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. 

 

Milwaukee: Retique, Indulgence, Sorella, Jerry Seinfeld, Bryant's // Boxing Day

Dress: The Marais Printed Chiffon Maxi Dress by Anthropologie via Nuuly 

Coat: Catherine Malandrino, thrifted

Tights: Snag

Shoes: Fluevog, Enneagram: Enthusiast 

Purse: Portland Leather via Poshmark

Earrings: Wendy Baker

Necklace: The Embellishing Room 

Bracelet & Pins: Vintage

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-42

I love renting these Marais dresses in fun prints. I only own one though, because it's not something I'd reach for a lot after wearing it once. They're a super relaxed fit...this is a small & I really could get an XS, but it would still be oversized. Comfortable & I received many compliments...it really brightened up a winter day.  

This was my first time using this boysenberry Portland Leather Circle Crossbody purse I hunted down on Poshmark...I had my eye on it for a while, then they discontinued making it in this color. It's also my first small size rather than large...I like both of them. 

This dress had a white slip that often showed...which doesn't usually bother me when it's a better color.

There were so many tights/shoe combinations I could have gone with...but there was no doubt it had to be Fluevog. 

This bright yellow Big Bird coat is full of happiness...& I added some vintage Christmas pins for the month of December. That Christmas tree on the left was a gift from my grandma back in the early to mid-70s. 

I first wore this outfit to spend the day in Milwaukee with David. Our first stop is usually Retique (& Likewise Coffee)...where I try on *all* the clothes. 

The find of the day for me was this gold metallic oversize turtleneck sweater & skirt set from the 80s...I'm overjoyed they've stayed together all these years. The skirt is a small & the sweater is a medium, which accentuates the oversize-ness in a good way.

It was a rainy day in Milwaukee...so I had to wear Docs as to not ruin my Fluevogs. Stupid weather. We found David 2 really nice coats, as well as a bunch of other stuff. 

Then it was on to a new to us place, Indulgence Chocolate...where we did the chocolate & red wine pairing...which is such a fun idea. 

We also picked out some other truffles to nom on...they were good, but didn't compare to the chocolatiers we have here (Gail Ambrosius & Madison Chocolate Co. especially). We still had some time before dinner, so we hit up our favorite antique store. 

And took pictures of each other. David got both the shirt & pants when we were in Asheville. 

Our second time having dinner at Sorella...the first time was in September & we were able to sit outside on a lovely warm evening. They did have a large tent set up on their patio with a big fire pit burning on this night...but I'm not that brave. 

I made reservations too late to get a table in the dining room...so we sat at a table in the bar area, which I may have liked better because it was a smaller room. These Arancini Mortadella were amazing...I'd been dreaming about them since last time. Our first cocktails were...Autumn in Flight (GL brandy, aperol, muddled cranberry & orange, apple cider, Peychaud's bitters) &...

Autunno (Mt. Gay rum, Frangelico, Poppy amaro, St. George pear, saba, lemon, root beer bitters). We also shared...Gnocchi Genovese (potato gnocchi, short rib & onion ragu) with a side of crispy potatoes...&...

Chicken Parmigiana (crispy chicken breast, marinara, mozzarella), & our absolute favorite thing from the first time, Cavatelli with Monday Sauce (broken meatball, sausage & pork ragu, ricotta)...it's just SO good. And we were SO full. The dessert here wasn't that memorable last time, so we just shared an espresso martini. 

Then...on to the reason we were in Milwaukee...Jerry Seinfeld. The line to get in was ridiculously long, but luckily it had mostly stopped raining. Jerry was hilarious & his show was so tight...& nothing he said was risky or made him in danger of being cancelled. I'm not usually into that kind of comedy...but he made it work. 

Afterwards, we decided to check out Bryant's...which has been on my list for years. There was a pretty long wait to get in, but not for us because we were only 2 people & the rest of the groups were at least 4. One of the guys in line complimented David's shirt & I told him he should check out his pants...he replied, maybe I already did & now I'm embarrassed...which made me laugh...I'm always impressed when someone shoots back the perfect retort. Bryant's has been open since 1938...& was an absolute time capsule...swanky velvet & the most smooth sound system I'd ever heard. There was a main floor & an upstairs, which was where we ended up. They don't have a menu of drinks...they're known for just telling your server what you're in the mood for...something with rum, vanilla, & citrus...or a tiki drink or whatever...& magically a drink appears that fulfills your wish. David got a take on a Hurricane & my cocktail was a Bryant's traditional favorite, Candle Light (a fruity vodka drink that our waiter set on fire). 

For only a handful of days in December...the Tom & Jerry bar is open...you go into the back room to collect your drink...it was the best thing we had all evening. I then asked for an ice cream drink with kalualua, chocolate, & caramel...& then I lost track. Our drinks were taking a while, so our waiter brought us some holiday punch...which was way too sweet & boozy for us. This place was so charming...warm & inviting...I could hang out there for hours...& probably would have LOVED it back in the 90s...but craft cocktails have come so far...so these blasts from the past just weren't that appealing to us. I'm so happy we experienced it though. 

David came home with a great haul from Retique...including this vintage wool coat. 

Our finds from the antique store...a tissue holder for my office at work, a jewelry display mirror for my makeup/jewelry room, & bits & bobs to decorate myself. My Retique scores...mmmmm...velvet. 

The second time I wore this dress was on Boxing Day to shop for sale Old World ornaments & similar...we found SO many new ones...it really makes decorating the tree the following year so much fun since we only briefly see these, so they are exciting all over again. On this day we visited Little Luxuries, Sur le Table, Bruce Company, & Kleins. Then...home to have leftovers from Christmas Eve dinner...ribs that we made on the grill with the blueberry chipotle bbq sauce from 12 Bones in Asheville & baked apples...I also roasted us some romanesco broccoli. YUM. 

 

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.