"Why won't my suitcase close!?"

I know I’m not the only person who’s got travel plans for this summer, and with travel plans come great big bags and hefty baggage fees.  In order to avoid those fees, I’ve figured out a few tricks to packing light for any occasion and still look amazing.

1. Plan it out. Know where you’re going.  Know what you absolutely need.

Example: You’re going to Vegas for a weekend with the girlies.  I know this means you want to sport a different outfit every night, BUT consider this:  When you come home, everything is going to smell like the inside of a casino.  So pack accordingly.  Bring things you can mix and match, that easily go from day to night and you’ll have no problem.  Also, bring one extra outfit to travel in, so you don’t have to stew in that stink for the entire ride home.  Hell, you could even skip the day clothes for the most part because all you really need is a swimsuit and a light cover up, right?

Planning it out lets you figure out how many days/activities you need clothes for, and where you can pare down on one or two things.  And having a list of the outfits you’re going to pack means you can coordinate your kicks so that you pack the most optimal pair that you can wear all the time (or pairs, cos I often bring a pair of sandals too).

2. Keep it Simple.  Add pieces you can coordinate, like a couple lightweight solid tees.  They don’t necessarily need to be neutral, but they do need to be things that you can dress up or dress down according to your destination.

Example:  During my London trip, I had a stash of tees (a couple bright, a couple neutral) that could be worn with pants or skirts.  When we went to explore, I wore skinnies and tees with a blazer and flats.  When we went out dancing, I paired that same outfit with fun jewelry and outrageous shoes.  In the blog-world you hear so much about how you can dress up jeans and a tee, or dress down – I took that to heart when packing, knowing that staple items look good either way.  And since tees are knits, they’ll resist wrinkles and roll up nicely into your luggage.

Example 2:  A thing I read recently said bring along summery high-waisted skirts.  The author mentioned that she loved local t-shirts when traveling, and ended up wearing them tucked into skirts to make the tees less “tourist” and more like a fashion statement.  I kind of liked that idea – you get a souvenir and a stylish addition all in one.  Of course, pack accordingly if you plan to purchase local.

In the same vein, if you plan on going out, an easy “day to night” dress simplifies everything when packing. Opt for a dress you can put on for the beach or your daytime activities, then throw a blazer or cardigan over it to wear to dinner.  The same goes for your makeup – if I’m taking my makeup, I usually pick one eye palette, one eyeliner, foundation and a translucent powder (if it’s summer, maybe bronzer), and then I get creative with that combination.  One of the reasons I like buying pre-made eye palettes is that I can do that.  I can take one set, and run with it.  Think what will transition from day to night.

3.  If you want to get wild, go with accessories. Use pieces like headbands, scarves, necklaces and earrings to instantly change the mood of an outfit.  Accessories take up little space in your suitcase and when packed in zipper bags, can be stuffed into your extra pair of shoes.  They’re your key to dressing up outfits, and adding a little “flair”.  The great thing is – accessories are easy purchases wherever you are.  They’ll have awesome souvenir value, you’ll use them over and over, and they’re easy to pack into your luggage to take home.  I loooove the sunglasses I got in London (a late birthday present from my friend Sean) – I wear them all the time, and they were so easy to pack in and out.

Also, treat your bag like an accessory. I often pack a small purse inside a larger tote bag.  The small purse holds my wallet, glasses, keys, phone – and can be pulled out at a moment’s notice. It also doubles as a lightweight handbag/clutch when needed and the larger tote can be used as a beach bag or shopper.

4.  Shopping while you’re there:  If you’re going to do it, go unique.  My #1 rule of thumb is this: If I can buy it at home, why should I buy it in another country – UNLESS it is a necessary item that I cannot live without until I get home.

For example, say you forgot socks – go ahead and buy the cutest pair you find.  But say I walked by an H&M – I’m not going to shop there, because there’s one down the hill from my apartment.  When I shop, while I’m out, I will look for fun jewelry, goofy tourist tees to pair with cute outfits, etc.  And unless I’m in town only to shop, I’m not going to be making purchases that I could otherwise make at home.  Know why?  If you’re out of the country, you’ve got transaction fees and exchange rates to think about.  If I’m in the next state over – well, I don’t really need it that bad, do I?  Because it’s going to be a beast to bring back home in an already-stuffed suitcase.  I also have more money to do things (not own things) while I’m on vacation.  You know, they say people appreciate experience more than belongings.  Don’t get me wrong – I like belongings, but I can see the wisdom in saving my pennies for fun adventures.

Got any more summer travel tips – packing or otherwise?  Share ‘em here!

It feels like it’s not yet summer here in the Emerald City.  I woke up this morning to clouds and cold, and put on a staple long skirt, tee and sweater to work in.  My project has been putting together photo-albums for a family friend – this time, their Switzerland trip.  I was really feeling the chill, looking through all the photos of glaciers and gray skies.

Stepping outside about mid-project, I realized the sun had come out and the temperature had risen at least 10 degrees.  I strapped on a pair of shoes and prepared to run some errands -snapping a few photos first.

I don’t need the sweater anymore… apparently.

Also, let’s talk about this necklace.  I received a giant box of amazing granny jewelry from a friend as a gift.  I kind of love amazing granny jewelry – and this box had some real gems!  (HA!)  Of course, one of my favorite little pieces was this clip on earring, which posed 2 problems.  A) Clip on earrings hurt.  And B) I was missing the other half of the set.  Of course, you can be creative and clip them onto other things though – shoes, skirts, belts, tops…  But since there was only one earring, I looped the clip over a spare chain I had, and have been wearing it as a pendant.  A little JB Weld under the clip will hold the clip down, so the earring doesn’t slide off the clip.  Voila!  Instant jewel party.

The entire outfit feels very nautical.  For my trek outside, I paired it with this white Céline bag (from Rice and Beans Vintage – she does layaway so I can afford nice things) and a pair of silver Saltwater sandals.

What I wore:

• Striped Top – Forever 21
• Maxi Skirt – Nordstrom BP (Pre-anniversary sale.  There was a haul.  More on that later)
• Necklace – assembled by me!  Thrifty!
• Cleves Ring – Wendy Brandes (LOOOVE!)
• Sweater – Erin Brinié Online
• Bag – Céline from Rice and Beans Vintage

I love the maxi-skirts because they’re light for summer, but since our summers are so fickle they’re still warm enough to brave our cloudy mornings.  Also, I just love the silhouette of a long, slim skirt.   They’re one of my favorite summer pieces right now, along with this white bag, and Saltwater sandals.

Oh, by the way, Gustav says hi!

Hai!

What’s your current favorite summer piece?

PS – Tweet this for a chance to win a Honey Bronze set from the Body Shop (You have until Friday!)!    Help @birdiee and @thebodyshopusa stop Sex Trafficking! Sign the petition (& comment, to win a Honey Bronze set). http://bit.ly/j6VYsK

So last assignment for Pretty Shiny Sparkly’s Bloggers Do It Better involved pairing neon with neutrals. Since I don’t really… own any neon colored pieces, I went for the next best thing – as bright as I could get.  I mean, I guess my nails count, since the tips were hot pink (a failed LivingSocial deal that I was a little sad about… more on that later.)

I was pleased because I was able to show off this super cute Deco Modiste skirt – at what some would call the “Impossible Skirt Length”, falling below my knee.

I love this little jacket – thrifted by Kimberlee from Deco Modiste.  I know someone’s saying, “Jackets!?!”  This June has been chilly.  The temperature stays somewhere between 65 and 72…

Excuse the silly camera angle – I’ve been kind of lazy when it comes to outfit photos.  It just seems like such a process to get out my DSLR and snap pics – especially when it’s already full of photos from events, or Deco Modiste shoots.  I also work from home so my outfits aren’t usually this dressed up.

I paired the entire outfit with white accessories – a headband, a bag, and some super cute shoes to lighten up all the gray.

You can kind of see the neon nails in this photo.  Also the fact that I regularly wear several different shades of gray.   Sassy!  Also, I am a shaggy pony.  Someone needs a haircut, yes?

The outfit garnered quite a few complements – mostly on the shoes.

I wore:

• Green wrap skirt – Deco Modiste Clothing
• Gray henley – Fluxus
• Gray wool jacket – Thrifted
• Black and White shoes – Diesel
• Headband – ?  Who knows
• Bag – Céline from Rice and Beans Vintage

Did you participate in Bloggers Do It Better?  What did you wear?

PS – Don’t forget to enter the Haute Summer Night Fashion Event Giveaway! You have until the end of the day, and you have a very good chance of winning. Please, and Thank you! xoxo.

This is probably the cutest thing I’ve seen all day! Special thanks to David the Majestic and Beautiful Laura of Birdie Royale Adornments. The music is Ondulé by Mathieu Boogaerts. I love this video so much – and we had such a great time shooting photo and filming! Yay!

Thanks again to Laura and David (especially since Laura was one of our models too!), to Gorgeous Kirsten for being one of our models, to Mitsy for modeling, and to Kimberlee of Deco Modiste for designing all the clothing and for letting us raid her house. More photos will come, eventually… Stay tuned!

PS – Don’t forget to enter the Haute Summer Night Fashion Event Giveaway! There are only a few entries so you have a very good chance of winning. Please, and Thank you! xoxo.

Looking out my office window I can see as the sun comes up on the buildings in our neighborhood, some of them still clothed in shadow.  I feel like that’s what this coming fashion year will be for all us girls who loved, but are fatigued of the ultra minimal, paired down, “greige” looks that have splashed across all our favorite fashion mags for the last couple years.

Holly Spring 2011

Enter the sweeping, almost ballooning sillhouettes of fun frocks.  Enter long, lean and wide palazzo style pants.  Enter citrus, raspberry, orange crush.  Enter the flavors of summer and a look towards a brighter year.  Enter a little bit of sparkling excess, and a whole lot of fun…

Image via Refinery29

And in a word, can we just say we’re going to also strive to make this our best summer ever – not just on the outside but on the inside as well? Let’s start our own summer of love?  I know, I know, it seems a little late for a “this year let’s…” post, but with today being the second day of spring, and all, I’m feeling quite refreshed!

So, things we all love for the coming season!?  Mine are:

• Big fun wedges
• Bright color
• Crazy-big sun hats
• Oversized sunnies (again, still!)
• Volume (hair, dresses, music!)
• Vitamin D (orange colors, SUN!)
• 70′s inspiration
• Colorful vintage bags
• Oversize jewels

What’s on your list?

The other day a little tidbit came zipping into my inbox about a set of Seattle women making leaps and bounds in local, eco-chic designs. The women of Prairie Underground have quite the list of achievements under their belts and a hip line of northwest couture to back it up.  Their past seasons are killer and their current season is no different.  Their line is a great mix of easy to match separates that would be the perfect addition to any girl’s summer closet.  The pieces lend themselves to quick layering options that will carry you through early fall – it’s not often you see a line as wearable as this in any season.

From their summer 2010 lookbook:

Your orbit string art poncho & savoy pant - Wear it to northwest art openings at Jam Fest galleries (Like Cullom Gallery) while waxing poetic on Hiroshige’s influence on impressionist art

Flaming heart tank & denim legging - Wear it to work with a boyfriend blazer to battle the difference between the AC in your office and the blazing summer heat.

Pointelle leggings & bullet cami - Wear it on date night, while you’re sipping mojitos and watching the sun set on Alki.

Asymmetrical wrap, flame skirt & pointelle leggings - Wear it to your friend’s Friday shindig at Golden Gardens – because the beach is the best place to picnic and people watch.

The Day Dress - Wear it to that afternoon wedding because it’s both sleek and daytime-casual.

Can you tell I’m enamored?  Also, how do I fill my closet with all these things?  Their website offers a bundle of stores who carry the line including Clementine in West Seattle and a quick list of online retailers.

And check out what others are saying about the line.  What do you think, ladies? Love it?

I wore this to one of Mister’s orchestra concerts recently – the dress is M641 and the shoes are Lela Rose for Payless.

My hair has gotten insanely long and it’s been auburn now for a couple months.

Since I’ve taken these photos, the weather has gone sour, and then nice and then sour again.  I can’t wait for summer, to wear this little dress more.  I had to tack the dress down in the back though – the shoulders are almost too tall for my body, and I’ve had to tack that blue piece at the bust down, so it doesn’t droop and show off my goods!

I love the little blue Lela Rose wedges – with their hint of a heel.

This weekend was BUS-AY!  After a week and a half of solid, non-stop preparation, I met up with Kimberlee at the Deco Modiste showroom to capture some of our spring and summer looks.

I like to look at opportunities like this as a learning experience; this weekend I learned a little bit about professionalism and what it takes to make a successful photo shoot.   It’s difficult work, trying to coordinate props and equipment, designers, models, hair and makeup – especially when you don’t have a set studio of your own, or models you know and regularly work with.

Of our three girls, we had two no-call/no-shows (*insert angry fist shake here*).  One model promised me on Thursday that she would be there, but then dropped off the face of the earth.   The second model called an hour after our call time to let me know she’d love to come, even though she wasn’t feeling 100%.  An hour later she said she was on her way, and an hour after that when I called to make sure she was okay (did she get lost? was she in an accident?), she’d turned her phone off.  We had a long delay while hair and makeup waited for these two girls that never turned up.  We didn’t have the time and capacity to shoot the full line.

This really emphasizes the importance of professionalism as a model; it’s like any other work, and it takes a lot of coordination to make editorial magic.    Portfolio looks aren’t an excuse to act unprofessionally – the poor work ethic a model exhibits has a resounding effect on their success.  There are designers and photographers, assistants, hair and makeup artists, editors and graphic artists whose jobs all depend on whether or not that girl is on set and prepared.  Those people know other people in the industry and the impact of that word of mouth is huge.  Like any other job, if you consider yourself a professional, you act like one.  Unfortunately, on large sites like Model Mayhem, it’s hard to tell who is professional and who is not – for both models and photographers.

(Kimberlee, prepping our model Pepper)

I needed a quick way to distinguish the professionals from the amateurs (who are usually the type to no-show) – however, you can’t really do that based on their photos alone.  A portfolio can only tell you so much, and it generally doesn’t reflect their work ethic.  In that light, it’s a good idea to ask models to come in for a fitting and test-shoot before the actual photo shoot, to get a feel for whether or not you need to have a backup on-call.  Most amateur models can be weeded out at this step.  There are a number of cues to study in test shoots – including range of emotion and pose, ability to take cues, what their “resting face” looks like, and how prepared they are.

The models we did have were fantastic!  Our original model, Pepper, arrived early with stockings, her own makeup kit and an array of shoes.  She looked amazing in pincurls, finger waves, and vintage-style dresses.  She was cute and coy one minute, glamourous and vampy the next.

(Kimberlee making a few more adjustments)

Our second model actually came down to hang out and assist as needed.  And you’ll never guess who it was…..  The lovely Laura from Birdie Royale!

I actually met Laura at Nadine’s Jersey Shore party a couple weeks ago.  She came out to my Birthday Bash and we’ve been trying to connect since then.  She mentioned she’d love to hang out behind-the-scenes and when our models didn’t show, we realized Laura would look PERFECT in Deco Modiste.  Note to self: Always bring a back-up plan!

Since we plan on doing many more of these little shoots, I need to make a list of things to bring (tripod, extra flash batteries, reflector) and a prep-sheet for the shoot.  Do we have a hair stylist?  Do we have extra bobby pins?  Is my makeup brush set clean?  Do we need some Sally Hansen spray on color for tattoos or bruises?  Do I have all the models phone numbers, measurements and shoe sizes?  Do we have a planned series of outfits?  At what point does the hair and makeup need to be retouched? Do I have a lighting plan?  Is our seamless clean?  There are a lot of variables to consider!

Doing this shoot gave me a lot to think about in how to prepare for the next shoot.  For example,  it would help to start picking models sooner than later.  Having an inspiration prompt for models really helped them prepare; to evoke a certain feeling in their poses and range of emotion.  I think the key is to build a rapport with models before the shoot – and though you may end up using the same girl twice, you have someone who’s versatile and knows what you’re looking for in your own shoot.

On that note, I know we’ve got hair and makeup nailed for the next shoot and I can’t wait to start putting that event together.  In the meantime, I’m going to be a busy bird, editing all these photos!

Edit: The gallery for finished photos is here.  Enjoy!

Woah, babycakes!  What’s with all the BLACK recently?

Don’t get me wrong, my wardrobe is filled with it.  I love it as an anchor, but the last time I hit the stores, it seemed like I was seeing a lot of simple, monochrome/black and grey 80′s anti-fashion. With it were a few pops of brighter colors – a burgundy here, an almost-lavender, a burnt sienna brown there, some grey-greens and a lot of “covered in sequins”.

Despite the brighter pops, all the dredges of winter – the last few remaining items – felt very recession-heavy.  Like it, everyone’s wardrobe reflects the black and grey mood designers put forth for Autumn/Winter (and it really is still Winter).  Last season’s pessimistic mood prevails, but popping up out of the darkness are lighter spring colors….

Looking forward to spring, the color palette will be brighter, lighter and slightly less dreary.

(Image from Fashionising – Pantone’s Spring trends)

While “Tuscany”, “Dried Herb” and “Eucalyptus” still scream drab, they’re not the darker shrouds of winter – encased in black.  They still spell caution in color, but Interfilere’s list shows brighter, Mod-like colors moving forward into summer (“Young Shoot”?  “Grenadine”?  So Mod).  Fashionising calls it Pop-Art inspiration.

(Image from Fashionising)

These brighter colors are what we need to combat the wave of black that’s swept over our wardrobes.  A simple pairing – these new colors and black – would do the trick.  Bringing in these brighter colors reminds us of the optimism in the upcoming year.

I have a need for “Nectarine” paired with “Storm” for spring – or even “Storm” and “Peppermint”.  I like the way “Chinese Lacquer” sits next to “Sweet Nothings”.  I could see “Grenadine” in a cropped cardigan over a black dress, or a satin top in “Purple Ash” paired with black, slim, sateen trousers.  I also REALLY want to be the person that names these colors.  Can someone hook this up for me?  I’ll love you forever!

The gorgeous girls at Green Grechen hosted a contest featuring clothing from Mountains of the Moon, and yours truly was a recipient of one green goody that I’ve been waiting weeks to show you! (Unfortunately, I didn’t have access to my workstation, because we had company.)

But first…

A little about Mountains of the Moon:

At the age of five, designer Melissa Baswell started creating clothing for her dolls using a needle, thread, and reused fabrics.  In high school, she was the president of her school’s Ecology Preservation Club, and wore her own handmade clothing created from natural fabrics.   While a student at University of Wisconsin-Madison, Baswell divided her free time between interning with WISPIRG’s Environmental Education Department and recycling thrift store clothing into “renewed” garments on a hand-me-down sewing machine.   Well before the green movement became popular, she was using organic cotton and hemp fabrics and dying with low-impact dyes in an effort to create fashion-forward clothing that would break the stereotype of eco-fashion being defined as bland, crunchy and boring.

A few years later, after much success selling her designs at local shops and events, Melissa decided to to form the Mountains of the Moon Eco-Fashion line.

Now based in Chicago, Mountains of the Moon Eco.Fashion is a sustainable design and apparel organization aimed at creating chic, high-quality clothing that helps, not hurts, the earth and its inhabitants.  We see ourselves as collaborators with our customers in an effort to take a stand in making environmentally and socially responsible decisions through our wardrobes.  Our goal for our company and our customers is to work together to express ourselves through fashion and art while making a profound collective difference in the state of our world.

… Mountains of the Moon represents more than just a clothing line. We represent the blending of fine art, style, ethics, environmental and social responsibility and awareness.

They have some gorgeous apparel on their site, and I chose the Lily blouse:

It’s slightly wrinkly for it’s maiden photo-voyage… but I wore it with ballet flats (H&M – not pictured) and a pair of black leggings (Charlotte Russe).

Wait… what was that you asked? Am I wearing leggings as pants!?  Why … yes, I believe I am.  Normally an inexcusable trespass, I did get away with wearing leggings as pants because this top is long.  In fact, I’ve got about 5″ of solid coverage before I’d be in danger of showing up on DaddyLikey’s “Don’t Show-cha Your Chocha” posts.  The guys in the office all thought it was a dress.  Ha!

The top’s construction is totally solid and the fabrics are super lush.  The print is a sateen-finished twill and the purple is amazingly soft to the touch.  The top has loops to string the belt through – and my package included two belts for it in the print and the solid.  The buttons are wood and the design is overwhelmingly adorable.  I’ve worn this top 3 times since I’ve gotten it.  It’s cozy enough to wear in my overly air-conditioned office, and cool enough to wear when the temperature was a blazing 103° (The Emerald City was a FURNACE! >.<).

Huge thanks to Mountains of the Moon and Green Grechen for the chance to participate.  If you, dear readers, haven’t had a chance to drop by the MotM website, please do so – their line is luxurious and eco-friendly, without breaking the bank!