Tennessee // Kentucky

Dress: Black Lavender Fit & Flare Dress by Eva Rose

Tights: Snag

Shoes: Fluevog, Go Groovy: Aubrey

Cardigan: The Limited, thrifted

All Jewelry: Colleen Toland

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-42

Another mushroom dress! Fruit & veggie dresses are the best. I adore these cotton fit & flares with pockets...always a great fit. And adding a cardigan to the sleeveless dress makes it colder weather cute. 

This is my first time wearing this dress, but I had rented it from Gwynnie Bee during the pandemic when we weren't leaving the house. I was staying at home & already lost nearly 100 pounds...it was the first time I talked about it on this blog. 

Purple & orange are fabulous together...

These Aubrey's look like mushrooms to me...

I should have worn orange lipstick...I like wearing purple, but it just isn't flattering on my lips.

I first wore this dress on the last full day we were in Tennessee visiting my parents. We went walking around Indian Boundary, which was beautiful.

A kind stranger took our photo...& we returned the flavor.

Ruger & Remy. A holly tree in my parents' yard. Driving to Knoxville for dinner...I paged through my mom's Bon Appetit magazine & took pictures of the recipes that sounded good. I subscribe online, but I miss having a physical copy...but then I remind myself I never get around to actually looking at magazines. 

Pictures outside the restaurant, Chesapeake's. Cocktails...

And dinner...

The clam chowder was wonderful. There was both a broiled & a fried seafood platter & I got the broiled, but asked for the cod fried...because cod is boring. 

Back at my parents' house...we watched A Very Murray Christmas...David picked it...because who doesn't like Bill Murray? We had watched Love Actually the night before. This was the most bizarre holiday special ever...& full of famous people...George Clooney, Miley Cyrus, Chris Rock, Paul Shaffer, Jenny Lewis, David Johansen...how?! It is worth watching to see George Clooney peeking out from behind fake trees singing, Santa Claus Needs Some Lovin'. The next morning...I donned this dress again & we headed to Paducah...but first, we stopped at a cute local coffee place. Drive-thru liquor store in Kentucky. 

We enjoyed our dinner at Freight House so much, we had immediately made reservations to stop here on our way home...what a marvelous way to bookend our trip. We began with 2 cocktails we hadn't tried last time...for David, Freight House Express (Mr. Black coffee liqueur, Lavazza espresso, Chopin vodka, chocolate bitters) & for me, Ruby's Caboose (Stoli vodka, fresh grapefruit, dreamcicle cordial, ginger beer). And then the food started coming...we only got one repeat from last time. There were already several new things on the menu since we'd been there 10 days before. Brussels Sprouts Tart (whooped citrus ricotta, roasted garlic, dried cherries, hot honey) & our favorite dish from the first time, Pork Belly Tostada (cabbage & apple slaw, horseradish aioli, stout bbq sauce). 

We didn't have the same waiter as last time, but he stopped by to talk quite a bit & recommended the Turnip Soup (grapefruit, coriander, campari yogurt, sweet greens, almonds), which we wouldn't have picked on our own. French Onion Cabbage (charred cabbage, onion jam, grilled bread, gruyere, thyme) with added pork belly, & Loaded Butternut Squash (savory rice crispies, goat cheese, pepper jelly, cajun butter). 

For our final cocktails (we still had a long drive ahead of us), The Choke Artist (Appleton estate signature rum, cynar, green chartreuse, mint) & High Fashion (Old Grand Dad 114, Belle de Brillet, Giffard ginger, yuzu bitters, Pernod spritz), which wasn't for me & I traded for a Snake in the Grass (Teremana resposada, Lucid absinthe, naranja, carpano antica, fresh sour). I'd been eager to try their Local Catfish (braised greens, sweet potato, coconut, peanut, chili oil) since we just couldn't fit it in our stomachs last time. And finally, Shrimp & Grits (spicy pork shank, button mushrooms, New Orleans bbq sauce, pimento cheese grits). We skipped dessert this time so we'd have more room for savory. I enjoyed looking through this collection of cookbooks behind me. We're so happy we came here again...everyone remembered us & was so nice...& the food here is amazing...the perfect sweet/savory balance in every dish. Sara wasn't my favorite contestant during her time on Top Chef, but boy was I wrong. I wish we could come here every week. Driving home...this came up in my Facebook feed...this red velvet playpen is *just* what our wreck room needs...isn't it spectacular?! There's room for me, David, & the dogs. About an hour outside of Madison...it began snowing...welcome home to Wisconsin. 

 

David Sedaris // Bob Mould // Thanksgiving in Tennessee

Dress: Leadlights Angelou Dress by Effie's Heart

Tights: Snag

Shoes:?

Earring: etXarte

Long Necklace: former Etsy shop

Short Necklace & Bracelet: Vintage

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-42

I adore these Effie's Heart fit & flare dresses...but I mention that every time I wear one. Perfect fit & length...with pockets. I also wore this dress last Thanksgiving.

The colors in this dress are so unusual...it's difficult to decide what to pair with it...so like last year, nothing truly matched. 

I find it interesting that both times I styled this dress I chose to wear 2 necklaces...it's not something I do often. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Stash, Toasted & Chains eyeshadow by UD, MAC lipliner in Auburn, Golshan lipstick from NARS, & OPI nail polish in I'm Not Really A Waitress. 

I wore this dress a lot back in October after my surgery...it's a nice stretchy fit & flare & was easy to throw on when I was so swollen. David & I went to see David Sedaris...he was fantastic & his outfit was outstanding, but I didn't get a good picture. A visit to Gen to get my hair cut...she used to be my regular person, but she raised her rates too high for me. It was nice seeing her again, but I'll stick with Sigrid. Her shop is right next to the Willy St. Vinny's, so...

They often have an excellent selection of vintage clothing...but the real find on this day was that full length mink coat for $25! Can you even believe that?! It's in fabulous shape & an ideal fit. Afterwards, I headed over to see Courtney for a lymphatic massage...then home to make dinner. I used to make this butternut squash risotto often, but it's probably been ~15 years...so I revisited that & added some fried chicken thighs on the side so David would have protein. 

I wore this dress again the next day...I made us pan fried salmon with crispy garlic & roasted cauliflower before heading out to Stoughton. First stop, Vinny's. 

Then over to the Opera House to see Bob Mould. 

Jason Narducy opened & while his music was fine...what I really appreciated about him was his storytelling. Bob Mould put on a great show with lots of new stuff & just enough Hüsker Dü. The entire audience was my age, give or take 3 years. 

I also wore this outfit to work & to go to the Goodwill by our house...

And then I regretted not getting that green turtleneck...so I went back again the next day. And finally...I wore this dress on Thanksgiving at my parents' house. Coffee & breakfast...French toast with blueberries from their yard. 

The view from their porch is breathtaking to me...I love sitting out there when I visit. And we watched Macy's Thanksgiving Parade! I'm guessing it's been well over 20 years since that's happened...it was fun. 

Then we did something completely different from anything you did on Thanksgiving...we shot guns in my dad's gun range. My parents have a Gator they drive down there, but David thought his truck was up to the challenge...which was terrifying & fun...my dad took video to show one of his friends. 

There were all kinds of metal things that my dad's friend Frank made...my favorite was the hostage...you tried to shoot the bad guy (red circle) without hitting the hostage (black vaguely person shaped). 

And, while there is no pictorial evidence...we were also in the room while the Packer/Lion game was on. Snacks & a glass of wine.

Then, dinner! I was supposed to make roasted Brussels sprouts with pecans & pomegranate...but the sprouts didn't make it...they were too close to the ice packs in our cooler & died. But my mom made a delicious Thanksgiving meal...with pumpkin pie...much later...because guess what? We ate too much. 

 

Anton's Shorts // Asheville // Tennessee

Dress: Cha Cha Dress in Magical Mushrooms by Nooworks

Tights: Snag

Sandals: Fluevog, F-Trip: Bridget

Shoes: Fluevog, Go Groovy: Aubrey 

Earring: Wendy Baker

Rest of Jewelry: Vintage

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-42

I got this dress a few years ago from Nooworks...I guessed on what size I'd end up & I did well. It's a medium, but it's a tight medium...which surprised me as they are a small woman owned company that makes clothes up to size 5x...so if anything, I thought their medium would be generous. It's not that it feels tight, but the print stretches more than I would like. But, mushrooms! This is a fabulously fun print & I'm pleased I have it in my mushroom dress collection. 

*Much* shorter dress than I'm comfortable with with bare legs & my lipedema. 

These 60s inspired sandals were a great match for the vibe of this outfit.

This might be the first time I'm wearing this necklace & bracelet set we found at Midwest Vintage Flea...or was it Elkhorn?

The second time I wore this in Asheville, I added tights, a cardigan, & closed toe shoes. 

These shoes remind me of mushrooms...

My make-up with this outfit included...NYX eyeliner in Jet Black, Clinique liquid liner in black, NYX lipliner in Pumpkin, Flamepoint eyeshadow by Sugarpill Cosmetics, Urban Decay lipstick in Heat, Clockwork lipstick from Sugarpill, & ILNP nail polish in Atomic Sherbet. 

I first wore this dress on the last day of September. We got an early start & went kayaking...I was hoping David would enjoy it as much as I do...but water related activities just aren't his thing. 

Farmers' market! Then home to shower, change, & drive to Spring Green. 

Dessert before dinner...why not?! We love this homemade ice cream at Wander Provisions. I had a scoop each of pumpkin spice & caramel apple chèvre...David chose chocolate & rum raisin. For our picnic, I made us Cumin Roasted Salmon with Cilantro Sauce Salad with lots of veg. 

We enjoyed the pretty sunset as we finished our meal...ending with watermelon with balsamic vinegar & basil...YUM...I'm excited for next year's watermelon season. A walk up the hill in the dark to see Anton's Shorts. 

I adored these little velvet pumpkins...aren't they sweet?!

Cocktails in cans. We had a lovely evening, but I think we left this play at intermission. 

The second time I wore this dress was the day we left Asheville to drive to my parents' house. We hadn't gone to any strictly antique shops despite there being so many...so I picked one & we headed for it...where I promptly fell in love with this brown lounger...it would have been right at home in our wreck room, but it was quite pricey...but comfortable! 

We didn't find anything we needed...except for a few items of vintage clothing that were too cheap to pass up. One last stop, Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar...there were just so many places we didn't make it to in Asheville...we didn't want to ever leave. 

They have our vote for best bookstore in Asheville...what a charming place...you could spend hours here...& they have food too...so you really could just idle away the day...so many comfy spots to relax in. I overheard the best/most terrible short exchange by the dog pillows between a father & son...mom walked away for a moment & dad says...your mother, she does that...she likes to stomp on your dreams. 

Art & antiques decorated this inviting space...we came home with a stack of books. 

The bookstore was part of the historic Grove Arcade, built in 1928...it was America's first indoor shopping mall...we stepped inside briefly...& were immediately drawn into this hat shop...

Where we both found some hats...David got the blue one he's wearing behind me above & I decided on the last one below...green & orange with autumn leaves. The woman who made them checked us out...

We really have to go...oh, ice cream! Gelato. I got a dish of salted caramel, butter pecan, & rum raisin. It was luxuriously delicious. The man who served us was the owner & he's the third generation of gelato makers. Yay! Ice cream for breakfast. I blame the dress...I don't eat ice cream very often, but I did both times while wearing this dress. 

Finally on the road to Tennessee...we had to take the back way because of the wildfire we'd seen coming into Asheville. Such a gorgeous drive surrounded by mountains...but extremely foggy at times as we got closer to my parents' house. We arrived just in time for cocktails...Moscow Mule for me & an Old-Fashioned for David, with homemade cherries.

 My mom made a fantastic Caesar salad (with anchovies!) & seafood lasagna, & we opened a couple of bottles of Hunt that we picked up at Biltmore...& ended the meal with some French Broad chocolate.