Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra: Michael Mizrahi // Charleston: The Ordinary & Vintage Lounge

Dress: Cool Leopards Maxi Dress by Farm Rio (size M) via Nuuly

Sandals: Vintage Gap via Poshmark 

Earrings & Necklace: Wendy Baker

Bracelet: Vintage

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-42

Leopard love...I'm not a cat person, but the colors in this were spectacularly juicy...this needs to be worn on a tropical cruise or an African safari. The long dramatic frilly sleeves & plunging cutout back made me adore this dress. The fit was tts, which is not always the case with Farm Rio as I often size down. Fantastic maxi length...I wore this with both heels & flats...& no bra. 

It's a good thing I think scars are sexy...because I have a lot of them now.

How perfect are these $9 sandals I found on Poshmark?! Leopard print with a leopard dress. 

Freshly dyed hair is the best...

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Psychedelic Sister & Asphyxia; Crimson, Aruba, & Hibiscus eyeshadow from Ace Beautē; Violet Voss eyeshadow in Violet Sunset; UD lipliner in Bang & 714; Bang & No-Tell Motel lipstick by UD; & OPI nail polish in ¡Viva OPI!

I first wore this dress to attend the final Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra concert of the season with David. The highlight for us was Michael Mizrahi performing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No 1. It moved us so much we had to seek him out to discuss it with him. I also wore this dress out on the first night in Charleston with my mom. We walked to the restaurant (10 minutes) & even though I wore a raincoat...I looked like a drowned cat. It turns out...what I thought was a raincoat was not in fact a raincoat...it was just pretending. 

I looked up restaurants in Charleston back in April while I was recovering from surgery in Mexico & sent my mom a list...she picked some she was interested in & I took care of reservations. Our first dinner was at The Ordinary. First of all...gorgeous old bank building...with the kitchen inside the vault. 

Our lovely waitress took our photo...I *had* felt pretty before getting soaked. 

My first taste of The Ordinary was a special drink, A Poet's Love (Rhum J.M. Gold, guava, passionfruit, grenadine, fresh lime, bitters), in collaboration with Spoleto Festival USA. This music, theatre, & art festival has been happening since 1977 & is the American counterpart to the annual Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy. I feel like we really missed out not taking advantage of this...but perhaps I'll go again next year with David or Kate. 

The hostess was going to seat us upstairs, but my mom had just had knee surgery...so that was too many stairs. It was prettier where we were sitting...so I had to go up to take in the full view. I took a picture of my mom & she got one of me. 

Oysters...the more like the sea they taste, the more I enjoy them. The 3 of these were local, from North & South Carolina. From there we moved on to...Smoked Yellowfin Tuna Pâté (smoked trout roe, seeded buttermilk crackers), Steak Tartare (pickled spring onions, crispy potatoes)...

Roasted Golden Beets (benne seed tahini, greek yogurt, fennel pollen), & Dave's Clams + Grilled Sourdough (rosemary butter, fennel-tomato jam, clam nage). It was difficult being so restrained...had I been with David, we would have tried several more dishes...everything sounded so delightful...& it was. 

My first culinary experience in Charleston blew me away...the food scene there is ridiculous...the best of fresh seafood, in season produce, & southern cooking. I've been to Nashville a few times, but Charleston has them beat on restaurants...such a small town (~150,000)...I had no idea. After dinner, we walked to Vintage Lounge...it was on my list because Architectural Digest declared it "the most beautifully designed bar in South Carolina." 

And it was...being in a gorgeous old space made it even better. It was packed, but the host found us seats at the bar just as a couple was leaving. Charleston is a university town (there are at least 3)...so everywhere we went was chock full of young people. There were 2 bouncers at the door & they checked our IDs...I told them, I'm grandma age & this is my mom. I thought it was hilarious. One of the things I saw there several times was a Porron (Spanish wine pitcher)...the server would bring them to the table, pour them into the customers mouths, & leave it for them to do themselves. Kate has one & we've taken it to Concerts on the Square. You can see a woman below taking a drink from one...

They had an old-fashioned meat slicer behind the bar & the waitress used it to put together charcuterie platters. It was loud in there...but we stayed for a cocktail & it was excellent people watching. I had a Eureka (Genever, aged rum, aperol, sloe gin, rhubarb, lemon). Delightful! Back at the hotel, wearing my non-raincoat...soaked. 

 

Milwaukee: Seven Guitars

Dress: Violetta Wrap Dress by Hutch (size M) via Nuuly

Tights: We Love Colors

Shoes: Fluevog, Bellevue: Laura Evans 

Earrings & Necklace: Green Goddess Vintage

Bracelet & Pin: Vintage

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-42

This dress was a dream...I mean...just look at it. I lost track of the complements I received. It was perfect in every way, with the exception of being tight up top...so much so that I had to pin it so it would stay closed...& then the lining rolled out a bit around the neckline. But really...it was so stunning that it didn't matter...but did keep me from buying it. It was confusing as I'm a small up top & a medium to large below...so I'm not used to tops not fitting. 

Maybe I should have bought this dress? I struggle with this...buying the things I love from Nuuly. I mean...I already wore this dress...how often will I wear it again? I think I'm the kind of person who only wears & styles something...one & done? There are always going to be pretty dresses out there & what is the point of owning them all? Maybe my closet just needs to have more shoe space & less clothing?

Bellevue is my favorite family...the heels are sexily curvy & at 2 1/2"...I could walk in them all over town...I certainly did on this day.  This was my first time wearing this beauty from Gayle at Green Goddess Vintage...& I even wore the matching earrings she sends along with each necklace. The pin keeping the neckline decent is also a first time wear...purchased at an antique store on a previous Milwaukee excursion. My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Asphyxia & Psychedelic Sister; Blaze, Wildheart, & Breakaway eyeshadow from UD; MAC lipliner in Grape; Spiced Plum lipstick by Bite Beauty; & OPI nail polish in Louvre Me Louvre Me Not. 

I wore this fabulous frock to spend the day in Milwaukee with David. First up...we checked out the Milwaukee Public Market for the first time. 

I was curious about St. Paul Fish Co, which kept coming up in searches for good restaurants...so that is where we went for lunch. I love raw oysters with just a hint of lemon...no sauces though...I like to taste the sea. 

We ended up with fried food overload...everything just sounded so good. The crab cake was our least favorite & we wouldn't order it again. We also got buffalo grouper cheeks, fried calamari, & fried clams...all of it was good, but we especially enjoyed the clams. 

I was delighted to discover that St. Paul Fish Co is also a seafood market...they had an impressive selection. Next time, we'll bring a cooler bag & bring some stuff home. We sampled the pastrami cold smoked salmon...yummmmm. 

We shared a flourless peanut butter cookie from another vendor & then went upstairs to find a bathroom. This is a relatively small market considering the size of Milwaukee...but it was really nice. I'm excited to see what they do with the Madison Public Market they are currently constructing. 

This Mystic Latte was heavenly...licorice root & basil?! YUM...too bad it was a March special. This rusted metal shelf we saw while walking to Retique caught our eye. I was all trussed up in this dress & didn't want to go through that again...so I didn't actually try anything on...I just went into the dressing room & held things up & stretched them over my body. 

I spied this green sequined sweatshirt...& even though it's silly...I totally got it & will wear it around the house. Every day is another reason to be fancy. The weather was nice enough that we decided to walk around the Historic Third Ward that we enjoy visiting so much. We popped into Access Boutique...even though I didn't think an accessory shop was going to be for me...& we left with 2 purses...the best thing about our next stop was the greenery selfie wall.

We enjoyed looking at books & this adorable octopus at MOD GEN...& we both adored these rusty orange metal drawers. 

At Shōō we had fun looking around...& I really liked the gold effect they added to this vintage leather jacket. On the other half of the shop, they offer custom made suits. Pants I would buy at Anthropologie...I will someday have a plaid pant collection.Lela's was an incredibly fun women's clothing store that sells designer clothing alongside used & vintage finds. I was immediately drawn to this trench coat...& it had matching pants! But, wait...they aren't even plaid...we bought them anyway. We had very little time left before our dinner reservation...but there was an antique complex in the neighborhood that we'd never been to. One old building with several shops...it was a disaster...none of them were worth visiting...so it turned out...not having much time was more than enough.Dinner at Saffron...not only was this the best Indian food I've ever had...but the cocktails were outstanding. Starting drinks...Goan Mai Tai (cashew curry orgeat, Trois Rivieres Blanc, Plantation dark rum, Clement Creole shrub, Bittercube orange bitters) & Cardamom Mezcal (cardamom infused Bahnez mezcal, carrot, maple, lime, Bittercube blackstrap bitters). For appetizers we shared these adorable samosas...there was a variety of stuffings & sizes...We also ordered Crispy Cauliflower (spiced cauliflower, signature  sauce, ginger & garlic emulsion)...this was especially spectacular & Tandoori Chicken Croquettes (minced tandoori chicken, sour cream, smoked tomato coconut infused sauce). My second cocktail came with a show...Elderflower Blossom (white blossom Valentine vodka, St. Germain, grapefruit, lemon, grapefruit aroma). David sipped on a Mumbai Sour  (Capel Pisco, green mango, citrus aquabfaba). For his main, David chose Smoked Tandoori Lamb Chops...which was the only thing all evening that we wouldn't order again. The flavor was excellent, but the texture was weird because they sous vided them before putting them in the tandoor & neither of us enjoys that method of cooking. I wish they had included that information on the menu. I decided on their namesake dish, Saffron Butter Chicken (smoked chicken, signature red pepper & tomato sauce, fenugreek)...this was by far the finest version of this dish I've ever eaten...the chicken was tender & the sauce was perfectly balanced. David's final cocktail came with a bit of extra flair...Ablaze Agave (Libelula tequila, Bahnez mezcal, Aperol, pinapple, falernum) & I had a Chaitini (chai infused vodka, Rishi Masala chai, Twisted Path chai, oat milk, Bittercube blackstrap bitters). There was a table near us celebrating a birthday...they got extra fire. Our overall experience was immensely satisfying & we would come back & order every single thing again, with the exception of the lamb. After our glorious dinner...we had to rush off to the theatre to see August Wilson's Seven Guitars (David couldn't find parking & was 5 minutes late...luckily, they hadn't yet begun). The Milwaukee Rep committed to doing his series of 10 plays, collectively called The Pittsburgh Cycle...unfortunately (for us), this was #8...so I'm hoping the final 2 are ones we haven't seen. I could look it up...but I'd rather be surprised. I'm trying to keep a better eye on what's going on in the Milwaukee theatre world because everything we've seen there has been outstanding...this play included. Unbagging my clothing from our trip & finally trying it on...some of those dresses are *short*.These shoes from Christian Siriano for Payless are the flats version of the heels we found at Vinny's in Sun Prairie a short while ago...that gold & black brocade is lovely & I'm happy to have both pairs. That mustard purse is cute...but in the future I need to make sure my phone, with case, fits...or it's basically useless. These Jeffrey Campbell orange & yellow shoes came in the mail the day we were in Milwaukee...sooo cute. 

 

The Gift Of The Magi

Dress: Ruffle Polka Dot Printed Midi Dress by Maison Tara (size 16) via Gwynnie Bee

Cardigan: MAK, gifted

Tights: Snag

Shoes: Gap, thrifted

Earring: etXarte

Necklace: Wendy Baker

Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 43-41-57

Totally cute dress...fit great, but I could have gone down a size. The smocked waistband is very forgiving & will conform to your shape...& I liked how it was mirrored on the sleeves. It would have been a boring dress if not for the ruffle at the bottom. 

This may have to be my last wearing of these shoes...they just fall off my feet now. Boo. It's bad enough losing my clothing, but I keep having to give up shoes too. 

I adore dots...so I continued the theme with my jewelry...(& then I got distracted looking on Etsy for a dotty bracelet that would have gone with the colors in this outfit better). 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Love Drug, UD Cherry eyeshadow palette, Burgundy lipliner from MAC, Big Bang lipliner by UD, MAC lipstick in Dubbonnet Amplified, UD lipstick in Big Bang, & Louvre Me Louvre Me Not nail polish by OPI. 

I wore this dress to go to Spring Green to see APT's winter play, The Gift of the Magi, with David. It was predictable, but the acting was great. And look how cute we are...

Andre was traveling to Portland last minute & I decided I was going to surprise him with having a Voodoo Doughnut gift certificate at his hotel waiting for him. Voodoo Doughnuts was absolutely no help, however, this lovely lady, Tamara, at the hotel...a gem. She was going to walk over there herself (!) & pick one up for me (they would only sell me one they could send me over email to print out & I wanted something physical & pretty). Then she suggested we do a whole basket to be waiting in his room & she'd shop with/for me...how nice is that?! Well, it turns out I could not let this opportunity to meet Andre pass me by, so David bought me tickets so I could fly there for a brief visit. Trying on shoes to go with outfits. 

Dinner with Angie & Freddie...pork shoulder marinated in cherry wine, roasted Brussels, & delicious butternut squash...served with a Michigan Riesling.