adventure - Stevie Jewel

04.02.17

Adventures in Nice

Before arriving in France I discovered there were these fantastic antique markets in Nice, where we would be visiting. We took the train from Monaco to Nice and spent the afternoon strolling the promenade, enjoying cappuccinos beside the ocean and searching for this antique market. Just when we were about to give up, assuming it wasn’t operating during the week, we saw the street tents across the street in the distance. We spent a few hours strolling all of the beautiful vintage clothing, handbags, home decor, jewelry, and furniture. It was an absolute dream for someone who likes to antique! We saw vintage Chanel, Dior, Lagerfeld, Louis Vuitton, antique french linens, beautiful fabrics, and some of the most unique items, like the vintage hand decorated toilet! We then stumbled upon the most decadent creperie, Ballanger, and overindulged on the sweetest of treats. I also found this great vintage shop called Depot Vente Luxe, which had lots of excellent treasures. I highly recommend discovering these spots for yourself, they were magical, and the market in particular reminded me of Midnight in Paris. You’ll notice I’m wearing a backpack in a lot of these shots, which is new for me. I was never a fan of backpacks until I found this perfectly sized Cole Haan bag, it fit all my travel essentials, kept my hands free, and still looked effortlessly chic.

03.30.17

Vintage Tea in Dublin

I’m such a fan of tea. Also of high tea. And double decker buses. So Vintage Tea Tours was an absolute dream! It’s fairly new, so I’m so glad that my mum stumbled across it when she was exploring Dublin! As soon as you walk down the cobblestone street it feels as though you’re on your way to experience a cross between the Knight Bus of Harry Potter and a Tea Party with the mad hatter and Alice. Once seated on the second level we were greeted with a tray of treats and an offering of tea flavors. I chose the rosé champagne tea which was light and fruity. The array of edible offerings ranged from a sour green apple cupcake to cucumber and cream cheese finger sandwiches. Then we were off and touring around Dublin viewing all the best that it has to offer from Phoenix Park to the Spire in the heart of the city, passing Trinity College and Temple Bar along the way! All in all the experience was truly a delight. Our host was knowledgable, friendly, and attentive, the bus was well restored and well appointed for a tea tour, and the food was fun and whimsical.

03.28.17

Giant’s Causeway

I’ve seen some beautiful places and the coast of Ireland is one of those places. It’s wild and harsh but so breathtakingly beautiful. The ocean crashes up against massive cliffs of rolling green hills moving inland. The water is a pure blue and the sky on a sunny day is a robins egg shade. It feels almost magical as the wind whips up from the water and tugs at your hair and the edges of your clothes. One of the most interesting places we visited was Giant’s Causeway, a world heritage site that was formed by molten lava meeting the sea. I would advise a hat and scarf if visiting in the late winter or early spring. The hat is no longer available and the scarf is from the winter FabFitFun box, but I’ve linked to similar options for the hat here and for the scarf here.

03.25.17

Exploring Northern Ireland

I love old castles and there is no shortage in the United Kingdom and Ireland! This castle, Carrickfergus Castle, was a fortress on the edge of Belfast. It’s right off the main road now and a whole portion of the city has grown up around it. It was one of the first structures in that area and it’s wonderful that they preserved it even with the modern world growing up around it. One of the best tips I could give anyone traveling to Ireland during March is to pack lots of light layers, because the weather is erratic but the landscape is beautiful! A light rain jacket and a light down jacket are a great option for layering. I chose one from Uniqlo, which I’m linking here because it’s the ideal travel jacket and it happens to be on sale right now!

03.23.17

Belfast Castle

This year I’ve had the opportunity to play in several new locations, one of which being Ireland. While there I was able to visit several beautiful and unique places. One of those places was Belfast Castle in Belfast. The castle used to be a private home and has now been converted into a space that is used for weddings and events. It’s situated high on a hill overlooking Belfast and the ocean. I was there to play the Belfast Nashville Songwriter Festival and during our free day is when I ventured out to the castle. It’s so inspiring to see historic places and imagine the lives of the people who lived there, it always get my writer wheels turning!

02.24.17

The Wardrobe Department

One thing I’ve found necessary when traveling so much is being active when I can be. That sometimes looks like walking and exploring a new city, trying a new class, or one of my favorite hobbies is yoga! I’ve been practicing yoga on and off for more than 10 years, and I’m such a fan of all the benefits, which are both mental and physical. I recently partnered with a great athletic wear company, LavaLoka, and I am loving the patterns they have as well as the high waistband! The colors update my normally black yoga pants to something more fun and interesting, I also love this particular pair because the roses are so beautiful! Check out more of LavaLoka here, and this is one of my favorite yoga studios in Nashville!

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