Workin' & Thriftin'

Dress: Flutter Sleeve Floral Fit & Flare Dress by Taylor Dresses (size 8) via Gwynnie Bee

Sandals: Born via Poshmark

Earring & Necklace: Wendy Baker

Bracelets: Vintage

Stats: 5'7" 38-32-42

Colors completely out of my color palette...& a fabulously unusual combination with the dark olive green thrown in with the turquoise, lilac, & white. Great length, adored the 2 layered flutter sleeves & high side slit. Lined in lilac. Pretty summer dress, my only complaint is...again...the smocked waist starts too far up...am I just getting the wrong size? This seems to be happening a lot this summer. 

The slit looks innocent enough above...but I wore this on 2 windy days & it was quite revealing. 

I find these floral wedges with flowers printed on the cork appealing...the cork doesn't hold up as well as I'd like...but I'm still considering picking these up in coral. 

This *might* be my first time wearing both the earring & necklace from Ms. Wendy...or second...either way, they are too cute to just sit at home, but they don't often match what I'm wearing. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Abyss & Deep End, Twilight & Amethyst eyeshadow by Huda Beauty, UD eyeshadow in Mildew, Flashback lipstick from UD, & OPI nail polish in Next Stop...The Bikini Zone & Purple with a Purpose. 

Dogs playing in the backyard on the morning Brian left to drive back to the UP...we were sipping coffee...then headed over to the local Sunday market. Where there was music & food...& I wore my pajamas & not this dress. 

I got some rather tasty tamales from El Sabor de Puebla, one chicken, one pork...I'd definitely get the pork ones again...& 2 for $5...ridiculous deal. Brian got a grilled lamb skewer with a side of bean fritters at Les Delices De Awa...which I think both of us found not nearly as flavorful as they smelled. And I brought myself home some sunflowers. 

After Brian left, David & I decided to tackle the rearranging of our spices. It was slightly overwhelming...but look at the organization...

All of this represents 7 hours of work by both me & David. We had SO many spices that were all over the place. We used our new kitchen island to store chili & spicy blends, curries, blends with no salt, blends with salt, baking blends, & other cooking stuff. Our original pull out spice drawers house single origin spices from A-Z. And our cabinet left of the stove holds all our oils, vinegars, & a few salt & peppers. It is so easy to find things now! Organization...who knew?! We took a break in the middle of all this to eat the rainbow trout I bought at market, with some roasted veggies & berries. 

I wore this dress to work twice the following week...also, to get a lymphatic massage from Courtney & thrift. 

I came home to these Chie Mihara olive & mustard oxfords that I found on eBay for $30...this continues to blow my mind...I wish second hand Fluevogs came this cheap. The Goodwill in Middleton had loads of LuLaRoe leggings...it was difficult to narrow it down..but these were the color & pattern combinations that most called to me...I am especially enamored with those veggies. 

 

Purple Polka Dots

Dress: Lavander Polka Dot Brittany Dress by Leota (size XL) via Gwynnie Bee

Teggings: Re/Dress

Shoes: 9 West, thrifted 

Earring & Necklace: Wendy Baker

Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 40-37-53

Great fit & length on this dress...& I adore polka dots...it was just too pastel for me. The fabric on this was thinner & clinger than most Leota dresses. I liked how the waist was banded & the gathers under the breasts...although looking at this on the GB site just now...the waist was supposed to be ruched...mine did not naturally lay that way...so I guess I was supposed to do that? Oops. 

I do enjoy purple & yellow together...so that is what I did. I didn't put a lot of thought into the styling as I didn't love the dress & just wore it to work a few times. 

Another fabulous Wendy creation...I adore these bubble necklaces, but they are too big on me & are in the hands of Wendy right now being sized down & adding a bit on the back that allows it to be clasped at different lengths. 

My make-up with this outfit included...NYX eyeliner in Purple Blaze, Huda Beauty Amethyst Obsessions eyeshadow palette, Grape lipliner by MAC, UD lipstick in Mad & Flashback, & OPI nail polish in Next Stop...The Bikini Zone. 

Do I need new shoes? The answer is always yes...a woman can never have too many shoes. But they should fit & the majority of them should be comfortable. I couldn't resist these red leopard heels on Poshmark...I'd had my eye on them for a while, but the seller rejected my offer...then a few months later offered them to me for what I wanted to pay. I get the best deals on there...& I also sell & am willing to say yes to reasonable bids...I'm just trying to get rid of stuff. Golabki (stuffed cabbage rolls) I made back in March...emptying the freezer. Check out my eyelashes...I have NEVER had such luscious lashes in my life. A few months ago (on the recommendation of my hairdresser), I started using Grande Lash MD. To be honest, I wasn't super optimistic that it would work for me...but it did! Luckily, they sell it at the beauty supply & I've kept my license active, so I can buy it at 1/2 price...but it is worth every penny they ask for. Milkweed on our walk to work...Kate ID-ed it for me. I thought it looked like prickly pickles.
More new shoes from Poshmark...some Fluevogs & much needed navy shoes. More shoe stretching to make these Fluevogs fit. I love them so much, but have never been able to wear them. And a few bags David picked up for me at his weekly trip to Vinny's. I'd use the blue one for the beach...although I'm not sure that will happen again this year. The colors & 70s pattern on that other purse, very me. 

 

Heritage Tavern // Vanya and Sonia and Masha & Spike // Neil Gaiman

Dress: Floral Wrap Maxi Dress from Maeve by Anthropologie (size 16W) via Nuuly

Sandals: Born

Earrings: Colleen Toland

Necklace: Green Goddess Vintage

Bracelet: Vintage

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 41-39-53

Soft pretty dress in a cotton-like fabric. I adored the color combination of pastels mixed with the bold dark purple. The fit from the waist down was good, although it gapped a bit around the pockets. Up top however...kind of a disaster...too big & super plunge-y, I had to pin it closed to keep it from just falling off. It also flared out under the too large armholes. But, pretty, right? 

This old warehouse by our house has endless options for photoshoot backgrounds...this was our first time using this one...

This was my first time wearing this lilac necklace from Green Goddess...I thought it was so lovely, but also...when am I going to wear this light purple necklace?! Then, I did. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Viper, Lime Crime eyeshadow in Candles, orange shadow from Violet Voss Sparkling Cherry Limeade palette, a purple from Huda Beauty Electric Obsessions palette, Bang eyeliner & lipstick by UD, & OPI nail polish in Orange You Going To The Game? 

I made dinner...2 recipes from Christopher Kimball/Milk Street...Cashew Coconut Meatballs with Creamy Spiced Tomato Sauce, served with Stir-Fried Mushroom & Asparagus with Lemongrass. Then I took a selfie for my boyfriend before leaving the house. Cuties in front of Heritage. 

We got outfit pictures in just before it started pouring. Me with the capitol in the background & stormy skies. 

Hi, Heritage Tavern! 

We were actually going to a play next door, but were early enough to sit at the bar & have some cocktails before walking over. I had to have another Bananas Foster the People, because it's currently my favorite drink offering of theirs. David had a Fool's Spring, which was new the last time we were there. 

Gotham Bagel owner, Joe Gaglio, in the background with some of his employees...I love seeing small business owners supporting each other. My second drink was a Pistachio Mai Tai. David had the special drink on the board, Pail & Shovel (tequila, mezcal, malort, aloe liqueur, sage syrup, lime & grapefruit, & celery bitters)...I'm so glad he took a chance on that odd sounding cocktail as he ended up loving it & was able to tell its creator what he thought of it. Also, as it was pouring buckets outside...I turned to David & said, oh, no...we didn't bring an umbrella...he took my hand & guided it to his pants...where he had a collapsable umbrella in his pocket. Is that an umbrella in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

Vanya and Sonia and Masha & Spike at The Bartell Theatre. SO good! They did an amazing job. Casting & acting for this were fabulous. Forward did this play back in 2015 & I'm sorry we didn't see it then. 
The next day, after a loooooong day at Elkhorn Antique Flea Market (which I forgot to post when I posted the dress I wore, I'll add it to my next post)...Neil Gaiman with Kate (rescheduled from 2020)! 

Pretty sparkly jumpsuit...

Neil Gaiman was wonderful & the girlie got us excellent seats to this sold out show. 

 

51 Year Old Cupcake

Dress: Tonal Stripe Iris Dress by Maison Tara (size 24) via Gwynnie Bee

Leggings: LuLaRoe via eBay (TC2)

Sandals: Born

Earrings: Wendy Baker

Necklace & Bracelet: Colleen Toland

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 50-47-68

Let's get this out of the way up front...I realize I look like a 51 year old cupcake in this dress. I mean, I don't believe in dressing your age, but what was I thinking closeting this dress?! I wore this dress only to get my photos taken. The fit was good, I could have gone down a size. The color & style just weren't me...other than that, the only thing I didn't like about it was how the waist was a 'V' & that, combined with the floofy fabric made the boob area look droopy. 

I had intended to style this as completely monochrome, but the lilac in these leggings matched so nicely...I had to wear them. Also, I think the dress needed a pattern to pop...so now you look at the bottom instead of the cupcake top, right?! 

This Colleen Toland set has matching earrings, but I went with the larger Wendy Baker ones instead.

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Viper; UD eyeshadow in Dazed, Cyber Punk, Euphoric, & Purple Dust; Grape lip liner by MAC; NYX Cosmic Metals in Ultra Violet; UD lipstick in Mad; & OPI nail polish in Next Stop...The Bikini Zone & Pile on the Sprinkles. 

May's Boxy Charm...

 

Hold On To Hope

 Dress: Floral Lavender Fit & Flare Dress by Eva Rose (size 4x) via Gwynnie Bee

Teggings: Re/Dress

Sandals: Born

Earring: The Embellishing Room

Necklace: Green Goddess Vintage

Bracelet: Old Costume Jewelry

Photography: Super Boo & Me

Stats: 5'7" 55-50-64

Eva Rose makes lovely warm weather dresses...& this lavender frock was all about spring. The fit & length were good, but it got easily wrinkled around my waist from sitting. Also, the fabric was super shiny & thin. It was still a fun dress to wear.

I'm incredibly excited that it's finally sandal season. But incredibly depressed that my knee hurts so much that I had to use my cane half way through taking these photos because just standing in place is too painful. 

All the jewelry here is being worn by me for the first time...the earring & necklace are from newly discovered artists on Etsy & the bracelet we found at the Nashville flea market last autumn. 

My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Voodoo; UD eyeshadow in Asphyxia, Wildheart, Guilt Trip, & Big Sky; Mad lipstick by UD; & Samurai Breaks a Nail nail polish from OPI. 

A surprise delightful Davina singing live on my computer screen, a little vinyl garden art seen driving home, & a delicious dinner that David made from farmers' market goodness...including some amazing asparagus. I've been buying 3 pounds a week...their season is sadly so short. 

People! In person! People we like! People we like in person! I know you can all relate to how exciting that is in these times. David & Fred played peek-a-boo, which was...of course...adorable. After not seeing us for 2 months, he was a bit shy. We all socially distanced...with the exception of Val. Val surprised me by jumping up on my lap...my hat flew off...& it was pretty much one of the best things ever. At home...PBS was showing a Concert on the Square from two years ago. Kate & I attended this one because it was all Journey & Queen songs...we were there for Queen, but ended up loving the Journey part much more. The singer sounded quite a bit like Steve Perry...so I just watched that first half & marveled at how blissfully normal everything was back then. Also, since Kate & I sit very far away...I was not aware that all three back-up singers were wearing Fluevogs. 

High Noon also premiered a taped show from a few years ago of Seasaw. And Scott Bradlee did a late night online request show for an hour. Kate & I went to see Postmodern Jukebox a few years ago, but he wasn't on that tour & it seemed really cheap & gimmicky. But he was amazing playing live...someone would throw out a request of...play a mashup of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds & Girls Just Wanna Have Fun...in ragtime style. I was smiling the whole time he was playing. 

I have such a full live online music schedule...that I nearly missed this one...luckily Kate reminded me. Green Note, a music venue in London...has been doing a series called Virtually Green Note...in the round, featuring three artists taking turns playing songs. We were in it for The Lowest Pair...but the other two guys were awesome too. I love discovering new music. 

Another surprise Davina...giving us a tour of outside & inside her house. Charlie Parr (& some guy on harmonica that he called his brother), & Friday night regular, Sean Hayes. I spied this colorful hopeful message painted on the side of a building on my way to farmers' market pickup, Hold On To Hope. Yes, let us do that. First strawberries of spring from Young Earth Farm were a tasty treat.