philly | Her Philly

March 14, 2013

A.D.I.D.A.P {All Day I Dream About Pizza}

When I was younger and had to answer a questionnaire in my latest fill-in-the-blank diary or complete my profile on Xanga, I could never decide on what my favorite food was. Fast forward to answering that same question now, and I literally can’t think of any thing but this answer: PIZZA. I love it, and living in Philadelphia has only elevated my obsession. Some days I drive home from work and find myself day dreaming about where I will order pizza from that night. It’s a sickness. A cheesy, crispy, saucy sickness.

So, anybody else ready for a slice? To fuel your cravings, here are some of my favorite Philadelphia pizza places I’d love to chomp on right about now . . .

Lazaro’s (1743 South St.)

Pizza slices from Lazaro's Pizza on South Street in Philadelphia

Image taken by me (before I ate the pizza)

The sweetest, yummiest sauce and pretty much the biggest slices I’ve ever seen. Plus, they’re open literally every snow storm/hurricane and have awesome quick delivery.

Serafina (130 S. 18th St.)

tomato, mozzarella, prosciutto, sliced tomato with one egg pizza from Serafina in Philadelphia

Image taken by me (before I ate the pizza)

Since this pizza (the ALL’ UOVO, aka mozzarella, prosciutto, sliced tomato & egg) is quite a rare treat for me at $18+ a pie, it haunts my dreams. Crispy, flavorful perfection.

SliCE (1740 Sansom St. & 1180 S. 10th St.)

White pizza from SliCE Pizza in Philadelphia

Image taken by me (before I ate the pizza)

SliCE is one of my favorite delivery pizza spots, but lately I’ve been loving stopping by their storefront for a quick bite while I’m shopping in the area. They have great salads too, but let’s be real, we’re all here for the pizza. {PS: LivingSocial is running a deal for all of SliCE’s locations today: $10 for $20}

Gianfranco Pizza Rustica (248 S. 11th St., 6 N. 3rd St. & 2124 S. Broad St.)

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Gianfranco was another one of my favorite delivery options. But after one too many times waiting almost 2 hours for pizza delivery, I’ve stopped ordering from there. Nonetheless, they make a great pie.

Pietro’s (1714 Walnut St. & 121-123 South St.)

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Before I moved to the city, Pietro’s was my go-to spot when shopping on Walnut St. But, similarly to Gianfranco, after many visits with pretty lackluster service, I haven’t been in months. I wish this wasn’t the case, because their Barese pie (roasted sausage, hot pesto, tomato, basil, & mozzarella) is to die for.

I hope you enjoyed taking a peek into this love affair. What are some of your favorite pizza options in Philly? I obviously need to know… 🙂

March 9, 2013

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…)!

Her Philly Small Apartment Space Decorating Ideas via Pinterest

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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.

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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.

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

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

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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

March 4, 2013

Insta-Month: A Look Back {February}

Most people end February by remarking on how quickly it flew by . . . however I am actually impressed with how much I got in this month! From birthdays, apartment hunting, and of course my trip to Disney World (pictures coming soon!), I felt like I made the most out of our shortest month.

Wing bowl via Her Philly Vintage finds at Wardrobe Boutique in Philadelphia via Her Philly

My office’s own version of Wing Bowl // Thrifted finds from a Philly Style Bloggers‘ event

Prabal Gurung For Target® Dressing Room via Her Philly Minnie Mouse mug via Her Philly

Inside the dressing room while shopping Prabal Gurung For Target® // Pre-vacation coffee

Navy & Gold Bangle from Per Lei Boutique in Media via Her Philly Bensalem Sushi via Her Philly

Amaaaazing prize from a twitter giveaway gifted from Per Lei Boutique // A birthday gift of sushi!

The most beautiful view while apartment shopping in Philadelphia Hummus, pita and veggies at Opa Philadelphia via Her Philly

Apartment hunting with an amazing view // Noms at my new favorite Greek restaurant, Opa

Rita's Philadelphia is Open via Her Philly

The Body Shop goodies gifted from a Trend Hungry contest // The best email I received all month!

And yes, I’ve obviously already been to Rita’s. 🙂 Hope you had a great February!

February 8, 2013

Insta-Month: A Look Back {January}

January. Was. BUSY! Between Restaurant Week, trips back to my parents’ house, friend visits and, of course, work, I’ve been swamped! February is already going wonderfully with an awesome Philly Style Blogger event (more on that later!), a Joe Flacco Super Bowl win, and packing for my upcoming trip to Disney World!

New puppy Ellie

A little slice of Philly heaven: the Anthropologie sale room // Making a quick visit to WCU to see Ellie!

Broccoli, cous cous, tofu and soy sauce Birthday cake at Iron Hill in Wilmington, DE

Broccoli, cous cous, tofu & soy sauce nommy lunch // Celebrating the DOB of my college roomie Ashley

Margaritas at El Vez in Philadelphia Modeling by Tara

One of many margaritas at El Vez during Restaurant Week // Taking some model shots of my co-worker Tara

Wings, fries and chicken fingers from Curran's near Philadelphia

Our office version of “Wing Bowl” … just yum. // Jordan & the cutest baby in the city of Philadelphia, Caroline

How was your first month of 2013? xx

February 6, 2013

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 🙂

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!

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

January 28, 2013

The Prettiest of Backdrops

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

January 19, 2013

{Nom Alert} Good Dog Bar

A few weeks ago I finally got a chance to try Good Dog Bar (224 South 15th Street) with some of my girlfriends from college. We arrived around noon on a Saturday and the place was packed. Fortunately, we were able to order some drinks from the bar and go sit upstairs and chat while we waited.

When we were seated, we got a fabulous table right by the window. The menu looked amazing – but I had spoiled my lunch appetite with breakfast at Little Pete’s, so I opted for the salad. My friend Carling (who has a deep affection for burgers) ordered the Good Dog burger and did say the cheese was a little bit overpowering. But overall, it was a nice visit with good service & yummy food.

The Good Dog Salad, $9: romaine, arugula, goat cheese, sun-dried cranberries & sliced almonds, served with spiced vanilla vinaigrette

Grilled Cheese, $12: fresh mozzarella & lomo (house cured pork loin) baked with tomato marmalade & topped with watercress on rustic french bread grilled with basil butterThe Good Dog Burger, $12.50: 1/2 lb. of house ground sirloin stuffed with roquefort cheese & topped with caramelized onions, served on a toasted brioche bun

Have you ever been to Good Dog Bar? What did you think? xx

January 17, 2013

{Winter Date Idea} Pottery at The Expressive Hand

If you’ve been outside in Philadelphia lately, you know the same thing as I do: it’s cold. If you’re scrambling to find an indoor activity to cure your boredom, I’ve got just the thing. Enter: The Expressive Han d (622 South 9th Street), a paint-your-own pottery and American Sign Language studio in Bella Vista. I visited the studio on an iffy-weather day in the summer with my sister & mom, and we had a fabulous time!

When you walk into the quaint pottery shop, you are greeted with a kind staff and two walls of pottery options. The Expressive Hand is called an “All Inclusive studio,” in that the price you see on the piece includes all “sitting fees” (a foreign term to a non-artist like me), paint, stencils & the firing of the piece.

They have all types of things for you to paint – mugs, picture frames, jewelry holders, etc. I will warn you, the prices are a bit more expensive than your average date. The bowl my mom made (below left) was ~$60 and the two letters my sister made (below right) were ~$15 each. My serving dish was ~$42. But, there are unique pieces you’ll have for a lifetime, so just put it into perspective.

Once you pick your piece, you are off to paint & stencil whatever way you chose. The studio has an amazing selection of paints, and they are all swatched for you to get the complete picture of what it will look like once it has been fired. If you’re out of touch with your inner artist like I was, the staff at The Expressive Hand are more than happy to offer some advice.

he expressive hand pottery studios in philadelphia

My sister being a pro artist!

It took about a week to get our items back, and I was really happy with my finished piece. When I came to pick up the goodies at the studio, they came perfectly packaged and wrapped super well in thick bubble wrap – a very nice touch if you’re walking your pieces home in the city.

Another perk we didn’t take advantage of: the studio is BYOB! How fun, right?

Check out The Expressive Hand on Facebook too for fun updates & photos. Have you ever been to The Expressive Hand? What are some of your best indoor date ideas? xx

January 13, 2013

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 …

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

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

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

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

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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

January 10, 2013

Philly Style Bloggers Presents: Sip Shop Swap!

Working in the “fashion” industry, I see photos for shop & swaps across the country all the time. I have never been in the right place to attend one, so I was thrilled when I saw the newest flyer from Philly Style Bloggers come out!

The event has some fabulous bloggers hosting & attending, and I can’t wait to meet all of the ladies I have been following for awhile! You can RSVP for Sip Shop Swap here.

Will you be attending the event? If you are, what time slot {12-2pm or 2:30-4:30pm} do you think you’ll pick? I want to make sure I meet as many of you as possible! xx