Displaced Urbanite

weekend wishes: peaches and green

noreply@blogger.com (christie) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:59:00 +0000

We've had an unseasonably warm winter so far this year, which means spring fever is hitting me even earlier. And what combination is more spring-like than grassy green and petal peach?

1- Stella watch in rose gold, Fossil / 2- Kelly Glam Collar, Bauble Bar / 3- Cabana Dress, Madewell / 4- Pretty Edgy Nail Polish in Vivid Palmetto Green, Essie / 5- Nuance Salma Hayek Cucumber & Rosewater Dual Phase Makeup Remover, CVS / 6- Martina Suede Wedges, JCrew / 7- Felix Weekender Duffel, Deux Lux

introducing:: my pet photography business

noreply@blogger.com (christie) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:19:00 +0000

I've been loving taking pictures of homeless pets for the Humane League and now I've decided to branch out and make a business out of pet photography. I built myself a (temporary) website that I'll be using while I ~~fight~~ work with Wordpress.org and build my permanent site. It pains me a bit because I'm basically using two Blogger blogs as one website - how exceedingly clever of me - but I figured a temporary site is better than nothing, right? Right.

So anyway, if you've enjoyed my pet photography posts, be sure to check out my new site! I'll be posting my pet (and shelter pet) photography there instead of here from now on, and keeping DU focused mostly on fashion and style. But don't worry, my beagles will still make appearances here every now and again (I can't help myself).

if i were going out tonight...

noreply@blogger.com (christie) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 01:38:00 +0000

...this is what I'd wear:

Shop: Tamarind Sequin Pant, Calypso St. Barth; Cashmere V-neck Sweater, J.Crew; Black Tuxedo Blazer, LC Lauren Conrad at Kohl's; Drift Earrings by Lulu Frost, Charm and Chain; Lucas Ring, Dannijo; Woven Cresent Bag, The Limited; Calcagni Wedges, Aldo

(But I'm just chilling at home with D, the puppies, a glass of wine, and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.)

Happy 2012, everyone!

happy holidays!

noreply@blogger.com (christie) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:03:00 +0000

A few of my holiday photos with warmest holiday wishes from our family to yours:

outfitted:: fuzzy wuzzy

noreply@blogger.com (christie) — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 14:15:00 +0000

Shop::
Top: Target (old); Faux Fur Vest: Piperlime, no longer available (similar); Jeans: American Eagle; Necklace: Piperlime, no longer available; Boots: LC by Lauren Conrad Tall Platform Boot, Kohl's; Bracelets: J.Crew, JewelMint

meet mimi

noreply@blogger.com (christie) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 12:28:00 +0000

We are puppy foster parents! Sweet Mimi girl is looking for a home for Christmas. She's such a good girl and knows how to sit, stay, and "go lay down in your chair" (yes, she's been here for a week and she's already claimed a chair!). Mimi is available for adoption via The Humane League of Lancaster County and you can see her info here. Someone needs to adopt her soon before I turn into a foster failure and end up keeping her!

look i'm loving:: cobalt and sequins

noreply@blogger.com (christie) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 14:34:00 +0000

Shop::
Classic pave link bracelet, J.Crew; Sloan cuff bracelet, Dannijo; Stella gold-tone watch, Fossil; Blueberry skinny jeans, Joe's Jeans Fifty Five Colors; Wynter sweater in sequin stripe, J.Crew; Envelope clutch, The Limited; Melina leopard platform pumps, Bakers

Shop::
Hide and Go Sequin gold sequin skirt, LuLu's; Mossimo Supply Co. t-shirt, Target; Black Collection Ruched Sleeve Jacket, The Limited; Lina calf hair platform wedges, Ann Taylor; Multi-strand Marine necklace, The Bauble Bar; Tight-end Tights in black, Spanx

look i'm loving:: mint maxi dress with soft neutrals

noreply@blogger.com (christie) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 03:38:00 +0000

Such a casual, cozy (but still pulled together) look for the cooler fall weather.

Shop:: Mint Maxi Dress, LC by Lauren Conrad at Kohl's; Rayne Necklace, Kendra Scott; Hooded Dolman Sleeve Sweater, Gap; Soft-sided Tote, The Limited; Pour La Victoire Laisha, 6PM

outfitted:: gold sparkles

noreply@blogger.com (christie) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 19:30:00 +0000

I bought these ridiculous gold sparkly booties on a whim a few weeks ago and I've been trying to figure out ways to incorporate them into my wardrobe. Obviously, I'm not going to wear them into the office, but they work well with ripped up jeans and a t-shirt or this little ivory tunic dress for a night out on the town.

Shop: Dress: H&M (last year); Cardigan: J. Crew Factory; Booties: Charlotte Russe Glittery Lace-up Platform Booties; Necklace: vintage upcycled from local store, Building Character

outfitted:: peachy

noreply@blogger.com (christie) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 21:57:00 +0000

Saturday night D and I went to see Gaslight at The Fulton Theatre. It's part of our holiday tradition to get all dressed up, go out to dinner, and see a show at the Fulton. Usually we see whatever musical is playing in December, but I was intrigued by the "psychological thrilled" description of Gaslight, even though I didn't really know much about it, so we went a month earlier than usual. And it definitely didn't disappoint! I'd recommend it, but it closed tonight. But if you're in the Lancaster area, you can check out Hairspray at the Fulton starting November 30 through December 31. If past musicals staged there are an indication of the future, I'd say Hairspray will be fantastic!

So anyway, I had originally planned on wearing something a little more "holiday" (read: sparkling, sequins, gold, etc), but I'm not quite in holiday mode yet, so I pulled this frothy little number out of my closet instead. And while we're talking about dresses and theatre, why do people not dress up anymore for such an occasion? Sure, some people were dressed up, but for every person who donned their sparkling theatre best, there were about 10 more rolling in looking like they were hitting up a local dive bar. And this is a really nice, formal theatre. Do not get. Am I alone in this?

Shop:
Dress: Random boutique last year; Blazer: LC by Lauren Conrad (no longer on website, check stores, similar, similar in grey); Booties: Bakers Chelsee; Earrings: JewelMint Versailles (no longer available)

over the weekend

noreply@blogger.com (christie) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 20:03:00 +0000

I finally took off the royal blue manicure from my Rainbow Brite Halloween costume and replaced it with Essie Sew Psyched topped with Sephora by OPI Only Gold for Me topcoat:

My dinner at Ma(i)son, a downtown Lancaster restaurant inspired by French Country cuisine and local ingredients:

Meadow loves Lucy:

Stella turned 8 this weekend and we had a Stellabration, complete with burgers and fries from McDonald's:

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend!

First two pics by me on my iPhone. Last two pics taken by D on his iPhone.

Adoptable dogs

noreply@blogger.com (christie) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 20:22:00 +0000

Happy Saturday, everyone! This morning I headed over to the Humane League to take some pictures and thought I'd post the pics here in hopes of spreading the word about adoptable pets in the Lancaster, Pa. area.

Memphis (cream) and Diego (black)

Punkie

Miss Muffet

Lexi

Guess which one I wanted to take home with me?

For information on adopting these dogs, visit The Humane League of Lancaster County's website.

outfitted:: one more halloween post

noreply@blogger.com (christie) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:34:00 +0000

Before we launch full-force into Thankschristmahanukkwanzasolsticenewyears, I figured I'd suck the last life out of fall and post the Halloween costume I wore this past weekend when I braved the snow to head to a party. I definitely don't get creativity points here since it was a pre-packaged costume (minus the shoes, hair ribbon, and jewelry), but I did get compliments on its coolness and cuteness most of the night. There's definitely a lot of love out there for 80s nostalgia.

So here I am as sparkly, shiny Rainbow Brite. (Excuse the weird pointing-and-laughing pose. There weren't very many full-length shots taken. And this was the best of the bunch, so yeah..)

And here's a picture of a snow-capped pumpkin. You don't see that every day, right?

Let the holiday craziness begin!

halloween snow dogs

noreply@blogger.com (christie) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 23:12:00 +0000

Well. It seems that The Nightmare Before Christmas has landed here in Lancaster in the form of a Halloween Nor'easter. There's already about 6 inches on the ground and it's still snowing! Apparently this one is for the record books because the last record-setting early season snowfall was back in 1925. And this one has it beat.

But, I'm still planning on heading out to a Halloween party tonight, and the snow didn't stop me and Mr. DU from visiting the Humane League this morning to take pictures of some adoptable dogs. I think the snow made the pictures extra cute, don't you?

Jeeter

Farrah

Cuddles

And two of the dogs weren't much for the snow, so I took their pictures inside.

Annette

Ruby

And just for fun, here's a picture of my little Lucy Beagle in our backyard:

For information on adopting these dogs (but not Lucy- she's mine!), visit The Humane League of Lancaster County's website. And if you're out and about in Lancaster tonight, drive carefully and stay safe!

happy halloween!

noreply@blogger.com (christie) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 01:50:00 +0000

I mentioned before that late summer into early fall is one my favorite times of the year. Weather-wise that's true, but to be perfectly honest the entire stretch of months from August through December gets me pretty stoked. It starts in August with my and Mr. DU's birthdays and just keeps rolling along into Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas (and Festivus!), and finally, New Year's. And now an anniversary thrown in there, too- Mr. DU and I celebrate one year of marriage this December.

But this year since we aren't getting ready to move or to walk down the aisle, I had more time to plan for Halloween. So I transformed our our kitchen into "Sleepy Hollow Tavern" (sign from the Homespun Raven), stocked up on Oktoberfest beer and pumpkin ale, and threw our first annual Halloweenfest costume party.

And I admit, I recycled my costume (I didn't have that much extra time to get super creative!). I wore this same dress for the same costume idea nine Halloweens ago. In case you can't tell by the stiff arms and awkward stance, I'm supposed to be Barbie. And Mr. DU? Well, he's got a bad hangover.

35 before 35 No. 7: work for a company i believe in

noreply@blogger.com (christie) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 22:16:00 +0000

Just to refresh your memory, I created 35 before 35 back in June as a way to challenge myself to meet some of my goals. And while I have been quite busy lately with work and grad school (and clearly not posting on my blog), I'm happy to cross the first of my goals off the list! That's right, I'm crossing off goal number 7, work for a company I believe in. The caveat? It's volunteer work, but hey, it's my list and I never said it had to be paid work, right? Right.

So anyway, said company is my local Humane League where I volunteer as a photographer (and website writer when/if I have time). And I couldn't be happier! I get to play with adorable dogs and take pictures of them to help them find forever homes! It's perfect. So perfect that I'm considering launching a side gig doing pet photography because taking pictures of them is so fun. Here are a few of the pictures I've taken of these precious puppies:

Nene (adopted!)

Duke

Melvin (adopted!)

Rockstar

To see the rest of the pictures I took, visit my Flickr page. Visit The Humane League of Lancaster County to see adoptable dogs, or like them on Facebook for the most up-to-date news and photos.

oh, autumn!

noreply@blogger.com (christie) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 20:47:00 +0000

After a fun-filled summer of beerfests, baseball games, and the beach, I'm excited for all things autumn- pumpkin ale, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin lasagna (really anything pumpkin), and crisp evenings, cozy sweaters, Sunday afternoons watching football and cooking something tasty in the crock pot, and of course, all of the fabulous fall fashion.

Late summer into fall is easily my favorite time of the year, when balmy August nights start to give way to cool September evenings. I can trade in my flip flops and sundresses for ballet flats and long-sleeved silky tops, and generally don't have to worry about being a sweaty mess by the time we walk to our destination. And while it may be Spring 2012 in New York right now, I'm all about Autumn 2011. I haven't really done any serious shopping for the past few seasons, but this year, I'm really excited about some of the fall fashions. That, and I think my taste has changed a bit over the past few years, from a little twee and ruffly to a little more modern and edgy.

So, here are a few things I'm craving for fall (besides everything pumpkin):

{Shop}:: Marlie Sweater, Abercrombie & Fitch; Clara Skirt, Abercrombie & Fitch; Hammered Sequin Tank by Vince, PiperLime; Druzy Quartz and Chrysophrase Earrings by NYC Jewelry Design; Stella Plated Stainless Steel Watch in Gold, Fossil; Svetlana Bracelet, Dannijo; Tight-End Tights in Black, Spanx; Seychelles Theory Boots, Zappos

{Shop}:: Christina Skirt, Abercrombie & Fitch; LC Lauren Conrad Ruched Open-Front Boyfriend Blazer, Kohl's; Silk Layering Cami, J.Crew; Greer Wedge Ankle Boots; Bekah Necklace, Dannijo; Amelie Leather Clutch by Ira Grant; Spanx Tight-End Tights in Bittersweet

outfitted:: white and breezy

noreply@blogger.com (christie) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 08:00:00 +0000

This gorgeous dress has been hanging in my closet for two summers now and this is the first time I've worn it. Not because I don't love it, but because I often find it not-quite-appropriate for whatever event I may have considered wearing.

But last Saturday was Mr. DU's birthday and we had reservations at Checkers downtown, and I figured that was as good as an occasion as any to rip off the tags. And so, I did.

{What I'm Wearing}:: Dress, Banana Republic; Espadrilles, Seychelles (circa, 2008); Jewelry, Sun Sugar Studio

PS - Sorry for going MIA last week. I've been a little busy with work and I was also enjoying my last week before the new semester starts. I can't promise I'll be posting every day, but I will try to get at least a few posts a week. I did buy a new laptop, which I'm hoping will help motivate me. I'd much rather veg out on my couch with a laptop in the evening rather than sitting at my desk at home for another few hours after sitting at a desk at work all day.

goodbye irene

noreply@blogger.com (christie) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 15:10:00 +0000

Many of my favorite beach towns were hit this weekend by Hurricane Irene (we also got hit where I live, but not very badly). Thankfully, the damage wasn't nearly as bad as expected in the coastal areas in New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland.

We got ready for Irene by cleaning out our basement, which normally floods with the slightest drizzle, and waited out the storm with beer, food, and Wii. This morning, our basement is completely dry. I credit this to the fact that we cleaned it out. Had we not bothered with that, we'd have gotten a foot of water. Murphy's Law and all that.

I hope everyone in the path of the storm stayed/stays safe and dry.

Yes, that is pumpkin ale you see. I was probably a little more excited than I should have been to see that at the beer distributor yesterday.

outfitted:: casual saturday

noreply@blogger.com (christie) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 16:02:00 +0000

Quick outfit post today. And for once, it's actually what I'm wearing today (at least for the morning/afternoon). Today is Mr. DU's birthday and we're heading to one of our favorite restaurants tonight where ratty, cutoff jean shorts are not appropriate attire.

But this morning, we just grabbed a quick breakfast at a local cafe, so really all I needed to be was semi-presentable. I think I succeeded, no?

Happy weekend!

{What I'm Wearing}:: denim shorts, Forever21 from last year, I think; t-shirt: j.crew outlet; hoodie, alternative apparel (bought from local shop tellus360); shoes and bracelet, target; sunglasses, lc lauren conrad

outfitted:: red, olive, and butterflies

noreply@blogger.com (christie) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 20:33:00 +0000

I got beat up at the beach last week. No, not in a bar fight or anything that could have resulted in jail time. No, no. I got beat up by the ocean. Specifically, by a really big wave. And while I was crouching under the water trying to pull up my swimsuit bottoms, which I nearly lost in my fight with said wave, another wave pummeled me and tried to steal my swimsuit top. It's a good thing my embarrassment threshold is fairly high, otherwise I may have run right off the beach crying in humiliation. After I pulled up my bottoms and re-situated my top, of course. {Shop}:: red cropped jeans, lc by lauren conrad at kohl's; top: o'neill from a surf shop at the beach; cardigan: j.crew outlet; shoes: dolce vita for target; necklace: j.crew outlet; bracelets: madewell and j.crew outlet PS- I'm participating in the Color Brigade with this outfit. Color Brigade is hosted by Kileen of Cute and Little. Visit her blog to check out the other entries. PPS- Excuse my slowness on the uptake with getting back into the blogging groove. My sunbleached brain is still halfway in vacation mode and I have to use the precious non-vacation brain moments at the day job.

more beach time (and another mobile blog)

noreply@blogger.com (christie) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:44:00 +0000

Okay, let me try this again. Hopefully, the images won't pixelate this time and if they do, well, I'll just give up on mobile blogging.

So anyway. Last week I spent most of the week in Dewey Beach, DE on a girls only vacation. Let me tell you, I love Mr. DU but there is something about a girls only getaway that us good for the soul. I highly recommend it!

Here are a few pics from the trip:
Beach time:

Relaxing at restaurants on the bay:

Lots of eating and drinking:

A random dragon raft:

And the bagel pizzas we made at 3 a.m. when we couldn't find an open pizza place:

beach time and mobile blogging

noreply@blogger.com (christie) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 02:10:00 +0000

I'm posting this from my phone between beach trips. This past weekend, Mr. DU and I headed to Atlantic City and Ocean City, NJ for my birthday. I'm back in PA for two days and then I'm off to Dewey Beach in Delaware with my best friend. I am so looking forward to a girls only vacation! And in the meantime, here are some pictures from this past weekend.

The beach:

The boardwalk:

Caesar's Palace:

And Mack & Manco's!

PS- I just edited this on my computer because the pictures posted from my phone were pixelated. Boo.

outfitted:: cropped, slouchy, and time to celebrate

noreply@blogger.com (christie) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 13:32:00 +0000

As you read this, I am en route to the beach (or quite possibly, on the beach). Today is my birthday and I'm a firm believer that birthdays should be celebrated at the beach. With a mojito in one hand and a mojito in the other. Oh. Whatever, I like mojitos. And they are perfect for celebrating things like final project for grad school class completed, second week at new job survived, and of course, a shiny new year. And as you probably guessed, I didn't wear this outfit today. I'm probably wearing something more like this. But I did wear this little getup to work earlier this week, and I have to say, I was pretty thrilled that that leopard print belt, which used to barely fit my waist when I belted a cardigan now sits quite comfortably on my hip bones. Finally, all of this working out is paying off! It's a good thing, too, because my little beach trip also requires wearing a swimsuit.

{Shop}:: cropped pants: the limited, super old; top: thrifted; shoes: loft, super old; necklace: forever21, super old; bracelets: j.crew, last season, sun sugar studio

bloggers do it better:: arm party

noreply@blogger.com (christie) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 23:23:00 +0000

My week has been crazy busy, but I'm taking a minute to have an arm party here to celebrate Pretty Shiny Sparkly's Bloggers Do it Better August Challenge. The theme is (duh) arm parties. In case your invitation got lost in the mail (or in translation), let me explained: An arm party is a phrase coined by Man Repeller to describe tons of bracelets of assorted styles stacked on one (or both) arms. Consider this your official invite to rock on with your very own arm party.

This arm party is my standing weekend date. It's perfect for throwing on with most casual weekend clothes, and it has a perfectly beachy vibe. Most of these bracelets are at least from last summer (except the big sparkly purple one, which I picked up at Target this past weekend).

This one's a mini arm party; a small gathering at home rather than a full-on rager. But I love these two bracelets together and have been known to wear them a lot. Bracelet on the left is my own design from Sun Sugar Studio, bracelet on the right is from J. Crew last year.