Modern Day Retro Flair

E here, I don't know about you, but I've been spending a lot of time outside lately. The weather has been so beautiful that I decided to throw on a floppy hat and a darling sundress that I picked up at Goodwill recently. I wanted to wear something fun and flirty now that dress season is finally here.

What drew me to the dress was the retro charm. Its such a fun, lively print with its bold colors and retro inspired print.

 I feel as though I'm channeling Lana del Ray! 

Lana del Ray is one of my celebrity style icons. I love how she invokes retro glamour, but is still very cutting edge. Like Lana, I have an appreciation for vintage inspired glamour, red lipstick, and floppy hats!

Thrifted items; dress: Webster Miami for Target $7.99 (Goodwill,) cardigan: Ann Taylor Loft $7.99 (Goodwill,) purse: Etienne Aigner $6.99 (Goodwill,) flats: Sam Edelman $3.99 (Value Village.) Non-thrifted items; gold bracelet: Zara $16, sunglasses: Sperry Top Sider $30 (Nordstrom Rack,) hat: $9.99 (Fred Meyer,) necklace: Curfew: 5.99 (Fred Meyer.)

I absolutely love these Sam Edelman flats. I picked them up for the unbelievable low price of just $3.99 at Value Village! Talk about chic for cheap! They look good with just about everything from jeans to a dress like this. Style tip: pointy flats look good with everything, and instantly add a touch of chic to any ensemble. 

Nothing like a good book to read on a sunny day! If you like fashion and have an appreciation for people's eclectic collections and flea market treasures, then this is the book for you. Todd Selby is an amazing photographer and blogger who takes you inside the home of some of the world's most interesting people.

Gasworks Park is easily one of my favorite parks in the whole city because of the 360 degree panoramic views. No matter where you are in the park you will get a great view, and there is undoubtedly always something to see.

Gasworks is a beautiful place to view the Seattle skyline.

It's also a fun place to watch boats on Lake Union. In fact, every Tuesday there is a weekly regatta (boat race) which is quite the sight if you've never seen one before. 

If you like kite flying, then check out kite hill where you'll get a great view of the whole park and one of the best 360 degree views of the city. Well, adieu for now my friends, but please stop by again soon. I hope that you too find your own ray of sunshine when thrift shopping. Remember, you don't have to spend a lot of money to look like a million bucks. Happy Thursday! 

-E

Going Green!

E here, today's outfit was inspired by the bold, lively colors of spring. I love walking out of the house and seeing all of the lush greens, reds, yellows, oranges, pinks, etc. as plants and flowers start coming alive. Like mother nature, my wardrobe is gradually lightening up and beginning to bloom. After all, what better way to dive into spring then with a bold pop of color?



. You might recognize the top that I'm wearing from my latest thrift haul. It was brand new when I bought it. As I mentioned in the thrift haul, you can find a lot brand new items that are donated by stores like Target and Old Navy. This particular piece was part of an exclusive collection that Philip Lim did with Target.



I love this top because it looks very sophisticated. The detailed beading on the collar gives the top a little extra sparkle, and ultimately makes it look more expensive than it actually is. After all, who doesn't love a little extra sparkle? Plus, the great thing about black is that it goes with everything. Black is flattering on virtually every body type. In addition to having a LBD (little black dress,) it doesn't hurt to also have a LBT (little black top) in your closet!



Thrifted items; black peplum top: Philip Lim for Target $4.99 (Goodwill,) green trench coat: Calvin Klein $29.99 (Goodwill,) jeans: Else $9.99 (Goodwill,) flats: Tahari $9.99 (Goodwill.) Non-thrifted items; Ella James $7.99 (Fred Meyer.)

As I've stated in the past, you can find gems like these adorable flats at the thrift store.They were practically brand new when I bought them. You just have to keep an eye out constantly, and you too will find some great pieces.Well that's all for today. Happy thrifting!See you next time!

-E

Two Nautical's Don't Make A Right

E here, if you haven't already guessed by the title of this post, this is a nautical themed outfit. [I'm obsessed with everything nautical.] However as the title suggests, two nautical's don't make a right. As much as I love the nautical look, I tried not to overdo it too much. Since the tank is a solid nautical print, I didn't want to add too many nautical themed accessories. Instead, I opted for simple accessories; gold anchor studs, a beaded rope necklace, and my favorite sunnies. I mean Sperry Top Sider is about as nautical and preppy as you can get!

Whenever you're putting together a themed ensemble you want to try and create a focal point that ties the whole look together. Here the nautical print served as the base for the outfit, so I just added accessories that that would compliment the overall look. 

I picked up these cute anchor earrings at Forever 21 for just $3.50! The best part about it was that they were part of three pack of nautical themed earrings so I really got my value for my money.



The final touch for this look was the rope sandals. Don't they just scream nautical?!


Thrifted items; nautical tank: H.I.P. $7.99 (Crossroads Trading Co,) navy sweater: JCrew $9.99 (Goodwill.) Non-thrifted items; jeans: JCPenny's $25, sandals: Curfew $9.99 (Fred Meyer,) beaded necklace: GNW $5.99 (Fred Meyer,) aviators: Sperry Top Sider $30 (Nordstrom Rack.) 

The great thing about Seattle is that there are so many different marinas and beaches to choose from.

  This particular spot is one of my favorite places to hang out in the summer because of the great view of downtown, Puget Sound, and Mt. Rainier.

On a bright and sunny day like this you can see Mt. Rainier in the distance.

The perfect end to this lovely spring day was the sunset. Talk about picturesque! Until next time. Happy Sunday! 

-E

Saturday Date: Finding Nemo [Pt. 1]

 

 

E here, I was fortunate enough to score a rare weekend day off with my husband, and what better way to spend our time together than to take a trip to the aquarium. I enjoy going down to the waterfront this time of year because the weather is nice. I don't get to go to downtown too often, so I was excited to take in all the sights. There are so many great attractions to enjoy on the waterfront: the Aquarium, the ferris wheel, and of course Pike Place Market. 

Behind me is the Seattle Great Wheel. We didn't go on it today, but we went on it last year when it first opened. It offers breathtaking views of the Puget Sound and downtown Seattle. I highly recommend it if you aren't afraid of heights! The gondolas are large and can hold several people, and are also climate controlled which makes for a more enjoyable experience.

 

A lot of the animals were out in full force today soaking up the sunshine and just generally hamming it up for the tourists! My favorite exhibit? It's so hard to choose, but I'd have to say that the new harbor seal exhibit was definitely in my top three. 

 

They are just so darn cute! Not to mention they are really entertaining to watch! I love the way that they zoom around the pool as if they're putting on a show, or how they bob up and down like a buoy. 

Another exhibit in my top three is the octopus tank. What I love about the octopus tank is that it is designed in such a way that allows you to get really close and observe it. I learned something new about octopuses today. Apparently an octopus has the ability to remember a face! I already knew that octopuses were intelligent creatures, but I didn't know that about them. Pretty remarkable right?

 

My final top three exhibit is the underwater dome. The underwater dome is one of my favorite parts of the aquarium because it's as if you're actually in the ocean observing all the fish. A lot of aquariums offer similar exhibits that you can walk through, but what's spectacular about this one is that the aquarium is built on the pier right above the ocean so you get the feeling that you're truly in it! Unfortunately I couldn't get a picture of the big glass windows that make up the dome because it was so crowded, but the picture above is a shot of the top of the dome. What's cool about this picture is that the scuba diver on the other side of the glass was talking to us about how cold the water was, and all the fish that he was swimming with. Talk about a fun and interactive exhibit!

The title of this post is finding Nemo, so I thought it would be be appropriate to end with the famous clownfish. I have to say that the clownfish is just as cute in real life as the titular character in the Disney Pixar movie. It's really funny to see the reaction that kids get when they see the clownfish and go look it's Nemo! Their faces truly light up with excitement it's so adorable!

 

Thrifted items; trench: Gap $20 (Crossroads Trading Co,) jeans: American Eagle $5.99 (Goodwill,) booties: Emiko Kamishima $27 (Buffalo Exchange.) Non-thrifted items; tank top: Love by Design $5 (Fred Meyer,) sunglasses: Sperry Top Sider $25 (Nordstrom Rack,) Octopus necklace: $10 Fuego.

 

The great thing about these booties is that they are very versatile and go with just about anything. Plus they make really comfortable walking shoes.

 

Going to the aquarium gave me the perfect excuse to wear my octopus necklace. It's a really unique piece and I don't often have an occasion to wear it. I love collecting unique, one of a kind pieces for my wardrobe. I picked up this particular piece at Fuego. Well that's all for this edition. Check back tomorrow for part deux of my Saturday date where I'll discuss the market, and give you some recommendations on the best places to eat.

Happy Saturday!

-E 

Stepping Into Spring With A Splash Of Color!

 

 

E here, I hope that you've been soaking up the sun as much as I have lately. Today my sister and I spent the afternoon at the beach. She snapped this great candid shot of me. As I've mentioned in previous posts, now that the weather is getting warmer, so are my clothes! The name of my blog is Elizabeth Reinvented and I talk a lot about reinventing your wardrobe, and more specifically your style. One easy way to reinvent your style is to start fresh, and what better time to do that than now that the weather is transitioning. Time to shed those winter layers ladies!

 

 

 

I'm not the kind of person that needs everything to match exactly by color. I don't necessarily like things to be matchy-matchy, in fact I find that to be overcompensating. Personally, I like to play around with prints and colors and create something that's a little funky and different. For this look I went all out, taking one of my favorite floral prints and pairing it with colorful mint jeans.

 

 

 

Remember a year ago when the color "pistachio" (mint) was all the rage? Well its funny because this year mint was an "it color" again, (except that this time it was revamped as "spearmint.") When wearing colorful jeans such as these it can be hard to pair it with other pieces that don't clash. As I mentioned earlier in this post, I don't like outfits to be too matchy-matchy, but at the same time you want everything to balance out. Here, I made sure that all of the colors were more or less in the same color family so that they wouldn't clash too much, but rather compliment each other. I think that all of the different hues of blue and green balance nicely together.

 

 

The final touch to the overall look? The jean jacket. For this outfit I wanted to create a fun and colorful casual look. What I love about this jean jacket is that it ties the ensemble together by serving as a contrast between the floral print and the colorful jeans and accessories.

 

 

These flats were an awesome find that I picked up at Crossroads Trading Co. Funny thing is that they are Jenifer Lopez. Who knew?! I love the color blocking and gold detailing.

 

 

Thrifted items; floral tank: Forever 21 $3.99 (Goodwill,) flats: Jenifer Lopez $9.99 (Crossroads Trading Co.) Non-thrifted items; mint jeans: JCPenny's $20, jean jacket: Nordstrom BP $25, necklace: GNW $4.99 (Fred Meyer.) *Sunglasses: Ray Bans

 

 

A beautiful view of the beach with the sound in the background.

 

I love this picture because it looks like the turtles are posing for the camera. Work it!



[Ducks doing what else......sitting!]

I think what I enjoy most about this particular beach is the wildlife that you get to see up close and personal. Unfortunately I didn't venture down onto the beach to get shots of the sea life, but I promise that I will snap some shots the next time I head to the beach.
 

 

The telephoto on the camera that I was using was amazing! I think that the seagull kind of adds to the photo don't you?

 

 

 Since it was a clear, sunny day I was able to get a great shot of the Olympic mountains off in the distance. I think that perhaps this is my favorite thing about living in the Pacific Northwest, that I am surrounded by nature. For that reason I don't think that I could live anywhere else! That's all for today, please come by again soon. Happy Friday!
-E



 

 

Railroad Crossing: The Basics Of Casual Chic

 

 

E here, in today's edition I will give you my personal tips for successfully creating a "casual chic" look. [Scroll down for the details.] I hope that you're enjoying the beautiful spring weather. With the weather beginning to transition from heavy rain to sunshine, I might be able to retire the rain boots and heavier jackets for a while! It may be sunny but it's still quite chilly outside, so I bundled up in lighter layers for a casual chic look. The great thing about the shift from winter to spring weather is that you can just throw on a cardigan or blazer when leaving the house.

 

 

[My personal take on casual chic; neutrals with a pop of color, ripped jeans to make the outfit more cutting edge, heeled booties, and simple, understated jewelry to polish off the look.]

 

The basics of casual chic:

1.) Pick a piece to use as the foundation for the outfit, (an anchor if you will - that will tie the whole look together.)

2.) Choose a base color to serve as the focal point. (I picked navy for this outfit.) 

3.) Pick items that will go well together and compliment the colors and styles of the other pieces (this is key when creating a layered look.)

4.) Utilize style staples like a great blazer, or your favorite pair of heels.

 

 

 

In order to take an outfit from casual to chic, try combining these tips and don't be afraid to experiment a little. Pick a bright pop of color to enhance the overall feel of the look, and if you're feeling extra playful you can even spice up the outfit with some heels. In sum, stick with the basics, (i.e. - keep it simple,) you can build around the rest of the outfit with key accessories such as jewelry or scarves.
 

 

What I love about blazers is the fact that you can either dress up/or down any outfit according to the look that you are trying to go for. Depending on the sort of blazer that you pick, (color, cut, fit) you can create a style statement that says casual yet chic, or fun and flirty, or perhaps even cutting edge. Blazers provide a quick and easy way to add extra flair to any outfit. Here, the blazer not only adds warmth to my layered look, but also takes this "casual" outfit up a notch to that of a more polished "casual chic" look. The rich hue of the navy draws the eye; adding a pop of color to the overall look, ands contrasts nicely with the lighter wash of the jeans. Personally I don't think ripped jeans will ever go out of style, it just depends on the wash and fit of the jeans.



[This outfit is 100% thrifted! :-)]

Thrifted items; blazer: H&M $9.99 (Crossroads Trading Co,) sweater: Ann Taylor Loft $10, (Goodwill,) *jeans: Vigoss $10 - $5 (Crossroads Trading Co,) *booties: American Eagle $12.99 - $1.29 (Goodwill.)



Well that's all for today. I hope you enjoyed this edition. Remember, don't be afraid to experiment and reinvent your wardrobe (or style for that matter!) Stop by the blog again soon for more style tips. See you next time!
-E