Student Art Dazzles At First Friday

I love Ardmore! Not only is the town full of welcoming proprietors,  encouraging residents and wonderful guests, but it also hosts some of the most talented folks around. This First Friday, businesses around Ardmore teamed up to host Art for the Emerging Artist, a show which featured works from the local Cambridge School, Haverford School and Lower Merion High School. In various storefronts, young artists' artwork shone and attracted much attention. Musical guest Lizette Casals performed at First Position Dance later in the night. I was fortunate to interview an artist whose work was feature in the show, which you can view below. Be sure to check out all future First Friday events at firstfridaymainline.com. 

P.S: November 1 brings us the holiday season! What events are everyone most excited for? Comment below or tell us on Facebook or Twitter.

Interview with Ms. Harrigan, creator of photo below

Piece mentioned by Ms. Harrigan

Shading work outside of First Position Dance

Past*Present*Future highlights local work

Howl O'Ween First Friday

With little under a month until Halloween, I am getting pretty excited for tricks and treats and whatnot. While I am a bit too old to go out scavenging for candy myself, I love to see others dress up and celebrate the day. Now normally, "others" would refer to children of the human variety. However, Ardmore really showed the community a great time with its seventh annual Howl O'Ween. Tons of owners brought costume-clad canines to Cricket Ave for judging by various Ardmore celebrities. Some of my favorite dogs, pictured below, included a poodle dressed as a bumble bee and a terrier dressed as a dinosaur. The fun did not stop with the competition! Jenny and Chris Ross provided great live music, helping to finish the night in a great way.

Cricket was blocked off with balloons 

Dinosaur-dogs romed Cricket Ave

A personal favorite, bumble bee poodle

Live music from Chris and Jenny Ross

First Friday First In Entertainment

Welcome back everybody! Unfortunately, school and work resumed this week. I traded in my flip flops and bathing suits for boots and long sleeve shirts.  However, I did not suffer from a total departure from the fun and entertainment of summer. Yesterday, Friday 9/6, Ardmore held First Friday. First Friday occurs on the first Friday of every month and features a musical act along with another entertaining display and some art. This week involved an antique car show. I saw Thunderbirds and Maseratis and wooden wonders.  Two musical acts, Tater Tucker Moog Jackson and Twister Baby, performed for the crowd. I had a great time and can't wait until next month. Be sure to check out the website: http://www.firstfridaymainline.com/

Cricket Ave was blocked off with balloons and signs

Many admired the cool cars

 The band inspired some crazy dance moves

Antique cars filled the Cricket Ave lot

Live music helped create a great ambience

  

  

Past*Present*Future celebrates

True Value of Mapes True Value Is Priceless

Alright guys, this is my last conventional blog post. I plan on blogging about First Fridays the first Friday of every month. To make you all happy, I'll make this post a good (sentimental) one. Without further ado:

Unlike a lot of the places I've blogged about, I've been to Mapes True Value many times. When I was younger, Mapes carried toys and costumes. My family always forgot to buy Halloween costumes and, year after year, we frantically went to Mapes, grabbing the last outfits (I was Ronald McDonald 3 times). Other times, I bought birthday presents for friends and was dragged out of the store crying because I couldn't get whatever my friend was about to receive. Earlier this summer Mapes went through a transformation. It became a cool hardware store with catchy music playing throughout the aisles. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. My dad went to Mapes a couple weeks ago to get supplies for painting our stools. Originally, he had no idea what he was doing. However, thanks to the employees, he came home with primer, brushes and paint. Today our stools actually look descent, much to my family's surprise. All jokes (and truthful anecdotes, sorry Dad) aside, Mapes is a great store. They carry many things, from gardening supplies to grills to power tools. Check out the full list of items at http://www.truevalue.com/ and stop by 71 Rittenhouse Place. 

Say Hello To The Small Screen, Ardmore

How often do you see a film or T.V show that is specifically about a town? Even Philadelphia, the movie, wasn't about the city of Philadelphia (admittedly it was a great movie and probably one of my favorites). Next Tuesday, August 20, you will see a bunch of cameras and crews filming around Ardmore for a September episode on Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN). They'll l be at restaurants, shops, recreational sites and more. Chances are, if you are in town on the 20, you'll see a camera. All this is very exciting, so feel free to call your mom and say "Look ma, I'm on T.V". Generate some buzz. Let's make Ardmore the best PCN special on T.V! We'll keep you posted on the air date and all that jazz, but in the meantime why don't you buy a new outfit (maybe from here or here), get a haircut (from here) and treat yourself to a nice meal (try here, here, and here). Oh, and read the rest of my blog posts! Thanks guys.

Personally, I Think Personally Is A Great Store

Normally I do a bit of research on shops I blog about before I visit them. Before I went to Personally by Ani K, I read this awesome article about Ani and the store on Patch.com. It turns out Ani is a young Harcum College grad who's father owned Paris Clothiers, Inc at the same 22 Ardmore Ave where Personally is currently located. So what is Personally? Well, by definition it's a high end consignment boutique. But there's much more to it. Ani picks all the merchandise herself and admits to being quite picky; she tells Patch "I go for fairly new stuff. Clothes with tags on them still. A lot of our clothes haven't been worn yet". The merchandise ranges from $500 Gucci apparel to $10 H&M. Some notable brands include Prada, Versace, Chanelle, bebe and BCBG. Next time you're in Ardmore (you should be in Ardmore right now, why would you ever leave this town?) head down to 22 Ardmore Ave or call 484-412-8598.

Live well by going to Live Well

Not to sound like the obsessive teenage girl I am, but my favorite reality TV show, the Bachelorette, just ended. In the show a single woman is paired with 25 men, climaxing in an engagement between her and one of the suitors. This season, man she engaged, Chris, has a chiropractor as a father. Viewers saw the father treat the bachelorette in his in-home office. I was captivated, and when I found out about Live Well Holistic Health Center, I immediately checked it out. I was greeted by Dr. Martin and his wife Traci in a beautiful atrium. They brought me inside and I saw a whole array of natural supplements. I learned that Live Well offers gentle chiropractic care, therapeutic massages, and natural healthcare among many other things. A team of practitioners treats a boat load of conditions from Fibromyalgia to headaches. The best part? Live Well is extremely affordable so even I can get that acupressure treatment. Now, I normally take my own pictures for this blog but the massage rooms were occupied so I borrowed some pictures from the Live Well website http://livewellholistichealth.com/ . Be sure to stop by at 16 E Lancaster, inside Plaza 16 (suite 104). Oh, and who thinks Dr. Martin and Traci should be featured on the Bachelorette? Share this post to say yes!

P.S. My titles keep getting worse. Feel free to suggest new a title for this post. The best title results in me renaming this post and giving a shout out to the creator. 

Exterior of their building 

 Dr. Martin and Traci (thanks website)

 Dr. Martin choosing  natural supplements  

Spacious treatment room (thanks website)

Featured massage room (thanks website)

Dive Into A Great Time At Aqua Hut Dive & Travel

Ever thought of scuba diving or snorkeling but don't know how? Me neither, but Aqua Hut definitley made me want to try it out. They offer the full PADI curriculum of scuba diving and snorkeling classes. They also sell a bunch of gear and sponsor trips to dive in many places, from Honduras to Bethlehem, PA. Located right at 51 Rittenhouse Place, be sure to stop by or give them a call (610) 642-3483 for all your aquatic needs. 

Junior League Certainly Senior In Shopping

Do you guys remember those hot Saturday mornings spent sifting through loads of merchandise on a stranger's yard? Or how about countless trips to a far away mall searching for overpriced shoes and holiday presents? The Junior League Thrift Shop takes shopping to the next level. Clothing, toys, jewelry, instruments and more are all conveniently organized. The merchandise is endless but it's easy to find what you need. I fell in love with this cool synthesizer piano seen below. I almost bought a necklace for my mom but then I remembered I'm broke (pay raise please?). For the average person, however, price should not be an obstacle at Junior League. Everything is affordable and reasonably priced. Next time you're in need of new shoes, skip the hassle and head down to 27 W Lancaster or check them out online at http://www.jlphiladelphia.org/ 

Price: $20... Amount needed: $20

Canby's Can Be Your Next Meal

I dragged myself out of bed this morning, leaving the house without eating breakfast. Once I came to work, my stomach was grumbling. My boss sent me to check out Canby's on Cricket so I decided to grab a bite to eat. My waitress was extremely kind and pointed me to the Canby Canby Shrimp. The description on the menu reads "crispy panko shrimp tossed in Canby's spicy sauce and scallions". It turns out it was even better than it sounds. Before I got my meal, I was given a complimentary salmon and sauce cracker which was superb. The dish itself was crunchy but tender and had the perfect kick. Try it yourself by dropping by Canby's at 11 Cricket and look online at http://canbys.com/.

Cut and Shave Barber Shop

I hear you, I hear you. A barber shop?  How original. But really, Cut and Shave is pretty cool. It's sunken into the corner of Rittenhouse and has a flatscreen T.V and these luxury chairs. It looks vintage and welcomes walk-ins. Check it out at 87 Rittenhouse or call 610-649-9781.

Harry's: Where Real Deals Still Happen

Harry's Treasure and Collectibles sits right on 22 E Lancaster. However, its merchandise can be seen on display outside the store as well as inside. And its merchandise seems to never end. From vintage baseball gloves my brother would trade his X-Box for, to extravagant plates that my mom would disown me to buy, Harry's has something for everyone.Harry himself makes the store come alive. With cool anecdotes and full of knowlegde, Mr. Althouse makes sure Harry's is where real deals still happen. Drop by or call at 610-642-4775