Fall Travel Capsule

     Summer always throws me off my routines.  No schedules, the heat, my mom and sister out of school and available to play....blogging just didn't happen.  We're well into our fall routines now and feeling settled, so I thought I'd share a little about what's on my mind.  Being the somewhat shallow person that I fear I am, that would be...clothes.

     I did another closet purge a bit ago, and I'm finding that I really am happier with a smaller wardrobe.  Intentional choices.  Well planned and as well fitting as I can manage.  It makes me do laundry more regularly than is my habit, but it makes my mornings just a bit calmer.  It also makes planning for a trip easier.  We plan to take a short trip out of state later this fall and you KNOW I'm already planning what to wear! I'd love to only take carry-on luggage for the three of us since we'll only be gone 4 nights.  Traveling, for me, is like a personal challenge.  How little can I pack and still be well dressed and prepared for my destination?  Here's what I'm thinking:

     I like to layer when I travel.  You never know if your plane will be an oven or a freezer.  A cardigan over a tee (rather than a tank or cami) gives me public-appropriate options either way.  Traveling with a three year old means being prepared for...well, anything.  Scarves hide a multitude of mishaps.  Normally I'd wear easy-on flats to make security speedy, but if I'm carrying my bags on, the boots need to be worn rather than packed.  Our destination will be chilly and damp, so I think I'll enjoy having my boots with me. And my trusty (and practically vintage at this point) Vera Bradley weekender will hopefully handle my packing needs.  Also, once I've put this much thought into an outfit, I want to get my money's worth, so this is what I'll wear en route both ways.  If we happen to cross paths in the airport twice, keep my secret.

     I'm a mix and match girl at heart, so another pair of pants and a couple of tops in a general color scheme are all I need to be happy.  A few jewelry options to spice things up, a pair of flats that are a little more dressy than my boots, and I feel like I'm pretty well set for about anything I might need to do, and any photos that might happen along the way.  I can wear the cardigan over the black top or the striped top, if need be.  (Of course, all of these photos are merely representative of the things I own, not the actual items themselves. You can find links for these photos by checking me out on Polyvore--look for littlenestbigcity.)  Here are a few of the outfits I can make with these options:

     Not a bad selection for such a short trip, eh?  It feels like I can cover the spectrum of dressiness, depending on the shoes and jewelry I choose.  And of course I'll pack one really comfy yoga pants-type outfit for evenings after Peanut goes to bed--fuzzy socks required!  I'll also have an actual coat with me for really chilly or wet weather.  I assume you are imaginative enough to fill in those gaps without a picture.  ;)    

     What do you think?  Am I forgetting anything?  Do you travel with a color scheme, or are you a "grab whatever's clean and put it in a bag" packer?  Do you need lots of clothing options, or are you a minimalist traveler?

Project 333: Fall

   I've been pondering an idea called Project 333.  It's not new, but it's new to me.  In an effort to challenge people (women) to do more with less, to view their closets with fresh eyes, and to get creative with their clothes, the game is this: Select 33 articles of clothing to wear for the next 3 months.  Now, some people get all hardcore and say that your 33 must include shoes, accessories such as scarves and belts, and any outerwear you might need.  Me, notsomuch.  Almost everyone agrees that your 33 does not have to include PJs, workout clothes, super gribby work clothes, or underthings.

   My closet, shared with my dear husband, is not spacious.  It is not well laid-out, and it has some downright wasted space.  If you have known me for long at all, you have probably heard me complain about it.  Since we're renters, there's just about nothing I can do about it.  However, compared to the rest of the world, it's almost embarrassingly excessive.  What's more excessive is the amount of clothing I have stuffed into it.  I have been making an effort to pare down and simplify many other areas of my life, and have "conveniently" not gotten around to my clothing yet.  The time is here.

   The objectives are few and simple: 1. Look appropriately dressed for the event, weather, and social group.  2. Dress in a speedy manner in the mornings.  3. Have enough variety to prevent boredom and resist the siren call of Target's clearance racks.  I scavenged through my clothes, made lists of what occasions I would need to dress for during these three months, and started mentally weeding through my closet. Here's what I came up with:

    Rest assured, this is merely a representation of the clothes I have.  Not the actual brands/pieces/whatever.  My grey dress has a v-neck.  My striped sweater is green and white, not green and grey.  It was the best I could do on Polyvore.  On one hand, it was hard to decide what made the cut.  It seemed like I have so many clothes that I had to say no to.  On the other hand, seeing them all in one place, 33 seems like plenty of clothing to get me through the fall. (Oh, that's right.  I decided to do September, October, and November for my three moths.) I clearly did not include my accessories in my 33, partly because I was scared to go that minimalist, and partly because I feel like I choose my accessories to be worn in a variety of seasons and settings and with the intent that I will have them for a long time, so I didn't want to limit them.  We're talking about belts, jewelry, and scarves.  Not going to take up a lot of room.

   I am actually looking forward to this experiment.  The object of the game is not to suffer, hate your clothes, feel ugly, or pity yourself.  It's an exercise in creativity and hopefully a gateway to simplifying another area of your life.  You do not have to throw away anything not in the 33.  You simply box it up out of sight, and at the end of three months, do what you will.  Some people put their clothes back in the closet and get on with their lives, and some assess the 33 and make any necessary edits for the next three months.  I'd love for some of you to join me in this adventure!  Any thoughts?