Friend Friday!

I am so excited to be participating in my first Friend Friday! Fellow blogger, Kate Hinderer, over at Modly Chic, geniously devises fashion relevant questions for fashion bloggers to answer and share their wisdom. 

This week, we are discussing vacation fashion. It is a perfect topic, since so many of us are either just getting back from vacation or packing to go on one. Whichever one you are, chime in on the comments and let me know YOUR answers to these questions.

1. Are you going anywhere this summer that will require a suitcase? Thankfully, yes! If you pack a suitcase, that inevitably means a trip to (hopefully) somewhere relaxing and fun. I just returned from a 2 1/2 week trip across half of the country. We had a somewhat rather complicated travel itinerary. This required me to be smart with my packing. We drove from Chicago to an overnight in South Bend, IN ::2.5 hrs:: - from South Bend, IN to an overnight in Steubenville, OH ::5.5 hrs:: - from Steubenville, OH to the Jersey Shore ::6 hrs:: AND back! I had to pack for a total of 4 one night stays and a week and a half in New Jersey. I made it easy. I packed one large suitcase for the bulk of the trip, but packed one small overnight bag with all the essentials. This way I did not have to lug my huge suitcase in and out of the car for just one night. (Unfortunately, my boyfriend wasn't as packing savvy as I was...)

2. What are your 'must-pack' items? In addition to what items the individual trip demands, I always pack one pair of dark jeans, a black and gray cardigan, and one pair of flats. Inevitably, I will end up going somewhere that blasts air conditioning or in the case of my recent trip, an early morning ocean sunrise. The jeans and cardigan are perfect for that. The cardigans also work to paired with shorts or a skirt for some extra warmth.

3. Do you have any travel packing advice? Definitely roll all of your clothes. Pack only one set of PJ's - you don't need a variety of sleepwear. Remember that you can wear jeans and shorts more than once without washing. Plan your outfits BEFORE you pack! This way you can see that you can wear one pair of shorts 3 different ways and cut down on the bulk.


4. What one item should every woman pack when going on a vacation? 
PEARL EARRINGS! Especially for a beach vacation. They are simple, elegant, and unobtrusive. I wore them every day on the beach and out to events at night. They finish every outfit and work with any style. I think of my dear friend, Lorelle W., whom I've never caught out of her pearl earrings - even at our early morning breakfast get togethers! Pearl earrings will keep you feeling beautiful and remembering your femininity even with sand between your toes!

5. When it comes to makeup how much of your collection do you pack? What do you take? What do you leave behind? All of my makeup is stored conveniently in an organized and transportable bag all of the time, so I just pick up the entire thing and throw it in my luggage. When it comes to how much makeup I wear every day - beachwear makeup is is nothing but sunscreen. However, I like to have all of my makeup with me in case of the occasional dinner out or barbeque.

::This site is AWESOME by the way - personalized makeup bags - so many styles and colors to choose from! Stephanie Johnson - Travel Accessory and Bags::

Let me know your comments and thoughts!

Stay tuned for a full blog post on my vacation to the Jersey Shore and the do's and don'ts of beachwear! You won't want to miss it!

G J A