Last month I was invited to an intimate launch party for a new Seattle eye wear company: Rivet & Sway. Its trendy glasses were laid out across the tables, champagne was poured, and we were able to try on our favorite specs.

These women’s frames are on trend – you’ll find cat eye, nerd chic, tortoise shell, and more among its collection of punchy female-named eye wear. Below are the three I fell in love with, and I ultimately settled for the middle frames named “punchline”.

The process was super easy to receive my prescription frames, I just gave them the Rx, they measured my pupillary distance at the event, and I received them in less than a week. I believe if you order online you are able to receive a few frames to try out before deciding, simply returning them with your pick and they will fill your prescription and mail your new purchase back.

It took some getting used too because I wasn’t accustomed to the larger lenses, but when I was having problems the Rivet & Sway team really demonstrated what exemplary customer service means. They invited me down to their offices to adjust them and even offered to set me up with their optometrist free of charge. Luckily I got used to them after the adjustments and giving them a full-day’s shot, and I now ear them all. the. time.

So if you’re on the market for eyeglasses, know a lady friend who is, or just want to rock out some frames minus the prescription, check out Rivet & Sway. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

To check out more, visit www.rivetandsway.com.

Oh and PS – while at the event I discovered the magic that is KuKuRuZa coconut macaroon popcorn. If you haven’t checked out this gourmet popcorn shop in Ballard and Pike Place Market, you haven’t lived.

A few weeks ago Nordstrom approached us with a secret project in Beta, asking if we’d be interested in testing it out. Of course we wanted to give our readers the opportunity to see this new project first, so here it is: The Nordstrom Style Card.

Essentially, it’s a program that allows readers to find similar items featured on their favorite fashion blogs. While we try to tell you where we purchase all items featured here on the EC, sometimes “thrifted” isn’t very helpful. Well, Nordstrom is here to help you recreate the look.

So check out our looks below and the items we curated from Nordstrom. Shop by price point and/or brand, click on items you want to add to your outfit, and purchase. It’s as easy as that. Click on the banner for both Adria and Travis’ looks to get started!

Now that you’ve seen it, what do you think? Tell us in the comments!

We weren’t convinced by Ella La Bella Designs.

When this Seattle father and daughter duo approached us about their handmade rings, we thought they were cool, but the photos on the site didn’t do the rings justice and we were convinced the low price point would mean shoddy quality.

However, it goes to show you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. We agreed to check out their rings, and boy were we impressed. Despite the insanely affordable price (we’re talking under $20 here), these pieces look and feel expensive. They are sturdy and shiny, made of intertwining pieces of silver steel. They are architectural, yet organic, and adds a subtle “aha” moment to any ensemble.

Here are some photos of Rose Petal and Steel Bloom, only two pieces out of the stunningly crafted collection. To check it out, visit www.ellalabelladesigns.com.

If you remember, Adria did a photo shoot a few weeks ago with Fremont fashion boutique Bliss, showcasing her interpretation of color blocking.

We are happy to announce that Bliss has extended a discount to our readers!

What are you waiting for? Start shopping at Bliss now!

Want some ideas of what to buy? Try some of these pieces from Adria’s photo shoot!

A few weeks ago Fremont boutique, Bliss, invited me down to its store to style some of its merchandise. After looking at the bold colors and architectural aesthetic of its current collection, I knew I wanted to showcase its color blocking potential. Here is the outfit I came up with:

I loved the look so much, I ended up walking away with the clutch, blazer, and shoes! Keep your eyes on Bliss’ blog to see the rest of the photos from the shoot. Thank you again to Bliss for a wonderful afternoon!

A few months ago, our friends over at Value Village were nice enough to send us a gift certificate to check out its store and document what we found. We were up for the challenge. What did we come up with? See below…

We went to the Value Village in Ballard around 15th and 85th. The store is pretty big, with about 60% women’s apparel, 20% men’s, and 20% books, home decor, or furniture.

Upon arrival we immediately split up and conquered the men’s and women’s section separately. We pulled out a TON of clothing options, but unfortunately had to narrow it down to about a quarter of that because of fit. Oh, the value of the hunt…

After a 1.5 hour trip, Travis walked away with 3 button up shirts, 2 t-shirts, 2 pairs of jeans, and a trench. Adria walked away with 2 pairs of pants, 2 skirts, 2 tops, and some candlesticks (whoops!).

All in all it was a fun experience. You definitely need to be in the mood for the hunt; and be prepared to nix a lot of cool finds because of fit (damn the 80s!). One of the areas that is huge and rarely leads to disappointment is the t-shirt section for both men and women. And to be honest, the home decor section was our favorite.

Here is how we styled our Value Village finds, starting with a retro camel sweater…

Whew. We’re finally back from our 2-week trip to New York City. We must say, while we will always love NYC, it’s refreshing to be back home in Seattle. We finally had a chance to put together the photos from the trip, including some street style, scenic views, and our own personal style during the trip.

We know it’s been a bit of the Travis show lately, but don’t fret. Adria will be back in a few weeks. She’s been preparing for her 2-week London trip for what seems like forever. She can’t wait to take lots of great street style and inspiring pictures to share with you later.

And word on the street is that we have a contest coming soon….