Genevieve Heyward // Sunflower Tattoo Complete

Jumpsuit: Deep V Wide Leg Jumpsuit by Farm Rio (size L) via Nuuly

Socks: Sock Dreams

Shoes: Fluevog, Go Groovy: Aubrey

All Jewelry & Purse: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-42

My second ever jumpsuit! All this color & pattern! I'm glad I got a large, because my thighs needed it (still lots of swelling from surgery), but it meant it was baggy on top. Low cut, but not scandalous, so it was great to wear out...& for work I added a black cardigan that I buttoned a few buttons on so less skin showed. Pockets, wrinkles easily, long...I had to wear heels with this. I felt super cute, sexy, & confident in this outfit.

Lots of the reviews on Nuuly mentioned they felt like this looked like a clown suit. I lost track of the compliments I received...it's all in your attitude. 

The pants were long even with heels. 

And I had the perfect shoes & purse to complete this look. 

I didn't really have a second choice necklace, so I'm thrilled we found this at Elkhorn last year. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Perversion, Stila liquid liner, Huda Beaty Neon eyeshadow palette, Bang lipliner & lipstick from UD, & ILNP nail polish in Pumpkin. 

I first wore this jumpsuit to make dinner, Sheet-Pan Roast Chicken & Mustard-Glazed Cabbage...delicious....then I was off to a concert. I'd never heard of her, but she sounded like someone I'd like...Genevieve Heyward at The Slowpoke Lounge in Spring Green. A dish of Slopolks at the bar. My usual Aviation. Merch, but no vinyl. The heels of my Fluevogs were glowing. Genevieve has a great voice & wonderful original songs...but just before the break, she did a cover of Landslide for her mom. I love that song. She's the daughter of Pat MacDonald of Timbuk 3...who, while they were going to school in Madison, were a one hit wonder with The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades. 

She had just found this amazing shimmery jumpsuit at a thrift store in the last town they were in...it was fabulous & looked like it was made for her. Great evening. 

I found my dream boots on Fluemarket...they are from the same family as my wedding shoes. Sadly, some of the stitching has come apart on one...so they will need to visit the cobbler before I can wear them. Otherwise, they are perfect & amazing. 

I also wore this jumpsuit to work...before going to get my sunflower tattoo finished (I arrived a bit early & spent 15 minutes at the Vinny's across the street). Bear & I hadn't expected this to be our last session on these flowers...but after checking in with themselves...they decided to go the extra time. Stunning! It was my idea to do the purple (they were thinking green)...in various shades. Next up...deep sea siren/mermaid on the back of this leg...coming next month.In looking for Christmas stuff...we found a box of clothes that never fit me...so I washed it all & am slowly wearing it...like this cute Target teen XL Halloween T that I wore to bed & the gym. I also wore this outfit to get a lymphatic massage from Courtney & drop some things off with the girlie. Vintage belt from eBay. 

 

Cooking & Thrifting

Dress: Scarlet Floral Printed Zoey Dress by Maison Tara (size 10) via Gwynnie Bee

Tights: Snag

Shoes: Fluevog, Enneagram: Peacemaker

Earring: Wendy Baker

Necklace: Colleen Toland

Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-42

This dress seemed dowdy & conservative to me at first...but as I wore it...it felt vintage & ultra feminine. It was way too big, but that wide smocked waist gave it a shape. I adored the puffed sleeves & midi length. I did have to pin the neckline closed.

It was David's idea to take pictures at Olbrich Garden...I protested that there was no point without flowers...but it turns out dormant/dead things are pretty too.

I think these Fluevogs furthered the vintage vibe.

I need a bigger dangly red flower earring...

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Alkaline, Huda Beauty Ruby Obsessions eyeshadow palette, UD lipliner in 714, Santa Sangre lipstick from Kat von D, & Misery nail polish by ILNP. 

I first wore this dress to work...& also to get a lymphatic massage from Courtney. She is doing wonders for the surgery swelling in my body...but she's also so much fun to talk to. And I have to drive past a Goodwill on my way home...so I usually stop. Check out those purple boots! I always get excited when I see shoes are made in Italy or Spain...so even though I hadn't heard of FX Fluxa...they were purple & cute. I looked them up at home & they were ~$300 new. I made Peanut-Crusted Salmon with Roasted Cabbage Wedges with Lemon Vinaigrette for dinner. A few cardigans from Poshmark. 

The final straggler showed up...my favorite of the Lesley Evers tights I ordered. January Boxy Charm. A date with our personal trainer, Annie...she taught us how to do the Turkish Get-Up...great full-body workout you can easily do at home (we've got kettlebells)...it was HARD...& we worked on proper form for our deadlifts. Dinner that night was Sheet-Pan Roasted Chicken & Mustard-Glazed Cabbage. 

And the next day...I made Parsi-Style Sweet, Sour, & Spicy Shrimp (we are LOVING Vishwesh Bhatt's book, I Am From Here), served with Fennel-Apple Salad with Candied Pecans. I did a new thing here & I roasted the riced cauliflower with some of the spices in the dish...YUM. 

Pilates! I get SO excited to go to this class...I never would have suspected I'd turn into a person who likes exercise...Pilates just makes me feel so capable since I can see improvement each time I go. Vinny's westside exploration turned up these floral heels. I posted them on Facebook wondering if they were too boring...& Kate respond with...of course you would be worried that something that elaborate might be boring *laugh*...but I really was worried (I bought them even though they were a smidge big).

I also found some cardigans, above...& gym clothes, below. I got this belt off of eBay...the seller called it blue (it's green) & it was already peeling terribly. I needed it for an upcoming outfit, so I tried dyeing it navy, but it didn't take. I got a refund for it. It's too bad because the style is fantastic. I now need a belt collection. And a jaunt through the Goodwill by the co-op turned up a boxy shoulder padded plaid Limited jacket, a blue velvet ModCloth dress, & some cardigans. 

 

Work Outfit // Cooking

Dress: Keyhole Side-Tie Red Fit & Flare Dress by London Times (size 12) via Gwynnie Bee

Cardigan: Jessica Howard (size M), thrifted

Tights: We Love Colors

Shoes: Fluevog, Minis: QTee

Earring: etXarte

Necklace: former Etsy shop

Bracelets: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 37-32-42

This was a good work dress...probably tts, but too big on me. I seem to be a size 8, but not always...you know how wonky women's sizing is. There was a side tie & shirred detail around it that gave the waist definition, but I added a cardigan because of the short sleeves. Great combination of colors in abstract dots...red, orange, burgundy, black, & white. 

I bought these Fluevogs on Poshmark last year & this is my first time wearing them...cherry, black, & orange. 
We found this M pin at Elkhorn & its been great to hold cardigans without buttons closed...

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Alkaline; Blood Sugar, Extraction, & Donor eyeshadow from Jeffree Star; NYX lipliner in Pumpkin; Sugarpill Cosmetics lipstick in Nectar; So Chaud lipstick by MAC; & ILNP nail polish in Misery. 

I wore this outfit to work a few times, but here are some things that happened during that time. I made dinner...big surprise...Braised Moroccan Chicken & Olives, served with Fennel al Forno. 

Pilates! Cider Cured Pork Chops with Bordelaise, served with Caramelized Apples & Onions. I found another vintage beaded cashmere cardigan on Poshmark, but the sequins fell all over the kitchen floor when I opened it...so I had to return it...but I kept the other 2 cardigans. 

I had found this silk Banana Republic dress at Vinny's in Verona...size 8 with no stretch...it will make a pretty work dress. Violet with her stuffy...she chews on it ever so gently. Pilates again...& immediately after...we went to Klein's to pick up this pad we'd seen there to see if it would help me kneel better on my fake knee during class. 

 

Self Care // Thrifting // Closet Clean-Out // Joey's Song

Dress: Coffee Cup Meadow Dress by Effie's Heart (size L) via Gwynnie Bee

Cardigan: Talbots (size M), thrifted

Tights: Snag

Shoes: Neosens 

Earring: etXarte

Necklace & Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo, Martha, & Me

Stats: 5'7" 37-32-42

Another adorable Effie's Heart dress...a bit shorter than usual...but coffee cups! The pockets are sewn on the front like apron pockets, which I don't like...& there are hearts on the non-functioning buttons. It came to me slightly faded, but I still wore it a bunch. 

I thought I made a rather fetching outfit...cute & comfortable. 

I found these used Neosens on Poshmark last year & this was my first time wearing them. They are a difficult color...a light warm red...but I thought they were ideal with this dress. 

My metal jewelry doesn't get as much wear as the fun colorful pieces...

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Sabbath, Heroine eyeshadow from UD, Violet Voss eyeshadow in Gold Coast, Bite Beauty lipliner in 30, MAC lipstick in New York Apple & Head in the Clouds, & ILNP nail polish in Misery. 

I first wore this dress on a day of self care. We took the week off between Christmas & the new year...which was marvelous. And I made my first facial appointment since February of 2020 (I used to go every month). It was fabulously relaxing...my hair is always a complete mess afterwards. I adore Sara at ANiU...I was so excited she was still there...& I discovered she also does massages & pedicures! Then...it was on to my first lymphatic massage with Courtney. I had gone a month before, but she felt that a bit of my healing incisions didn't look right & had me go to my doctor. That ended by being fine, but I appreciate her cautiousness. Also, she is phenomenal...my body feels so much lighter after seeing her & we have a lot in common to talk about (she has a vintage clothing business & loves music).

On my way home from Courtney's, there is a Goodwill. I'm more of a Vinny's fan, but I popped in. I immediately undressed a mannequin & took a gold sparkling dress off her...I also found a fur coat (DKNY, marked 100% dyed leather, but it's fur...I was confused) & some cardigans...it was a small, but worthwhile, haul. Pilates! Then our final Christmas ornament expedition...Klein's Greenhouse. In looking at these photos...I'm wondering...why?! Why didn't I grab an Old World badger bulb? I'm a badger for life after all. Perhaps next year.

Sara had used some new Éminence products on me, so I got them to try at home. I use so much fancy skincare...I should have perfect skin, but I don't. I have visible pores on my nose & some dry patches this time of year. New shoes from Fly London in Teal patent leather, found on Poshmark. New Year's Day...taking down the Christmas tree. My go-to meal of Shrimp with Kimchi & Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Kimchi. 

Car wash picture for David...it's our thing. A cardigan I found on Poshmark. Fluevog makeover from a group I'm on...I have these shoes that I bought to reimagine...right now they are grey (yuck!) with a purple patent outline (where the shoes are brown in this photo)...I want to keep the purple, but cover the grey with something fun. Speaking of Fluevogs...these were the oldest shoes on my wishlist, so when they went on sale, I nabbed them (they only had 2 left in my size). 

My friend Martha offered to come over & help me with the dresses in my closet. But first...I made us lunch...my current favorite, Spicy Shrimp Masala, served with Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Kimchi. I'd been going through the rest of my clothes without much anguish...but my beloved dresses...I was afraid of the heartbreak & tears. And...it turned out to not be as bad as I feared. Martha was awesome...she's a seamstress, so she was able to tell me which dresses might be easy enough to take in, which needed to go to a professional, & what I should just get rid of. Needless to say, my closet is a disaster. I have piles of dresses everywhere...I've been slowly listing them on Poshmark...where I found these 2 paisley cardigans. 

I also wore this outfit to check out the trunk show at the Verona Vinny's...my first time there. I got up to the register & the total was $400! I don't look at prices, but apparently...most of the trunk show garments were ~$35...so I got rid of a bunch of those & just kept my 3 favorites. Dinner that night...Braised Beef with Gochujang, along with...Charred Cabbage with Salty Peanuts & Nuoc Cham. 

And the final time I wore this dress was to my first concert of the year at The Sylvee, Joey's Song...a benefit raising money for epilepsy. The staring band was The Know-It-All-Boyfriends (featuring Madison members of Garbage: Butch Vig & Duke Erikson, Freedy Johnston, & other musicians I don't know). Their bag policy gets me every time...I don't own a tiny wristlet...so I had to cart my purse back to the car. At least I had coat pockets. 

The Nielsen Trust (Cheap Trick's Rick Nielsen, his sons Miles {I've seen his band The Rusted Hearts & they're good} & Dax, & Miles' wife). Tanya Donelly, Gail Greenwood, & Kay Hanley (from Belly & Letters to Cleo).

Joel Hodgson (MST3K), Dave Pirner & other members of Soul Asylum, & Cory Chisel (no one introduced him...?!). 

Cory with a choir. Charlie Berens (Manitowoc Minute) was hilarious. 

He auctioned off a tackle box he bought on Craig's List that day for $5, along with a signed Garbage album & the ice scraper from his car. Portugal. The Man. Members of the other bands kept joining each other on stage & it was obvious they were enjoying themselves (& the free alcohol). 

Finally, The Know-It-All Boyfriends took the stage...& were joined by other musicians on & off...my favorite moment of the evening was when they all did Oasis' Don't Look Back in Anger. The show began at 7, & I ended up leaving at 10:30 because it seemed they might keep playing forever. It was a fun night.