Mint Mark // Asheville: Moog // Royal Peasantry // 12 Bones

Dress: Edge of Silence Floral Aurora Dress by Traffic People

Tights: Snag

Boots: Fluevog, Light: Canopus

Earring: Kerala Rose

Necklace & Bracelet: Vintage

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-42

David & I got this dress at Lela's in Milwaukee...I just thought it was the most gorgeous colors together & that pattern is fabulous...also, it looked good on me. Great fit with the elastic waist & I adore the pleated skirt...somehow pleats feel like a fall thing to me. 

I wish I would have picked a color out of the dress other than black for my tights.

I love these boots so much...

This was the ideal necklace with this dress...

My make-up with this outfit included...NYX eyeliner in Jet Black; Hold 'Em, Bud, Rustler, Ghost Town, & Tex eyeshadow by Urban Decay; NYX lipliner in Pumpkin; Hypnotic Rust lipstick from Make Up For Ever; & OPI nail polish in Deutsch You Want Me Baby?

I first wore this dress almost immediately after getting it, the first week in October. David took my picture & we posed for selfies.

Then we headed to Mint Mark...gotta begin with Sex Biscuits...with all that butter & honey garlic...I feel sorry for anyone who hasn't had this in their mouth. For drinks, David chose the rotating Sangrita on draft (Corralejo silver tequila, ginger, lime, orange, fennel, watermelon, Sriracha) & I got the rotating draft cocktail, which was a Lion's Den (Elijah Craig bourbon, molasses, lemon juice, coconut aquavit, orgeat). Then came BBQ Carrots (local carrot, fermented plum, barley, pepita). David's next cocktail was The G.O.A.T. (MMSB Limousin rye, Lazzaroni amaretto, charred lemon cordial, raspberry shrub, angostura bitters, lemon), while I sipped on a Landfall (Pyrat XO reserve rum, house-made peach liqueur, blackstrap molasses, honey, lime, house-made peach pit bitters). More delicious food...Fried Green Tomatoes (buttermilk, blue cheese, black garlic), Arancini (delicata squash, Austrian pumpkin spice, chèvre, sage pistachio pistu), Agnolotti (caramelized broccoli, ricotta, house made pancetta, balsamic, crispy shallot), & Sugo (butternut squash, ginger snap, feta, cinnamon). I can't recall what David ordered next, but I obviously had a Sky Rocket (Banhez mezcal, passion fruit, savory the herb, dijon, lime, lava salt). Our final savory dish was Croque Monsieur (Mint Mark ham, dijon, mornay, shoestring potatoes). For dessert we enjoyed a Pear (poached red Bartlett pear, house-made yogurt, oats, maple syrup) &...a Skillet Cookie (rye chocolate chip, brown sugar, bourbon ice cream, butterscotch)...why is this SO good?! We shared an Espresso Martini...before heading off to see The 39 Steps. We left at intermission. Even if the play had been good...the highlight of our evening was our spectacular meal at Mint Mark. The second time I wore this dress was while we were in Asheville. After coffee...we drove over to the Moog factory for a tour. We were told the company was bought out earlier in the year & they no longer offer factory tours, but instead, a tour of the equipment in the showroom (which sounded more fun to me anyway). While we waited for that to begin...we played around. This guy gave us an excellent demonstration & history lesson about Bob Moog & the company. Then we walked a few blocks to the Moog museum. We had been so lucky with the beautiful weather, but on our last full day here, it rained. The museum was fun, but not nearly as great as the factory.There was one last vintage clothing store on my list that I still wanted to go to, Posies for Lulu...it was a stunning store...so well curated, but priced accordingly...lots of dresses & coats in the $800-1200 range. It was still wonderful to be able to see these beauties in person...most of them were too tiny for me anyway.I tried on 4 more reasonably prices garments & decided on a purple striped 70s summer dress & David got some yellow shoes & a tie.More coffee on our way to Malaprop's Bookstore...which everyone seems to love. It was alright, but we weren't blown away. We didn't even know Molly Baz had a new cookbook out, but we snatched it up. Walking back to the truck, I had to dash into Anthropologie to check out their sales room...nothing...but I had to take a picture of this sequined top as I have a nearly identical one I picked up a while ago at Retique. I intended on wearing it around the house, but I haven't yet...perhaps I'll take inspiration from this & layer it over a button up shirt & add a skirt...or wear it over a dress. We passed by this store, Royal Peasantry, & the dresses in the window really caught my eye, but I was sick of shopping...luckily, something made me turn back. Oh! These layered asymmetrical faerie dresses that the owner & designer, Daniella, created took my breath away...I told her they were so beautiful they made me tear up. She's been making clothes since she was in high school (I'm guessing she's in her 40s)...for these, she takes lingerie & other second hand clothing & reimagines them, dyes them, & drapes layer upon layer in one of a kind creations. I tried on 5 dresses & couldn't decide on just one, so David told me to pick two. I chose the top right one below, my favorite...And this one, which was David's favorite...Daniella kept them to make a few changes...I am excited to wear these next summer & feel so fortunate that we happened upon this magical shop. And finally, dinner! This location of 12 Bones in the River Arts District closes at 4 (why?!) & we got there just in time (or we would have had to drive to their other location in the suburbs). This place came up in every best of restaurant AND BBQ list I found online, so we really wanted to try it. I have never heard of Cheerwine...it's a cherry flavored soda & a southern thing...I'm not sure why I didn't pour myself a sip...I guess I was too hungry to think of it. We each ordered a full rack of ribs with blueberry chipotle sauce & for my sides I chose corn pudding & Mac & cheese...oh, my goodness! We both agreed these were the best ribs we'd ever had. When can we come back?! We had a little time to kill before our movie, so we dipped into the chocolates & unpacked the clothing we'd bought the day before. Then we went to see Napoleon on opening night at Fine Arts Theatre & ate popcorn, even though they only had vegan butter. We enjoyed the movie & it's always a treat to see a movie in a theatre since we so seldom do it. Another amazing day in Asheville. We were sad to be leaving the next day. 

 

Banditos with Joseph Huber // Tattoo // Brian Visit // Barbie at the Drive-In

Dress: Medallion Tile Print Dress by Hutch (size M) via Nuuly

Sandals: Klub Nico for Anthropologie

Earring: etXarte

Necklaces & Bracelet: Vintage

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-42

I was smitten with this easy to throw on flowy feminine frock. The background was navy with a mustard, brown, & peach pattern, lined in navy. The fit was great, but I could have used a bit more fabric in the chest area as the smocked waist started a tad too soon. There was a tie at the neckline that I tucked in because I thought it looked better...why hide the cleavage? Wonderful summer dress that I wore quite a bit. 

Do you see how the waist starts just a touch too soon? I would have liked another inch of fabric. There were a lot of complaints about the sleeves falling down, but they worked great for me...although the times I wore a bra, it usually showed. 

I am so happy I got these sandals off Poshmark...I would not typically buy such neutral shoes, but I loved the heel & butterfly pattern...so I thought I could paint them...but they go with so much, I don't have to. 

When in doubt...wear 2 necklaces. This was my first wearing of the shorter necklace that we got at the last Midwest Vintage Flea. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Double Life, Nars Mediteranee eyeshadow palette, Monroe eyeshadow from Natasha Denona, Sugarpill lipstick in Clockwork & Nectar, Aly's Dream Polish in Sweet Orange, & OPI nail polish in Orange You Going To The Game?

I first donned this dress to go to The Shitty Barn with my girlie to see Banditos with Joseph Huber opening. This was the show Jason most wanted to see, but he was traveling for work...Kate questioned if we should still go since she mostly was going for him...but after I listened again...I said, YES! I was super busy with work & didn't have time to make anything...so Kate made this delicious meal...Taste The Rainbow Salad with Citrus Tahini Dressing...& I just brought lettuce, cucumber, & avocado. 

This salad was SO yummy! And we had equally tasty blueberries & cherries for dessert. I just love fresh local produce. Girlie with a heart shaped cherry, awwww. Despite Kate's cute rain gear, I don't think it actually ever rained on us. 

Joesph Huber & his band are from Milwaukee & had such great energy...& Banditos (from Nashville via Alabama) were spectacular as well...

We spent the night dancing in our chairs & came home with vinyl...a fantastic night at the barn. 

I wore this dress on another day to buy myself flowers from the market...& to my tattoo appointment with Bear...

Where they added some gorgeous warm shades to my merhorse...isn't she beautiful? 

I wore this dress a THIRD time on Brian's second day in Madison...we strolled around the square during market...& I'm not sure what made us buy some of these cookies...I've seen them around, but never even considered it...however, when Brian is around...cookies for breakfast, why not?! They were spectacular...chocolate chip cookie with a brownie swirl & sea salt on top...Wonder Cookie indeed. 

After market, we dashed home to fridge the produce...then decided to wander around Olbrich Gardens. There is always this eternal question, what are we doing next? It's a lot of pressure. I do loads of stuff, but am not so good at entertaining someone during the day. What does one do?! 

We did something completely new to both of us...we hopped on the tram that takes you on a tour around the gardens. It was fun & I learned something. There is a swirly path through part of Olbrich, that I've always liked, & it turns out it is supposed to represent a serpent...which ends just over the bridge to the Thai Pavilion. The serpent is significant in Thai culture, so it leads you there...& at the very end...there are eyes, nose, & mouth...I took a picture below, but I'm at the top of the head, looking down at the nose...I will have to take one where I'm staring at it...face to face. 

I love elephants.

This pavilion was a gift to UW Madison from the Thai government in 2001...it is only one of 4 Thai Salas that exist outside of Thailand. The gold leaf needs to be restored every couple of years, but otherwise, it has held up beautifully.

A tram like the one we were on passed us by as we were peering through the kaleidoscope.

The view from atop their newest building was our final stop at Olbrich before heading home...where Super Boo surprised us with little pumpkin terrines of breakfast. Then, we sampled the blueberries I had gotten from 3 different vendors...there was a rather significant difference & the clear winner were the tiny ones in the middle...they were perfectly sweet tart & had the strongest blueberry flavor. After this, an outfit change occurred...so the rest of Saturday will be on the next post...so exciting...it's a cliffhanger. 

The final time I wore this dress was on a different Saturday to market with the girlie...

When I got home...David & I inspected our apple trees & picked some to eat. There is something magical about picking fruit & immediately consuming it. I made us a dinner of pan fried salmon & heaps of roasted veggies to sustain us for a night at the...

Drive-in!!! I saw that Barbie was playing on its second weekend of being out. After hearing *everyone* talk about it, I was curious to see what the buzz was about...so I tentatively asked David & Kate if they were interested. 

We got there just before they opened the doors at 7...because like everywhere else...I need to be in the front row. It turns out...the first few rows weren't immediately popular. But! Getting there early allowed us to play on the playground & visit. 

Lots of climbing structures...but no swings. I want swings. David ordered us some scary drive-in food. 

This old projector was HUGE...over 6 feet long, at least. The pretty sun setting. Cutie pies. Chili cheese dog. 

Oh! Finally time to start the movie...we got The Star-Spangled Banner & a Bugs Bunny cartoon first. Then, onto Barbie. After that, Kate & Jason went home...but we stayed to watch Austin Powers while munching on popcorn & pizza. Fun!