A Moment of Honesty: Just Walking Down the Street

I often wonder what men think about when they're walking down the street. Are they ever afraid at night? Until recently, I didn't even think about what I thought about while walking down the street. Now that I walk three blocks to work, I've been thinking about what I think about quite a bit. (Try saying that five times fast.) Most of the time, my very one-track mind is focused on carrying myself with grace in my stilettos and not wiping out, which has absolutely happened on a couple of different occasions. Lately, it's been going a little something like this: Left, right, left, right-- stay on that invisible line but don't look down-- left, right-- I wonder if that place has dairy-free fro-yo-- DANG! Almost walked into someone-- and if often interrupted by something like this, "AYOO, MOMMA GOT A CABOOSE." Cue the long, exasperated sigh. Yes. Street harassment. I chose that particular one because it was stupid, childish, and the least vulgar of the things I've had hurled at me. Some have frightened me to the point at which ducking into a bodega seeming like an absolute necessity. Some have made me cry. I'm not sure if I've gotten more self-aware or if then men on my street have become more brazen. If you're not from a large city, you may have never experienced this and my rant may fall on deaf ears. Chances are though, you've experienced it at least once. It's not fun. It's always been around and seems like it always will. 

I laughed at this W. Kamau Bell segment but it also hits a little close to home. Anyone who has been catcalled knows the feeling. I went through all of the phases. First, it made me unspeakably angry. Then, it made me feel self-conscious and dirty. Then, I felt absolutely nothing. I don't know which emotion is the one I should be feeling. I don't know if I should feel unsafe when I am yelled at on the street. I do know that I've become very thankful for my thick, naturally-angry-looking eyebrows. I walk down the street with a perpetual scowl. It pains me that it has to be this way because I'm a generally open person. Putting walls up is difficult for me. But it seems like the only way. Is it though?

We live in a world in which influencing another individual to think or act a certain way is not a possibility. We all have free will. We will all do what we want. No ad campaign will convince someone who doesn't want to be changed. You cannot shame or legislate morality. It's a messed up world. Depravity is a real thing and everything is relative. Having said that, I hope you will eventually find the empowerment to speak up. The person harassing you is letting you know what he/she is thinking, why not return the favor? Be succinct and graceful but stern. Use your judgment and don't speak if you believe the individual may be particularly dangerous. Don't know what to say? Here's an excellent list

Although this was less of a structured, well-thought-out essay and more of just some "food for thought," I felt the need to share. I've been getting pretty bummed due to the way I'm treated on my short walk into work. I want you to know that if you've gone through it, you're not alone. We're all here fighting this together. As always, my comment section is open for discussion. I'm hoping to have some kind of follow-up that's less disjointed but for now, I had to get it all off of my chest. What are some of your thoughts? I'm absolutely looking forward to hearing from you all. 

xo,
e.m.

A Moment of Honesty: Behind the Instagram

Back by popular demand! You guys loved my last "Behind the Instagram" post so much that I decided to bring it back. Oh my, how everything has changed between then and now. My days have been filled with learning and adjusting. Fewer "pretty things" but a higher appreciation for them. Also, fabulous footwear. Spring, you may slay me with your various allergens but the fashion that comes along with you is on-point.


I know, tulips in a mason jar. Groundbreaking. By Insta'ing this one, I think I was adding to the noise more than anything. Saying, "hey world, have you heard that I have a blog? Here are some carefully-curated flowers in timeless yet somehow also trendy glassware." You know what though? I don't care how much of a "blogger stereotype" it is. I love tulips. I love having fresh flowers. During my long, inexplicable bouts of sadness, I love having fresh flowers to look at and to smell. I surround myself. You should try it sometime. 

I specifically remember snapping this photo after a long, exasperated sigh. My dreams are of being a big time news gal at one of the major networks in The Big Apple are so ripe yet seem so unattainable. It's overwhelming at times but I'm enjoying the "journey." I took this photo as a reminder of that. Work, work, work! If you work hard enough, anything can happen.

As my life and my life's mission is beginning to come together in more tangible ways, I'm starting to feel more comfortable with myself. I used to be obsessed with the color pink. Then I was neutral towards it. Then I did not embrace it so much. Now, I'm back to loving it. I even wore it! (I rarely wear anything other than neutrals, but you all know this already.) These pink petals made my day as I was walking down the street with a friend. You should never feel odd about stopping to take an iPhone photo of something that strikes your fancy. The world would be a much better place if we all did. N'es pas?

Due to awful planning and time management, I ended up with an hour and a half to kill before work last week. It really irked me. I kept thinking about all of the work that had to be done, all of the productive things I could be doing... until I realized how overloaded I've let my life become. Endless hustle and bustle. No time to just "be." I relaxed, put in my headphones, and people-watched my way through the afternoon. I even got to witness some people walking in on some other people in the bathroom. What a terrible thing. But also funny. If any of you Old City weirdos are reading this, you should really start locking the door/knocking, respectively. It's not that difficult and it'll save you a lot of humiliation. 

Regardless of your pant size, regardless of what time it is, you should always treat yourself if you've had a particularly awful day. And in my case, the entire week was the pits. I moseyed my way down to Franklin Fountain after work and grabbed a vegan strawberry cone. It was amazing and so worth the calories.

Walking down the city street as a professionally-dressed woman (or any woman, for that matter) is a lot more difficult than it ever should be. One would think that at this point we'd have established as a society just how utterly "not okay" street harassment truly is. It's a part of my life that I've gotten great at ignoring. At first I felt guilty, dirty. Then, I felt angry. Then, I felt nothing. I realized that these "men" are not entitled to a reaction from me. They can laugh about it to their friends when I keep walking, stone-faced, but I know my worth. Sometimes though, it gets scary. This was one of those times. I ducked into my parking garage to avoid confrontation. As I peered out onto 2nd Street, I was taken back by the beauty of the flares of sun and the shadows. I realized that God's created some beautiful things, and I remembered that my belief is that I was created in His image and I should never feel ashamed by what some dirty men say to me. (More on this whole entire street harassment issue later.)

This photo was taken while I was waiting for a friend the other day. Like I said... Spring footwear. Yes, yes, yes. I love winter more than anything and I love wearing boots but there is something empowering about walking in a stiletto heel. This was just one of those moments at which I stopped to appreciate the harmonious blending of colors, textures, and patterns. I said it before, I'll say it again, and again, and again: these moments are important. They may seem insignificant in the long-run, but just stopping to appreciate the aesthetic beauty all around you is an always-inspiring practice.

xo,
e.m.

Off to Work!

I've been having trouble getting dressed these past few days. It's called, "my weight is in constant flux and it makes me incredibly sad." It's true. I fluctuate. A lot. I'm in a bit of a "chunky" phase. It makes me sad but I'm working through it. I've been looking at pictures of Nadia and being inspired to embrace my curves like she does. That might be how I was emboldened to wear these red pants to work. Ya know?

xo,
e.m.

pants/ J. Crew (similar), top/ Topshop (similar), blazer/ NastyGal, necklace/ ModCloth (similar), shoes/ Vince Camuto, bag/ Michael Kors, watch/ Michael Kors

Bonjour!

Sorry for my somewhat spontaneous posting schedule this week. It's a mix of getting used to my new schedule and being intentional about my quiet times lately. Next week will be more on the "normal" side (what is normal though?) but for now, I'm just enjoying life and life has been wonderful. I'm on Cloud 9 with my new job. I love what I do and I love the people I work with. Today, I spent some quality time with my new pal (and Philly newbie) Carly. She's a New York gal and I'm slowly showing her the wonders of America's Birthplace. On this particularly dreary day, we got our French on, complete with soy cappuccinos, fancy salads, and half a dozen macarons with which to surprise my family. (The best kind of surprise.) We visited Parc and Miel in Rittenhouse. If you're ever in the area, they're absolutely worth checking out. Can you tell that I'm trying to get all of you guys to come visit Philly? Is it kind of working?

xo,
e.m.

On Tuesdays, I Wear Pink

I know it's Wednesday... I can't lie to you though. This outfit is from yesterday. I feel like you guys are seeing a whole new side of me these days. (This new side of me being the "work" side.) It's fun getting dressed up for work. I have an undying love for blazers so I'm really hitting my stride lately. If you've never worn a blazer, you should try it. It's empowering. 

xo,
e.m.

dress/ vintage (similar), blazer/ Nine West (similar), necklace/ River Island (similar), shoes/Louboutin, bag/ Michael Kors, sunglasses/ Urban Outfitters, watch/ Michael Kors

Sailboats for Spring

Remember this dress? One of my favorites. Believe it or not, this was my work outfit today. I walked in and one of my friends said that I looked like a baby doll. I didn't know if I should have taken it as a compliment or not. Still undecided because all of the baby dolls that I've ever known have been overwhelmingly creepy. Just like everything else in my life though, I'm probably overthinking her (potential?) compliment. 

xo,
e.m.

dress/ Orla Kiely (similar), shoes/ Louboutin (similar), necklace/ River Island (similar), watch/ Michael Kors 

Day Off

What started out as routine outfit pictures quickly digressed into a hammock chill sesh. It's one of those "I'm feeling fat" kind of days. You know, we all get them. As soon as I set out to take photos in my tight jeans and crop top, the last thing that I wanted to do was to take photos in my tight jeans and crop top. I laid on the hammock, took an Instagram, and realized, "this is my body. I'm healthy, I should enjoy it." So I snapped one more, love handles and all. 2014 is still the year of embracing self-love. 

xo,
e.m.

top/ Etsy, jeans/ American Eagle, sandals/ Lucky Brand (similar), watch/ Michael Kors, necklace/ River Island (similar), bag/ Michael Kors (it's on sale now!)

A Moment of Honesty: Life in a Newsroom

I will never forget my first breaking news story. I can recall the silence before the storm and then the entire newsroom bursting forth in utter chaos. Everybody's voices melted into one. The chatter of radio scanners was followed by hum of the assignment desk hands decoding the almost indiscernible police jargon. The endless chiming of the phones. Press release after press release, call after call, heartbreaking headline after heartbreaking headline. Phoners. Fact-checks. Deadlines. We're not talking about "we need this by the end of the week." No. Our time frame was less than an hour. We had to throw out an entire day's worth of work and get this story in before the 5:00 news. As suddenly as it occurred, it was over. On to the next.

I've been debating whether or not I should even talk about work on here. I won't be talking about what it is that I do exactly, but since news is such a big part of my life, I feel like I should tell you why I chose it as my career. And, I've got some great news: You know how I've been transitioning between careers for a while? Well, I got myself a job, finally. It's so nice to not be in limbo anymore, and it's amazing to be getting paid to do what I love. I'm nowhere near where I want to be but I'm finally on my way and I'm getting closer  as well as learning so much every day. To respect the company I work for, I won't be giving away any details about where I work, but now that I'm finally on the path to my ultimate goal, (and dream) I feel that I should share what it is that makes me so passionate about news. The newsroom is not a place of permanence. If you want a career in which you'll know exactly what a day's work entails, news is most likely not the place for you. I like the adventure. I like the sense of community. I love the ability to tell the naked, ugly truth in a world where the embellishment of facts is expected. I like coming home, flipping on the ten o'clock news and being able to say, "I was a part of this." It's a great feeling to be able to put your name on something at the end of the day.

I never would have considered broadcast journalism as being a part of my future. To be honest, before last fall, I don't think I'd ever purposely watched local news. I'd turn it on accidentally or hear a few snippets after forgetting to turn the TV off after a game or something. I didn't think very highly of it. A lot of sensationalism, in my opinion. My dreams were (and still sort of are) of being a columnist. I wanted to write. I wanted to talk about economics and policy and all of that "boring" stuff. I'd love to eventually be some kind of sassy pundit, talking-head-like contributor on the big news networks, but along the way, I've really fallen in love with local news. At the end of last summer,  I was ready to head down to Washington D.C. to write for a website. Out of nowhere, I got a call for a last-minute opening at a local television station. It seemed like a pretty sweet deal-- I wouldn't have to go through the hassle of moving, I could stay in the city I love and I could begin my career in my hometown. That last-minute shot-in-the-dark turned into a life-changing opportunity and for the first time, I had clarity as to what my purpose in life might be. This was it. I found my niche. Of course being privy to all things that are happening in my city was quite disconcerting in the beginning. It was overwhelming and a bit scary. There is a lot of violence in Philadelphia. There's a lot of bad news and it can get somber quickly. In a newsroom, you have to confront the depravity of human nature as you're looking it in the face on a daily basis. It caused some problems for me in the beginning but after those storm clouds settled, I began to see my job for what it really was. Informing. Sharing. Inspiring a feeling of community. The smiles of terminally ill children who are given the opportunity to talk to the camera. The joy of family members being reunited. The sigh of relief of a family seeing justice in the death of a loved one. It was all  happening in my hometown, the place I live, and I never would have known it. Just days into my first stint on the assignment desk as a lowly intern, my mind was changed. My world was rocked.

For the entirety of autumn, I looked forward to going into work every morning. Now that I'm there to stay, I couldn't be happier. I'm rubbing shoulders with some of the smartest and most genuinely passionate people in the business. I am truly blessed. If you've been reading here for a while or you know me personally, you may know that in a lot of ways, the odds were stacked against me. It really does go to show that you don't have to be unhappy with your job. You really can build yourself from the ground up and take the world by storm. There's always a certain amount of risk involved in chasing your dream but it's always, always worth it. I have a long trek ahead of me but it's going to be a great journey. If the sentiment of going into news has ever crossed your mind, my advice for you is to go for it. Find a connection, be persistent, prove that you want it, and you'll get it.

xo,
e.m.

A Workout Playlist/ Giveaway

workout by E.M. Ricchini on Grooveshark Today, I'm teaming up with BassBuds to share my workout playlist. Music is important, right? I find that the wrong music can ruin my workout. My list is a little mix of everything: hip hop, rock, and even some metal. (I know, right?) Just as important as having the right music, the right headphones can make all the difference. I was thrilled to be able to try out these sexy gold ear buds because they make a great accessory in addition to sounding great. My favorite part is that they come with memory foam tips. They're extremely comfortable and they don't fall out of my ear even when I'm doing "intense" cardio. Listen to the playlist, it might be just the amount of motivation that you need to get up and get active. Also, you can enter below to win your own pair of BassBuds. May the odds be ever in your favor!

xo,
e.m.

Boats on Boats on Boats

I had the pleasure of taking some prom photos this weekend. I got to the venue early to scope it out and had some extra time to explore a little and take some photos just for the sake of taking photos. I always say that doing so is something that needs to happen more often but it's just so easy to find time for other things. My goal for this summer: try to do this at least once a week. Can't make any promises but for now, this'll be our little Sunday tradition. Hope you all have a great rest of the weekend, and for the mommas out there, Happy Mother's Day!

xo,
e.m.

Flowers in Your Hair

Flowers in Your Hair by The Lumineers on Grooveshark While it may not be the most flattering, I love this dress. It's made an appearance on here before and will certainly again in the future. I've been into white so much lately-- with it, you kinda can't go wrong. (That is, until you spill something on it.) 

xo,
e.m.

dress/ H&M (similar), sandals/ Lucky Brand (similar), bag/ ASOS, necklace/ Lucky Brand (similar), flower crown/ DIY

Lately

We (you and I) haven't "caught up" in a while. Let's change that, shall we? These posts are always my favorite because I get to tell you all a little about what's going on in my life lately and you get to tell me about what you've been up to.

Doing: Job-searching is the number one thing that I've been doing lately. I have another internship starting in a week and I'd love to come out of it with a job. I'm tired of being in this weird limbo. Changing careers is a big deal regardless of where one may be in life so any stability is welcomed. Other than that, I'm still keeping up with photography and writing. I'm actually photographing my old high school's Junior/Senior banquet this weekend. I'm excited to see some of my old teachers but hoping none of them read this blog. If they do, this post from last week would definitely make that reunion awkward to say the least.  As frustrating as it may be, it's good that I'm in somewhat of a lull for now because I know that some BIG changes will be taking place in the next few weeks/months. It's sort of the calm before the storm. Thing is though, I'm an extremely antsy person. Will I ever learn to just relax?

Eating: I've been really, REALLY into Mexican food lately. I'm thankful that Philly is such a vegan-friendly city because it makes my obsession for plant-based tacos and burritos that much easier to appease. I've been digging these two sister restaurants, Dos Segundos in Northern Liberties and Los Caballitos on East Passyunk in South Philly. If you're ever in the area, you should try them out. You'll probably see me there dipping a watermelon margarita. I'm not even a fan of margaritas but anything watermelon instantly gets me. As for at home, I'm currently working on the perfect chia pudding recipe. I'll hopefully be sharing that soon! 

Listening: My musical taste has been everywhere lately. Literally all over the place. I've been doing a lot of driving and traveling in general and therefore have been spending a large part of the day listening through entire albums. Some of these albums include Surfer Rosa by Pixies, All We Love We Leave Behind by Converge, American IV by Johnny Cash, Every Kingdom by Ben Howard, Kveikur by Sigur Ros, Apokalypsis by Chelsea Wolfe, and Kanye West's Cruel Summer. See? Everything. I told you. The most interesting thing I've been listening to, however, is the Overnight Drive podcast. If you're into that kind of thing, it's hilarious. I probably look like a dork laughing hysterically to myself  in my car in the middle of traffic on I95 but laughter is everything so I don't care much. (Just be aware that it's super NSFW.)

Learning: Although it's not an actual "skill," I'm learning patience and how important it is. It's one of those lessons that you'll never want to learn but you always come through it being extremely thankful that you did. I see these overnight success stories of people from my industry and although some of them actually are "overnight," an overwhelming majority are never what they seem to be. To quote an old friend, OnCue, "no matter how long it takes, they always say it's overnight." (Remember?) Just like anywhere else, you need to start at the bottom and work your way up. It kinda sucks. But that's life, and it'll be so much more rewarding when you know how hard you've worked for it. (At least that's what I tell myself.)

Everything Else: Parking tickets. Lots and lots of parking tickets. I had never gotten one before and I've gotten 3 in the past two months. Have you ever heard of the show Parking Wars? It's based on the parking situation in Philly and how intense the meter maids are. It really is no joke. On a lighter note, I'm perfecting the art of the perfect eyebrow. After a year of not getting them waxed and plucking very selectively, they're finally ALMOST to where I want them. This may not seem like a big deal, but to me it is. Growing out my bangs and eyebrows was probably the best decision I've made in a very long time. It was hard work with lots of awkward in-betweens, but it has certainly paid off. Every once in a while I miss my red hair but those bangs and pencil-thin eyebrows... may they rest in peace, never to be seen again. I would LOVE to be that thin again though...

So now it's your turn. I want to know what you're doing, eating, listening to, learning, etc. I want to hear what your favorite recipe or song is right now! ...Or basically anything else that you want to let me know. The internet is a large and lonely place. If I could, I'd take every single one of you out for a cup of coffee. But I can't do that (yet) so we'll have to settle for this!

xo,
e.m.

p.s. I got this idea from Skunkboy and her adorable blog.

Wednesday on Sunday

I can trace my affinity for Peter Pan collars back to my childhood. I was a weird, creepy kid. I loved The Addams Family and always wanted to be Wednesday. I still secretly do but I have to be a polite adult. There are occasions, however, when it takes everything in me to not just roll my eyes and respond with my best, "you severely underestimate my apathy." We all have a little Wednesday in us, no?

xo,
e.m.

*Photos by Chaucee of Streets & Stripes. Check out her blog because she's kind of awesome.

dress/ ASOS, shoes/ ASOS (similar), bag/ ASOS, hat/ Urban Outfitters , watch/ Michal Kors

Party Pants & Peplum

Yesterday was 45 degrees and rainy. Today was in the 80's and humid. Muggy. Gross. It even shows in the photos. YUCK. I'm such a could weather girl and kind of hate this weather. Oh well. Perfect excuse to wear ugly, breezy pants. 

xo,
e.m.

top/ ELLE (similar), pants/ F21 (similar), shoes/ Chinese Laundry, watch/ Michael Kors