Flowers at the (Roots) Picnic!

Oh, hey Macklemore!

So last weekend I went to Philly for the first time for The Roots Picnic! It was my first festival so I had to go shopping because I didn't really have anything that I considered festival-appropriate. I really had to! ;) And of course I wanted to do something with the nails.

I could have gone edgier with them for this festival, but for some reason I went a more hippy, flower-power route. But I'm happy with how they turned out. I really wanted the white and blue since I knew it was going to be a super sunny, summery day. The flowers are kind of my fall back. They are the easiest thing to do - all you need is a toothpick. I make a little square with four dots of polish, two of each color, then swirl it with the toothpick. If I have too much color, I'll drop a tiny bit of white to give it more dimension. The leaves are just a drop of green and I'll actually press and drag the toothpick a little to get that vein on the leaf.

The festival itself was a long, hot day, but it was sooooo fun! It started at noon, but my friends and I decided to skip the beginning and go to brunch at Green Eggs Cafe with a side of boy talk. Then because every meal needs dessert, we went to Capogiro for gelato, and I am kicking myself for not taking pictures of it! I got chocolate and peanut butter, and cactus pear. Cactus pear!! I've never had an actual cactus pear, but the gelato version was amazing! It was smooth and rich but light and just absolutely perfect. I think I'll have dreams about that gelato.

So once we actually got to the festival around 2:00 PM, the first person we saw was Solange. Honestly, I only know her as "Basement Baby" per Michael K. at Dlisted, but I liked her. I loved her shorts! Next was Grimes, who I literally had no idea who she was, but I got excited when she first came out because she had Korean on her shirt.

Her music isn't really to my taste, but I find what she does and how she makes her music very cool. But I think the thing I'll remember the most about her set is that she had these two backup dancers and one was super fierce and thought it was her show, and the other was just utterly lost. You could see her constantly looking at and following the other dancer. Then this confused dancer decided to crowd surf on her stomach... shrugs.

So up until about a week ago, I didn't know much about Macklemore except that he had that funny "Thrift Shop" song. Now, I adore him and would totally marry Ryan Lewis. I got so excited when I found out they're both Washingtonians because I like to pretend that it means we'd be biffles if we ever met. My only complaint is that their set was too short. Boo!

Oh, and that Ryan Lewis has no idea who I am. Sad face.

Of course The Roots were last! They went on around 8:45 PM and I stayed until about 10:30 PM because I physically could not stand anymore. My two friends left after Macklemore finished, but I was determined to see The Roots! And I'm so glad I did! They are full-range and just stupid talented. I wish I could have stayed until the end, but physically, I was out. I had to soak in my friend's tub for 20 minutes before I could stand and shower because my feet and legs were so sore - in the best way possible though!

I really think that soak helped because I felt good enough to walk to a Philly Cheesesteak the next day before hopping on a bus back to New York. As a meat lover, I couldn't go to Philly without eating a "real" cheesesteak. My friend absolutely vetoed Pat's and Geno's, which were the only two place I knew of thanks to the Food Network. Instead, she suggested Jim's Steaks on South Street. I had heard a lot about the authenticity of putting Cheese Whiz on one's cheesesteak, but after conferring with her and another Pennsylvania native who is the closest thing to a cheesesteak connoisseur I know, I decided to go with a cheesesteak with provolone, roasted peppers, and onions.

I have no regrets.

And no pictures of it because I ate it before the thought even occurred to me, which was now because I don't normally take pictures of my food. But it was delicious and the perfect way to end my weekend!