This past Sunday was one of those crazy days where I actually felt energized when I woke up. I NEVER feel energized after sleeping because I’m pretty much always exhausted. I blame Reese, a.k.a. Hurricane Reese. I also blame weight training, running, not eating properly, not drinking enough water and going to bed way too late for the past two months. Sigh.
Our Ottawa summers are delightful ones. Bypassing spring altogether, we go from -40C to +40C in the blink of an eye. Hey – I’m ok with that. While I love spring as it is heralds summer, I can do without the slushy nastiness and bipolar conditions.
Sunday was pretty much the perfect summer day. I know that summer is actually nine days away, but it felt like July outside. I took the opportunity to get out of bed early, grab a healthy breakfast and explore downtown. I heard that the Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG) was officially open and I wanted to check it out.
As I hit Daly Avenue to get to the gallery, I was struck at how gorgeous it was. Heritage building after heritage building, I felt like I discovered something new. I didn’t…I just realized as I walked down the street that I live in a suburbanite bubble. Mental note: enjoy downtown more outside of Rideau Centre and the Byward Market.
On this fine day, I wanted to be comfortable so I put on my trusty black Topshop jeans and a favourite blush crop from Free People. Comfy feet are important, so my flatform Vans made the cut along with my new favourite Coach backpack.
I’m particularly glad that I decided to hit the gallery because I ran into one of my favourite people, Alyssa. We walked along while laughing up and storm and managed to take a few great shots outside of the OAG.
My little visit to the outskirts of the downtown core was a satisfying and relaxed one. It truly was easy like Sunday morning.
*Photography courtesy of Alyssa Beltempo. Check out her amazing YouTube channel!
Dominique is a Canadian-based fashion and beauty influencer with a strong voice in Ottawa’s black community. Since launching her blog Style Domination in 2015, she has amassed a global fanbase. Dominique shares her life through beautiful imagery and compelling story-telling that speaks to her fans on a personal level. She’s been featured in The Guardian, Flare, The Kit and Cityline. She also hosts events for Dress for Success, the Gem Conference, and has been named a United Way Person 2 Know for the past three years.