Vintage-Inspired Maxi Dress + Coffee

It's been a while since I've worn anything other than jeans and a tee shirt or gym clothes. These days, my schedule often dictates my wardrobe, and when my schedule is as crazy as it's been lately, my outfits are far from it. I'm often running between the office, the gym, running out for supplies and shooting photos, so dressing up is the last thing on my mind. Not for lack of wanting to though! I miss the days of spending time on my outfit -- and often wonder how I even did it during the work week -- so when the opportunity arises, I take it. Chris and I were invited to a preview event at la Colombe here in Philly this week to try out the new late night menu, so we took the opportunity to make a date out of it and went out for sushi afterwards.

Late spring and summer is maxi dress season for me, when dressing up -- and getting dressed in general -- becomes just a little easier. I love the simplicity of throwing on a dress, adding a few accessories, and going on my way (though I think it's funny that i felt way dressed up in this outfit, one that wouldn't have cause me to blink a few years ago). I picked up this dress and necklace on sale from work a few months ago, and both have quickly become favorites in my wardrobe. I love the vintage feel of this maxi, one part '30s, one part '90s, and it's quite possibly one of the most comfortable things I own right now. The next best thing to jeans and a tee, but much prettier.

Get the look:
Free People dress (similar / similar)
Vintage hat (similar more black brim hats here)
Jeffrey Campbell boots
Vintage Lee denim jacket (more denim jackets here)
Vintage Coach purse
Rose lapel pins

Spring Getaways with ASOS: My Favorite Spots in Philly

When we moved to Philly last summer, I arrived in our new city with the intention of doing things differently. Hindsight is 20/20 and looking back, there were so many ways in which we failed ourselves in acclimating during our first move. We held back, allowed ourselves to be intimidated by a new place... Not so with Philadelphia. It certainly helped that we moved to one of the most walkable cities in the country -- and at the beginning of summer, no less -- and that for the first month we lived smack in the center of the city, in Rittenhouse Square. We spent almost every weekend last summer wandering, looking for 'For Rent' signs, sneaking down alleyways, and challenging ourselves to find one more mural, one more hole-in-the-wall cafe.

Eventually we found the perfect little place in South Philly, in a neighborhood filled with cute families and punk rockers, young professionals and retirees who have lived here for 30+ years. It's a funny and confounding and diverse mix of people (and their dogs) and I wouldn't want it any other way. We spent most of the winter hibernating, but now that the weather is warm again and Philly is in full bloom, we've been back to wandering. And let me tell you, Philadelphia in spring is pretty glorious. My evening runs are that much longer because I literally stop and smell the roses every two or three blocks.

We're not in a place right now where we can do much traveling, but that's not stopping us from exploring in and around our new town and taking 'day-cations' when we can. It helps that it's so easy to get around here, the train is right down the street, but even without it, it's pretty much possible to get anywhere you need to on foot. We've discovered some favorites over the past few months, so when ASOS contacted me about styling a couple of looks around a spring getaway, I knew I wanted to talk about two of our favorite Philly neighborhoods: Our own (Pennsport) and Fishtown. While a tropical vacation sounds nice, there's a magic in exploring your own back yard and discovering things you didn't even know were there.

South Philly:

If you're thinking of visiting Philadelphia this spring, do yourself a favor and escape Center City for a day and come down to South Philly. There is so much personality in this part of town, and tucked between row homes and brownstones, you'll discover the reasons why we love it here. 9th street is great and Passyunk is cute, but there's a lot more to this area than what the guidebooks will tell you (most... ok, all of it is food-related):

Grindcore House Coffee: Our neighborhood coffee shop that also happens to be completely vegan (and completely amazing). Good tunes are always playing, the almond milk lattes are phenomenal, and my meat-eating, butcher husband has nothing bad to say about the vegan donuts (I'm an omnivore too, but a little more veg-leaning).

Federal Donuts: More donuts. Don't hate. Federal Donuts is pretty much a Philly institution and you'd be doing yourself a serious disservice if you didn't eat at least one during your visit. Be sure to ask for them fresh from the fryer, and you'll be taken straight to heaven. They have fancy varieties -- the grapefruit brulee is incredible -- but my favorites are the more basic, classic flavors.

Termini Bros.: The first time Chris and I wandered in here there was a man playing accordion in the corner. This is basically on-par with Mike's Pastryin the North End, without the lines. There's a location in Reading Terminal Market, but I prefer the original location. Mostly for the old guys and accordions. Grab a pastry or five, hit up Grindcore House for a coffee, and spend some of your Sunday morning browsing the farmers' market in Dickenson Square Park.

Get the look: ASOS denim jumper, Madewell boots, vintage hat, vintage rings.

Fishtown:

One of our first Saturdays as Philadelphia transplants was spent exploring Fishtown. Two of our good friends from New Hampshire used to live in this energetic neighborhood and we were eager to check it out ourselves. We find ourselves here almost evey weekend as several of my friends live in this area and it's full of amazing food:

Fishtown Tavern: A favorite spot since that first weekend in town, Fishtown Tavern is my favorite place to day drink on the weekends. Also the hummus plate is pretty solid and the bartenders are friendly.

Loco Pez: If you're broke, Loco Pez will make you feel less broke. $20 will get one person a couple of drinks and plenty of tacos, and even better, the tacos are good. This might be our favorite place to eat in Philadelphia. We really like affordable tacos.

Johnny Brenda's: Great bands play here. More importantly, the burger is really good.

Jinxed: All locations of Jinxed are fantastic, but I consistently find amazing things at the Fishtown location. Go here for vintage and antique furniture, jewelry, and basically anything else you could imagine. Follow them on Instagram to get first dibs.

Those are just a few of my favorite spots here in this new town of ours, obviously there's a lot more to explore. I'd love to know your recommendations!

Get the look: ASOS crop top & jeans, Schott jacket, FP bracelet, vintage necklace, FP sunglasses.

National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day with PAWS

It should be crystal clear that Zephyr holds a pretty special place in my heart. I can't imagine what life would be like without a paw in my face at 6 AM, without his sweet face greeting me at the door when I arrive home after a long day at work, a life without antics and shenanigans and strange cat behavior (we're still trying to figure out the obsession with our shoes and dirty socks) seems like far too quiet a life.

Zephyr isn't a shelter cat, though. No, his origins are closer to that of all the animals I had growing up: He just popped out of the woods. In Maine, especially in the area I grew up in which tends to be lower on the economic scale, it's fairly common (and heartbreaking) to find stray cats and kittens out in the wilderness or on the side of the road. People don't often take advantage of the spay/neuter clinics offered regionally, and when their cat comes home expecting babies, it's off to the woods or the neighbor's doorstep (I'm in no way saying this is what everyone does, but I have experienced this firsthand, more than once). All of my childhood pets were either strays, fosters, or taken in from neighbors and friends, so it was only natural that Zephyr and his brother Zeb (who now lives with my mom) have the same origins. My mom found them on the side of a dirt road near our house -- two tiny kittens dragging a squirrel across the road -- after some coaxing we were able to bring them home, where they hid in our woodpile for nearly a week, only coming out for kibble. Seven years later they are two of the most spirited and sweetest cats I have ever lived with. Zephyr is such a huge part of our little family, he chills with us on the couch and promptly hops up on the bed when we turn in at night. 

Today is Adopt a Shelter Pet Day, and earlier in the week I had the opportunity to visit Philly PAWS (Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society) with FP's engagement intern, Katerina to take photos of some of the adoptable animals there for a Free People blog post. We didn't use all the images for the post (for the sake of length), so I wanted to share a few with you today! PAWS is an incredible non-profit organization here in Philadelphia that is dedicated to saving and rehabilitating the area's abandoned, unwanted, surrendered, and homeless animals. They're a no-kill shelter and they do incredible work - just take a peek at their Instagram and read the success stories for proof.

All of these animals (except for sweet Zephyr) are available for adoption through PAWS. Visit their website for more information or stop by sometime to visit!