Reflections on Home Buying and Homeownership (3 Months In)

(a beautiful sight from January 30th)

Three months ago today, Adam and I became homeowners. It was a blustery January day that represented a threshold we were crossing as adults and would mark the beginning of a thirty-year journey in our home.

While I am by no means an expert after only one home purchase and three months of homeownership in my past, I’m a reflective person who attempts to learn something from every life experience and have already committed a lot of time thinking about what I wish I had known before diving into this next phase in our lives. Home buying is uniquely stressful and uncertain, filled with second guesses, emotion, and a lot of money. I hope that a few of the thoughts I’ll share today will help readers contemplating buying a home or relatable to those more experienced home owners out there.

So, here's what I've learned...

Meet the Artist: An Interview with Aubrey Levinthal

In early March, on a circuitous sort of etsy search, I found the artwork of Aubrey Levinthal. Her use of shadow and light really intrigued me, as did her choice of everyday subjects. I lingered awhile over each piece she had for sale. It didn't take long for me to notice that she was from Philadelphia and, like that, I knew I wanted to feature Aubrey here on this blog.

Aubrey, her artwork, and her home recently appeared on Design*Sponge, so I'm sure people are clamoring for a piece of this young artist's creative vision. I had a moment to chat with Aubrey and today, I'm happy to share that interview where we discuss inspiration, favorite artists and the City of Brotherly Love. You'll also see a number of Aubrey's pieces throughout this post which will give you a clear sense of her unmistakable talent.

Best Places in Philly to Shop for the Home (Part II)

(map of Philadelphia by Grace Lee for Anthology Mag)

Today in Part II of my round-up of the best places in Philadelphia for home décor, I’ll share my recommendations for estate sales, antique shops and fabric stores. I hope it helps readers now and in the future to find good, reasonably-priced pieces for their home, which isn't always easy.

Some may question why I’m sharing resources—as if they were family secrets or bank account PINs—but I firmly believe that sharing is caring. These two posts are sort of like the blogging version of ‘take a penny, leave a penny’. Here are my pennies. Feel free to contribute your own in the comments below and we'll all be a little wealthier for it.

While I focused on secondhand/antique goods primarily in this 2-part series, there are a million and one additional home décor stores and shops in the Greater Philadelphia. I encourage anyone reading to explore the area and support local businesses, small and large!

Best Places in Philly to Shop for the Home (Part I)

(map of Philadelphia by Grace Lee for Anthology Mag)

Back in March I posted about the topic of comments and, not surprisingly, you my dear readers responded with support and some inspiration for new topics/info you’d like to see here on Meet Me in Philadelphia. One repeat request that appeared in those comments –my recommendations for the best places to find deals on home items here in the Greater Philadelphia area, so this is for you, Leah, Megan and Tara and anyone else!

I've toyed with sharing these tips in the past but your requests really pushed me into action!

And while these tips may seem very specific to those in the area, I hope this will help readers from all over explore their area for similar, local shopping options. Today in Part I, we’ll chat auctions, thrift stores and flea markets while tomorrow (Part II) is all about estate sales, antique shops and fabric stores.

When Vintage Illustrations and Watercolors Meet...

I'm by no means an artist; but when I saw the opportunity to enhance illustrations from a secondhand book with a wash of watercolors, I dusted off my artistic skills and put them to work creating another piece of art for the living room.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

After the intense happenings around the nation last week, it seemed necessary to decompress over the weekend and spend some much-needed quality time with Adam. Saturday was a pleasant, sunny day and we took the nearly cloudless sky as an open invitation to explore our new neighborhood and appreciate the blessings we have, including each other.

Wrapping Paper Wall Organizer

If you're anything like me, you find yourself collecting hoarding wrapping paper (especially when it's from Target and a super great price, right?) It's tough to say 'no' to a cute holiday pattern, but the stuff can be annoying to store. So, when putting my craft room together, I was inspired to concoct a simple, inexpensive way to keep my many rolls of wrapping paper neat, tidy and accessible when I want to use them.

My Craft Room Revealed

The phrase "craft room" is a 4-letter word for many high style bloggers, but I hope you show you all today that a craft room can be stylish and useful as I reveal mine!

Recently 'Round Here

Progress isn't always pretty, but it's usually incredibly satisfying. The last few weekends have been spent 'round here getting dirty and dusty in the name of homeownership. We are loving every minute of it. It certainly isn't happening quickly, but we're already enjoying the fruits of our labor. 

Meet Me in Philadelphia "Tag Sale": Accessories

All week, I've offered up some great items for sale. Each could add a special touch to your home, and today I'll finish off the week-long tag sale with some small home accessories. 

Meet Me in Philadelphia "Tag Sale": Lighting

Every room needs a few good lamps, am I right? 

I might have just the lighting your room needs in today's tag sale!

Meet Me in Philadelphia "Tag Sale": Artwork

Artwork can make or break a room, so I'm always on the lookout for art that catches my eye. That means I end up acquiring more art than I need, so today I've got framed and unframed pieces (many affordable prints!) that you might absolutely love. Check 'em out!

Meet Me in Philadelphia "Tag Sale": Textiles

Today, the Meet Me in Philadelphia "Tag Sale" is all about the textiles. Maybe you'll find something you love. With that, let's see what's for sale!

Meet Me in Philadelphia "Tag Sale": Furniture

Hi, friends! Long time no see. 

Last week while I was absent here on the blog I was busy in my offline life working diligently to set up my craft room (look for that post soon) and starting a little spring cleaning with my home decor. Now that we are settled into our house, I'm ready to start redecorating and I'd love to pass along many of these great items to those readers who are interested in them!

So, all week long I'll be sharing items that you can purchase! Today, you'll see several pieces of furniture that are looking for a new home...how about yours?