Ladies Who Lunch & Shop

 Dress: Skater Dress from ASOS Curve via Gwynnie Bee (click link to get a free month & help me earn a free garment for a month)

Socks: Sock Dreams

Shoes: Dansko 

Necklace: Babil & Bijou

Earring: Me

Photography: Me & Angie (iPhone)

I wore this ASOS skater dress to have lunch with Angie, get our make-up done at the MAC counter, & check out a new plus size clothing store. This dress was ok, nothing special. Mostly, I was just not a fan of the print...not my style...too modern, too much going on. The dress was extremely comfortable, although it could have used a belt to give it some shape. 

We had lunch at Cafe Porta Alba & I had my favorite pizza, Quattro Fromaggi (fresh mozzarella, parmesan, fontina, gorgonzola, & fresh basil (no tomato sauce). Deliciously baked in their wood burning oven.

After lunch we wandered into the mall right into Cornblooms where I fell in love with these olive & black patent Fidji shoes. Aren't they adorable?! I tried (very clumsily) to blur out the background so no other shoes were in the photo. I really wish they had come home with me, but even on sale, they were a bit more than I can justify spending on shoes. Someday. 

Finally...the MAC counter! Despite being there for the release of Playland...neither of us used any of this makeup for our makeovers. Look how pretty my eyeshadow is! I am terrible at applying eyeshadow myself, so I was very pleased with this look. 

 I ended up leaving with one of the Playland lipsticks, Head in the Clouds, a lovely red with gold shimmer. I also got a light orange lipstick, Korean Candy, because it looked so pretty on Angie...& because, orange. Lastly, I had to have a Rubenesque Paint Pot...this lovely cream shadow is golden peachy copper perfection & it is a wonderful highlighter color for me. 

Angie had spotted this store, Z. Bella Boutique, a few weeks back & I had never even heard of it...so we decided to check it out. It is splendid! A plus size store with high end brands you can actually try on without ordering online. Amazing. 

Angie & I in matching pocketed drapey dresses by Nyah. I loved the color of this. So much spring!

Look at those gorgeous Cherry Velvet dresses!! The owner, Zoe, was wearing the purse print dress & it looked adorable on her. She was incredibly nice & she has a great selection of clothes for a variety of tastes. 

This floral dress from Adrianna Papell took my breath away. They have an even lovelier one currently by this same brand that is orange...but sadly...the larger sizes of both are sold out. I am extremely excited to have this fabulous plus size store in town & I plan on visiting regularly to stalk pretty frocks. 

Juliet in Blue

 Dress: Juliet Dress from SWAK via Gwynnie Bee (click link to get a free month & help me earn an extra garment for a month)

Cardigan: Avenue

Socks: Sock Dreams

Shoes: Born

Necklace: gift from Kate

Bracelet: Romancing the Bling

Earring: ebay

Photography: Kate & Me (iPhone, Canon Rebel)

I wore this pretty as a peacock outfit to work & dinner at Kate's place as well as on another day for work & to see a band. I loved this extremely soft & comfortable dress so much I bought it, it was already a steal, then GB offered me another 20% off. It is the most gorgeous shade of blue & I love how it flows. It will be a great dress to throw on all year long. 

I never noticed how many windy days we have in Madison until I started taking outfit photos...I'm always getting blown away!

Did you notice I got a bang trim?! $10!!!! Why have I never done this before??! And the best part? I called & got in the very next day! I'm only getting bang trims from now on. Also, I am wearing NYX waterproof eyeliner in Gypsy Blue. SO pretty! I used a coupon from Ulta to get it & at only a few dollars...totally worth it. It does not stay put as well as Stila or Sephora waterproof eyeliners, but at such a cheap price...I would buy other liner colors from them in not often used shades. 

Kate had me over for dinner with her 2 loves while Super Boo was in California planting his grandma's garden. We drank a lovely Prosecco & ate mushroom & spinach "risotto" (barley, not rice). It took 2 hours to make, but was worth the wait! 

We also introduced Olive & Zelda for the first time. It went as well as a meeting of a new cat & dog could...she immediately swiped at Olive's nose & hissed whenever Olive became too curious. Below is Zelda imitating a gargoyle a safe distance from Olive. 

There was a free band playing at The Overture downtown that sounded good...Americana. They turned out to be more country, but my goal was to practice my Canon picture taking skills, so it was good & since I went alone...maximum people watching. 

I pulled out my olive Lafont frames I hardly ever wear. What do you think?

I Wanna See You Bellydance

Dress: Maxi Dress from tbagslosangeles via Gwynnie Bee (click link to get a free month & help me earn a free garment for a month)

Cardigan: Avenue

Sandals: Dansko

Necklace: Babil & Bijou

Earring: Age Before Beauty

Jewelry (last 2 photos): Vintage

Black/White Dress: Whimsey Tribal Dress from Lucie Lu via GB

Photography: Kate & Me (iPhone); David, 2nd to last photo (Canon Rebel)

I wore the tbags dress twice, once to the film fest & the second time to a bellydance show. I also wore the above black & white dress the same Saturday as the bellydance show to go to the last indoor farmers' market & to a book sale at the library (with no makeup). The Lucie Lu dress was nothing special. Their dresses run small & my normal size of 4x was quite tight on me. I was not a fan of the tribal print either. 

Kate looking cute in this ASOS dress & Oscar bag. I am in LOVE with her socks & MUST get them...if Sock Dreams ever has another sale...its been a while. 

I first wore this tbags dress to the film fest because I thought I didn't like it & would just wear it once in the cover of darkness...what was I thinking?! I ended up adoring this dress & nearly cried when I had to send it back. Before sending it back, I wore it again to the annual UW Spring Bellydance Show with *much* better jewelry. I loved everything about this dress...I'm not even going to complain about tbags habit of not finishing the hems on their expensive dresses. The colors & patterns on this dress were amazing. I thought the cut & the way it draped was flattering & unusual...I felt like a Greek Goddess. I liked the deep v in back & the dress was so incredibly comfortable. LOVE.

This is our book haul from the final hours of the library book sale...$3 a bag! David & I each stuffed a bag to overflowing. 

Kate & I have been going to this bellydance show for several years now. There were 2! male dancers in the show this year. Both were fabulous. The guy below first came out in a solo number & I felt like I should stuff $ in his pants...he was in pretty good shape. 

The show was really good...so many talented dancers & envy worthy costumes. I need to dig out my coin scarf & find an outfit to wear it with. 

I really liked the jewelry I paired with this dress the second time around.

The Pines with The Sills

 Dress: Elizabeth Dress in Floral Bouquet by Cherry Velvet via Gwynnie Bee (click link to get a free month & help me earn a free garment for a month)

Cardigan: Avenue

Teggings: Re/Dress

Sandals: Dansko

Necklace: A Luscious Thing

Earring: 80s vintage from The Limited 

Photography: Me, Jason, & Kate (iPhone)

I wore this fabulous foxy floral frock to girlie happy hour & to see The Pines & The Sills play at High Noon. I'm kind of in love with this dress. I really like the fit of Cherry Velvet dresses...they are tight on top & then flare out, which I feel is flattering on me. Most Cherry Velvet dresses run big & this 3x fit me wonderfully. The fabric is a nice heavy weight & I adore all the flowers & colors in this dress. I want a whole wardrobe of this style of dress.

Super Boo helped me choose these teggings to wear underneath the dress...I nearly went with bright yellow...these are perfect. 

I am wearing eyeshadow from the Urban Decay Vice 2 palette. I love UD shadows. 

New spring drink menu at Merchant! Our first drinks of the night: Beet for Kate & The Young Cardinal for me. Both went on my list of 'Merchant Drinks I Like'...our second drinks did not. 

 2 Girlies in Cherry Velvet dresses are better than 1!

Other than when we saw them in the living room at The Anna Lee, this was the best performance by The Sills I've seen...the sound is great at The High Noon Saloon. And...they had a fantastic new bootleg CD for sale that I can't get out of my head. 

The Pines were wonderful...mellow haunting Americana. We especially enjoyed Benson's soft raspy voice. I am looking forward to seeing them again in September at The Shitty Barn. 

Purple Paisley

 Skirt & Top: Lane Bryant (2003)

Sandals: Born

Necklace: Jody McGill

Earring: etXarte

Photography: Super Boo & Me (iPhone)

I wore this flow-y outfit on this breezy warm day to work & to see our last film of the festival. I have had this skirt & top since 2003. I am quite sure that Kate bought this for me because I wanted some new clothes to wear to go to San Francisco with Super Boo for the first time. We actually drove across the country in his truck on a road trip out to California. This remains one of my favorite warmer weather ensembles...I also have it in black, but I prefer this purple. 

I don't know if you can tell here, but I am wearing this gorgeous purple sparkly eyeliner from Stila, Purple Tang.

Another Day, Another Movie...or 3...

 Dress: Sleeveless Ruched Waist Dress by Jessica Howard via Gwynnie Bee (click link to get a free month & help me earn a free garment for a month)

Cardigan: Lane Bryant

Shoes: Dansko

Necklace: Vintage

Earring: Wendy Baker

Lipstick: Blood Orange Matte Creme Lip Crayon from Bite Beauty

Photography: Super Boo & Me (iPhone)

Another comfortable dress for film fest. This is the 4th dress I've gotten in this style from Jessica Howard. I like it as much as I can considering the gapping problem in front & the bunchy pointless zipper in back. However, I forgive those things because of the marvelous ruching at the waist & its perfect length. I am not a huge fan of this pattern, I prefer it in dots. I liked how this chartreuse cardigan & orange lipstick gave the outfit punches of much needed color. I have an aversion to white & felt the need for something to offset how much of it I was wearing. 

These photos were taken right before seeing our first film of the day at Sundance Cinema, which is the most comfortable theatre ever.

I really like my hair. For years, I fought my natural wavy texture & used products & equipment to straighten it, then I spent years setting it in hot rollers...soooo much work & time. Now I just spray some sea salt spray in it while it's wet, then add a dab of molding mud/concrete when dry. Easy!

I don't know why, but I was very excited by the fire hose port.