Brian visits Madison // VO5 at The Terrace // Cocktails at Merchant & Lucille

Dress: Beaded Cutout Maxi Dress by Geisha Designs (size L) via Nuuly

Sandals: Born

Earring: Colleen Toland 

Necklace: Wendy Baker Design

Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo, Brian, & Me

Stats: 5'7" 39-37-48

I grew to be quite fond of this cotton muted maxi dress. I wasn't sure about it at first...it went to the U.P. with me, but never got worn. I liked the subtle beading on it, as well as the cutout in front...& the colors were pretty. The smocking meant a great fit & it was the ideal length on me for a maxi...& of course, pockets. 

Cotton dresses are such easy breezy summer wear...& I never did have to iron this one. 

I did not expect it would be difficult to choose jewelry for this dress as there were so many colors I like represented...& I never did quite get it right...perhaps the earring? But the necklace had too bold of colors in it even if it did match some of them. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Psychedelic Sister, UD eyeshadows, Sugarpill Cosmetics lipstick in Clockwork, & Aly's Dream Polish in Sweet Orange. 

The day David left for California...I went on a walk with Angie...where I did not wear this dress. She took me to a new-to-me place right in our neighborhood...Governor's Island. It was lovely...a short walk just over 1 mile. 

The capitol from the Lake Mendota side, mushrooms in the wild (they were really hard), & a party pontoon. 

Check out this fabulous staircase nearby...I'd love to do a photoshoot there, but not sure if it would actually be feasible. AND...a garage sale...not just any garage sale, but my favorite every year! I've only been to a handful of sales since the pandemic & my last time at this one was 2019. I only got one thing, but it was this marvelous antique victrola record cabinet. Not only is it gorgeous, but necessary as I have a LOT of victrola records with no home. $10! I didn't even bother bargaining...& one of the husbands carried it to my car & stuck it in the trunk. 

Flowers in front...AND...Brian & Kyra arrive in Madison! VO5 was playing at the UW Memorial Union Terrace & it was a lovely night.

I can't recall ever seeing this place so packed...there were no tables left, so we finally had to inquire about empty chairs at people's tables so we had a place to park our butts. These Terrace chairs always make me smile...don't they look happy?! Me & Brian in the setting sun.

We dragged our chairs over to a short wall so we could set up our picnic...cumin roasted salmon with cilantro pistachio sauce, served atop a salad. YUM. It was a wonderful evening to enjoy some live music...mostly covers from the 70s-80s. 

Everyone but us had a pitcher of beer...& they were grilling brats & hamburgers...all the Wisconsin basics...I have to say, they smelled *really* good. After we had our fill of disco...we wandered back to the car & headed downtown. Our first stop, Maduro, to check if our friend Gregory was working. Nope. We walked over to Merchant to sit outside...it was my first time there since they remodeled...it looks fabulous. 

I miss the wallpaper...but those olive green couches are pretty...the relocation of the bar was a good call, & I adore the open windows to the outside world. 

Brian got, In The Night Kitchen (Whistlepig Piggyback rye, Lazzaroni amaro, chai-almond orgeat, lemon, espresso tincture, orange bitters), while I had a Velveteen Rabbit (Bowling & Burch gin, cherry & mint shrub, lemon, cava). 

We meandered down the block to Merchant's sister restaurant, Lucille, where we also sat outside & had cocktails...we would have ordered something to nibble on, but their late night menu was all fried food & didn't sound good to either of us. Brian had a Le Freak (Severo tequila, pistachio orgeat, lychee, blueberry, lemon, rose water) & I chose a Love Train (Hayman's Old Tom gin, elderflower liqueur, pear, matcha, agave, mint). It was an enchanting evening. 

 

Davina & The Vagabonds

 Dress: Ditsy Floral Black Fit & Flare Dress by Eva Rose (size 4x) via Gwynnie Bee

Leggings: LuLaRoe (size TC2) via eBay

Sandals: Born

Earring & Necklace: Wendy Baker

Bracelets: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

These cotton dresses from Eva Rose are a summer dream...they have replaced Cherry Velvet, who no longer makes my size, in my closet. Everything about this dress was perfection...the only reason I didn't buy it is because I already own quite a few & this itty bitty print did not have enough presence for me. 

I'm smitten with these baking leggings. I know they don't really go...but why let that stop me now?! 

Freshly dyed hair...

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in LSD, Love + & Buttercupcake eyeshadow from Sugarpill Cosmetics, Too Faced eyeshadow in Marzipan & Crème Brûlée, MAC lipstick in Russian Red, & Aim to Misbehave nail polish by Essie. 

I first wore this dress to peruse some garage sales after market...this bowling ball house has long been a favorite of mine...but they weren't letting any of their good stuff go. Pictorial evidence of Zelda's wellbeing (I was feeding her while Kate & Jason were in St. Louis) & Indian buffet with David. 

The next night...Kate got back into town just in time to see Davina with me...we got a table right up front. She has an amazing voice & is just adorable...she noticed me from stage & waved *fan girl squee*. 

Things that came into my life while wearing this outfit...garage sale finds, LuLaRoe leggings from eBay, 2 new bags to help organize my purse from Etsy, & some sale items from Urban Decay.

Weird Wine // Jeremy Messersmith

 Dress: Large Polka Dot Fit & Flare Dress by Gilli (size 3x) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit)

Leggings: LuLaRoe (size TC2) via eBay 

Sandals: Nurture, thrifted

Earring: Age Before Beauty

Necklace & Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo, Kate, & Me

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

Give me all the dots! I was expecting this dress to be black...& I'm still not sure it wasn't...because the lining & the thread were both navy. Also, I was expecting these leggings to be black, but they were most definitely navy. Weird. I liked the cap sleeves on this dress & the length was good...the big polka dots were fun. It wasn't as flare-y as I would have liked, but that is most likely due to this being a 3x. Good dress, but nothing special. 

What made me love this outfit was the Nightmare Before Christmas leggings...so adorable. But why navy dots? I know LuLaRoe is evil, but now that they make leggings in my size...I can't resist. And I look for them for $15 & under on eBay. 

Orange & black (navy?)...not just for Halloween. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Matrix Midnight Blue eyeliner (I think I got this free with a Matrix purchase in the 90s...seriously, I never throw anything away); Jones, Goldmine, & Minx eyeshadow from Urban Decay; MAC lipstick in Dozen Carnations; & OPI nail polish in Orange You Going to the Game?

I wore this outfit several times...to the Wednesday farmers' market...where I buy myself weekly $5 bouquets of beautiful flowers. Look at those precious elephants...mailed from France. And a trip to Deconstruction Inc...where I remembered too late that they had posted something I wanted...& it was already gone...a medical table with a swing out shelf that would have been a good TV tray in the rec room. 

One fun garage sale...

Wine tasting group at Kate's place with the appropriate theme of weird. I made olive tapenade...I always forget how good it is. And a few days later I served the leftovers atop mahi mahi. 

Kate pulled out her concert programs...her dad went to the Prince concert, but she wasn't allowed to go (she was 8). My biggest regret in growing up in a small town in the middle of nowhere...soooo many great 80s concerts I missed out on.

And finally...I wore this outfit to The Shitty Barn with the girlie to see Jeremy Messersmith. I went picnic shopping hungry again, but managed to get slightly less food than the last time. 

 Surprised girlies...

Jeremy Messersmith & his band seemed like they were having a blast playing together...

They passed the record test...Kate bought his latest & I snapped up both vinyl he brought with him. And he played his ukulele inches from us in the front row...everybody gets a kitten.

Connie, one of Shitty Barn's photographers & mistress of the barn (I'm not sure what else she does there, but I think of her as one of the main faces of the place), took this lovely photo...

Shopping with Charlie Parr

Dress: Short Sleeve Pink Scatter Print Fit & Flare Dress by In Every Story (size 4x) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit)

Teggings: Re/Dress

Sandals: Alegria

Earring & Necklace: Wendy Baker

Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo, Kate, & Me

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

The cut of this dress was ideal for my body...with the banded waist just below the bust line with pleats & just right v-neck. This dress was perfection. The pattern was not exciting enough for me to buy it, but I hope this dress company makes more in this style. 

I don't love ties on dresses...I feel they are pointless, like zippers on stretchy dresses, & just add bulk.

No time for photos...step outside the office & snap between clients. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Alkaline eyeliner from Urban Decay; Cotton Candy, Totally Fetch, & Sprinkles eyeshadow by Too Faced; NYX Fuchsia lipliner; UD Big Bang lipstick; & You're the Shade That I Want nail polish from OPI. 

I wore this dress several times before sending it back to GB. First, on a Friday to garage sales & drive David to the airport. These Dumpster Diva ladies have the BEST garage sales...I haven't been going to many sales this year, so I was pleased I hadn't missed this one. Labor Day weekend. Must remember. In addition to what's pictured...I also picked up a few large ornate frames & an old metal ice cream parlor chair fitted with a basket for a plant. That mirror was SO very needed...since we stopped working on our house to fix up our old house to sell...we haven't put up a mirror in our bathroom...so I hung this in the hallway so I can see myself without walking to the closet. 

Then later that day...Charlie Parr outside at The Edgewater with Kate & Jason.

Eat the girlie!

Delicious takeout from Vientiane Palace on a gorgeous summer evening on the lake...listening to Chicago Farmer, followed by Charlie Parr.

I also wore this outfit to shop at Sephora during their fall sale...I skipped the spring sale because...do I really need more make-up?! But I don't want to lose VIB status. I LOVE this moisturizer from Caudalíe, but it's so expensive that I've only bought it once. So I slather it on every time I go into the store. 

I took the doggies to the private dog park & we were swarmed by mosquitos...look at all the bumps on poor Rye. 

This leg/foot issue I've been dealing with has been so much $$$...ONE prescription was over $400...I am lucky I have insurance. I wish everyone did. 

 Oh, look! Cute little wee baby clothes! I've been picking up stuff at garage sales & thrift stores because Angie's bald puppy needs something to wear, right? 

My favorite quick 3 minute lunch...buy 6 scallops at the co-op, melt butter & olive oil in a pan on high & cook each side for a minute & a half. Salt. Eat. 

My Wednesday flowers with a few new dahlias to replace ones that died off...

 Don't judge me...look at all the pretty colors...(that I didn't need).

I may have went a little overboard on eBay vintage jewelry. I've been in quite a bit of pain for over 2 months with this vasculitis & that coupled with being on prednisone (which puffs up my face, raises my blood sugar, & makes me ravenous) has got me feeling cranky & not pretty. So, buy all the pretty things!