La Colombe in Fishtown

Last week I went to visit my friend Rory at the brand new cafe where he works, La Colombe in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia. It was a bit of trip to get there from the suburbs - I had to take the train and the subway, and though I've taken the train plenty of times, it was my first time riding the subway in Philly. The ride out there took a about an hour but I made it there without any trouble! Actually, I quite enjoyed riding the subway, and now that I know how easy it is to get to Fishtown, I intend to make more trips out that way!

Anyways, on to the cafe. La Colombe is a household name in Philadelphia, their coffee is served in a ton of restaurants all across the city (and not just Philly, they're in New York, Chicago, and D.C. too). They have three cafes in Philly but the Fishtown location is their most recent one. It's built in an old warehouse, and they kept the rustic aesthetic throughout the cafe. This particular location also serves food (it's a small but very well done menu, and they have a wood-burning stove!), beers, and rum distilled on site! Rory gave me a tour of the whole place and then we sat down for some food and drinks. I didn't get to try any of the rum (or coffee, for that matter - I can only have decaf!), but I had a beer from a local brewery and I tried some of the onion soup toast. And a chocolate chip cookie, of course. Delicious!

Now it's your turn to take a tour!






















I loved all the little touches - the blackboard menus with intricate drawings, the little tags for the pastries, and the combination of wood and brick everywhere. They had these cool little rocking chairs too that I somehow didn't take a photo of. The whole place oozes comfort and warmth, oddly enough, considering how open and airy it actually is. It was a chilly, rainy day when I went, so perhaps that had something to do with it.

If you find yourself in Philadelphia, check this place out! And say hi to Rory! Who I also failed to take a photo of. Oh well.

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My Fall Fashion Formula

jacket, scarf, shirt, pants, shoes: Anthropologie


This jacket + these pants + these shoes + a tunic + a scarf are my formula for the perfect fall wardrobe this year. I've been wearing the first three almost every day, switching up the scarf, top, and sometimes the shoes depending on my mood. My neighbors must think I have only these few items of clothing... and they're pretty much right. I actually have this top in two different colors, which works out in my favor because it means I can wear the same outfit two days in a row but switch up the colors... and considering I have enough scarves to last me about two weeks interchangeably... well, let's just say I can fool people into thinking I'm wearing completely different outfits each day just by switching up my scarves.

You've probably noticed from my last few outfit posts that everything I wear seems to be from Anthropologie. Over the past few months I've been slowly but surely curating my wardrobe and I've come to the conclusion that my half-year stint working at Anthro did me well, or, it did well for my wardrobe at least. I have given away most of my clothing that's not from Anthropologie or Gap, leaving me with a much lighter closet full of pieces that I absolutely love. It's so refreshing! I can get dressed in much less time now, and I find myself satisfied with pretty much every outfit I choose because I know all the pieces fit me well and fit together. I've also found myself gravitating more towards neutrals, now that I have a closet full of colorful accessories to embellish with. Who would have thought that all the minimalist fashion bloggers were on to something?!

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Week in Photos: Week 43

Cat owners take note: if someone gives you a gift in a paper bag, consider it a double gift; one for you, one for the cats.



I met Joy at her book signing!! She was really nice! And I somehow managed to look cute AND awkward at the same time.



It rained on my birthday, but I didn't let it dampen my spirits. (Hahahaha)



The bag was a handmade gift from a friend, the goods were ingredients for spaghetti bolognese.



Someone was eyeing up my big breakfast.



My phone has a mind of its own.



Spaghetti bolognese! So good!!



Rocky road fudge at work. I love how it looks when it's cut!



Turkey meatballs from Trader Joe's, homemade gravy and mashed potatoes for swedish meatballs.



This guy.



Sylvester is always trying to eat my phone.



But I can't get angry at that face. Seriously.



Quiche quiche quiche quiche quiche.



A productive Sunday. I made all this AND I reorganized our living room. Bam!


I hope you had an amazing week!! I sure did.

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This is what 27 looks like...

Another year older, another year wiser. Wednesday was my first day as a 27 year old. After a certain point, people stop asking you how being another year older feels and just start asking you how it feels to be old. But I don't feel old. I definitely feel older (maybe not much wiser...), but I don't feel old. Old is a mindset. I've met plenty of people who are old according to their age, but still young according to their life philosophy. Personally, I can't wait to turn 30, 40, 50! Each year the hours, days, and weeks seem to move more quickly as time seems to slip away from our grasp. I remember being ten years old and summer felt like it lasted forever. Now summer is just a dream of years passed. (There's no such thing as summer in the working world.) Each month I find myself wondering how we got here so fast - how is almost November already?! - soon it will be Christmas, then New Years, and before I know it, I'll be 28 years old, wondering what happened to 2015. But as much as people tell you to live in the present, I can't help but think about the future. I'm so excited about the rest of my life, I can't wait to see what happens! It's like watching a movie, in fast forward. You get the gist of it of but the details are lost on you. The little things that get glossed over when you're more concerned about the big picture. I spent a lot of 26 focusing on the big picture, and it didn't really put me any closer to getting there. So this year, I want to focus more on the details. I'm excited about getting older, but I'm in no rush to get there. Time does a pretty good job of rushing things on its own.












My first day as a 27 year old was... eating a big ass breakfast from the deli next door, catching up on my guilty pleasure (Revenge) with my feline companions nearby, eating lunch with an old friend in a new place, toasting to a new year with champagne, and cooking a (semi) elaborate dinner with the man I love, while The Cable Guy played on as background noise. Oh, and donuts for dessert because, hey, it's my birthday.

I think 27 is going to be a good year. (I mean, it started with donuts. That's a good start.)

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Week in Photos: Week 42

I know I'm a baker and I'm supposed to like all sorts of fancy pastries and things... but my absolute favorite thing is a chewy, melty, chocolatey chip cookie.



This can't end well.



Nope.



I so rarely get to see the world from the passenger's point of view.



A behemoth spider made that.



I think it was that behemoth spider.



The pot pie tops at work look like miniature pillows to me.



The easiest cinnamon rolls ever... thaw a sheet of puff pastry, spread some melted butter on top, top with a mix of brown sugar and cinnamon, roll, slice, bake.



Don't forget the icing!



I made a ton of s'mores bars for a bunch of teenage soccer players. I hope they liked them!



One of my colleagues got married on Friday... this card was oddly appropriate since we work at a tea shop!



Her something blue!



A very talented bearded man playing with fire.



Part of me wishes this were in focus. Part of me loves that it's blurry.



A wedding with a whole roasted pig and all the southern sides? Yes please!



Beautiful leaves on the way to the ceremony.



The best way to end a busy week!

This week was full of whimsey and fun things, and yet, I'm glad it's over. Partly because it was the busiest week of the month for me, and partly because now it's my birthday week! The biggest thing I'm excited about is getting to meet Joy The Baker Tuesday night at her book signing!!! I'm sad that I wasn't able to get tickets to her demo and Q&A before the signing, but it's no big deal, because I still get to say "Hey guuuurl!", and get her fancy handwriting in my book (which is full of awesome recipes) and that's all that really matters. Then Wednesday, on my actual birthday, I have the day off work so I get to do whatever the heck I want! Which will probably involve putting on a pretty dress and sitting around watching episodes of Revenge most of the day, and eating cookies to my stomach's content. Sounds like the best ever.

I hope you had an amazing week!!

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