Marquette // U.P.

Dress: Mariposa Butterfly Roadtrip Dress by Effie's Heart (size XL) via Gwynnie Bee

Teggings: Re/Dress

Sandals: Dansko

Earring: etXarte

Necklace & Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo, Jason, & Me

Stats: 5'7" 40-37-53

This was my first time wearing this style of dress from Effie's Heart (I think?). Always comfortable & cute. Great fit & length. The perfect casual summer dress. 

I have these Dansko sandals in 3 different colors...black, chartreuse, & brown...I have not worn them in a while because they were a bit tight on me, but now they fit great...I missed these...they have a circle design in the leather that I adore. 

Breaking out the baby blue jewelry...

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Perversion; Clove, Carnelian, & Agate eyeshadow from Natasha Denona; Sephora eyeshadow in Chrome No 4; Habanero lipstick by MAC; Sugarpill Cosmetics lipstick in Clockwork; & OPI nail polish in Orange You Going to the Game?

Some new Heidi Daus jewelry from eBay. And a delicious dinner I made...Grilled Salmon Escabeche, with Grilled Asparagus with Caper Salsa. 

Shopping at the Saturday downtown market with my girlie...& an outdoor visit to discuss food plans for our trip to the U.P. 

Checking out Vinny's with David...I decided again the yellow shoes...but those red heels were $8 Chie Mihara shoes ($200-400 new) that are now mine. Two more tasty dinners on the grill...Perfect Soy-Grilled Steak, served with Charred Asparagus with Green Garlic Chimichurri & Grilled Mushroom with Chive Butter. 

My favorite easy go-to meal...Buttery Kimchi Shrimp, with the market salad above with Jalapeño-Ranch Dressing. Mar drawing my next 2 tattoos on my leg...very rough sketch...a bat woman hanging from a crescent moon & a bat around my ankle that is part furry, part skeleton. 

I also wore this dress on my third day at the cabin. Eating leftovers from our potluck...yummmmm. Me & Kate. 

After a lunch of leftovers...Brian & I drove into Marquette where we drove & walked around Presque Isle. 

I love this lake...

The ore dock. Me & Brian & Lake Superior. After wandering around & taking the scenic drive...we stopped into the old train depot turned art galleries & browsed a few shops there. 

I bought a Raku vase to hang on the wall from Risak Pottery...sooo many gorgeous colors, it was difficult to choose...but now I enjoy seeing it in our bathroom every day. 

A stop at the wine store, that now has an impressive selection of cheeses...& back to the cabin where we had a glass of wine & ate some deviled eggs. Kate & Jason made a delicious veggie tofu curry for dinner, which we ate on the deck overlooking the lake. So peaceful. 

At night...there was chocolate I bought from the wine shop, Moscow Mules with Michigin, & Sangria. 

 

Marquette with Brian

Dress: Floral Maxi Dress by Conditions Apply (size 2x) via Nuuly

Cardigan: Jessica Howard

Shoes: Nine West, thrifted

Earring & Bracelet: Wendy Baker

Necklace: bel monili

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 43-41-57

I liked this dress quite a bit...the colors were so pretty & I enjoyed pulling out the chartreuse & orange. The back was entirely open, but this dress was better suited for a cardigan as any bra would have shown. There were nice deep pockets & the length was ideal on me. 

I LOVE these colorful leopard shoes from Nine West...sadly, my feet have shrunk & these size 10s no longer stay on my feet very well. I am on the lookout for them in a 9...they seem to come up on Poshmark on a regular basis. 

There is an old warehouse on our side of town that we use quite often for photos...there are ~1/2 dozen locations there we like...this is a new one...& we only used it because the sun hadn't yet set enough to use the ladder area. I like the grunginess of it. Also, not this time, but the time before...there was a really great band practicing inside. I was thinking of leaving a note on the cars parked there asking them to email me who they were. However, 2 of the guys came out on the fire escape to smoke & told me they were Mickey Sunshine. I really want to see them play. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Overdrive; Kat von D eyeshadow in Harpsichord, Skulls, Legend, & Vinyl; Pumpkin lipliner from NYX; Chicory lipliner by MAC; MAC lipstick in So Chaud; Kat von D lipstick in Gothica; & Lipslick nail polish from POP. 

I love DuoChrome color shifting polish like this...pictures just don't capture it, so I took a video...it matches my purse. 

I first wore this dress to see The Wood Brothers at Stoughton Opera House back in the beginning of November. Soooo long ago. It was a great show in a gorgeous theatre. 

Sean McConnell opened for them, & also came out to sing at the very end. 

Stand up bass...always a good sign. I was second row center for this show. 

The second time I wore this dress I was in the U.P. visiting Brian & we drove to Marquette on this day to have lunch with Shane's family...his cousin Melanie commented the last time I was here to say I should let her know next time. I was incredibly happy about that as I hadn't been because I was worried I'd bring too many sad memories. Brian & I shared 2 plates of Brussels sprouts. The first...fried, with Parmesan cheese, dried Michigan cherries, & a bit of honey. The second course was a cherry Brussels sprouts salad with salmon. Group photo! It was lovely seeing Shane's family...they are always fun & I felt closer to Shane being with them. 

After lunch, Brian & I ran over to Everyday Wines to get...wine. I also picked up some delightful chocolate. Brian got this Moroccan lamp to light a corner in his living room...I have had a bunch of these saved on Etsy for nearly a decade...after seeing his, I am finally going to get one (or two) of my own.

Brian's house went through a tremendous transformation since I was here just 6 weeks before. He got rid of the old & falling apart & brought in the new & shiny. AND...we had a table to eat at. It was fabulous. 

We relaxed with some nibbles & a bottle of wine that Brian bought because I fell in love with the stunning copper label. I drink a lot of good wine & this one is up there...just delightfully smooth. And this orange bourbon pecan dark chocolate...mind blowing. Also, during this trip to visit the U.P., I met a man online that I was immediately drawn to (& not at all looking for)...we texted & chatted on the phone for hours & I am smitten. I am in an open relationship with my husband, so it's not a secret. We live ~900 miles from each other, so getting together is going to be a challenge. Meet Andre...he'll show up again. 

 

Visiting Brian

Dress: Succulent Green Sigrid Dress by Effie's Heart (size 1x) via Gwynnie Bee

Cardigan: ?, thrifted 

Tights: We Love Colors

Shoes: Dansko

Earring: etXarte

Necklace: Green Goddess Vintage

Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo, Brian, & Me

Stats: 5'7" 43-41-57

Effie's Heart...the masters of cute & casual. I think this is the first time I've worn this style of their dress...great fit, length, & of course...pockets. 

A very blustery day...also, the camera ran out of charge so this back shot was taken on my iPhone.

This is my first time wearing this necklace from Gayle...I pluck it out of the case quite a bit, but some other babble always wins out. 

My make-up with this outfit included...NYX eyeliner in Gypsy Blue, Blood Moon & Nefertiti eyeshadow from Huda Beauty, MAC lip liner in Chicory, Fresh Moroccan & New York Apple lipstick by MAC, & Colors by Llarowe nail polish in Show Me the Love! 

After PT car selfie. New dresses...mushrooms from Eva Rose & tiki drinks from Cherry Velvet. 

New pretties from Colleen Toland. That black necklace got sent back & exchanged for the one I ordered (black & gold). 

Kate & Jason came over for dinner & I made us delicious food, of course. We had Coconut-Poached Walleye with Bok Choy served on a bed on roasted cauliflower, as well as Brussels sprouts with Pecans & Pomegranate & 2 lovely bottles of wine: a Pinot Noir VIN GRIS & a Vouvray. Doggie love. And what?! How did I not take any pictures of my bezzer?! I guess she wasn't doggie cuddling. 

Driving to the U.P. to visit Brian...snow & my Lake Superior. Kiera doing tricks for treats. 

Brian thought we should go out to dinner at Tracey's since they completely changed their menu since we last ate there...so I went wearing no make-up & my driving all day outfit. Munising is a tiny town of just over 2,000 people, but this restaurant would be worthy of a much larger city. We started out with some drinks, like you do...Brian had a hard apple cider & I drank a Michigan Mule. We shared 4 small plates, beginning with some amazing crispy Brussels sprouts & a reuben egg roll. 

Next up, spicy lobster roll, followed by Pinconning cheese curds. I would get all of these things again with the exception of the $14 curds...nothing special. Brian with our food & his winter spiced old-fashioned. 

This house by Brian's was all decked out for Christmas...last time I was here, it was Halloween. 

 

Wild Pink // Ratboys // U.P.

Dress: Roadside Attraction Dress by ModCloth (size 26)

Cardigan: MAK

Tights: Snag

Shoes: 9 West

Earring: etXarte

Necklace & Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 45-42-59

I bought this dress from one of the girls from Girls of GB...& then promptly never wore it...like oh, so many of my pretty dresses. So, obviously it's too big on me, but at least it finally got out of the house. Alter it or pass it on? I think I like it a lot, but don't love it. I guess the teepee with the sign above it that says, Sleep in a Wigwam makes me uncomfortable...& makes me question...would I wear this around a native person? But I do love a kitschy print & this dress is well made. 

Lots of light on me as the sun was setting. I guess I wasn't too worried about getting great pictures of this dress since it didn't fit me. 

I wore blue eyeshadow! I rarely do that. Also, this was my first time wearing both this earring & bracelet. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Torch, Nars Mediteranee eyeshadow duo, Sephora eyeshadow Chrome No 04,  Chicory lipliner by MAC, Gothica lipstick from Kat von D, & OPI nail polish in Orange You Going To The Game? 

My eyebrows & bruised eyelids nearly 1 week after replacement surgery. My last time at the gym. David doesn't want to go there once the mask ban is lifted & has bought us some home equipment, so we've been using that. It makes me sad. I liked going to the gym, I felt badass lifting weights. After the gym...I walked around Olbrich Gardens just because I could. I think I cried...I was so happy to be able to do that. 

This box of various flavors of electrolyte drink mix came to me while David was in California. He makes his own, but he so sweetly got me some I would actually like & drink. I try to drink a few of these on days we are fasting. Watermelon is my favorite. 

6 week check-up with my knee surgeon. I hit his range of motion goal of 120°! He said I was his star patient for the week. Meeting Freddie & Angie at the playground...Freddie is so fun to watch. DJ Baby Berlin...I just hardly ever watch/listen to Twitch anymore since there are actual things to do & places to go. Like...shows at The Shitty Barn. My chair is second in line. Sharon always beats me (except for once).

I saw Wild Pink with Ratboys opening...I could have gone to Stoughton Opera House where Lowest Pair was playing, but tickets to the barn went on sale before I knew that was a possibility...& you've got to take a chance on new things. Sadly, these 2 bands were clearly talented, but just not for me. I should have left when I saw the lead singer was wearing Crocs.

The next day, I wore this dress again as I drove to Upper Michigan in Veronika to visit Brian. So, here on the blog, I am ending my visit with the day I got there. It had been 2 years since I'd seen Brian...because 2020...& it was wonderful to reconnect...it was good for my soul. So many of the streets to Brian's house were closed due to construction...so I had to turn around in the high school parking lot & couldn't resist admiring my lake. Lake Superior is my calm place & what I think of when I think of home. 

After arriving at Brian's & unpacking all the food I brought...I made us dinner. We had the cumin roasted salmon with cilantro sauce that I'd made a few times this past summer as a cold salad. I am happy to report, it is equally good warm...plus, I grated some fresh ginger into the cilantro sauce which made it even better. Served with Brussels sprouts, roasted cauliflower, & white wine...delicious. After dinner we went to Brian's studio so he could cut his nephew's hair. And Keira getting belly rubs after playing.