so i am way behind of posting to this little blog, mainly because todd and i were in africa for two glorious weeks over christmas and then since we have returned it’s been nuts trying to get back into the swing of things at work. we had an absolutely amazing time visiting my brother and his family in senegal, and no mere photos can adequately recreate the phenomenal experience we had there. so instead of trying to convey the entire trip, i am just going to post a few pics in each of the outfits i wore on the trip…all out of a carry-on, i might add. we rewore everything ad nauseum, of course, but i am still a bad-ass packer.
this vintage caftan dress was a staple for the whole trip. here i am wearing it to the open-air market in downtown dakar, where we went to pick up our lamb and other yummy ingredients for christmas dinner.
the market was a ridiculous experience on multiple levels…loud, crowded, dirty, fragrant, awesome. thank goodness my sister-in-law aurelie was there to shepherd us along (she’s the lovely lady buying the veggies in the below photo, btw). anyway, i wish i could share all of the photos i took there, but this will give you a tiny example of how crazy it was.
i also wore the dress on a trip to le corniche, one of dakar’s beach areas. we bought fresh coconuts and strolled around enjoying the scenery with pascal and our friends tim and akeelah.
not only is this vintage dress good for adventures, it is also good for lazing around under the mango tree in the front yard. behold:
outfit details: caftan dress is vintage; silver-blue shoes are barefoots by merrell and are the BEST shoes for traveling. i wish i had another pair. yellow bag is kate spade.
song inspiration: “arawan” by tinariwen. tinariwen is one of my very favorite african groups. they are from mali, one of the countries that border senegal. i’ve been lucky enough to see them play a few times and they put on an amazing live show. this kind of music always makes me feel so nostalgic for west africa, where i spent my youth. it was awesome to be back there, even for such a short time.
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I LOVE Tinariwen. Love. So very much. They always put me in the best mood ever, and they all have such fascinating histories… And they record their albums in the DESERT. That’s cool.
Welcome home, I’m super jealous of your trip, the few pictures you posted look unreal. Can’t wait for the rest of your posts. That dress looks like the perfect travel dress, and it suits you to a T. I love how the skirt almost looks like it has ruffle tiers to it in the first picture, also, even if it is just an optical illusion.
When are you going to rejoin the catladies?
I was wondering where you’d gone and why you’d gone silent. Good to know you were off doing adventurous and enriching things. That caftan looks deliciously comfortable and the coconut just looked delicious. Welcome back
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