I Say You Don't Know

Dress: thrifted * Tights: Christmas present * Boots: Rockport * Wood cuff: H&M * Earrings: self-made

I don't normally post over the weekends (although, since I'm doing the 30 for 30 this time around, I better get in the habit of doing so!), but I just had to share my outfit from Joe and my date night on Friday. If you recall, we went out for a fancy dinner to celebrate my three-quarters birthday (and no, I'm not ashamed to celebrate four times a year, why do you ask?). The dinner was spectacular. Each of our dishes was simple and unassuming, but used fresh, local products to make the flavors incredibly vibrant and amazingly delicious.

We both started off with local, delicious beers (I'm a sucker for a good scotch ale in mid-winter) and truffle oil popcorn topped with sarvecchio cheese, which made me oh-so-happy. Joe went the good hearty deutsch route, getting liverwurst and schnitzel (y'all, I'm not normally one for pureed meats, but the liverwurst was ah-may-zing, and was topped with pickled apple slices). I ended up with a warm farro salad that made me want to convert from my quinoa-loving ways, and the most tasty, tender burger ever. I even got to have dessert, and went with a warm salted caramel brownie sundae with fresh-made ice cream and a raspberry coulis. Sorry for all the excruciating food details, you guys, but I'm still reeling from all the delicious!

I wanted to dress up for the occasion, but it's January, and I really had no idea how warm, cold, or fancy the restaurant would be. I really love what I ended up with. This turtleneck mini dress has served me well already, and has easily earned its $4 keep, and I'm always a sucker for cognac and leather accents, so I stuck with that. Oh, and don't worry about the bare legs under those lace tights! I had a pair of tall nude socks on underneath to keep my toes nice and warm. And it ended up being the perfect level of fancy, too. There were plenty of people in jeans, but many in heels and dressier garb, too, so I felt just right.

Thank you, Joe, for treating me to such a lovely date. You already know how much I enjoyed it, but I'll say it again here for posterity: it was wonderful.

Oh, and if you haven't yet, be sure to read Katie's phenomenal guest post on fashion as a curatorial force in our lives. I'm loving your comments and discussions so far!

Title song: Franz Ferdinand, "Take me Out"