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!

Visit Philly: Japanese Gardens

Yesterday Chloe and I were dropping my brother off in the suburbs and randomly decided to visit the Japanese Gardens. I had been vaguely aware of them, but wasn't sure exactly what/where they were. We had nothing on the agenda for the afternoon, so we thought we'd check it out. It turned out to be this completely gorgeous and serene enclave within Fairmount Park. With waterfalls, koi ponds, tea ceremonies and bridges, it was like stepping into the most fantastic painting. Taking off our shoes to wander around the home was so lovely. I ended up buying a little koi coin purse (a KOIn purse...get it) from their cute gift shop. If you ever visit, definitely buy food to feed the koi!

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!