I am wearing PANTS! I mean, I know you can barely tell since they have such wide legs. But. They are still pants. I couldn't resist the bright 60s color palette & pretty pattern. I would have considered buying this jumpsuit if it didn't run so big...it just seemed like something you could throw on all summer long. Nice deep pockets, great length for flats or heels, smocking on top, strapless neckline.
I don't have much of a cardigan collection (yet)...so despite having a few different greens AND oranges to choose from...nothing quite went...so black it was.
But Meshel, you clearly didn't care that your shoes weren't quite a match...nope, I liked the Go Groovy shape of them with the pantsuit.
Shoes up close...
I finally dyed my hair...it was so grown out & dingy. I did it in the kitchen sink so I didn't have dye running down my body & incisions. Also, lifting my arms up is hard. Note to self: dye hair before surgery next time.
My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Perversion, Stila liquid eyeliner in Intense Black, Huda Beauty Neon palette, Bang lipliner & lipstick by UD, Bite Beauty lipliner in 72, Nectar lipstick from Sugarpill Cosmetics, & Essie nail polish in Sexy Plunge.
I first wore these pants to see Devotchka with Kate at Stoughton Opera House.
I bought a t-shirt...I'll wear it to pilates or hiking. I thought the face on the front was pretty & I like the lyrics on the back, you only love me when I'm leaving. They had a musician playing in the lounge...it was nice to see such a well attended show...most of them this year seem to be about 50 people.
In the front row...
Kate & I saw them several times back in the early 00s...they were SO good (the first time was opening for Dresden Dolls in the back room of a bar in Chicago).
This show was great, but we were a bit underwhelmed when comparing them to their past selves...which they brought out just in time for the last song, Such A Lovely Thing...which made the whole night special. Back at home...a glass of wine in front of the fire. The second time I wore this pantsuit was to get a tattoo by the fabulous Bear. They custom drew a piece to fit this spot on my leg...can you see my girls up on the wall to the left of my knee?I love sunflowers...we'll do color next time. I came home to the house smelling delicious...David made curry squash soup from the gigantic squash we had roasted...with sausages he helped make the night before during a class at Meat People.
Sometimes I wonder about me...like, why did I pick this boring dress?! It was alright to wear to work. Good fit & length. Super long attached belt.
I liked how I cinched the cardigan together with the dress belt. Since the sweater doesn't have any buttons, I would typically find a decorative pin to keep it closed.
So windy...
My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Sabbath; Heroine, Bobby Dazzle, & Angel eyeshadow from UD; NYX lipliner in Pumpkin; Teacher's Pet & Nectar lipstick by Sugarpill Cosmetics; & ILNP nail polish in Misery.
I wore this outfit to work...& to vote.
And do some grocery shopping at the co-op...where I happened upon a display of Uplands Cheese Rush Creek Reserve, which is only available for a brief time in the fall. It is delicious. I decided we could go through 4 of these between now & the end of the year...so that's what I grabbed. Back at home...I made Chicken Tikka Masala for the first time. It was warm & comforting.
And I made enough for us to have leftovers the next day. Our personal trainer had recommended a woman for me to go to for scar work & visceral manipulation. I don't think I'll go back. The entire appointment was weird & all she did was put her hands on me & talk to my organs. I'm just not a believer. Church of Cash is coming to High Noon! They were SO much fun this past summer in Munising. But it won't be the same without Brian.
The final outdoor farmers' market of the season was cooooold, but we stocked up on a few things including 2 enormous Hubbard squash...which we immediately went home & stuck in the oven.
While our turkey sized squash was roasting (along with 14 heads of garlic)...we headed over to Meat People Butcher to place an order for a fresh organic turkey. My October Boxy Charm & our new yellow French press. Preeeetty.
I feel very fortunate that the 2 dresses Gwynnie Bee sent me right after surgery were comfortable Effie's Heart dresses. The color on this was so pretty & I adore pomegranates. The fit & length were good...unfortunately, the day of these photos I decided to stuff my faja with lipo foam for more compression...so I'm padded all the way around my middle which pulls the dress up & out. I probably should have retaken them...but this is what I looked like in real life on this day.
Stuffed & swollen...recovery is hard.
But! Cute Fluevogs! And this is my first time wearing this antique necklace we found at Elkhorn last summer.
My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in Perversion, Violet Voss Berry Burst eyeshadow palette, Huda Beauty Ruby Obsessions eyeshadow palette, Burgundy lipliner from MAC, Red Chocolate lipliner by Laura Mercier, MAC lipstick in New York Apple, Nars lipstick in Cruella, & ILNP nail polish in Misery.
Another gorgeous farmers' market Saturday. We couldn't resist getting more of these gigantic mums (2 for us, 2 for our cleaning woman).
So colorful surrounded by crispy fallen leaves.
Our final APT play of the season...indoors, of course...on a beautiful sunny fall day...Stones in His Pocket. We packed a picnic since it was such a lovely day...but when we got there...we discovered they had already locked up their tables for the year. Other people were standing & using the tops of trash bins...quite a few of us planned on picnicking. We decided to drive up to the theatre to take outfit photos & noticed there was a picnic table in the parking lot...not the best location, but we set up there anyway. A fabulous last picnic of the season & a wonderful play to end on. I drove the cart around Costco...my first time, so I was a danger to everyone...it's harder than it looks. I happened to catch Amanda Palmer live on Instagram...so many amazing pumpkins. I follow a bunch of low carb accounts that I basically ignore, because they usually make food I have no interest in...however...we bought some Walleye fillets at Costco & I was in the mood for fish fry...when I remembered that people use pork rinds as "breading". Pork rinds. It doesn't sound that good, does it?! I threw pork rinds in the food processor, then added some salt & other seasonings...I dipped the fish in egg & covered it with the breading...fried in olive oil. It was delicious & crispy...we liked it so much, I made it again a few days later. More meals at home...I make salmon a lot. David made us some venison burgers...served with chili crisp & sauerkraut...I didn't even touch the ketchup. After dropping off a chair at the dump, David suggested we check out what was available at Decon. They were just opening & we were excited to look around. The first thing I spied that I immediately fell in love with...this old washing machine. I have wanted one since I was a kid...& this one had been used right up until the woman went into the nursing home. We also picked up 2 more of these bar carts...they are extremely useful for crafting & so many things. And David noticed this metal frame...don't know what it is...but we've been looking for a TV tray alternative for me in the wreck room...so David is going to make me one. Later that day, David did a few loads of laundry in our new washing machine! I didn't take any photos, just a long video of him doing it & talking about his memories of his great grandma using one. It was really fun. Especially since I'm going to turn it into a flower planter or a cooler for drinks outside. Then, onto Midwest Vintage Flea! I'd never been before since there wouldn't have been anything that fit me. Shortly after getting there, David picked out this fabulous 70s dress for me, but sadly, it only had a 22" waist. But this tapestry coat was lovely...I guess I'm a collector of vintage coats now. I also got 3 purses, including this delightfully autumn fuzzy one. Wowza! This dress immediately caught my attention...purple velvet octopus prom dress! I posted this photo on Facebook & one of my friends went with her kiddo the next day & got it. They are tiny & do drag...I can't wait to see how they style it.The shoes I wore the Midwest Flea day. Apparently, David makes venison (steaks with duxelles & roasted sweet potatoes), I make salmon.
Another fantastic Effie's Heart dress. The wide neckline showed off *all* my undergarments, but would have otherwise been cute...however, may have been difficult to hide bra straps? Good fit & length. Typical EH comfiness & cuteness. I adored the moon phases print. It fetched a lot of compliments.
I'm not doing it justice here as this is the first time I got fully dressed after surgery. I have to wear lots of compression garments for at least 8 weeks, then I can take some breaks, 12 hours on/12 hours off. Also, super swollen, which is why I'm not bothering with my measurements as I have no clue right now.
Two necklaces with moon themes...trying to distract from my compression sleeves & faja poking out.
My make-up with this outfit included...Urban Decay eyeliner in LSD, Powder Trip & Fireball eyeshadow by UD, Bang lipliner from UD, NYX lipliner in Pumpkin, Teacher's Pet & Nectar lipstick by Sugarpill Cosmetics, & ILNP nail polish in Pumpkin Patch.
I did not wear this dress on this day, my first full day home. David & I went to the farmers' market...it was in the 70s & I just wanted to enjoy the beautiful day. He had to push me in a wheelchair as I couldn't walk that much. In addition to delicious autumn produce...we also got ourselves 3 mums for our front porch. After we got home...we did our first shower, bandages, compression rigamarole. It took us nearly 3 hours...I felt guilty for needing so much help & I was exhausted. Then...the day got better again when Kate & Jason came to visit. You can see one of our mums peeking out next to them & a flower in their hair.
After they left, *I* made us dinner. I was supposed to just lay around in bed for weeks...but I just couldn't do it. I think I ate nothing but salmon for at least the first week I was home...perhaps even 2 weeks. My October Boxy Charm.
ILNP's Trapped Collection...their 2 autumn collections have been so stunning...I've gotten both sets. How are you supposed to know if a polish is magnetic though?! I think it's just the green one here...I've got the magnet though.
Pretty colorful autumn mums...& this antique double sink is the perfect stand for them.
In late summer, I made my own old fashioned fermented pickles...I just left them on the counter for 2 weeks. These particular ones were ginger & horseradish (the other jar was just regular garlic dill)...I found my favorite way to eat them was mixed into some cottage cheese. YUM. Still all compression-ed up...final drain still in.
David heard about Maui Nui venison through a few of the podcasts he listens to. Hawaii's deer meat is incredibly nutritious due to the rich volcanic soils & plant diversity. So, we now have a monthly subscription box. I used to hate venison...it tasted gamey to me...now I adore it. David wanted me to come home to flowers that wouldn't die...felt flowers for the kitchen. I love them...all my favorite colors.
I was going to wait until 3 weeks after surgery to drive...but at 2 weeks, we had an appointment to drop off the truck at the dealer...so I thought I'd try it...it was fine. I've been confused through this entire healing process. At 2 weeks, I was able to do everything but exercise. Other girls still aren't leaving the house at 5+ weeks & nap a lot. I'm going to say it's because I eat so well? Also, most of these women had weight loss surgery & aren't able to get the nutrition their bodies need to heal & thrive. After dropping the truck, we browsed the Vinny's nearby. Working on building up a new cardigan collection.
I ordered 2 black fajas in a size down...beige just makes me sad.
David & I had tickets to a play right next door to Heritage Tavern & we were early...how does that always happen?! Cocktails & nibbles before the show. David ordered a Fool's Spring (Ford's gin, Stateline aquavit, galangal syrup, greek yogurt, lemon juice, celery bitters) & I got a Thai-Me (Thai basil vodka, black pepper Ramazotti, Italicus liqueur, lemon juice, cucumber bitters).
And a special of the day...Scallop Ceviche with Dane County Truffle (I didn't even know we *had* truffles in Wisconsin!).
Trying to capture all the autumn goodness in our entryway selfies. Seated in the front row of Bent (revolving around the persecution of gays in Nazi Germany). Fantastic play & production. It always amazes me how Strollers puts on such great shows with next to no budget.
Some of our finds at Vinny's...taking the tags off so I can wash everything.
I also wore this dress to go to my first concert after surgery...Sean Hayes...with Kate & Jason.
Abigail Lapell opened.
Before the show, John Courage (Sean's guitar player) was next to us trying to selfie with an older couple...so I offered to take the photo. I couldn't help myself...I said to him...I've only seen you online & your hair is even more spectacular in person (it's a perfect disco fro). Fabulous show. Wonderful company. The final time I wore this dress was to get a haircut from Sigrid...it felt SO good.
They custom drew a piece to fit this spot on my leg...can you see my girls up on the wall to the left of my knee?
I love sunflowers...we'll do color next time. I came home to the house smelling delicious...David made curry squash soup from the gigantic squash we had roasted...with sausages he helped make the night before during a class at Meat People. 
They custom drew a piece to fit this spot on my leg...can you see my girls up on the wall to the left of my knee?
I love sunflowers...we'll do color next time. I came home to the house smelling delicious...David made curry squash soup from the gigantic squash we had roasted...with sausages he helped make the night before during a class at Meat People. 
