what i wore:: crazy cozy sweater

dress: h&m, sweater: abercromie & fitch, tights: spanx, shoes: aldo, jewelry: forever21 and american eagle
Okay, first things first. Excuse the ridiculous pose. I was having a bad hair day, in hurry and the camera wasn't cooperating. So there you go. A weirdo pose for the day.

Also, I love this sweater, but I hardly ever wear it. It's just so big and imposing that it overwhelms me and just about anything else I'm wearing. But it's still freezing here (stupid lying groundhog) and this sweater is crazy cozy and warm. I think this dress, with its tropical floral print, manages to hold its own with this domineering sweater (who knew a sweater could be domineering?). Learn something new every day, right?

beagle mania monday!

It's been a few weeks since the last Beagle Mania Monday. No worries. My beagles have still been super cute despite the absence of a post. Witness: A few cuteness overload events I managed to catch on my camera over the past few weeks.



On a sad note, my little Meadow Beagle (that would be the one on her back in the above photos) has a loose tooth! She's only three, but she was a rescue and a stray, so she had a bit of a rough start. So now she's off to the vet and I'm off to buy doggie toothbrushes to make sure her remaining teeth stay clean and intact.

what i wore:: anthropologie incorporated dress

dress: anthropologie incorporated dress, tights: spanx, scarf: target, shoes: modcloth, jewelry: made by me, charlotte russe
It took me all of two seconds between the time I first spotted Anthropologie's Incorporated Dress to the time I was clicking and buying. It was definitely a good purchase- so freaking comfortable, and cute, too. And warm. Since PA clearly did not get the memo that it's now spring. There are snow flurries in the forecast tomorrow. Really?

Also, I'm still working on the self-portrait, artificial light, manual mode, photography thing. Bear with me here. Better pictures coming soon.

Speaking of manual mode, do you guys use automatic on your DSLRs for self-portraits or do you use manual? I'm so used to manual because of my other adventures in photography, but maybe that's my problem with the self-portraits.

from my studio:: grad school photography work

So, you know I've been busy with midterm projects, and I thought I'd share two of those projects with you (since you know, this blog is supposed to be an extension of my real-life studio).

Here's the story- these photos were for two different art classes. Not studio courses, though; rather, these classes are about art and its place in society, philosophy, and culture, and the intersections between them. Make sense?

I won't bore you with the details but below are the art portions of my projects. The real meat of the projects (and what weighed more heavily than quality of the artwork) were actually the essays I had to write drawing comparisons between social constructs and philosophical ideas and the art itself (I won't bore you those, either).

So anyway, here are the photos:

life in the void (nietzsche)


consumerism

52 weeks of downtown lancaster:: weeks 9, 10 and 11

Wow. I'm a few weeks behind, no? But with good reason! You may recall that I had a thesis proposal presentation two weeks ago (as mentioned in this post). Good news, guys! I passed! But I didn't have time to breathe because I had to jump right into two midterm projects and midterm exams (good news there, too- A's all around!). And then I got sick. Boo. I'm starting to feel better today, but I spent the past few days feeling dizzy, headache-y, stomach-achy, sore throat-y, and just generally miserable. Yesterday I had mint chocolate chip ice cream for dinner because that was the only thing that sounded decent to me.

But anyway, enough of my excuses- here's three weeks worth of downtown Lancaster:

Week 9: week of March 7-12
We usually get our milk from Central Market. Aren't the jugs it comes in just adorable?


Week 10: Week of March 13-19
Apparently, the Rendezvous Lounge had free bacon in honor of St. Patty's Day. Who knew?


Week 11: Week of March 20-26 (that's this week! Yay, we're caught up!)
I was feeling a little better this morning (although still a little dizzy and achy), so Mr. DU and I ventured a few blocks down the street and around the corner for breakfast at On Orange.





So that's what I've been up to around Lancaster the past few weeks. How have you been?

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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.

in the mood for:: st. patrick's day

1- madewell fernwood crochet dress, 2- green dahlia and white pearl necklace by the silver dog, 3- anthropologie latte bowls, 4- baby ruche bag in treetop green by jenny n. design, 5- butterflies and flowers green t-shirt by critter jitters

Short post today! Still wrapping up midterm exams and it's a busy week at work. But just wanted to say Happy St. Patrick's Day, all! Go drink a Guinness and kiss a leprechaun. Or something like that.

dear japan::

My thoughts and prayers are with you.


image by enciclopediapt

fashion beauty friend friday:: finding balance

This week's--er...last week's--Fashion Beauty Friend Friday we asked the question, "How do you do it all and still live, work and play as you should?" (And where does your blog land in those priorities?) The fact that I'm posting Fashion Beauty Friend Friday on a Sunday should give you some indication about how my answers will roll here, but nevertheless, let's go!

1. When it comes to prioritizing your life, in what place does blogging fall?
Um...last? Seriously. As much as I hate to say it, it's last. Dead. Last. Here's how my priorities tumble: family (including Thing 1, Thing 2, and Thing 3), friends, work/grad school (these are sort of interchangeable--I have a tough time prioritizing one over the other), other obligations (errands, house stuff, working out, etc.), freelancing, blogging and jewelry design side biz. Yeah. Full schedule over here.

2. We all wish we had more free time to dedicate to blogging and all it entails. What are your tricks for taking advantage of the time you do have to be as productive as possible?
I have a notebook that I carry with me and I write down ideas for posts because I have a constant stream of ideas and if I didn't write them down, I'd completely forget about them two seconds later. I also always keep my iPhone with me to snap impromptu pictures. It's not the same as my fancy DSLR, but it works in a pinch (and there are a lot of pinches around here).

3. Have you discovered any short-cuts that makes blogging easier or more time efficient?
There are no short cuts for anything worthwhile. Really. I have no short cuts to share with you. It's just a matter of squeezing it in when I have time.

4. Do you have an editorial calendar or something similar that helps you plan ahead?
Yes, I do. I was a journalism major as an undergrad, so that's helped me keep it organized. Although, even the editorial calendar can't save me from my schedule. It helps, though, and it also helps with the long-term vision I have for my blog.

5. If time wasn’t an issue what you would be doing on your blog/for your blog that you aren’t doing now?
So. Many. Things. I'd do fancy photo shoots, post more what I wore pictures, recipes, DIYs, more creative projects (jewelry design, photography, etc), tons of other regular columns I have ideas for but no time to execute...I'd attend blogging conferences, I'd reach out to companies I want to work with and overall, I'd just post a ton more in general. I'd also spend a lot more time Tweeting and commenting on other people's blogs- just building relationships. I've met some great people through blogging and I'd like to have even more time to get to know them better (and to meet more new ones).

And I'd be over at Wordpress with a better blog design. I'm okay with one I have right now, but I have an idea to rework it once my real-life studio is finished so that it truly is a design extension of that. We'll see how soon that happens (the studio and the blog redesign).

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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!

in the mood for:: mint chocolate chip

chocolate and mint lampwork earrings by great expecations, chocolate mint buttercream cookie-wiches by tookies, mint chocolate damask dog collar by big doggy bling, mint chocolate chip triptych by kraftworx, mineral eye shadow in dark chocolate and meadow by noella, yarrow t-shirt by critter jitters
Keeping this post super short, you guys, since I have my thesis proposal presentation tomorrow and I'm funneling most of my extra time into that (wish me lots of luck!). But yeah, how can you not love this color combination? Cool mint green, rich chocolate brown- easily one of my favorites. It's good enough to eat. Where's my spoon?

what i wore:: twisting turning winding ruffles

sweater: anthropologie twisting and turning cardi, t-shirt: loft, jeans: american eagle, boots: anthropologie winding ruffle boots, jewelry: american eagle and handmade by me
Another weekend look - featuring my favorite, favorite, favorite Anthropologie Winding Ruffle boots, and my new favorite sweater, the Twisting and Turning cardi (previously posted about here)! I'd like to post some of my recent work wear, but I just don't get home early enough in the evening to get pictures of it in decent lighting, and I don't have time to play dress up on weekends because I've been preparing for my thesis proposal presentation (which is this Thursday- eek!). Maybe next week once Daylight Savings Time begins, I'll be able to take more pictures in the evenings. But for now, here's another (semi-successful) non-bummy weekend look.

Also, today is the March installment of Everybody Everywear, and sadly, I could not participate since the theme is polka dots and the only polka dot item I own is a bathing soon. And I am not posting that on my blog.

Picture of the winding ruffles boots is from the Anthropologie website.

52 weeks of downtown lancaster:: week 8

One of Lancaster's hidden gems is Cocina Mexicana, which in case you didn't know by the name, is a Mexican restaurant. The guacamole almost makes me forget I'm in PA. And that's a tall order around these parts. Mr. DU and I stopped there today to grab a quick bite and I took this picture of the buildings across the street while we waited for our food. Trust me, we'll be revisiting Cocina Mexicana again in the next 44 weeks. The food itself is far too tasty to skip making an appearance on this blog. But for now, I leave with the vintage record store and Irish Gypsy (and the dress I want in the window- it you squint, you can kind of see it).

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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.

shopping list:: weekend casual from american eagle

So earlier this week, we discussed how I fail at weekend casual looks but I managed find a super cute ruffled sweatshirt and actually look pulled together for once. I went out with a blaze of glory in that one because this weekend, I'm back to my total fail of a hoodie and pj pants. Hey, the only things I have to do today involve thesis proposals and taxes. Don't be jealous.

Besides, this week was so horrendously horrible, I don't think I even have the energy to do more than lift the coffee cup to my mouth at the moment. Totally wiped out. I hate weeks like that. So really, big fat YAY for the weekend. Too bad I'm already dreading Monday and it's barely even Saturday afternoon.

But enough of the pity party and back to a much more important topic- finding decently cute but casual weekend gear.

I'm often leery of American Eagle because I fear if I wear their clothes I'll look like a sorority girl trying way too hard to relive the glory days, but D and I stopped in at the store last weekend because he needed some pants (because apparently guys can shop there at any age and be just fine) and I found myself oddly drawn to a lot of the womens clothing.

Never mind that the sales associate (who probably is currently in her glory days as a sorority girl) called me "ma'am." (Does anyone else who is clearly not in "ma'am" territory despise being called that? I know it's not just me here, people.)

Thankfully, I can avoid the store and the whole "ma'am" experience by happily pointing and clicking my mouse (apparently, I've also got the energy right now to do that). A few of my picks below:


top row: aerie slouchy slub cardi, ae floaty print cami
middle row: ae boyfriend plaid shirt, ae casual cropped popover
bottom row: ae dot tunic, ae floral tunic


top row: ae utility midi short, ae slouchy skinny military pant
bottom row: ae boyfriend fit chino, ae peasant skirt

So really, who else hates "ma'am"? And does anyone over the age of 25 ever stop in at AE and buy clothes?

fashion beauty friend friday:: beauty products

I'm back with Fashion Beauty Friend Friday after missing a few weeks. This week, it's all about beauty products. Fun!


1. What's your favorite drug store makeup product and your favorite higher-end product?
For a drugstore product, I'm a huge fan of Studio Secrets Professional Secret No.1 Magic Perfecting Base (3). For higher-end products, I really love bareMinerals foundations and powders (5). Pretty much anything bareMinerals, actually.

2. Is there one type of product that is your go-to, can't live without?
Definitely The Original MoroccanOil® Oil Treatment (1). Nothing keeps the humidity from turning me into a giant blondish-brown cotton candy pouf better than this stuff. Nothing. Trust me. I've tried.

And also, lip gloss. I luuuuuurve lip gloss. My favorite, by far is C.O. Bigelow Winter Cordials in Hot Buttered Rum (6), which sadly was limited edition and I'm on the last few drops of my tube. But a recent E-bay search yielded some results. Apparently, I can buy some used. Really????

3. What's the best hair product you've ever used?
Um...MoroccanOil. Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Hold & Shine Moisture Mist (4) also tops my list. It works really well to keep my stubborn hair under control and it smells all beachy and summery, too.

4. Fess up, what's the worst beauty look you've tried to rock and look back at now with a little shame or apprehension that you actually did that?
I may have colored my hair construction cone orange when I was a freshman in college. I also may have colored my bangs bright purple at the same time. May have. Also, this was not a trend. I was just a bored, crazy college freshman. Two summers ago boredom struck again and I got the brilliant idea to color my hair bright, bright red. Not brilliant. Not at all. I'm much better with my natural color and some highlights, thanks.

If we're talking trends, I definitely rocked out with in the early 90s with a perm and huge, hairsprayed-to-the-sky bangs. I'm not sure why I felt the need to curl my naturally (very) wavy hair.

5. When it comes to beauty products, we all use the same basic products. What do you use that helps show off your personal flair and personality?
I'm not too into crazy products or keeping a huge stash of beauty items, but I do tend to stick with something that I really like (uh...like MoroccanOil).

One thing I do really like is colorful eye shadow. Sparkly mineral versions are my favorite and I recently came across Orglamix on Etsy (2) and I love this seller! Such great colors and the eye shadow stays on all day. I know many people are apprehensive of a handmade beauty product, but I've been using this stuff for quite a while and my eyeballs have not fallen out of my head.

So. Is anyone else as obsessed with MoroccanOil as I am? Bueller...Bueller?

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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!

color palette blog walk!

It's Color Palette Blog Walk time! I told you it was coming this week.

This event is hosted by Brandi of Brandi Girl Blog (who is awesome with color, by the way), and here's the deal: Brandi challenged a group of 20 bloggers to create color palettes from our own photography. Preferably the photos were to be of things that inspire us. So, here we go:

The beach/ocean
I can't bring up inspiration without mentioning the beach. It truly is my happy place. Whether East Coast, West Coast or somewhere in the Mediterranean, the beach always puts me in a creative (and relaxed) state of mind.


la jolla, ca

ocean city, nj

California
What? You thought you'd get through this post without reading about how I love California? Sorry. No matter what city I've visited there, I've always felt a certain energy that just doesn't happen here in PA. Plus the scenery is beautiful. I need a vacation there. Soon.

(PS- The San Diego and San Francisco pics were just quick snapshots I took with the point-and-shoot, so they aren't the most artistic photos, but I think they still capture the California spirit.)


san diego, ca

santa monica pier

fisherman's wharf, san francisco

Lampwork beads
Of course, like so many other participants in this blog walk, I love art beads. My favorites are boro lampwork glass. We may have discussed this before. Anyway, these are a pair of earrings I made and I just love the rich colors. How can you not be inspired by these little works of art?



Fashion
Obviously, this blog is a style/fashion blog of sorts, so fashion is a big inspiration to me as well. Sometimes colors will just pop out at me from my closet. Like these dresses. I saw them hanging together and decided I just had to take a picture of them. And remember when I said "Paris in Winter" was my inspiration for my studio? Yeah, nevermind. This picture is my new inspiration. Pink! Sequins! Ruffles! YES!



Beagles!
Yep. Beagles. They are just awesome. And their coats are just so pretty, don't you think?




I have thoroughly enjoyed this blog walk. It's been so much fun. And I think it's safe to say that the things I love are the very same things that inspire me. I probably should have put food on this list, too.

All photos by me.

Check out the rest of today's Color Palette peeps:
Rachel at TatterBeans
Brittany at The Home Ground
Cindy at Sweet Bead Studio

what i wore:: ruffled sweatshirt

{ sweatshirt: target, scoop neck top: gap, jeans: american eagle, boots: random department store, scarf: target }

I pretty much fail at uber-casual weekend wear. I can do business casual. I can do going out casual. But I'm a big. giant. fail. at just bumming around on the weekends in something presentable yet comfy.

Then I found this sweatshirt.

And I shall live in it henceforth for every weekend for the rest of the winter. Until laundry day. Which is this Saturday, so that pretty much blows my plan out of the water. Hey, at least I looked cute last weekend, right?