July feels like it has absolutely flown by, with nearly nonstop activity every weekend. I have a lot of random little things I got up to in the last few weeks, from trying new restaurants to attending a clothing swap.

A few weekends ago my sister Claire and I reunited with two of our high school English teachers who are married, which was absolutely lovely. It was so nice to catch up with them, update them on what I am doing now and find out some gossip about what’s going on at my high school. We met for lunch at Water’s Edge Winery in Doylestown, which had very good fries and a good chicken panini. I would definitely recommend it. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any food pictures (it’s not a natural instinct of mine), so you’ll have to take my word for it.

The next day, Claire and I attended a pop-up clothing swap in Washington Square Park in Philadelphia. It was hosted by Zinadelphia, a Philadelphia-based musician; and though it was absolutely sweltering outside, both of us got some cool new pieces and got rid of things we don’t wear much. The clothing swap ran on the principle of however many items you brought, you can take from others, and it was cool to be a part of a trade/barter system working effectively. Though not all my clothes got taken and I didn’t find as many as I brought, I still walked away feeling satisfied. Everyone brought really nice pieces for the most part, and so many attendees had amazing style I wish I was cool enough to emulate. I’m excited for colder weather so I can wear the more wintry clothes I got, especially my new sweater vest.

Another of my July weekends was spent watching my beloved family dogs at my parents’ house with my girlfriend. We got to kick back and relax in suburban bliss and spent a Sunday in nearby Doylestown walking around and shopping. We got brunch at Heirloom (again, I have no photographic evidence — I’m sorry!), which was also a new spot for me, and the French toast was divine. We stopped in my favorite independent bookstore, The Doylestown Bookshop, where I ended up purchasing new release Worry by Alexandra Tanner. I don’t know when I’ll get to it because my ever-growing to-be-read stack is taunting me, but I am excited about it. We also went to Siren Records, and I bought Saint Cloud by Waxahatchee, an album I love that really carried me through 2020. It was a lovely little day, and I’m always happy to be home hanging out with my dogs.

— Hannah Gruen, advertising & events coordinator