious Thing

Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I loved this luxe velvet burnout dress! Gorgeous burgundy, bell sleeves, great length...GB stated that this was a shift dress (in purple), but I thought it was verging into the swing category (in burgundy). Had it truly been a swing dress, I would have bought it. The body of the dress was lined & stayed in place. The soft stretch velvet was dreamy to wear & I felt alluring all night long.  

These shoes were a perfect match for the dress...& David thought of pairing them together. 

I nearly wore black tights with this outfit...which would have been a tragedy...I adore a monochromatic look...especially in shades of wine. 

My gorgeous necklace was a gift from Kate & the amazing shoes were given to me by David...what a lucky girlie I am.

My makeup with this outfit included...NYX eyeliner in Jet Black; Urban Decay eyeshadow in Revolver, Alchemy, & Sonic; NYX Ultimate eyeshadow palette in Warm Neutrals; Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in ?; & Kiss Me or Elf nail polish from OPI. 

I wore this flirty femme ensemble to have dinner at Heritage Tavern with David for Madison Area Chef's Network Chef Week. Local chefs collaborate to make one time only meals that are magically delicious. This evening's theme was whole hog. 

We started out with appetizers, drinks, & a selfie. 

Every bite was incredible...except for dessert (its one redeeming element was milk chocolate chicharrones). The third course, pork shoulder, was my favorite...despite it being the least pretty to look at. If that were on a menu...I'd order it all the time. 

Too many chefs in the kitchen = an exceptional meal & a delightful evening. 

Deco Stripes

 Dress: Taral Dress in Deco Stripe by Catherine Malandrino (size 4x) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit)

Cardigan: ?, thrifted

Leggings: Torrid

Boots: Steve Madden

Earring: etXarte

Necklace & Bracelets: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

The colors & pattern of stripes in this dress were splendid. Great fit & length...but there was not enough fabric on top...I had to play with the neckline quite a bit to get it to cover my bra for these photos...& I had to put a black cami on to wear this to work. This seems to be a trend I'm noticing lately...I'm only a DD, so it's not my boobs busting out. Otherwise it was perfect & I would have happily bought it if the top had fit. 

This dress came with a matching belt, but GB didn't send it to me...I probably wouldn't have worn it anyway.

I wore this yellow cardigan when I was outside in this dress as it's still chilly here in the midwest. And if orange is the color of fun...yellow is the color of happiness. 

My makeup with this outfit included...NYX eyeliner in Jet Black, Urban Decay eyeshadow in Fireball, Anastasia eyeshadow in Edge, NYX eyeshadow palette in Warm Neutrals, Trinket lipstick from Sugarpill, & OPI nail polish in Rich & Brazilian. 

I wore this dress to farmers' market with the girlie, then to Deconstruction Inc with David...that fence *swoon*...& patterns were on sale at Joann...& there was so much pretty fabric. 

David got me this purse light for Christmas because I am always losing things in my messy overfull bag...I didn't even know such a thing existed...it goes on when the purse is opened. You all need one...it has changed my life. I went into Catherines to pick up some stockings...this is the nicest dress I've ever seen in there. I also wore this dress to shop the second day of the Savers sale with David, eat Indian buffet, open a package from the loveliest of Wendy's, & have dinner with Kate at her tempartment. 

The second Savers haul...which included a full length black wool winter coat. And my gorgeous new necklace & earrings from Wendy.

All The Crab Legs

 Dress: Check Print Mixed Media Surplice Dress by eShakti (size 28) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit)

Cardigan: Torrid (size 4x), thrifted

Tights: We Love Colors

Shoes: Born, thrifted

Earring: etXarte

Necklace: Wendy Baker

Bracelets: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I unexpectedly fell in love with this check skirted dress...or perhaps it was the way I styled it? I adore these eShakti dresses with a knit top & chiffon (or other non-stretch) skirts. This one fit like a dream...it was lined, with pockets, & so much twirl! At just below the knee, it was a fun 50s length & look. Like many of eShakti's dresses, it had a snap at the neckline to keep it closed. 

But isn't the best part the cutesy matchy shoes?

Freshly fallen snow.

My makeup with this outfit included...Too Faced eyeshadow in Sin City & Golden Nugget, Sugarpill eyeshadow in Love +, Urban Decay lipstick in Spiderweb, & O'Hare & Nails Look Great nail polish from OPI. 

I wore this dress to have dinner at Angie & Toby's to celebrate his birthday...by eating crab legs & drinking champagne...which I would happily do once a week. 

After dinner...we played a new game...Code Names. Also, Val was cute. 

The next day I donned this dress again to hit the Savers preview sale with David. I can't stop buying shoes & cardigans. Don't send help. I also found those adorable pompoms that may get sewn on some curtains...or a dress...who knows? Indian buffet. 

For David's birthday this year...I got him a bunch of 100% chocolate bars...& these were his two favorites. 

 What I brought home from Savers...

 Shoes & stuff to wear around the house...

Peek-A-Boo

 Dress: Bridget Maxi Dress in Feuille by Leota (size 5L) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit)

Boots: Steve Madden

Earring: etXarte

Bead Bauble Necklace: Wendy Baker

M Necklace: Babil & Bijou, former etsy shop

Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo, Kate, & Me

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

Out of the box...I loved everything about this maxi...gorgeous wine color, sexy side slit, great length, surplice top, & long cuffed sleeves...a maxi for winter...yes, please! However, the fit up top was several sizes larger than the bottom, which fit beautifully...what's up, Leota? I had so much extra material...I didn't know where to put it...& both of my arms would have fit into one of those sleeves...along with a puppy. Other than that...it was a stunning dress...but just too sloppy to wear more than once. 

Hi, have you noticed I have a peek-a-boo slit with my boot poking through? In every pose. I guess I was excited by the slit. 

I didn't notice this had a bit of a collar/flap until I saw it tucked under in photos. My necklace would have covered/crushed it down anyway...

My make-up with this outfit included...Too Faced eyeshadow in Sin City; Anastasia eyeshadow in Venetian Red, Love Letter, Primavera, & Vermeer; Disturbed & Big Bang lipstick from Urban Decay; & Midnight in Moscow nail polish by OPI.

I wore this maxi to farmers' market with Kate...then out to Graze for brunch, & wine tasting at Square. Kate took a scary picture of me with only eyeliner & mascara on one eye. I also wore this dress to work & to put fake nails on. I've been using sandpaper a lot while remodeling the new house...& my fingernails had been worn down & hurt all the time...now I have protection. 

Postmodern Jukebox

 Dress: Matte Burgundy Sequin Dress by Isabel Toledo for Lane Bryant (size 28) via Krista from Girls of GB RAK (Random Act of Kindness)

Cardigan: Lane Bryant, thrifted

Tights: Catherines

Shoes: Adrienne Vittadini, thrifted

Earring: etXarte

Necklace: former etsy shop

Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo, Kate, & Me

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

This dress is fabulous...thank you so much, Krista! Her weight loss is my gorgeous dress gain...I was lucky enough to be the recipient of several pretty frocks from her. This dress has a lovely shape & fits great...& burgundy sequins?! It's a dream come true. I've seen this dress pop up on eBay every once in a while, but more often in black...which is also a beauty...but this is the one for me. 

Since I wear dresses every day, I don't feel dressed up unless I'm wearing sequins or a full length velvet gown. I was waiting for a special occasion to take this dress out...but every day is special, so why not?

It was ridiculously windy (20 mph) on this day...so neither David or I caught that my cardigan was buttoned one button off...ooops. Also, I had to keep dabbing the tears that the wind was causing. 

My make-up with this outfit included...NYX Faux Blacks eyeliner in Oxblood, Urban Decay eyeshadow in Sonic & Stargazer, NYX Liquid Suede lipstick in Biker Babe & Cherry Skies, and Rich & Brazilian nail polish from OPI. 

I wore this fancy frock to go out to dinner & a show with the girlie...first we had a delicious dining experience at Bandung, an Indonesian restaurant. Then, off to the show...

 I thought it would be fun for Kate & I to attend Postmodern Jukebox for her birthday since we missed them the last time around & I adore most of the videos of songs that they post. I got us front row seats as I was expecting a much more extravagant show...but it was more like they took the winners of a local talent search out on the road with no budget. The girls were clearly wearing their own dresses...which were pretty, but I was expecting costumes & a more polished performance. Great voices, but there were a few song selections I question...Annie? 

What would have made my night...if Tiffani had said hi to me! She wrote me a sweet message the next day on facebook to tell me she followed my blog & saw me at the show...well, what she said was she was wondering if she'd ever run into me in "real life"...I immediately panicked & thought...oh, no! Most of the time when I leave the house lately...I'm wearing black clothes covered in all the paint colors of our new house since that's what I do on a daily basis...paint. So I was relieved when she saw me at PMJ. If you see me out & about...say hi! Unless I'm wearing my painting clothes. 

Kate's Birthday Sushi

 Top (Dress): Black Sequin Cold Shoulder Shift Dress by Jessica Howard (size 24)

Skirt: Gold Matte Sequin Skirt by Ava & Viv for Target (size 4x) 

Socks: Black & Gold Sparkle Socks from Sock Dreams

Shoes: Born, thrifted

Necklace, Earring, & Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo, Kate, & Me

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

These are old pictures for a sparkly outfit shoot I did when Liz asked me if I'd like to contribute a photo for an article she was writing for FabUplus magazine. I *finally* got around to wearing this shiny out in the world...what took me so long?! To be honest...I decided to wear it because it had been soooo cold out...& if I wore this...we wouldn't have to take pictures outside. 

I bought this black sequin dress super cheap from the GB Shop...& it was too tight on my bottom half...so, I wore it as a top. I was immediately smitten with this matte sequin skirt when I saw it online...but it wasn't available in any Madison Target stores (& this wasn't an item you could order online), luckily we were on our way to California for Christmas, so I had them hold my size there until we could pick it up. 

I packed this outfit up to move before remembering to take any make-up/jewelry photos. The eyeshadow was all from the Too Faced Vegas Nay palette & Kat von D's Tattoo eyeliner in Trooper.

Birthday dinner for the girlie at Red. Cute couples in bad lighting & delicious sushi.