Lifers // Sal's

Dress: Ali Midi Dress by Rachel Antonoff (size 16W) via Nuuly

Sandals: Born

All Jewelry: Wendy Baker

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 41-39-53

I'm obsessed with this dress...it is covered in French sardine tins! The shape & length were great...it has pockets & is lined...there is padding underneath the breast cups. So much twirl! Unfortunately, I should have gone with a straight size 14 as this was way too big on me...I might get it again later this summer. As cute as it was, I was not a fan of the bow in front or the boob window directly under it (I hid it with the bow, otherwise my bra showed)...but those things were minor. 

This fit & super flare 50s shape is one of my favorites...

If I get this again, I would choose non-floral jewelry to mix it up...although these soft colors worked extremely well with the muted colors in the dress. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Perversion, Stila liquid liner in Intense Black, Mediteranee eyeshadow palette from Nars, Sugarpill Cosmetics lipstick in Clockwork, & Mural Mural on the Wall nail polish by OPI. 

These Fluevog Wonders: Moher *swoon*...I have been in love with them since they were first released, & even more so after trying them on in Portland. They were finally on sale & I snapped up the last pair in my size. I made dinner...Halibut with Chorizo, Tomatoes, & Green Olives, served with Spicy Roasted Cauliflower with Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Almonds. I wore this dress to attend Forward Theater's Wisconsin Wrights Festival's reading of Quan Berry's new play, Lifers, with David. We greatly enjoyed the play they did of hers last season, The Mytilenian Debate, so were incredibly curious about this one. It was also fabulous & I hope Forward puts this play on in the future. 

Quan Berry is third from the left...& the performers on stage after the reading. 

I wore this dress a second time to have an impromptu dinner at Sal's on Livingston with David. We were looking forward to ordering some cherished dishes, but were faced with completely different choices. I love how every few months it's like going to an entirely new restaurant. New chef, new season, new menu. David began with a Sal's Spritzer (Death's Door gin, Thatcher's blood orange liqueur, Aperol, lemon juice, simple syrup, Cune cava) & I chose a new cocktail, Heir To The Pineapple (heirloom pineapple amaro, sage syrup, lemon juice, egg whites, angostura bitters). While I liked this drink, David liked it more...so we switched. 
All new food! Roasted Asparagus (guanciale, preserved lemon, poached egg, dijon, toasted breadcrumb, almond); Jonny Slices (Tempesta pepperoni, red sauce, spicy escabeshce vegetables, goat cheese, hot honey, basil), they only have one size pizza now; & Rigatoni (house made pasta, ramp pesto, house made Italian sausage, preserved lemon, Calabrese chili, ricotta salata). 

Afterwards, we sat outside next door at Dark Horse (because there was a very loud metal band playing inside) & had another cocktail. David had a favorite, The Art of Rum (Plantation dark rum, Wray & Nephew overproof Jamaican rum, Velvet Falernum, pineapple, lemon, chai syrup) & I sipped on an Atomic Ginger Bot (Wild Turkey 101, Jamaican bitter #1, ginger syrup, lemon, lime, ginger beer). 2 lovely evenings with my love. 

 

Elkhorn Antique Flea Market

 Dress: Reiss Dress in Bauhaus Print by Rachel Antonoff (size 5x) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit)

Leggings: Torrid (size 4x)

Shoes: Born, thrifted

Necklace: Wendy Baker

Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I hate this dress like poison. But the pattern & colors were too spectacular to pass up. The plus dresses Rachel Antonoff makes for GB are super cute...but none of them fit properly...the top of this seemed several sizes larger than the bottom. I can't think of a single nice thing to say about this dress other than, wow...pattern & color. So I decided to have fun with it & pair it with these donut leggings I got from Torrid. 

This same style of dress is also available in a fabulous dancing feet pattern...but I just can't do it...even if I could cover the top with a cardigan...the scuba fabric is just too hideous. 

The downside of blogging all the dresses I rent...some of them are complete failures. On that note...I have a confession...I own at least 60 dresses that I have *never* worn. I like to buy dresses. But I'm more likely to wear a GB dress since I have to return it. I am looking forward to when my new closet is completed & being able to see everything I have. Although, that really has nothing to do with why I don't wear the dresses I own. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Make Up For Ever eyeliner in M-10, Urban Decay eyeshadow in Gossip & Jones, Flamepoint eyeshadow by Sugarpill, Habanero lipstick from MAC, NYX lipstick in Hippy Chic, & No Tan Lines nail polish from OPI. 

I wore this dress to the second Elkhorn Flea of the season...David & I went to gaze upon the spectacular offerings & find ourselves a few treasures for our new home. Here are a smattering of things that caught my eye...I would have snapped up that mermaid in a minute if she didn't look like a 12 year old girl. 

After the market, we went to the Mexican restaurant we discovered last time. Mango margarita made with real mango...yum. 

I found these lovely bakelite & lucite bracelets to add to my collection. I didn't take photos of anything else we brought home...I know we got a bunch of doorknobs & plates, a few tin ceiling pieces, a metal cornice with oak leaves & acorns, & some dressing table bits & bobs for my make-up vanity. 

More Tutti Frutti

 Top: Rico Top in Tutti Frutti by Rachel Antonoff (size 3x) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit)

Skirt: J. Jill, thrifted

Sandals: Born, thrifted

Earring: Wendy Baker

Necklace: Babil & Bijou

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

I am nuts about this tutti frutti pattern by Rachel Antonoff...such lovely colors. I wore a dress in this design (completely different material) earlier this summer. The top is a lightweight semi-sheer cotton...I adored the cutout shoulders. However, it was quite shapeless & tended to roll up at the bottom as the edges were just serged. Also, this top came to me worn out...the colors were faded & the serged edges were fuzzy (see close-up of make-up below). Despite all of that...I wore this outfit several times...I had the perfect cotton J. Jill skirt to go with it & it was comfy to sit around the house in & run errands. 

Rachel Antonoff designed a collection especially for GB...her styles are fun...hopefully she has learned more about plus sized bodies for better fit in the future. In addition to the 2 tutti frutti garments, I've also worn her dissected frog dress...all with fit issues, but amazing patterns.  

Some Savers finds...

Play! by Sephora...August box...

While David was in California visiting family...I had the girlie over for dinner. I made slow roasted salmon with fennel & citrus & sliced up some heirloom tomatoes topped with basil from our garden...Kate brought lovely wine & her adorable smile & fabulous company. 

I don't shave my legs as my hair is super light...but once a year (usually spring...but I didn't get around to it until August this year) I wax this area on my outer calf below my knee since the hair there is visible. I have found waxing makes this hair grow back less & less...obviously the little bit of hair was not bothering me since it took me so long to get to it...but it is SO satisfying to rip the hair out. Is it just me? 

Olive frolicking at the dog park...I took Rye to doggy daycare, so I gave her some special time too. 

New dress from City Chic...I wore this from GB, but bought it new from CC for less. 

Pretty flowers at the Sunday market.

Then there's this douche nozzle...who hit my car in the parking lot at farmers market with his door fairly hard. I called after him, but he ignored me. When I finally found him with his 2 kids at market, he very sarcastically said...oh, soorrrry, it was them (meaning the kids). I just wanted him to sincerely apologize...so I was shocked when he was so rude to me. So I asked for his insurance information & he said...um, no...things happen...& he walked away. I told him that was a nice example he was setting for his kids & he replied...oh, like they know what I'm doing at five. Oh, I think they already know who you are, sir. 

All the spray paint! I have many bits & bobs that need color in the backyard. 

My make-up with this outfit included...NYX eyeliner in Deep Purple, Anastasia eyeshadow in Punch Fuchsia & Unicorn, Lime eyeshadow by Make Up For Ever, Follow Me eyeshadow by Too Faced (not pictured), NYX lip palette in The Plums, & OPI nail polish in My Gecko Does Tricks. 

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Colin Stetson & Sarah Neufeld

 Dress: Sam Dress in Frog Print by Rachel Antonoff (size 5x) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit)

Teggings: Re/Dress

Sandals: Array, thrifted

Necklace, Bracelet, & Earring: Wendy Baker

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

Oh, shift dresses...why do you come in so many enticing patterns? I had to try this dissected frog dress...because...fun! At least 1/2 a dozen women sought me out at a concert to tell me how awesome my dress was...they just meant the print though...it is quite eye-catching. And that was the only thing I liked about this shift...but then, I suspected as much. The fabric was similar to scuba, but even thicker & heavier...& my land...it was *short* when sitting...most of the women who complimented me called it a top. The fit was way off, just like the other Rachel Antonoff dress I've worn...tight on the bottom, huge up top. Also, both of my arms could have fit into one armhole. 

The reason I don't like shift dresses...I could say it's because they aren't flattering, but eff flattering...I love a flowy swing dress. I guess I don't care for the shape they give me...I gaze at that photo below & I see a stand up arcade game. Here, I look like Frogger. 

 A lot of excess material under the arms...that is not a happy face. 

I adore this sparkly pink polish, but can never entirely capture the glitteryness. Melissa Masse sent me 4 dresses for a size 26+ blogger feature Marcy is doing...so amazingly generous...& none of them fit. None of them. I know it doesn't make any sense...but I felt bad about myself...not just bad...but like a less than person. She was so extremely sweet in her response that the feeling immediately went away...but it shook me. I took a photo of the maxi dress with the fabric I gasped over...& she told me she would make me a fit & flare dress out of it herself (the other dresses were made by one of her sample makers that doesn't do much plus size). OPI fall polishes...so pretty. I keep up my cosmetology license so I can buy my nail & hair stuff cheaply at the beauty supply stores. 

David & I after voting...no make-up yet at this point in the day. The Shitty Barn...opening, Chants...then Colin Stetson & Sarah Neufeld. 

I nearly didn't make the trip out to the barn for this show. I was supposed to go with Angie & Toby, but they were exhausted...& I listened to Colin Stetson (Arcade Fire, Bon Iver) & Sarah Neufeld (Arcade Fire) on YouTube...& quite honestly, their music hurt my ears...my whole body would relax the second they stopped playing. Why would I drive out to Spring Green by myself for that?! I don't know...there was something pulling me there. In person...they were mesmerizing...their music was like the most heartbreakingly vulnerable conversation, a lonely savage beast, a stampede of enraged elephants, a heavy metal rhino. I was enchanted. 

I filmed a little snippet of what I saw before me, but I know you must experience this in person to really hear it. 

My make-up with this outfit included...NYX eyeliner in Moss, NYX Avant Pop eyeshadow palette in Art Throb, Urban Decay eyeshadow in Junkshow & Last Sin, Cranberry lipstick by Bite Beauty, & J'adore My Mani nail polish by Morgan Taylor. 

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Tutti Frutti

 Dress: Daniel Dress in Tutti Frutti by Rachel Antonoff (size 26) via Gwynnie Bee (use my link to get your first month free & help me earn GB credit)

Teggings: Re/Dress

Sandals: Born, thrifted

Earring & Bracelet: Wendy Baker

Necklace: Vintage Miriam Haskell

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

This fabric is the cutest!!! I know I'm 46...but I will never be too old to wear a fruity dress...adorable. I wore this dress 4 times...I didn't want to ever send it back despite it not being a perfect fit...because fruit! This was a well made lined dress with attention to detail...but I forgave a lot due to the fun print. The fit was awkward...too long in the torso & really a mess up top...the armholes gaped in front & were too big overall...I was constantly fiddling with the neckline as it didn't want to lay flat. Odd cutout in back didn't bother me so much as I didn't see it, but the pleats on the skirt below it gave me added ass volume that seemed excessive. The length would have looked better a few inches shorter. But...gorgeous print! Also, Rachel Antonoff is an interesting indie designer & this collaboration with GB is her first foray into plus fashion...which could explain the fit issues. I'm excited to see more from her. 

If this dress ends up in the shop for under $40...it will be mine...& I'll alter it to fit me better...ok, that will never happen...but I *would* wear it with a cardigan to cover up its flaws while enjoying this fabulous fruit salad frock. 

This City Chic colorfully striped dress was just my style...but with no stretch...too snug to bother styling. I wore it out of the house oh-so-briefly to shop Savers 50% off sale...but it hurt to sit down in. Such a shame as I adore all the colors. 

A lovely evening at the Edgewater on the lake with the girlie...mediocre fish fry & sangria. The hotel is doing a live music series on Fridays this summer...Brewgrass (sponsored by beer)...& one of our favorite Shitty Barn alumni...Charlie Parr...was playing...for free on a beautiful night. We saw him last fall & will see him again this autumn for our last Shitty show of the season. The opening band was also from Minnesota, The Dead Pigeons. They did this amazing mashup of pop songs done in Bluegrass style...it felt like the drummer & singer were going back & forth improvising...so fun. 

Girlies on the lake. 

Kate & I each bought an album to add to our collections. Charlie Parr was great...but as it wasn't as intimate a space...did not tell as many wonderful personal stories. The sunset was spectacular & the people watching was marvelous...I think we saw 4 wedding parties. The company was the BEST. 

$1 flip-flop sale at Old Navy...can you believe I didn't own any?? I needed some to get a pedicure (not pictured). Browsing my favorite magazines at Barnes & Noble. Did you know there was a David Bowie coloring book?!!

I wanted these shoes SO much...but they were both size 11 & would have fallen off my feet...even with socks. Also, I loved the pattern & color of this cardigan...but it had several small moth holes. Things sadly left behind at Savers. 

Awesome Marimba player outside of Willy Street Co-op...we sat & enjoyed him for a spell. 

Savers 50% off scores...including 2 hats that David found for me. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Voodoo; Kat von D eyeshadow in Analogue, Legend, & Vinyl; NYX Lip Palette in The Plums; & My Gecko Does Tricks nail polish from OPI. 

Linking to Visible Monday over on Not Dead Yet Style.