Fellow Pynins // Christmas Tree Decorating

Dress: Foley Maxi Dress by Free People (size L) via Nuuly

Tights: We Love Colors

Shoes: Aldo, thrifted 

All Jewelry: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-45

This was a really summery cotton dress to wear in shivery late fall...but such a bright shade of yellow. Great maxi length, pockets, loose fitting...I'd go down a size. The dress buttons all the way up the front, so it would be cute worn as a duster over a tighter fitting outfit. 

This was the day I was released from the hospital...I needed the color of happiness to surround me. 

I don't often get the chance to wear my turquoise jewelry, so that was fun...& I'm not sure I've ever worn these thrift store shoes...maybe once? 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Asphyxia & Lucky; Stranded, Wildheart, & Bud eyeshadow by UD; Big Bang lipliner & lipstick from UD; MAC lipliner in Chicory; Gothica lipstick by Kat von D; & OPI nail polish in I'm Not Really A Waitress, topped with Holy Pink Pagoda! I was thrilled to be able to make dinner at home...I was craving salmon cooked correctly, medium rare...& Brussels. I was exhausted & just wanted to curl up in bed, but I wasn't going to let that hospital take anything else away from me...so off to Stoughton I went. I was excited to get back to this Vinny's...& I found 4 more cardigans to add to my collection. I didn't give myself much time to poke around before they closed. Down the street...Fellow Pynins at the Opera House. I adore that they've been having local/independent artists play in the lounge before the show...these guys were good & I would seek them out...but as far as I can tell...I'll never see them play again...Shauncey Ali & Starr Moss. Fellow Pynins amps started making weird sounds a few songs in, so they came to the front of the stage & played acoustically until it was sorted...which I prefer. This husband & wife duo were wonderful & they were fabulous storytellers with great travel adventures to share. They finally covered a seat! They raised money last year to make the original wooden chairs that are over 100 years old more comfortable...& the one they padded first was MY seat...the seat I always buy if it's available. Pretty purple velvet. How does it feel? Not as good as you'd hope...but it will be nice not to have to carry a cushion from home on every visit. The next day...the hospital had made an appointment for me with a plastic surgeon...I didn't question it because it seemed to make sense. The poor doctor was so confused...he thought I was there for an abdominoplasty consult. What?! A lack of clear communication from UW hospital...I'm shocked. He was extremely gracious & spent some time looking over my incisions & talking to me about them. He thought they were all healing just fine. As he typed his notes & spoke them out loud...he said, this patient somehow ended up in my office. Afterwards, I went next door to ANiU to buy some gift certificates & book a facial with Sara...my first since before the pandemic. Back in 2019, into 2020...I was getting a facial every month & it was divine. Violet was being adorable chomping on this block of ice. A new knife for David (not the right weight for me). The 4 new cardigans I picked up at Vinny's...2 are sparkly & I think that gold one is going to be perfect over my NYE dress. Where the Wild Things are crossbody bag!!! How cute is that?! A friend on Facebook posted a larger bag with a different picture, but this is the perfect concert going size for me. Two new floral necklaces from bel monili. ILNP had a sale & I chose some pretty polishes...they have such gorgeous holographic shades. And check out the stunning artwork on the vinyl I got from Fellow Pynins. I haven't placed an order with Sock Dreams in years...I have ALL the socks...however, I do NOT have all the lace tights, until now. And we finally got around to decorating the tree. I feel we must be missing a box of ornaments. It was lovely to see all the Old World & similar blown glass ornaments I've collected over the years. David hung his grandma's stocking ornament with her name on it on our tree & the topper is his grandparent's that they got when they were first married. You can't tell here...but these are the most colorful warm multicolored lights...& include my favorite color, orange. It is so nice & peaceful to sit in our living room with a fire going while gazing at our pretty tree. 

 

Act A Lady

Dress: The Marais Printed Tiered Maxi Dress by Anthropologie (size L) via Nuuly

Tights: Snag

Shoes: JJ's, vintage thrifted

Earring: etXarte

Necklace: Green Goddess Vintage

Bracelet: Vintage 

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-45

I've lost count of how many of these Marais dresses I've worn...sooo many different patterns. I know the fit is super loose & not "flattering"...but I like them. Obviously. This teal & rust combination looked fabulous with my hair. Great maxi length. 

While I had a ton of jewelry options for this dress...these are the only shoes that I thought worked at all. 

The only time it snowed all day was during the 15 minutes we were taking these photos. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Torch & Lucky; Bud & Tex eyeshadow from UD; Natasha Denona eyeshadow in Azelea, Jasper, & Agate; MAC lipliner in Chicory; Gothica lipstick by Kat von D; & OPI nail polish in A Woman's Prague-ative.  

I wore this dress to see a play with David...but first, dinner at home...pan fried salmon with lots of crispy garlic, served with roasted Brussels sprouts & kimchi. This play sounded so iffy, that I didn't even ask David if he wanted to go...I purchased tickets & hoped for the best. Act A Lady was hilarious...a wonderfully written play...with marvelous acting.

Some well dressed woman in the Flummunity posted a photo of her Fluevogs in some adorable orange fishnets...& when asked where she got her hosiery...shared that she buys cheap packs of fishnets on Amazon...so I immediately purchased some. 

At my doctor's office getting my cellulitis diagnosed. I made the most delicious Coconut Poached Green Curry Salmon...David declared it a 5 star dish & one of the best things I've ever made. Farmers' market the weekend before Thanksgiving...sooo many pretty vegetables. Fancy probiotics David got me for taking with my antibiotic. 

 

The Wanderers // Charming Disaster // Cedarburg Maxwell Street Days // Weston Antique Apple Orchard // Love's Labour's Lost

Dress: Real Love Maxi Dress by Free People (size XL) via Nuuly

Sandals: Born

Necklace & Earrings: Wendy Baker

Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 39-37-48 

In love with everything about this dress. I had it in the pink color way & I think they are different enough that I wish both of them were mine. The pink falls strictly into a summer dress...& this one is late summer/fall. It's an all cotton maxi, lined, with pockets. And the ties have tassels on the ends. 

The pattern on this reminds me of sunflowers. And I adore all the colors...from a distance, you see brown & mustard, maybe black...but up close there is teal, burgundy, a couple shades of green...sooo much going on.

A bit tricky with the low back to hide the bra band...but it can be done...& see...tassels! David bought me a fancy new camera...my first mirrorless full frame (Nikon Z 6ii) & these are the first shots we took. He got a different lens & we were never able to get the perspective right...we used it a few times & he ordered the lens he was used to...we just thought this would be nicer since he could stand closer to me.

Mustard heels that I wore the first & second time I wore this dress, but not the last time. Black jewelry just seemed the way to go with this...even though I have a ton of amber that would have been just as lovely. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Bourbon; Minx, Half Baked, & Twice Baked eyeshadows by UD; MAC lipliner in Chicory; Kat von D lipstick in Gothica; & OPI nail polish in Talk of the Town Brown.

Dinner...pan fried crispy salmon with crispier garlic & dill..,& a bonus crispy salmon skin that I took off before roasting some salmon in the oven...served with roasted Brussels sprouts with kimchi & bacon. Boxy Charm. Flowers from the market. 

I first wore this dress when I took lunch to my friend who had surgery again...this time a roasted cumin salmon with a cilantro pistachio sauce...served as a salad. Car wash for Veronika. Sorta Goth. 

Charming Disaster at The North Street Cabaret...first time I've been back since the pandemic. The venue was promoting this show & they looked fun...so I listened to a few songs & bought tickets. They remind me of Amanda Palmer with Jason Webley...carnival goth folk? They had 4 vinyl records for sale & I bought them all. It was a fun show...they had audience members pick a tarot card out of a bag & then they'd play the corresponding song...& they often got off stage & played & sang among us. 

David & I going to The Overture Center to see Forward Theatre's first production of the season, The Wanderers. It was wonderful...now we want to see everything this playwright has ever written. That piece of salmon in the fridge was so appealing...it was difficult not to dive in & consume it all right then & there. David had grilled it with wood chips, slowly...for our picnic. Then I wore this dress for a jam packed Sunday. First, we drove to Cedarburg...

I had heard good (& not so great) things about Cedarburg's flea market, Maxwell Street Days...this was the final one of the season, so we went to check it out. We immediately saw this tin ceiling guy with all kind of patterns we hadn't seen before. And we finally got a question that beats, would you like a chicken with that (Kate & I strawberry picking)? When we paid for the ceiling tin, the guy inquired, would you like a free beer or tequila with that? It was 10am. Oh, Wisconsin...

Check out this zebra striped mink...wow! I spied it across several isles...but it was even more stunning up close. The lady that was selling it said it had been her 90-something year old neighbors. She'd already brought it to 4 shows, so we got it for a steal (also, a few smalls holes where the fur has separated). But the real deal of the day, that stained glass window...we paid $15...David is really good at bargaining...sometimes I have to walk away. I always just ask, what's the best price you can do on this? It fits nicely in our wreck room windows & has already made David's tv watching experience better. We actually got a bunch of stuff at this market, but I didn't take many photos. Then...onto the apple portion part of our day.

When I learned Weston's Antique Apples weren't going to come to farmer's market any longer...I decided we must make the trip & stock up for the winter. Look how wondrous that view is from their barn.

After talking to Gen (I think that's her name...why am I so bad at that?) & getting all the apples our hearts desired...she told us we should walk through the orchard. Oh, they were magical...they didn't have all the like trees grouped together as one tree would be red, the next green, the following one, pink...it was spectacular. And we picked apples right off the trees & ate them in the orchard. I don't know why picking & eating things right then & there is always so exciting to me...it never gets old.

We've been loving their unique varieties of apples for years from farmers' market (we even bought grafts from them & have 3 of our favorites planted in our backyard), but this was our first time at their orchard. It was beautiful & peaceful. After enjoying the apple farm...we drove back to Madison in a mad dash to let the dogs out & pack up our picnic for APT.

What a lovely day for a picnic. The salmon David cooked on the grill was aaaaamazzzzing...it was like smoked salmon since he used the wood chips & just so juicy with the best flavor...this was an amazing salad...served with bubbles...Eff Nat from Mawby in Michigan. Take note of my heart shaped radishes. 

I need to wander around more...hows did I miss this awesome piece of art?! I absolutely adore old rusty things. Can we take it home & park it in the front yard? I'd plant flowers in it. 

We had been here the night before & Kate showed us this longer nature path to get up the hill...it had been too dark the previous day, but the sun was just setting as we wandered to the theatre on this trail.

Much prettier than the usual nice walk through the woods...& we didn't see another person the entire time.

David & I were here to give Love's Labour's Lost another go...if you remember, we had been here with Kate a week before & the show was rained out...but we thoroughly enjoyed the 10 minutes we got to see & didn't want to miss this production. The only tickets left for the rest of the year were on closing night & they were practically the worst seats in the house & across the theatre from each other. The only reason I got them at all is I purchased them on our drive home from attempting to see it the first time. If I had waited until the next day when all the other people were also calling, I would have missed it. I had gotten a light scolding on the phone that the next time that happens, I need to wait & call so they can do a ticket exchange (they had to refund me for the second set of tickets I purchased). However, once we arrived, I went to the box office & had the good fortune of meeting the manager, Bruce. Bruce was miraculous! He swiftly got us 2 tickets together in the 3rd row, center (just where I like to be there...in the first 4 rows). So as long as he was granting wishes...I told him about my other dilemma...we had tickets on Friday to see The Moors, but I also had tickets elsewhere to a show that was only happening once. I'd been looking online every day for over a month, but all the shows were sold out & it seemed no-one was cancelling...or other people were beating me to it. Bruce asked which day I'd like, typed away on his computer for a minute, & handed me 2 tickets (good seats) to the Thursday show! Bruce made all my dreams come true...thanks, Bruce! So, back to this show...there wasn't an empty seat in the house...& people were all abuzz around us saying it was their favorite of the season & it was their 2nd, 3rd, or more time seeing it. Now, we don't always agree with other people...but in this case...it was by far the best version we'd ever seen...really creative, fantastic acting, & marvelous costumes. I had really jammed this day full of things, but we enjoyed every one of them.

 

Chartreuse Floral

Dress: Citronella Lime Floral Puff Sleeve Fit & Flare Dress by London Times (size 16) via Gwynnie Bee

Sandals: Born

All Jewelry: Wendy Baker

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 39-37-48

I loved this chartreuse number...there was texture, a banded waist, & elastic long sleeves. I like casually tying dresses loosely around the neck so I can still have some skin showing & wear a necklace. Lined up top, but not on the bottom & it was a bit sheer. Great under the knee length...& just gorgeous colors. 

I thought these shoes were fun with the dress & necklace.

Our Nikon stopped working right in the middle of this photo shoot...so the face shot below is the last ever from that camera. And the rest of the photos were taken on my iPhone.

I included a face shoot done with my iPhone so you can see the difference a nicer camera makes...

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner & eyeshadow in Mildew, Electric Warrior eyeshadow from Kat von D, UD lipliner & lipstick in Bang, & OPI nail polish in Race Red. 

I first wore this dress to work & take a hike with David.

The sun was just about to set...

I bought the whole set of ILNPs Halloween collection of polishes...because, pretty. The Nikon Err message. And canned salmon mixed with kimchi...everything is better with kimchi. 

I also wore this dress on a Saturday...I went to the westside farmers' market with Kate...where I found baby artichokes for sale!Then I had my eyebrows micro bladed. There was an Instagram ad targeted at me to be a model for students, for $75...so I jumped on it. Tattooing never lasts for me on my brows, but that was so cheap I thought I'd take a chance. Cooking the baaaaby artichokes to serve with dinner...It was finally time to open up my science experiment...the pickles were good...we sampled both, then put them in the fridge. Sunday market to pick up flowers on my way to a friend's house. Martha had just had surgery, so I offered to make her a meal...Alison Roman's Cobb Salad with chicken & veggies cooked on the charcoal grill with wood chips. And I came home with peaches off their tree...yum. Some sale make-up I couldn't say no to...a bunch of Sugarpill & the Natasha Denona Love palette. And a new necklace from bon monili.