RAINY ROFO

Hello friends! It's been far too long since we last posted in February, but we have been keeping ourselves very occupied... A has been busy designing, traveling and working working working in cool places like Miami and Nashville while Ray has been working, taking care of her fur baby and still getting to know the area she moved to last fall, like discovering a delicious donut shop and the coolest brewery right up the street from where she lives. We love having weekend adventures and this day was filled with brunch, music, plants, beer and of course, Chick-fil-A. Also in case you're wondering, RoFo is an endearing, slang term for Ray's new town Royersford, but we're cool so we call it RoFo now.

Walked to brunch and got a nice surprise rain shower on our way back... Hotdog.

Once we dried off and decided to drive instead of take our chances with the weather, we headed to Ott's... a plant lovers dream.

They have all the plants imaginable... for real.

Yeah, that's an indoor waterfall.

We left with cacti twins! YAY!

We love plants and this place so much that we thought up a plan to host an event called "Sleeping with the plants" so that we could spend the whole night in this greenhouse. Sweet idea right? Please don't steal our idea, cause we're going to make it happen one day and we want to invite you, so stay tuned. In the meantime, go to Ott's if you're in the Bucks Co. or Philly area, it's definitely a morning or afternoon of plant-filled fun (and a test of self-control)

Make sure you're following @rayandablog on Instagram for more adventures like this one, and we'll have plenty more to come!

#plantladies4lyfe

Fall Picks

I hope this post finds you sipping some iced coffee and not a PSL (pumpkin spice latte, for you coffee amateurs out there), but we admit, we’re as excited for fall as the next person in line behind you at Starbucks.

Summer was kind of a blur between work, weekend outings, and planning for Ray’s wedding (which is in THREE DAYS!!!) Though we’re still trying to squeeze out the last few moments of summer, we’re already looking forward to some fun fall activities. We’ll share some of our top picks with you:

1. Apple picking! Pumpkins get all the credit this season, but don’t forget about the apples! Apple picking is just as fun and rewarding as rolling that big ‘ol pumpkin down a hill, and many local farms and orchards have festivals this time of season. Last year we headed to Tabora Farms to get our apple fix, and we definitely plan on heading back this year!
   
   
2. Fall Mountain Getaway We do love a good city adventure, but we’re country girls through-and-through. There’s nothing quite like being in the mountains during the fall season, surrounded by millions of shades of red and orange. Oh yeah, and campfires with lots of s’mores!
   
   
3. PSE (Pumpkin Spice Everything) I mean, we can’t resist, so might as well give in to the popular culture on this one. Grandma’s pumpkin pie will always beat that latte, so no worries Grandma.
   
   
4. Get our your Knitting Needles! Let’s face it, all season is knitting season, but there’s something about knitting under your cozy blanket (that you knit last year) with a cup of hot tea while streaming Netflix. Join a knitting circle, find some new patterns, and indulge on some new yarn, because ‘tis the season!
   
   
5. Harry Potter Festival (right here in Philly!) Septa will be transforming into the Hogwarts Express to take guests into the Chestnut Hill section of Philly for a weekend of Potter-themed festivities, including a Quidditch tournament.

To get you in the spirit of autumn, here's a free printable for you, or set is as your wallpaper. Did any of your top picks make our list? Got some more? We’d love to hear them– comment below and let us know how you’ll be kicking off your fall season!

#fallingforfall

ROMPING 'ROUND PHILLY

After the random snow and chilly weather that consumed our second weekend in April we took full advantage of the 75 degree weather this past Saturday. Since Alisa moved to Philly recently, Rachel used good ol’ Septa to make her way to the city for the day! 

FIRST STOP

We started the day hungry of course, so we popped into Marathon Grill and had some bangin' omelettes, home fries and multi grain toast. The atmosphere is chill and screams fresh food. Let’s just say we will definitely be back again for more.

SECOND STOP

The place we can never get enough of. PAPER SOURCE. We probably spent the most time here out of any other place we explored. Between the stationary, desk accessories, gifts, and even a scratch-and-sniff book on whiskey, they definitely have everything you could ever want, and more.

THIRD STOP

Rittenhouse Square. Since the weather was so nice the park was packed with so many people and more dogs than ever (secretly wishing we had our cats on leash...) After taking a stroll around the farmer's market we planted our butts on a bench to bask in the sunlight and people watch. The perfect combo.

  

FOURTH STOP

The lovely Anthropologie where visual displays are always on point. Walking around there always leaves our mouths wide open at how much detail is put into the displays. With such a refreshing atmosphere we wandered around each floor in anticipation of what beautiful display would be next. 

 

FIFTH STOP

La Colombe. Where coffee lovers dwell. After Rachel’s first experience with the can of draft latte, she was so looking forward to getting the real deal. And boy, was it worth the wait. It is the perfect amount of smoothness, creaminess and foam that there could be.

We’re looking forward to the next time we will meet up to explore more of this city. Thank goodness for friends and fun-filled cities. Until next time, keep on exploring!

Be sure to follow our adventures on Instagram! @rayandablog

#cityofbrotherlylove

(So over this) Snow

So over here on the east coast we have been experiencing quite a bit of snow ever since winter storm Jonas decided to roll in... 

Though we’re grateful for having four seasons, we’re a bit excited to wake up to the sun shining and warm weather to get out and explore once again.

GARDEN CAFES 

Since everything’s been covered in snow lately, we’re really missing green, so naturally we’re dreaming of brunch at Terrain’s Garden Cafe. What’s not to love… fresh, organic ingredients, tons of natural lighting, and being surrounded by plants while you eat? UM, sign us up.

CITY STREETS 

Spring also means snow and ice-free sidewalks… perfect for exploring little city streets! We think the best way to explore is to do it without an itinerary! No stress, no schedule, just a good pair of walking shoes and a “so what if we get lost a few times” attitude. Some of the best places we’ve been to have been from exploring “on accident!”

STATIONARY SHOPS

The fresh smell of paper, the beautiful writing utensils and straight up bangin’ designs. We’re suckers for a quality stationery shop and can spend hours admiring it all.

  

We'll be counting down the days until spring. What are you most looking forward to doing once all the winter weather leaves us?

#dreamingofspring

Photos: 

1. https://www.instagram.com/p/4X7Y11QOk0/ 

2. https://www.instagram.com/p/78GXO3ySmU/ 

3. https://www.instagram.com/p/BBYrCGFi0YC/)

National Alpaca Day

Not only did we spend our Saturday drinking coffee and meandering around a local flea market, but also by celebrating National Alpaca Day, spending quality time with, you guessed it, alpacas. Lots and lots of fuzzy, cute and all around glorious creatures. We even brought home "make-and-take" alpacas with real alpaca fiber that we will cherish. If you haven't met and pet an alpaca, we recommend you do ASAP. 

Check your local area to see if there are any alpaca farms near you! It might surprise you how many actually do exist.

#longneckteddybears

Apple Picking: Tabora Farms

What better way to welcome in fall than to go apple picking? We spent our Saturday afternoon at Tabora Farms eating delicious sandwiches, picking apples and browsing for mini pumpkins. Tabora has an indoor market which includes freshly-baked goods, special blends of coffee, fresh fruits and vegetables and a full deli counter. We especially love their stuffed rolls and raspberry apple crumb pie! 

This is just the start of our many fall adventures and we can't wait to explore more autumn favorites soon! 

#supportlocalfarms

Feature Friday: White Nest Market + Sweet Pea Ice Cream

We are thrilled to share with you our first "Feature Friday" spot, and by doing so, we hope to encourage you all to check out the local businesses that might be in your area too!

This week Ray & A explored White Nest Market + Sweet Pea, a local kitchen market and homemade ice cream shop in the heart of our little town, Perkasie. We got to speak with Danielle Marinelli, co-owner and wife of Vince Marinelli who both started Sweet Pea and White Nest Market after making pretzels in Doylestown for 15 years. 

We hosted a quick Q&A session with Danielle at the shop to learn more about White Nest Market + Sweet Pea:

Q: What is the process that goes into making the ice cream here, and what's your favorite flavor?
A: We start with 14% buttermilk sourced from a local farm and I churn the ice cream all day... Literally. I'll add the ingredients, such as 100% fresh fruit, roasted nuts, and cake pieces, and package it ready to sell at the different shops or place into large containers for fresh scoops. Caramel Pecan Praline (my personal favorite) and Mexican Chile Dark Chocolate are the some of the newest, most popular flavors in the shop right now.

Q: How did Sweet Pea and White Nest Market get their beginnings?

A: I (Danielle) was a nurse, and my husband, Vince an electrician, and we started with the pretzel business. An ice cream shop in Newtown closed one day, and Vince asked if I wanted to start making ice cream. I laughed, not thinking much of it at the time, but that's when Sweet Pea was born. We spent two years there and then opened a second location in Doylestown, and soon after, Perkasie became the third retail location. We also sell our ice cream in several Center City Philadelphia locations, and a few other cities all over the country. White Nest Market started out as an online shop focusing on modern kitchenware and home goods, but now I have been able to display the goods in the retail shops alongside my ice cream.

Q: How do you see this business influencing the community?
A: I want the community to come and hang out with their families and make awesome memories, ice cream brings people together! Buying and supporting local businesses is something that I am passionate about, and hope that other people will be as well. I also host 'Celebrity Scoop Night' with schools in the area, where the students vote on a custom flavor, I make the winning flavor and the principal and teachers take shifts scooping for the night. We encourage families to come and then give a percentage of our sales for the night back to the school. In the market side of the shop, we're going to be selling local homemade honey, pecans and nuts, beef jerky, and more, so stay tuned for more on that soon.

Be sure to look out for future Feature Fridays highlighting new awesome places by searching our Instagram hashtag #rayandafeaturefriday. And definitely stop by to taste it for yourself!

#loveyourlocal

WHAT WE'RE INTO

Summer sure is winding down fast, but that doesn’t mean it’s over. Post-college life means no more school, so we’ve been trying to take advantage of that as much as possible! Though our weekends will not be filled with exotic travels, here are some fun links and things to check out if you’re bumming at home too...

+ The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part II Trailer released this week. Cue the mockingjay whistle.

+ Beware. Squirrels are now capable of crime.

+ Latest iced coffee trend. Run to your nearest coffee shop and demand it. Politely.

+ This shower curtain kicks you out in 4 minutes. Great for the environment, bad for shower addicts that stay in for over 20 minutes. You know who you are.

+ A must-have for all the fashion-forward cat ladies out there, suit up!

+ A new trend in travel will either terrify or excite you.

+ San Diego's lending a helping hand to the community through music and love of the waves.

So get out there and make the most of your summer! What have you discovered this week on the web?

#goodbyejuly

COW APPRECIATION DAY

H O L Y C O W !

It's cow appreciation day!

Chick-fil-a is celebrating Cow Appreciation Day today. Do you know what that means? Dress like a cow, go to Chick-fil-a and get a free meal. Aka dress in all white, tape black paper cutouts that look like spots to your clothing and waltz into the place to get your free meal. Udderly simple. The website actually provides you with a downloadable costume kit!

D I D Y O U K N O W 

+ Cows are social animals. This means we as humans should try to bond with them. Cows actually bond with each other and make friends within the herd while avoiding others. Sounds like mean girls to me...

+ Cows can't vomit

+ You can lead a cow upstairs, but not downstairs

+ Cows came to America with the pilgrims
+ No two cows have the exact same pattern of spots. I'm sure they embrace their uniqueness

Show your Cow Appreciation spirit, and use this download for your phone, computer, office, or send it to a fellow cow lover in the form of a greeting card!

#respectthecow

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

Disclaimer: We are not and we will never be new yorkers, but sometimes we pretend to be. The only reason we really came here was for Jimmy. Jimmy Fallon. We were able to explore a lot, eat a lot, and walk a lot. We burnt over 30,000 calories according to Alisa (jk. 3,000 calories)

W H E R E   W E   E X P L O R E D

+ Times Square - Filled with too many tourists and weird smells

+ Central Park - A great place to get a workout you didn't realize you needed and find a cool castle invaded by annoying herds of day camp kids

+ The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Filled with endless pieces of art from every time period you can imagine. From sculptures, to statues, to paintings, to a creepy film about a monkey child with a human mask. A lady burst out either crying or laughing while the film was playing. We still have no clue what her reaction was

+ NBC Studios - Our dream came true…we don't have pictures, but we swear we saw him. We were banned from taking photos and snacking. We even set the metal detectors off in the process and security wasn't even concerned. Didn't even care *in Jimmy Fallon mob voice*

+ Bill's Bar & Burger - BANGIN’ BURGERS AND MOUTHWATERING MILKSHAKES. 'Nuff said. Highly recommend

+ Bouchon Bakery - An adorable bakery with cute pastries, friendly employees, and great coffee. What more can you ask for?

W H A T   W E   L E A R N E D

+ Always pay for your bus ticket ahead of time. Especially if you're the first stop and the bus driver lacks change and is grumpy

+ Not everyone understands or appreciates art. This may lead to some deep conversations and sarcastic remarks, but that’s a step in the right direction

+ Don't ask the po po for good eats in the area. They might not be from the area. Heck, they might even be from The Bronx. Instead, ask a sales associate

We love NYC, but always cherish coming back home. What are some of your favorite places to explore in the big apple?

#countrybumpkins