Postcard from Corinthia Hotel, Lisbon

Hello Darlings!!

Finally I get to share with you my Postcard from the AMAZING Corinthia Hotel Lisbon. It took me a minute to figure out how I was going to capture this heartwarming experience in a single image to open this post. But then I remembered that my first wow impression of this exquisite five-star hotel, happened when I opened the curtains in my room (see below), and saw this glorious view of the city from my window. I knew I had to portray the wonderful cityscape in her chic, wide-leg pants...

So here is the thing my friends, I want to get really real with you about this hotel experience, because it was unlike any trip I have ever been on. Corinthia Lisbon makes it their mission to show you not only an impeccable stay at their hotel, but ALSO the very best of what this city has to offer. So if you are wanting to go to Lisbon and leave feeling like you dove right into the heart of the city, look no further than this hotel.

When I first arrived at my room, my dining table was adorned with a beautiful fruit tart and welcome letter from the sweet general manager Roderick Micallef (see above). Almost immediately after settling in, the hotel's pr manager Maria Galante, aka the heart & soul of Hotel Corinthia Lisbon, whisked myself and my travel mates down to the SPA for an aromatherapy massage to get us back in balance after our flight from NYC. And from there we got dressed and ready to head into the city for our first day of adventures...

We started off in the very cool LX Factory area where we had lunch at A Praca restaurant (see below).

Almost immediately I started to feel the vibes of the Lisboa way of lifeeee. A little red sangria with our lunch, and some amazing majestic tunes floating across the restaurant, made NYC seem like a distant memory. After finishing our delicious meal of traditional Portuguese fresh fish and tapas cuisine, we headed out to the streets of this neighborhood to explore...

We happened upon this amazing labyrinthe bookstore, Ler Devagar, (see above) and of course I waited until the perfect moment when all the pathways cleared to take this photo ;p!!

From there we ventured to Mercado da Ribeira (see above), Lisbon's main food market since 1892, which was reinvigorated in 2014 when Time Out Magazine transformed the space into a foodies paradise.

We got so lucky with the gorgeous weather from the minute we arrived. All the incredible pastel colored buildings just glistened in the sunshine. Above is a view of the stunning Rua Augusta Arch and below is the view when you climb to the top!! FYI, Lisbon is packed with the most ornate architecture; with every turn of the corner, you get to discover a new jewel.


By this time our jetlag was starting to kick in so Corinthia Lisbon lead us on an adventure up Tram 28 for a pre-dinner drink in Alfama. From here you could see all the breathtaking views over the city (see below).

After we were properly sun-kissed and blissed, we were ready for our mouthwatering dinner at Corinthia's Tipico Restaurant. I can still remember the taste of that citrus glazing the fresh octopus salad and wait...now my stomach is growling!! I fell fast asleep that night with visions of Lisbon racing through my mind.

DFS T Journal #MustPack Feature

SO excited to share this feature I did with DFS for their T-Journal #MustPack series. Check out the full interview on their site here: http://t-journal.dfs.com/post/144547978424/meagan-morrisons-mustpack-travel-essentials!!

Much love,
Meag xx

Bustle x H&M Summer Feature

Happy Sunday Darlings,

Last month just before I left for Portugal and right after I returned from Japan, I got the opportunity to play dress-up with Bustle and H&M for a photo shoot in my favorite NYC Summer spot. I also got to share where I go for inspiration, what is on my Summer bucketlist, and everything in between. Check out the feature here: http://www.bustle.com/articles/157466-fashion-illustrator-meagan-morrison-of-travel-write-draw-dishes-on-summer-style-her-new-york and see how I put together my favorite look from the new collection.

Much love,
Meag xx

First Class to Lisbon, Portugal with United Airlines!!

Good Evening My Loves!!

I hope you all had an amazing month of April. Looking back on the blog, I realize that it was already one month ago that I left for Japan!! I was only back in NYC for 6 days before leaving to Portugal with United Airlines and Corinthia Lisbon from April 24th - 29th and simply ran out of time to post on my blog ;p!! So without further adieu, I would LOVE to share with you my experience from this extraordinary adventure.

United Airlines flew myself and 3 other journalists first class to Lisbon, but the journey really began the minute we checked in at Global Services in Newark's Terminal C. We were escorted to the gorgeous United Club (see below left) where we had cocktails and got to meet our travel companions.

Then we had a personal tour of the new OTG dining and shopping experience called "Oasis Concepts" in Terminal C where we had an award winning mixologist create custom cocktails from the bar cart (see above right). Can you imagine how elated my fellow travellers and I were?! And it didn't stop there. OTG and United prepared a plethora of sushi, cheese plates, bite-size burgers, and more for us to snack on before boarding the flight...

Needless to say, we did not go hungry. It was so interesting to see all the new restaurant concepts in the terminal, from Happy Clam (see above) to the future Dumpling House. They are bringing the experience you have eating out in Manhattan to the airport, and making quality food in a chic setting that reshapes the way we perceive airport dinning.

I will never forget my first view of Lisbon from the sky when we landed bright and early on Monday morning. I'm not exactly sure HOW I'm supposed to adjust to flying economy overseas ever again but I guess my cinderella moment can't last forever ;P!! I just want to express my deepest gratitude to United Airlines and OTG for showing my travel mates and I the most incredible commute to Portugal. So many magical memories stay with me but especially the hospitality and generosity of their teams.

SO excited to share with you my new illustration and Postcard from Corinthia Lisbon, Portugal coming up shortly. The one I created above was inspired by the feeling of first class with United and the blue & white tiles of Lisbon. Stay tuned for more my darlings!!

Much love,
Meag xx

Japan Bound Friday April 8th!!

Helloooooo My Darlings!! 

It's been ages since I've posted on Travel Write Draw. I've had an insane first quarter in 2016 and while I'm very grateful, I've also had little to no time to post on my blog. I'm about 10 posts behind and will definitely get caught up with that in the coming weeks. For now, I'm packing for my first trip to Japan leaving tomorrow AM. I've been dreaming of Japan since I was a little girl, when my Dad would takeoff to this otherworldly place for work and return with the most eye-catching garments, fans, stationary and pens. It left a very vivid impression on me and now I can't wait to experience it with my own eyes.

All this week I've been illustrating new sketches inspired by this upcoming trip on my INSTAGRAM @TRAVELWRITEDRAW. If you don't already follow me there, I would love to have you join me. I'm active daily on Instagram and show quite a bit of my process there. I will also be updating daily during my trip to Japan. And for those of you who live there, do not hesitate to reach out and connect.

Stay tuned for more my loves!!

Much love,
Meag xx

Illustrated Map of Neiman Marcus Roosevelt Field

Hello My Loves,

So excited to reveal that I teamed up with the incredible crew over at Simon SAID to illustrate Harley Veira Newton's dream excursion at the new Neiman Marcus store at Simon’s Roosevelt Field. This map highlights key moments of her private shopping trip and some of the swoon-worthy goodies they have on the floor now. Check out the full feature here http://bit.ly/1KOzIM3 and see for yourself what all the fuss is about!!

Much love,
Meag xx

Copenhagen Fashion Week Bound!!

Hola Chickadees!

Fashion Week season is upon us, and NYC is all abuzz, but tomorrow I'm sneaking off to Copenhagen to check out a little of their fashion week scene first. This will be my first visit to the Scandinavian countries, so please leave any suggestions on what to see, do, eat, shop, draw in the comments below. Oh and stay tuned for NYFW happenings coming soon...

Much love,
Meag xx

Postcard from Le Guanahani, St. Barth

Bonjour My Loves, 

I hope you are having a fantastic start to 2016!! I returned home to NYC on Jan 7th, and before I could even unpack my suitcase, I was already filling up another one with clothes for St. Barth. I spent a few cherished and exquisite days at the beautiful Le Guanahani (Jan 13th - 16th) in celebration of their 30th anniversary.

Everything about this experience felt like a decadent adventure. I was flown from NYC to San Juan where I caught my Tradewind Aviation flight to the island. You can see my sheer elation boarding the sleek 8 seater in the photo above. My fears over flying in a small plane melted over the exquisite views of St. Barth from above. You can see for yourself below...

And the visual paradise had only just begun. When we arrived at the hotel, it was clear that this was a property that understood its DNA and the feel of five star boutique. Every inch of Le Guanahani is worthy of an Instagram (and you know that's the highest ranking in my books). The redesign, which took place very recently, was centred around the panama hat as inspiration. You can see these design elements in the lobby above and my room below...

Not since Marrakech had I experienced such an emotional response to hotel interiors. This room had my jaw dragging along the floor with every turn. I had an oceanview suite with a wrap around terrace that looked out onto the water. Even my bathtub had views overlooking that sparkling blue...

But what I especially loved about this experience was that Le Guanahani's Managing Director, Martein van Wagenberg, encouraged our group to go out and experience the island and all of its charm. We spent our first morning on a catamaran swimming and snorkelling out around Colombier Beach...

I must have been a sailor in a past life because I'm always most at peace when I'm on the water. Later that same day we rented a car to go out and explore Saline Beach and the town of Gustavia, which is brimming with quaint restaurants and chic boutiques...