Gleam // Fall Colors in the U.P.

Dress: Variegated Zoe Stripe Dress by Leota (size 1x) via Gwynnie Bee

Tights: We Love Colors

Shoes: Express 

Earring: former Etsy seller

Necklace & Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo, Brian, & Me

Stats: 5'7" 45-42-59

I fell in love with this multiple shades of red stripey Leota dress. The cut & fit were ideal. Typically I think of this brand as great work dresses, but this pattern was exciting enough to wear out. 

It was fun picking out red accessories to go with this outfit...there were so many I could have gone with. I'm especially fond of the shoes. 

Both my necklace & earring have cherubs on them. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Alkaline, Huda Beauty Ruby Obsessions eyeshadow palette, Burgundy lipliner by MAC, Dubonnet Amplified lipstick from MAC, & OPI nail polish in Red Heads Ahead. 

This is what the back of my head looks like after they shaved & plucked out hair for my eyebrows. Sorry to put it right next to food. Over a month later & it still hurts. I first wore this dress on the second full day of my mom's visit. We had gone to Stoughton earlier in the day, but at night...I changed clothes. We sat outside & ate dinner at Sal's. Can't get enough of these chicken wings...my mom didn't think Alabama white BBQ sauce sounded good...so she got her 1/2 with Korean BBQ. And of course I began with a Divide & Concord cocktail. 

I had really wanted these scallops the last time David & I dined here, but it was Sunday & they were sold out. Seared scallops, orange buerre blanc, shiitake mushrooms, bacon, chili marinated bok choi, soy caramel. They were amazing. And a glass of cava after dinner. After our meal was over, we headed over to Olbrich Gardens for their annual Gleam exhibit (artists' light installations). I walked 1.6 miles...which honestly, is probably more than I've been able to walk in an entire month before. Finally. Pretty lights in the garden at night.The Earth globe on the water was my favorite...what was displayed there kept changing...there were jellyfish, but I missed getting a photo of that. The second time I wore this dress was on my second full day up in the U.P. visiting my wonderful friend, Brian. Keira being a kitty on the back of the couch. She's such a good dog. Brian & I drove into Marquette & had lunch at a Cajun/Creole restaurant, Lagniappe. We ate all the food & carbs. We started out with fried green tomatoes with remoulade & fried garlic cheddar grit cakes covered in a Cajun Tasso cream sauce. Moving on to a 1/4 muffaletta & catfish ponchartrain- fried catfish smothered in crawfish étouffée. It was all delicious (but salty).Brian has much more of a sweet tooth than I do & ordered dessert, Mississippi mud pie...I had one bite & it was yummy...but I'm more of a salty kind of girl. After lunch, we drove to the 510 bridge in Negaunee. After ooooo-ing & aaahh-ing for years over gorgeous photos of this place in the fall, I finally got to see it in person. The colors were spectacular (just a few days past peak).We couldn't have asked for a more lovely autumn day.

These colorful oak leaves thrilled me because that's what I want tattooed on my foot & I thought they all just turned brown...but there are red & yellow in these as well. My dream for next fall is to kayak down the Dead River with Brian...sooo beautiful. 

A photo of the old bridge taken from the new bridge. After soaking in the beauty of nature...we let her give us one more show...we drove back to Marquette to Presque Isle's Sunset Point & joined the gathering of people there to watch the sun go down. We were intending to drive back to Munising, but then decided to sit outside at Zephyr Wine Bar instead...we didn't want the delightful day to end just yet. I had an Aviation cocktail. 

Although the thought of eating any more food did not appeal to me...Brian ordered a crostini trio & I tried one piece with all 3 spreads on it (goat cheese with balsamic fig-onion compote, pistachio & sun-dried tomato pesto, & roasted beet hummus). Followed by a glass of wine that our friendly waiter suggested...when I told him it wasn't my favorite, he tried again & got it right. It was a completely delightful day spent with my treasured friend whom I've missed very much.