Sal's // The Nutcracker

Dress: Amelia Midi Dress by Lisa Says Gah (size XL) via Nuuly

Tights: Snag

Shoes: Chie Mihara: Ulmer in Black Suede & Gold via Poshmark

Earring: etXarte

Necklaces & Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-45

This dress was a dream...cream polka dots on three different background colors...just lovely...& that blush color on top was oh, so flattering to my complexion. I felt both pretty & sexy. Plunging neckline, chiffon fabric, lined...this would be ideal for every season but winter. I could have worn a cardigan but I didn't want to break up the already perfect lines. Great vintage vibe. This dress runs a size big...I'm more of a medium now (in dresses that flare below the waist), so if I'd gotten this in a large, I would have been tempted to buy it. 

This was my first time wearing these black suede & gold polka dotted Chie Mihara shoes I found for a steal on Poshmark ($60 vs $350 original price). I mean, not as good a deal as the ones I found at Vinny's for $8 (~$500 new)...but that doesn't happen every day. It's a good thing I had these shoes as I didn't really have a second choice option other than plain boring black. 

This dress felt soft & ultra feminine to me...so I broke out the pearls. It was blowing & snowing when we took these photos...so there are snowflakes in my hair. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Bourbon; Golden Nugget, Jackpot, & Millennial eyeshadow from Too Faced; NYX lipliner in Nectar; Nars lipstick in Rikugien & Bad Girl, & OPI nail polish in What Wizardry Is This?

I first wore this dress on a snowy day...it was the kind of heavy wet snow that coated all the trees & made everything a winter wonderland. Feeling cute...took truck selfies while David ran back into the house to grab something. 

Better photo of my shoes. Dinner at Sal's in Sun Prairie. We had intended on going to our usual favorite Livingston location, but this menu looked better to us. David had a Smoke & Mirrors (Plantation original dark rum, rosemary honey syrup, Suze, served with a smoked rosemary sprig). My drink of choice...Winter Spiced Marg (ginger infused Lunazul Reposed, St. Elizabeth allspice dram, simply syrup, bitter, lime). 

For starters...we ordered Calamari with Fried Brussels Sprouts...these were amazing. How did I not know they serve these with in season vegetables all year round?! I think the last time we had them was back when they moved into this location & there was no veg. So, it's been a while. Chicken Wings with Alabama White BBQ dipping sauce. This was a rare Sal's miss for us. The first plate our server brought us was so salty they were inedible...& the second try was only a bit better. We had a phenomenal waitress...she was warm & friendly...even when we were complaining. David ordered a Terrance's Favorite Pie (WI mozzarella, house red sauce, Italian sausage, roasted red pepper, goat cheese, caramelized onions). I had to have comfort food...Canestri & Cheese (house made canestri pasta, Hook's 2 year cheddar, cheese sauce, bacon, Calabrese chili, breadcrumbs, SarVecchio, grilled chicken, scallion). 

After dinner...we popped into the Sun Prairie Vinny's...Oh, my goodness...cardigan jackpot! The checker stuffed it all into a big black garbage bag. That pile on the kitchen floor, which is bigger than it looks, is what over $300 in thrifted cardigans looks like. 

The second time I wore this dress...I made David & I a yummy meal from Andy Baraghani's book, The Cook You Want To Be...both recipes were outstanding. Spicy Chicken & Tomato Confit, served with Parmesan-Kale Chip Salad with Tangy Mustard Dressing. After dinner...we went to the Overture Center early to look at the current local artist displays. 

Hi, we're cute...

I was especially interested in the fiber arts...so much amazing talent...how do you make pictures with fabric?!

This veggie one was my favorite...Roots & Shoots by Susan Jackan. 

After soaking in the art...we headed back upstairs to find our seats for The Nutcracker, which Madison Ballet has been doing every Christmas season for 45 years. We'd both seen The Nutcracker before, but not this production & never together. 

We were in the 3rd row & had a great view of the Madison Symphony Orchestra. It was truly lovely & it may just become a holiday tradition...or perhaps we'll alternate between this & A Christmas Carol. 

 

Cooking, Thrifting, & Closet Cleaning Continues

Dress: Paradise Pop Rosemary Fit & Flare Midi Dress by Leota (size L) via Gwynnie Bee

Cardigan: Lands' End (size M), thrifted

Tights: Snag

Shoes: Me Too, thrifted

Earring: etXarte

Necklace & Bracelets: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-45

I loved all the bright bits of color in this tropical dress. Great fit & length. It's sleeveless, so this could be worn year round. Good dress for work & errands. 

I'm building up my cardigan collection & loved that I had a patterned one to go with this dress rather than a more boring solid. Pattern mixing makes me happy...I may have mentioned that before. 

This is my first time wearing this Bakelite necklace we found at Elkhorn this past season. I've got my cardigan tucked under all my undergarments I'm still wearing after surgery...camisole, sports bra, & faja...it's been a great way to hide all the straps. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Zero; Legend, Vinyl, & Vox eyeshadow from Kat von D; UD lipliner & lipstick in Big Bang; Cranberry lipstick by Bite Beauty; & OPI nail polish in What Wizardry Is This? 

Oh, Christmas tree. My friend, Martha, came over to visit (I actually wore the blue firefly dress, but...) & brought me some magazines (most I'd never even heard of!) & a couple of books. So nice. After she left...I sat & enjoyed the fire & explored the magazines. 

I needed 2 heads of cauliflower for a recipe...as the cashier rang them up I happened to notice one was just under $20...um, I think that's a mistake...& he was like, nope...that's the price. I guess I'm used to farmers' market prices where those might have been $2-7, depending on the vendor. I should have asked to have them taken off & purchased elsewhere...but it seemed like too much work to go somewhere else. Next time though. Dinner...Thai-Style Sweet & Salty Shrimp, served with Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Kimchi & Bacon.  We (David) seem to have become addicted to unusual spices & blends...so we are trying to create more storage space for them. David had the idea of using these grape metal pieces from a spiral staircase we bought to make shelves along the side of the freezer...I think I like it. Poor Violet has a rough time with walking in the neighborhood this time of year because of all the salt...she's not a big fan of booties though...no dog we've ever had can keep these on their feet. 

Dinner: Chicken M'Hammer, served with a Roasted Cauliflower, Hazelnut, & Pomegranate Seed Salad. More storage solutions from Super Boo...he's going to make that concrete area at the bottom of the steps into a pantry. David & I take our vehicles through the carwash most days...& we send each other photos...it's something I started & it makes me smile. I saw this orange vintage blouse on a trip to Vinny's & nearly bought it...but I feel this would look best with pants & I'm just not that person. 

More cardigans for my collection...there was an adorable Talbots one with pears all over (blue & green one in the photo), but it was too pilled for me. Fluevog sale boots...these came with regular laces as well as velvet...I like them both & can't decide. Simple dinner...salmon & butternut squash. 

A week after being released from the hospital...drain check. My output was way below what they needed to be to remove them...yet they made me keep them in. Buying Marsala to make Chicken Marsala. MAK cardigan seen out in the wild at Goodwill...it was in terrible shape. And Chicken Marsala (any decent wine would have been fine), served with Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pistachios & Cipollini Onions.

5 more bags of clothes to donate. This is not going as badly as I feared...but also, I haven't touched the dresses yet. An appointment to talk with my plastic surgeon about the chin lift he did for me back in April that I'm not happy with. David got me a purple ukulele!!!

3 cardigans found on my trip to Goodwill...I usually stick to Vinny's, but I will pop into this Goodwill on a regular basis because it's next to our local co-op. Pretty snow on our mums. I apparently liked this carwash photo so much I included it twice. And...Walleye with roasted sweet potatoes with a horseradish dipping sauce. I've been "breading" my fish with pork rinds that I whir up in the food processor & it is far tastier AND low carb. 

I love Gayle's necklace designs over at Green Goddess Vintage. She was having a sale...so...more pretties acquired. 

 

Fellow Pynins // Christmas Tree Decorating

Dress: Foley Maxi Dress by Free People (size L) via Nuuly

Tights: We Love Colors

Shoes: Aldo, thrifted 

All Jewelry: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-45

This was a really summery cotton dress to wear in shivery late fall...but such a bright shade of yellow. Great maxi length, pockets, loose fitting...I'd go down a size. The dress buttons all the way up the front, so it would be cute worn as a duster over a tighter fitting outfit. 

This was the day I was released from the hospital...I needed the color of happiness to surround me. 

I don't often get the chance to wear my turquoise jewelry, so that was fun...& I'm not sure I've ever worn these thrift store shoes...maybe once? 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Asphyxia & Lucky; Stranded, Wildheart, & Bud eyeshadow by UD; Big Bang lipliner & lipstick from UD; MAC lipliner in Chicory; Gothica lipstick by Kat von D; & OPI nail polish in I'm Not Really A Waitress, topped with Holy Pink Pagoda! I was thrilled to be able to make dinner at home...I was craving salmon cooked correctly, medium rare...& Brussels. I was exhausted & just wanted to curl up in bed, but I wasn't going to let that hospital take anything else away from me...so off to Stoughton I went. I was excited to get back to this Vinny's...& I found 4 more cardigans to add to my collection. I didn't give myself much time to poke around before they closed. Down the street...Fellow Pynins at the Opera House. I adore that they've been having local/independent artists play in the lounge before the show...these guys were good & I would seek them out...but as far as I can tell...I'll never see them play again...Shauncey Ali & Starr Moss. Fellow Pynins amps started making weird sounds a few songs in, so they came to the front of the stage & played acoustically until it was sorted...which I prefer. This husband & wife duo were wonderful & they were fabulous storytellers with great travel adventures to share. They finally covered a seat! They raised money last year to make the original wooden chairs that are over 100 years old more comfortable...& the one they padded first was MY seat...the seat I always buy if it's available. Pretty purple velvet. How does it feel? Not as good as you'd hope...but it will be nice not to have to carry a cushion from home on every visit. The next day...the hospital had made an appointment for me with a plastic surgeon...I didn't question it because it seemed to make sense. The poor doctor was so confused...he thought I was there for an abdominoplasty consult. What?! A lack of clear communication from UW hospital...I'm shocked. He was extremely gracious & spent some time looking over my incisions & talking to me about them. He thought they were all healing just fine. As he typed his notes & spoke them out loud...he said, this patient somehow ended up in my office. Afterwards, I went next door to ANiU to buy some gift certificates & book a facial with Sara...my first since before the pandemic. Back in 2019, into 2020...I was getting a facial every month & it was divine. Violet was being adorable chomping on this block of ice. A new knife for David (not the right weight for me). The 4 new cardigans I picked up at Vinny's...2 are sparkly & I think that gold one is going to be perfect over my NYE dress. Where the Wild Things are crossbody bag!!! How cute is that?! A friend on Facebook posted a larger bag with a different picture, but this is the perfect concert going size for me. Two new floral necklaces from bel monili. ILNP had a sale & I chose some pretty polishes...they have such gorgeous holographic shades. And check out the stunning artwork on the vinyl I got from Fellow Pynins. I haven't placed an order with Sock Dreams in years...I have ALL the socks...however, I do NOT have all the lace tights, until now. And we finally got around to decorating the tree. I feel we must be missing a box of ornaments. It was lovely to see all the Old World & similar blown glass ornaments I've collected over the years. David hung his grandma's stocking ornament with her name on it on our tree & the topper is his grandparent's that they got when they were first married. You can't tell here...but these are the most colorful warm multicolored lights...& include my favorite color, orange. It is so nice & peaceful to sit in our living room with a fire going while gazing at our pretty tree. 

 

The Great Closet Clean Out Begins // Hospital Stay

Dress: Dragonfly Fit & Flare Dress by Unique Vintage x GB (size XL) via Gwynnie Bee

Cardigan: North Crest (size S), thrifted 

Tights: Snag

Shoes: Born, thrifted

Earrings: former Etsy shop

Necklace & Bracelets: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-45

I'm not sure why I keep getting these dresses...some of the prints are cute & they fit well...but I'm not into dragonflies. Also, they are crying out for pockets. Nothing is wrong with this dress...it just wasn't exciting to me. But, a fine work dress. 

I'm slowly building up my new cardigan collection each time I visit a thrift store. It made me happy not to have to wear a solid cardigan with this outfit...pattern mixing brings me joy. 

I got 2 compliments on this necklace from older men. Strange. This might be my first time wearing it? 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Roxy; Bud, Hold 'em, Whiskey, & Standoff eyeshadow from UD; Becca lipliner in Blissful; MAC lipliner in Auburn; Head in the Clouds lipstick by MAC; & OPI nail polish in Blue My Mind. 

Some new Heidi Daus earrings from eBay. They are clip-on, which I don't love...but they were a great price. Look at this fun Laguiole cutlery set David got us for picnics. If you make this photo bigger, you can see their silly message on the side of the box cover...Life Is Cool, So Must Be Your Tool. And then one day, I woke up...& I was ready to tackle my enormous closet full of clothes that no longer fit. I decided to begin with my solid color cardigans. And my reward was finding a box of Fluevogs that was hidden underneath them that I forgot I had. All those empty hangers represent cardigans that have left my closet for good. 

6 trash bags destined for Vinny's. And 3 tubs that I took pictures of & am slowly putting up on Poshmark. I'm not really sure it's worth all the work...however, it is incredibly fun when I buy something on there & it's "free" because I have a balance from selling. Every time I buy a record at a concert...I've been storing it in the closet...I finally boxed them up to go downstairs...waiting for when our record player is set up. New Fluevogs! I can't resist a sale. I've been in love with these since I first saw them...that jacquard fabric *swoon*. 

And then my story takes a turn for the worse. It is long & frustrating & I just want to get it out. Feel free to skip. I had a hard lump in my abdomen that hurt when I pushed on it. I worried about it for 2 days...then decided to go to urgent care because I had a busy week & wanted to stop thinking about it. I had written to my doctors in Mexico & they assured me it was normal swelling...but...I'm a worrier. After waiting at urgent care for nearly 3 hours...the very nice doctor told me how frustrated she was that my case hadn't been triaged better. They did not have the equipment there to image me. So, she suggested I go to the ER. And I oh, so, foolishly did. Monday: I was shuffled around the busy ER...they decided to do an MRI & CT scan on me to determine what the protrusion in my abdomen might be caused by & to look for DVT (deep venous thrombus) in my legs since they were swollen. I was told I had 2 pockets of fluid & they wanted to put drains in me. They also put me on an IV antibiotic. I asked if I had an infection, but they said it was just as a preventative. I asked them to culture it, but I was told that would happen when they put the drain in. They couldn't quite get the IV right in me. All those covered areas are the places they tried, unsuccessfully, to stick me in once I was admitted to the hospital. What?! Why was I admitted to the hospital?! I don't know. I asked not to be. I was told the team couldn't put the drains in until the next day. I asked if I could go home & come back tomorrow with an appointment for the procedure. No. I asked if I could leave...& was told it would be AMA, so my insurance wouldn't cover me & I'd be sent the bill. So, with those threats...I went along with it. All I really wanted was for them to tell me if I had an infection. I wasn't allowed to go to sleep until after 2:30 in the morning, & then I was rudely woken up an hour later by a nurse, painfully & unsuccessfully, trying to stick another IV in my arm. Also, every night the respiratory nurse came in to ask me questions about my CPAP & try to get me to use theirs. They allowed me to say no, but kept coming back anyway. Tuesday: I am so very tired of telling everyone my name & birthday. Do you seen that bracelet on my wrist? That's who I am. And the constant testing of my perfectly normal blood pressure & all the other useless procedures. 6 am, a person from my surgery team came to talk to me...she said they would probably get me in this morning & that I'd most likely be able to go home afterward. I waited. This entire day was terrible & frustrating. The communication at that hospital is the most horrific I've ever witnessed. Not just to me, the patient, but within & between departments. I was told a different answer every time I asked. One of my surgical team came into my room (the one thing I'd be waiting for), however, I was on the phone with the pharmacy who was making me tell them my medications. Without exaggeration, I had already told about a dozen people that information since arriving AND it's in my record. Also, I had missed an entire day of taking my meds because they didn't have them ready for me & they wouldn't let David bring me mine from home. So, the doctor I most wanted to talk to left. I waited 3 hours...still nothing. I had to ask my nurse, are they going to come back & talk to me? She said she would get a message to them. Some of the team came in to talk to me about putting the drains in. I asked 2 of them, would I be able to go home today? They said they wouldn't know until after the drains were in place. I asked a third person the same question & she told me no, they will want to keep me overnight for observation. After so many failed IV attempts, the IV team was called in. He got the needle in & it seemed to go well...however, an hour later my arm had a golf ball size lump that felt like it was on fire...that shot up my arm to my shoulder blade & down to my fingers. The pain was at a 10 for ~1/2 an hour after they removed the IV...slowly going down. What happened? I don't fully know. All I was told was that the IV antibiotic got into my system & caused the burning. I was told they were going to inject me with something for the pain. 2 hours later I was still alone, whimpering in my room (when I'm in pain, it helps me to make noise). I called the nurse, who eventually came back 2 1/2 hours later. No one had come to check on me in that time or let me know what was happening. She said she'd been waiting on the pharmacy to get the meds to her...5 needles. I told her, at this point, the worst of it is over & I didn't wish to be injected 5 times. However, my arm still hurt. Was my arm going to continue to hurt? Another member of the IV team came in & reinserted the needle in my other arm. I could barely feel it, it was amazing. The day ticked by...no team showed up to take me to surgery. No update was ever given. I was far worse off than when I came in. The day before, I was not in any pain unless I pressed hard on my abdomen. On this day...I hurt all over. I had been wearing compression garments since my surgery, but they wouldn't let me wear those in the hospital because they needed access to poke & prod me constantly. So that caused extra swelling, which made things hurt. Doctors & residents popped by every once in a while to look at parts of my naked body. No one ever asked permission to bring a group of people into my room to gawk at me. Why were they looking at me? My issue was internal, why did they need to see anything under my hospital gown? Why didn't I speak up?  I know it's a teaching hospital & none of this is for my care...but shouldn't it be? I was on a no food order. Late afternoon came & I paged my nurse...when are they coming to get me? She said she would get a message to them to find out, but it was getting late. She finally let me know...I'd been bumped from the surgery teams schedule. Maybe they'd get to me tomorrow? Why wasn't I told this information? I had been anxiously hopefully waiting all day. David came to visit me after work, which was the bright spot in my day. I was tired & crabby & just wanted to go home. Can I go home & come back tomorrow? No. I felt like I was being held hostage & had no control over what I did or what was done to me. I lost it. I started sobbing & told the nurse, I just want to go home...I don't feel safe here. She listened, but there was nothing she could do. I finally asked her...isn't there anyone on my side? Do you have a patient relations person? She gave me their phone number, but no one answered. I did not feel safe at this hospital. Or listened to. Or informed of anything that was going on. No one could answer the question...why am I here? I wanted to go home Monday night with an appointment to come back whenever they could fit me in. I had been there all day for no reason. They don't even know if I have an infection as they refuse to test it until they put the drains in. And the entire reason I went to urgent care, the protrusion & discomfort in my abdomen, didn't really show up on the tests, so they were ignoring that & focusing on the pockets of liquid on each side...which I expect was just NORMAL swelling from surgery. My nurse was lovely & told me to fill out the survey honestly when they sent it to me because, "it's not supposed to be this way." I told her, I haven't eaten since Sunday night...why am I still not able to eat? She said she'd get ahold of my doctor to ask. By the time she heard back, it was too late to have David make anything & bring it to me. I could have ordered off the hospital menu, but I didn't really want to eat terrible food that wasn't good for me. Still tired. Still hungry. The night nurse came on & said he called the IV team in to put another IV in me. What?! Why?! Not again. I refused. He said my antibiotic & electrolyte fluid were not compatible. I had had one IV this whole time & those are the two things I'd been given. Together. I questioned why the two had been compatible for the last 24 hours. He looked into it & discovered they changed my electrolyte fluid. I inquired...this one doesn't have any sugar in it, does it (I asked this about the last one too). He read the bag & said no, just dextrose (I think that was the one), which I don't think is the same as sugar. I was like...ummmm, yes it is. I got up to look at the bag myself & googled it. Yes. The solution they were pumping into me had 200g carbohydrates a liter. I am a known diabetic & specifically asked to not be given anything to spike my blood sugar as I control it through diet & don't inject insulin. No one asked me. No one told me. I asked to immediately have it stopped & returned to the other one. More time spent crying & feeling unsafe. Wednesday: I finally got my drains in! Just as a friend was on her way to visit...so it was a good thing we planned that or I might still be waiting. All went seamlessly there. Back in my room, my blood sugar was in the 70s, totally normal for me since it had been nearly 3 days since I last ate. I was on NO medication to lower my blood sugar, so there was no danger of my body letting me go too low. I know my body. They kept trying to make me drink apple juice, which I refused. To be annoying...they started checking my blood glucose every 15 minutes. I asked if I could do it myself (it hurt when they poked my finger)...but of course I couldn't. When it hit 69 they completely lost it. I'm not sure what they were going to do...IV apple juice? So, I capitulated & ordered off the hospital menu...even though David was bringing me a smoked salmon spinach salad in just over an hour. They have shockingly little real food (sugar free pudding? That is not food) that is low carb. I ordered grilled salmon with mustard sauce. It should have absolutely given you the macros for everything on the menu. They had an apple icon next to the healthy choices, which they thought included tacos, graham crackers, buttered noodles, white rice, refried beans, & dinner rolls. Did I mention they asked me if I wanted to talk to a dietician while I was there? No thanks. I also ordered an Asian salad with chicken that I had to pick the wontons off of. The food was...fine...they overcooked the salmon, but it was still edible & at least that choice was available. All the rest of the low carb options sounded like punishment. David came with a delicious nutritious salad made with wintered farmers' market spinach...yum. I was told on this morning that I would most likely go home today & after surgery I was told (still in the OR) there was a 98% chance. Back in my room my nurse let me know they updated my release date to today in my chart. 4 hours went by & no one came to talk to me, so I called my nurse. David was wondering if he should go home & come back...or wait. The nurse got ahold of the surgical team who let her know that they've known since surgery that I would need to spend another night (who updated my chart?!). They needed to give me an IV to help one of my drains drain better. But not today. So I dared get my hopes up that this nightmare was over. A third night in the hospital. Again, I inquired as to why? Thursday: Will I be able to go home today? I'd been awake since 4:15 when my nursing assistant told me she'd need to get my weight when I got out of bed...as I lay there stressing about that, my nurse came in to change my antibiotic IV bag & he let me know that he can run the IV they need for me to be able to leave, however, they weren't clear if they wanted one or both drains done (they told me only one yesterday)...so he needs to wait for them to get in. This hospital needs communication training. I was so tired of standing up for myself & having to question every thing. It's exhausting. And because it's the midwest AND I'm a woman...I'm looked at as being difficult & non-compliant. Every question is answered with, it's hospital policy or your doctor ordered it. Did I ever even know or meet *my* doctor? Probably...but I was given 2 different names & I never did know who either of them was...I'm sure they were the doctor's that paraded in the groups of residents. I've been asked to step on a scale every day I've been here. I've refused with the exception of the day before since I thought it might be important for sedation purposes. The bed has a scale built in...they could have kept track of it there. I don't want to know how much I weigh. I certainly don't need to know how much I weigh on this day compared to the day before. This having no control & meaningless hoops that they ask you to jump through repeatedly...it was messing with my head. No one treated me like I mattered. Day nurse came in & let me know they had just told her 1 drain needed the medication. Two women from the surgery team came in with the IV. They did both drains. After sitting for an hour, fluid poured out of me...it was very satisfying. I asked my nurse when I'd be discharged & to please give me an hour warning so my husband had time to get there. She later came in & said...you can go. After all this time. Just go. Luckily, by then, we knew how this place operated...so David was already there. I've never been so happy to walk out the door. The entire experience was horrible & traumatic. Lesson learned? Your health is up to you & unless there is a bone snapped in half & sticking out of my skin...I'm staying home.