My friends, here are my adventures in Split, which is where we went to right after the Plitvice Lakes.  We stayed at the beautiful Le Meridien hotel, which had its own private beach, for a night.  We started with lounging by the sea, then we had some delicious and fresh seafood dinner in the town center, and we ended up watching the Croatia vs Portugal football game with the locals; that was a lot of fun.  The next day we spent the whole morning exploring the town.  I really loved Split, because it is a resort town but there is some of the most beautiful Roman ruins in it; Diocletian’s Palace to be exact.  This photo above is the entrance to the palace, and everything is still pretty much in use.  There’s small cafes and shops there, and the cathedral is still used to give mass  Everything felt like a dream; I always have this surreal feeling that I can’t quite describe when I walk through historical places like these, it’s like I get a rush imagining what it was like walking through the palace in the 4th century.

xo Saretta

What I Wore:

On the Beach: ZARA Gold Cape | VICTORIA’S SECRET White Swimsuit | DOLCE & GABBANA Sunglasses | ZARA Hat

In Town: FOREVER 21 White Crochet Crop Top | ZARA Satin Shorts | VINCE CAMUTO Jeweled Sandals | DOLCE & GABBANA Sunglasses | FENDI Bag | ALEXIS BITTAR Snake Bracelet | FOREVER 21 Medallion Earrings | TORY BURCH Coin Ring

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Here’s the last post of my adventures in Croatia.  The last city we stopped at was Dubrovnik, and it was definitely my favorite.  It’s a beautiful, medieval city that’s so amazingly preserved.  As soon as I walked into its walls, I felt so inspired and was completely enchanted by it.  It was heaven on Earth, I have no words.  I can’t really describe the feeling, you just have to see it for yourself.  And there were lion heads everywhere, which is why I loved it even more.  And again, we had the most amazing view from our balcony, we did Airbnb again, you’ll see in the photo right below.  Also, I have to say, I’m jumping on the Game of Thrones bandwagon.  The group of friends that I went with are huge fans and I had never watched it nor did I know that they filmed the show here.  We went around and found the spots where they’ve filmed famous scenes, and I was sold.  I mean, I was actually sold the moment I walked into the city.  And yes, they do have Game of Thrones tours for all of you fans.  You really don’t need much if you want to film or photograph something there, everything serves as a beautiful background; see for yourself in my photos.  On our first night there, we watched a modern version of the Hamlet play inside the Fort Lovrijenac; it was an amazing experience seeing it inside of gothic architecture, very macabre.

We did a take a day trip to Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina which was also beautiful.  They had an amazing Turkish style bazaar; I bought a couple of amazing things including a beautiful embroidered traditional Bosnian jacket.  I’m waiting for fall so I can wear it; it’s a dark red velvet with gold embroidery.  I didn’t take much pictures there because we were only there for a few hours but you can see one of them on my Instagram with me and its famous landmark, The Old Bridge.

Well I hope my travels to Croatia inspired you, I highly recommend it for anyone.  I haven’t been everywhere in the world yet, but out of the places I’ve gone, I will say that Croatia as a whole is one of my top favorites.

xo Saretta

What I Wore:

ZARA Cream Knit Dress | PRADA Gold Jeweled Sandals | M MISSONI Metallic Knit Clutch | DOLCE & GABBANA Gold Filigrana Sunglasses | Vintage Medallion Necklace | FOREVER 21 Filigree Earrings | Crown Ring Purchased in Split, Croatia | H&M Mother of Pearl Ring | AJS Designs Gold Stone Bracelet

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It’s that time of year again, my birthday.  And just like every year, I like to do a little reflection post of what my past year was like.  I don’t know why but every day on my birthday I can’t help but feel a little melancholy and I shouldn’t because it is my day after all and I always have the opportunity to spend time with my loved ones.  Am I the only one who feels this way?  Hopefully that feeling will fade with time, I mean there’s nothing that a good bottle of champagne can’t fix tonight.  Anyway, I have to admit that this past year wasn’t the greatest for me.  I went through a little bit of that quarter-life crisis.  I’ve felt like I really haven’t been able to find who I am yet or where my life is going; there were many days where I just wanted to be isolated, I didn’t want to talk to anybody or go out or do anything.  I guess I just thought I would have it all figured out by now.  I still feel that way somewhat, but I’m hoping this year I’ll be a little more enlightened and inspired, we’ll see.  At the end of the day, I’m just thankful that I’ve reached 26 years of age in good health and surrounded by people that I love.

On my birthday I always like to do a lion-inspired shoot.  For this look I wore gold, gold, gold amidst the jungles of Adventureland in Disneyland; it is my day to be Queen of the Jungle right?

…and Happy Birthday to all of my fellow Leos!

xo Saretta

What I Wore:

ZARA Gold Knit Cape | ZARA Gold Knit Tank | ZARA White Shorts | JIMMY CHOO Snakeskin Sandals | ROBERTO CAVALLI Hedera Sunglasses | Gold Chunky Sphere Necklace (Very Old) | FOREVER 21 Starburst Earrings | ALEXIS BITTAR Snake Bracelet | JUST CAVALLI Green Jewel Ring

The post Birthday Lion appeared first on The Lion in Jewels.

This past weekend I took a weekend trip to NorCal.  I spent a whole day in Santa Cruz, which I have to say has really grown on me.  I’ve only been there twice but I’m really fascinated with this city.  It’s strange, eerie, and unlike any other beach town I’ve ever been to.  Driving by weathered houses, in the heavy fog, with the forest overlooking the gloomy ocean, it’s no wonder my favorite, Alfred Hitchcock, fell in love with this area and found a lot of inspiration for his films here.  This has also become one of my favorite places to people-watch.  You can find an interesting person almost anywhere here with insane style.  Pretty much anything goes here when it comes to fashion.

xo Saretta

What I Wore:

ZARA Black Tweed Fringe Top | ZARA Black Distressed Fringe Jeans | DOC MARTENS Red Boots | SAINT LAURENT Black Sac de Jour Bag | Vintage Pearl Earrings | ROBERTO CAVALLI Panther Ring

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Now, I know what you might be thinking…’whoa, she’s wearing a floral print dress’.  That’s right, I pretty much never wear floral prints.  Not because I don’t like them, but because a lot of floral pieces out there can be too girly, too over-the-top, and very tacky.  There’s only a handful of designers/fashion houses out there that can get florals right; one of them is of course, Valentino.

There’s always something very romantic and whimsical in Valentino’s floral pieces; like they’re out of a fairy tale.  Take the dress that I’m wearing in this post for example.  The floral pattern is definitely bold, but the muted tones give it a dark, Victorian romance vibe which you know I have a weakness for; and the bell sleeves too, of course.

The best part is that this dress is perfect all year long.  You can wear it in the spring and summer with lace-up sandals or in the fall and winter with a fur stole or coat and boots; as I did here.  It is a romance of all seasons…

Shop for the dress now at Socialite Auctions!

xo Saretta

What I Wore:

VALENTINO Floral Midi Dress via Socialite Auctions | FOREVER 21 Faux Fur Stole | ZARA Metallic Gold Pointed Boots | CHARLES ALBERT Skull Ring | FOREVER 21 Filigree Earrings

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It’s holiday season, which means endless cocktail parties and festive events.  It’s a time when you’re feeling like you need to have a dressy outfit option pretty much every weekend because you never know where you’ll be invited to.  Maybe you don’t want to spend money on these festive outfits.  So, what’s the quickest way to dress up your existing wardrobe?

Well, jewels of course!  Really, all you need is a pretty silk blouse, colorful jewels, and a bit of fur.  Voila!  This is also the perfect option if you’re going to a holiday party straight from the office.  It still looks business-casual and you won’t look over-the-top, like you would if you were wearing a metallic gold lamé dress.

I wasn’t really a fan of the Kenzo x H&M collection, because as you know I don’t do bright colors and crazy patterns.  But, I immediately fell in love with this blouse (yes, because of the jewel-inspired pattern).  I remembered I had a colorful, jeweled necklace from the 1960’s that I bought at a vintage expo.  It matched perfectly with the vibrant colors of the blouse.  And what I love about vintage jewelry is that it’s so versatile.  The pendant of the necklace has both a hook and pin in the back to easily detach from the chain and be worn as a brooch, which is what I did here.  It’s genius, really.  I used the chain as a detail for the pocket, but it can be a bracelet or worn on its own.  My ‘dearly departed’ friend in the last photo is wearing the necklace in full.

Anyway, that is how you can easily dress up any of your blouses.  Let the festivities begin!

xo Saretta

What I Wore:

KENZO x H&M Jewel Print Silk Blouse | Vintage 1960’s Jeweled Necklace (worn separately) | VALENTINO Vintage Fur Collar Sweater Coat | LOREN HOPE ‘Sophia’ Emerald Earrings | Vintage Green Jewel Ring | FOREVER 21 Crown Ring, Band Ring, and Medallion Ring

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The boucle Chanel skirt.  Another great classic piece that every girl should have.  You can dress it up or down, and it stays timeless.  In this look, I’m wearing a vintage one (I bet you can’t even tell it’s vintage right?) from Socialite Auctions.  I styled it with a metallic gold pullover sweater and a faux fur coat for a casual but glamorous feel.  I usually tend to stay away from pencil skirts because I always feel like they make me look too business-y; however, the right shoes can definitely give it an edgy feel.

During the Christmas sales, I found these awesome combat boots by Karl Lagerfeld.  You can’t see it very well but they have the coolest gold chain detail around the laces.  I’ll have to take close-up photos of them to share soon.  I thought they’d be perfect to style with the skirt because they have that Chanel touch to them.

Shop for the skirt now on Socialite Auctions.

xo Saretta

What I Wore:

CHANEL Vintage Boucle Skirt via Socialite Auctions | URBAN OUTFITTERS Metallic Gold Sweater | ZARA Faux Fur Coat | KARL LAGERFELD Black Combat Boots | SALVATORE FERRAGAMO Sunglasses | H&M Black & Pearl Ring | PYLONES Gold Dome Ring

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Here I am, after a long absence again.   It’s been a crazy month with a lot of emotional ups and downs.  It’s crazy how life works, one day you think you have it all in the palm of your hand, a bright future ahead of you.  And the next, you seem to have nothing left.  Anyway, I can’t complain.  I always end up in the same spot, right where I started.  But that’s okay, because it always gives me a new hope.  And I always have this, my blog, to come back to, which really is what I enjoy the most and hopefully it gives you some sort of inspiration.

I realized I had not done a full-on jewelry shoot on myself; which is crazy considering how much of it I have.  I usually never fill my fingers with rings, but I was inspired to do it for this shoot because that’s what I have the most of.  I actually liked it a lot.  I might just start wearing my rings out like this, I have many that I haven’t worn in a while anyway.  It’s time they come out and see the light.

I was about to name this post ‘The Lady of the Rings’ because obvi.  But then, last night, I watched Titanic, which I hadn’t seen in a really long time, and saw the part about Madame Bijoux, the lady that wore all her jewelry that Jack Dawson met and drew in Paris, and I thought ‘whoa she’s so me’. So…Voila Madame Bijoux!

xo Saretta

What I Wore:

H&M Gold Baroque Cross Earrings | CHARLES ALBERT Skull Ring | H&M Black Stone Rings | JUST CAVALLI Green Jewel Snake Ring | FOREVER 21 Lion, Crown, Red Jewel, Band Rings | Coin Ring (BF brought for me from Russia) | H&M Black Satin Blouse

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It’s the first day of spring!  It’s really not my favorite season because it always makes me sad that I have to start putting away all of my coats and all of my black.  However, I do manage to always find a way to stay dark.  I pretty much never wear florals but I saw this top at Zara a few months ago and I loved it because it reminded of a tragic fairy tale romance.  One, it’s made out of a tapestry-like fabric and two, the floral pattern is very romantic but the muted tones give it a melancholy feel.  I’m sorry, I don’t mean to make you feel sad in the beginning of spring.  It is my nature though.

I did just see Beauty and the Beast this weekend and I was so inspired by it.  I absolutely loved it.  Technically, it’s not a tragic romance but there’s so much darkness in it, it was beautiful in every way.  It is my favorite romance of all time and growing up, the cartoon version was my favorite Disney movie; it was playing on repeat pretty much all day every day.  And well, I think it’s obvious it has influenced me ever since.

xo Saretta

What I Wore:

ZARA Floral Tapestry Top | H&M Ruffle Sleeve Blouse | ZARA Fringe Jeans | ZARA Black Pom Pom Sandals | MONIKA CHIANG Gold Chain Necklace | FOREVER 21 Jeweled Flower Earrings | ROBERTO CAVALLI Gold Horse Ring | FOREVER 21 Jeweled Medallion, Crown, and Band Rings

The post A Hopeless Romantic appeared first on The Lion in Jewels.

Lately it seems like I’ve been stumbling into beetle-inspired pieces, such as my beetle-embroidered loafers and vibrant green jewels.  I’ve had quite a fascination with them.  They are beautiful insects after all.

I found this awesome beetle pin at Forever 21 and I was so excited about it because I’ve been wanting more ornate pins, but the kind I want are always rare to find because they’re vintage or they’re crazy expensive.  I love wearing menswear-inspired pieces, but I always like to give them a feminine touch which for me means piling on the jewels.  In this case, I wore the pin on the shirt collar to give it a special, elegant feel.

I’ve been addicted to pinning things on my collars.  I’ve even used earrings.  It’s a great, easy way to dress up a white shirt.

xo Saretta

What I Wore:

FOREVER 21 Jeweled Beetle Pin | MONIKA CHIANG Gold Chain Necklace | ZARA Velvet Paisley Blazer | H&M White Wingtip Shirt | DONNA KARAN Vintage Black & Gold Belt | Vintage Green Jewel Ring

The post Beetlemania appeared first on The Lion in Jewels.

I’m always so anxious to buy clothes or accessories because there’s always something new and inspiring that I become obsessed with.  But lately, I’ve realized I already have a lot of cool pieces and jewelry that need more attention.  It’s all a matter of mixing, matching, and layering.  This scarf was literally sitting in my closet for 2 years.  It’s been buried there because I never really wear scarves, then it finally dawned on me that I could wear it as a head band.  So I built my look around that.  Head scarves and turbans are, I believe, the perfect accessory for a resort vacation.  Since I’m clearly not at a resort I wanted to style it with a polished look that still has that laid-back feel.  Once I decided to pair this look with my pom-pom sandals, I felt like I was immediately transported to the streets of Spain, dancing with the gypsies.

xo Saretta

What I Wore:

ROBERTO CAVALLI Black Silk Peasant Blouse | ZARA Ivory Flare Pants | ZARA Black Pom Pom Sandals | GUCCI Silk Print Head Scarf | DOLCE & GABBANA Emerald Green Sunglasses (Linked to Red style) | OSCAR DE LA RENTA Gold Loop Collar Necklace | Unknown Designer Black Stone Necklace | Red Stone Ring Purchased in Mexico

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Who else is excited for the new Pirates movie?  I can’t wait, it looks awesome and well, it’s been inspiring my warm-weather outfits lately.  But then again, I guess I’m always inspired by pirates.  If you haven’t noticed, I tend to switch from all-black to all-white once it starts getting warm.  You can never go wrong with it. There’s something about an all-white outfit that always looks chic.  I always love to wear gold with all of my outfits of course, but I especially love it with white because I feel it gives the look extra richness.  And, what’s a pirate without gold anyway?  Arrr!

xo Saretta

What I Wore:

ZARA Beaded Velvet Vest | FOREVER 21 White Peasant Blouse | ZARA White Skinny Jeans | ZARA Pom Pom Sandals | Vintage Gold Necklace | MANGO Very Old Gold Knit Belt (Worn as Scarf)

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…but she has jewels, no doubt.  Yes, I’ve been watching the new season of Game of Thrones.  I was so excited about it, I just miss binging on it.  It took me up until last year to get into it (I know, crazy) so I watched all six seasons back to back.  I’m so glad I did because I think it’s my favorite show of all time.  And I don’t know if it’s just me, but the jewelry and accessories this season are the best I’ve seen.  I’m really inspired for future jewels to come…

Anyway, I couldn’t decide what to name this post and since my mind was drawing a blank, I thought of the Faceless Men and how unnecessary titles, names, and backgrounds can be.

xo A Girl Has No Name

What I Wore:

WALTER BAKER White One Shoulder Top | SARETTA THAIS JEWELS Blood Red Jewel Ring | SARETTA THAIS JEWELS Gold Medallion Ring | ZARA Distressed Jeans

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