Thing I Need To Tell You About, Vol. 4

Holy unexpected-blog-hiatus! I’ve been having a fun summer, so no complaints here! The early part of the summer was spent hosting friends at my apartment (one of my favorite things to do — I love planning weekend itineraries) and I recently got back from a trip home. I have missed this space though, and some of blog friends have been killing it lately. So what better way to get back into the swing of things than a quick hello?

I went home!

I spent a very wonderful, not-nearly-long-enough four days back in South Florida. My dad and I went to the Home Run Derby, and while it was a little anticlimactic at the end, it was still a great experience to check off my sports bucket list. Other activities included: eating lots of Cuban food, browsing the MLB All-Star exhibition, free slurpees, browsing Publix, winning second place at a trivia night and an afternoon in Wynwood. (Speaking of Wynwood, I ended up at Federal Donuts, their first location outside of Philly, instead of Coyo Tacos and am I too Philly now?)

I’ve had lots of great girl talk lately.

I really value my friendships. Once we’re friends, you are basically stuck with me for life. I especially enjoy catching up with my friends in smaller groups of two or three: over brunch, happy hour, shopping or even just neighborhood walks or long drives in my car. (Some of the places I’ve hit up? Adobe, La Calaca Feliz, Philly Style Bagels [yes, really], and True Food Kitchen.)  I’m really grateful I’ve gotten a lot of hearts-to-heart in this summer. I have the best friends.

I’ve been driving a lot.

I’ve written a little bit about my driving before. It took me nine years to get my license, but I was still very apprehensive about driving as a whole. Unlike a lot of people I grew up with, I mostly learned how to drive in the city. My biggest challenge? Highways (and merging and parallel parking). This summer though, I’ve road tripped to Gettysburg (post coming soon!) and Ocean City, New Jersey. I am going to attempt to drive to Long Island next month. This is a big deal for me, and I am really proud of myself.

So that’s that for now! Even though I haven’t been blogging on here, I’ve still been working on content, so I hope to have some fun stuff up soon.

~ Sarah

Philly Loves PAWS Day

It’s Philly Loves PAWS Day! Businesses around the city are donating 10-20% of their proceeds to the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society. PAWS is near and dear to my heart — I used to volunteer at their Northeaster adoption center and adopted Arya through PAWS. Isn’t she a cutie?

You can see all the participating businesses here, but these are my favorites!

Bing Bing Dim Sum (East Passayunk)
My friends and I tried Bing Bing during East Passayunk Restaurant Week. I recommend the scarlet dumplings and the pork noodles.

Cantina Los Caballitos (East Passayunk)
One of my favorite Mexican places in Philadelphia. The nachos, the margaritas. Yes, please.

Evil Genius Beer Company (Fishtown)
Okay, I haven’t technically been here yet, but I’ve heard good things! It’s definitely on my list this summer.

Joe’s Steaks and Soda (Fishtown & Northeast Philadelphia)
Come here for the milkshakes (banana especially), not the steaks.

Schmear It (University City & food truck)
The schmears here are amazing, and the guys who run it are the nicest. My favorite schmear? The French toast, but hold the walnuts.

Smak Parlour (Old City)
I love this little boutique. Most of my purchases here have been accessories, but they have their own clothing line and it’s awesome. Perfect for anyone with an appreciation for pin-up fashion.

~ Sarah

2017 Shopping Budget

Writing this makes it “official”: I’m on a shopping ban. It’s started as a of a Lent thing, and I’m still going strong for the most part. It helps. Also, saving money never hurt anyone, right? The fun part though is talking about the stuff I have bought this year.

Urban Decay Matte Revolution Lipstick in Bittersweet, $22.00 $10.00
Calvin Klein Shell, $10.00 via Clothes Mentor (similar)
Anne Klein satchel, $40.00 via Ross
Mermaid Enamel Pin, $12.00
Primark Loafers, $12.50 (similar)
Primark Pink Mirror Aviator Sunglasses $3.50
Block Heel Sandals, $28.00 via Ross (similar)
Target mixed lace dress, $27.99
Lulalroe Nicole Dress (new with tags, $48.00), $21.00
Maxi Dress, $14.00 via Clothes Mentor
Statement Necklace, $4.00 via Clothes Mentor

Total Spent: $182.99

I am so into all of these purchases. The satchel has been my go-to work bag. I love my tote (seen here), but a cross body is much easier to walk to work with. I wore my lace dress and Nicole dress to the Blog Connect and honestly felt awesome (oh and my mermaid pin too). The sunglasses sandals are coming soon to a blog near you. And the purple lipstick? That’s just for fun 😉 Anyone else “quit” shopping lately?

~ Sarah