weekly scenes

Life has taken a turn for the busier. You'll have to forgive me for the silence that has ensued because of it. I know I've barely shared a peep, but I must admit, I don't feel entirely horrible about it. It's important to get out and experience life that is not set behind a computer screen. With the recent shift in weather, I've been making it a point to do so. I've been chasing dreams, laying in the grass, cooking up a storm, biking EVERYWHERE just because I can, and trying to make it to as many yoga classes as possible.

I do want to call out a few special moments that have happened recently though....

1. Adam's band had their first show! It was such a fun night of free beer, free souls, and free rock n' roll.

2. We finally bought a vine! Now I just want more. :)

3. This little one is back in my life and we've been having a ball. This shot was taken while enjoying the weather at Penn Treaty park on a Saturday afternoon.

4. My new favorite thing is to pick up fresh fish from Ipolito's Seafood. They got what's good.

5. Check out this post I did on cream vs. oil moisturizer! I'm a total convert.

6. Yes, succulent vines do exist. And yes, I will own one someday.

7. God I love this girl. She is one of the best, kindest, funniest, good-to-be-around people you'll ever come across. Anyone who gets to meet her in their life is damn lucky. I'm so happy to have been one of those people!

8. I almost started a chicken farm in our way-too-small of a backyard when I met these babes (or should I say chicks) at Greensgrow. 

9. Adam & I started a food blog! Go check it out!

Oh, and I'm heading to San Diego next month! Anyone with suggestions of where I should go, visit, stay, eat, etc. please drop me a line in the comments! I hope everyone's spring is off to as glorious a start as my own. Much love. xx

instagramming for greensgrow

You all know how passionate I am about the planet and having a positive impact on its well being. Part of that is eating whole, local, and organic foods which is why for the past year I've been a member of Greensgrow Farm's CSA. Last summer I also began a garden of my own, and made it a point to get as many supplies as possible from Greensgrow in order to support a small local business that I believe in. 

Last month I was fortunate enough to take over the Greensgrow Instagram. I've had a blast with it. Not only have I increased my visits and time spent at the farm, but I've also grown a tie to the local community that I didn't previously have. It's been a delight for my lens, my creative eye, and also my spirit. 

Above are some of the pictures I've captured so far this month. I look forward to showing the farm's progression as the season moves on and the whole world changes. Please do follow along!

Check out the Greensgrow Instagram Here

weekly scenes

As you can see - good fun all around. Adam and I have some fun projects in the works. Can't wait to share soon! Until then. xx

the freedom to wander

A good wander, that's what I've been craving. My feet, my heart, my thoughts, my eyes. Let's all ditch our plans. Throw out the neatly typed to-do's. Do away with the calender color coded by task. Our souls need to get lost. How else are they ever going to find their way back again?

That little voice, she tells me that I don't have the time. She tells me I have to stick to the plan. This moment needs to be productive. Stray away and life will come crumbling down. 

The truth is, this moment can go one of two ways. Whose to say which be the better? What are we afraid of in freedom? 

Can someone please tell me? I want to know the secret. Whisper it in my ear. Disclose the right way. 

Show me the path so that I may step my two shaky feet upon it. They are frightened to death, but their eagerness is not easy to tame. They're smart, you see. Now more than ever. They need to wander.

--

Image quote via Darling Issue 6, graphic my own

dogs & winter hikes

I did the one thing a person should never do. I forgot my father's birthday. That's right, I'll admit to it. I'm not perfect. I fucked up. I love my dad to pieces, and it's no excuse, but February was moving so fast and I honestly had no idea what day it was. I felt absolutely horrible and wanted to make it up to him. So, Adam and I made a surprise trip. We departed Philly at 8am and showed up on his doorstep just in time for lunch. 

He had no idea we were coming, and was baffled to find out that my mom knew all along. I loved that we pulled it off. As usual, the visit was full of good conversation, dogs, and outdoor fun. We went to Arad Evans for a fantastic dinner and just hung out. This time around we switched up our usual hike for a trip to Tinker Falls. The site is a quick ten minutes from our house, and has great hiking. There are trails that lead up in the woods, and one that goes to a hang gliding jump off point. From there you get a magnificent view of the valley where my parents live. You can also hike to the waterfalls themselves. I've never been to the site in winter and it was jaw dropping to see them frozen. Of course, my camera died before we made it to the waterfall, so I can't show you just how spectacular it was.You readers will have to imagine.

In the end, we arrived back in Philly content from another perfect weekend. I will never forget my dad's birthday again, but in a way it's funny; if I hadn't forgotten, we would have never paid the visit and had such a great time. My slip up brought us together for something wonderful. Out of every mistake, something beautiful can be born. 

oh hello, brooklyn. it's been a while.

I finally escaped to Brooklyn for a long weekend. It's been awhile since my last visit, and there were some friends that it was time to go see. Sometimes you just need to get away and find a new adventure, and sometimes you just need the comfort of old friends. I let all the worries of work leave my head, and just played. I was also able to work on some fun projects which I'm excited to share when the time comes!

One of my favorite stops on the visit was the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. My friend Dani took me there in the morning. We all know how I love my conservatories, but I had never to been to see the one in Brooklyn. On the plus side, theirs is free every Saturday. All that fun without spending a dime. Also, their cafe has some mighty great food. I opted for a fresh pressed juice that kicked me right into gear. I know you're thinking that my favorite part must have been the desert. It came close, but actually - the must see room? The bonsai room. Be sure to check it out. Each tree is truly a work of art.

spending the day in love

Last weekend Adam and I were able to spend a rare entire day together. It was such heaven. We ate and walked all over the city, just happy to next to each other. We didn't even have to spend a lot of money, the day was sheer joy. The weather was strangely nice and we really enjoyed being outside. It made it possible to walk everywhere. 

Things started at Philly's new best kept secret, Porto, for brunch. After being full of food and coffee, we ventured north. I had always wanted to check out the main branch of Philadelphia's Free Library. It's this huge regal building on the Parkway, and well, I have a thing for libraries. So walking by we made an impromptu pit stop. Pulling books off the shelf, smiling, and embracing - I was so happy to be right there, right then. 

From there we walked up the Parkway. Adam casually mentioned never having seen Waterworks, so of course I made us walk down there. How can a man live in Philly so long, and never have seen one of its most beautiful staples? I've been there many times, but this visit huge ice chunks still clung to the water and it was a powerful site. 

We could have wandered around the river for hours, but the clock was ticking away, and that Sunday was "pay as you wish" at the art museum. We quickly left the river path to check out the surrealist exhibit before closing. It sure worked up our appetite, so we again walked across the city - this time in search of Bufad's delicious pizza. It was truly our day because when we went to pay, we found out that it was buy one pizza, get one free. It was also Bufad's one year anniversary, and we were treated to surprise champagne and dessert after our delicious meal. Could we have asked for more? I don't think so. 

God I love that kid. God I love this city.

Good day.