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Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Packing: A 5-Pack Would Have Worked…

September 30, 2014  

Or, in my world, 8 = 42...You might remember my excellent travel outfit:

 

I had this outfit on for an eternity of time, and I don't regret a thing!  It was ideal, and I will almost certainly wear something very similar for future trips.  But my suitcase was TOO MUCH STUFF...  I'd have been well-served to have just packed this:

  I understand that this seems like amazingly little, but I need to remember something really critical about my trips to Europe - especially my trips to Paris:

I SHOP!!!

I shop a lot.  I start shopping the second or third day, and I tend to wear my purchases almost immediately.  Thus, I leave things in my suitcase unworn, and I ... View the Post

Lessons Learned: Amsterdam and Paris

What an adventure THAT was!  Belovedest and I had a wonderful time - of course we did - we were together.  And we learned some things that I think are worth sharing...  

If you're connecting from a plane to a train, buy your train tickets in advance, even if you can't guarantee that you'll be on time. (and of course, you can't guarantee, because you're flying in, and planes are delayed)  It's MUCH less expensive to purchase train tickets in advance, and you'll be assured of a seat.  B and I had been promised by a couple of different people that it was ALWAYS easy to get train tickets from Paris to Amsterdam - au contraire, my friends!

When buying train tickets, even if you don't know your return time ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333, Planning, Packing, Paris, and the Unexpected

September 17, 2014  

I leave later today for Paris... and Yes, I'm excited!  It never gets old, and I never get tired of doing the same things, going the same places. This trip will be very different from most of my recent ones, because I'm going with someone who's never been there.  This will definitely add some new perspectives to how I see the city. My carefully schemed packing is going to be changed slightly, because the weather in Paris is quite a bit warmer than it is here in Chicago.  This makes me think AGAIN that it's only reasonable to be prepared for weather changes when you travel.

Last week, in Chicago, the weather went from air conditioning overnight to weather cold enough to wear gloves. ... View the Post

How to Pack for Paris, again!

August 29, 2014  

Yes, there are lots more Four by Four Wardrobes on the way, but I like to mix things up a bit!

I don't leave for Paris and Amsterdam for 20 days, but I'm already starting to think this one through. This is a particularly interesting packing adventure, because I'm currently living in hot summer weather (well, hot, cool, stormy, and just plain strange...), but I know that it's going to be more comfortable in Europe. Unless it's not. Sigh...

As usual, I'm planning to dress in layers, so worst case cold weather means more layers, and worst case warm weather means just a shirt rather than a shirt and sweater. If it gets too extreme, I go shopping, or I stay in the hotel. One can't pack for every eventuality, ... View the Post

Pretty Much The Perfect Pack

August 8, 2014  

Although I had relatively little lead-up time for my trip two weeks ago, I feel like I had the perfect assortment with me.  This was a relatively easy trip for which to pack, because I knew my activities ahead of time, I knew the weather conditions, and I had access to laundry facilities - sort of the packing trifecta!While I almost always travel in pants, this time I just slid leggings under my favorite linen dress in order to stay warm in flight.  This crossbody bag is a fairly new purchase, and I really like it - it's light, lays flat, and holds quite a bit.  I admit that I might have been tempted to get the next size larger, so that my tablet would fit in it...

Please note that these are not ... View the Post

The Things One Learns While Traveling

August 5, 2014

 

I got home last night, or more properly, early this morning. Rain and lightning on both ends of my journey made things... interesting...   First off, when I got to my departure airport, I found that it was packed, literally almost shoulder to shoulder. No seats, no place to even LEAN on something, and absolutely no access to any electrical outlets. I'd been using my cell phone all day for contact among the various people taking me to the airport and picking me up, and I listen to music on it while in flight. Dead battery loomed large, and dreadful.

   

I can't recommend enough these Anker portable chargers. Mine is exactly the same size as my cell phone, and it completely recharged ... View the Post

The Monday Morning Giveaway #4 – Carry-on Toiletry Bags & Bottles

June 23, 2014   Last week's Le Monde de Hermes was won by Lynne in North Carolina - Lynne, send me your mailing address to theviviennefiles at gmail dot com!You know that I'm in a constant state of trying to reduce how much I carry when I travel; recently I went through another round of cutting back my toiletries.  When I went to my favorite store Flight 001 to buy a new "3 1 1" bag, I found that they had a BOGO - buy one, get one free - offer on these bags.  So I have a brand new set of two bags and a set of empty bottles!  

Same as always - leave me a comment telling me your best light packing tip, and I'll let you know Friday who wins these.  I'll ship anywhere in the world, so any reader anywhere is welcome ... View the Post

18=216, in a really big, perfect wardrobe slot machine…

April 28, 2014  

I said on Saturday that the idea of a wardrobe slot machine could be expanded, and one of my dearest friends was eager to see how this would play out.  For some of us, the idea of getting dressed for work every day is just plain annoying - nobody is going to pay much attention to what we're wearing, as long as we're appropriately dressed.  

So I promised her that I would show an example that would give her more than a week's worth of shirts or blouses (i.e. six), and then show how it could be expanded.  Six top layers x six shirts or blouses x six pants or skirts =216 combinations.

She could literally shop once a year and then forget about work clothing for a long time...  In the hottest ... View the Post

The Perfect Clothing/Slot Machine /Backpack

April 26, 2014  

I've been in the live-in caretaker role for quite a while now - since we got back from Paris, I've only been home a handful of days... In order to uncomplicate my life, I just put some clothes into a backpack and hopped on the train, hoping for the best. Turns out that my instincts were great - I was wearing three garments, I packed six, and there was literally NO combination that wasn't wearable. I felt like my clothes were a perfectly weighed slot machine upon which I couldn't lose...

These were the clothes that I had with me: (okay, these aren't exactly the same garments. My cardigans are from Lands' End, and are years old. My denim shirt is from J. Jill and is no longer available. Everything else is Eileen ... View the Post