Christmas Eve // Christmas Day

Dress: Ruched Tiered Dress by Anthropologie (L) via Nuuly

Tights: Snag

Shoes: Fluevog, Superfine: Cardinal 

Earring: etXarte

Necklace & Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-45

My favorite color in my favorite shade...oh, how I adored this pumpkin dress covered in dots. It fit tts, but I'm never sure what size I am. I should have gotten this in a medium or even a small. I loved that the back was cut out, but still bra friendly. Ideal maxi length for me, lined, this could be worn on or off the shoulders. I wouldn't change a thing about this beauty. 

I would have bought it had it been a size or two smaller. But should I? I mean, do I need 1,000 dresses hanging in my closet again? I guess my criteria should be...do I love it? And this one is a yes! 

David found this mink wrap for me at Vinny's...this was my first time wearing it...& oh, was it warm. But it was no match for this below 0 (-30-something with windchill) windy day. My eyes were watering. 

We escaped inside the capitol to take poorly lit photos of me...where you can see my shoes...& I can feel my face. 

I love these sparkly orange Snag tights so much...I wish I had them in all the colors...& that the sparkle was gold. 

Also, I need more gold shoes in my life...

David & I found this vintage DeLillo necklace at Elkhorn last year & this was my first time wearing it. 

Fancy in fur...I do so enjoy being glamorous. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Bourbon & Lucky, Sugarpill Cosmetics eyeshadow in Pumpkin Spice, Too Faced Glamour Dust in Nude Beam, Pumpkin lipliner from NYX, Nectar lipstick by Sugarpill, MAC lipstick in Heat, & ILNP nail polish in Pumpkin Patch. 

We enjoyed gazing at the tree & the spectacular capitol. 

David & me with the tree...

A few more snaps inside...then on to Lucille. We'd wanted to go there for dinner a few weeks back, but they were booked & this was the first opening...Christmas Eve at 3:30...that is the latest reservation they had. They go all out decorating for Christmas, so I'm guessing a lot of people have their holiday parties here?

Miracle on King Street...

That bored looking guy in green ended up being our waiter...he was great. 

Christmas is all around us...

A very merry holiday cocktail menu...

David had a Christmapolitan (vodka, elderflower, dry vermouth, spiced cranberry sauce, lime, rosemary, absinthe mist) & I began with a Christmas Cricket (blanco tequila, vanilla liqueur, minty amaro, coco pandan, cream, mole bitters, dark chocolate). This drink was delightful, like a boozy Andes chocolate mint. 

Look at these adorable glasses they had made...each drink came in a unique cup. These reindeer are getting very friendly. Their Pork Shoulder Nachos are always amazing...perfection. 

Round 2: Holiday Spiked Chai for David (brandy, Jamaican overproof rum, coffee liqueur, amaretto, chai, almond milk, egg white, tiki bitters, nutmeg) & a Snowball Old-Fashioned for me (rye, gingerbread, aromatic bitters, wormwood bitters, orange essence). Al Pastor Steel Pan Pizza (Aji basil cream, mozzarella, roasted mojo pork, adobo sauce, blistered tomatillo pineapple salsa, cilantro). This pizza is outstanding...but they can't seem to cook it properly & the last two times it has come to the table raw inside. But, our waiter had them remake it & we got 2 free cocktails out of it. So...win? Last time they brought us cheese curds we didn't particularly want. 

Final (free) drinks (honestly, we were going to stop at 2)...I had to try an Elfing Around (Prosecco, gin, mulled wine reduction, grapefruit shrub, aromatic bitters, orange bitters) & David chose what turned out to be his favorite cocktail of the evening, Yippee Ki Yay Mother F****r! (Barbados rum, rhum agricole, Trinidad overproof rum, ube & coconut orgeat, acid-adjusted pineapple juice)...it was purple! 

Lucille did an awesome job at maximalism Christmas decorating...& the cocktails were superb. I think this might be a new Christmas Eve tradition. 

Glittery lights...glittery tights. 

Back at home we watched 2 new-to-us Christmas movies, a 1940s film, The Bishop's Wife & Love Actually (which I still think of as a new movie I'll get around to watching someday...it's 20 years old). David made me this table...I LOVE it! He used maple & cedar from other wood projects & created a decorative edge with his router...because I'm extra like that. We picked up the metal base from Deconstruction Inc...it has a switch that makes the wheels go down or up. It is now my fancy TV tray for when we eat in the wreck room. I was going to make us smoked salmon eggs Benedict for Christmas breakfast, with asparagus, & fried mashed fingerling potatoes...but after the decadence of the evening before, I went simple. David made us homemade eggnog based on an Alton Brown recipe. It was delicious.

We had a most lovely & relaxing Christmas. I spent the day doing something I love to do...cook...while listening to Christmas tunes. I spent several hours preparing Chicken Pastilla from Yotam Ottolenghi's Nopi cookbook. I first made this back in April & it seemed like a perfect special occasion dish. 

Later that evening, we enjoyed our tree for the last time & spent a few hours sharing what made this year special for each of us. It was a perfect Christmas. 

In person, these lights we found (that include orange!) glow with such warmth...it was so cozy & relaxing to sit on the couch cuddling while enjoying our tree by the fireplace. 

Close-ups of some of my favorite ornaments...gramophone, devil, mushroom, Wisconsin capitol building, Moscow Mule, & a happy pickle. I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday spent with people you love.