coming next week:: color palette blog walk!

Who's excited? I am! Maybe you aren't yet since you haven't heard of the Color Palette Blog Walk, so let me fill you in.

It's sponsored by Brandi of Brandi Girl Blog and Catie's Blue jewelry, and it's all about finding inspiration in color. There are 20 bloggers participating (my day to post is Thursday, March 3), and we'll all be posting color palettes inspired by our own photography. I'm super excited! The fun starts Monday.

Want to follow the Color Palette Blog Walk?
Here's a full list of the bloggers and the schedule:

Monday, Feb. 28th
Brandi at Brandi Girl Blog
Erin at Treasures Found
Jen at Jen Judd Rocks
Shari at Exploring the Wonders of Life

Tuesday, March 1st
Karen at Creative Thoughts and Inspirations
Julia at UlvDesign
Jessa at The ReArtingDotNet Blog
Lyn at Lyn Foley Jewelry Blog

Wednesday, March 2nd
Jescalyn at Peach Honey Love
Paige at Paige Maxim Designs
Katrina at Ma Joie Press
Jenni at Jenni's Beads

Thursday, March 3rd
Christie at Displaced Urbanite (that's me!)
Rachel at TatterBeans
Brittany at The Home Ground
Cindy at Sweet Bead Studio

Friday, March 4th
Rachel at Balanced Crafts
Wren at Each Day
Kelly at Mackin Art
Kristy at Simply Shiny Blog

52 weeks of downtown lancaster:: week 7

Remember my post about the Zap & Co. fire and the injured owner, Steve Murray? (If you don't, go read it now so this post makes sense.)

Last Sunday, Mr. DU, some friends and I attended a benefit for Steve at The Bulls Head Pub (pictured above). It's not exactly in downtown Lancaster (it's a little town just north, called Lititz), but I thought this was a nice follow up to my previous post.

Read the news article here (I'm quoted!) and see the news video here (I'm in that, too (in the background)!).

By the way, the Bulls Head is a great little place- good atmosphere, awesome beer selection and yummy food. If you ever head up to Lititz, stop by and check it out.

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52 Weeks of Downtown Lancaster is my photo project for 2011. It's meant to keep me creative and posting about a consistent topic on a weekly basis. And I'm also pretty hellbent on to getting the word out that there's more to Lancaster, Pa. than Amish buggies, farms and outlet shopping. View the rest of my 52 Weeks of Downtown Lancaster pictures here.

All pictures taken by me, unless otherwise noted.

what i wore:: last summer (part two) - olive and sparkles

{ top: topshop, sweater vest: target, jeans: american eagle, belt: j.crew, necklace: madewell, shoes: j.crew }
Yep. Still talking about last summer. It's not that I'm stuck in the past. It's just that I'm pressed for time for the next few weeks (thesis proposal presentation and all that fun stuff) and I found some pics on my hard drive that I never posted here. Besides, posting about summer makes me happy. Unlike the 5 inches of snow that's on the ground right now.

Also, I had too much sushi for lunch (if there is such a thing as too much sushi) and now I need a nap.

speaking of blossoms and blooms...

How gorgeous are these pictures from Free People?

in the mood for:: blossoms and blooms

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to see some flowers blossoming. And if I can't see them in my currently snow-covered yard, I'll just buy a bunch of bloom-covered clothing, accessories and furniture. That seems like an even trade-off, right? I thought so.


{ 1- multifloral lily clutch by bagatelles & co, 2- floral lampwork ring by brilynn beads, 3- handmade vintage cameo earrings by the silver dog, 4- tuileries dress from anthropologie, 5- sonoma settee from layla grayce }

beagle mania monday!

Yep, it's time for another Beagle Mania Monday post! Self-explanatory, I think. Check out my super adorable beagles (and Stella) lounging in our sunroom:

i heart cali:: la la land by sixth & main

It's no secret around the DU household (or to anyone who's ever had at least one conversation with me) that I'm really a displaced California girl. I've never lived there, but I make a habit of visiting often because truly no place has ever felt more like home to me than the Golden State. (And someday I will call it home for real.)

And because this is my blog and it's about things I love and that inspire me, I'm starting an "I Heart Cali" column/post thingy where I post things I love inspired by the state I love. Not sure how regularly I'll post about it, but look for it to pop up every now and again.

So here's the first "I Heart Cali" post:

I love everything about Sixth & Main's La La Land photography series- the dreamy photos, the pink tints and of course, the subject matter of all Los Angeles landmarks. Must. Have. Now.


{ top row: downtown los angeles theatre, route 66, hollywood }
{ middle row: shopping on melrose, los angeles skyline, santa monica pier }
{ bottom row: sunglow surfer at manhattan beach, rush hour, paris to la }

what i wore:: purple skirt, blazer and stripes

{ purple skirt: j.crew (outlet), striped tank top: target, blazer: target, boots: can't remember, tights: spanx, jewelry: me, american eagle, j.crew. charlotte russe }

I missed a few days posting this week (and I missed this week's Fashion Beauty Friend Friday, too). In lieu of those posts, I have several excuses I'd like to share with you:

1. My internet went all wacky and I was having trouble logging on for more than 10 seconds at a time.
2. We've had an endless parade of window install estimator-sales peeps in our house several evenings this week. I now know way more about windows than I ever wanted to know. Including that an estimate takes about 3 hours.
3. I am feverishly finalizing my thesis proposal for grad school, which will determine the direction my academic life for the next (and final) three semesters (and hopefully, my professional life after that). My presentation is coming soon and I have to send my professionally printed and bound proposal book out early next week.
4. I decided to cook at least one dinner this week so Mr. DU wouldn't have to go foraging around the kitchen. I'm such a nice wifey. But not too nice. I definitely left all of my dirty dishes in the sink. He may have cleaned them up.
5. I have been exercising much more regularly. I'm determined to lose the extra 30 pounds that seem to think I'm their buddy.

See, all good excuses, right? Hoping I'll be back next week with reliable internet and more posts! Happy Friday!

PS- I also signed up for Independent Fashion Bloggers. My blog hasn't been approved by admin yet, but I keep getting e-mails that people are sending me message board updates and greetings, as well as adding me as a friend. I'm not ignoring you! I just can't log in yet. I'll respond as soon as I can.

PPS- Do you like Displaced Urbanite on Facebook? You should. There's different content there- like random posts, Etsy finds and more outfits of the day that I just snap with my iPhone.

52 weeks of downtown lancaster:: week 6

I have summer fever. I have summer fever so bad that I stopped at Carmen & David's Creamery on the way home from running errands last Saturday. Because I needed some icy cold, homemade lemon lavender sorbet despite the 30 degree temperatures.

For those unfamiliar, Carmen & David's is a locally owned, downtown Lancaster ice cream parlor, and they make all of their ice cream from fresh, local ingredients and they keep several flavors on rotation. If you're downtown, definitely stop in. My recommendations: lemon lavender sorbet, strawberry thyme sorbet, mint chocolate chip ice cream and chocolate peanut butter oreo ice cream.

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52 Weeks of Downtown Lancaster is my photo project for 2011. It's meant to keep me creative and posting about a consistent topic on a weekly basis. And I'm also pretty hellbent on to getting the word out that there's more to Lancaster, Pa. than Amish buggies, farms and outlet shopping. View the rest of my 52 Weeks of Downtown Lancaster pictures here.

All pictures taken by me, unless otherwise noted.

what i wore:: the coral dress

{ dress: madewell, sweater: random department store, belt: target, shoes: aldo, tights: spanx in charcoal, bracelet: charlotte russe, necklace: made by me }

Okay peeps, here it is. The Madewell Coral Dress (previously "styled" here). It's much brighter in person, which is okay with me since I like bright colors. And it pairs so well with greys and tans, don't you think? I'm feeling so very fall 2011.

Also, I've made the executive decision as Director of my Closet that I need those J. Crew Langford high-heeled oxfords from the previous Styled post. Those shoes are haunting me. Every day I get dressed and think about how cute they would look with whatever outfit I have on. It's time to make a purchase, methinks. But really, how cute would those be with today's outfit?

anthropologie (finally) launches bhldn

The rumors are true, everyone. In case you haven't heard, Anthropologie launched BHLDN (pronounced "beholden"), its bridal/special event shop spin-off, today. From the looks of things, the focus is on the non-traditional bride (love!).

How gorgeous is all this stuff?

If I hadn't just gotten married, I'd be all over this for a wedding. Of course, I think I did a good job of being a non-traditional bride by wearing Anthropologie's Spinning Lace dress (aka, the Tracy Reese nougat classic lace frock). Patting myself on the back for being so on top of things over here (again).

All images from the BLHDN website.

52 weeks of downtown lancaster:: week 5

Chocolate + Beer = Love.

I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure that equation is an absolute truth. I snapped this picture (with the Hipstamtic app, of course) while out with the girls last night at happy hour. That's Iron Hill Brewery's Overload Stout and I am ready to go get a growler and pour its milky, chocolatey goodness over my bowl of Cocoa Krispies (don't judge me!).

Iron Hill is a regional brewery with a downtown Lancaster location, and not only do they have yummy beer, they have pretty tasty food, too (I highly recommend the sweet potato fries- little slice of heaven on a plate, right there).

Speaking of absolute truths, here's another-
Friends + Food = Good times and the best therapy money can't buy.

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52 Weeks of Downtown Lancaster is my photo project for 2011. It's meant to keep me creative and posting about a consistent topic on a weekly basis. And I'm also pretty hellbent on to getting the word out that there's more to Lancaster, Pa. than Amish buggies, farms and outlet shopping. View the rest of my 52 Weeks of Downtown Lancaster pictures here.

All pictures taken by me, unless otherwise noted.

fashion beauty friend friday:: color wars

It's FBFF! This week we're talking about color.


{ rainbow wheel by bomobob }

1. What color dominates your closet?
I'm not really sure...I have a ton of different colors in my closet because I really, really love color. I don't even own a little black dress (but I do own a little coral dress and a little blue dress and a little gold dress and a little leopard print dress and...yeah, you get the idea). But certain colors that I really love, like aqua and purple, don't really appear too often in my closet. I'm not really a muted pastel kind of person (as far as clothing) and they just don't make enough purple clothes!

2. If money weren't an issue how would you change the color emphasis
in your closet?
Uh...I'd buy things I liked in every available color. And I'd probably have things I liked made in colors that were unavailable. Hey, if the dress fits, buy it in every color, right?

3. What is your mantra about mixing colors?
Have fun and try the unexpected! Don't be afraid of bright or bold colors, and if you're really scared of a color, just pair it with a ton of neutrals and just go with one pop of bright color. (I have yet to meet a color I'm scared of...although, Honeysuckle, Pantone's color of the year, has me marginally apprehensive.)

4. For you, how do you incorporate color into your outfits?
I tend to either combine a few really bold colors (like this look that I posted on the DU Facebook page because I didn't have time to blog it) or I wear one really bright color and surround it by neutrals (pictures of that coming next week).

5. Which blogger(s) do you think do a good job of incorporating color
into their wardrobe?
There are a lot of good color mixers out there, but I always love Kendi Everyday's colors.


{ color wheel bracelet by nest pretty things }

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Fashion Beauty Friend Friday (FBFF) is the brainchild of Katy over at Modly Chic. Every week, she creates a set of questions and FBFF participants answer them on our blogs. On Friday. See, that's why it's called Fashion Beauty Friend Friday. Visit her blog to find out more or join the fun!

pantone fashion color report:: fall 2011

I know, I know, it's not even spring yet and most of us are still wearing last fall's clothes (and colors- how 2010 of us), but the fashion world is always seasons ahead of the real world.

I'm loving the fall 2011 color trend report! Neutrals plus pops of color. Exactly how I like to dress. I'm thinking that coral dress was a great purchase since it looks awfully close to "emberglow."* And I'm just patting myself on the back today since I'm wearing it (yay, it arrived- pictures coming next week) with colors very similar to quarry and nougat. I am so on top of things over here.

And also, yay! It's Fashion Week!


Download the full report here. All images from the Pantone report.

*Actually, in real life, it is emberglow- the picture was a shade or five off.

what i wore:: last summer

Yep. That's right. What I wore. Last summer.

I found these pictures lurking around on my external hard drive and thought I'd post them. It's a nice reminder of the good old days. When it was warm and the sun shone brightly and we could see the grass. We wore sandals, held hands and sang Kumbaya around the campfire. Okay, not really about the campfire thing. But it is a nice reminder that summer is only 5 months away.

Also, apparently in the good old days, I did not own an iron. Look at that wrinkly shirt. Sorry, mom.


{ top: h&m | pants: modcloth | necklaces: american eagle, j. crew and handmade by me | shoes: target }

shopping for:: lampwork heart jewelry

So apparently Valentine's Day is coming up soon.

I'm not really a fan.

But you know what I do like? Handmade artisan lampwork jewelry. I even like handmade artisan lampwork heart jewelry since it's not all lovey-dovey, melty-smoochy, chocolate candy conversation heart, gag me with 12 dozen roses, over-the-top Valentine's Day insanity and stuff.

Did you read that, Mr. DU? If I celebrated Valentine's Day, I would want some lampwork heart jewelry.


{ 1- blue green heart earrings by natalica | 2- apatite and heart pendant by bella beads originals | 3- lampwork heart, moonstone and sterling silver necklace by loriyab | 4- glass beaded skeleton key and glass heart necklace by the venerable bead | 5- be my valentine heart of the waterfall beaded bracelet by heart of glass designs | 6- charmed love lampwork glass heart necklace by bead crazed }

beagle mania monday!

Listen, I said I liked (er...loved) beagles, so really, it was only a matter of time before I launched a regular weekly(ish) post dedicated to beagles. And since Mondays generally suck, I thought that would be a good day for some beagle cuteness. (That and, "Beagle Mania Tuesday" just didn't have the same ring to it.)

Mostly Beagle Mania Monday will be pictures of my beagles, because it's my blog and my beagles rock.



PS- I know that big black thing in the bottom left image isn't really a beagle, but I don't want her to feel left out of the fun, so I made her an honorary beagle, okay? Okay.

styled:: ruffled coral dress

Happy Monday! (That's an oxymoron if I ever heard one, right?)

As you may already know, I have a bit of an obsession with Melinda Gordon's style from Ghost Whisperer. In the series finale, she wore a pretty coral dress and, of course, I loved it (much like I love everything else in Melinda Gordon's closet).


{ screen shots from Ghost Whisperer, season 5, episode 22, The Children's Parade }
And then! Then I spotted a similar dress on Madewell's website. Unfortunately, I procrastinated (I am so good at that) and didn't buy it and then it disappeared. But then last week, it popped up on the site again- one left and in my size. Fate, right? Obviously. So I bought it.

It hasn't arrived yet, but I'm already thinking about how this awesome coral dress will not only be the perfect addition to my beachy summer wardrobe, but will also add a nice pop of color to neutral winter ensembles.



{ tights: tight end tights in charcoal, spanx | bag: deena & ozzy leather pocket front tote, urban outfitters | sweater: twisting and turning cardi, anthropologie | shoes: langford leather high-heel oxfords, j. crew | necklace: druzy pyrite charm necklace by sparkle couture }


{ bag: shifting sands bag, anthropologie | sandals: seaside sandal, madewell | belt: web buckle belt, j.crew | necklace: swirled necklace- shades of green by catie's blue }
Dress by Madewell (no longer available).

what i wore:: weekend warrior

{ top: old urban outfitters, sweater: h&m, jeans: american eagle, boots: dansko, earrings: made by me }

So I'm trying something new with the What I Wore photos again. I cleaned up the design a bit to suit the overall look of my blog and added a color swatch and still life photos of the accessories. Although, those pretty still life pictures (taken by yours truly) sort of make my actual outfit picture look like crap (as if it needed something to push it over that cliff).

I will master the art of the self portrait. I will master the art of the self portrait. I will master the art of the self portrait. *clicks heels together three times*

(I'll also use my DSLR for outfit pics and stop being lazy by using the point and shoot.)

PS- Those boots are, in fact, ideal for clomping and tromping. I've been living in them on weekends since they arrived.

52 weeks of downtown lancaster:: week 4

Bet you thought I forgot. Truthfully? I almost did.


Full disclosure: I really only took this picture because it was 5:30 p.m. and I was excited that it was still daylight outside.

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52 Weeks of Downtown Lancaster is my photo project for 2011. It's meant to keep me creative and posting about a consistent topic on a weekly basis. And I'm also pretty hellbent on to getting the word out that there's more to Lancaster, Pa. than Amish buggies, farms and outlet shopping. View the rest of my 52 Weeks of Downtown Lancaster pictures here.

All pictures taken by me, unless otherwise noted.

fashion beauty friend friday:: determining blog content

1. With all the blogging events out there how do you determine which ones to participate in and which ones to avoid?
I'm fairly new the blogging event world and FBFF is the first one I've participated in. I did try 52 Weeks of Blogging your Passion last year on my old blog, but I found that it just didn't work with that blog's mission. I do think as I move further on with the DU blog that I will be able to revisit that project (and actually complete it this time!).

2. Be honest, have you ever jumped on the bandwagon of some blogging movement/event for the wrong reasons? How did that turn out?
Nope. I joined FBFF because I wanted to participate in a fairly low maintenance event that also had a sense of community built around it so I could meet some fellow fashion bloggers. So far, so good. Although, I'd like to participate more in the discussion boards, and some weeks I just don't have the time to comment on as many blogs as I'd like, but I'm working on it. And I'm glad to be participating.

3. How do you give your own flair to a blog event while still maintaining the general mission and purpose?
I always make sure to stay true to my own voice and the idea behind my blog (which I'll admit is a bit of a work in progress at the moment). Once I hammer out my actual mission here, beyond my senseless ramblings which I'm sure are absolutely riveting, I think I'd have a better answer to this question.

4. When determining the best content for your blog what criterion do you keep in mind?
This is tough for me because I sort of walk the line between two blogging worlds- the fashion blogging world and the design/inspiration blogging world. I'm working on getting those things to mesh while still including personal content, and that's a large reason why the blog is a work in progress.

My criteria are largely undefined right now because I felt like I needed to stop planning my blog and just start doing. I have notebooks filled with ideas and categories and sketches, but ultimately, the planning process and the idea that I wanted a perfectly organized and perfectly designed blog from the start was holding me back from getting started at all.

I will say that I love the idea of Kendi Everyday's 30 for 30 challenge, but I feel like posting daily outfits is a bit much for me right now. I'd eventually like to participate in that, though.

I'm also waiting for Brandi Girl to do another Color Palette Blog Walk! And I recently discovered the Art Bead Scene's Monthly Challenge and I think I'd like to try that sometime, too.

5. While everything will not suit your blog, how do you try and support your fellow bloggers who are participating in something worthwhile but not your style?
I comment and spread the word when I can. Just because I can't or don't want to participate in a blogging event as a blogger doesn't mean I can't participate as a commenter, right? Right.

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Fashion Beauty Friend Friday (FBFF) is the brainchild of Katy over at Modly Chic. Every week, she creates a set of questions and FBFF participants answer them on our blogs. On Friday. See, that's why it's called Fashion Beauty Friend Friday. Visit her blog to find out more or join the fun!

Photo by Mr. DU (that's me in the picture, in San Diego, in case you're wondering). Photo edits by me. Texture by Kim Klassen.

what i wore:: groundhog day

{ dress: madewell | turtleneck: h&m | necklace: ? | tights: spanx in charcoal | boots: ? }

So apparently Phil, the weather-predicting rodent, did not see his shadow yesterday. And if you believe such tomfoolery, that means spring is coming soonish. Of course, Phil's accuracy is about as close as that of most weather persons so take his forecast with a flake of snow (because we've certainly got a lot of those laying around).

Also, excuse the photo quality. I did not have a snow day yesterday and therefore did not get home in time to get pictures before it got dark outside. I will figure this photo thing out someday.

meet meadow

Okay everyone, here she is - my newest bundle of beagle love, Meadow, otherwise known as "Thing 3."







Meadow loves Lucy (Thing 2)



Thing 1, Thing 2 and Thing 3 all curled up together


All photos by me, taken using the Hipstamatic iPhone app.