lure me with pink neon...

Put a well designed sign outside your restaurant, and you'll surely peak my interest. Now get some pink neon, take a little retro inspiration, mix it with a modern twist, and I'll be sitting on your doorstep waiting and eager to see what sights and tastes await....

{images above: Roseville in San Diego - image via Roseville, Milchbar Pinguin in Germany - image via Mr. Mountain}, El Camino in San Diego - image via moi, and the Chelsea in Atlantic City - image via the Chelsea. Another great pink neon establishment (one of my favorite restaurants in the world) is Distrito in Philadelphia - image not shown.}

pizza please in {philly}...

Last weekend, I went home for a quick weekend and had the chance to visit one of Philly's newest hot food spots. Pizzeria Stella makes for a great addition to Philly's already amazing food scene. The style is a nice mix of New York coal/wood oven fired (think Grimaldi's in Brooklyn), Napoletana (Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix), and CT style pizza (Pepe's in New Haven). If you're a fan of any of those about mentioned pizza havens, you'll probably be a fan of Stephen Starr's newest Philly venture.

I had the chance to try four flavors: Pepperoni, Sausage, Picante, and Pistachio. All were good, but the Pepperoni was the winner of the group with it's mini cups of crispy pepperoni goodness. The cool thing about Stella's flavor options is the difference between the pizza flavors isn't just a matter of a change in the main topping (pepperoni, sausage, etc) but they use varying combinations of cheeses depending on the flavors being highlighted. The crust is EXCELLENT and consists of the perfect balance of chewy and crispy. Go for the quality of pizza, not for the speed of service.

{photos by Oh Joy. see more photos here}

map totes...

As an East Coaster who recently transplanted West, I'm all about representing the cities I've lived in and loved. Love these map totes with their quirky and fun illustrations of various cities..available in different sizes, colors, and some in wine tote form!

bird & banner...

The girls at Philly's Bird & Banner always cook up the best invitations. They just launched their brand new site full of amazing creations and a brand new blog. Their attention to detail is stunning as always!

{philly} event: oh joy! pop-up shop

 
For those of you in Philly, I'll be having a little pop-up shop and sample sale at the Urban Outfitter's corporate campus THIS Thursday, July 9th from 11:30am-2:30pm. It's open to the public, so come by during lunch, say hello, and pick up some stationery goodies at reduced prices! Click here for directions.

party perfect...

On Friday night, I attended a designer's event at Terrain {the garden lifestyle store by Urban Outfitters, Inc} and the cafe space always takes my breath away. I had had only previously been there in the daytime, but at night the space is even more beautiful. Located outside of Philadelphia, it would be amazing for a small party of any sort...see more photos from my recent trip to Terrain right here...

made by hank

Philadelphia crafter Katie Henry aka Made by Hank makes the sweetest handmade bags. I especially love her use of color, stitching, and her product shots are so fun!

holiday at terrain

I took a quick trip to Terrain the other day and wanted to share some fun images of their holiday decor and merchandise. The candles are a collaboration between Joya Candle and Terrain...a line of 4 candles with gorgeous scents and artwork with a packaging tube that's 70% recycled. The ornaments are from Roost and soap from Saipua. See more photos of my visit right here...

{philly event} holiday preview at terrain

For those of you in the Philadelphia area, Terrain is having a Christmas Open House on November 8 & 9th showcasing their new selection of holiday merchandise. Here's a preview of the goods, click here for more information...

new design crush: crème

I visited one of Philly's newest and raved about restaurants, Distrito a couple weeks ago and loved it. Through Design Phan, it turns out a Brooklyn-based design studio, Crème, designed Distrito as well as few of my other favorite Philly restaurants. They have a gorgeous portfolio of work with details that are thoughtful and stunning...