Hitting the streets…

 The second day I woke up late and as you can imagine (after only one day in New York) had the most wonderful, deep sleep. I’ll spare you the details of how I woke up, but know – your girl had some good sleep smack dab in the center of Times Square. Again, this was only after one day of adventuring. I was sure that the rest of the weekend would be a long one.

I obviously missed the complimentary breakfast so I decided to venture out to find my first meal of the day before roaming the streets.  After pulling together my ensemble for the long walk, I managed to brave day two of the hawk and found a little spot nearby called Aya Sushi that seated about 10 people.

It was interesting, seeing people rush in and out. They came, they ordered, they left – repeat. Across the street, there was a woman on the second floor of this beautiful building shifting the curtains to frame a gorgeous chandelier. Then inside, there was this group of ladies going on about their men problems. One was absolutely jealous of this guy’s relationship and she just kept going on and on about how he would pay her no mind. I’m sitting there like yeah girl, it’s probably because doesn’t want your thirsty behind. Sigh, chicks today I tell you. So anyway, I’m sitting in this uber-small restaurant people watching and just hearing these stories swirl all about me, while sipping my wine with my tasty sushi and texting folks. It was so cozy. I enjoyed my moment for a good hour and a half before leaving and that’s when things started to speed up a bit.

My Faux Celeb Sightings

Whitney Houston

As I walked through the whipping winds, there were merchants and drivers everywhere I turned. Everyone was on the hustle. I guess that’s honestly the New York state of mind. All I wanted to do was go to Madame Tussaud‘s and it felt like the trip took forever. After following a trail of marquees and lights, I had finally I arrived, got my ticket and instantly became like a kid in a candy store.

It was pretty amazing and if you’ve ever been to Madame Tussaud’s you’d probably recall how freakishly accurate or laughably inaccurate some of the wax figures were. This installation was no different. There were some hits and definitely some misses, but overall the museum did a good job of catching celebrities in their most iconic moments. I was super excited to see Whitney Houston and ET.

ET

What caught me off guard was how impressive the British Royal Family was. It was so good it was creepy.

I think there was about 3 or 4 floors of figures to check out. I mean, it was just so many to look at and standing right next them was definitely weird. It’s like how is it that these people are so tall or is it that I’m more of a smurf than I imagined?

The Royal Family

As I was heading out, I saw the “Spice Girls” and tried to take a picture. After some failed attempts due to photobombing, a woman hit me with the “oh I’m so sorry I’m in your way. And you know what you kind of look like Scary Spice” Insert blank stare here. I went to the gift shop and got my souvenir and left. It was so dumb I had to laugh.

Anywho I headed out back to the bustling streets of NY and in the midst of the wasp’s nest that was Times Square. It was still frozen in that beautiful kind of crazy I left when I entered the wax museum. I was overwhelmed, yet excited. I mean who would have thought New York would have me turning into a little Black Dora the Explorer? I figured, “I have a whole rest of the day left, I have to keep on adventuring.” So where would the buzzy streets take me next, right? I just so happened to wander into an artist’s paradise, naturally.

MOMA-Mia

I had heard amazing things about their art museums from a few friends and knew just the direction to head. Mind you, I’ve never done so much deep exploration in my life so MOMA aka The Museum of Modern Art would be like my own little feat.

Louise Bourgeois, Arch of Hysteria

First of all, they have this whole Free Friday Nights deal that I just happened to stumble onto. I just knew it was MTB. Then, the entry way was glorious and I was immediately met with this enormous Spider installation by artist Louise Bourgeois. I hate spiders by the way. It was INSANE.

Then there were about five floors of the most beautiful pieces of work I’ve ever seen in my life, including a classic van Gogh. I don’t think I’ve ever seen classic art presented in this way. I mean I’ve been to a couple museums but this was extravagant.

I have no clue what this piece was called, it’s just so shiny and pretty.

I know I have to go back to visit New York for the museums alone. The history is just so amazing in this city and they have all of these ridiculously wonderful collections of seemingly everything. How was I not aware? And the crazy thing is I always felt like I would hate New York if I ever visited it. Then there I was, all in love, looking at a fabulous van Gogh with shrieking school children and enthusiastic parents. I fit right in.

Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night

The walk back home, after such a cool experience, was magical. I took everything all in and snapped more pictures. Can you guys  honestly believe I was out in the city for about 10 hours, all on my own, and did not get lost?! I mean, I was on a freaggin roll! I even took an alternate route so that I could get another view of the city. How is it that you can even be starstruck by dog-on buildings?! Radio City looked just like I imagined it to be and per the usual, at this point, there were people everywhere. I think it took me about twenty minutes or so to get back to the hotel but I braved the cold and walked as if it were Spring. I couldn’t rush through it, I just couldn’t. I mean how many first walks alone, at night, in New York City does a girl get? It was my first and I will never forget it.

Now on to the good stuff. There was more food! I made a pit stop back at the hotel, threw on some extra layers (so I wouldn’t catch pneumonia) and was ready to roll back out. My friend Brittany and I decided to head out to a nice dinner in true New York fashion – at a swanky Japanese restaurant named Inakaya NY. Let me tell you, IT WAS AMAZING…the ambiance, the food, the cocktails. I thought I was in Sex and the City for like 2 seconds. Just like only 2, then snapped back into reality. It was a great experience, they even did like a blessing for us. I couldn’t have been happier.

We ended the night with my other buddies visiting from Houston, photographer Chris Allen and marketing chick Arnaecia Jones-Aldrige. And since the night was young, we hit Jay-Z’s The 40/40 Club. It was definitely a good time. They had two DJ’s, quality cocktails, a coat check AND we didn’t break the bank being there. I definitely recommend getting your partying tourist on there if you’re into R&B and hip-hop. We had a blast and there was lots of twirling – from me.

Now can you people see why it took so long for me to update?! It’s been quite the last two weeks, on top of this being one of the busiest days I had while in New York. There was obviously a lot to cover but I promise to tell y’all about the rest of the trip like in like the next two days. <3

-D. Wright

Touchdown…

I landed, and a rush of nervousness spread from my head to my toes.

Laguardia was definitely overwhelming. It was old and full of characters straight out of a Black 90s sitcom. It was the best kind of circus to be apart of. Well wait…not when you’ve never been in it. I take that back. Luckily my buddy was on hand and waiting for me at the airport. Thanks Tyrrell, you helped make me appear less awkward. After clumsily picking up my bags and getting pimp slapped by 37-degree weather followed by the infamous NY “hawk,” we hopped in an Uber and I was on my way.

The car ride was awesome as far as I’m concerned. It was well worth all of my lil $40 (yes brace yourselves for an up-charge in any service you need while in the city). I’m sure I annoyed everyone in the car but you know what… YOLO fools! I had my “mild” fan girl moments as we passed up historic landmarks and buildings. I soaked it all in. Even the wall unit ACs made me excited. Needless to say, my friend likely thought I was out of my mind but decided to humor me with useless facts and all the New York nerdy things. That’s one thing I really appreciate about New York, there’s so much to learn and I want to learn all the things, cause duh – nerd.

Anyway, we dropped off my bags at my new temporary home in Times Square (the hotel) and got to wandering. Of course it started with food because that was just the right thing to do in order to keep me from terrorizing anyone in New York with my Texas sized hangriness. So I was fueled up and we were off!

As you might have seen in my Snapchat (@msdcwright), we did team too much…

Time Square

Union Square

Soho

Battery Park

I took pictures of literally everything, including the Metro-Card dispenser at the train station. I’m legit turning into my mom. Sue me! I don’t care, I was just so into the experience. Tyrrell obviously took his tour guide role seriously because he answered all my questions, and made sure that I didn’t look like a lame on the train. That would have totally been tragic.

I would say out of all the places in Manhattan the 9/11 memorial was one of the toughest things I’ve seen so far, monument wise. I had this eerie feeling wash through me and literally became nauseous the closer I got to the names on the wall. I’m glad I had an opportunity to see it but I don’t know if I’ll be going back to it any time soon. It was a spiritually taxing experience but soooooooo beautiful, go see it for yourself. The folks who created it put a lot of love into it but, I in all of my incorporeal beliefs, couldn’t help but wonder if I was taking in some seismic, beyond-this-life, kind of energy. And with that said, I don’t have time to start hearing and seeing spirits in New York or Texas. That’s not in my ministry. Since I legit sat there thinking I was turning to the little boy from 6th Sense, I asked to move to the next location and the nausea instantly stopped.

Next on the tour was Battery Park. I’d seen the famous hood on television and it wasn’t too far off from where we were so I was excited to stop in, and cherry on top, I got to see the lady of the hour. I’ve always dreamed of seeing the Statue of Liberty and let me tell you, even from a distance she’s beautiful. I needed to see her, especially during these times when so many people try to challenge our freedoms but I won’t even go there right now. Just enjoy the picture.

So hours of adventuring passed and I finally made it back to my room. My room was fabulous by the way and I’m so glad I chose to stay in a hotel near everything. I was absolutely worn out. I’m not made for that life but it was cool. I called up my friend who I grew up with and as soon as she got off work, we went to this amazing spot called Tonic. Now, I wasn’t expecting a gourmet meal but let me tell you, I was so happy in the depths of my soul. It was on point. Thank you Brittany, you made a wonderful suggestion girl!

Lots of girl talk and catching up ensued throughout the remainder of the evening. I felt so grateful to just be in the presence of friends.

The rest is on deck for later. Night! <3

-D.Wright

A few thoughts while on my plane ride…

This week, I decided to do something completely insane and totally out of my character.

For the first time in my life, I decided to hop on a plane to New York (a city I’ve never been to), alone and during one of the biggest events of the year – the Grammy Awards.

Initially I had a partner in crime who was set to take New York by storm with me. We purchased our tickets months ago for a steal but after a cluster of roadblocks and set backs, she decided to skip out on what could could potentially be a bomb of a trip. I don’t mean a good bomb either. I probably shouldn’t be typing this while on a plane but it’s legitimately what I’m thinking while heading into one of the most intimidating places I’ve heard of in America. Just know all the signs pointed to a big fat no.

Something kept tugging at me though, it said “Go, you don’t want to miss this.” The last time I heard that voice, my car was saved from torrential flooding. This intuition wasn’t met without some opposition though. I went down a tunnel of terrible “what ifs” that included worst case scenarios like being robbed, getting lost a la Home-Alone-style and without a Talkboy to record my last of days, being completely solo for four days, and all kinds of other crazy things I’m sure I could handle because I’m adulting got-dog-it. I’m a real adult, ok?!

Thank God I had a couple loving gnats in my ear who threatened me for about an hour with the consequences of not taking healthy risks. They wished me all the blessings I could handle as I traveled and encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and to be less of a wet blanket. Hi Whitney and Angela, you guys suck but I appreciate you both :-). I honestly thought Angela would surely slap me at some point, but a couple of her classic f-bombs and encouragement set me straight. I figured I should listen. I mustered up the courage to reach out to some of my long time friends and committed myself to my first ever adventure, well kind of.

My New York friends gave me wonderful perspective, offered up their homes and even their networks while I hung out in the Big Apple. I’m so appreciative to know selfless and supportive people but even after those exchanges, I still looked for an out. Then I told my dad what I was about to do and he simply asked “how are you getting to the airport?” And just like that, I had a ride to the airport and I knew there was no turning back, there was no out. I was going to New York. No lie y’all, I was a little shocked because this was the same man I generally would have to book out a few weeks with to get a ride! He has his own service, where he does this for a living so I thought I was going to be Ubering my butt to BushIntercontinental! I sat there dumbfounded like “Alright God, are you sure?” but I knew the answer. I was supposed to be on this trip. I mean come on! I even found a hotel room in Times Square for a reasonable rate 5 hours before my flight (thanks De)!

Man…I’m sitting here on this plane even now in disbelief as I type but yeah, I booked a place just to help balance out my anxieties. I’m not quite ready for an Airbnb situation in an overwhelming city so since I decided getting a hotel would help with my new experience. Next time I think I’ll try Airbnb or a friend’s house though, especially because I don’t anticipate making a solo trip back at the last minute any time soon.

Anyway, I’m sure I’ll have something to report back. Just know, today this whole thing feels right. I know I’m moving in the right direction and there’s nothing more fulfilling than knowing that you’re actively taking steps to changing the course of your life.

More to come later. <3

-D.Wright

Located off of historic Allen Parkway, sits one of the most beautiful spaces I’ve ever visited for brunch. I’ve been wanting to check out The Kitchen at The Dunlavy for months and finally got the opportunity over last weekend. Usually when folks go somewhere or do something they’ve been anticipating, there’s a little bit of a let down. I can not say that was the case here. It was everything I hoped it to be…From the walk up to the door, the chandeliers, the food and atmosphere. I felt like a Black Alice in Wonderland waiting for the Mad Hatter and March Hare to serve me up a cup of something good.

As I mentioned, the walk up was absolutely beautiful. There was greenery from a park that shared the space below, as well as a bayou. Also notable, was the cemetery that neighbored the building. You would think it would make the vibe a bit morbid or dreary but the crazy thing was, even that looked enchanting. All I could think was the acreage this thing sits on is absolutely breathtaking.

Parking was kind of tricky since the lot was small. I decided to opt out of their reasonably priced valet to park in a smaller connected lot, and then made my way up the rock trail.

This is going to sound corny but it was lovely and so pleasant outside that it made it even better. From the snaps I took of the surrounding buildings, you can get a feel of how grandiose the landscaping and views were. Note to photographers: If you want to take pictures of Houston in all it’s glamorous, Southern glory – this is the spot to do it. You can also see a glimpse of Downtown that makes everything even more awe-inspiring.

Now for the entrance…anyone who knows me, knows that I’m absolutely obsessed with chandeliers. I don’t have one in my apartment, so I bought a painting of one and it’s literally hanging over my sofa as we speak. So imagine my girly-girl, shrieking joy when I walked in and laid my eyes on this amazing dining room. It nearly brought me to tears. Ok, maybe no tears were involved but my jaw absolutely dropped. It was an experience just walking into the space. I died and went to chandelier heaven.

As far as the feel of the room, after getting over the delightful drama of it all, it felt surprisingly warm and very charming. I went through the door and was able to order my food and beverages right away. The staff was friendly and professional so they helped us get though the line quickly. This place gets packed, so no drama around waiting for a table or waiters felt amazing.

Mimosa (Cocktail)

I don’t have to tell you the drinks were awesome. They had bite but were well very balanced and super tasty. We got a great deal on a carafe and pretty much went to boozy-town. So with the drinks, there were no complaints there just know we were Chatty-Cathy’s by the end of it.

For my meal, I decided to go with something a little traditional. Whenever I go to places I’ve never experienced, I select a simple meal. My thoughts are, “If they screw this up, I’m never coming back.” For the record, they didn’t screw it up and I’ll definitely be going back. The bacon was thick and salty. The eggs were light and perfectly drizzled in white American cheddar. The potatoes were seasoned and the toast was toasted for just the right amount of crisp. Everything was so good, even the butter made me go mmmmm.

The Egg Plate

There was so much more to see outside of the dining space. I can’t wait to go back and sit in their outdoor area. They have a new, loyal patron in me. I guarantee if you enjoy good eats and beautiful aesthetics, The Kitchen is the spot to visit. It’s such a jewel and I hope you enjoy it when you visit. <3

-D.Wright

Last Monday I had a shoot with one of my favorite people and photographers out of Houston, Jesus Camacho at Throughgood Coffee in The Heights.

Jesus and I talked a while back about my thoughts and what I was envisioning, vibe-wise. I tell you this man delivered! We came out with a bunch of beautiful shots for the blog and I can’t wait until you all see them.

I generally like to keep shoots super low-key because I get a little shy and anxious, but I enlisted the help of my go-to dynamic duo/my “dream-team” for make up and styling advice. Mayte Hernandez (a freelance MUA and stylist) slayed my make-up, she also helped pick out the looks you’ll see and Korlynn “KoKo” Mulligan (SCAD Alumnus) assisted. These ladies are the BOMB.com!

And funny enough, this was my first time working with Jesus on a personal project. We’ve had a couple collaborations for some internal tech company stuff, but we knew this would be different. It was going to be all me. The cool thing is, he’s so nice and creative. He gave me solid direction and we came out with some amazing shots that you’ll start to see later this week.

Now as for Throughgood Coffee, it’s actually my pastor’s coffee shop. Anyone that knows Pastor Rudy will tell you, he loves a good cup of coffee and will meet you at any shop for a chat. It’s honestly how he got me to first attend St. John’s. So opening a coffee shop has been a big dream of his and it finally came into fruition about a month back. They opened their doors in May and have seen hundreds of people come in for their daily cup of Joe.

And so when I first saw the space, I just knew I wanted to do something creative in it. So I gave Pastor Rudy a holler and asked if I could shoot for my blog, as soon as I got it up and running. He’s the coolest pastor ever and obliged, so here we are today.

Throughgood provided me the perfect backdrop for the first portion of my shoot (the second half I did at various outdoor locations). The interior materials are mostly a combination of of wood, glass, and different metals with big windows that reminded me a bit of my home aesthetic. There is also this earthy, very serene feeling you get right when you pull into the gates. It’s extremely soulful, in the best of ways, and intentional about its positive vibes. I mean he is a spiritual leader and all so I guess it makes sense. They have a beautiful outdoor area as well as a dog park for you puppy parents out there.

And of course there’s coffee. Amazing, amazing coffee. I’m not even really a coffee drinker but I loved the espresso I had and have had their juices on a previous trip as well. If you’re wondering about food, just know you’re in luck! They serve all kinds of organic, vegan goodies like this “Savory Cheesecake” pictured on the side there. On the weekends they have food trucks roll through with what I call the good stuff. Last I was there, I had this mouthwatering fried-catfish that legit had me dreaming about it for a week. Make sure to check out the website for more information on what trucks will be featured and the different things they’ll have going on. Oh yeah, for all of you workaholics out there, there is free Wi-Fi. Don’t you worry. You’re taken care of.

I know you’re also probably thinking, “how much will this run me?” Honestly the pricing is pretty good. I think I paid around six bucks and some change for a coffee cake and espresso. Juice prices were around$2/$3 and the food truck charges varied by restaurant. Good food/drinks and fair prices equals one happy little camper here.

With all I’ve told you, you can probably imagine how much of an awesome day it was for me. I was in wonderful company and got to shoot at one of my new favorite places in Houston for my very first blog shoot. On top of that, I had the support of these amazing people helping me to start my new venture off with a bang. I’m forever grateful for my sweet, little village and the beauty of my city. Thanks guys (and baby Beyoncé voice) I love you Houston. <3

-D.Wright