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

 

Lions, Tigers, & Bears Oh My!

 

 

 

E here, like most Seattleites I took advantage of today's gorgeous spring weather. Since it was such a beautiful day I decided to go to the zoo with friends. For today's outfit I shed some layers and went for a casual comfortable look with playful animal accessories.

 

 

Thrifted items; sweater: Ann Taylor Loft $7.99 (Goodwill,) purse: $5.99 (Goodwill.) Non-thrifted items; fedora: Wet Seal $9.99, tank: Ana $5.97 (JCPenny's,) jeans: Levis $25 (Macy's,) boots: Pink & Pepper $30 (Fred Meyer,) *sunglasses: Ray Bans [gifted.]

 

 

For today, I thought that it was only fitting that I wear animal jewelry! I don't know about you, but I have a lot of jewelry that I've collected over the years from thrift stores, estate sales, clearance racks, or that I've simply inherited from others. I will admit that sometimes I am guilty of buying into the latest trend/fad, [haven't we all at some point in our lives?] but when it comes to jewelry its different.

  Personally, I prefer more unique eclectic pieces that have character, and say something about your personality and style. I found the jaguar necklace at an estate sale and nabbed it with a couple of other great pieces for about $10 total. As for the two finger snake ring, I picked it up at Fuego[perhaps my favorite store at the mall] for pretty cheap.

 

 

 

 Speaking of stores at the mall, I picked up this stylish fedora at Wet Seal for $9.99. I don't really shop at the mall much these days, but when I do I have a knack for finding great deals. Whether I'm shopping at the mall, or thrifting, I get great pleasure out of finding a good deal!

 

 

As for the boots, I thought they would be perfect for this outfit because they have sort of a rugged, safari vibe to them. I guess you could say that this is my version of the traditional "safari outfit [everything minus the khaki's.] Well enough about me, scroll down to see some of my favorite shots from today. Lucky for me, it was such a beautiful day that I was able to snap some very picturesque shots of the animals soaking up the sun.

 

 

Even the bear was sunning himself! With this kind of weather can you blame him?

 

 

Elephants are such beautiful and majestic animals, not to mention they are incredibly smart.

 

 

A real life hungry hippo! [Sorry but I just couldn't help it!]

 

 

Isn't it just exquisite?  Peacocks are so beautiful and mesmerizing. They almost seem unreal because they're so colorful.

 

 

 

Personally, the penguin exhibit is one of my favorites. Who doesn't love cute little penguins?!

 

 

 

One of the highlights of the day was this great Kodak moment. My friend snapped this picture right as the penguin happened to look up. Talk about good timing! Well I hope you enjoyed all of today's pictures. See you next time!

-E

 

Collegiate Issue: Color Me Spring

 

 

E here, I don't know about you but I'm excited for spring. Now that the weather is warming up, there are so many fun, playful ensemble combinations that you can put together. Today's shots were taken in "the Quad" at the beautiful University of Washington campus where I attended college. The Quad is an especially popular place to take photos this time of year because of the famous Sakura blossoms that bloom every spring.

 

 

 

I was feeling extra preppy today so I pulled my tweed jacket out of the closet. I think that tweed is a classic style staple for any fashionista. What I love about tweed is that it is so timeless, and effortlessly chic. If paired with the right pieces, it can look very modern and even cutting edge.

 

 

 For instance, the pleather detailing and the cross body zipper put a twist on the classic tweed archetype. I picked up this lovely Gap jacket at Crossroads Trading Co. during a trade. That's what I love about thrifting/consigning, you never know what sort of hidden gems you might discover!

 

Thrifted items; tweed jacket: Gap $20 (Crossroads Trading Co,) grey skirt: JCrew $5.99 (Goodwill,) boots: Deena & Ozzy $7.99 (Goodwill.) Non-thrifted items; sunglasses: Sperry Top Sider $30 (Nordstrom Rack,) monogram necklace: $4.97 (Nordstrom Rack.) *Polka dot blouse: gifted.

 

Yes, I went for a preppy school girl inspired look! Rather ironically, I did attend private Catholic school from 5th-12th grade, but I never had to wear a uniform! Perhaps that's why I've always had an inclination to create my own version of the look. While the centerpiece of this look was the tweed jacket, I thought that mixing it with the flirty polka dot print would make the outfit seem more fun and youthful. To polish off the look, I paired black tights and heeled lace up boots with charming accessories to add a more grown up, sexy flair to the outfit. That's it for today's edition.

-E