Weekend Warrior

Jeans: Lucky Brand, body suit: American Apparel, boos; Lucky Brand, sunnies: UO

These photos were taken last weekend after I ran my first (!) 5k. It was a total last minute thing where I subbed in for someone who dropped out. I'm not a runner (like...at all) but I've been working out a lot lately and I thought I would try it. A race is honestly something I never thought I would do. My only goals were to run the whole time and to make it under 40 minutes. By the time I reached the finish line I was so proud of myself because I had not only completed my two goals, but I had done something I never thought I was capable of. It was a truly wonderful feeling of accomplishment. Iced coffee in hand, Chloe and I decided to spend the day wandering around Old City. We checked out a flea market, since I'm constantly on the look for things to decorate my new home. Old City is one of the coolest areas of Philadelphia. The cobblestone streets, old row houses, it feels like you stepped into another time. We walked through the narrow streets, pointing out houses we would buy if money was no object. Have a good one, all you weekend warriors!

South Street

Slip: Free People, sweater: Urban Outfitters, boots: trifted

Over the weekend I attempted to dye my hair grey. I've been so about this trend for a while now and figured it was subtle enough that I could get away with it at work. My hair is extremely stubborn when it comes to bleach and dye. While I ended up with a pale grey on my roots and ends, it's not exactly the look I was going for. Unfortunately, I need to give my hair some time to recover before I attempt to re-dye, so this is what I'll be rockin' for the next several weeks. 

These photos were taken just off South Street in Philadelphia. Though it's known for being a pretty touristy area, I love the vibe of it. Head shops, tattoo parlors, bars that get packed at all times of day, vintage shops, it's a great mix of people that flock there. It makes me feel right at home in this free people slip! I got brunch with my gal pals that lasted for hours and hours. Lounging on a couch, drinking bloody marys, we sometimes forgot that we weren't in our home. But we didn't care, side-eye us all you want, we're gonna keep doin' our thang.

Perfect Fall Weekend

Do you ever have a weekend where you just feel like you just made the most of a season? I feel like I was winning at fall this weekend. In addition to pumpkin carving I baked all the fall things — pumpkin seeds, apple tart, apple pie, and meatloaf wrapped in bacon. On Saturday Jimmy and I went to see Nightscape at Longwood Gardens, a show where they project lights onto the trees and plants. It was the coolest experience. Everyone was walking around in a sort of shared trace. They had a Victory beer garden, so drink in hand we walked through the beautiful lights, completely mesmerized. It was hard to get great photos of it, but that's alright. It was honestly better to be immured in the experience. Sitting by a lake, drinking a beer, with my head on my boyfriend's shoulder, watching the lights dance across the trees — I don't think it gets much better than that!

Sundaze

One of my favorite parts about living in Philadelphia is how easy it is to get out of the city and into nature. Wissahickon Park is only a 15 minute drive from my apartment, so that's where you'll find me on a Sunday morning. Yesterday my boyfriend, roommate and I went to the Wissahickon for a little hike. Jimmy needed to collect plant specimens for a class, so we spent a couple hours getting a botany lesson from him and learning how to press plants. The Wissahickon is such a cool place because you immediately forget that you're just beyond the city. Every time I go hiking, I find new places to explore. It's a place that's filled with cool little things, like this statue we stubbled upon. I'm always the one trying to get us to go down to the water, leading us down a treacherous path to take off our shoes (and shirts) to cool off our feet in the water. Spending a beautiful day in the woods is always my favorite way to round out a great weekend.

This weekend in particular was one of reflection and humility. It's easy to get caught up in being stressed out sometimes, I know that this one of the things I really struggle with. This weekend I was overwhelmed with the love and support of people around me. I often forget when I'm going though something, that I am never alone. Knowing I have so many people cheering me on from the sidelines is truly a wonderful thing. So thank you to everyone who has supported me, I can't wait for what the future has in store! 

Levis and Bikes

Shirt: Urban Outfitters//Levis: Thrifted//Platform sneakers: Forever 21

These pictures were taken this past weekend, riding around town with Chloe. I've been obsessed with these Levis since I spotted them at the thrift store. There snug in all the right places, but still feel relaxed. I don't know know why, but something about light denim with a flowy top screams weekend outfit to me. I picked up this crop from Urban Outfitters a couple weeks ago. It has quickly become a staple in my wardrobe. I love that it has the extra special detail of an  open back. Perfect for biking around town in the summer time.

I got a new bike immediately after moving to Philadelphia, having purposely left my old one in Brooklyn. I bought this hunter green Free Spirit on Craigslist and I think it suits me well. Philly is really accessible by bike, there are bike lanes on many of the major roads. With all of that being said, there are still huge dangers about biking in any city. I've found that drivers aren't automatically aware of bikers. I've had a couple close calls, despite my attempts to be overly wary. Unfortunately, there are just those nasty people that will always try to run you off the road or scream at you even though you're doing nothing wrong. Being a biker has made me extra cautious when it comes to being in vehicles, always checking my mirror before opening doors and always looking before I turn. What's biking in your cities like?

Disclaimer: I ALWAYS wear a helmet, and strongly believe everyone should. I took it off for these photos because FASHUN.

Visit Philly: Eastern State Penitentiary & Vetri Pizza

Where to go: Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Ave

Where to eat: Vetri Pizza, 1939 Callowhill St

So I'm starting a new section of the blog that I'm calling Visit Philly. I always love reading blogs that show the best places to go when visiting a city. There always the obvious must sees, but when it comes to visiting a new place it's great to have advice from the locals. No one likes ending up in a tourist trap where you pay $20 for a mediocre sandwich because you're so hungry. On this post I recap my day with my brother and roommate yesterday visiting Eastern State Penitentiary and then gorging ourselves on the pies at Vetri Pizza.

A couple years ago, before I moved to Philly, I was visiting my friend Katherine who has lived here for a couple years. We were eating at a place called Mugshots, across the street from the Penitentiary. I was asking her about it and she said that she had never been. We impulsively went across the street after eating and took a tour. Since then it has become one of my favorite places in Philly. 

I expected myself to be holed up doing work this whole weekend, so I was pleasantly surprised when I was done at a reasonable time on Sunday. Since the Penitentiary closes before I get out of work on the weekdays, I wanted to take advantage of my afternoon and share it with two Philly residents who have never been! First of all, the audio tour is narrated by Steve Buscemi - really what more do you need? The soothing voice of Steve Buscemi guiding you around one of the nation's oldest prisons is exactly the way I want to spend my Sunday. Once you're inside the high walls, it's easy to forget the bustling city just on the other side. It's a mix of beautiful and haunting, and with so much history! Definitely a great place to go to escape the city for a couple hours and learn a ton.

For dinner, one of the best places to go is Vetri Pizza. It's right next to the Barnes' Foundation, so the perfect place to go if you find yourself in that neighborhood. It is owned by the James Beard award winning chef, Marc Vetri so you know the food is on point. When I studied abroad in Italy, pizza was my diet. I ate it almost everyday, sometimes multiple times a day. My cravings for that thin crust, oven-baked personal pie never quite went away. There's nothing quite like sitting al fresco, drinking a beer and finishing an entire pizza by yourself. My recommendation: crudo pizza with prosciutto and ricotta or the quattro formaggi pizza!