I am not usually fond of larger chain stores, however I was extremely excited when West Elm finally opened a store in Philadelphia. For years, I’ve received their catalog and dreamed of the day I could buy something directly versus having to wait for the delivery. After all, what fun is shopping without the instant gratification?

The store itself is stunning, an urban decorators dream. They have an expansive space, open layout, high ceilings and bright lighting. Everything is grouped by color palette and laid out in a way that makes it easy to browse and visualize. Offering a distinctive selection of furniture and home accessories, West Elm is one of the best places to shop for home decor.

Their style is pretty modern and streamlined, simple designs that add an overall sophistication and interest to any room. They provide a range of many basic colors, as well as brighter accents, all blending together beautifully.

Whether you need some new furniture or just want to incorporate a few new accent pieces into your place, check out West Elm for some fresh ideas and signature furnishings.

West Elm
1330 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215.731.0184

Shop Girl | Email | Print | //

Open House is a necessity for any urban dweller. This store carries cool items to enhance your living space and make a house your home - with city style of course!

Stocking mostly household accessories, they carry it all from unique lamps, graphic pillows, to glassware, colorful bowls and vases, they even have some furniture and storage options. They offer a fairly large selection of kitchen gadgets and bathroom accessories, as well as lovely scented candles, bath and body products.

Open House is a wonderful place for last minute hostess gifts; a box of greeting cards, charming soaps or a decorative house ware item is always appreciated. And they have an adorable children’s section, ideal for clever baby gifts. Some of my favorites have been sweet baby plate and cup sets and catchy onesies with bold sayings like “I love my Dads” or “I’m not a girl”.

The store is colorful and full of brilliant items, always encouraging inspiration and fresh design ideas. I absolutely love my apartment just the way it is, but each time I’m in this store, I manage to find something I love and therefore need.

Visit Open House and find something to add more beauty or function to your place.

Open House
107 S. 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215.922.1415

Shop Girl | Email | Print | //

With its inconspicuous Old City location, this neighborhood favorite is sometimes hard to find. But once you do, Sugar Mom’s is a pleasant surprise.

This downstairs bar is dark and quite different, yet full of life. Once your eyes adjust to the light, you’ll notice that you’ve not only entered a cool bar, but a fun house. They have a pool table, several videogames, pinball, even board games, plastic toys and crayons at many of the tables. The exposed brick walls are filled with chalk messages from prior patrons. There are plenty of bar stools and chairs with a retro feel; Sugar Mom’s even has a few amusement ride cars to lounge in. Twinkling holiday lights are strewn throughout and a piano painted with flames is tucked in one corner. The jukebox contains a wide range of music from Blondie to Method Man, old school hip-hop to heavy rock.

At first it may feel like a somewhat twisted atmosphere, but it’s completely relaxed and amusing. The bar decor is interesting and provokes lots of conversation; it’s a place that many return to time and time again. Overall, a diverse crowd, great bar, cool staff, good bar food, and a large beer selection (even Pabst Blue Ribbon for those really cheap nights). It feels like you’re hanging out in a friend’s basement and would be perfect for a Halloween party. Sugar Mom’s has a great overall vibe and is refreshingly different from the many fancy, over-priced bars in this area of the city.

Tip: For more mellow times, Sugar Mom’s is less crowded and smoky on weeknights.

Sugar Mom’s
225 Church Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215.925.8219

Famished Girl, Relaxin' Girl, Scene Girl | Email | Print | //

With minimal, organized decor and use of color that pops, Remedy Tea Bar is a relaxing and stylish place to unwind. Although I still adore a good cappuccino, Remedy is a welcome alternative to the many coffee shops taking over the city.

They offer an infinite number of teas to select from, so it’s often hard to decide, especially for a novice like myself. But with descriptions and health benefits listed on the menu, combined with the staff’s insight, you’re sure to find one that’s just right. Choose from simple to exotic types - everything from black, green, herbal, roobios, to rare, blended or iced tea varieties. For those that prefer coffee or a cosmopolitan, try one of their trendy mar”tea”nis or lattes. Select from their signature flavors or create your own combination. With all of the added health benefits of tea, it certainly can’t hurt to give it a try. Remedy also serves an assortment of paninis, scones and various goodies. Their motto is “serving the hot and the cool”, which accurately sums up the teas, as well as their patrons.

The space has bright lime green walls and a huge chandelier painted vivid orange as the focal point, balanced tastefully by clean-lined dark wood tables and chairs. Free wireless, a bar, plenty of tables, oversized windows, and an upbeat variety of music add to their laidback atmosphere. They’ve also recently incorporated a rotating monthly art/photography exhibit.

Even cooler than their iced Passionberry tea on a hot summer day, is that these two sisters, inspired by a London trip, brought their inspiration to life and make it appear so effortless. It’s one of my new favorite places to visit in the city.

Remedy believes in the power of tea and hopefully more city girls will now too!

Remedy Tea Bar
1628 Sansom Street
Philadelphia, PA
215.557.6688

Famished Girl, Relaxin' Girl | Email | Print | //

One of my fondest Paris memories is relaxing in a quaint neighborhood pastry shop. The experience is so different than our typical morning breakfast or mid-day snack. From the care that goes into making the dish, to how it’s displayed, the entire feeling of enjoying the moment and guilt-free indulgence is distinctive. Thankfully, Philadelphia has Miel Patisserie to hold me over until my next trip to France. Miel means “honey” in French, but this bakery is even sweeter.

What I love first is their presentation. Each personal sized pastry looks too decadent to eat. With a mixture of classic and signature pastries, they offer delicious croissants, scones and eclairs to more elaborate bites like tiramisu, cheesecakes and fruit tarts. Two of my personal favorites are their Piedmont, made of crispy praline, hazelnut miroir and hazelnut-milk chocolate mousse and their Opera, an almond joconde, coffee buttercream, chocolate Ganache and espresso syrup. My mouth is watering just writing about them!

The decadent aroma of Miel entices you in from the street. Their oversized glass-front display cases are filled with flawlessly baked pastries, cakes and delights. It’s often hard to choose, however you really can’t go wrong. Shelves behind the counter house the various loaves of fresh bread they offer. And of course, a soothing cup of coffee is essential. They also do custom wedding cakes - what better day to splurge!

When missing France or just feeling French, visit Miel Patisserie to savor some sweetness.

Miel Patisserie
204 S. 17th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215.731.9191

1900 Route 70 East
Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
856.424.6435

Famished Girl | Email | Print | //