Skipping Puddles

It's a rainy day here in San Diego!!  And I am so happy about it.  I've come to really crave rainy days after living in two of the sunniest states I know.  It's so wonderfully dreary today!

Jeans:  Secondhand store in Los Angeles

Cardigan:  Thrift store in San Diego

Blouse:  Thrift store in San Diego

Boots:  Secondhand store in Los Angeles

I purchased my first Blondie album today, which was a long time coming.  

Colin and I are off to catch the tail end of sushi happy hour... yummy!

Heat wave

Dress:  Thrift store in Los Angeles

Belt:  Thrift store in Phoenix

Head scarf:  Thrift store in Phoenix

Shoes:  keds.com

(I love the back of this dress.  It's my favorite part!)

I hope everyone had a good day today...

Byte by byte

Smock Overalls:  Gift from Colin
Leotard:  American Apparel

San Diego is experiencing a heat wave right now so my outfit today wasn't as interesting as I would have liked it to be.  It was too hot to think about anything but finding ways to cool myself down (air conditioning is very rare in southern California).  Apparently it was 103 degrees yesterday.  Global warming at its finest.

I've started a Twitter in addition to my newly created Tumblr.  I'm slowly introducing myself to the cyber world, one Tweet at a time.  A big thanks to Krista for being so patient with me as she helped me through it all!

[autumn leaves]

Contents may have shifted during flight.

Blouse:  Secondhand clothing store in Phoenix

Pants:  American Apparel

Shoes:  Target

Belt:  H&M

Sunglasses:  Betsy Johnson

Scarf:  Antique store in Phoenix

Jess's flight attendant-inspired outfit today (think Southwest Airlines) was too cute to not be featured in today's post.  I love how she paired the round framed sunglasses with the patterned scarf; it's so 60s chic.  

We looked at more houses today with Jess and her husband, and I can't wait until I can afford to buy my first home!  I've been researching retro houses online and They. Are. Adorable.  The kitchens are the best part.  Below are some of my favorites.

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Tonight my family and I are going to view some slides taken of my parents when they were teenagers.  (My mom was such a fox!)  I'm obsessed with things of the past so I'm extremely excited to revisit them.  

Tomorrow I fly back to San Diego where I'll return to Colin and my little Z.  I so wish my family lived near me!

P.S.

I now have a Tumblr!  The address is:

 thebetties.tumblr.com.  

I am slowly figuring out how to publish posts (with Krista's help) and, having been newly introduced to the site, am still figuring out exactly what I can do with it.  For now, it just consists of some fashion pictures I find inspiring.  Please enjoy!

--Ellana

The Splendors of Life

Jess and I outside of a retro house for sale in Scottsdale.

On Me:

Shorts:  Rose Bowl Flea Market

Shirt:  Urban Outfitters

Head scarf:  Thrift store in Hilton Head

Shoes:  keds.com

On Jess:

Overalls:  Blueberry Deluxe

Blouse:  Nordstrom Rack

Shoes:  vans.com

Dooney & Burke purse:  Antique store in Phoenix

Friday after my interview (which went... "eh"), my family and I went to a swanky bar in Old Town Scottsdale where we indulged ourselves in all of the classic cocktails our hipster bartender had to offer.  A couple of drinks (and more than a few appetizers) later my dear friend of 13+ years named Taylor joined in on the festivities, after which we paraded the streets of Old Town snapping photographs of my sister, Jess, as she posed next to sculptures of cowboys riding horses (Taylor graciously assuming the horse's stance) and nude Grecian women draped in fabric.  It was an evening full of warm conversation and entertaining diversions, to say the least.

Afterwards, Jess, Taylor, and I went to a wine bar where Taylor's sister works where we perpetuated the good conversation with, yet again, more alcohol.  It was a much needed evening of heart-to-hearts with two women I truly admire and respect. 

...We ended the night passing out on Taylor's gigantic California King bed.

Today was spent driving around the Scottsdale/Phoenix area looking at potential future homes for Jess and her husband.  And the houses were to die for!  My favorite one had the same exact layout (and a lot of the same appliances) of the home my dad grew up in when he was a kid.  He showed us the air duct that his dog had traveled through in an effort to wire an intercom system, and the route that he and his sister had taken through the house when they were trying to evade punishment from their father.  All the while I couldn't help but imagine the memories my sister would make if she were to make that her home, and the stories that her kids would relay to theirs in the future.  Isn't it funny how cyclical life is?

**Please click on the image above if you'd like to see a closer view of our outfits!  I didn't want to endure the awkwardness of requesting multiple photographs of us with our realtor present.

(bed)Time

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Can jet lag occur without time zone changes?  ...It seems it's happened to me.  

Fluff 'N Fold

It's laundry day again.  I'm finally getting the hang of doing laundry at the laundromat.  I haven't stained any of Colin's pants recently and none of my clothes have ripped to shreds, which is saying something.  

I took the photographs above during my junior year of college in an introductory photography class (besides photographing laundromats, I was very fond of snapping photos of abandoned alleyways).  It was the first real opportunity I had in college to truly be creative.  It was a nice break from all the biology classes I was taking at the time (you can only hear so much about how incredible genes are before you're wishing you had majored in another subject) .  It was also a good opportunity to eye the incredible outfits that a lot of the art majors sported.  I made sure to never go to my photo class wearing sweats; I was always looking to impress the cool art kids.  :) 

Today's outfit:

I temporarily stole this sweater from my shop.  It's so comfortable.  The outfit doesn't really do the sweater justice, but it was another rough day for my immune system and my body didn't want to expend the extra energy required to come up with a really original outfit.

Tonight Colin and I are making (still making, in fact!  I'm waiting for the soup to finish simmering) spicy asian chicken noodle soup.  It smells divine!  With the weather as it is (overcast) and my health as it is (sub-par), I figured soup would be the perfect meal.

Tomorrow I'll be going to Arizona to visit family and to attend an interview for graduate school.  I probably will be posting off and on from now until Sunday.  Wish me luck!

**Update:  Colin and I had a bit of a miscommunication during the dinner preparation and I ended up putting too much lime juice in the soup.  It was so sour!  30 minutes invested in a soup that made my face crinkle as I ate it... so terribly sad.

With Monday comes the sniffles

I hope everyone had a good weekend!

My Saturday was a lot of this: (in chronological order)

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(imagine Colin's face in place of the girl's on the left and mine in place of the girl's on the right)

On Sunday, Colin, Zeena, and I went to a giant park near our apartment that overlooks the bay and the ocean.  We camped out on a big green hill under a shady tree, where we had snacks and threw the ball for Z.  There was also a boat race going on in the bay that we were able to see from afar.  Here are a few photos from that:

It was a very relaxing weekend!

And now for today's outfit:

 

White linen men's shirt:  Some department store

Capris:  Thrift store in San Diego

Hair barrette:  Homemade

It's a little boring, but I wasn't feeling well today so choosing my outfit for the day wasn't as fulfilling as it usually is.  

In more exciting news, I'll be posting more great Betties merchandise tomorrow.  I was thrilled to have found such great items (my family can attest to this... I video chatted them all to show them my finds)!  I hope you enjoy them...

cherry red VELVET FLATS WITH BOWS

slouchy NATIVE AMERICAN-INSPIRED knit sweater 

taupe square-dotted dress with white PETER PAN COLLAR, BLACK BOW, CUMMERBUND BELT, and PLEATS

PRETTY IN PINK dress with gathered hips

powder blue FLORAL CROPPED BUTTON-UP shirt

faux-fur lined BLACK SNOW BOOTS

To end tonight's post, I give you a hilarious photograph of Colin in his thrift store goggles wearing his thrift store Home Depot-colored vest (with nothing underneath).  This was what my opponent looked like while we were playing cards.  I lost, by the way.  Maybe the neon orange vest staring back at me from across the table handicapped my vision.

With reckless abandon

A few years ago I downloaded Thao's Like the Linen album at iTunes' insistence and became so fond of it that I overplayed it and subsequently abandoned it (there is such a thing as loving something too much).  With time, though, I've found myself thumbing through my iPod in search of her name, careful not to overplay her music for fear that I'll find myself another five years from now with an aversion to her raw and swagger voice.  After slowly reintroducing her into my life, I discovered that she's come out with another amazing album, We Brave Bee Stings and All, which means that my self restraint will yet again be put to the test as I learn to play her new songs in moderation.  There's a new resolve to her music that wasn't quite there before.  Her lyrics are more introspective and her delivery more intense.  She sends chills down my spine.

This love affair of ours is tumultuous, to say the least.

Golden Slumbers

I love the simplicity and elegance of cotton nightgowns.  I've been on the hunt for the perfect white cotton gown, but have yet to find one at a price I'm willing to pay.  There is an adorable white customizable gown on Etsy from Hearts and Home that I would love to own (though it's listed as a little girl's item):

Maybe my sweet and loving boyfriend will buy it for me one day (wink, wink, Colin)!

Today's threads: (worn with grey Converse high-tops)

Crop top:  Thrift store in L.A.

Overalls:  Secondhand clothing store in L.A.

If this top looks familiar it's because I wore it with the Armani trousers in the Betties listing.  It was terribly warm today, but the scarcity of the fabric on this shirt definitely helped cool me down a bit.

Before I forget, here's a photograph of last night's meal:

It was sooo good!  The glaze was simply apricot jam mixed with red pepper flakes.  I was able to satisfy my sweet tooth while Colin got his spice kick all in the same meal.  

I'll have new listings for the store up by tomorrow!  There are some really great accessories in this batch. Here's a sneak preview:

A white iridescent turban...

...An 80s wrap jumpsuit with front pleats... (worn with the turban)

...Red 'There's no place like home' platforms...

...A festive fall blouse... (perfect for Thanksgiving!)

...An avant garde bowler hat with a high-rise brim...

...And a sweet, embroidered purse with mother of pearl buttons.

Expect them up tomorrow if not tonight!