I Like Magick

Magick Outlaw is a Philadelphia based apparel and print company founded in August of 2003 upon the premise of independant ownership, total creative freedoms and a true explorer's zest for boundless limitations. Joel Peterson and Pete Whitney are the creative wizards behind this on-going saga of completely spellbinding apparel. Anchored in the fluorescent wilderness whilst marching hell-bent towards the cosmic future, their line has been described as "childishly amazing", "organic and emotional" and "very strange and magical like a Beavis and Butthead magic mushroom psychedelic 80's hallucination".

Available at Grasshopper. Don't say you weren't warned.

philly fever

I have never considered myself a sports enthusiast, but with the Philadelphia Phillies on their way to a World Series victory-I am officially feeling enthusiastic! Monday night's game may have been rained out but the fans didn't let that get them down. Phillies pride and sporty fashions abounded and I was seeing red everywhere I looked!

tea for two

Last night, after closing shop for the day Tracy & I headed to the Philadelphia Style Magazine Best of 2008 party. Though we didn't win any awards for this one, we were excited to attend the "Old Hollywood" themed extravaganza. We taxied our gussied up selves over to The Crystal Tea Room located in the Wanamaker Building. I have been dying to check out this locale for many, many years.
Here's a little history...I used to be a shopgirl at Wanamaker's in my early college years. Ladies Hosiery, Misses, Juniors, Linens-I got shuffled around a lot. Unfortunately, it was not at the Center City location. I grew up going into Center City with my mother and shopping in the big department stores-especially during the holidays. The grandeur of the architecture, the window displays and the hustle & bustle were pretty captivating. All of the big department stores in Philadelphia are now defunct except for Wanamaker's, which is (sadly) now a Macy's. But at least it's still open.

Wanamaker's was the first department store in Philadelphia and one of the first department stores in the United States. It is located in the center of town at 15th & Market right across the street from City Hall. The Crystal Tea Room restaurant on the 9th floor operated up until 1995 and then was closed to the public. It has been restored and currently operating as a private banquet hall. A Wanamaker's guidebook from the 1920s states that the Crystal Tea Room was the largest dining room in Philadelphia, and one of the largest in the world. It once could serve 1400 people at a time. It served breakfast in the morning, luncheon, and afternoon tea. Before you enter the Tea Room you can overlook the Grand Hall of the department store from the balconies. From here you have a great view of the Wanamaker Organ. The organ is the largest operational pipe organ in the world. It is played twice a day, Monday through Saturday, and more frequently around Christmas. It was being played as we left the party for the night. Beautiful!




The party was well attended. Lots of fancy dress, a great band, free flowing booze EVERYWHERE, and food tables in all directions from some of Philadelphia best restaurants. We nibbled, sipped, rested our feet, ran into Kinky Jen from Valanni and then made our exit. Short & sweet. Afterwards, we headed to Northern Liberties to check out the soft opening of Cantina Dos Segundos-a new margarita bar that is actually opening tonight in our 'hood. Fun times!

weekend warrior

It started on Friday and ended last night. This was a long, fun weekend. After closing shop for the day I went out to dinner at one of my favorite spots-Radicchio Cafe tucked away at 4th & Wood in Old City. Sidewalk seating with the sun setting while drinking an excellent red wine-you can't beat it. After dinner, on our way to hail a cab, my date and I found a great plaque in the sidewalk that was a map of Center City. I love these kinds of things-historical markers, fun facts, old maps.

Once we got a taxi we headed to Atlantis-The Lost Bar at Frankford Avenue & Hagert Street to see a friend and celebrate her birthday. I was way too busy socializing and didn't take any pictures. Wish that I did though. This bar not only boasts a pool table and cozy dark wood decor it also houses a huge fishtank behind the bar. And it's pretty dive-y and under the radar.
Saturday I recovered from Friday and spent the day and night working. On Sunday Tracy & I met up with some lady friends and made a pilgrimage to the Roxy Theater to see the Sex & The City movie. I enjoyed the movie and being out for a night in Center City even more. It was also fun to see the line up outside the theater full of girls in their version of a Sex in the City outfit. I even recall hearing some squealing before they let us in. Strange & funny.





Last night was ladies' night. Oh boy. Tracy & I started the day early and grabbed breakfast at the Down Home Diner in the Reading Terminal Market. Afterwards we bought up some fresh veggies, fish, cheese and local wine from Blue Mountain Vineyard. Later we prepared the food at Tracy's and set up the deck for the night's festivities with a little help from Tiny dog.




The ladies arrived around 7pm and came with plenty of wine. We dinned as sun went down on the most delicious buttery sea bass, grilled asparagus & baked potatoes. The wine flowed as freely as the conversation. It was great to see the girls all at once and to catch up. So many laughs!