Workin' & Thriftin'

Dress: Flutter Sleeve Floral Fit & Flare Dress by Taylor Dresses (size 8) via Gwynnie Bee

Sandals: Born via Poshmark

Earring & Necklace: Wendy Baker

Bracelets: Vintage

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-42

Colors completely out of my color palette...& a fabulously unusual combination with the dark olive green thrown in with the turquoise, lilac, & white. Great length, adored the 2 layered flutter sleeves & high side slit. Lined in lilac. Pretty summer dress, my only complaint is...again...the smocked waist starts too far up...am I just getting the wrong size? This seems to be happening a lot this summer. 

The slit looks innocent enough above...but I wore this on 2 windy days & it was quite revealing. 

I find these floral wedges with flowers printed on the cork appealing...the cork doesn't hold up as well as I'd like...but I'm still considering picking these up in coral. 

This *might* be my first time wearing both the earring & necklace from Ms. Wendy...or second...either way, they are too cute to just sit at home, but they don't often match what I'm wearing. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Abyss & Deep End, Twilight & Amethyst eyeshadow by Huda Beauty, UD eyeshadow in Mildew, Flashback lipstick from UD, & OPI nail polish in Next Stop...The Bikini Zone & Purple with a Purpose. 

Dogs playing in the backyard on the morning Brian left to drive back to the UP...we were sipping coffee...then headed over to the local Sunday market. Where there was music & food...& I wore my pajamas & not this dress. 

I got some rather tasty tamales from El Sabor de Puebla, one chicken, one pork...I'd definitely get the pork ones again...& 2 for $5...ridiculous deal. Brian got a grilled lamb skewer with a side of bean fritters at Les Delices De Awa...which I think both of us found not nearly as flavorful as they smelled. And I brought myself home some sunflowers. 

After Brian left, David & I decided to tackle the rearranging of our spices. It was slightly overwhelming...but look at the organization...

All of this represents 7 hours of work by both me & David. We had SO many spices that were all over the place. We used our new kitchen island to store chili & spicy blends, curries, blends with no salt, blends with salt, baking blends, & other cooking stuff. Our original pull out spice drawers house single origin spices from A-Z. And our cabinet left of the stove holds all our oils, vinegars, & a few salt & peppers. It is so easy to find things now! Organization...who knew?! We took a break in the middle of all this to eat the rainbow trout I bought at market, with some roasted veggies & berries. 

I wore this dress to work twice the following week...also, to get a lymphatic massage from Courtney & thrift. 

I came home to these Chie Mihara olive & mustard oxfords that I found on eBay for $30...this continues to blow my mind...I wish second hand Fluevogs came this cheap. The Goodwill in Middleton had loads of LuLaRoe leggings...it was difficult to narrow it down..but these were the color & pattern combinations that most called to me...I am especially enamored with those veggies. 

 

Thrifting

Dress: Slice Geo Border Banded Perfect Wrap Dress by Leota (size M) via Gwynnie Bee 

Teggings: formerly Re/Dress

Sandals: Born, thrifted

All Jewelry: Vintage

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-42

These perfect wrap dresses are the perfect work dresses. Great fit & length & this was a fun deco pattern with an unusual color combination...black, white, olive, & pink/coral. 

I wore this dress to work a few days & there was never a good time to take photos when there was decent light...so this is all we could manage. 

I love this antique custom designed necklace from the UK that we found at Elkhorn. I went all nude make-up for this look...which I don't do often despite liking it. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Mildew, Burnout & Factory eyeshadow by UD, Dirty Little Secret lipliner in Pale Pink, Nectar lipliner from NYX, Bite Beauty lipstick in Glacé, & OPI nail polish in DS Classic. 

I wore this outfit thrifting in Sun Prairie at Vinny's after work...

I look at these photos & wonder...did I get that?! I hope I got it.

Lots of separates...

East side farmers' market on a rainy day.

Oh, right! I blew my tire on the curb when I was parking for The Legendary Shack Shakers...so I had to go back the next day & wait for my insurance company to send a tow truck. After 2 hours of waiting...they told me they couldn't find anyone, but were still trying. I told them I was going to call someone & they were there in less than 30 minutes. They couldn't find anyone because they were only offering to pay $100. I'm trying to get rid of shoes I never wear...so I posted these Fluevogs on the Facebook group...& they all convinced me I should keep them...but should I?

David sent me these adorable Violet pictures...even though I was sitting on a chair next to them...I could not see this angle. There was a garage sale in the neighborhood that I wanted to go to (the only one all year)...so David & I popped by to check it out...we got a game, a pretty pot for outside, & a vintage mushroom canister. Pilates & lifting weights at the gym. 

A trip to the Middleton Goodwill...I was sad those orange shoes were too big on me. 

I found a couple of vintage 90s dresses. And the yellow tag items were 50% off...so I got that red skirt for $3!

A Northside Goodwill trip...

Skirts, workout wear, & stuff to wear to bed. A much sunnier market.

I am planning on quitting GB. I thought I never would because I'm grandfathered in at $35 a month, but other than Leota & Effie's Heart...I'm not excited about most of the dresses I get from there. And I want to wear all my fabulous finds from thrifting. 

 

The Lowest Pair // Lucille with Brian // Tattoo

Dress: Lysette Maxi Dress by Free People (size M) via Nuuly

Sandals: Born

Earring: etXarte

Necklace: former Etsy shop

Bracelet: Vintage

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-42

Sexy Boho maxi in warm brown...couldn't be more me. I could live in this all summer long. The neckline was plunging, but I could still wear a bra without it showing. There were ties at both the top & bottom of the waist that could be tightened, with bells at the ends...I enjoy making noise, so I liked that. There was a short lining on this cotton/rayon dress, pockets, & a side slit that showed a bit of leg when the wind blew. Lightweight & flowy...the ideal hot weather dress, although it did wrinkle easily. A good maxi length for me as I could wear heels or flats. I wore this so much I contemplated keeping it. 

I paired this with brown heels once, but all the other times I wore the sandals pictured for a casual look. 

My circle crossbody bag in sunflower that was gifted to me by Portland Leather was a great match in both color & style.

I never took photos of the make-up I wore with this outfit, but I used the Huda Beauty eyeshadow palette I wear a lot & I tried a color I hadn't used before, Saffron...it's a flattering warm reddish shade. Note to self: use it more often. 

I wore this dress on the last day Brian was in Madison visiting. We relaxed on the front porch...drinking coffee & chatting...before heading over to the Sunday north side farmers' market. I bought flowers & rye bread for breakfast. 

Brunch outside at our newly painted table. I made us smoked salmon cream cheese omelets with roasted veggies (asparagus, scapes, & spring onions), rye toast with blueberry jam my mom made, & market strawberries. YUM. I love breakfast, but I don't eat it often. After dining...Brian & I went back to Sessions//Pursuit of Happiness music fest. We got excellent parking & witnessed the painting of a new mural on the side of Mother Fools. 

An advantage of arriving early...you get a bonus show while the band does their sound check. Kate & Jason. Jason likes to take photos of us getting ready to have our picture taken...I'm not sure why...outtakes? Candids? Me & Kate. 

Standing up front for The Lowest Pair. We've seen them a bunch of times & they're always fantastic. Afterwards, I bought a t-shirt...did I also get their newest vinyl? I can't recall...I wasn't sure if I had it or not...I wonder what I decided? This is what happens when you get old. 

They made quite a bit of progress on the mural. Brian & I decided to have dinner at Lucille al fresco. The cocktails were fabulous, as always...

This was Brian's first time eating there (we'd gotten drinks the last time he was in town, but they were always too busy for us to get a meal). We ordered our usual, with a bonus guac & chips (it was too much food), steel pan pork shoulder nachos & Al Pastor steel pan pizza. It was all yummy.

We brought some pizza home for David. The 3 of us hanging out in the backyard with dogs again...& wine. 

The next time I wore this dress was to try clothes on at Goodwill after a lymphatic massage from Courtney. Apparently, my future self is really into separates. 

I wore this dress another time to get a new tattoo from Bear. As usual, they took my idea & made it better than I imagined...seahorse woman...merhorse? Not sure what to call her. It's the last big area on my lower legs...any other tattoos there will just be small fillers. 

This one is pretty, while the mermaid is more sinister...I wanted her to be someone you wouldn't mess with...not sexually available...there are already enough attractive mermaids. After the appointment...I walked down to Vinny's...where I did not find much. I got the sleep shorts covered in oranges. 

Checking out the Rooted farmers' market at Troy Farm in our neighborhood...& coming home to make dinner. We had a Napa cabbage from our CSA, so I made miso roasted riced cauliflower & salmon & served it on top of that for crunch & freshness. The final time I wore this dress was for my first appointment with Karen Hanson. I think I may have had my last period in January or February, which makes me oddly sad. Karen is an NP that specializes in women's hormones, so I wanted her to run tests on me to see where I was at to figure out what the next step should be.

And of course...since her office is near Vinny's on the west side...

I got everything I tried on except for the black lace dress, which I LOVED, but didn't fit. Back at home...I made us a tasty salad & roasted zucchini. I got a few packages...from eBay, these gorgeous shimmery gold & black Chie Mihara heels...& a Traffic People gold glittery dress from Poshmark that will be lovely in autumn. 

 

Brian Visits: Mint Mark & Aaron Lee Tasjan

Dress: Helena Square-Neck Babydoll Dress by Anthropologie (size S) via Nuuly

Sandals: Born, thrifted

Earrings & Necklace: Green Goddess Vintage

Bracelets: Vintage

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-42

This dress was incredibly voluminous with an empire waistline which I did not find flattering...but fuck flattering, right? I adored the prodigious polka dots atop the gorgeous reddish brown background & the substantial straps (which fell down occasionally). This dress is lined & has deep pockets...the elastic back helps it fit well, but I'm not sure my boobs would have been comfortable had they been any larger. Typically, I find cotton dresses favorable for hot weather, but I think all this fabric would be a bit much for temps above 80°. I sized down one to a small per the reviews & it was the right call.

This dress was a twirler for sure...& I had fun with that.

This color was difficult to pair with shoes...so, even though this isn't the right shade of brown, these shoes were also warm & worked for me. 

Adding a touch of leopard print with my glasses...which I don't typically wear in outfit shots so my make-up is more visible. 

I'm thrilled I found this brown polka dot bracelet years ago at a garage sale...I haven't seen another ever (& then I went down a rabbit hole on Etsy looking at dotty bracelets). I thought I might need a cardigan, but it didn't turn out to be necessary. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Bourbon; Dirty Talk, Honey, & Ounce eyeshadow from UD; MAC lipliner in Chicory, Gothica lipstick by KVD; & OPI nail polish in Brisbane Bronze. 

I wore this dress on the first day Brian visited us in Madison...I told him we'd take him out to Mint Mark if he could get into town by 4 so we could secure a table outside...& he made it! David began with his favorite drink from last time, their Sangrita (Espero Blanco tequila, ginger, lime, orange, chili, mango) on draft that the waitress said they just updated...however, it turned out to be the same as he had the week previously...which he loved. I believe Brian had a Blinker (Limousin rye single barrel, raspberry shrub, grapefruit, Bittercube Jamaican #2). David with a sample of the other sangrita that they still had some of so he could taste the difference. 

I started with their rotating draft cocktail, which was a Cherry Spritz & I don't recall what was in it, but it was a sweet summer sipper. And like the week before...we had arrived early, so the kitchen wasn't open yet...so round 2 of cocktails before food. David ordered a Mint Mark Raspberry Martinez (Death's Door gin, Elena vermouth di Torino, raspberry infused dry vermouth, benedictine, citrus cordial, cardamom rose bitters) & I chose Somewhere That's Green (El Tesoro Blanco tequila, heirloom creme de flora, grapefruit cordial, basil syrup, pink peppercorn tincture, lemon). And then there was food! First up, Brian picked Cauliflower (Bangna Cauda, golden raisins, crispy cheese, herbs)...which David has not been a fan of in the past, but this time he enjoyed it...yay!

Brian savoring an X Marks the Spot (Hamilton white stache rum, Tattersall coconut aquavit, black sesame coconut syrup, pineapple, lime, pebble ice). We had a different server than last time & our food came so quickly, 2 at a time & then more before we finished that...I asked her to slow down, but she said that's how the kitchen works...which really spiked my anxiety, but it was still an amazing meal. Cheeseburger, Wisconsin Fish Fry, & the Tajarin we liked so much on our last visit (Steve's golden oyster mushrooms & pecorino served atop homemade pasta...tajarin is the Piedmont regions name for tagliolini & is made with egg). 

We also got a Terrine, but food was arriving so swiftly that there were a few things I didn't photograph. Cucumbers (Ajo Blanco, almond fermented honey, pickled ramps) & Anolini (sprouting broccoli, ricotta, rhubarb dashi, pecorino). The surprise palette cleanser was not a surprise this time, but still welcome...orange sherbet with sparkling rosé. 

Espresso martinis for everyone!

One more bite before dessert...totally new to us...Biscuit $5...can you see why we had never considered it? Oh! My! These were heavenly...transcendent...sublime. What made these so delicious...lots of butter, for sure...& they fried them in more butter, then they dolloped cultured butter on top...crispy, tender...it blew all the other food away...served with garlic honey...I could be happy just eating these for the rest of my life. Brian said they were better than sex...so I dubbed them, Sex Biscuits! I think they'd sell more with that eye-catching name & accurate description. Brian ordered another round for dessert...& we also shared a Skillet Cookie (rye chocolate chip, brown sugar bourbon ice cream, butterscotch). 

After a delightfully delicious dinner...we went home to sit & visit in our backyard to further enjoy the glorious weather & each other's company...frolicking dogs...a tiny apple on one of our trees...we planted them 4-5 years ago & this is the first year they are giving us fruit...so exciting! Awwwwww, hugs...

Aaron Lee Tasjan was playing at Sessions/Pursuit of Happiness music festival...a free event that books great bands. I told Brian it was up to him if he wanted to leave the house again...& I'm glad we went. I'd seen Aaron at The Shitty Barn several years back & liked him. And...fun fact...Jessica Lee Wilkes is his bass player...she used to be married to J.D. Wilkes from The Shack Shakers. A perfect evening.