happy halloween!

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

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!

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