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.