About Christie

Welcome in!

I grew up on the east coast but currently live on California’s central coast with my husband and our sassy blonde schnauzer, Ellie. We’re a few miles from the beach, nestled in the hills of wine country between Santa Barbara and Big Sur.

The east coast will always be home, but Ryan’s career as a military officer means that the Air Force gets to change our zip code every few years - a reality I’ve grown to appreciate for the changes of scenery, fresh perspectives, and new friends it brings. The road here wound through Pittsburgh, DC, and Annapolis (for him through New York, the UK, and Afghanistan as well), and each city has a special place in our story. Military life makes you feel a bit like a tourist everywhere you go because you’re never truly settled in (or completely unpacked.) We’ve learned to embrace the uncertainty and treat each assignment like the adventure (read: rom com) it inevitably becomes.

My career in higher education began in 2006. I'm currently an administrator leading several talented teams at a public university and am living proof that with support and mentorship, first-generation college students can persist and succeed. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working as a personal stylist for the last five years, styling thousands of women of all ages and backgrounds around the US. Beyond the creative expression, I appreciate the chance it has given me to empower women and play a small part in the new jobs, date nights, and special events we’re all out here bringing our A-games to.

Working in the fashion industry and witnessing the incredible harm caused by over-consumption inspired my transition to ethical shopping and conscious consumerism. I care deeply about protecting the planet (+ all of its inhabitants), fighting inequality, and promoting social justice, themes you’ll notice reflected in my writing because they’re woven into what I do and who I am.

I hope Cedar + Surf inspires adventure, curiosity, and conscious living and that reading it is as enjoyable as the creative process is for me.

Want to connect? I’d love to hear from you.

xo,

Christie

Connect

FAQ

Can I work with you?

Absolutely! I work with a handful of brands that I align with philosophically and stylistically on a monthly, quarterly, whenever-they-need-me basis for content creation, style stories, copy, and photography. Feel free to get in touch with me to learn more or to request a media kit. More about that here.

What’s the name about?

Cedar + Surf was born in Big Sur. Along a remote stretch of the coast not far off of Highway 1, a single and particularly spectacular cedar tree grows inexplicably out of a sheer, rocky cliff as the surf crashes hundreds of feet below. I don’t know how it managed to root there or how it survives in the battering winds, but it’s a feat of nature and inspirational level of persistence that perfectly illustrates my life mantra. It also evokes the feelings of tranquility and oneness with nature that ground this space, reminding me of my grandfather, our hikes, and an inherited love of the mountains.