Orange & Red

 Dress: Lina Dress in Cerise Curve by Igigi (size 26/28) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit)

Teggings: Re/Dress

Sandals: Dansko

Earring: etXarte

Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me (Canon Rebel & iPhone)

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I wore this outfit to work, garage sales, & run errands. I was sort of in love with the color combination in this dress...orange & red, yay! I most definitely liked this print more in a dress than the top I wore back in the winter. I feel like this dress gives me less of a sad face boob line with the pattern. I absolutely adored this dress, great length & fit, my only complaint is I would have preferred short sleeves to 3/4. The fabric was light enough to be a summer dress, but would transition into winter well with a cardigan. 

We were searching for a new place along our route to work to stop & take photos...Super Boo spotted the side of this bakery...how had I never thought to use this as a backdrop before?! It has everything I love...old brick building with glass block windows. 

My garage sale finds for the day...a squirrel & deer skull, mercury glass balls from Pottery Barn, a silk scarf that a friend purchased for the seller in India, an orange tea pot for flowers, & green cherub holders of things. I placed the deer skull in a wagon of flowers & the next day it disappeared. Oh, Oscar. 

Errands! I require this rice seasoning to sprinkle atop rice & veggies that we eat with seaweed wraps. It is one of my favorite go-to meals. Also, the beauty supply was having a 20% off sale, so I stocked up on hair styling products. 

My make-up that day included...Sugarpill & Urban Decay eyeshadows, Stila burgundy eyeliner, a mixture of Bite Beauty Blood Orange & Urban Decay's Gash lipsticks, & In My Back Pocket by OPI on my nails. 

Dragon Pattern Mixing

Dress: Large Dragon Cut-Out Dress by Anna Scholz (size 24) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit)

Skirt: Lane Bryant

Sandals: Born

Earring: etXarte

Bracelet: Romancing the Bling

Photography: Super Boo & Me (Canon Rebel & iPhone)

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I wore this outfit to work. I was determined to find a way to wear this dress because I thought the print was so delicate & lovely & fun (do you see the dragon looking at you??). I love the pattern mixing I came up with, however, I do not like how tight everything is on me. The fabric of this dress is fabulous for summer...it is amazingly light without being the slightest bit see-through. Gorgeous. I would like to purchase this print in a kimono...isn't that exquisite? However, even though it is 50% off right now, $253 is more than I can imagine paying for this...I will keep stalking it. 

I adore these olive green Lafont glasses & should remember to wear them more often. 

My make-up that day included...MAC Rubenesque Paint Pot, Urban Decay Mildew eyeshadow along with Dust & Buzz from Naked 3, Golden Olive eyeliner from NYX, a mixture of Ladyflower by UD & Bronze Shimmer from MAC on my lips, & Just Spotted the Lizard from OPI on my nails. 

Pieta Brown

 Dress: Fit & Flare Dress in Red by Jessica Howard (size 24) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your 1st month free & help me earn GB credit)

Teggings: Re/Dress

Sandals: Clarks

Earring: Ebay

Photography: Super Boo & Me (Canon Rebel & iPhone)

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I wore this outfit to work & to see a concert by myself. The texture & feel of this fabric reminded me of the 60s triple polyester dresses I used to buy at St. Vinnie's when I was in high school. That is not a bad thing. However, it does mean this thick fabric is not a summer dress. I loved the cheerleader silhouette of this fit & flare, but disliked how the material puckered in places...especially between the boobs where the chest lining was sewn down. Gorgeous color!

While Super Boo was taking these photos, a guy riding his bike down the street stopped to watch & then asked if SB would take photos of us together while he vouged behind me. He said his friends have a voguing group in NYC & asked if he could post my picture online. He told me he'd look me up on Facebook & send it to me, but he never did. He was fun. 

No one wanted to see Pieta Brown except for me, so I went to The Shitty Barn alone. I thought I could pleasantly people watch...but when you're alone...more people talk to you. 

My make-up that day included...Aubergine eyeshadow from Anastasia's Artist Palette & a few shadows from Naked 2, UD Voodoo eyeliner, & Head in the Cloud lipstick from MAC.

Blue Python at The Gardens

 Dress: Cold Shoulder Dress in Python Blue by Mynt 1792 (size 4x) via  Gwynnie Bee Try Then Buy (use my link to get your 1st month free & help me earn GB credit)

Teggings: Re/Dress

Sandals: Born

Necklace & Bracelet: Vintage

Earring: Babil & Bijou

Photography: Super Boo & Me (Canon Rebel & iPhone)

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I wore this outfit to work one day & on another to spend time with my parents. I was the first person to get this swing dress & I couldn't bring myself to part with it...so I bought it. It's just so different than anything in my closet..also, longer & in better shape than the same style Mynt dress I had from GB in red or black. I am in love with the cold shoulder style...I always feel extraordinarily sexy & feminine when wearing it. I should strive to only own things that make me feel this good...& so should you. 

My parents usually come to visit on a weekend so we can go to our big Saturday farmers' market, but this was the first time we went to the smaller Wednesday market. Right as we got there a woman asked me if I was the muffin queen & then told me I was even more fabulous in person. Thank you Madison follower...you made my day! And confused my mom. Lunch at Alchemy...veggie stuffed grilled cheese & sweet potato fries. 

After lunch my mom & I walked around Olbrich Gardens while my dad & their dogs napped in the car. It was a gorgeous day! Notice how drawn I am to water...I passed by all the flower pictures I took & went straight to these. I could live in water. 

My make-up with this dress included...Blue Velvet eyeshadow from the Anastasia Artist palette, eyeshadows from Urban Decay's Naked 3 palette, NYX eyeliner in deep blue, & my favorite MAC lipstick, Korean Candy. 

Samba with My Parents

 Dress: Kenley Dress in Taupe Aqua Print by Lucie Lu (size 5x) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit)

Teggings: Re/Dress

Sandals: Earth, thrifted

Necklace & Bracelet: Vintage

Earring: etXarte

Photography: Super Boo & Me (Canon Rebel & iPhone)

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I wore this faux wrap dress to work & out to dinner with my parents. As always, I needed to size up to a 5x in Lucie Lu. The color combination in this dress is unusual & stunning, the fit was great, & the ruched empire waist was flattering. The only negative is I'd like a few extra inches of length. 

My parents came to visit for a few days. They brought me this lamp my uncle made out of an antique sewing machine. It just so happens that I have an antique Singer sewing cabinet (with the machine still inside) that I dug out of my porch to display the lamp on. The cabinet was a present from my ex, Chad, on our first Christmas together. I was 18. Chad is the reason I live in Madison, as he transferred to UW shortly after we started dating. 

My parents, Super Boo, & I went out to dinner at Samba. They usually think the restaurants I like have weird food, but I thought they'd enjoy this. I started out the evening with this delightful cocktail made with Cachaça, then on to the salad bar, then meat (I nabbed those 2 photos off the web). The salad bar at Samba is amazing...my favorite things being the huge bowl of roasted garlic, the caramelized whole baby cipollini onions, & the many beautiful roasted & pickled vegetables. The waiters come to your table with a variety of grilled meats on a skewer & they randomly keep coming by & slicing off bits for you until you beg them to stop. 

Super Boo took our picture after dinner.

My make-up that day included...eyeshadows from Urban Decay's Naked 2 palette & a mixture of 2 MAC lipsticks, Bronze Shimmer & Fetish.

Dress As A Top

 Dress: Urban Safari Dress by Nic + Zoe (size 3x) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit)

Skirt: Enwrapture Vintage Silk Sari

Sandals: Born, gift from Super Boo

Necklace: Age Before Beauty
Earring: etXarte

Bracelet: Romancing the Bling

Photography: Super Boo & Me (Canon Rebel & iPhone)

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I wore this outfit to garage sales, run errands with Super Boo, & farmers' marketing. This Nic + Zoe dress was incredibly soft & comfortable...so despite it not being dress length on me...I had to find a way to wear it. The colors in this were gorgeous & it was a lovely summer weight fabric with a thin white net lining. My favorite touch was the button at the v-neck to keep everything in place. I have ~60 of these sari skirts, but unfortunately, back when I was collecting them...I disliked cool colors...so this brown skirt with smatterings of blue flowers is the best I could do.

My garage sale finds on this day included lots of things that make pretty sounds & 4 salt cellars for a quarter a piece...

Men on penny farthings at farmers' market...

Breakfast! Asparagus & strawberries from market. Omelet drenched in hollandaise. 

My make-up that day included...Freeze & Last Sin eyeshadows from the Urban Decay Vice 3 palette with MAC Rubenesque Paint Pot underneath, NYX Tropical Green eyeliner, MAC Korean Candy lipstick with some Rubenesque patted on top. 

Estrellón Preview

 Dress: Scuba Dress in Black Floral by Gabby Skye (size 24) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit)

Teggings: Re/Dress

Sandals: Born

Earring & Bracelet: Wendy Baker

Photography: Super Boo & Me (Canon Rebel & iPhone)

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I wore this stunningly gorgeous fit & flare to work one day & on another day to farmers' market, garage sales, & to a restaurant sneak preview. The colors in this dress *swoon*...if it weren't for the cut-outs on top, I would have had to own this dress. Not only are laser cutouts not my thing, but they were frayed around the edges & I was the first person to get this dress. I loved wearing this dress because: the colors were marvelous, the length was just right, fit & flares were made for me, the fabric felt lovely, & the armholes were PERFECT. I'm not sure why so many plus size designers get this wrong...I don't want to be able to fit both arms in one hole, nor do I want the entire side of my bra to show. A perfectly exquisite summer frock!

Garage sale finds...the 3 metal things came from a Victorian house I've been admiring for decades that I used to live just up the block from. The Willy Street neighborhood was having their garage sale weekend & as I was walking back from one on my list...I noticed this guy was having a tiny yard sale. I spied that round decorative metal piece & had to have it, then I noticed the leaf...as I was paying him he asked me if I liked metal stuff...yes!! So he told me he had a lot more he hadn't gotten around to bringing out & he wanted to show me one he was certain he was getting rid of. As he walked into his marvelous home he turned around & told me to come in!! Oh, I wish I could have taken pictures...it was far more amazing than I ever dreamed inside. He is a collector of spectacular antiques & unique things. Covering the walls in his tiny bathroom off the kitchen were bits & bobs of decorative metal...his prize possession being an ornate letter T for his last name. I bought this bit of fence from him & he told me he would be selling more, but first, "I need to fall out of love with them." I was so enthusiastic about his many beautiful things, that he showed me around & told me stories about some of his special items. It was fantastic & magical. 
Super Boo, Angie, & I attended the sneak peek of Tory Miller's soon to open restaurant, Estrellon. How could we pass up all the food & drinks you could consume by a James Beard award winning chef for only $20?! The food was delicious, but I can't remember what my favorite bite was...something with seafood. The only review I could find of the evening leaves out several things that were served. The sangria was the best I've ever had other than my own (I make phenomenal sangria). 

These croquettes filled with manchego were delightful, but the surprise of the evening for me was how much I liked the morcilla (blood sausage). Blood sausage is a popular Polish food that my dad has always loved, but that I could never bring myself to fully swallow. 

Porróns! How adorable are those wine vessels?! Kate needs one. 

The rhubarb cocktail with star fruit was pretty, but not nearly as tasty as the sangria they ran out of. It was a fun preview & I look forward to dining at Estrellón without all the chaos of a preview night. 

My make-up with this outfit included...eyeshadows from Urban Decay & Sugarpill, as well as my favorite summer orange lipstick, Korean Candy by MAC.