Restaurant Week

Dress: Burnout Velvet Maxi Dress by Anthropologie (size 16) via Nuuly

Tights: We Love Colors

Shoes: Fluevog, Effortless: Felicity 

Earring: Kerala Rose

Necklaces: Green Goddess Vintage

Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 43-41-57

I don't often declare my love for a dress...but this one *swoon*...such a gorgeously dark velvet fantasy...the fabric & colors were just stunning. The fit & length were perfect...there were even pockets...on a fancy dress. 

And another reason to break out the Fluevogs.

The colors were difficult to capture.

All the purple jewelry...

I adored the see-through arms & wish part of the bottom had this effect as well. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Delinquent; Drift, Stranded, & Blaze eyeshadow from UD; MAC lipliner in Grape; Double Crossed lipstick by UD; & OPI nail polish in Cosmo with a Twist. 

I wore this dress to go out to dinner & a play with David. We started out at Heritage Tavern (this is a complete reenactment of the previous Friday), & it happened to be restaurant week...so we got to try some different things then what we typically order. I began the night with a cocktail special, First Kiss (gin, cava, lemon juice, Chambord, cranberry-rosemary syrup)...& David chose Taverna Nacionale (Plantation 3 Star rum, Smith & Cross rum, Korbel brandy, Curacao, Demerara syrup, lime, pineapple, Angostura bitters). This is what we had to pick from, we chose 2 things from each course & shared.

That corner booth is where we usually sit, & for the first time...they told me we couldn't sit there because a party of 3 was coming in. So, I found out it is table 30 so I can request it when making reservations in the future. 

Round 2 of drinks, David with an Austin & Leftie (Black pepper-infused Mezcal, Milagro Silver, Ancho Reyes chili liqueur, lime juice, agave nectar)...which they changed the name of to pay tribute to Austin, whom we greatly miss. I'm drinking a Bellini Sfumato (Tito's vodka, Sfumato amaro, creme de peche, sage syrup, Jamaican #1 bitters, lemon juice, cava).

Dessert & final cocktails...I had a Pistachio Mai Tai (Plantation Dark & 3 Star rums, Trois Rivieres Rum Ambré, pistachio orgeat, Pierre Ferrand curacao, demerara, lime) & I somehow missed including a photo of David & his last beverage at Heritage, 131 Bourbon Street (Rittenhouse rye, Calvados, Benedictine, Punt De Mel, Angostura & Peychaud's bitters). 

Now, we picked Heritage because it is right next door to the venue our play was at, however, at the end of our restaurant week meal...David was still hungry & we had plenty of time until our play began...so off we went to Lucille. David told me to order nachos while he parked the car. There was a 3 1/2 hour wait for a table, but the hostess found us 2 open seats at the bar. I sipped on an El Diablo (Milagro Reposado, raspberry syrup, lime juice, ginger beer). David drinking a Mexican Firing Squad (Lunazul Blanco Tequila, El Buho mezcal, agave, lime juice, Angostura bitters) while we waited for our nachos...we finally asked as we were running out of time. Apparently since the hostess put in our order, it was waiting in a to-go box for us to pick up. 

I ordered pork shoulder nachos in a regular size (1 pound), & when I texted David to let him know...he replied...you ordered 3 pounds, right? Um, who is going to eat all of that?! I changed the order. I had ~6 bites & David demolished the rest. We made it to the show with 1 minute to spare & the play was even better the second time. 

 

My Girls Tattoo, Finished

Dress: Floral Midi Dress by Let Me Be (size XL) via Nuuly

Tights: We Love Colors

Boots: Fluevog, Enneagram: Spontaneous 

Earring: Colleen Toland

Necklace: Wendy Baker

Bracelet: Old Costume Jewelry, Nashville Flea Market 

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 43-41-57

Gorgeous dress with unusual color combination, which I always adore...just the right amount of dark mixed with bright. Great fit & length. I especially enjoyed the billowy sleeves, the deep v-neckline in both the front & back, as well as the black outlines around the bust & waist. 

I chose to go with all purple make-up & accessories, but I could have just as easily picked up that lovely shade of dark red...or gone with a mix of colors. 

I loved this outfit with my Fluevog boots...& it was my first time wearing this earring David got me & this stunning Wendy Baker floral necklace. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Rockstar; UD eyeshadow in Cyber Punk, Purple Dust, Warning, & Dazed; Big Bang lipliner from UD; MAC lipliner in Grape; Mad lipstick by UD; & OPI nail polish in Samurai Breaks a Nail.

I wore this outfit to Giige to have Bear finish my girls tattoo. I liked the 'Fake No Orgasms' sticker on their notebook...I don't believe I ever have, but I also have a terrible memory.

Stunning...I can't even believe I have such amazing art on my body...

Peek-a-boo boots...so much more interesting to see my tights beneath the lacing. Selfie for my boyfriend. 

Pretty vintage bottles I got to store stuff (nail polish remover) in for my office. A lotion bottle I intended for my bedside table...but I think I will keep it in the wreck room. New sparkly jewelry from Gayle at Green Goddess Vintage...& look how sweet she is...I only ordered the necklace & she sent me matching earrings, as well as those massive, oh-so-me, black earrings! 

Chie Mihara polka dot shoes from Poshmark. A delicious dinner I made, Pork Chops with Jammy-Mustard Glaze, served with Roasted Cauliflower with Pistachio Pesto (both NYT recipes). And my adorable boyfriend smoking a pipe...soooo hot.

 

People's Tools

Dress: The Memories Dress in Loved Print by Effie's Heart (size 1x) via Gwynnie Bee

Cardigan: Willow Bay (size 2x), thrifted

Tights: We Love Colors

Shoes: Merona, thrifted

Earring: etXarte

Necklace & Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 43-41-57

We all know I adore Effie's Heart dresses...& this was my first time with this style...another fabulous design. The pattern wasn't really my style, but what surprised me was that it was grey, & not black (as GB mentioned). I look terrible in grey (& white)...so I would never have gotten this had I known...but it worked out because I got to try The Memories Dress, which I would seek out in the future. I love the sweetheart neckline, the gathering by the arms, pockets, & the extra full skirt. 

I added a purple cardigan to give me a better color by my face...but there was also a bit of grey in it to go with the dress...& thanks to thrifting & my love of plaid...I actually have grey shoes. 

Better without the too big cardigan...

I didn't realize until I took this necklace off, that a bit of it was missing...& it made me sad because I thought it must have fallen off & was lost forever. However, I looked in the drawer I keep it in & there it was...it must have gotten caught when I opened it...I must be more careful. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Voodoo; Celestial, Drama, & Summer eye shadow by Anastasia; UD lipliner in Big Bang; Currant lipliner from MAC; Spiced Plum lipstick by Bite Beauty; & POP nail polish in This Is A Slick Up. 

Waiting for my doctor...no make-up. I posted these ceiling photos to a Facebook group I am on, Weird (and Wonderful) Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared, because a bit of it showed up in a picture of the cabinet I shared & I had a lot of requests. Big mistake. It blew up. While it was nice to read all the positive comments...over 100 people told me they were going to copy it. And it was ridiculously upsetting to me. I mean, I'm sure I'm not the only person to have done this...but it came out of my imagination & not because I'd seen it anywhere. Now, I know only a small % of people are actually going to follow through...but there was one woman who private messaged me to tell me she was in the process of redoing an old building to make into a coffee shop & this was going to be part of it now. Why does this bother me so much?! Ugh. 

The bottle David had chosen for his mouthwash arrived broken. The woman blamed USPS, but she didn't wrap the heavy glass stopper separately & it was what broke the bottle. I wanted to tell her so she didn't make that mistake in the future, but I was worried she'd feel blamed...so I let it go. It took me hours of searching to find just the right selection of blue bottles to present to David. But in the end, we got a better one...or at least just as pretty. Dotty bracelet from England.

Starting work on my framing project. Oh! This orange purse I found on eBay is perfection...& I've never had anything come easier...I searched for, 'orange leather purse' & this one came up first & I stopped looking. I originally bought the slightly larger one, but the man wrote to say they had sold the last one & gave me several options...the one I took was to get the same bag, same color...just a bit smaller...for $35 less than he was selling it for...& it's actually a better size for me. Marketplace had a table I wanted less than an hour away...so we took a trip to this antique store in Watertown. I have always wanted a jukebox. Someday. 

The table against the wall is the one we came for, but we ended up with all 3 tables pictured, plus the candleholder. 

I spied this lovely house while driving away & wanted to see it closer up...it's not as ornate as the houses I usually am attracted to, but I have a thing for brick houses. Check out the back of this table...both matching tables carry the design all the way around...which is very unusual. All of these tables are extremely well made & I feel lucky to have found them. We went to Target to look for 3 things...none of which they had...there is a reason we do online shopping. But I thought this correction was so very Madison...someone crossed out mens & wrote people's...People's Tools. Let's not gender tools. I agree. 

 

The Realistic Joneses

Dress: One-Shoulder Pleated Maxi Dress by Nikita Mhaisalkar (size 1x) via Nuuly

Earring: Kerala Rose

Necklace & Bracelet: Vintage Miriam Haskell

Tights: We Love Colors

Shoes: Fluevog, Super Fine: Cardinal 

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 43-41-57

Stunning. I felt luxurious in this gown. The fit, length, & just everything about it was perfection. 

I didn't have any blue heels...so gold it was. David bought me these shoes for Christmas one year & while I probably wouldn't have picked them myself, I wear them more than most of my Fluevogs. 

I nearly went bare legged, but decided on blue tights the last minute. It was an excellent choice. 

This vintage Miriam Haskell necklace that David got me for Christmas several years back has a water feature, which I mention here each time I wear it...but I finally took a video of it to share. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in LSD; Pat McGrath eyeshadow in Lunar Champagne, Saturnalia, & Gold Standard; Retrograde lipstick by MAC; & an unknown blue nail polish from OPI. I wore this dress to go out to dinner & a play with David. It was quite convenient that the venue was right next to our favorite restaurant, Heritage Tavern. We began, as always, with cocktails. I had a special of the evening, First Kiss (gin, cava, lemon juice, Chambord, cranberry-rosemary syrup) & David also tried out a new drink, Pear Gin Rug(Death's Door gin, lime juice, aquafaba, cardamom syrup, spiced pear liqueur, black walnut bitters).

Always have to start with these amazing deviled eggs. And...more cocktails. I'm holding a Bellini Sfumato (Tito's vodka, Sfumato amaro, creme de peche, sage syrup, Jamaican #1 bitters, lemon juice, cava), which is currently my favorite drink on the menu. David is having a El Medico (El Bujo mezcal, Don Q rum, Smith & Cross, spiced coconut syrup, lime, pineapple, & orange juices, Xocolati mole bitters).More food to share! Starting with our favorite dish of the evening, Gnocchetti & Clams (little neck clams, gruyere broth, fried Brussels sprouts leaves, bacon, pickled leek, pine nut gremolata, grilled bread). Continuing on to a special of the night, Yorkshire Pudding (popover in a cast iron skillet stuffed with braised pork shoulder & apple, with melted Rush Creek Reserve on top & a petite greens salad). David's final drink, Pistachio Mai Tai (Plantation Dark & 3 Star rums, Trois Rivieres Rhum Ambré, pistachio orgeat, Pierre Ferrand curacao, Demerara, lime). Then our vegetarian dish of the night, Autumn Squash (chicory & market vegetable salad, ginger maple vinaigrette, pickled apple, puffed wild rice-pumpkin seed granola). My last cocktail, Winter Cure-All (Four Roses bourbon, Fernet Branca Menta, Averna amaro, black tea syrup, lemon juice, ginger beer). And our ending course, another special of the day: Lamb Belly Roulade (lamb belly seasoned with Adobe spices & rolled up, pomegranate adobe sauce, sits on a bed of beauty heart radishes, carrots, broccoli, & fried fingerling potatoes, garnished with pepitas, pomegranates, & candied lemon). After a delightful dinner, we dashed next door to see a play, The Realistic Joneses. This play was first performed at the Yale Repertory Theatre & Parker Posey was in it. Later, when it went to Broadway, the actors were Toni Collette, Michael C. Hall, Marissa Tomei, & someone I've never heard of. This play was wonderful. In fact, the entire evening was such a delight that we decided to repeat it the following Friday. 

 

Songwriters Round

Dress: Pink & Green Plaid Dress from Hutch (size 1x) via Gwynnie Bee

Cardigan: thrifted & altered 

Earring & Bracelet: Vintage

Necklace: former Etsy shop

Tights: We Love Colors

Shoes: Chinese Laundry, thrifted 

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 43-41-57

A green plaid dress...yes, please. There was a bit of texture/sheen to this fabric. The length was great, but this dress ran a bit big. There were weirdly placed pockets 1/2 way down the skirt, but it did not keep me from adoring this dress. 

Also, check out this cardigan I altered from my last post. I LOVE it & it was just what this dress needed to give it a shape. 

This was the first necklace I ever bought from Jen at Age Before Beauty...oh, how I miss her vintage jewelry creations. And she had the most marvelous packaging. I remember I opened this necklace in a parking garage back when I was going to UW (2006-7?)...there were layers of old fabric, lace, hat pins, wallpaper...it was every bit as wonderful as the treasure inside. Green used to be my favorite color...so I have a TON of green jewelry & I rarely wear it. In fact, this is the first time I've ever worn this necklace. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Lancôme eyeliner in Moss; Trick, Mugshot, & Mildew eyeshadow from Urban Decay; NYX lipliner in Pumpkin; Toast lipstick by Bite Beauty; & Dragon nail polish from a-england. 

A little vintage toothpick holder to use for mouthwash in the bathroom (everything must be beautiful). Searching for artichokes. The co-op didn't have any...nor did the other 3 grocery stores I called. Festival Foods to the rescue...they were nice ones too. More Snag tights...they just keep making limited editions...& I keep ordering. 

I got rid of nearly all of my cookbooks the last time we had a garage sale & this rack I used to keep them on has been living in the backyard by the fire pit. I've been enjoying cooking again so much, that it occurred to me I could load this back up with books from the library & explore all kinds of new worlds...this was just the beginning...I have ~70 books at home right now. This sesame crusted salmon with ginger sauce was delightful...served with equally delicious roasted artichokes with anchovy mayo. After dinner...I drove to Spring Green to see Soren from Them Coulee Boys play in a songwriters round at Slowpoke Cabaret. They make an outstanding Aviation there. 

This was another magical night of music for me. I got there close to starting time & sat right down at a table up front...I was sad how poorly attended this was & I intend on going every month if I'm able...each one features three artists from the Driftless area. Not only was Soren spectacular...I was introduced to two other amazing singers, so now I have new groups to follow. Also participating: Andrew Hughs of The Lake Effect & Nici Peper from all the beautiful things. Setting up the dining room.