The Nice List: Philly Bloggers Share Their Holiday Wishlists

All of your favorite Philly bloggers have been extra good this year. They each deserve a holiday surprise just for surviving Pope Weekend! Five of Philly's finest ladies shared the items they're hoping to find under the tree this Christmas.

Emily Tharp of Her Philly wants...

"This dress from Anthropologie, because I am loving patterned, midi long-sleeve dresses lately!" Winterflora Pencil Dress by Cynthia Rowley ($388), Anthropologie

"These shoes from Nike, because my running-around-the-city winter footwear options are extremely limited." Nike Air Max 90 Leather ($120), Nike

Lucy VanEllis of LHBlog wants...

"I did get a furry pom for my key chain from Top Shop but it broke within a week, so I think this one from Barneys looks too cute to pass by." Adrienne Landau Fur Pom-Pom Key Chain ($45), Barneys New York

"I’m in the process of redecorating my room at my parents house and I’m going for all white with a sheepish rug and really cool wall decor. Here are a few things I’ve been eyeing up." The Tolsby Large White Faux Elephant Head Wall Mount ($94.99), White Faux Taxidermy and Wire Script Sculpture ($48), Anthropologie

"Marble everything! A friend of mine and fellow blogger, Erika Fox (@retroflame) has been loving all things marble this season and I think I’m hopping on the bandwagon too." Real Marble iPhone Case by Grace ($35), Society6

Amelia Burns of The Amelia Burns wants...

"All of the fierce women that I follow on social media have been raving about this book. I love reading about inspiring and successful women so I'm dying to get my hands on a copy." #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso ($9.60)

"I smelled this once in a Sephora and fell in love with it. Unfortunately, I didn't buy it when I had the chance (and the cash). I recently found out the brand is by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, which of course only makes me want it a thousand times more." Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black Body Oil ($60), Sephora

Madeline Archambault of 25th&Lewis wants...

"I am totally embracing the faux fur trend. I love being able to be warm, but still look stylish. I’ve wanted a faux fur vest for a long time, but just haven’t gotten around to buying one for myself. This is at the top of my wish list this year." Shaggy Faux Fur Vest ($23.99), Forever 21

"Since Philly is basically the rainy city, I kind of need a pair of rain boots. I know it’s weird to ask for rain boots for Christmas since most people are probably asking for snow boots, but I already own snow boots so I would really like a nice pair of rain boots for the spring. Maybe if we’re lucky we won’t have to switch to snow boots this winter!" Wellie Rain Boots ($79), L.L.Bean

E.M. Ricchini of lark & lace wants...

"A trip to Croatia - my husband and I love traveling and instead of buying each other gifts, we plan trips. (I'll take memories over "things" any day.) We got married in Iceland, then went to Belgium and France. We're still deciding where we want to go next but this is one of our top choices!"
Photography courtesy of: Zicasso

"I love me a simple cross-body bag. This will probably be one of those "treat yo'self" kinda gifts... since I'd feel really bad if anybody actually bought this for me." Chloé Drew Mini Bicolor Crossbody Bag ($1850), Saks Fifth Avenue

"You can never have too many blankets laying around and these are for a great cause. For every blanket sold, you'll be providing one blanket to a homeless shelter. Bonus: they're available from local shop United by Blue, who, for every blanket sold, will remove a pound of trash from oceans and waterways around the world." Sackcloth & Ashes Socality Blanket ($98), United By Blue

Tech Round-Up: 3 Apps to Keep You Updated Long After NYFW

With New York Fashion Week coming to a close, fashionistas everywhere are left with feelings of post-Fashion Week depression. But never fear! These helpful apps can feed your fashion addiction until next year.

Style.com

Not everyone has the opportunity to sit front row as top models strut down the catwalk or snap coveted photos at your favorite designer’s show, but everyone can stay updated on their beloved collections all year round! Style.com's app for iPhone, iPad and Nook Color allows you to browse every look from New York, London, Milan and Paris without leaving your hometown. Use this app to stream videos of fashion shows complete with interviews from you favorite designers or check out snapshots from the hottest parties and stay up to date on the Style.com blog. Style.com is perfect for catching up on news and photos from NYFW and beyond on the go, so even the busiest fashion-lovers can stay in the know!

ASAP54
With a tiny dorm closet and an even tinier budget, high-fashion runway looks are out of my reach and unrealistic. It's impractical to wear haute couture heels to class, and all too often I trade designer bags for backpacks. However, ASAP54 can help make my walk to Journalism 1111 into my own personal runway! When you see a look you love, simply upload a pic to ASAP54 and let the app do the rest. Choose your price range and the article of clothing you're looking for and ASAP54 will find you affordable options with similar materials, patterns and colors. Get creative! See an awesome pair of flats but wish it came with a heel? Inspired by the colors of a late-summer sunset? Have a favorite piece of artwork? Upload pictures of anything and find the next piece for your dream wardrobe!

LIKEtoKNOW.it
Instagram is a great tool for fashion inspiration, but you can't always rely on your favorite Insta-fashionistas to spill the details of their latest “ootd.” LIKEtoKNOW.it isn't an app, but rather a program that works with your Instagram. Connect your Instagram to LIKEtoKNOW.it and every time you like an authorized Instagram photo, you'll receive an email with product details. Even Vogue magazine is using LIKEtoKNOW.it, so you can finally get the looks of your favorite magazines, fashion bloggers and Instagrammers!

While I use my new favorite apps, I'll be keeping up with our very own Fashion Week here in Philadelphia! Posts coming soon, but for now check out phillyfashionweek.org and thephiladelphiacollection.org!

Please note: A version of this post is now live at Her Campus Temple! Go check it out and support Temple's online magazine!

Restaurant Week Fun!

Before I went away to school, I went out to dinner with my mom and brother once a week. It was our way of catching up, talking about our weeks and staying connected no matter how busy we were. I knew our dinner dates would be something I missed most about home - it's hard to get together so often even though I only live right across the bridge. I've been missing my family a lot lately, so we decided to get together this week for a little bit of Hump Day Restaurant Week fun!

I have an ever-growing list of restaurants to try, so I took advantage of the opportunity to try something new. I'd been craving Mexican since Emily of Her Philly posted about Lolita, so it seemed to be the perfect choice! Tucked away on 13th Street, Lolita definitely didn't disappoint (except maybe my little brother, whose idea of quality Mexican food just recently upgraded from Taco Bell to Moe's).

Lolita is a "modern Mexican" restaurant with a cozy-but-chic atmosphere.

We started with traditional guacamole (my favorite!) for the table, and I ordered chipotle shrimp enchiladas, both of which I'm still thinking about. As a college student, it's not often I get to eat anything other than pizza and EasyMac!

We tried to skip dessert but couldn't resist heading across the street to grab gelato at Capogiro before taking a walk through Midtown Village to end the night.

Philadelphia dwellers - what restaurants should definitely be on my list?