Thursday, February 20, 2014

Pack like a Pro!


I have some very exciting news!  Tomorrow I am leaving for a 2 week adventure in Spain and Morocco!  The trip will consist of both business in pleasure!  Tomorrow I fly to Barcelona, then Monday begins an exciting professional opportunity to visit the Cosentino headquarters and explore Spain with other interior designers!  We plan to spend time in Macael, Granada, and Canena and get inspired by some very unique sites (stay tuned)!  Once the design trip comes to a close, my husband and I are flying to Morocco to do some exploring of our own!

I will keep you updated with posts via my Facebook and blog, so be sure to check them out during my trip!

Over the years I have learned some great trips for traveling with ease!  I want to share with you one of my most impressive packing skills- how to pack for 2 weeks in a carry on bag!  It sounds difficult, but it reduces travel stress and simplifies the trip!  If I plan to shop, I include a roll of tape, sharpie, and bubble wrap.  This way, I can purchase a box, and am prepared to safely wrap my purchases, tape up and label the box, and check it at the airport!  A Vera Bradley duffel bag can also be rolled up in a carry on to accomodate travel purchases.



Here are some snapshots of the items I pack-  I build outfits around the shoes.  Next I choose clothing essentials that are dark or neutral to hide stains, and simple to be easily repeated and matched.  Sticking to neutral colors allows you to create multiple outfits with the help of some fun jewelry.  Here are my packing essentails:

1. Shoes:  I build the outfits around shoes.  For this trip I am focused on comfort, so I am bringing 1 pair of walking shoes, 1 pair of booties, and 1 pair of flats.

2.  Rain jacket:  This is extremely important as it can be layered with a sweater for extra wind and water protection while still being very easy to roll up and pack.  Jackets and coats are too bulky to pack or even carry around while site seeing and exploring.

3.  Bags:  I am bringing 1 small black airport purse, and 1 brown everyday purse that is great for walking around, can hold a substaintial amount of items, but is unstructured so it can be rolled and packed easily.  I am also bringing an expandable Longchamp bag.  Longchamp bags are great for travel because they are convertible for multiple uses.  This bag can serve multiple purposed during my trip and can also be expanded and used as a carry on for the flight back to hold purchases.
                 
                   Airport bag
Everyday bag

                
                                   Longchamp collapsed
Longchamp expanded


4.  Pants:  2 pairs of jeans and 1 pair of leggings



5.  Tops:  3 Simple and neutral tops, 2 slightly nicer tops
                   



6.  Jewelry:  Fun jewelry allows you to accesorize and create different outfits!


The key to my packing philosophy is minimizing everything!  If you really strip it down to the necessities, packing for 2 weeks in a carry on can be done!  I am so excited for my trip and to share my adventures with you.  Be sure to check my Facebook and blog for updates and pictures from the trip!

Have a great weekend,



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