Her Philly

A lifestyle blog for young women dining, shopping, playing & living in the city of Philadelphia.

Small City Living Spaces {Pinspiration 2.0}

Since my last Small City Living Spaces {Pinspiration} post has been getting a lot of love lately, I decided to share some more of my pin-spiring finds (from what has proven to be simply the most addicting social networking site to date…)!

A huge DIY bulletin board like this one is the perfect place to store all of the loose papers and magazine tears I have laying around my apartment. Plus, it takes up a huge chunk of space on those un-paintable, white city apartment walls.

This, literally, is life-changing. If your pots, pans & dishes are stored in an abyss like mine are, this organization idea may be your answer.

The best way to utilize your small space is to give everything its own place. This room is clean & free of clutter (my dream…).

Don’t waste any space! Plus, your toilet suddenly looks a lot fancier 🙂

One of the main things I have no space for in my apartment is my wrapping supplies. If your apartment has closet doors like this one, I suggest you give it a try.

What blogs or magazines do you read for apartment/house inspiration? xx

her philly

Small City Living Spaces {Shelf Decorating Ideas}

I hope everyone had a wonderful week & a lovely Valentine’s Day! I returned from Disney World Friday evening and am still in the process of getting my life back in order. I woke up early this morning to do some cleaning, so I thought I’d show you some shelf decorating tips for one of my favorite parts of my tiny city apartment.

Decorating a tiny apartment is trickier than you might imagine. There isn’t much space for personalisation, so I have to find space wherever I can. I have to think carefully about my interior ideas – nothing too big or it’ll make the room look smaller, nothing too dark or it’ll make the room look depressing. Instead, I opt for small touches here and there that make me smile whenever I see them. A big challenge is the bathroom, with very little room for customisation. Luckily, there’s a windowcill just begging to be decorated!

I started off with a clean space on this cute little window ledge in my bathroom.

Her Philly; Decorating ideas for a bathroom shelf in a small city apartment featuring flowers, a vintage glass tray, perfume and a candle.

Then, I added this great vintage mirrored tray I got at Golden Nugget Flea Market (Lambertville, NJ).

Her Philly; Decorating ideas for a bathroom shelf in a small city apartment featuring flowers, a vintage glass tray, perfume and a candle.

Next step was to add my bottles of perfume! I keep the blinds closed during the day so no sunlight hits the bottles.

Her Philly; Decorating ideas for a bathroom shelf in a small city apartment featuring flowers, a vintage glass tray, perfume and a candle.

To finish, I added some small touches like these faux flowers that match my shower curtain & a pretty candle.

Her Philly; Decorating ideas for a bathroom shelf in a small city apartment featuring flowers, a vintage glass tray, perfume and a candle.

I love how this little nook turned out. Do you have any spots in your Philly apartment you love? xx

her philly

A Philadelphia Celebrity Studded Week

While waiting for our table at Amada during last year’s Restaurant Week, I spotted my first Philly celebrity. It was Aneesa Ferreira, of MTV’s Real World Chicago & RW/RR Challenges. When I tell you I love the RW/RR challenges, I mean I LOVE them. So when I saw Aneesa, I freaked out. However, lucky for me (NOT), Jordan told me to leave her alone and let her enjoy her night. After debating this in my head, I decided not to say anything. Afterwards, I tweeted to her telling her I saw her and how fab she looked. She replied (obviously) with: why didn’t you come say hi?!

From that point on, I vowed to ALWAYS say hi. The worst that can happen is that they ignore me or call security, right?

Fast forward to one year later, Restaurant Week 2013, a week of not one, but TWO Philly celebrity sightings! And what sightings they were 🙂

Emily Tharp of Her Philly meets Mayor Michael Nutter First up, Mayor Michael Nutter! I have loved Mayor Nutter since I moved to Philly, but especially after hearing him speak at the SocialMediaPlus Summit in 2011. We have tweeted back and forth a few times since I became a Philadelphian, and those twitter interactions are definitely one of a few select stories my parents fall back on when they tell their friends what I “do.” He was SO nice to take a picture with me – it made my night!

Emily Tharp of Her Philly meets Philadelphia Flyers Player Scott Hartnell

Only a few days later, I was blessed with standing this close to these gorgeous locks, belonging to none other than Philadelphia Flyers player Scott Hartnell! I was never into hockey growing up, but after some games at the Wells Fargo Center, I was hooked. The Fly Guys have become my team, and I am dying to get to a game this season. Get well soon Scotty!

What famous Philadelphians have you run into over the years? Out of my two sightings, who would you have been more excited about? xx

her philly

{First Impressions} Rittenhouse Dentists

Finding new “people” when you move to a new city is tough. You have to replace the hair stylist, the doctor, the dry cleaner, and of course, the dentist. As most people are a little nervous about visiting the dentist to begin with, you definitely do your research before jumping right in. But, if you are in the Rittenhouse Square area, consider your research done!

To find my new dentist, I started on my insurance company’s website and searched by location. Enter, Rittenhouse Dentists (1801 Pine Street). I loved that they were open after work two nights a week, so I made an appointment for a Tuesday evening teeth cleaning.

From the start of my visit, I enjoyed my experience thoroughly. The friendly receptionist sent me away with a cool iPad in hand to fill out all of my medical info, which I loved. The waiting room had a Keurig machine and big, comfy chairs to relax in.

I was taken back to be seen as soon as I was finished my paperwork. The dental hygienist had a Pandora station crooning John Mayer & Ray LaMontagne so I was instantly relaxed. I was offered a pillow for my head and a Paraffin Wax treatment on my hands while I got my teeth cleaned – which was, well, amazing. Two of my major complaints about the dentist are normally the bright overhead light and dry lips. The hygienist solved both of those problems with she gave me safety sunglasses to protect my eyes AND coated my lips with chapstick not once, but twice, during my cleaning. (Am I at a spa, or the dentist?) They were definitely taking every step to make my experience as painless as possible!

When the doctor came in, she was friendly and to the point, which I appreciated. When I got home, my boyfriend definitely was confused with how relaxed I was coming from a dental appointment! 🙂 Overall, my experience was great and highly recommend Rittenhouse Dentists if you’re looking for a new dentist in the Rittenhouse area.

her philly

The Prettiest of Backdrops

Rittenhouse park in Philadelphia, PA on a sunny, snowy winter day via Her Philly.

Happy Monday! How lucky are we as Philadelphians that as we are hurrying around running errands, we get to look at the gorgeous, snowy Rittenhouse Park as our backdrop? The park is one of my favorite places in the city, and I love how beautiful it looks in the snow.

In other news, we are smack dab in the middle of Philadelphia Restaurant Week! Last Friday, I went to El Vez  with some friends from work. I took lots of pictures, so be on the lookout for a post on that! This week we have dinner at Del Frisco’s Steak House and Marmont Steakhouse. Make sure to follow @HerPhilly on Twitter for real-time updates and photos of my noms this week.

What do you have planned for the week? Any Restaurant Week dinners? xx

her philly

Small City Living Spaces {Pinspiration}

Living in Philadelphia, or any city for that matter, requires a lot of creativity (or money) when it comes to decorating your space. Since I don’t have much of the latter, I frequently consult Pinterest for some creative ways to manipulate my small city apartment. Here are some of my latest inspirational finds …

A great way to use a small wall space and to build an “office space” upward.

A fabulous idea to display your jewelry while covering some unused wall space.

Stacks of items on the floor don’t look as misplaced when it is purposeful and not out of laziness 😉

I have the space under my sink pretty close (but not as pretty) as this compartmentalized setup, and it is so helpful.

Awesome set-up if you want to display things that are important to you while using them as organized-chaos storage.

What are your best organizing tips for a small space? xx

her philly

My New Year’s Resolutions

2013 new year's resolutions philadelphia

1. Create a Realistic Budget (and stick to it!): Being a relatively new “real person,” I am still getting this whole “budget” thing down 🙂 I will definitely be looking to the advice of LearnVest and some excel spreadsheets in 2013.

2. Establish a Workout Routine: I have a very sporadic way of staying active. I need to create a routine that I am accountable for. Lately, I have even been thinking that I should include something like the best CBD oil in my workout aftercare rituals as I think it will definitely quicken my recovery time for my muscles.

3. Devote 3+ Hours a Week to Reading for Fun! I really love to read, and have always made time for it when I was growing up. But lately, my laptop & cell phone seem to be the things I reach for when I have free time, and that needs to stop!

4. Catch Up with Old Friends More Often: I am so guilty of neglecting chats with my BFFs. I recently read about the concept of the Five Minute Phone Call, and I think I need to start instituting that into my week.

5. Purge that Closet of Mine: This is a continuing “resolution” of mine. While I have no problem adding new items to my closet (see #1!), whenever I go to throw something out, I suddenly have an urge to wear it. Not this year! Bye bye old clothes.

6. Stick to an Eating Plan: While some people may not like the whole low-carb diet craze, it worked for me as a lifestyle change. I lost some weight, and then I let my “cheat days” creep up way too often. I need to get back on track in 2013.

7. Volunteer: I’ve wanted to participate in Big Brothers Big Sisters program since my Dad did. While I think I still have a lot of figuring out about my own life to do (see: this entire list), this year I’d like to take the first steps to become a Big Sis!

8. Meet New People: The awkwardness of meeting new people when you’re out of college is tough, and not even seeing (let alone knowing!) the people who live in your apartment building also adds weirdness to the whole situation. This year, I vow to get out more & meet new people! I think I might like to try using platforms like Clubhouse too because after looking at a Clubhouse Review I was impressed by how many different people were able to meet and make friends through their interests and over social media, which might be a better start for me!

9. Cook at Least One New Recipe a Week: I have so many cook books. I’ve learned to sort of kind of like to cook. This is a must.

10. Thrift More, Spend Less: I don’t know why, but I am very intimidated by the Philadelphia thrifting scene. I love thrift shopping, but haven’t gotten into it as much as I’d like in the city. If anyone has any tips, send them my way!

11. Send More Cards: When Jordan & I first started dating, we lived an hour away from eachother. I loved surprising him with a card in the mail a few times a month, and he loved getting them! I need to jot down more REAL addresses & send more cards!

12. Grow My Blog! I can not even tell you how excited I am about Her Philly, and about all of the other awesome bloggers in Philly. I am looking forward to meeting my fellow bloggers and getting involved in all of the awesome events.

13. End Each Day with a Little Prayer of Thanks: I always feel better about my day when I give myself a little time to reflect each evening before I fall asleep. Simply saying “thank you” truly puts things in perspective for me, and I think doing this daily will be good for me.

What are some of your resolutions for the new year? I hope everyone has a fun & safe evening tonight … and wishing you a happy & healthy 2013!

her philly

A Holiday Recap

I was really trying to hold myself to a blog every other day, but it seems the holidays let that get away from me. Here are some of my favorite moments during the time I spent in South Jersey during the my favorite season!

Christmas gifts for your sisterMom and daughters on Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is becoming one of the best days of the year for me. My sister & I get to exchange our gifts, we go to a great party with good friends, and finish it off with the 10pm candlelight church service. This year, Lindsay got me a massage at AVA Wellness, and I can’t wait to use it! Nonetheless, I planned on giving her a gift that would be meaningful to her. I started with many ideas like giving her a dress, or maybe a hairstyling accessory, or an antique silver Victorian mug that would make her morning coffee more enjoyable. However, by the time I had to finalize the gift, I was still struggling with what I should get her.

New Fox Terrier, Bischon, Poodle mix Christmas puppy sleepingMatilda on Broadway and Trunchbull Christmas Gift

Anyway, my dress that you can see in the picture (which looks gorgeous) is the Harlow Faux Wrap Dress by Kiyonna from a fabulous new rental service I am trying out, Gwynnie Bee. If anyone would like a review of their service, let me know!

Let us move forward with the topic of Christmas. On Christmas morning, my family & I opened gifts, made a yummy breakfast, laughed, and spent some wonderful quality time with each other. Don’t let this photo of the sleeping Ellie fool you, she was a maniac with all of the wrapping paper and boxes on the floor. One of my favorite gifts was presented like this (a stunning photo of the Trunchbull courtesy of my mom) … tickets to see Matilda on Broadway!
Delicious Christmas SangriaChristmas vodka shot with family

Christmas dinner was delicious and fun as usual. My Aunt Edie is a Pinterest pro and she makes the most amazing apps & drinks from recipes she finds there. This is her second time whipping up some sangria, and it was awesome. We finished dinner with a celebratory Christmas shot of Three Olives Chocolate, and let’s just say, I’ve found a new Three Olives vodka to add to my existing stash of Cherry.

K'nex is the hardest toy to put togetherNeighbors and friends on Christmas

During the rest of my time at home, we had more lovely get-togethers with friends. One night, our family friend Stephanie brought over her 3 boys. We got them K’nex Lego toys for Christmas, and it took me approx 1.5 hours to finish the above beauty. #icanthaveaboy

We also enjoyed our time with our neighbors during our annual get together. Our “Chinese Auction” is always the most fun, and to my surprise, the hottest gift this year was Chuey, a stuffed Chihuahua that sings La Bamba (which Jordan got me as a gift once… and I might have put him in the donation pile last month… and my mom might have taken him out for this game… and Jordan was the one to open him. Oops.).

Here is Chuey, if you were wondering:

How were your holidays? To everyone in the city of Philly, hope you’re enjoying this rainy snow-ish day! 🙂

her philly