Merchant // Handel's Messiah // JD McPherson: A Rock 'n' Roll Christmas Tour

Dress: Long-Sleeve V-Neck Textured Midi Dress by Printer Johnson via Nuuly 

Tights: ?

Shoes: Fluevog, Super Fine: Cardinal 

Earrings: Kerala Rose

Necklace: Green Goddess Vintage

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-42

In our dark warmly lit house, I thought this dress was black at first. It's amazing most of my outfits match as I'm picking pieces blindly. This dress was a great fit, deep-v neckline front & back, pockets, form fitting ruched waist with gold metallic textured bits sprinkled all over. Slightly big, could have sized down from a medium to a small. 

I don't love the way I styled this dress the second time...I liked it better when I went with black jewelry.

I should have went with navy or gold tights...or black if I'd stuck with black accessories. 

Immediately following a haircut...

The first time I wore this dress...I had my second & final appointment with Mar to finish up the filler leaves on my left calf. As you can see, I wore a black & leopard dress at the studio as I didn't want tattoo ink or blood to get on the white parts of this dress. 

Aren't these leave luscious?! Mar does the best leaves.

More acorns too...my left lower leg is complete. 

Back at home...I changed to go out with David...isn't he fancy? Wearing one of his new gold shirts he picked up at The Sophisticated Man. And me thinking we were both wearing black & gold outfits. 

Dinner & drinks at Merchant. To begin, Gingerbread Manhattan (Limousin rye whiskey, gingerbread Coca Cola syrup, cynar, Bittercube orange bitters) & Christmas Mai Tai (Alander spiced rum, Plantation white rum, pistachio orgeat, orange cranberry syrup, Peychaud's bitters). The Christmas decorations are tame compared to their sister restaurant next door, Lucille. David showing off his cufflinks. 

A little happy hour bar snack, French fries with black pepper aioli, followed by a Crispy Fried Chicken Sandwich for David (Napa cabbage slaw, jalapeño crema, pickled vegetables, black pepper aioli, fresh herbs, brioche bun) & I had to have Friday Fish Fry (wild-caught Lake Superior whitefish, cornichon tartar sauce, marble rye bread, braised red cabbage, potato salad with giardiniera aioli & scallions). Merchant used to have a terrific fish fry before they remodeled (& got a new chef)...this was one of the worst I've ever had. We told our waiter & he removed it from our bill. Why, Merchant? Second round of cocktails...

Winter Paloma (Lunazul tequila, pomegranate, ginger honey syrup, lime juice, ginger beer) & Something in the Orange (barrel aged gin, orange cranberry syrup, citrus). Finally, we shared a Winter Squash Risotto (roasted squash, roasted brussels sprouts, Sartori parmesan, shaved brussels & fried sage salad, sherry vinaigrette, crispy pepitas). The risotto was yummy & welcome after the fish flop. After dinner...we went over to Bethel Lutheran Church for Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra's (good thing I looked at my ticket so we didn't show up at Overture) Handel's Messiah. Packed house...& there was a harpsichord on stage! 
A few dinners...the usual & this chicken sheet pan recipe we've been loving with brussels & lemon. This is my drain situation...I carried these 3 drains around for a month, then 2, & I've *still* got 1 in for over 2! months now. I never imagined. My thighs retained a lot of fluid from surgery. I just want my body back & to belong to me...I'm at the hospital once a week & carrying this bag of drains around & trying to dress without it showing...it really gets me feeling terrible about my body & I hate that. Soon. The one thing that has helped me get through this is my lymphatic massage person/friend, Courtney. I took this photo at her office. I see her once a week & she helps with the fluid draining & works to loosen my scars up. She's also been incredibly supportive emotionally & I appreciate her honesty in telling me her opinion even when it's not what I want to hear. Later that day...David & I had a meeting at Capital Ketamine for an introduction & tour, then I walked next door to get a haircut from Sigrid...& David & I went to Olbrich Gardens for these outfit photos.

That night...Stoughton Opera House with my girlie to see JD McPherson presents A Rock 'n' Roll Christmas Tour.

Christmas stage & the opening act, Joel Paterson...

I'd seen JD McPherson at The Shitty Barn in the summer & he put on an amazing show...this one was even better. He seemed to be having more fun with his band & wasn't as awkward interacting with the audience...perhaps the intimacy of the barn was intimidating to him & the stage removes him a bit? He has a Christmas album of original songs & he played those interspersed with regular tunes. I'd go see him anytime he comes around...great energy & fun music. 

 

Thrifting, Part 398

Dress: Navy Floral Fit & Flare Dress by London Times (size 8) via Gwynnie Bee

Sandals: Born via Poshmark

All Jewelry: Colleen Toland

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-42

I liked the asymmetrical placement of the bright blooms on this

cute casual conservative dress. It was a good fit, although I'm not fond of the blouson top...I think it looks sloppy & makes my boobs look oversized & out of proportion. I wore it to work a few times & it also went thrifting with me.  

 

I had 3 dresses from Gwynnie Bee at home during this time...2 I sent back without getting photos. I'm just tired of such boring dresses, but I enjoyed the colorfulness of this one. 

I found these brand new red floral sandals on Poshmark & this is my first time wearing them.

The jewelry I chose wasn't quite the right match...but it was close enough & the right size...I wanted a necklace that didn't overlap the dress too much. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Sabbath, Huda Beauty Coral Obsessions eyeshadow palette, Acidberry eyeshadow from Sugarpill, Bite Beauty lipliner in 72, Dozen Carnation lipstick by MAC, & ILNP nail polish in Atomic Sherbet.

I wore this dress to buy myself flowers at the farmers' market following Pilates. I'm always checking out my butt. 

Don't touch it. Thrifting at the Northside Goodwill on a 50% off Monday tag sale. I can't remember the brand of that corduroy jacket, but it was ~$175 new...they are a brand that sells to boutiques & they dye their garments to order so your store has a signature color you can't get anywhere else. I'm grateful to whoever chose pumpkin orange...I'll need to make an outfit around that before the season changes. 

I had good luck with workout wear that day...in colors I adore. $7 for an Anthropologie skirt in mixed prints! I just don't understand why everyone isn't thrifting. 2 of my pieces were 50% off orange tags.

I also came home to my first pair of Jeffrey Campbell Lita shoes that I found via eBay for a steal...they were all the rage in 2010...but I couldn't wear heels back then. They come in 1,000s of colors & patterns...I just went for the ones in my size at the lowest price that I liked. It would have been too overwhelming to decide otherwise. And on another after work thrifting expedition the next day...either before or after the Eastside Tuesday market. Vinny's on Willy St... 

I hit the jackpot on vintage that day...just check out all the gorgeous prints! 

The tags & shoulder pads were still intact in this black & red striped blouse. My favorite piece was this bright floral homemade skirt...I gasped. The lower right photo is my non-vintage finds, including a shirt for David.

The first skirt is sparkly gold! We have an apple CSA this year & it has been fun trying new varieties...we especially liked this one...we both prefer sweet tart crisp apples. Trying on clothes for The Cure...I decided on this velvet striped fit & flare dress that I thrifted (surprise!)...

Picking out dresses for Kate to try on...

And as long as I'm dropping stuff off at Kate's...I had to pop into the Goodwill down the street...

More fun workout wear. Oh! An order of deeply discounted tights from Snag. Conditioning my vintage 1990 Fluevog boots. And texting Kate this bat necklace...am I too old for this? 

 

Handkerchief Hem Floral Dress

Dress: Navy Floral Handkerchief Hem Fit & Flare Dress by Taylor Dresses (size 8) via Gwynnie Bee

Teggings: former Re/Dress

Sandals: Alegria 

Earring: Wendy Baker

Necklace: Colleen Toland

Bracelets: Vintage

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-42

Pretty colors on this navy dress with pink & green flowers...sheer sleeves, handkerchief hem...lined, but since it's shorter than the skirt, the bottom is also sheer. Light feminine dress...rather low-cut, so I had to pin the neckline closed for work. 

It blows my mind that these plus sized teggings still fit me...soooo stretchy...Snag tights too...We Love Colors are baggy on me, but I still wear them while I try to replace them with a smaller size.

I have the matching earrings & bracelet for this necklace...but just wasn't feeling the coordinating vibe. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in LSD; Rose Burst, Grass, & Candles eyeshadow from Lime Crime; BECCA lipliner in Mood; Big Bang lipstick by UD; Bite Beauty lipstick in Meritage; & OPI nail polish in 15 Minutes of Flame. 

Our Burlap & Barrel subscription box...more exciting than make-up. Sunday market band. Another boot to add to my Fluevog most wanted list.

The stems were so thick on the sunflowers I got at market...David had to use 2 knives to cut them. Picking apples for dinner.

Our CSA gave us SO MUCH CORN...we'd throw it on the grill every week with some apple wood from our trees David trimmed...YUM. I was delighted to discover these ever bearing strawberries at the Tuesday market...I was getting 6 quarts at a time. 

Downtown market on a Wednesday. Ugly new glasses...it's what my insurance would pay for & I thought...I can always use them for craft projects & painting...activities where I might not want to wear glasses I like. 

Oh! These Jeffrey Campbell retro looking shoes I found on Poshmark are spectacular. My most cooked meal...salmon with whatever veggies are in season. Taking pictures of dresses to sell on Poshmark...it's been most difficult to let go of my Effie's Heart & Cherry Velvet dresses...but they need new homes where they get worn. 

 

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!