fp holiday gift guide: lou!

lou’s tomboy spirit comes alive during the holidays when she ventures out to cut down her own christmas tree. she thrives in the outdoor elements – for her, winter is all about sledding and snowball fights and roasting marshmallows around a bonfire.  she’s not always the sentimental type but if you give the lou in your life any of these gifts you’ll melt her heart for sure…

mittens, winter hats and cozy socks are right up her alley as they’ll keep her warm while she’s out playing in the snow – and a soft blanket to wrap up in when she comes inside is always a perfect gift. a backpack is the only bag for a girl who’s always moving, and you can’t go wrong with some basic skinny jeans and our vneck beheaded tee or jersey raglan top- they’re the type of items that lou will live in! accessories with a hard edge like our vintage belts or the jennifer elizabeth ella cuff are perfect stocking stuffers and lou will definitely appreciate the classic vintage skateboard from our vintage loves collection! finally, throw in some peppermint bark bubble bath (by philosophy) because after roughhousing in the snow all day even lou could use some relaxation :)

items pictured: oversized pom beanie, vintage belt, croft felt hat, magic stripe hoodie glove, leather and canvas backpack, noblita 5 pocket knit pant, jennifer elizabeth ella cuff, v-neck beheaded tee, pendleton clearwater camp wool blanket, color block boot sock, vintage 1960s skateboard, we the free jersey raglan top.

for more gift ideas visit our holiday boutiques!

Our love for accessories

Our accessories buyers are currently in love with jewelry designer Vanessa Mooney.  Her ethnic treasures are one of a kind… full of character and worldly charm.

We loved her designs so much that we featured the Egyptian Ornament Pendant that is handmade in Nepal in our November catalog.

Here are some photos of Vanessa and her staff working at her studio in downtown LA.

Vanessa grew up in a family of artists: filmmakers, writers, painters and actors. As the great-granddaughter of Harry Warner, one of the Warner Bros., she was always listening to, meeting and watching the history of what her family had created through motion pictures and their art. 

Inspired by what they were able to accomplish she knew there was something for her to achieve with the creativity she felt. Her mother, a free and bohemian influence, taught her to look for and see beauty in those things around her and to create it if it wasn’t there. She would keep her busy with the arts: painting, plays, stories or her favorite… dress up from the full trunk of costumes and accessories they would collect from different travels. After school she would put on a classic movie from her family’s library and think how beautiful theses woman could be with just a simple hat, a pair of gloves or a rhinestone necklace. This began her love for fashion.

We adore her designs and feel they are the perfect items to dress up your knit wear.

grand old lady of broad street

located on the corner of broad and locust in the heart of center city, philadelphia, lies one of the city’s most historic buildings and interesting music venues.  it sits calmly in the shadows of skyscrapers on a street lined with flashy buildings, but don’t let its unassuming exterior deceive you – on the inside it is one of the most breathtaking buildings in philadelphia. built in 1857, the academy of music is the oldest opera house in the united states that is still used for its original purpose.

i can vividly recall my parents dragging me here as a child to see the orchestra… the smell of perfume and lingering cigar smoke as we made our way through the crowds of people in their finest evening wear and were shown to our seats by the usher.  curling up in the red velvet seats, my view obstructed by a column but not minding because my eyes were usually fixed on the massive chandelier hanging from the ceiling. falling asleep with the sound of violins and horns fading in and out of my dreams.

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while i lacked appreciation at my young age i’ve come around now and have a whole new love for the building as a concert venue.  most recently, i saw the monsters of folk there and they completely blew me away.  it’s really cool to hear modern music played in such an old, historic space – and despite the small floor seating area and the multiple balconies that extend towards the ceiling the venue has an unexpected intimacy and leaves you feeling like you were a part of something quite special.

Philadelphia Academy

they don’t have concerts there very often so if you’re able to catch one, do. for more info check out their website.

do you have a favorite or unique venue that you love where you live? i’d love to hear about it!

A Peek into a Texas Thanksgiving

 My first American Thanksgiving

So, my first Thanksgiving has passed and it didn’t disappoint. I went to Texas and ate enough food to feed an entire nation!!!

I woke with sleepy eyes greeting me and a big birthday hug as it was also my birthday. I walked into the kitchen and it was already hustling at 10am, big love and laughter filled the room as the sweet potato casserole, cranberry salad, vegetables and the best southern pecan pie around was prepared.

American football played in the background on the flat screen TV — as I understand it, big games were played that day. A big turkey bird was deep fried out on the drive in the cold frosty air – southern style — while I sat on the porch gazing at Friesian horses walking majestically across the pasture.

I felt very blessed to have experienced such a beautiful celebration in the US, and I sure did give thanks to a bountiful Harvest :)

I packed light; it was only a 3 day stay so I stuck to basics – a pair of jeans, 3 tops one of which is WTF striped burnout tee.  Accessories included the Chevron Tall Sock Boot which were perfect to snuggle up in and two rings that added a little bit of sliver to my look Long Metal Ring and the Arabian Sand Ring.

I hope everyone had an extra special day too!

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Oh my sweet goodness

I have never heard of this place before and was slightly gutted when my sister beat me to it after I’ve been here much longer than her.

The Benjamin Franklin old fashioned ice cream parlor is the place I’m talking about. Isn’t it the perfect place to take some cool photos.

The aesthetic of the place is so delightful and oozes character. I know, I know, it’s getting a bit cold for ice cream, but it’s goooooooooood any time of year, right?!

“The Franklin Fountain aims to serve an experience steeped in ideals, drizzled with drollery, and sprinkled with the forgotten flavors of the American past.”

I was blown away by the original porcelain mosaic tile floor. I wish I had this in my own home!! It’s definitely a place to head to if you want to beat the Sunday blues.

Go here to visit their beautiful website. Their history is pretty magical.

www.franklinfountain.com

 

have a warm weekend :)

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thanksgiving day began with a light snowfall outside the window and ended with a fire-lit private gathering at my favorite philly bar… i hate winter but it made me long for a blizzard. there’s nothing better than a snow day that shuts down the city… sleeping in, playing in the snow till your cheeks are rosy and warming up by the fire. have a great weekend! xoxo

black friday

the office is deserted today – everyone’s either off for the holiday or working in our stores. the few of us that are here feel a little lonely, but the quiet is kinda nice compared to the craziness that’s probably going on at stores today…

cute shirt on our creative design assistant :)

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hahaha… typical.

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chau wearing something one of our designers whipped up in mere minutes. amazing!

thursday poll – edition 120

good morning! hope you all had a very happy thanksgiving! due to the holiday we missed the thursday poll so let’s do it now shall we…

how cute is this image our creative team did? they had the thermals pinned up on a wall in the office :)

in addition to our standard thermals we have some other really cute layering tops that would be so cozy on a dreary day like today in philly. which of these is your favorite?

the long sleeve sweater and lace turtleneck:

the ladder rungs sweater:
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the heart on your sleeve thermal:
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the we the free v-neck freckles sweater:
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or the we the free fairisle sweater sleeve thermal:
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time to vote!


and here are last week’s poll results – look eight was by far the winner with 35%!
lodge results