During the month of May, I usually like to take a vacation because the semester is done and it's my birth month. My destination this time was Philadelphia. For those of you who have been keeping up with my blog, I mentioned in my very first post that I was raised in Philadelphia. My family still resides in Philly. This trip was somewhat different and very intimate. It was mainly to spend time with my family and attend my cousin's wedding. It also happened to be my birthday weekend so I figured I might as well celebrate my birthday while I'm down there. Two of my girlfriends decided to join me on this trip. As the days were approaching for my trip I was very excited to be reunited with my family and friends. The day before I left, I got a call early in the morning from my mother. Her brother passed away back home in Liberia. This sudden news put a damper on my trip but left me feeling grateful that I would have the opportunity to comfort my mother and grandmother in person.
I arrived in Philly at noon on Thursday and the weather was insanely horrible! It was rainy and gloomy the entire day. Rainy days are honestly only meant for Netflix and chill but I had family business to attend to and not even the rain was going to stop me. I spent the entire day with my family at my grandmother's house. It was good to be around my family since I haven't seen them since January. Oh, and also happy to taste my mother's cooking again!
On Friday, I hung out with my friends and we decided to get into some day drinking activities. We hit a couple of spots downtown and South Philly. One of my favorite spots we went to was the SkyGarten rooftop bar. It's located on the 51st floor of the Three Logan Square building. I'm afraid of heights but shockingly I wasn't too scared. Seeing the entire view of Philadelphia is just breathtaking.
I was going for sex in the city vibe with this look. Sophisticated but showing some skin in a tasteful manner. I turned this kimono robe into a wrap slit dress. I styled it with a beaded tassel earrings and a rose gold wrap around heels. I stayed away from wearing a necklace and bracelets with this look because my earrings and the kimono print were already making a strong statement.
Kimono: H&M
Heels : ASOS
Bag: H&M
Earrings: H&M
It's Saturday and it's wedding day! I love weddings. Literally. My friends and I have a tradition where we attend a wedding together every summer. The idea of seeing two people that are in love share their vows is such a heartwarming experience. Plus, the food and cocktails are reasons why weddings are awesome! My cousin's wedding was really beautiful from beginning to end. Her dress, the venue, the bridesmaids...everything was well put together. The couple families and friends came and show out! The bride was splurged with money. It is a tradition in Liberian and other West African cultures to throw money on the bride. Traditional cloths called Lappa were used as a red carpet for the bride and groom to make their entrance. My highlights of the night was the cocktail hour because there were a variety of finger foods and cute drinks. The couple's first dance was so cute. I saw so much chemistry and love between the newlyweds. My cousin definitely married her best friend.
I wore an off the shoulder 1950s inspired floral circle dress. Floral prints are very spring and perfect for special occasions. I like how the top part of the dress fits and showcases my collarbones. For accessories, I wore a classic pearl stud. I didn't want any over the top jewelry to take away from the dress. I had this rose-gold seashell clutch to match my shoes.
Dress: Asos
Heels: ASOS
Clutch: H&M
On Sunday I decided to have brunch with the girls. We had brunch at XIX Nineteen. At first I was very skeptical because it's an upscale restaurant and I find most upscale restaurant food to be gross and overpriced. Luckily the food was great with reasonable pricing. Later, we went to Landmark for some drinks. Landmark has these sweet potato fries they serve with cinnamon mixed with a butter sauce and it's to die for! It's the first thing on my list to get when I visit Philly again.
I wanted to wear prints and spring colors on this entire trip. This tie sleeves jumpsuit can be worn casual or dressy. I wore this jumpsuit causal but slightly dressy by wearing my 90s inspired chunky heels. For accessories I'm wearing this clear mini shoulder bag to add some playfulness to the look.
Jumpsuit: ASOS
Heels: H&M
Bag: Forever 21
Finally it's Monday, my birthday! I usually have something planned on my birthday but this time I had no clue what I wanted to do. I figured I'll just go sightseeing and wine and dine later since I had a beautiful cocktail dress that I wanted to wear. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't doing it for me. It was another rainy and gloomy day. One of my friends decided to make fufu and pepper soup; a popular Liberian cuisine. I invited a few friends over and we ate, listened to good music, and chat about life. Although my birthday did not turned out the way I expected, I still had a great birthday all thanks to my lovely friends.
That pretty much wraps up my trip to Philly- by far one of the best trips I've taken. It was very intimate and filled with lots of love and relaxation. By the way the hair I have installed is from my lovely friend Monsio's hair company called Crowned by Mo. Make sure to check out her products at www.crownedbymo.com. She always has quality products and affordable deals. Oh, and hopefully someone might take me to dinner so I can share with you guys my birthday dress! But for now it'll be locked away in my closet!