living lovely

found on the darling blog, the paris apartment

m.i.a.

It's true, I've been quite missing but also simultaneously in heaps of action. May has been a busy, busy month and I fear it is about to become even more sedulous as I am about to dive into a summer job, which will be a second job for me. But I am a woman with grand plans for international travel, local coastal adventures, a new lap top and patio soirees whenever I can squeeze them in. If you know me, no doubt these things will be happening. How I will keep this blog updated I have yet to figure out but I am working on that. For now a little recap of this month...

May started with a whirlwind of good-byes, hellos and birthdays. From the start, it has been a month full of rainy days or nights which has made the sunny spring days in between even sweeter. It has also made for a very happy garden as I have been devoting myself regularly to the flora and fauna right in my back yard. I happily have recently added a soft and sweet wind chime into the ramshackle I call my hideaway.

I've started back on my exercising and have begun juicing in the mornings. This is an attempt to trigger my energy reserves, because with two jobs I am going to need all I can get. Also, I fear, bikini season is upon us.

I've brunched with with family and friends.

I enjoyed my first proper pedicure of the season.

I created a wild & whimsical crown for a best friend's bachelorette party.

 I attended said party.

The feral cats in my neighborhood all had litters of kittens.

 And I did my fair share of getting around town...

And today, my last full day of freedom before handing over my life to work, I had a bite of lunch with one of my number one lady friends and came home and updated this here blog. Not only here but on the dress-a-day page as well. It is coming into the home stretch of my month long dress extravaganza and today I couldn't help but be inspired by two serious fashion babes...

 my maternal grandmother (holding my mama) & brigitte bardot (on her wedding day)

for sale

to visit

click here

birthday

Yesterday I had another birthday. It wasn't a milestone age, it was happening quietly in the middle of the week and a lot of the people that I usually find myself celebrating with were unable to be with me this year. Not a problem, as I was looking forward to a quiet day and lovely low key evening. I wanted to share my excursions here as recommendations in case one may find themselves in Philadelphia eager to enjoy some truly special nooks and crannies.

The day started out grey and very wet as it had been raining all throughout the night before. After getting out of bed I went to the first floor, put some quiet music on and lit candles throughout the kitchen, living room and back patio. I proceeded to make myself some breakfast and then clean up the kitchen in the soft light. Finishing the chores, I quickly bathed, dressed and make my way in to Old City for a getaway at Terme di Aroma spa, one of my favorites in the entire city. It is cave-like, Tuscan inspired and extremely tranquil. I make every effort to visit at least once a year. Their packages are very reasonable. This time I chose the Aroma which included a facial and full body massage. Two hours of bliss. Simply delightful.

I floated home from the spa spending the afternoon fielding birthday wishes and ridiculously thoughtful gifts and also made time for catching up with a couple friends over a little Moscato and cheese. In the evening I dressed for drinks and dinner. The first stop was at the recently opened Ela in Queen Village. My companions and I unanimously decided on trying one of the house specialty cocktails-- The Daisy, a refreshing combination of gin, fresh cucumber and rhubarb liqueur. The service was warm, the dining room was open and airy and there seemed to be happy diners everywhere I looked. I would love to go back to eat since we did not sample any food on this venture. Instead we relocated a few blocks southwest to Bibou a darling French byob. Between bottles of Mumm and Sancerre we sampled escargot, foie gras, soft shell crab, black truffle risotto, and veal. Dessert was equally as satisfying and decadent. It may be a hard table to reserve but it is absolutely worth it. After saying our bonsoirs, we went forth happily into the cool night as rain was beginning to fall lightly.

the 5th of may

Saturday was a festive day full of good times. I meandered over to a friends house for their annual Kentucky Derby party complete with a roasting pig, a live Dixieland Mariachi band, cucumber sandwiches , pinatas and hats, hats, hats! And it was the Super Moon. What a day!

small, cool and cozy

As promised, I am sharing my home project I was working on a couple weeks ago. In early April Apartment Therapy began their annual contest for the small, cool apartment of the year. I thought about entering many times over the years since I always somehow find myself renting a petite abode somewhere under 1000 square feet. This was finally the year I decided to make the effort and I entered with gusto but perhaps a bit late in the game. I was never chosen to be in the running but followed the contest closely. After pouring over all the other entries I realized how similar most of them were. There was an undeniable theme running through them--very contemporary with a touch of mid-century style not brimming with much more personality than a staged Ikea or CB2 catalog. It was not very inspiring to me and slightly disappointing. Don't get me wrong, there were some standouts. My point is that the winner was picked by the readers and I think it reflects on them and what they are used to seeing as "stylish home decor". As you will see from my entry below, my home is nowhere near cookie-cutter. It's a split trinity rowhome, approximately 625 square feet and difficult to define space and purpose in each room and floor. That is a challenge I find extremely inviting. I think my home comes across as a quirky, charming and uniquely pleasant place to live. Perhaps I will try again next year or submit it for one of their tour profiles. Have a look at the finalists and winner here.