jacket weather

jacket LOFT | tee shirt LOFT | jeans Lucky Brand | bag Coach | glasses Ray Ban | earrings LOFT | 

Good morning on this mild Tuesday! It is a real departure from our brisk and chilly weekend, perfect jacket weather. It's nice to really embrace "fall fashion" and wear layers, cozied up. These were taken in Princeton during our weekend drive.

Some things going on lately:

• grad school: it's going! Crazy to think we are almost mid-way through the semester. I have a system down for homework and making it to class on time, so all I have to do is continue chugging on for that.

• music: this might be weird...but the songs I just downloaded on my iPod are all classics! Rhapsody in Blue, Hoedown, Appalachian Spring, Four Seasons...a mix of nice tunes are in my queue.

• new tea obsession: cold brew! It's awesome to have these tea bags handy at work. All you do is pop them into a cold water bottle and voila! You have some awesome iced tea. I love drinking my iced tea unsweetened so this is pretty much perfect.

• in the market: for a new thermos. Speaking of tea...that's what I would use it for. I used to have this jumbo sized thermos from Dunkin Donuts that kept my tea hot ALL day long, and it died on me....I guess the insulation wore away from too much use. Haha, I know...this is interesting stuff...

• currently on repeat: Parks and Rec, Downton Abbey reruns...never gets old.

• upcoming resolutions: I am really excited because one of my old friends from high school is starting up Pilates classes...I admire the fact that she is just doing it! I am going to one of her classes this weekend, and I can't wait. So, in spirit of staying healthy (and preferably trim) I'd like to mix up Pilates and vinyasa classes this fall to keep busy. With grad school, plus work, I'd have to balance it...but we will see!

ciao! xo

scenes from my weekend

Because the Pope was in town, we decided to keep it chill and have a low-key, laid back weekend. Which was totally fine with me because I seem to have caught a nasty cold that I can't quite get rid of. I hate how tough head colds are! Anyway, as you can see it was a very autumn-ish weekend will all of the hues of orange, the jacket-wearing, and the autumn time treats. It was a picturesque day, with chilly blue skies and lots of goings on.

We made our way to a pumpkin festival/farmers' market, sampling delicious fall delicacies like pumpkin ice cream and apple butter. I've heard at least a dozen people exclaim the words "I love the fall!" yesterday. I also saw some of the largest pumpkins and ugliest gourds (I like them best) in my life!

We drove through Princeton, NJ via Hopewell and had an awesome time looking out the window at the nascent signs of autumn in the trees. I fell in love with a cafe in Hopewell and got to visit some new and old favorite pit stops in Princeton, my ideal weekend hangout, especially on such a gloriously brisk day.

It was obviously light jacket and jeans weather - so, outfit post coming up soon!

ciao! xo

coffee diaries | bodhi

If there is a cafe I could repeatedly go to, and call my own, I think it would be Bodhi. I have been coffee scouting for a while now - at least three years - and while I haven't been to Bodhi excessively, I find that every time I go, it is pleasant. Slow paced, not rushed; quiet, not crowded; bright and white and happy; and of course, simple good coffee. It's almost like it's undiscovered.

I ordered a $4.50 cappuccino along with a girlfriend I was showing around town (she flew in and was on a short layover!). She loved the minimalist ambience, the straightforward menu and big wooden tables for sitting and sharing stories over. This is one of the rare cafes in the city that actually has sitting room, with plenty of tables yet there are still a good amount of people humming through their work on their MacBooks or visiting friends, like I was.

Perhaps my favorite part of Bodhi is the little "nook" enclave. It is a split level space, but you'd never know it from the outside. In this little nook you're away from the counter and the entrance/door, so it provides a really cozy and intimate atmosphere.  Lost in stories and catching up, I quickly enjoyed that cappuccino and wanted another. But that's for another day, another coffee diaries!

ciao! xo

Bodhi Coffee
263 W. 10th Street
Washington Square West
Philadelphia
@bodhicoffee

pope in philly

Okay, this title is misleading. I will not be among the millions of people who congregate to the Ben Franklin parkway to see Pope Francis, because I think that they are crazy! I am glad the Pope is coming, but as a local I just can't bring myself to go be in that sweaty mob of people. So - I will show you a few photos from a delightful morning a few weeks ago when my friend from out of town came to visit.

My friend, a beautiful flight attendant (who is living the dream!) came to visit and had enough time on her layover to sightsee around Philly with me! I will play a tourist in my own city anytime (except Pope weekend). The morning is the best time to bop around; it's my favorite time of day anywhere - coffee breaks a plenty, there is a subtle cool breeze in the air, and the whole day stands before you.
 We went to two cafes, Bodhi and Talulah's Daily - instant winners! Bodhi is one of my favorites in the city, probably in my top 5. I chronicle coffee visits in the city and beyond in my coffee diaries posts - reviewing cafe ambience and flavors. Bodhi's style and menu is very simplistic and minimal, while Talulah's is a bit more earthy, eclectic and colorful. They are both fantastic choices and have very high reviews!

I love the older section of Philly and Society Hill, so we went there before venturing up towards the Art Museum. We did so much in one day, thanks to Uber rides and late trains :)

See more posts from Philly:

1. The Italian Market
2. Chinatown style post
3. Best pizza (and a special place in general)
4. Gelato pitstops
5. A glitzy night on the town

ciao! xo

seaside september weekend

 Some of my thoughts from our fall beach weekend, which is turning into quite a tradition:

• I am discovering that I am in love with the allure of ships. I think my favorite place at the beach is the inlet, where all the giant steel fishing boats sleep. We went there one sunset and saw fishermen unloading their day's bounty, which included small blue fish. I asked the fisherman, who was very kind, if I could snap a few pictures of him doing his work. He obliged, and that black & white photo above is one of my new favorites.
• We also have a weird new go-to beach that I like to call Carcass Beach (sounds lovely, right)? It's actually gross but I always leave there as wide-eyed and curious as a kid. There is almost always a scattering of fish vertebrae, crab legs, and that pungent smell of fish. This is weird...but I kind of like it. At a distance, of course.
• To go with my new love of watching ships, I have become obsessed with tracking them and reading up on shipwrecks. I started reading a book, Shadow Divers, which I am halfway through...it is SO COOL. All about shipwrecks scattered along the coast of New Jersey. I borrowed the rental house's copy but didn't finish in time, so I bought my own copy and am patiently awaiting its arrival in the mail.

I love the beach in the fall when the crowds have left. It is so inspiring and beautiful, with the most enchanting smell of autumn in the air. It is the season for spices, orange hues, scents and tastes - but by the sea everything is better. 

I woke up every morning around 5am to see the sunrise - thanks to my mom, for getting me out of bed. Once on the roof, we saw the most stunning vistas, even if it was a cloudy daybreak. I also liked watching the ships bob in the water - even the big freighters and fishing ships, too. 

 - - - 

Last post I announced I was changing my public settings on my blog and going to go "private." So if you're reading this, thanks for staying on :)

ciao xo! 

going incognito

After a lot of thinking and deep rumination, I've decided to close my blog to the public and go incognito to the rest of the world. It makes the most sense to me at my age and place in the world - a place where oversharing can be very common. It is absurd to want to share my photos and all of the things I do but simultaneously feel very protective of my experiences and images. Not everyone has to see every picture I take or what I look like or where I am. It is simply a matter of privacy. I am so proud of what I have done on my blog over the years, and have absolutely LOVED every moment of it. I think the most important and meaningful aspect has been how I have grown into photography; it started with a camera I bought and didn't even truly understand how to use. Now, I'm an amateur but I know what I am doing. I love photography and the sound of a releasing shutter, the satisfaction of a fantastic shot. I will continue pursuing that over at A. Taylor.

I will not stop blogging - it will just be 'invitation only.' Maybe I will change my mind in the future and 're-open' my blog to the public. I used to worry about my readers' following my blog, when I lost followers, or when my other blogger friends from years past stopped blogging too. At a time when blogging got to me, I even became disenchanted (particularly by high-income fashion bloggers). There are so many people I have "met" through blogging. One time I kept in such close contact with a blogger from Canada - we were internet friends, she had the coolest posts and ideas, and we always were commenting on each others posts - and then suddenly, she vanished. Off the grid - I was so sad, even concerned for her!

I am a bit sad to be writing this, because now I feel like absolutely no one will read what I have to say. So many people that used to read won't even have the chance to. I feel like I am locking myself out, and intentionally secluding myself. My blog, to a degree, has always been a "place" for me...so I don't expect anyone to want to sit here and read this anyway. But I will miss the comments, the sharing, the friends I have made. I have done swaps, started pen pal correspondents, exchanged thousands of emails, won and hosted giveaways - heck, I even won a trip to Europe to be a video blogger for a summer. Blogging is inspiring.

The reason I am sharing this is because I wanted to offer some time for you to email me or comment if you want to be on the invited reading list. When I close the blog publicly, you will still be able to read my blog as long as I get your email right. I will be posting regularly and continuing my love for photography - I don't think I'll be giving that up anytime soon!!

ciao! xo

email: bloganticipation (at) gmail.com

art can change the world

I saw Denik for the first time when I was browsing a favorite boutique along the Pier in Hermosa Beach. I was grabbed by their aim: help build schools, support an artist. I love what Denik is all about. Education and art are so important to me; they are values that run deep in my family. I love my Ornate Elephant design by talented artist Ben Kwok. It is a famous Denik softcover - it is flexible, gentle, and thin, yet it holds all paper together. I've bought other journals in the past (won't name names!) that try to sell this characteristic quality in notebooks, but the pages simply fall out. I think this idea from Denik is a win-win - you're helping underprivileged schools and getting organized, while promoting a brilliant artist's work. 

My Denik notebook is currently in rotation between grad classes and being my go-to grocery list. I keep it in my work bag because visits to the grocery store usually come right after work, as does school. 

Some other Denik favorites! I had such a hard time narrowing down my choice among these other contenders:

high country tsunami / ice cream swirl / chevron  / all styles $11.95