thursday poll – edition 112

poll time! i love our selection of backpacks…i’m thinking about getting one because i think they’re perfect for weekend getaways.  which backpack would you take traveling?

the faded cold spring backpack:

the somerset backpack:

the russel backpack:
russel

or the leather and canvas backpack:
leather and canvas


last week’s poll was very close but the winner was the solid chiffon maxi skirt!

October Catalog Sneak Peek

you guys may have heard by now that our october catalog features three lovely fashion bloggers – natalie suarez, georgia larsen and rumi neely.  we’ll have lots of great stuff for you on the blog in the month ahead including behind the scenes videos, photos and interviews with each girl.

here’s a sneak peek of what’s to come!

page33

DSCF0218

page18

4815900977_5c1d8cbfe5_b

page163

4815731619_db9393be88_b

Untitled-2[5]crop

rumi 016_2

IMG_3036

page3

photo3_2

4816204046_d73ce86a07_b

page20

the catalog drops october 5th.

a baby shower, fp style

today our team held a baby shower for our visual display and store design manager – one of the very talented creative ladies behind our incredible stores!  as you can imagine, our visual team went all out for her baby shower.  they even decorated a golf cart that they drove straight up to her desk to pick her up and drive her over to the outdoor location where the shower was set up! here are some photos from the celebration.

IMG_5519

IMG_5521

IMG_5540

IMG_5505

IMG_5515

IMG_5516

IMG_5554

IMG_5518

“hamburger” cupcakes!! so cute.

IMG_5517

IMG_5548

IMG_5575

IMG_5581

IMG_5561

IMG_5530

IMG_5564

IMG_5577

IMG_5586

IMG_5542

congrats to the beautiful mom-to-be!

austin fall kickoff event!

our lamar store in austin, texas is having a really cool event this weekend! in addition to a raffle and fall fashion ideas from our staff, they will be giving away FREE feather hair extensions and showing customers how to put them in their hair! according to our austin fp girls, this is the must-have accessory for next weekend’s austin city limits :)

feather 3

feather 4

feather 6

feather 8

feather 9

feather 10

feather 11

feather 13

feather 2

doesn’t it look amazing with the hair in the french braid?? our austin girls are going to take more photos at the event documenting how to put in the extensions, so stay tuned for a how-to post next week! :)

and if you’re in austin, make sure you stop by our store on saturday between 1 and 5 for the event!

wednes-diy

i love yoga, and when i first started going to classes i realized that i needed a case to carry my yoga mat to and from the studio.  i went to a few different stores and found the cases to be way too expensive when it seemed like something i could make pretty easily using supplies i already had at home. turns out it was!

all you need is fabric, a needle & thread, measuring tape, scissors and your strap.  for fabric i used an old tapestry and for my strap i used a soft belt (the kind that you tie, without a buckle) that came with an old pair of pants.

unfortunately i did this a while ago so i don’t have photos documenting the process.  but basically what i did was rolled up my yoga mat and measured the length and the circumference of the mat.  i added on a few inches to both the length and the circumference to be safe, and then cut the fabric to that height and width.

next i folded the fabric in half, with the patterned side of the fabric on the inside, and sewed the side and bottom together – leaving the top open. then i turned it inside out so the pattern is on the outside and the extra fabric and stitching is on the inside.

for the top of the case, where the opening is, i folded the top edge of the fabric a couple of inches on the inside, so there was a double layer, and then did two rows of stitches about an inch apart.  next i strung a shoe lace through, in between the two rows of stitches, creating a drawstring for the case.

101_4258

101_4254

now for the strap! i kinda did this my own way.  i cut two small holes near the top of the case and two near the bottom, put the belt through and knotted it.  some may want to sew the strap to the case but i found this works just as well and was probably a lot easier :)

101_4260

i’m really happy with the result :) i’ve had it for a few years now and it has held up really well!

make it perfect and real

i always feel like the best way to get to know someone is to see where they live – a home can tell so much about a person. we’re going to be exploring more homes of fp girls here on the blog and i thought i’d start with my own.

i’ve been living in old city, philadelphia for about a year now since moving back east from san francisco. old city is my favorite part of philly because its rather small and my closest friends live in about a two block radius – as well as my favorite coffee shop, record store and bar. i don’t spend much time at home but i view my place as a safe haven when i need to relax, listen to music and be alone with my thoughts.

this buddha is one of my most treasured possessions – i got it from my dad, who used to collect them.  the beatles white album is my favorite record of all time, and i found this original copy at a thrift store in ocean beach san diego.

101_4130

101_4122

this is actually a lamp that is currently being used as a hat rack :)

101_4157

more of my favorite things… jewelry box that holds some rings and trinkets that are very special to me.  i still ask my eight ball for advice when i can’t make decisions.  a lucky candle, favorite photo and drawing i did of jimi hendrix.

101_4154

101_4160

i needed a place to hang my necklaces so i put a few nails in the wall.

101_4163

101_4178

the majority of my closet is free people – not because i work here, it was always that way :)

101_4181

i saw someone with this cardboard sign on haight street in san fran and i thought it was awesome.

101_4189

photos of places i’ve been and my favorite grateful dead poster.

art

the majority of the artwork i have hanging right now is concert-related.

101_4223

this little antique mirror table unfortunately does not belong to me, but i love it so much.  i use it to store random little trinkets, photos and concert tickets. and i always have candles burning!

101_4243

my fridge – my favorite quote of all time is in the center.

101_4247

another quote i love, from a jimi hendrix song.  the postcard at top right was sent to me when i got the job at free people and i thought it was the sweetest thing ever. and fun fact about me – i’m a certified bartender in san francisco :)

101_4273

and last but certainly not least – this is my cat, jam <3

semester at sea

nicole, one of the fp girls who works in our soho, new york, store recently spent a semester at sea- during which she got to visit many amazing places all over the world.  i can’t even imagine what a life-changing and invaluable experience that would be… if i make it to half of the places she visited in my life i would consider myself quite lucky.  fortunately for us she took lots of photos and shared them with me for the blog!

agra, india

rocking fp on an elephant in chennai, india!

CapeCoast, Ghana

cape coast, ghana

Accra, Ghana

accra, ghana

Amazon River3

amazon river, south america

Cape Town, South Africa

cape town, south africa

PortElizabeth,SouthAfrica2

port elizabeth, south africa

PortElizabeth,SouthAfrica3

port elizabeth, south africa

Beijing, China

beijing, china

Guilin, China

guilin, china

Yang Shuo, China

yangshuo, china

Yang Shuo, China2

yangshuo, china

NhaTrong, VietNam

nha trong, vietnam

Ho Chi Minh, VietNam2

ho chi minh, vietnam

Hiroshima, Japan

hiroshima, japan

Ship

somewhere at sea :)

thank you so much for sharing, nicole!

The sweetest thing

Nothing is more beautiful than a ceremony that comes from the heart. A couple I know, Adam Smith and Halligan Norris got married back last year in Brooklet, Savannah at a renovated barn. I was blown away by the creativeness and the beauty of their special day.

The theme was, Southern Country Fair/Vintage Circus, it evolved from  Halli’s love of vintage circus treasures and a theme that has been a huge inpsirtation towards her personal artwork.

They wanted people to feel like they were in a country fair, so every little detail with help from loved ones was considered and brought to life with the communal help from loved ones. Popcorn machines, a kissing booth and a food menu that consisted of mini hot dogs, french fries, kabobs, mini hamburgers, potato salad,  and cotton candy!

When asked about her wedding dress Halli states “I knew I would never find the dress I wanted in a store, but I did know my good girl friend Chelsea Cook’s designs were just what I was in the market for.  I wanted to look like the girl on top of the elephant at the circus.  That’s basically all the instruction I gave her and of course she made the perfect little number for me.”

This wedding always makes me smile!

The photos were shot by Josh Goleman, and  Adam and Halli  are an extemely creative couple. Click on their names to visit their websites.

3558673170_afeae417b0_o

3558675996_83ba41d2c8_o

3558672158_225eaa26e4_o

3558673416_1ba0dacda7_o

3557863703_3cacba3d0c_o

img_0721new

cherry pasta?

who would think to put cherries in pasta? this sounds like the perfect end of summer/start of fall dish.

  • 1 serving udon noodles
  • 1 T evoo, plus more for sautéing
  • 1/3 c sweet onion, chopped
  • 1/3 c white balsamic vinegar
  • 2 c arugula
  • a few cherries, quartered
  • 2-3 T chopped walnuts
  • a few fresh basil leaves
  • grated parmesan

1) Bring balsamic vinegar to a boil in saucepan.  Boil for 5 minutes to reduce; remove from heat and let cool 5 to 10 minutes, until it thickens.  [You’re making a balsamic reduction.]

2) Sauté onion over medium heat until browned.  Add arugula and sauté until wilted.

3) Cook udon noodles according to package directions.  Drain and return to pot.

4) Toss noodles with olive oil, onion, arugula, cherries, and walnuts.  Transfer to plate; drizzle with balsamic reduction.  Garnish with basil and parmesan, if desired.

images; recipe.