A Lovely Day at the Marina

 

 

 

E here. Another beautiful Seattle afternoon. My husband and I decided to take a stroll on a marina near our house since the weather was nice. One thing I love about living in Seattle is being surrounded by water. I don't think that I could ever live anywhere that wasn't near the ocean.

 

 

 

 

Perhaps its because I grew up near the ocean, but I enjoy the convenience of living merely minutes away from the water. I love everything about the ocean; the smell of it, the vastness, but most of all, the freedom and tranquility that it embodies. There's something humbling about the ocean.
 

 

As you may have noticed, I practically live in my trench coat. The weather is often chilly and wearing a longer jacket offers more warmth. Not to mention the fact that wearing a trench provides a far more stylish alternative to the typical northwest jacket of choice - the North Face. Don't get me wrong, I own several North Face jackets, but its nice to mix up your collection every once in a while.

 

 

Thrifted items; trench: Tommy Hilfiger $10, cashmere sweater: Esperante $7. Non-thrifted items; scarf: $10 (Chicago souvenir shop,) jeans: JCPenny's $20, oxfords: Pink & Pepper (Fred Meyer) $10, sunglasses: Sperry's $30, purse: Dooney & Bourke (gifted.) My lipstick: Maybelline, "brazen berry."

 

That's all for today. Happy Monday! I hope you enjoyed the pictures. See you next time!

 -E

Leaves Are Falling.....

 

 

 E here, it's been awhile since my last post. I work in retail management, and with the holidays approaching its one of the busiest times of the year for me. I will post as much as I can in the coming weeks. For this photo session, we went to one of my favorite local Seattle parks - Discovery Park in Magnolia.  I hope you enjoy my photos.

 

Thrifted items; trench coat: Banana Republic $10, stripe shirt: Ann Taylor $7.99. Non-thrifted; scarf: d&y $5.00 Fred Meyer, globe ring: Curfew $3 Fred Meyer (not visible in this picture,)  jeans: JCPenny's $20, sunglasses: Sperry's $30 (Nordstrom Rack,) rain boots: Hunter Nordstrom (gifted.)

 

 

 

 

 The colors of the leaves were so vibrant today that it appeared brighter for being such a grey and drab morning. It was simply stunning walking through the park and admiring all of the beauty that fall brings to the park. This is by far one of the best parks in the Seattle area to visit because of the diversity of trails, picnic areas, beach access, and of course for walking those furry friends. There is so much to see and do all year long.

 

 

The best part about owning Hunters? They go with practically anything, and they add a particular touch of sophistication and style to any outfit. You can pair them with jeans, skirts, or wear them with a dress and tights/leggings on a cold and rainy day. Personally, I love to wear them with jeans and a trench coat. It tends to be pretty windy where I live because of my proximity to the water, so they are a must have. Especially during these rainy months!   

 

 

Another added bonus? They are very comfortable. However if you have athletic calves like me, trying to wear boot socks with them on top of jeans/leggings does not work too well. If this is the case for you, I recommend purchasing the "Huntress" variation of sizing (wide calf) which I am wearing. They look exactly the same and are available at most retailers such as Nordstrom's, Macy's, etc. along with the regular width Hunters. They come in a wide variety of colors but I prefer black because it goes with everything and will not show dirt nearly as much as the brighter colors.

 

 

Located at one of the highest areas of the park, the chapel is an iconic landmark visible from many of the walking trails down below.

 

 

 

 

 

I really love the rustic beauty of this old chapel. I can only imagine what it must have been like back in the day. It has a lot of charm and character, and is one of my favorite places to visit in the park.

 

This area overlooks the rolling hills that face out over the Puget Sound. In the summertime this part of the park is popular for flying kites, and also serves as the perfect site for having picnics and sunbathing with a good book.

 

 

 

One of the many things that I love about this park besides the majestic view of the Puget Sound, is the natural scenery. Sometimes when strolling through the fields, forest, or trails, you can spot a rabbit in brush such as this.

 

That's all for now. I will try to blog more this week, assuming my busy work schedule will allow me the time! Happy Sunday!

-E

Adventure Tuesday: A Trip to the Ballard Locks

 

 

E, here. Today my friend and fellow blogger Sara and I went on a mini adventure to the Ballard Locks (also known as the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks,) which is not too far from my house. It was an unusually sunny and pleasant fall afternoon in Seattle and we wanted to get out of the house. Since it was such a nice day I felt like taking several nature shots because it isn't too likely that we will be able to enjoy such weather for too much longer.

 

 

 

Speaking of the weather, there is a fairly common misconception about Seattle that it rains all 365 days of the year. In reality, it doesn't rain nearly that much. Most of the year its actually quite beautiful. For the most part it rains more frequently in the late fall through the winter, and into early spring. So if you ever think about visiting Seattle don't hesitate because of the weather. In my opinion this is perhaps the best time of the year to visit because of all the lovely fall colors and leaves, not to mention that there are far less tourists in town.

 

 

Its funny because I've been to this park many times, and even took my prom pictures here, but I don't think that I have ever ventured into this part of the park before. Besides the locks themselves, there are several beautiful botanical gardens on the grounds. This is just one of several that we decided to stop and take pictures at.

 

Thrifted items; Tommy Hilfiger $10 (Goodwill,) sweater: Loft $10 (Goodwill.) Non-thrifted items;  jeans: JCPenny's $20, necklace: Charlotte Russe $5, boots: Bandolino $99 (DSW.) *Sunglasses: Ray Ban's (gifted)

  

Great shot of Sara don't you think? She is wearing a tweed jacket with layers underneath, and boots from DSW. Our outfits today are pretty typical of most Seattleites; jeans, several layers, and boots. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining! Fall is actually one of my favorite seasons personally. I enjoy experimenting with layers. I'm certain that Sara would agree with me. Also, did I mention that I love boots? I have a serious obsession with boots! Riding boots, rain boots, fashion boots, booties, etc. I think you get the point. I get excited when fall comes around because I start planning all of the different outfits that I can put together with boots.  I mean who doesn't love a comfy fall outfit complete with jeans, a sweater, (or your fave jacket/vest) and boots?

 

 

I love how perfectly my outfit goes with the scenery! I didn't plan to go to the locks today, but my outfit definitely has a very nautical theme to it. Anyone that knows me is aware of my nautical infatuation (my dad was a sailor,) hence the interest.

 

 

 

 The Ballard locks is a popular tourist destination because you can watch boats travel through the locks from Lake Union out into the ocean. The Locks serve as a special ship canal that allows vessels of all sizes to pass through, and also serves as a fish ladder for local salmon.

 

 

 

 

Today was a unique day because as you can see in this picture, and the picture above this one (in the background behind Sara,) the Locks were drained today which only happens once in a while. Its always interesting to see what sort of items are laying in the bottom of the chambers. There wasn't anything today otherwise I would have taken a picture. In previous visits I've seen everything from tires to cell phones, and random articles of clothing. 

 

 

 

That's all for today. I hope you enjoyed our little adventure. See you next time!

 -E

My First Post: Cheers to Reinvention!

 

 

E here, I am happy to announce that this is my first official blog post! I've been wanting to create a blog for quite some time now since one of my best friends Sara has her own life and style blog. Like me, she is quite the savvy thrifter and we have spent many days (countless hours) at Goodwill, Value Village, Buffalo Exchange,  estate sales, etc. searching for thrifted treasures. After all, that's what friends are for right?

 

 

Speaking of our thrifting adventures, both of us are appropriately wearing our fabulous finds from the 30th annual glitter sale that the local Seattle area Goodwill hosts. Every year in November, Goodwill sets aside designer clothing, shoes, handbags, and other accessories that are sparkly and glamorous for the event. The best thing about the event is that all the proceeds from the sale go to the job training and education programs so you won't think twice about leaving with several bags of designer items!

 

 

*All of the items I'm wearing are thrifted except for my sunglasses.

 

Thrifted items; Vest: K-I-K-I-T $13.99 (Goodwill,) denim shirt: Calson $1.29 (Goodwill,) skirt: Forever 21 $7.99 (Crossroads Trading Co,) boots: Emiko Kamishima $27 (Buffalo Exchange.) Non-thrifted items; sunglasses: Sperry $30 (Nordstrom Rack.)  

 

 

Sara is wearing the Juicy Couture loafers she got at the sale.

 

Below is the link to her blog the Blonde Squad, check it out if you have time.

theblondesquad.blogspot.com 

 

 

Tip: If you decide to check out the glitter sale next year I recommend going on Sunday because Saturday tends to be crazy. The sale lasts from 9AM-6PM, but you need to get in line early to get your number as it is your pass to get inside, as well as your jewelry counter number. My husband and I got there about 10 minutes before it opened and we were number 223/224!

 

This year I was on a mission to find fur jackets/vests (faux or real,) and handbags. I ended up scoring a faux fur vest $13.99, a leather and fur jacket $34.99, a Kate Spade purse $12.99, and a pair of silver BCBG loafers $5.99.
 

 
 

Well that's all for now. Thanks for stopping by! I hope you come back and visit soon.
-E