Fun in Philly

What more patriotic place to spend the 4th of July than the very city that gave us our independence? Ok you caught me, I spent maybe an hour actually exploring the historical sites of Philadelphia. The main purpose of my visit was for a good old fashioned girls trip. My sister currently has the experience of a lifetime as an intern for Lilly Pulitzer (pause for dramatic effect). I know. Talk about a dream job! So I figured there was no better time to see the Pink Palace for myself! So my mom and I hopped a jet plane to find out firsthand.

Libby gave us the grand tour of the Pink Palace (the nickname of the Lilly Pulitzer HQ) and let me tell you, it was nothing short of amazing. The print studio, where she gets to work every day, is a beautiful mess of fabric, paintings, drawings, scribbles, beads, jewelry, and anything else that can inspire these amazing artists. Literally thrown up on the walls are everything and anything that can serve as inspiration for the next colorful print to come from this studio. How could you NOT love coming to work everyday in an environment like that?!

Tour of the Pink Palace (in our Lilly of course!)

So being the 4th of July, my mom, sister, and I felt it necessary to attend the annual fireworks show along with 500,000 of our closest friends. The "Party on the Parkway" is the nations largest free concert, and it was chalk full of character. From food trucks to street acts to performances by John Mayer and Hunter Hayes, it was an experience to remember. And a pretty amazing fireworks show to top it off.

Taken at about midnight after a long, sweaty day. Excuse the hair.

Now if you know anything about my family when we travel, particularly my sister and myself, its that we are huge, huge foodies. The only aspects of a vacation we plan are where we are sleeping and where we are eating. Literally, thats it. And let me tell you, have we had some amazing, drool worthy, smack you out of your seat good food over the years. It's worth it to spend the hours on urban spoon, trust me. So the last night out we went to the Fitler Dining Room in Rittenhouse Square. Side note, we also stayed at the Rittenhouse Hotel, which was fabulous (especially after being upgraded to a presidential suite. I'm telling you, girls trips have their advantages!). Anywho, the Fitler Dining Room is located in the absolute cutest neighborhood, and seats around 20 people. Thats it, seriously. The kitchen is open for all to see, and the select menu changes seasonally.  I wish I could explain in words how amazing the food was, but it's something only your tastebuds can know. Seriously one of the best meals of my life. And I have high standards.

In front of Independence Hall. So you know, we could say we did the history thing. 

Then there was the shopping. Oh my. So in Wayne, Pennsylvania is an eclectic array of boutiques. One I absolutely fell in love with was Skirtin' Around. This whole store was packed with their own colorful patterns, fun silhouettes, and amazing jewelry. I found a navy and green scarf print dress that I had to pry my sister's hands off of (I saw it first!).

Walking the gorgeous streets surrounding Filter Dining Room

I'm moving into this house. Seriously. 

Blooms at the Rittenhouse farmers market. If I could bring these to Florida in one piece I would have.

So we also did the Liberty Bell, walked Independence Square, did some shopping, blah blah blah. But really, I am so blessed to be able to take a trip with my mom and sister and have the most AMAZING time. I don't think I stopped laughing the whole trip. We are blessed to have such a close knit family, and we always keep each other on our toes. Overall an amazing trip, and I'm so glad I got to experience it with my family (and my best friends :) ).