It's Been a Long Time Comin'

1. Smak Parlour  2. Campo's Deli  3. & 4. Campo's Cheesesteak w/provolone & fried onions

5. Independence Hall

Another snowy day in the Northeast.  It's a good thing I went into Philly yesterday when it was a "warm and balmy" 40 degrees and partly cloudy.  My goal: eat a distinctly Philadelphian meal and purchase some clothes from a unique Philly establishment.  Today my goal is to pack for New York, which is why I am writing this now (goals cannot be accomplished without a good amount of procrastination.  Case-in-point: changing the fonts on the blog before finishing this post).  I made my way to Smak Parlour, a Old City, Market St. boutique I've been wanting to visit since I  read about it Teen Vogue eons ago.  When I arrived, I was greeted by one of the friendly owners and found a nicely edited selection of pieces from the in-house label as well as brands I had never heard of before.  The pink walls and vintage decor gave the shop a fun vibe.  I picked up a great tank-top by Ya Los Angeles with delicate, asymmetrical lace detailing at the hem.  Of course all that shopping made me hungry so I crossed the street to Campo's and ordered a hearty and delectable cheesesteak.  If you have never had the chance to have the real Philly Cheesesteak experience you can order one from their website have have it shipped to you, even if you live in Alaska!  In case you are a Philadelphian and you're wondering, when I'm in South Philly  my allegiance lies with Gino's.  I've never tried Pat's and I don't know if I ever will.  That's all for today.  Time to get back to packing.  

Style on File

1. In Fendi  2. In Valentino  3. A more casual look 

(I believe all of these images originated on The Sartorialist at one point or another)

If you're like me, you have a personal style icon.  She might be your mom, your sister, a classmate, or celebrity.  For me, Giovanna Battaglia, stylist and L’Uomo Vogue fashion editor, is my style inspiration.  She can pull off virtually any skirt length imaginable, wears minimal make-up and has an impeccable shoe collection.  She can pull off a variety of looks effortlessly.  To me, she is the epitome of chic.  Like her, I try not to stick to one look; I like to try new things and feel comfortable in a variety of clothing combinations.  No matter what Giovanna is wearing, she always makes it look classic and chic.  What do you think of her style?  Who are your favorite style-setters?

Cool Girl Style

Alexa Chung and Brooklyn = the unison of cool.

Scenes from a Snowy Monday

 

 

 1. Graffitied rocks outside the Museum  2. Boathouse Row  

3. Claes Oldenburg's Giant Three-Way Plug, Scale A

4. West Entrance Sculptures  5. West Entrance Walkway   

Some shots I took at while leaving the Philadelphia Museum of Art last Monday. 

From One to Many

The Philadelphia Museum of Art West Entrance 

Artwork done with Silkscreen on Polished Stainless Steel

Inserting myself in the composition.
Shirt: Simply Vera Vera Wang, Pants: Zara,
Boots: Nine West Vintage America 

Hello, friends.  Today, in this photo-heavy post, I am doing something I rarely do; I am posting about an experience the same day I had it (a public service, if you will).  Today, finally, I made it to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to see the Michelangelo Pistoletto: From One to Many exhibit.  Unfortunately as much as you might like to view this exhibit after I tell you about it, today was the last day to see it.  Hopefully you made your way down to the Museum Circle any regular non-Monday in the past 3 months, viewed it, and are happy to be reading my review.     

As you know, whenever I have a chance, I enjoy looking at art, but find modern art, with the exception of pop-art, (wow this is a long sentence) a bit over rated.  Pistoletto, on the the other hand, made modern art awesome.  Beginning with his shiny, metallic, or lacquered canvases and continuing with ever evolving "mirror images" executed with painted tissue paper, photographs, and silkscreens on polished steel, he studied the relationship between the viewer and the composition.  He also made interesting sculptures, and films/performances with his troupe Lo Zoo that left me thinking: "What??" and shaking my head at the explanations provided.  Nevertheless he made some really great art.  One day, when I am decorating my apartment, it would be nice to install on of his pieces in a prominent spot in my living room.
  

Snood and Coat: J. Crew, Bag: Hype

This outing was fallowed by a great lunch of mushroom and barley soup and half a grilled veggie sandwich with a chocolate almond latte at the Regency Cafe.  Feast your eyes.  Hope you have a happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

New Year, New Look

1. Long Luscious Locks in December 2010 photo credit: Primo

2. Short and Sweet in January 2011

Hey guys!  So now that it's a new year, I figure it's time for a new look (and a new brownie!).  I pulled on my Marc by Marc Jacobs rain boots and braved the elements.  The snow and black ice posed threats to my quests but nothing could keep me from reaching the beauty salon and getting my locks chopped off.  I'm really happy with the way it looks; what do you think?  

Better Together Cookie Brownie

Nearby the salon is a recently opened bake shop, B.T. Baking, a primarily wholesale business that also sells some individual baked goods (I'll follow through with my New Year's resolution tomorrow. . .).  I bought a cookie brownie and an oatmeal raisin cookie for my mom, both humongous and d-i-v-i-n-e.  They are made from scratch with all organic ingredients (thank goodness, now I can tell myself brownies are good for me).  One bite and I knew this was basically the best brownie I'd ever tasted.  I even took home an extra cookie with the buy 2 get 1 free promotion.  Sweet Deal! 

George Condo

1. Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Album Artwork

2. “Smiling Woman with Pearls” (2008)  3. Adam Kimmel FW2010 inspired by Condo, masks by Gabe Bartalos

4.&5. Masterpiece Theater: Vogue December 2007

They other day, I was listening to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West.  Anyone who has purchased this album could not have missed the colorful, interesting album artwork.  It called to mind the work of an artist who was featured in a Vogue editorial a few years back.  Sure enough, the artist was George Condo, whose work has had a quite an influence on fashion.  His style is very distinctive and has even inspired fashion collections.  This was one of my favorite editorials in a beautiful issue of Vogue that featured Penelope Cruz on the cover, accompanied by the most attractive matador in the world.  Anyway, you may want to explore Condo's work further, especially if you are snowed-in as I am.  

*Editor's Note: Condo's show at the New Museum began Wed. Jan. 26 and runs through May 15.  Read more about it here.