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. 

Thrifting // Epoxy Class

Dress: Cinnamon Tiered Fit & Flare Midi Dress by Taylor Dresses (size 8) via Gwynnie Bee

Sandals: Dansko

Earring: etXarte

Necklace, Bracelets, & Purse: Vintage

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-42

This cinnamon maxi dress (not sure why GB called it a midi) was definitely my color...I was tempted to purchase it, but decided it was too plain. The fabric felt cheap & one of the tassels fell off the first time I wore it. It was a great fit, comfortable, & easy to throw on & go. 

I nearly went with brown sandals, then I remembered these multi-colored snake print Dansko sandals I bought on Poshmark last year...I liked them so much I got them in 3 colorways. I find I tend to wear shoes more when there are a variety of hues. 

I think I put on a different necklace every time I wore this dress...I just had so many to choose from. 

My make-up with this outfit included Urban Decay eyeliner in Torch & Lucky, Natasha Denona eyeshadow in, NYX lipliner in Pumpkin, Hypnotic Rust lipstick by Make Up For Ever, & OPI nail polish in A Woman’s Prague-ative. 

Look what I found!!! These were one of my Fluenicorns & I can't believe they are mine...thanks to the Fluemarket. Because of our CSA, we've always got an abundance of tomatoes...so I decided to roast them before they went bad...& I fried up some chicken thighs to go with them...& roasted cauliflower. All veggies taste amazing roasted. 

A trip to Goodwill in Middleton before a nurse appointment to take out the rest of my stitches & staples. 

I have been finding more separates lately...more opportunities for pattern mixing. 

It was Monday, & the 1/2 price tag of the day was blue. I got this black velvet DKNY body suit for $4. 

My chin stitches had already been taken out...this appointment was for the remaining ones, plus staples. There was/is still a lot of swelling. 

A trip to Costco...& home for dinner. I roasted some veggies & David grilled us ribeyes. I wore this dress to work a few times...& to the Wednesday downtown farmers' market, followed by a carwash. 

On another day, I got a haircut & made our go-to meal. David's hat was ready to be picked up from our haberdasher...isn't it cute?!

Since we were already out & about...why not try someplace new for a meal? At Settle Down Tavern...David had a Bloody Mary & I tried the Uecker? Or Euchre? (mezcal, Ancho Reyes Verde, ginger beer). We had to get an order of Cheese Puppies (how genius is that to combine hushpuppies & cheese curds?!) because we enjoyed them so much several months back at their sister restaurant, Turn Key. David also ordered Ghost Fries (spicy! served with blue cheese) & a Lambwich (Underground gyro meat, harissa, feta, sliced cucumbers, arugula) & I got the Friday Fish Fry. Our fries were so salty, we had to send them back...& they brought us 2 enormous platefuls of fries to replace them...that we had no hope of finishing. 

Our sever also brought us some Chocolate Rice Crispy Treats as an apology...they weren't on the menu & we told him...it was the perfect bite to end the meal. The walls were covered in what looked like random photos they'd found at garage sales across Wisconsin. Afterwards...we decided to head over to St. Vinny's on Odana Rd...what luck...a surprise 50% off dresses!!!

I always find SO many dresses here! That pink number is from Coolibar, so it's got sun protection built in...I sent the photo on to Kate, but since she didn't want it, I nabbed it...I hate applying sunblock. I was smitten with this bright chartreuse dress until I noticed there was a border of little girls in pigtails holding hands. 

Endless dresses...

I only looked at dresses...but since David was done way before me...he kept bringing me other stuff to try on. 

The blue backless dress is from Free People (Anthropologie).

Of course...I came home with a load of new clothes...

And David really scored too...

Our CSA last Thursday. After fetching Kate from work...we drove to Jacknife to pick up our dinner order & enjoy our meal outside...before heading over to our Pour Your Own Epoxy class. 

Facebook advertised this class to me & it looked fun…I opted to make a cutting board & Kate decided on a Lazy Susan based on Jason’s enthusiasm for them. 

We had to choose 2 colors…Kate went with purple & turquoise, while I picked copper & chameleon (color changing)…copper copper copper copper copper chameleon. The wood is from fallen black walnut trees in Wisconsin, IIRC. 

We could use other people’s colors too, so I nabbed some of Kate’s purple…I loved how it looked right here, but it settled into a completely different pattern by the time we left. 

This was a fully packed class…held in the back room of Old Sugar Distillery. The last time we were there was to see Eliza Rickman playing a birthday party…which was also thanks to Facebook. Sometimes their spying is for good. 

Ta-da! Our projects had a sleepover, then went back to their shop to be cured, planed, sanded, & waxed. We’ll get to pick them up in 2 weeks. The class was really fun & I’m so glad my girlie took it with me. 

Caught in the act of taking pictures of everything. I came home to some Chie Mihara shoes I bid the starting price of $19.99 & won…they’ll go with a lot of outfits. I also picked up some stuff I needed at the beauty supply…& ANiU was having a product sale, so I picked up some things I was out of. 

 

Charleston: S.N.O.B., Carriage Ride, Boat Tour

Dress: Sundrenched Printed Maxi Dress by Free People (size M) via Nuuly

Sandals: Klub Nico from Anthropologie via Poshmark

All Jewelry: Vintage

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-42

This warm orangey rust cotton maxi was a dream to wear...I love a breathable cotton summer dress...even if they do tend to wrinkle. The smocked bodice gives a perfect fit...& somehow those tiny little straps always stayed on my shoulders. I wore this without a bra & I feel that anyone with a larger chest would need to size up as my C cups barely fit in there. This was an ideal maxi length for me as I was able to wear it with either flats or heels. The website calls this pink...it's not. 

Lots of fabric in the skirt made it extra swishy.

I find shoulders extremely sexy...my favorite thing about summer is being able to bare them. 

It's so funny that shoes I buy with the intension of painting end up being super useful & go with so much...like these pretties I found on Poshmark. 

While I adore color...earthy tones look best on me...

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Torch & Lucky, Huda Beauty eyeshadow in Nefertiti & Blood Moon, Pumpkin lipliner by NYX, Heat lipstick from UD, & OPI nail polish in Man of La Mancha. 

I first wore this dress to try out a completely new-to-us place, Baldwin Street Grille...because their offering for burger week sounded delicious (2 smashed patties with grilled scallions, jalapeño mac & cheese, coleslaw, jerk BBQ, & American cheese on a cornbread bun). It's this dive bar across the street from what used to be Smart Studios. 

The kitchen served me fries instead of the tots I asked for...so, our waiter brought us a big basket...I told him...there is no way we'll ever finish those. Ha! The food was great & they were playing classic MTV videos...is there actually a channel now that just plays music?! 

We headed over to Bartell Theatre to see Moon Over Buffalo...we were just early enough to pop next door to have a cocktail...then we ordered another & got in our seats at exactly 7:30. David's drinks: Macadamia Mai Tai (roasted pistachio oil fat washed Plantation 3 Star rum, macadamia orgeat, lemon, celery & rhubarb bitters, wheatgrass Wray & Nephew float) & Peter Pandan (Trois Rivieres Cuvee de l'Ocean rhum, sake, pandan syrup, mango, lime, pineapple, almond-mint foam, nutmeg). My cocktails: Rios Mios (Pitu cachaca, Smith & Cross rum, Finocchietto, strawberry purée, honey syrup, lime) & Doc's Orders (Death's Door gin, Saler's gentian, carrot tarragon syrup, lemon, tonic water, celery bitters, dukkah carrot rim).

Moon Over Buffalo was Carol Burnett's return to Broadway in 1995, after a 30 year absence...the director had sent her an invitation to come to their performance of it. It was funny, but could have been better acted. The second time I wore this dress was for our last full day in Charleston. It was cloudy, but not rainy...yay! We started off at Slightly North of Broad (S.N.O.B.) for brunch. 

Another beautiful old building with a great remodel...I can't recall seeing any new construction in this city...at least downtown. We were greeted by a man singing & playing guitar...which was ideal background music...as we were just the right distance away. Our server brought us warm cornbread (yum) & I ordered a mimosa.My mom had a bowl of Butternut Squash Bisque (topped with crème fraîche & pecan crumble) & I began with Grass Fed Beef Carpaccio (thinly sliced raw beef, red wine dijon, parmesan cheese, capers, grilled baguette). For our main courses...mom got Storey Farm Eggs Benedict (gf buttermilk biscuit, sautéed kale, country ham, hollandaise) & I had Sunday Morning Fish Fry (catfish, Marsh Hen Mill grits, braised collard greens, jalapeño corn tartar). Another great meal in Charleston. A fountain near the restaurant...then a walk to the Big Red Barn for our carriage ride.A tour of the city with Van, a lifelong resident of Charleston, & our horses, Yogi & Boo Boo. The churches, architecture, & houses were all splendid...so much history. It always feels to me that down south is like going to another country. So many grand houses...& you can see a bit of Rainbow Row (13 colorful houses) below.Porches everywhere.Of all the information we learned on our tour...the one that sticks with me is about the fake front doors. The real front of the house is on the side which faces the ocean for the best breeze (the houses were built when there was no a/c)...but they added a door on the front of the house where you'd expect there to be one...it later became called a hospitality door...when it was open, it meant the family was available for visitors. Next time I go to Charleston, I'd like to take a tour inside some of these grand homes.Cobblestone street; a round church; Henry's, the oldest restaurant in South Carolina; passing another carriage tour.I loved this girl's floral dress...I told my mom & she replied...the see-through one?! I hadn't even noticed. After our tour...we walked back to the pineapple fountain.My mom was recovering from knee replacement surgery...so I did a quick jaunt solo...as we had a short drive, then more walking to our boat tour. Beer & wine for sale on the boat...but no sparkling water. The flag is flying above Fort Sumter...which was where the opening shots of the Civil War were fired. Navy aircraft carrier, the Cooper River Bridge, & the aquarium. Back at our hotel...mom went up to the room & I walked across the street to Marion Square where the art fair was set up as part of the Spoleto Festival. Francis Marion Hotel, where we stayed. We decided to have dinner at the hotel restaurant, The Swamp Fox, because all the good restaurants were booked & my mom was sick of walking. It was the only mediocre food we had during our visit & not worth talking about. We ended the evening with a White Russian (but my mom asked for it with Bailey's Irish Creme...which I looked up & it has its own name, a Mudslide)...I think I'll try ordering that the next time I'm in a bar without a fancy cocktail menu.