^{I have so many variations of pictures like this.}

I'm not a huge partier anymore, so after puking for a few hours my first full day in town, I was pretty much over getting hammered at all... in the city where it seems like that's all people do? I noticed that unlike Philadelphia, which has a pretty decent mix of entertainment for tourist and non-tourist crowds in general, everything in New Orleans seemed geared toward visitors. I did find a small corner of boutiques on Magazine and one decent vintage store off Frenchmen, but most shops just seemed to feature "GREETINGS FROM NEW ORLEANS" paraphernalia or mardi gras style masquerade masks. Learning curve!

I honestly wasn't sure how to write about my trip here so this is largely pictures. I didn't get to see as many (any) sights like graveyards, spooky tours, and museums as I would have liked to because I waited around for other people instead of going off on my own in the beginning of the trip, and the end of my trip got rained out; I don't think I will be returning to New Orleans in the near future to remedy that though, as my overall experience left me more bitter than a vacation should. What I did see of the city was gorgeous and bright; even the buildings that had been left abandoned had a beauty to their decay. There were plants EVERYWHERE, and I wish I could've snuck them all back in my carry-on, but I unfortunately packed 4 too many pairs of shoes.

^{Just left to its lonesome; they even left their boat! I wanted to lay in the branches of all the trees I kept seeing just covered in moss.
Blue Dream Vintage Boutique. kinda pricey but I was just stoked to finally find a decent store I actually bought stuff. Art from a gallery I passed. Unfortunately I didn't write down the artist's name. This rad bar called the Dungeon off Bourbon that you can miss if you aren't looking for. Really. It's a little hole in the wall bar that plays metal music and is lit up in all red light. You're not supposed to take pictures in there but no one listens anyway. See? Dreamy Weenie - Pothole Dog: Potato salad, chili & cheese! So much green, I was just aching to curl up in some moss A crazy Halloween party at this weird old money plantation house that looked out of a movie.
I was way too sober to properly enjoy it but the place looked cool. John and Steve playing pacman in The Other Bar We spent Halloween at a strange Mermaid themed warehouse party.
I didn't take enough photos here because I felt like nothing properly conveyed the atmosphere. Partial Halloween reflections. Napoleon House - Cheese boardt Napoleon House - Ratatouille Calzone A night market off Frenchmen we stumbled onto.} I took a lot of photos the handful of times I was able to get out so it looks like I had a much more eventful trip than I did, hah (I guess that's the nature of social media though, right?!?) By the end I was truly ready to be back in my own bed, in my own town. My only advice is this:

If you're getting an airbnb in a city you've never been to, double and triple check your friend's suggestions. What you may save in cost by being slightly out of the way you may end up paying in transportation (we spent at least $200 on uber in 3 days. $200.)

If you want to go see things, do it.

Landed in New Orleans last night for a week long trip to visit my friend Cheyenne for Halloween. I didn't get to do a lot of exploring into this picturesque place yet because I woke up feeling like death from a daiquiri (I was greeted with one right when I got picked up from the airport! What!) and shots/beer/everything hangover, but I'm excited to check this place out over the next week. I still feel like I'm getting punked by the open container laws here but here's to more public drunkenness (in better moderation).  

If you've ever been a server you'll understand what I'm referencing when I say "server voice"; the artificial nice voice you use with customers to portray this false image of being a really upbeat person who actually cares if they want an extra side of mayo with their burger. That server voice is how I feel I've been portraying myself via this blog since I started it. And that false voice is why I needed to take a step back for a bit.

I've never had an issue with how I portray myself offline, in any type of interaction. I'm a fairly upfront, no-nonsense type of person who won't shy away from confrontation and don't care how people interpret me. I dropped out of high school, I'm a loner, and I'll always be some sort of artistic weird that I'm perfectly okay with. But in creating a space online, you open yourself up to an entirely different audience, which I found myself catering to for no reason. It's really easy to find yourself keeping up with the Joneses (or in this case all other bloggers) when they're a click away posting their pinterest-tailored highlight reels. I don't care about weekly topic posts or superficial filler nonsense, and it's silly to pretend I do.

I'm gonna try harder to not try so hard anymore. I'm a 26-year-old (who still hesitates with where the hyphens go) that just figured out how to handle her finances (r/personalfinances is a godsend, ps), can't get her diet straight, and starts more things than she finishes. And that's totally okay.

Unfortunately the change in weather from Summer to rainy season seems to have hit me harder in the emotion department than I anticipated and I've spent the last few weeks (hence the hiatus) mostly scrambling to feel more like a person and less out actually doing things besides feeling like I'm wading through jello; as such, I don't have a compilation of my favorite things from September to share with you. Instead, I've put together a playlist of chill, upbeat songs that have just felt appropriate for those mornings when I really need something to dance around my room to, or when I need something in the background while floor painting/attempting to clean. There's some new and some old on here and I think they really work well together. I suggest you listen to the playlist on shuffle because I had no particular regard to order, just how the songs made me feel. :)

(click here to open in spotify)

Because it's the first of October and the start of a new month, I've decided to try to really kick myself in gear this month (here's hoping I can hold onto that feeling still in a week!). Just last night I discovered the subreddit "r/getdisciplined" that seems to have a lot of tips that could be useful; I'm still perusing for ideas but figured it might be worth a share!

xx

I missed posting last week's snapshot because I felt as though I didn't have enough images worth sharing. I've been working hard on a non-blog related project (which I've now realized I need to take a new direction on and I'm not so happily starting over, but c'est la vie) and I've been happily letting it take up a lot of my free time, so bear with me while I sort my routine. If you missed my past Sunday Snapshot posts you can view them here!

Kitchen party~

Exploring Fishtown/Northern Liberties post Soy Cafe lunching.

Rooftop drinking while spying on other people's rooftop drinking spots.

Late night reckless shenanigans-

The empty lot near the Piazza that I managed to capture in just the right light.

One of my favorite people♥ in one of the most inspiring places (aka Philly Free Library).

The plants I've let run wild in our back alley/yard/10'x5' space.

Posi-vibes at the Tiki Bar.

My roommate looking perfect during Labor Day celebrations.

The most appropriate picture of me taken recently.

By the way, did any of you feel that weather shift today? Phenomenal. I actually got to wear a hoodie tonight on my bike ride home from work and not sweat to death in it! I'm so stoked on the fall weather we're about to get. What're you looking forward to in the coming weeks??

This hot, sticky weather we've had the last week has me feeling really down in the dumps because it's just too hot to function without feeling like I'm going to keel over into a puddle on the ground. Am I the only one waiting with bated breath for fall?? To keep my spirits up I've been doing a lot of internet browsing, and figured why not share some of the inspiring stuff I've found and loved. :)


These creative half-dipped paintings.



These perfect watercolor illustrations by Andrea Fairservice aka "songdancedesign" on instagram. I fell in love with them immediately, and I'm even more excited that she seems to be from Philadelphia!


Emily Katz's phenomenal space. I've followed her on IG for a while but just now peeped this interview showcasing her home. Whoa.


This color scheme/painting.


This flirty hairstyle I'd never be able to recreate.



These simple but adorable illustrations by Dan-ah Kim.


This instagram that showcases tons of minerals and crystals. I actually discovered songdancedesign here!

It looks like I've been drawing inspiration from a simpler aesthetic this week. What's been inspiring you?? How have you been handling this heatwave?

A few days late (but still better than never!), it's time for another list of my favorites from the previous month. If you missed my list from July you can find it here!

August Favorites:

Soy Cafe in Northern Liberties - I'd stopped in once maybe a year ago and only got a smoothie because I was decidedly too hungover for food, but this time around I went in with a clear head and my goodness I really missed out last time. I got the Artichoke & Tomato Toast-On (essentially a sandwich served on your choice of toasted bread) and the ginger hummus that's also on the sandwich really complimented the artichoke hearts. I never thought to eat them on a sandwich but I'll have to try that on my own sometime. My boyfriend got the Party Dumpling platter (a dumpling sampler) and as an asian food aficionado, it got his stamp of approval.

^{Artichoke & Tomato Toast-On with (what I believe was) a root vegetable slaw}

Finding art again! I applied for an internship with Free People earlier this month, and while I didn't get the position, I did re-discover my drive for creating. I've been putting it toward re-decorating and styling my space a bit more, as well as toward more hands-on crafting. Here's a peek at some ring/crystal holders I've been working on. The white one I wanted to have a softer feel, which is typically not my style.

"Ocean Drive" by Duke Dumont. It definitely reminds me of the kind of music I'd listen to while driving into the city on weekends to get myself feeling cool enough to go dance in a club.

Actually, "Uh Huh" by Romans, as well. This is totally a "morning-after-a-good-night-keep-the-positive-vibes-going" kind of song.

These earrings I mentioned buying from Urban. My friends think they look kind of like menorahs but I'm still really into em.

Wissahickon Park. This was one of my go-to places when I was younger and had a car, but I haven't been back in at least a year. I'd been trying to get my boy out to see this place for forever but finally just managed recently. I had no idea how much I missed being submerged in nature (which you can't fully get in the city) until I was back; I think I'm definitely going to have to take hiking trips more regularly from now on. Also surprisingly, I get torn up by mosquitos in my own garden, but barely got bit while outside. (You can find the exact location here these pictures were taken by clicking the Wissahickon Park link!)





How could someone not fall in love with this place?


What was your favorite thing about August? What're you looking forward to in September?