tasty discoveries

eating vegan in philadelphia has gotten a lot easier lately. with pure fare and vedge restaurants just recently opening i have been really loving all the tasty options. this past week i had the amazing experience of trying the veggie burger at hip city vedge!! it was amazing!! i went with some friends during my lunch break, we grabbed our burgers and headed over to rittenhouse square for lunch in the park. i can't wait to get another and even try their crispy chicken sandwich:) 

to my surprise i got this vegan treat at the famous franklin fountain ice cream parlor the other day. i stopped in with a friend and was surprised when i saw 3 dairy free ice creams on the menu. after talking to the nice people that worked there i found out they had lots vegan candies and toppings as well. I ended up getting the mint chocolate chip ice cream with chocolate syrup! such a great surprise!

i just wanted to share, since vegan foods in philadelphia had been urban legends in the past.

last weekend's happenings

last weekend was fun and relaxing at the same time. ryan and i spent a lot of time together. we really didn't venture out to meet friends and it was really nice.

on friday night we tried an amazing mexican restaurant called xochitl. we died and went to food heaven. they have a tequila bar that mixed some of the tastiest margaritas and for a starter we munched on made-to-order guacamole accompanied by the most amazing salty, crispy, air-like, toasted chips i ever did taste. that could have been my dinner, but i did try one of their dishes that they made vegan just for me:) i love this place!


we also got our 1960's barcelona chairs steamed cleaned this weekend and they came out beautiful and sparkly! i couldn't stop looking at them the entire day. the pale yellow color alone puts a smile on my face.


we ended the weekend with a stroll through penn's landing. the weather is starting to get nicer in philadelphia and we needed the fresh air and boat lit water to refresh us from the winter doldrums. it worked wonders.

a california favorite

so i'm back from styling free people's look book in palm springs and their catalog at joshua tree, but there's one thing i always miss when i leave california... the full and lush succulents and beautiful pottery. here are some of the beautiful combinations i spotted during our shoot outside of the mojave sands hotel in joshua tree.

behind the scenes with free people

i just got back from styling free people's april 2012 catalog and wanted to share some of the behind the scene photos with you! we shot with up and coming photographer, thomas northcut, and headed to the desert of joshua tree. i loved working with all of the models on this shoot. it was an amazing one week experience.

here's what i brought... lots of layers, floral sunglasses, comfy docs for running around, and a book to read during the plane rides.

we stayed in palm springs and then headed to the desert every morning

the scene


the models; luisa, kate, hailey, and jacquelyn

models got in hair and make up and shooting began



respite between shots



hailey clauson looking beautiful.


so long, palm springs! until next time california! xo

Articles: Behind The Scenes with Free People — By Johnie Gall — Foam Magazine Articles

I was away in Palm Springs this week shooting our January look book with blogger Alexandra Spencer from the blog 4th and Bleeker. One of my favorite magazines, Foam, came to document the day! Hope you enjoy their video.

Behind the Scenes with Free People from Foam Magazine on Vimeo.

new york at christmastime is magical

my mom and i spent a day in new york and devoted it to christmas. the city is even more magical this time of year! first we saw the rockettes at radio city music hall. i haven't seen the christmas show in years and it brought back so many wonderful memories. after the show we walked to rockefeller center to see the most beautiful christmas tree. i loved walking around the city. the stores are lit up like presents, the windows are beautifully over the top and everyone is extra nice. there's a peacefulness in the air. Before we went home we had dinner at Rolf's German Restaurant. We wanted to see their explosion of decorations and eat a hearty meal before taking the train home. the day was amazing! i hope you get to experience christmas in new york too:)

enchanted fall day

this weekend we walked dugan through what looked like an enchanted forest. the weather, surroundings, and curious lab i was with made for a perfect day!

february 2012 behind the scenes

we (free people) just got back from shooting our february catalog with photographer joshua allen and model FREJA BEHA ERICHSEN!! she is beyond amazing. here are a few shots i captured of my quick experience.

new york on my mind

i just got back from a very quick trip to new york. free people just shot our february catalog. i will post some behind the scenes photos soon!

back to brooklyn

i haven't been to brooklyn in a while and i missed it so much. the flea markets, cafes, vintage shopping, and people watching are so captivating.
our main goal today was to hit the brooklyn flea market in williamsburg.we walked away with a few things... a vintage navajo blanket in muted colors, an old bottle opener, a vintage bag, and some snacks from some of the many yummy food vendors.





i think the strangest thing was walking away with a bag that i already had except a lot more worn. the vendor thought i was crazy when i asked to trade, but i finally got my perfectly worn in, brown leather coach bag and i love it!


after the flea market we met my friend, leigh, for a late lunch at rabbit hole cafe and some more shopping at some other local vintage spots.




we had such a great time. i need to visit a lot more.