nyc | Her Philly

November 18, 2013

Post-NYC Reflections

New York City is an amazing place. There is a unique hustle & bustle about the city that I personally have not been able to find anywhere else in the world. But each time I go, for a quick trip or for work or most recently for Lucky FABB, I appreciate my own city so much more.

The morning after I returned from three crazy days in NYC, I hopped in my car and drove over to Whole Foods, as I love to do early on Saturday mornings. This trip was more out of necessity, as I traveled an insane amount last month and needed fresh groceries desperately. I decided to get a few other errands out of the way on my trip, so after a stop at Starbucks for breakfast & a latte, I ran to Fine Wine & Good Spirits and the bank, three stops I completed entirely in about a half hour.

Once at the grocery store, I roamed the aisles peacefully, not bumping into anyone or even having to wait in a long line. I walked to the (free) provided parking lot, and got in my car. And just as I reached the bottom of the spiral ramp leading me back out into my city, I stopped. The side street was empty. It was calm. And it was so, so beautiful. I was instantly, once again, filled with joy about the city I live in. I know Philadelphia is mine, and I belong here. I am blessed (yes) to get the opportunity to travel and experience other places, but I am always so happy this is the place I get to come home to.

October 23, 2013

I’m Going To Lucky FABB!

Hi ladies! Thanks so much for bearing with me as my blog took a little bit of a backseat to my travels. I have some great posts planned for the remainder of 2013, but first, some exciting news: I am going to Lucky FABB! Tomorrow!

Lucky FABB is Lucky Magazine‘s fashion & beauty blogger conference held every year in NYC. After applying this summer on a whim (because seriously, in my head, I’m still a newbie! How in the world would I be accepted to such an awesome event?), I got the email that my application had been accepted! I can’t believe tomorrow I’ll be hanging with Lucky EIC Eva Chen, actresses Eva Mendes & Kate Bosworth, and 300 other fantastic bloggers from across the country!

I was lucky enough to get some fabulous hook ups from some of my favorite brands to make my travels to NYC a piece of cake.

Going to a fashion & beauty conference is a little intimidating when that’s not the main focus of my blog. So I enlisted some outfit help from my friends at the ever-fashionable South Moon Under (1731 Chestnut Street). I picked out a look for Day 2 of the conference, so stay tuned! (It’s freakin cute.) While NYC is literally so close to our little city, traveling there intimidates me majorly. Will my ride be clean/safe/fast/affordable/relaxing are just some concerns that run through my mind. That’s why I was super stoked when Amtrak offered me complimentary round trip tickets to & from NYC. I love that I can sit back, not have to drive (my worst nightmare), and write this blog with free wi-fi and be in NYC in an hour and 20 minutes. Pretty awesome.

If you follow me on Twitter, you likely already know how much I love Uber. My friends & I use it a ton when going out in Philly for its convenience and how awesome and friendly the drivers are. What I also love about Uber is the fact that it’s available in tons of other cities. I have used it in Chicago & NYC, and get the same great service I’m used to at home. I’m so excited Uber hooked me up for a $100 credit to get me to & from the conference this week! I’ll be riding in style 🙂

If you’ve learned anything from this post (other than how fab these three brands are), I hope it’s the fact that you must give yourself more credit. Credit for being awesome, and being dedicated, and smart, and an all-around great person. I never thought in my wildest dreams this experience would come my way, and yet, here it is. All because I didn’t sit back, scared of what the outcome may be. I dreamed it, I did it. And you can too. xx

March 18, 2013

{Quick Trip} NYC Broadway Getaway

Looking for a quick weekend getaway activity that will help you relive a little slice of your childhood? I’ve got just the thing . . . (and full disclosure: it does not take place in Philly!)

For Christmas this year, my mom got our family tickets to attend Matilda on Broadway. This past weekend, we drove up to NYC for some shopping, some chomping and the play! While I am a huge fan of theatre and love going to see plays to begin with, I thought Matilda was truly spectacular.

We attended one of the Preview Performances (March 4 – April 14) at the Shubert Theatre (225 West 44th St.). We were in one of the top center rows, but could still see everything on the stage perfectly. The sets were beautiful and so well done, and the special effects were fantastic. As most of the songs were performed by children, I wasn’t immediately in love with any of the music when I heard it. However today, I have been listening to this song on repeat . . . so it has definitely grown on me!

We were truly so impressed with the child actors (we saw the adorable Oona Laurence as Matilda) and thought they outshone most of the adults (except, of course, the hysterical Bertie Carvel as Miss Trunchbull – and yes, that’s a man). We were even lucky enough to run into two of these adorable little nuggets (Jack Broderick as Bruce & Ted Wilson as Eric) outside of the theatre after the show! How cute are they?

Matilda runs through early December and tickets range from $32 – $147. They also offer student tickets for some performances. The play runs about 2.5 hours with intermission – the perfect length! I highly recommend Matilda on Broadway (and a weekend in NYC!) as a great getaway option for Philadelphians of any age.

Have you attended any Broadway plays recently? What’s your favorite?