OOTDs: Been Wearing the Shorts.

Day: Tuesday, May 13, 2014.

Where: Little Gym.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) I went ahead and got a size 10 in these Vacationland shorts from the J. Crew Factory.  I maybe could have gone to an 8 since they are a bit baggy in the waist, but since these have a fairly short inseam, I knew it was my best bet to buy them at a size where I could pull them down a bit on the hips to make them a touch longer.  They are made from a linen/cotton blend so they are perfection when it is super hot out, which it was that night.  As much as I wanted these in the silk version from retail last year, I am SO GLAD I waited, since these are much more appropriate for my life, and at a much better price point, too.  (They are officially called the Factory Pull-On short in Florida pink, you can still find a size 4 today, and if you are reading this in the future, maybe there will be a popback in other sizes?)

The tee is a dupe of another retail tee from last year.  In fact, it is almost the same exact fabric and look, so besides the label, I can't really tell that it is not the same item.  This I took in a size extra-small, and as I expected, it definitely runs large and long since linen knits always stretch out and get a bit saggy.  This is called the Factory Collector Umbrella Tee and can be found here.


The sandals are a new favorite find at Anthropologie (called the Siempre sandals and can be found here).  They are from a British brand called Esska and even though I am buying less and less from both Anthro and J. Crew lately, these pretty sandals looked so inviting in the catalog and on-line that I figured I could at least try them out and if I didn't find them so wonderful and comfortable, I would return them, full stop.  But yeah, no, they are as amazing as the owners of the brand promised and I find myself wearing them a lot already this summer (and I received them a mere three weeks ago).  I did size down to a 40 since I know that with British brands (cough, cough BODEN) the shoes can run wide, and I didn't want to go through the hassle of buying the "correct" size only to find it was too big width-wise on my feet.  Of course my feet do hang right near that edge, but not so much that it is too short overall.  (WARNING--some of the reviews say they run small.  I think it really depends on your particular foot shape and size. FWIW, I wear a 9.5 in J. Crew ballet flats, and I find they are not too narrow--but know a lot of women who can't wear J. Crew ballet flats because they are so narrow.)

Cool Factor: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) Yes, this is a pretty cool summer SAHM look.  I felt young that day.  And that is always a good thing.

Anecdote from the Day:  My dad, being the kind man that he is, knew that I couldn't take all three kids from school and then to Rex's baseball practice all by myself without it officially dragging me into the ground.  (My hubby was at a Mastadon concert.  Yeah, Elbow one night, then two nights later, MASTADON.  Ugh.)  So instead of letting me sweat it all out, he joined me and even treated the four of us to a little snack at Grounded, our favorite coffee shop.  Then while Rex and my dad were at practice, CW and Angus and I went to the Little Gym.

Day: Wednesday, May 14, 2014.

Where: School Pickup.

Ease of Wear: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) I don't remember these shorts being so fitted.  It is also possible that the combo of just being washed and a bit of "girl" bloating didn't help the situation.  I mean they eventually stretched out a bit (they are a seersucker), but the first hour or so I was all, "why did I buy these in that size?"  LOL.

To make matters worse, I thought it was supposed to be in the 70s and slightly cloudy, but instead I was faced with windy and 60s and cloudy.  I would have been better off wearing the sweater with a pair of pants and cute ballet flats.  Oh, well, live and learn.

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) For all my bitching, it is a pretty cute outfit, and looks nice in the photo.

Anecdote from the Day:  Not much happened that day other than me being oh so wrong about the weather.

Day: Wednesday, May 7, 2014.

Where: Rex's batting practice and Winesday.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) I forgot to put this in Thursday's post about wearing handmade items.  Oops.  Aw, well.  Anyhow, these shorts are just the same as the linen/rayon version in that post, but because I knew they would be too big in the waist, I went ahead and made this version smaller at the waist.  Therefore these are very comfortable and do not threaten to fall off every time I wear them.  ;-)

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) I like the way this looks, but definitely more pretty than cool. 

Anecdote from the Day:  My brother came with me to Rex's batting practice since it is really close to where Winesday is held.  Last few seasons of baseball practice we only had one practice a week, but now that Rex is older, we have a regular practice and a batting practice.  Here's the thing...we live a good twenty to forty minutes from where practice is held (depending on traffic--which of course we have to deal with in the afternoons heading in the direction away from DC), so this extra practice for a whole fifteen minutes seems not worth it, but is worth it if we can tack on something else to the trip.  Lucky for everyone involved that his batting practice just so happens to fall on the same night as my favorite non-kid activity (well, it *used* to be non-kid, lol).

Day: Friday, May 30, 2014.

Where: Little Gym.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) This outfit was very easy to wear, but the boots have a weird smell (that kind of fresh from the box leathery smell), and I found it obnoxious, so I am taking the score down a bit.  The smell will go away soon enough, so when that happens, future outfits with these cute Anthro boots (called the Ring Toss Boots and can be found here in clearance) won't be dinged.

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) I think it looks cool, but this is very much different than what I normally gravitate towards, so I wasn't 100% comfortable with how I looked.

Anecdote from the Day:  The day also included a trip to Harris Teeter.  Of course it did, because why wouldn't I go to the grocery store if I can?  :-)

Okay, that's it for now. 

I forgot to announce anywhere at all yesterday (even on the facebook page) that Boden started up a 30% off beach-y items.  You can find the items on sale here (swimsuits, etc., are at the bottom).  This sale will probably run the rest of the week and into the weekend.  If you like something that isn't in the sale, you can either use the 25% off coupon below or the one in the sidebar to get the extra % off, along with free shipping.

OOTDs: Posting to Prove I Am Alive.

Ha.  I am still alive.  :)  I took a couple days off of facebook, e-mail, and blogging because I couldn't do it.  Ya know?  I think we all have those moments, mine was actually caused by a whole lot of scheduled events taking the place of the time I would have normally had for my virtual self...but even if I hadn't had a whole slew of child- and bowling-centered activities, I may have still taken the time off so I could rejuvenate.

Anyhow, it has been a bit chilly here, especially at the beginning of this week, so most of the outfits below are my attempt at staying warm without having to pull out the parka and hats (seriously saw that on Monday, it wasn't *that* cold, people!)...

How have you all been?  Life taking you away, too?  Keeping the chill at bay with warm cozy sweaters?  ;)

Wore this for a preschool run on Tuesday. :)  The outfit held up insanely well for what I put it through.

The pants (Boden's Zip Ankle Skimmer) I will discuss further in the Boden Weekly Review Roundup (later today, I hope), but if you want a sneak peek, I did a quickie review here at the Facebook page.

The French Hen sweater is delightful, and I really enjoyed wearing it.  It is a size small, which is one size up from my normal extra-small.  I wore a layering tee under it, but the sweater turned out to be less itchy than I anticipated, so I didn't need it...

However, I ended up getting hot, so I took the sweater off at midday and just wore the tee, so I am glad I wore that layer.

Very simple makeup that day.

BTW, those Anthro earrings are heading for my hall of fame, I wear them at least once a week.  At $15, that is a great cost per wear and they are less than a year old.

I went to TJ Maxx during the preschool run (had to grab a play mat for Angus) and I tried on some shoes and a jacket...you know, because I could...and I fell in deep love with these heels.  They are Kate Spade Jocelyn heels and so swoon-worthy.  However, I left them at the store because I didn't have enough in my account to pay for them, and I figured if they were there when I did get money in the account, it was meant to be...

The jacket is Tory Burch and while very lovely, at $200 (originally $400), I couldn't justify it...this jacket would need to be a-freaking-mazing for me to buy it at that amount.

I look like I smell something bad.

I wore this on Wednesday to take Angus to his Little Gym class.  Oops.  They decided to do tumbling that day, and yeah, even though the jeans are wonderful, they weren't exactly the best pair for tumbling.  Wearing yoga pants the next class.

Now I clearly smell roses.

No bag here in this photo.

So the Kate Spade heels in the photo two up?  I ended up buying them after Angus's class...they were still there...and I had money to cover them.  (There's a moral of the story there, but I am not going to bother mentioning it.)  :)

I wore this yesterday to do yet another preschool run and bowling (mis)adventure.

Dottie is still kicking my butt in bowling, btw, for those of you keeping track.

I blame my bad score on the pants, though.  Turns out I bought last season's Roma trousers too large (but in my usual size 8 Long) and they kept. falling. down.  Agh!  Not good for bowling.  Will delegate these pants as travel pants exclusively as they were insanely comfortable.

Next week, I am going to kick Dottie's bottom and I will wear well-fitting pants to ensure my success.  ;)

I hadn't worn this Liberty of London for Target tunic top in a while, so I was glad to give it another day in the sunshine.

So this one is from Monday and not anything special, but I will tell you that this cowlneck sweatshirt from the J. Crew Factory is awesome.  Unfortunately it was cool enough that even this didn't keep me 100% warm (had to use a blanket when just sitting in my chair). 

I ended up going to the grocery store that night and this kept me warm enough then, but this was where I saw all the crazy people in their parkas.  It was maybe 50 degrees, but no colder.  In parts of Canada people would be in shorts and a tee if it was that warm (admittedly, we are talking about Labrador here, but still!).

CW had chosen these earrings for me, and though I would have normally not chosen them for myself, she ended up picking up a perfect pair.  Love them.  I am definitely going to have her help me style outfits in the future.  ;)

You all have a great day, will be back later!

Continued: My Long-Lasting Liberty Love.

Hi!  Before I begin a very photo-heavy post of my love affair with Liberty of London's fabrics, I wanted to let you all know that running around for two weeks after 7-9 years olds took its toll and I pretty much slept the entire weekend.  I *almost* fell asleep at church, which lol, I am sure many of you do without being really tired, but for me is almost unheard of.  :)  So I just didn't have the energy to update my blog.

Regarding Boden, I have taken a look at the winter preview site and I think I will pre-order maybe two pieces.  It's not that I am not inspired, no, much of it is very pretty, but honestly, only a couple of things will fill a need in my life, especially considering that I have a major closet overhaul to do before I can truly justify much more in the dress department, at least.  I do have "picks," though, and definitely will publish those fairly soon.  Also, the maternity coupon expired, which bums me out, but maybe that means a really good offer is coming soon?  (We can hope?  I will let you know if a good one comes along.)  For now, there is a 10% off with free ship/returns running in my sidebar, if you need a coupon.

Onto Liberty!

Ah, the Liberty Bouquet Shirtdress.  I have now worn this multiple times this spring and summer, including twice on my trip to GA/NC/VA.  This time was when we were heading to the Chattanooga Childrens Museum, and I knew I couldn't get super dressed up, but wanted to look decent.  :)

I did a review of it back at this post if you ever see it popback on J. Crew or you find one on ebay that you want. 

The shoes are the Antiqued Stone Flip Flops, and are currently on clearance at jcrew.com.  I took a size 9 (I usually wear a size 9.5).  I quite like them, again, kind of dressy casual, you know?

CW's outfit is all girly a la the way the deep south likes 'em, big ole bow in her hair, gingham, and lots of ric-rac and ruffling.  ;)  Her shoes are the Surf and Sand Salt-water sandals that J. Crew sells.  Since we get to our neighborhood pool by crossing a stream, we actually have a need for good water shoes for all members of our family.  Rex even has toddler sized Tevas.  ;)

Outside the museum, after the visit.  HIGHLY recommended.  I love childrens museums, I wish DC had a better one that was closer to us.  I often will just go to the Richmond one instead because it is big, clean, easy to park at, and fairly inexpensive.

The bag is the Frankie bag (Borge Gavari).  I was lucky to be the only bidder on this on ebay a year ago.  I think I ended up paying just around $100.  It was in perfect condition, btw.  Great bag, nice size, the pink isn't too pink, and if you use it every day, it ages nicely, and looks loved, not used.

The sunglasses are my only real splurge (the Long Floral Swing Skirt would have been one, but the eventual super-discount I was able to get from my amazing Personal shopper brought that down out of the stratosphere) in the past six months.  They are Thierry Lasry and upon spying them at the stand alone Anthropologie accessories store in Friendship Heights, I knew that if the Anthro powers that be sent me a 15% birthday coupon, I would use it for these.  They have the incredibly ridiculous name "Sexxxy," but I do love them so.  :)

Close up of glasses in car ride.  I love how you can see CW smiling away back there in her car seat.  That is one plush car seat...no wonder she falls asleep so easily.

I wore the dress again when we were heading home...here we are at Natural Bridge, VA, and if you can, I highly suggest a stop here.  It is an arched stone natural formation that is really really tall, (can't see it in our photo) surrounded by the beauty of the Eastern woodland, and has a perfect little gurgling stream right next to it.  We try to stop here whenever we head to GA, or on the way home from GA....

And guess what is on the other side of the mountain from Natural Bridge (due east)?  Yee-ha!  Lynchburg, you all. :)  This time I stopped at the Millrace location which is were the actual shipping center is located.  I prefer the Wyndhurst location, which is pretty close to this one, but I still found a couple of goodies for some great prices.  (Quinn hobo from 2008--great price; Lula Snakeskin Ballet Flats--great price; Sevigne Capri Sandals--great price; and for Mr. Dina?  Converse Distressed Jack Purcell Sneakers for the especially great price of $10!) 

BTW, those of you wanting Mona heels or a Edie purse?  There were a lot of those, and it was barely into the fall season when I went.  I think you can either go and get them for yourself, OR know that some ebay reseller will have them up for sale, I promise. 

So you all know, the clearance centers sell really nice things.  Only the purse had a slight stain on it, but one that I knew I could get out with leather cleaner.  The other items were in wonderful shape.

This is a Liberty print in Tana Lawn fabric by Theory that I got from Saks on deep clearance a few years back.  Still love this dress, and try and find a reason to wear this at least once a summer.  The reason this time is that I was using the book "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" in my teaching last week, and wanted dresses and outfits with a floral theme.  (You will see the rest of those, plus the "fish" themed ones from the "Swimmy" week later on this week.)

Yes, I am wearing the frog clasp double strand necklace with this dress.  It has held up well all these years I have owned it.  Only thing, and this is important to note, this is the ONLY jewelry item from J. Crew that I own that does not have the "J. Crew" circle indicating it was made for J. Crew.  So if you get one from ebay, know that it will not have that circle, and that's okay.  Mine was bought from J. Crew, so it is an actual piece from them.

The sandals are the Reese Studded Snakeskin sandals.  Yet another ebay find.  I know these were from the clearance center because they have the tell-tale black mark, but other than that, nothing wrong from my vantage point.  And for $40 versus (I think) $400 (YIKES!), I will take a black mark, fine. with. me.

Finally, Liberty a la Target.  Still love and wear this top, even though it is poly.  We were just going to IKEA that night for dinner (yum, Swedish MEATBALLS!  with LINGONBERRY SAUCE!  and ROSE HIP DRINK!), but any chance to match CW?  Um, yeah!

The shorts are from the J. Crew outlet and the sandals are old school J. Crew circa Spring 2005. 

Alrighty, thanks for indulging my "have seen already" outfit choices.  I guess, if nothing else, it does prove that I do wear items again and again.  LOL. 

Have a great night.  Stay healthy!  And long live Liberty!

Dressy Dress Carnival Cruise Style.

When I was on my first cruise, it was on a Royal Caribbean, and when they said "formal attire" necessary at dinner, they meant it.  Carnival Cruises, though, have a bit different way of dealing with formal attire...turns out the super-fancy cocktail wear and men's suits and tuxes are not really necessary.  My husband was thrilled, of course.  So guess who ended up being the fanciest dressed those "formal" nights?  Yep, me, and CW.  Of course.  LOL.

There was only one night of formality, but I *chose* to have two dressier evenings, casual cruising be dam**d.  :)

First night of "formal" was the actual night of formality--not the dinagideon "I make my own rules" night.  I saw a lot of polo shirts and khaki pants from the guys.  There were at least a few of us ladies all decked out in our finest, so I know that at least the XX chromosomes care about putting on a peacock-y kind of show.

You all, this is one of those dresses, you know, the ones that LOOK better than they feel?  Especially on a cruise with dinners ranging in about the 3500 calorie sphere?  Yes, I should reserve this dress for actual cocktail parties, not sit down dinners where no one really cares what you look like.  LOL.

I did get a few compliments, even one from a really sweet girl in the hallway when I was just about to head back inside and change because I felt so uncomfortable.  With her very nice words echoing in my brain, I headed up to the cattle call dinner table...

The dress is the Milly Lace Deziree Dress (or so that is what Revolve clothing calls it, I believe Milly itself named it some other name) in a size 8 (so I am wearing my true Milly size here, no vanity sizing here, darn it, lol, I would have probably been able to have more to eat that night had it been a vanity size).  The shoes are the amazingly, super silky, completely practical ridiculous J. Crew Collection Tilly satin two tone platform shoes.  These shoes were so much more comfortable than the dress (c'est shock!).

From the back.  The detailing on this dress was worth the pain it was to wear...the lace is intricate, and the slip is just shiny enough to add interest without being too blingy.  I felt like I was wearing some really pretty wrapping paper.  :)

CW close-up.  She was wearing a darling little frock from one of those Southern only kind of companies, you know the type that embroiders, monograms, and smocks every item the designers can get their hands on...

Rex can drink from a glass, which I guess is a good thing, although watching him in action kind of freaks us all out.  (Mainly, OMG, please, for the love of all things cruise-related, DO NOT DROP THE GLASS!)

He went with Hawaiian dressy casual.  Do you know how much I paid for that shirt?  $1.  (Awesome, and thank you so much, Goodwill!)

Rex took this pic.  I think he did pretty well.  :)  I look and feel happy by this point because, and this is between you, me, and the walls of this blog, of wine.  Sweet delicious wine.  LOL.

This was the last night of the cruise, but I wanted to wear this outfit so badly, I didn't care if everyone and their brother was wearing muscle shirts and short basketball shorts, I was going to have sequins, bright pink sequins. 

This photo was taken from my dad's balcony stateroom.  It was nice having access to this.  We (all four of us!!!) were in an interior stateroom, which really is no great big deal, but when you can sit out and watch the freaking Atlantic ocean go by you, it truly seems worth the extra expense.

Details on the outfit:  Top, J. Crew Collection Sequined Starland Tank, Cardigan, J. Crew Summerweight Cashmere Short Sleeve Cardigan, and Skirt, J. Crew Stretch Double Serge Pencil Skirt.

This outfit was much more comfortable.  I felt as good that smile on my face would have you believe.  :)

Arty shot, ding, ding, ding.  :)

My kids look a bit, well, reluctant, but they had a good time, too.  Baby CW is wearing the Liberty of London for Target toddlers' frock, and my husband and Rex are definitely wearing preppy casual. 

Mommy Style Monday #20--Packing Polyvores Revisted... by dinagideon featuring fitted pants

Just a reminder of the items I brought with me on the cruise. In the polyvore itself (if you click on it), you will be able to go to another post about the cruise.

So now I believe I am now done showing off all the cruise wear from over a month ago. I just finished unpacking, too. I don't mean to procrastinate, but I find unpacking so much less thrilling than packing. I know I can't possibly be alone in feeling this way, right? LOL.

Also, quick reminder to my Arbonne fans/clients...tonight is the last night you can purchase $85 or more to receive the free RE9 Regenerating Toner. Thanks!

You all have a great Friday!

40 and 40: H&M Sleeveless Polo and Liberty of London for Target Top.

For more info on my 40 and 40 post, please visit the first post to learn more.

I forgot to mention in both the first and second post that I am more than willing to combine shipping, so if you wanted two or more items, let me know and I can get back to you with a combined shipping rate.

Thank you for continuing to look at my 40 and 40.  Remember, unless an item says "sold" or "given away," it is still available.  I have also created a label called "40 and 40" so you can look at all the items in the 40 and 40 without any other post coming up (labels are listed at the very bottom of each post, btw).

Okay, here are #76 and 75:

H&M Striped Sleeveless Polo.  Size Medium.  Fits more like a J. Crew small, so bear that in mind.  It is stretchy, uber-comfy, and those stripes?  So fresh and spring-like.  FREE (add $3.50 for shipping).

Liberty of London for Target Ruffle Collar Top.  Size small.  OBVIOUSLY I love this.  That said, the ruffle combined with the small ditsy print does the exact opposite of what I thought it would do--it makes my upper body seem way smaller which only emphasizes my pear shape.  (Isn't that weird?)  $5 (add $4.00 for shipping).

P.S. About 40 minutes left in my Arbonne goody bag giveaway.  Remember to visit my website to find out more and to make an order before midnight Eastern time.  :)

To Celebrate My Birthday, I Give You a Celebration of the Sundress!

I thought I was old last year. Yeah, no. This year I feel even older. So, yay, birthdays! LOL. ;) (Happy Canada Day, you all, btw.) (Oh, and happy birthday to my fellow July 1 birthday gals, Gigiofca and Betsy! Can we be blog triplets?)

So rather than focus on me getting older, I am going to focus on one of my very favorite clothing items--the ever awesome summer sundress. I must own a bazillion sundresses, and with good reason, I wear them nearly. every. single. day. during the summer. Who can blame me when it is a million degrees outside with some insane humidity level? Plus, and this may shock some of you, sundresses are cooler than shorts and a tank. :)

I give you Part One of the Sundress Extravaganza (love that word). Part two, three, four, and more are upcoming.


Sundress #1: Target Girls Section, Liberty of London for Target, Size XL. My uncle was shocked when I told him this was a girls dress. No one batted an eye at me wearing this. I am telling you all, head to the girls section of Target for fun (and cheap) sundresses. :)

Let's Celebrate the Sundress! by dinagideon featuring Nine West shoes

Polyvore of number 2 is above. :) (Had it in the draft section, figured I should just publish it...even if the rest of these sundress outfits don't have polyvore!)


Sundress #2: Boden, Pretty Cotton Dress, Size UK 12 or US 8. On sale, you all! :) Wore it with some pretty Nine West nude peep-toes and the sea urchin bib necklace.


Sundress #3: J. Crew, Pique Shirred Dress (or something like that), Size Medium. A perennial fave of mine...I wear it constantly during the summer. Also, how fab is it that I can wear it regardless of how much I weigh?

Oh, and hello, look at baby CW doing her pose exactly like me...Agh!


Sundress #4: Target Girls Section, Xhiliration Tank Dress, Size XL. I had bought baby the dress she is wearing in Las Vegas for her 18-month birthday, and get this--her dress cost SIGNIFICANTLY more money than the one I am wearing. BTW, this dress is so comfortable. We are both wearing matching sandals from the Miss Trish of Capri for Target 2010 season. These were the only sandals that fit me this year. The rest were FAR TOO LARGE. (The width was too wide for my foot.) (P.S. I have an extra pair of size 9 if anyone wants to buy them from me.)


Sundress #5: J. Crew, Ruffled Hem Jersey Dress, Size small. Another fave of mine, I just LOVE the caspian blue color from last year (this year's abyss blue is very similar). Dressed this up with the Lola for J. Crew raffia hat and the Cleo Platform Sandals.

You all have a fab day, and if you are also born on July 1, I celebrate you, too! Cheers!

Mommy Style Monday #7--Packing Tips for the Stylish Mom...

Hi! Get this! I am on a an actual AIRPLANE writing this. That said, my kids are acting crazy (shocker) and I am on borrowed time. Okay, so with that, I will tell you what you will see this morning and what I will do tonight to finish this post.

You will see a polyvore of all the things I packed for this trip, and you will also see a picture of all the items I packed laid out. I have a very specific method to my madness. :)

Tonight I will discuss my tips for stylish moms and their packing needs...won't be my most long-winded post, but it will certainly have more info that I have in here now. LOL.

Mommy Style Monday #7--Vacation Packing Tips for the Stylish Mom... by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Above is the polyvore of all the things I packed.


Above is the picture of all the things I packed laid out and ready to go into the suitcase.

Wish me luck today. We are all a bit loose and you know little toddlers and planes, such delightful, happy memory-making times for all. ;)

Oh, and yes, I know it is Tuesday, but can we just squeak this one in this on time? :)

UPDATE:

It is now Wednesday and I am finally able to finish this post.

As a SAHM, you would think that I would have the luxury of packing made easy, as I have ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD. Well, turns out that just isn't true. I do work out of the home, even if it is sporadically, and that takes time, plus my family was in town these past two weeks, so almost all my time was spent with them and not my beloved suitcases--LOL.

Even in the best of situations, you know, it's winter, no one is visiting, no subbing jobs, packing can be a very tedious process. After many years of getting frustrated that it would be the DAY of the flight, car trip, train ride, etc., and I was still packing...I knew I HAD to streamline the process...and here is what I came up with to help me...

1. Start early, but not too early. I find that if I am going away for a week, I start one week early. If I am going away for two weeks, I start two weeks early, and so on. It may be that I just bring the suitcases upstairs but even that simple move gets me in the mindset that packing must get started.

2. Pick a theme. I love to theme my vacations...this time (for Southern California in summer), I themed it "Chloë Sevigny Goes Beach-Girl Chic." Adding the raffia hat and the linen scarf helps complete that look, as I can totally see Chloe wearing both of those pieces to the beach, wind whipping her scarf, yet not her hair (which is protected by Lola for J. Crew).

3. Definitely find a color trio. I love working with three colors. Clearly I went for the teal green/silver/white look. I always try to incorporate at least one neutral and one bright. Sometimes I throw in another color, whereas other times I throw in another neutral (which is what I did this time with silver).

4. Don't overpack. I do pack a lot of clothing for my trips, but honestly, I should NOT need more than 7 tops for a 7 day trip. Even if I REALLY want to add in that extra tank, etc., I restrain myself. I also knew that I would have only one dress-up occasion (church on Sunday), so I packed one dress-up outfit, the Silver Lining dress by Anthropologie.

5. Don't forget accessories. The sunshine of California necessitates sunglasses and the hat, the cooler temps at night (can dip into the low 60s--especially on the coast) necessitate the cardigans and the scarf, and because I don't want to be boring, I have also packed jewelry (the necklaces) to add a boost to each outfit.

6. Remember your climate. If I was headed to Virginia for a summer vacation, I WOULD NEVER pack a jacket or heavy cardigan. That would be silly. I would pack a raincoat, though. Did I bring an umbrella to CA? Nope. Not needed!

7. Remember Wal-Mart. It used to be that I would FLIP out over the little things, like "where is the toothpaste, and how many diapers should we bring, how about how heavy is this shampoo going to make this bag?" Finally, I just stopped one day when my hubby gently reminded me, "Remember Wal-Mart." He's right...if you leave anything behind or you don't want to bring something, you can always find what you need somewhere when you are travelling. It may not be EXACTLY what you are used to, but isn't part of travelling the fun of finding novelty? Since then, I have EMBRACED the novel, and do not stress over those small, unimportant things like bringing 50 diapers.

I hope this helped you all. If I think of anything, or if you all can think of anything to add, please comment, would love to hear what you have to say!!!