Travel Therapy: Providence & Newport, Rhode Island

This past weekend, my friend Bibi who is visiting from Nigeria, decided I needed a pick-me-up. Things have been blah on my end, and she thought I needed a fun activity. As you all know, I love to travel, so we packed our bags (rather purses), and took a day trip to the beautiful cities of Providence and Newport, Rhode Island.

 I have been to Providence a few times, but was yet to visit the Rhode Island School of Design Mueseum (RISD). Both Bibi and I love designs of all kinds, and the RISD museum was a great place to see various art forms. From paintings to fashion, home decor, ceramics, and porcelain, the RISD Musuem offered a little bit of everything. In Providence,  we walked around a bit, visited a cute little vintage store, and took pictures in front of the State house. 

Newport on the other hand was a different kind of adventure. It is a coastal town, so a stroll by the wharf was a must
 We walked down the quaintest street ever, window shopped (I even copped a pair of classic tall uggs for 50% off). When we were done, we sat down by the sea side to indulge in some seafood. There was no way I was going to visit a coastal town and not stuff my face with lobsters and clam chowder soup--yum. In all, it was a great day, and I was able to get out of my funky mood for a bit. 

Trainride to Rhode Island

Why don't we make silly face while we wait for this train to pull into Providence?

Top: Thrifted|Shorts:Old Navy|Sandals:Target|Hat:H&M|Purse:Kate Spade Saturday

Providence

LOL! I have no idea what I was doing here. Stanky legs?

Grand Gallery at the RISD Museum

That red typewriter is everything!

Goofing off at the Museum

This  art work looked like the perfect backdrop.

 

Water Place, Providence

Providence at night

Hello Newport

Exploring Thames Street, Newport

How cute!

Dinner--Yum!

That's all folks.Have a great week!

Essence Music Festival--Day one

A while ago, I blogged about visiting New Orleans to attend the Essence music Festival. However, what I failed to do was share pictures from the music fest. The festival took place 4th of July weekend, so these photos are loooong over due--pardon my tardiness. 

Anyhoo, these pictures are from the first day of the festival headlined by Prince. I am not  a Prince fan (to date, I do not know any of his song. However, his energy was so awesome,and I couldn't help but get into the groove during his performance. Janelle Monae was in the house too, but since I am not a big fan of her music (love her hair and fashion though), I left the main auditorium where she was performing to attend the smaller music sessions in the Super Lounge. 

The smaller  music session were more intimate and it was at one of these we got to know about an upcoming DC musician, Kevin Ross. The guy is totally awesome and you may have noticed him in Glade's holiday ad. He is definitely one to watch out for. My friends and I also caught Estellle performing in the smaller rooms and we were glad we stopped by. She has a great stage presence and gave a really performance. I grew up listening to SWV so it was definitely great seeing them perform live.  

One thing my friends and I failed to do was attend the free, daytime empowerment seminars. If you ever plan to attend the NOLA, Essence Music festival, you should stop by these sessions. I heard they are pretty powerful and inspirational.

Below are the pictures, enjoy..

Y'all know I had to dress super comfy for the concert

Estelle

SWV ( Sisters with Voices)

Janelle Monae

Prince

Kevin Rosss

Yay! It was an amazing day.

Part 2 coming soon.

Martha's Vineyard, Cape Cod

If you live in the colder regions you know that this winter has been extremely brutal. I have never minded the cold weather, but this year's winter has got me thinking about moving to a warmer state--California, anyone? Or maybe Florida! Anyway in anticipation of warmer days, I thought I'd post pictures of my trip to Martha Vineyard last summer. Martha's vineyard consists of  three/four  island but we chose to visit Oak Bluffs because of the charming online reviews and personal recommendations. From the ginger bread cottages to the clear blue waters and delicious seafood, Oak Bluffs definitely lived up to the hype. I didn't get to take a lot of pictures, but below are some of the few images I captured...enjoy!

The ferry to get to Oak Bluffs

Yay! I'm here.

How cute are the gingerbread cottages. They look like straight out of an Enid Blyton story book. People, not fairies, actually live in these homes.

We checked out a souvenir store

...and then we fooled around in the store.

And of course we had to sneak in some sea time at Inkwell Beach.

That's all folks. Dont forget the check out the Chic Therapy Accessories sale here.40% off the entire store with discount code "Easter40". Don't get left behind--shop now!

Happy Easter.

Florals on the strip

I am a lover of bold and bright prints, but for some reason, I do not like floral prints. However my dislike for florals changed when I saw this scuba skirt in Express. Asides, the beautiful silhouette, the price tag (70% off) was enough reason to buy it. I got the opportunity to wear the skirt in Vegas two weeks ago. It was spring weather in Vegas and the color and print of the skirt was perfect for taking a leisure stroll on the Vegas strip. Check out the pictures below. 

Happy hump day.

Top:Marshalls | Skirt: Express | Sandals: Target | Bag:KateSpade Saturday

Bur Dubai: Textile Souk

Typically when I travel, I tend to stay away from places and experiences that I can get here in the United States. However, Dubai which is mainly known for its tall fancy building and luxurious lifestyle, offered very little of a unique experience. Also being an international/expatriate city, it was hard to get a true taste of the indigenous Arab culture.

However, a trip to the Textile Souk in Bur (old) Dubai provided a bit of the local culture I was yearning for. To get to the Textile souk, we had to get on an Abra boat ride (which only cost 1 dirham). The boat which had no railings offered no security whatsoever! Despite my safety concerns, I enjoyed the boat ride, and my buddy and I even made friends with one of the locals.

My time at the Textile Souk was awesome. The market was filled with so many gorgeous fabrics (definitely a fashionista’s haven). Haggling with the traders reminded me so much of the markets back in my hometown of Lagos. After strolling down hallways of the sand-colored buildings, and copping a few items, we called it a day and headed back to the glamorous parts of Dubai.

Below are pictures, I hope you enjoy them.

Ankara Pants& Bangle by Chic Therapy| Tee:Old Navy|Sandals:Target

An Abra boat (Water taxi)

Our boat driver was such a sport

Our new friend

Hello new friend

It was such a beautiful day in Dubai

Checking out the traditional beaded flats

Coconut drink for a beautiful day

We checked out some spices, and the chicken masala spice smelled so gooood!

So many Jalabiyas to choose from

How gorgeous are these throw pillows

Should I get this pink? (I ended up with the blue one in this post)

This shop attendant was a riot! We had so much fun in his shop--good times!

                    That's all folks. Have a great week!