Sunday, September 19, 2010

We're Going Home


After a dozen or os nights spent on a pull out sofa bed, coupled by living off the same 6 remixed outfits, I'm finally settled in my new apartment! On Friday, Ray and I moved into our cozy (that's a quaint way of saying tiny) one bedroom in the University City section of West Philadelphia. The neighborhood is a perfect mix of beautiful old Victorian houses, great cafes and restaurants spurred by local/organic food movements, alt/hippy families, and a comforting security by having two major universities (and their cops) so close by. Despite the fact that we only moved 5 miles from South Philly, it feels like we're in an entirely new city.


Our experience moving out of the South Philly apartment was rushed, chaotic, and overall exhausting. A note to the wise: Do not ever try to completely move in under 2 days. It's a) extremely stressful b) nearly impossible c) likely to leave you not speaking to anyone in your closest proximity including friends, family, and loved ones. So, to counteract all the bad memories from moving out, we've decided to take a leisurely approach to moving in to the new apartment. Most of our belongings are in storage, so we're moving a few boxes a day, planning to finish sometime before October 1 (but that's as concrete a finish date as we've got). The experience, to put it lightly, has been wonderful. Yesterday, we took a break in the late afternoon to check out a local festival with flea market vendors, food, and live bands at nearby Clark Park. The weather's been warm in the day, but chilly at night, so I took the opportunity to match up my newly purchased cardigan-thing (it's got some weird proportions) with the longlost items from my closet that were in storage for the past 3 weeks. Let's just say, it was a happy reunion, and perfect for the chilly evening weather that I've been loving so much lately.


Tank Top: Violent Society DIY tank
Cardigan: Mystree (El Quetzal- Philadelphia, PA)
Shorts: Abercrombie & Fitch DIY cutoffs
Shoes: Thrifted (AIDS Thrift- Philadelphia, PA)
Belt: H&M
Sunglasses: sidewalk vendor (Italian Market) 
Bag: Deux Lux via Urban Outfitters 

P.S. This is such a random afterthought, but today at brunch I recognized a local Philly blogger. Granted, it's a vegetarian food blog, not fashion, but I still got so tongue tied that I couldn't make myself go say hello! Yet, I know that I'd love it if a reader recognized me on the street. Is that weird? Is it even weirder that I'm probably gonna stake the bar out until I've got the guts to say hello? 

Saturday, September 4, 2010

The Fastest Way Back Home


Hello blogland. Long time, no talk. I apologize for the mysterious MIA, but I've hardly had time to even rest, let alone hop on the computer and blog. First, our internet mysteriously went out, only to begin functioning as we found out we had two days to move. The story's a bit long, extremely complicated, and probably not entertaining to anyone at all, even those of us involved in the situation. The only real bit of information that matters is that for the next two weeks, Ray and I are living at my parents' house in the (gulp) suburbs.


It's so bizarre being home. With the exception of a few short stays between moves, I haven't lived with my parents in five years. Every time I come home, if for a day or a week, I'm surprised by how much it's changed, yet how familiar it all is. I no longer have "my" room. In what shall be known as the great room swap of the 2000's, my brother moved into my room, my brother's room became the TV room, and the original TV room became a greenhouse/gardening room. There are new cats I never grew up with (like the gorgeous Harry, pictured above), the furniture is all different, and my parents even bit the bullet and finally got air conditioning.


All of the comforting things remain the same though. My parents still remember to leave coffee out for me in the morning, there's still random pieces of my old artwork throughout the house, and-most importantly-my parents still provide more support than I would ever be comfortable asking for. While Ray and I are technically homeless, they've taken us in and given us a place to sleep and food to eat. They've even taken in our four cats! While I may go crazy at the idea of living in the 'burbs for a few weeks, they've been total lifesavers and we couldn't do it without them.


Top: Forever 21
Shorts: DIY cut-offs, Abercrombie & Fitch
Shoes: thrifted (Philly AIDS Thrift- Philadelphia, PA)
Sunglasses: sidewalk vendor in the Italian Market (Philadelphia, PA)