Tonight, the pup and I are going to stay in, and I'm having my very first apple cider of the year.  Possibly with a little rum mixed in to get me ready for bed.

No, definitely with the rum.

Sundays are usually a night for me to unwind by myself.  My roommates go to our friend's place to watch The Strain, so I hunker down in front of the computer and drool into Buzzfeed work on this blog.

Friday saw the emergence of a very special dress:

 

A couple of Boxing Days ago, my mom and I were in line at H&M to get in on their big sale.  They were giving away scratch off raffle tickets for discounts, and, wouldn't you know it, my mom won $300, which she graciously split down the middle with me.  That's how I came across this gorgeous swing dress.  I love the pattern; it makes me think of the album My Life in the Bush of Ghosts by David Byrne and Brian Eno.  The necklace was part of my very last binge before the cop-freeze.  I'm glad I bought it because I have precious few statement necklaces in my repertoire, and this baby just seems to make everything ever-so-slightly more wonderful.

 On Saturday, a bunch of my friends and I went to the Field Museum.  Since I knew I was going to be doing a lot of walking, it all came down to this:

 

Yeah, leggings as pants again.  Still proud of the runner's butt.  And that knitted white top again.  I got that as part of a Stitch Fix ages ago and hated it when I first laid eyes upon its slouchy shape, but I've since grown to adore it.  I threw on the scarf my friend brought back for me from China and put in my awesome Triforce earrings.  

(I'm a giant, die-hard Zelda fan.  I want to live Ocarina of Time.)

Most significantly, however, are the boots.  I've had 'em for years--got them at a thrift store--and I can't do without them.  They're so wonderfully worn and the style is so cool that I have seriously considered buying another used pair when these finally wear out for good.  

Today I spent the afternoon with my friend Kelsey, our sole objective being to secure pastries from my favorite local bakery, Courageous Bakery.  It's in my hometown and makes the most magical cupcakes and sweets for miles around.  I'm not actually a cupcake person (weird, I know), but I would do anything to get my hands on their other baked goods.  I ended up with a gooey cinnamon bun and a cup of almond cookie tea; Kelsey went for the peanut butter cup divinity.  

Originally, I was going to wear this:

I got the dress as part of a Stitch Fix, and it was starting to make its way into my regular rotation.  It pairs so well with everything!  And that necklace (another statement gem from my last bout) knocked it out of the park!

Unfortunately, puppy.

She was out in the yard, doing her puppy thing, and I needed her to come in so I could get going.  She was morally opposed to the idea, so she responded by charging into me, full speed, and then tearing a hole in the skirt of that dress.  

So I had to change, of course.

The talented Kelsey D. snapped this picture when we later went to Graue Mill, which was an old 1850s grist mill and a stop on the Underground Railroad.  It's also where I brought Mox last week when I wore my unfortunate sports-themed outfit.

Right before this, we were at the Elmhurst Art Museum for a little while, where we stumbled upon an art auction in which people were bidding the equivalent of our salaries on all kinds of modern art. 

I think that's why I put the rum in my cider tonight.