Amanda Palmer at The Chicago Theatre

 Dress: Sketch Scarf V-Neck Dress by Spruce & Sage (size 4x) via Gwynnie Bee Try Then Buy

Cardigan: Marisa Christina (size 3x) via eBay 

Leggings: Torrid (size 4x)

Boots: Fluevog

Earring: etXarte

Necklace: Wendy Baker

Photography: Super Boo, Kate, & Me

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

No GB at home...what to wear to Chicago for the weekend?! I had recently gotten this pink leopard print cardigan...so I picked a dress that went with that & an outfit was born. I last wore this dress in January 2015. The wrap v-neck on this dress needs a lot of help...a strong pin (like I wore the last time)...or a few buttons of the cardigan done up to cover the gaping issue. 

These leggings aren't perfect...but they felt like my best option...

Add stompy beat up Fluevog boots from the 90s. And I'm ready to drive to Chicago. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Asphyxia & Voodoo; Anastasia eyeshadow in Dreamer, Rose Gold, Wild Child, & Drama; NYX lip palette in The Plums; & OPI nail polish in Have You Seen My Limo?

But first...food. I have this terrible habit of skipping breakfast & eating my first meal around 1:00. I enjoyed some delightful Miko Poke while my bezzer's hand got eaten by a pink shark. 

The view from our hotel room window!!!

And the unfortunate view on the other side (Trump Tower). Dinner from downstairs...Wow Bao (but I kept calling it Bao Wow)...which tasted oddly like a Lean Cuisine from the 80s. 

After dinner...Kate walked over to Millennium Park for the Patreon meet-up with Amanda Fucking Palmer while I put make-up on at the hotel. I found this photo online of Amanda with Kate in the background.

 Time to leave for the show...

The Chicago Theatre is so gorgeous inside...it takes my breath away every time.

We stood in line to buy a special Patreon only AFP Queen of Hearts pin...& then...the show! The audience was terrible (getting up for drinks constantly), but she was amazing & vulnerable. It was 1/2 stories about her abortions, miscarriages, & life...& 1/2 songs. It was perfect. 

Christmas Eve 2017

 Dress: Keyhole Fit & Flare in Evening Keys by Isabel + Alice (size 5x) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit)

Cardigan: ?, thrifted

Leggings: Torrid (size 4x)

Boots: John Fluevog

Earring: etXarte

Necklace: Wendy Baker

Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I have a strong aversion to grey...not quite as big as white...but GB sent me two grey dresses in one box...so it was a very grey holiday. I have a thing for skeleton keys...so I obviously needed to wear this dress. It was a good fit & length...& I added some color with this cardigan & necklace. This is a GB house brand & they are a better quality than they used to be. I would have bought this if it hadn't been grey. 

It was below 0 on Christmas Eve day, so why did I keep touching cold metal?!

 But! We got snow just in time for a white Christmas.

My make-up with this outfit included...Anastasia Beverly Hills eyeshadow in Dimension, Lucid, Pyramid, & Obsidian; Trinket liquid lipstick by Sugarpill; & OPI nail polish in ?

Right after taking these outfit photos...David & I went to our new house to open Christmas presents. We were hoping to be moved in & have a tree up...but things don't always work out as planned. We still brought our little Christmas to our living room full of tools...had a fire in our half put together fireplace & David held up his stocking that I filled roughly where the mantel will be. Next year there will be a tree.

After presents...we went back to our other house & the girlie came over for dinner...& of course, brought fabulous wine. This 2005 bottle smelled like it might have turned...but it ended up tasting marvelous. Kate explaining cork properties to us...or something wine-y. 

I made salmon with toasted garlic & dill, asparagus, & Meyer lemon from David's grandma's trees squeezed over it all...yum. After dinner we watched Rudolph...which David had never seen. Every holiday season we try to watch a few classic Christmas shows...this year we also saw Meet Me in St. Louis & Holiday Inn. 

Risk! & Ukulele!

 Dress: Galaxy Faux Wrap Dress by Jete (size 5x)

Tights: We Love Colors

Shoes: l.e.i., thrifted 

Earring & Necklace: Babil & Bijou, former etsy shop

Bracelet: Age Before Beauty

Photography: Super Boo, Kate, & Me

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I never received this GB house brand dress from them before it was retired, but recently bought it from one of the GB resellers. Fabulous fun galaxy print in a style I adore & have also worn in geometric print & retro floral & own in autumn leaves & abstract fan. I've worn both sizes 4x & 5x, but prefer the fit on the larger size as it's quite body hugging.  

Check out that booty...

I have such a stupendous shoe collection thanks to thrifting...I would have NEVER bought these shoes new...but for $2?! Sure, I'll take a chance...I thought they were perfection with this outfit. 

It is amazing to me that this mural is spray painted...I don't typically care for faces as a background...but I made an exception.

My make-up with this outfit included...LSD eyeliner by Urban Decay; UD eyeshadow in Specter, Lithium, Vega, & Galaxy; NYX Cosmic Metals Lip Cream in Ultraviolet; & Cosmo with a Twist nail polish from OPI. 

I first wore this dress to see the Risk! podcast live with David, Angie, & Toby. The only photo I took was of Kevin Allison, the host...because the storytellers were telling very personal stories & it seemed disrespectful. Angie introduced me to this podcast & it's one of my favorites...it also brought another podcast to my attention that brings me heaps of amusement, Bawdy Storytelling. The live event was fabulous...I love hearing people's stories. 

I wore this dress again to attend a free ukulele workshop at the library with Kate...which was so much fun! We didn't know what to expect, but it was so well organized & run. The MAUI group was in charge & everyone was given a ukulele to use & assigned their very own helper...the girlie & I shared the nice man below...sitting next to me in the hat. We learned some chords, then spent over an hour playing & singing songs. I nabbed the group shot from this blog. It took several days for my fingers to stop being sore...but I need to get my own uke now!

After ukuleleing...David & I went to dinner at Angie & Toby's...where there was dog cuddling (Molly on my lap!) & tasty food. 

I get a tub of Lush's seasonal Bûche de Noël cleanser every November...it has bits of cranberry & ground almonds...satsumas & brandy...it smells amazing, gently exfoliates, & moisturizes. I'm going to try freezing part of it to see if I can make it last an entire year...usually around August, I open up the pot to find it has grown fuzzy mold...not bad considering they suggest it is best used within three months. 

Thanksgiving

 Dress: Fox Print Belted Shift Dress by Isabel + Alice (size 5x) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit)

Cardigan: 

Tights: We Love Colors

Shoes: ?, thrifted

Earring: etXarte

Necklace & Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I wore this outfit to Thanksgiving...yep, I'm that behind on blogging...however, I did go out of order a bit in December...so I'll catch up quickly...but for now...here we are on Thanksgiving day. I despise shift dresses, but...the print & colors were cute...so I took a chance. The cardigan gave it a shape, thank goodness...I found this beauty at Savers, brand new...with tags still on...those colors & pattern mixing...what could be more me? I just wish the design continued on the back. This dress was nothing special...cheap material & sewn badly...the belt was attached, so I was forced to wear it where they placed it. Obviously, my favorite part of this outfit was the cardigan. 

I wanted to wear mustard tights with this outfit...but as I'm always getting dressed as I'm running out the door...I didn't know where they were. 

Thanksgiving at Angie & Toby's...Val & Molly watch David's every move as he carves the turkey. The girlie & bubbles...

 Our spread...so many delicious vegetables...

 And wine...& pie...

 But most importantly...dogs!

I wore this outfit the next day to have fish fry at Alchemy with David...I am still dreaming about this clam bisque...heavenly. 

 Autumnal colors are the best. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Colourpop Gel Liner in Fast Lane; Kat von D eyeshadow in Rewind, Harpsichord, Analogue, Fran, & Legend; NYX Matte lipstick in Alabama; Nars blush in Luster; & We the Female nail polish by OPI. 

17th Girlieversary

 Dress: Geometric Printed Faux Wrap Dress by Jete (size 4x) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit)

Teggings: Re/Dress

Sandals: Dansko

Earring, Necklace, & Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo, Kate, & Me

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I adore unexpected color combinations & rather like these GB house brand faux wraps. I am not a fan of the asymetrical neckline...one side lays flat, while the other is drape-y...but these come in such a variety of fun patterns...I'm willing to overlook that one flaw. This is an otherwise fabulous style of dress that I can wear in either the 4 or 5x. I purchased it in this amazing fan print...& have also enjoyed wearing it in autumn leaves & retro floral. 

Farmers' Market. Jamie, our friendly mushroom pusher, took our photo in front of their booth. After market...girlie brunch at Heritage Tavern. I often keep my phone in my bra when walking around without a purse...on this occasion my camera lens acquired some boob sweat & all my photos during brunch had a dull haze over them...which I didn't figure out until I was taking some pictures at home later. So, our hazy food was a market veggie omelet & for me...Heritage Tavern Benedict (porchetta, spinach, 'nduja hollandaise, cherry tomatoes, fried poached egg). And the reason brunch was invented, cocktails...the girlie had a market champagne cocktail (with housemade pear syrup) & I happily sipped a Daybreak (Death's Door vodka, Galliano, dry orange curaçao, orange, dry resiling).

On this day, 17 years ago...I drove to Chicago to meet Kate for the first time. It was one of the best & bravest decisions of my life. What started out as a romance turned into the best friendship I've ever had. Kate is always there for me when I need her...for silly fun times & to listen to me when I'm sad or crazy...& everything in-between. My life is better with her in it & I look forward to many more years of memory making with my girlie. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Zero, Sephora eyeliner in Brown, NYX eyeshadow from the Warm Neutrals & Brights palette, Dubonnet Amplified lipstick by MAC, & OPI nail polish in The Spy Who Loved Me with Conga-Line Coral on top. 

Old-Fashioned: The Story of the Wisconsin Supper Club

 Dress: Orange Floral Fit & Flare Dress by Spruce & Sage (size 5x) via FabFatshion Resale or Gwynnie Bee ISO

Teggings: Re/Dress

Shoes: Born

Earring: Wendy Baker

Necklace & Bracelet: Babil & Bijou

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I wore this outfit on so many days that it became a joke between David & I...I would say...gueeeess which dress I'm wearing?? It was just so easy to throw on & comfortable. I did not always wear make-up as I was mostly running errands & couldn't be bothered. This was a GB house brand dress that was retired before I could try it...& ORANGE...so I *had* to have it...Rita or Loraine found it for me...they run the 2 groups I listed above & they get a ton of retired GB & sell it for great prices...check them out.

I had been wanting to see this documentary, Old Fashioned: The Story of the Wisconsin Supper Club, since missing it at the film fest last year (Kate went & loved it). So we attended the monthly CHEW (Culinary History Enthusiasts of Wisconsin) meeting where they were showing the documentary, followed by a q&a with the filmmaker. It was fabulous & there are a few supper clubs David & I might have to take road trips to this summer. Like Friday Fish Fry's, Supper Clubs are mostly a Wisconsin thing & Brandy Old-Fashioned is the drink of choice. Unbeknownst to us...there was food...prepared by the CHEW food committee...desserts made from the Wisconsin Supper Club Cookbook (the author was present). Schaum torte, white chocolate cheesecake, 2 different grasshopper cakes, brandy old-fashioned cake, & homemade vanilla ice cream. Delicious! The meetings are free & open to the public, however, there is a picnic potluck in the summer that is members only. I am considering joining...I think I'll go to the May meeting & decide. 

David & I had Indian buffet for lunch with Angie & she had just been to Savers...which reminded us we had a bag in the backseat that needed to be donated. I found 6 pairs of shoes & 5 cardigans that needed to come home with me. 

I also got a summer haircut while wearing this dress (this is the wall outside) & picked up our Wisconsin Film Fest tickets (sold out board). 

Dividing our tickets at home...supervised by Rye. David & I saw 25 movies each this year...the reason I was not able to blog at all last week.

My make-up with this outfit included...Deep Purple eyeliner by NYX, Jilted & Urban eyeshadows by Urban Decay, Sugarpill eyeshadow in Flamepoint, Bite Beauty lipsticks in Toast & Blood Orange, & OPI's I Carol About You nail polish.