Mint Mark // A Christmas Carol // Christmas

Dress: Pearl Midi Dress by Banjanan via Nuuly

Tights: Snag

Shoes: Fluevog, Enneagram: Innovative

Earring & Bracelet: Heidi Daus

Necklace: Green Goddess Vintage

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-42

I love a spot of sunshine on a dreary day! I also adored the unexpected color combination with the fuchsia background paired with yellow, mustard, orange, & rust...it really warmed this dress up. I would wear this dress autumn through spring. The fit was tts for me. I sized up to a large because some of the reviews said it ran small, but I shouldn't have. Everything about this dress was perfect, with the exception of the fabric behind the buttons...there wasn't enough of it & even though the dress wasn't pulling, skin showed between the top 2 buttons, so I fashion taped it. Ironing that area might have also smoothed it out & kept it in place better. I may have bought this dress had I gotten it in the correct size. 

I'm a fan of an elastic wide shirred waist as it gives such a nice shape & that it was echoed in the sleeves so I could push them up a bit & they ballooned over made me happy. 

Purple & rust Fluevogs elevated the outfit further...like Fluevogs always do.

This was my first time wearing this bracelet David got me...it also may have been the necklace's maiden voyage, but I have a terrible memory. 

I first wore this outfit to have these pictures taken. As it was only a bit after 3pm...we thought we'd easily get into Lucille for more Miracle on King Street cocktails & to eat dinner. Ha! It was standing room only & 3-4 deep all around the bar. They really do a great job marketing for the Christmas season. So, we decided to go to Mint Mark, but had some time to kill before they opened. A trip to Conscious Carnivore...where we picked up baby back ribs & a duck for holiday meals. 

4:45 arrival at Mint Mark has never let us down...the lovely hostess seats us every time & we have cocktails until the kitchen opens. David's first 2 drinks: Sangrita, on draft (Corralejo Silver tequila, ginger, lime, orange, chili, passionfruit & tarragon) & Bourbon Old Fashioned Sweet (cherry, orange, Angostura bitters, simple syrup, lemon sparkling),while mine were, the Rotating Draft Cocktail, not sure it was named (Lush Impassioned Passion Fruit & Lychee vodka, strawberry? lemon cordial {our server had a heavy accent so I couldn't tell what she said exactly}, sparkling lemon & grapefruit juices) & When Are You Moving? (MMSB Limousin rye, Laird's applejack, house-made apple lemongrass cordial, honey, lemon, five spice sugar rim). 

We always like to begin with SEX BISQUITS (cultured butter, garlic honey). This heavenly delight was followed by: Smoked Whitefish Spread (creme fraiche, horseradish, toast), Foie Gras Torchon (pain perdu, port wine blueberry preserves, ice wine verjus), & Delicata Squash (chèvre, pumpkin seed, pickled chilies, mint, sweet & spicy vinaigrette). 

And that food was followed by more food...Coconut Squash (coconut crusted acorn squash, gochujang aioli, lime), Crespelle (chive crepe, Roth Kase gruyere, caramelized onion, French onion broth), & Carbonara (bacon, egg yolk, pepper, parmesan). David ordered a Blinker (Limousin rye single barrel, raspberry shrub, grapefruit, Bittercube Jamaican #2). 

And the final savory dish, Kielbasa (fuczki {Polish sauerkraut pancakes}, empire & golden russet applesauce, crispy sunchoke, sour cream). And of course...a Skillet Cookie (rye chocolate chip, brown sugar bourbon ice cream, butterscotch) with a shared Espresso Martini, on draft (State Line vodka, Kin Kin coffee liqueur, Nardini, Giffard orgeat, espresso, Regan's orange bitters). Mint Mark is delicious every time we go, which is why it's our favorite restaurant in town...& they were just nominated for a James Beard Award...they deserve to make it to the finals, as well as WIN. Barely on time to see A Christmas Carol at Capitol Theatre in Overture. We got the date wrong! We had tickets in the front row for the next night, but they could exchange them so we could stay & see the show...which we did, but then looked at the seating chart...David's finger is where this night's tickets would have us sitting & mine is our original tickets. You know how much I like the front row...we asked to get our tickets changed back & went home. 

Where 2 used pair of Fluevogs had come in the mail...those red ones were less than $100 on Poshmark...the other I found on Fluemarket. I saw this stunning pearl necklace online & saved the photo because it would be fairly easy to recreate...how stunning would this look against a form fitting little black dress?! Another bargain from Poshmark...a NWT Traffic People skirt in a groovy 60s pattern. The next night, David made us spaghetti before we headed downtown to try again...

I wish they kept up these pretty sparkly lights year round, but we'll take advantage of them while they're there. Front row for A Christmas Carol...our first time seeing it. To be honest, our expectations were low since it was being put on by Children's Theatre of Madison...despite the fact they've been doing it for nearly 50 years. Why haven't we been going every time?! It was excellent. It was La Shawn Banks' 3rd or 4th time playing Scrooge & he brought that character to life. We've seen him in plays at APT & he has a great style. Fluefie from the front row (lots of fake snow on the floor). 

Christmas Day! We go overboard all year round buying ourselves & each other things...so we said, one gift. David (I'm shocked) followed the rule we set & got me a specially made copper purse from Mohop...it's wonderful. I got David some socks from Pantherella & 2 vintage tie clips. Then...I made us breakfast...egg nog French toast with cinnamon swirl bread & bacon. This was spectacular. 

I take terrible videos...but here are 2 of our Christmas tree...

Some close-ups of ornaments I especially like...I've had that devil for decades, the bat we got at APT this past summer, & I was thrilled to find 2 things I love represented in sparkling glass...a Moscow Mule & a gramophone. 

That peacock is the Old World ornament that started it all back in the 90s. It was a gift from a nail client who collected Old World...I am forever grateful to her for bringing this beauty into my life. A Madison capitol building ornament I got at Little Luxuries over 20 years ago, an after Christmas last year acquisition from Sur la Table...pig parts, a basket of strawberries, & Christmas lasagna (I used to make 3 kinds of lasagna for Christmas dinner for years & years & have friends over...it was a tradition that died with Covid). 

This Christmases dinner...roasted duck with sweet potatoes. I also wore this dress to get a lymphatic massage with Courtney, where I told her about a lump in my calf...she was worried it could be a blood clot & wouldn't work on me. So, I reluctantly took myself to urgent care where the nice receptionist told me they didn't have an ultrasound machine (sometimes it pays to blab on)...so I went to the ER. This was especially annoying as I had *just* been to see radiology the day before & I mentioned it to them...& the doctor told me I should go to urgent care & get an ultrasound if I was worried...he says with the ultrasound in his hand to look at my thighs.  Our healthcare system is so messed up. Luckily, thanks to talking, I told this story & got pushed through quicker than normal because the initial doctor I saw felt bad & told me he was sorry I got the runaround. I was really looking forward to going to Orange Tree Imports to get some sale ornaments (they aren't open the day after Christmas), but I spent the day in the hospital instead. I'm making it sound like not too big a deal...but just so you know, I cried & threw a fit about having to go to the ER. The next day...Orange Tree Imports Old World ornament shopping! These Coach duck boots David found me at Retique get worn nearly every day since it first snowed. 

David's first trip to Aldi...& my first since the 90s when I went with Brian a few times. I was looking for a special holiday sparkling water they had around Thanksgiving, Pumpkin Spice, but I waited too long. Back at home my first iridescent leopards dress arrived from Farm Rio...along with a vintage rhinestone belt I found on eBay. The colors in this dress are much more vibrant than the sweater dress version. But you already know...I found that one on a deep sale too, so I have both. 

10 Day Staycation Begins // Amara // Thrifting // Tattoo

Dress: Little Seashell Maxi Dress by Spell via Nuuly

Tights: Snag

Shoes: ?, thrifted

Purse: Portland Leather

Earring: Wendy Baker

Necklace: The Embellishing Room

Bracelet: Vintage

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-42

This pretty dress was flowy, light, & easy to wear. In addition to seashells, pumpkins, & flowers...there is a border all around of mermaids on the bottom. I was confused by the pumpkins as they didn't seem to go with the water theme of this dress, but I like pumpkins & they definitely went with the warm orange & yellow fabric. There is a slip, but it is very short. My only complaint about this dress was it came to me super worn out & faded with a few tiny holes...I mostly wore this for errands & in dimly lit places as it wasn't nice enough for anything else. Too bad, I'm guessing this dress was spectacular earlier in its life. 

This dress would have been more at home with sandals...but this was December, albeit, a warm one. 

I found these shoes thrifting years ago at Savers. I stuck several pads on the heel, but even then, these shoes were huge on me. Another item for the donation bag. I will miss them. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Mildew eyeliner & eyeshadow by Urban Decay, KVD eyeshadow in Analogue & Legend, NYX lipliner in Pumpkin, Hypnotic Rust lipstick from Make Up For Ever, & OPI nail polish in A Woman's Prague-ative. 

I first wore this dress for a short day at work...the last day of work before we took 12 days off. We were ridiculously excited for a Staycation. I thrifted this coat for $15 & found $20 in the pocket. I finished work before David, so I ran some errands...Vinny's on the west side...I probably should have bought that bright Zuri dress, but I don't care for their tent like loose fit & can a white woman really wear those prints? But it was a $150 dress for $10...I could have experimented? 

Picking up pecans at Trader Joes. Yay! Reunited with Super Boo! We had late dinner reservations at a new to us restaurant, Amara. But first, selfies/usies in a little holiday decorated hut built for that purpose.

Walking by Anthropologie on our way to the restaurant...I had to try on some sale dresses. That black one was a size small, & the green was the same style in an extra small...both were huge...who would these look good on?! Arriving at Amara...they are owned by the same people as Lucille & Merchant. It's kind of puzzling why we'd never been here...but it's on the west side of town, so really only makes sense after work. 

Bad first impression, they were out of the ingredients to make their cocktail special that I ordered, Felix Felicis (State Line London dry gin, cream sherry, orange juice, ginger syrup, Peychaud's bitters)...& our waitress wouldn't tell us which ingredient it was...weird. Cream sherry? I mean, they are steps away from a grocery store, so what's up? Anyway, I had to go with a Pomegranate Holiday Smash (vodka, pomegranate & orange syrup, lemon juice, smoked cinnamon, mint, sugar rim) & David chose Christmas Punch (Tuscan red wine, Grand Marnier, gin, apple, cinnamon, rosemary). Both drinks were delightful. First up for food...Fried Baby Mozzarella (breaded & fried ciliegine, smoked chili & tomato sauce) & Angry Shrimp Spiedini (chili & garlic shrimp, marinated artichokes, salsa verde). 

Cocktail #2: for David, Italian Paloma (tequila, homemade pompelmocello, lime, blood orange soda), while I had a Honeycrisp & Cherry Mule (vodka, honeycrisp & tart cherry shrub, ginger beer). More food to share...Lasagna Fritto (fried lasagna skewers, Italian sausage, mozzarella, smoked chili & tomato sauce) & Calamari (lightly fried squid, peppercorn blend, pickled long hots, giardiniera aioli). This is now my favorite calamari in town. 

Third round of drinks: David chose a Cranberry Old Fashioned (bourbon, cranberry orange Demerara, Angostura bitters) & I picked Golden Twist (State Line London dry gin, Cynar, cinnamon syrup, cocoa bitters, absinthe). Finally, mains...for me, Porchetta (Heritage Farms pork shoulder wrapped in crispy skin pork belly, braised leeks, buttermilk cream, brussels sprouts salad, apple mostarda, chive oil) & David had Paccheri (shredded beef cheek ragu, tomato grodolce, breadcrumbs, SarVecchio). So. Much. Rich. Food. That brussels salad with mine was nice & vinegary, so it was essential with the fatty pork...& delicious. We thoroughly enjoyed this meal & immediately bought a bunch of gift certificates at Costco for when we come back...$75 for $100. We had already bought one to use on this dinner to see if we liked it. We liked it. 

Small haul from Vinny's...including 3 paisley silk ties for David. I am constantly at the hospital...once a week for an appointment with Interventional Radiology...so they can check my drains & put new ones in. I went to the beauty supply to get some things...I keep my license up just for this reason...1/2 price. 

Dinner...Cabbage & Kielbasa with Rye Croutons. A trip to Costco...they had this amazing set of zodiac sign glass bottles filled with brandy...it was like something out of the 70s. And...another trip to the hospital...like I said, I wore this dress mostly for errands.

On my way home, I made the excellent decision to stop at Vinny's on Willy St...just look at all that sparkle *swoon*...they had racks of it for NYE. 

I tried on other things too, including that vintage plaid wool skirt. 

My find of the day was the black sequin Betsey Johnson dress below. Oh! And a vintage burgundy trench coat. David made a beef roast for dinner & I roasted some potatoes. 

And...the final time I wore this dress was to get a lymphatic massage with Courtney...then a tattoo with Mar, but Mar texted me they had car issues & were running 30 minutes late...so I bopped into Vinny's again where they were having 50% off all of the remaining NYE items...what?! 

Poor Mar, I was 20 minutes late for our appointment...but, shiny! 

Mar freehanded paisley patterns in all the blank spots on my right calf...my lower legs are completely filled & finished...now what?! Rose gold glitter heels & other fancy things. I wonder if they do this every year & I miss it completely...must stalk Vinny's next year...as if I don't already. 

 

The Nutcracker // Thrifting // Ketamine

Dress: The Long-Sleeve Somerset Maxi Dress by Anthropologie via Nuuly

Tights: Snag

Shoes: Fluevog, Power: Coal

Glasses: Francis Klein

Earring: etXarte

Necklace: Green Goddess Vintage

Bracelet: Vintage

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-42

Orange! This abstract design was an ideal dress for me to rent as that's not typically my style. As usual, Somerset is a great fit...the long sleeves were wonderful for colder weather...deep pockets, smocked waist fits you like a glove, hook closure at the neckline, & I love a dress with tiers. 

My preferred maxi length...so you can still see the shoes & can wear both flats or heels. 

I wore my leopard glasses...

The orange in these Coals were an excellent match for the dress. The burgundy toes are patent leather & I just recently learned that Pledge will shine it up...I've been doing it to all my patent recently, I'll try it on these the next time I wear them. 

Orange make-up & jewelry...

My make-up with this outfit included...Zero eyeliner from Urban Decay; Blazing, Blood Moon, & Nefertiti eyeshadow by Huda Beauty; MAC lipliner in Chicory; Gothica & Pumpkin lipstick from KVD; & OPI nail polish in A Woman's Prague-ative.  A good mail day...I've been trying to hunt down this Effie's Heart gramophone print in a dress I liked...I don't love the fake buttons, but it's an adorable dress otherwise & better than the square neck ones that pop up on Poshmark the most. 2 pairs of shoes from the 10 Days of Vogmas that David bought for me...every day for 10 days, shoes that don't typically go on sale, were an excellent deal. My dream is to use antique gold Rub 'n' Buff to highlight the embossing on the black shoes...wouldn't that be pretty? Back in October during the Flumunity Fest there was a talk on taking care of your shoes...David took notes & then he ordered all of this...it's a few layers deep...we now have everything we would ever need to spruce up our footwear. Dinner...Sheet Pan Roast Chicken & Mustard-Glazed Cabbage.And later that day...I first wore this dress to see The Nutcracker with David. This is our second year in a row seeing this production...it's alright, but I think we'll see Milwaukee's version next year instead. Our tickets were excellent...front row center. I enjoyed watching the orchestra play. Nutcracker photo-op! How had we missed this on our way in?!The sale was so good at Ulta on my brow pencils & Urban Decay eyeliners...I had to order more online. I also wore this dress to work & thrifting at the westside Goodwill afterwards. 
I have a thing for polka dots...& David is not a fan...they are just so happy to me. This was our Christmas Eve dinner...ribs smoked on the grill with wood from our apple tree & the blueberry chipotle bbq sauce from 12 Bones in Asheville with baked apples & salt & vinegar roasted cabbage. The last time I wore this dress was at Essential Health...where I had a subcutaneous ketamine experience. 

It was pretty uneventful, but let me know that I don't have any bad reaction to ketamine & was a good intro to the more serious ketamine therapy I went on to have elsewhere. My favorite part of this experience was thinking of a question & drawing a tarot card after & reading about it.

My question was...will I ever beat my anxiety? Then I went to Gail Ambrosius to get chocolate for Kate, but I forgot they close for a few weeks after Christmas.