New Year's Eve 2013/2014

 Dress: Love Your Peaches (they are having a sale right now)

Boots: Doc Marten

Necklace: Wendy Baker

Earring: etXarte

Glasses: Lafont, gift from SB

Nail Polish: Argo from China Glaze

As I've mentioned previously, Super Boo got me a fabulous new camera for Christmas, but we don't completely know how to use it yet. I say we, but he is the one who has been playing around with it & learning. I am intimidated. I tried watching a video, but there were too many words in it I didn't understand. Kate told me I should take a class. I told her classes are for rrreeeaaallly old people...and stupid people (I don't really believe that second part). Then she hit me because her sister took a class on how to use her camera. The point of this is, I only took a dozen or so photos on NYE with my iPhone. The pictures taken on our Canon Rebel were all too dark to use. So I had to recreate my NYE look to get photos to post here. 

Kate took these photos of herself on NYE day wearing this cold shoulder animal print dress from Vicky Tiel via Gwynnie Bee. That night, she blinged out her bra straps & it looked super cute & festive. Angie wore a dress from Igigi via GB, but I have no good pictures to share...so you will have to trust me when I say she looked great in it. 

Super Boo & I hosted a NYE fondue party at our house. We only just got home from the airport at 1am that same day, so we didn't have a lot of time to get everything together. I'm such a procrastinator though, that I would have done everything just as last minute even if I'd been home that whole week. I did have recipes chosen already & grocery lists made & the amazing S. Boo. 

We had 4 pots going for our main meal: classic cheese fondue (Gruyere & Emmentaler), Cheddar, peanut oil, & homemade chicken stock from Angie. For dipping, I made chimichurri, garlic aioli, & horseradish mustard. There was tempura beer batter to dip things in before plunging in oil. We had many things to cook/dip: shrimp, chicken, bread, potatoes, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, & mushrooms. I'm really listing it all here so that the next time we want to do fondue & I've forgotten it all...here it will be! 

For dessert there was caramel & chocolate fondue in which we dipped many yummy things, including pound cake that Angie made, brownies made by Daniel, strawberries, candied ginger, homemade caramel, oranges, apples, bananas, & a variety of flavors of gourmet marshmallows. 

And of course there were many bottles of champagne & other sparkling wines. Because, Kate. And NYE. And I like sparkling things! Above is Kate trying to saber a bottle of bubbly...I think she broke a bit of glass off the rim. 

Angie & Olive with her party hat on. 

Above is NYE 2011/2012 (I'm sorry, I can't just use one year, I get confused), the last time I wore this dress. Kate & I were at L'Etoile for dinner. My hair was longer. 

Super Boo got me these fabulous leopard Lafont frames a decade ago. I don't wear them nearly as often as I should. This lovely Wendy Baker grape goddess necklace comes out to play even less frequently. I love them both!

We couldn't quite seem to capture the shiny-ness nor the eggplanty-ness of these boots.

At some point over the years, Kate & I stopped exchanging Christmas presents & chose to unwrap our gifts to each other on NYE instead. This year she got me a gigantic new make-up case, a Kiyonna dress that you will see here at a later date, & a cast-iron pig friend! One of my goals this year is to become friends with a pig because they are cute, & intelligent, & I would like to get to know one better. 

I was told years ago that in order for something to be a collection, there needed to be 3 of them. So I got Kate a collection of vintage sweater-clips because necklaces often hurt her delicate girlie neck & she thought sweater-clips might be a good solution to add some decoration to an outfit without adding pain. 

Slaughterville Canyon

 Sweater: Lane Bryant

Skirt: Enwrapture Vintage Silk Sari

Shoes: Ariat

The weather was gorgeous when I was in California for Christmas. Sunny and 60s every day. What a nice break it was from the below 0 temperatures of Wisconsin in winter. I took advantage of it & tried to soak in as much sun as possible. I sat outside in Super Boo's parent's lovely backyard to put on my make-up & enjoy the smoky smell in the air that reminded me of campfires. 

The day after Christmas, S. Boo & I took a drive down an unpaved backroad...descending down the face of a butte going into a canyon...Slaughterville Canyon. What a great name! We pulled over when we saw that gorgeous tree in the second shot & also discovered a waterfall. 

Super Boo is a great driver, so I know that even when he takes risks, I am safe. I screamed joyously as we careened down the unpaved road. It was beautiful & fun. As we traveled back up to his parent's house, the road became paved & I thought the fun part was over. But the twisty turn-y paved road was intended for 2-way traffic on a space only as wide as a single vehicle. We could often not see very much ahead of us because the road was mostly curves. I wanted to take video of how fun/scary it was, but I was too busy being terrified. And having fun. 

Christmas in Northern California

While this post is full of pictures, it isn't about the clothes. It's about spending Christmas with the person you love. Super Boo & I are often separated during the holidays because his family lives in Northern California. We have been together 11 years, and this is the 4th Christmas we've spent together, 3 in California & 1 in Wisconsin. I felt very lucky to be able to spend a week with him in California this Christmas & we even got to fly home together. 

These first photos were taken on Christmas Eve on the way to & at Super Boo's 92 year old grandma's house. I still remember the first Christmas I spent here & the joy of experiencing citrus season. Being from Michigan, I had never picked an orange right off a tree before. I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't even know December *was* citrus season. S. Boo's grandma has several orange trees, mandarin trees, & a Meyer lemon tree that were all bearing fruit. The mandarin's are my favorite, but these navel oranges are a bit more photogenic. 

They have the most marvelous scent! I love to smell the peel of the mandarins, they smell like orange & pine & Christmas. And Meyer lemons...they are unlike anything else...a mixture of orange & lemon perfection. Super Boo eats them like you'd eat an apple, peel & all.

I picked several naval oranges for the purpose of making jewelry. I'm going to slice & dry them, then seal them in resin to make a necklace & earrings. It's something I've wanted to do since the first Christmas I spent here. 

Growing up, we didn't have any Christmas traditions beyond getting together, opening presents, & having a big meal. This is entirely different than SB's family & I remember how magical it felt to experience Christmas this different way for the first time. Theirs is a large family & they get together on Christmas Eve at Grandma's house. There is a Christmas program they do each year, with everyone getting a homemade booklet with their name written on the front. One person is chosen to read the story, while many others act out the scene of Mary & Joseph in the manger, complete with a crib & costumes. Also, there is piano playing & singing. When the program is over, song requests are taken, the lyrics are printed in the booklet to make singing along easier. Super Boo & I got to sing I'll Be Home For Christmas while together this year. He is my home. 

On Christmas morning, I made Eggs Benedict at SB's parent's house. Yum. And then there were presents...lots & lots of presents. Super Boo got me a REAL camera, a Canon Rebel. As soon as I learn to use it, my photos here will be better, soooo much better! As special as that camera is, equally special was the box full of fuzzy bunny sockies he gave me that I wear to keep my feet warm at night. 

My most treasured part of the trip was being able to spend the day at S. Boo's grandma's house with him. She had picked bags & bags of walnuts out of her yard that were waiting to be cracked & shelled. SB cranked while I dropped walnuts in the bin of the nut cracker he'd gotten her years before.  

Then, while he took out his grandma's vegetable garden for the winter, I shelled a bag of these nuts to bring home with us, never realizing how much effort went into these walnuts we enjoy throughout the year. It was a gorgeous sunny day in the high 60s & I sat here for hours with the sun on my back enjoying the sounds of the house, the train in the distance...soaking up the feel of this place that was & is so special to my Super Boo. Happy to be able to do this. Happy to be able to spend Christmas with my love. 

Girlie Time

Dress: Jessica Howard via Gwynnie Bee (click link to get a free month & help me earn an extra garment for a month)

Boots: Gripfast in Antique Gold

Jewelry: Vintage

Kate's Dress: Lace Cocktail Dress in Green & Black from Kiyonna via GB

Angie's Dress: Scalloped Boudoir Lace Dress from Kiyonna via GB

Photography: Me, Kate, & Angie

Last Sunday Kate, Angie, & I got together at my house for some girlie time. We put on our make-up together and dressed up. I won this GIANT cupcake from Cupcakes A-Go-Go over 2 years! ago, but they very generously still honored my gift certificate when I called to finally get it made for Angie's birthday. Chocolate Sea-Salted Caramel...yummy, but a bit too rich to have more than a few bites. We got a little fashion show as Angie tried on the 3 dresses in her very first GB shipment for us!

Then we took pictures at the nearby Goodman Community Center...because the lighting is better there than anywhere else we were going to be. 

Notice we all have boots on since it had just snowed a foot. Madison sexy. 

After snapping photos, we went on to Heritage Tavern for cocktails & nibbles. Here is Kate's gorgeous beet salad, adorable octopus necklace, & lovely cleavage. 

I SO enjoyed the risotto we had the previous week, that I just had to have it again. Carnival Squash & Pear Couscous Risotto with saffron cream, pearl couscous, & toasted pumpkin seeds. I know it probably doesn't sound that exciting...it was the thing I was least looking forward the first time we ordered it. It is heavenly...rich & creamy...the perfect blend of savory with a touch of sweetness. 

¨

When we were finished, our waiter came over with Dan Fox (the chef & owner) & a shot for each of us...their signature house shot, Malört, & we all did a shot together. Except I sip my shots...I like to savor the taste. Malört (the Swedish word for wormwood) tastes very herbal & reminded me of a tincture I used to get at Community Pharmacy to boost my immunity...but good. So, Dan Fox came over and MENTIONED THIS BLOG by name! I think perhaps it was because I Instagramed a photo last time we were here. In any case, it was lovely & I felt like a celebrity!
2 sexy girlies. 

After Heritage I took a bunch of fun photos of Kate outside The Bartell Theatre. Look how cute she is!!

Snowy Monday at Work

 Dress: Tiffany Dress from Igigi via Gwynnie Bee

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Quick post with this dress I wore to work last Monday. I didn't love it. It was incredibly heavy & felt like 1/2 a dozen swimsuits stitched together. 

After work we took a few photos of Kate in the cute outfit she wore to work that day. 

Friday the 13th

 Sweater: Lane Bryant

Skirt: Belmont Skirt in Cabernet from Igigi via Gwynnie Bee

Shoes: Ariat

Necklace & Bracelet: Vintage

Earring: etXarte

Photography: Me & Kate

The girlie evening started out at Square Wine for wine tasting. Doesn't Kate look like an adorable Dalek? She eventually bought this dress from GB in a size smaller. I really liked this Igigi skirt. It was tighter than the skirts I normally wear, but I was ok with that. I felt very sexy secretary. I was in LOVE with the color and wallpaper-like pattern. I nearly wore this with a black turtleneck, but then I found this fun cut-out sweater I forgot I had. I like it. My closet could be better organized. I have too much stuff & I don't know how to purge. 

After wine tasting, we decided to take our chances & pop into Heritage Tavern. Ha! On a Friday night without reservations. We had a backup plan. Somehow, as busy as it was, they fit us in. We started off with these 2 incredible herby drinks. On the left is Fox Trot (Art In The Age Sage, Reyka, Pimm's, Lavender, Ginger, Lemon) & on the right, Rosemary's Baby(Luxardo Bitter, St. Germain, Rosemary, Tullamore Dew, Prosecco Lemon). We shared them & could not pick a favorite. 

We ordered a dozen deviled eggs, duck confit, and squash & pear risotto. Every single thing we put in our mouth was heaven. Really. It was perfect. I have not had a favorite restaurant since Magnus closed, but a few more flawless meals here & Heritage Tavern will have that title. Just look at that plate of deviled eggs!
To end the evening, we went to Tempest. After all the delightfully delicious food at Heritage, we dared to order a dozen oysters and sparkling wine. And Key Lime Pie. 

Our reason for the entire evening was to come to Tempest to see The Sills play. We had heard them at the farmer's market the week before and thought they were great. They sound to me like a mix of 16 Horsepower & X. It made my night when they were setting up & the guy sitting down on the right said something like, there are those ladies from the farmer's market, they liked us right away. It's true. We did. 

What a delightfully decadent night this turned out to be. Thank you, girlie. 

Snow White & Rose Red

 Dress: Minerva Dress from Igigi via Gwynnie Bee (click link to get a free month & help me earn a free month)

Cardigan: Avenue

Shoes: Ariat

Necklace: Age Before Beauty

Earring: Babil & Bijou

Photography: Super Boo

This was another one of those dresses I didn't think I was going to like...too much white & that pattern hurts my eyes. But. It was a fun outfit in the snow. I wore this to work last Thursday. It was a really great weight of fabric and was fully lined...so cozy for a winter's day.