packing for 21 days in 1 suitcase

i slept 12 blissful hours last night - the best sleep i've had in a month.

this post is probably not complete but i feel i have to post it b/c when i got home i had over 80 emails and most of them wanted to know about my packing b/c they had big trips planned.

so this post is long and if it is incomplete i apologize.  

so here is the lowdown on my packing situation.

21 days and 1 small suitcase that needed to cover a 10 day garden tour in england,

5 days in paris 3 days in provence and 3 days in nice.

that's a lot to ask from a small suitcase but it truly had to stay small b/c after london i would be on trains, planes and automobiles and no one was going to carry my luggage for me.
on days we traveled i'm really glad i had kept it light b/c it is exhausting hauling that suitcase up and down stairs and across cobblestones.

i used every single thing i packed...even the bathing suit.

which was kind of a joke while in london.  europe has been experiencing the coldest spring in 35 years so of course i packed a bathing suit.  but i'm happy to report that i wore it on the last day in antibes.

anyway as you will see in the following pictures this green fatigue jacket from j.crew was worn almost every single day.  i have a love hate relationship with it now.

i loved that it did the job but i was so sick to death of wearing it.
it appears to be sold out now but it was there yesterday so i'd check back if you are interested in it.

if at all possible, if you can find the room - bring 2 coats.

no one ever sees your clothes, just the coat, so why not have 2?

also, thankfully i brought two scarves.  i wish i'd have brought more.
my room mate faux fuchsia did and i was jealous and mad at myself b/c they hardly take up any room.

my boots...omg, my boots.  to think that i almost didn't bring them.

i wore them every single day while in england and a few days in paris too.

they saved my life,  i'd have been really miserable without them.

really glad i didn't bring heels.  they would never have been worn.
i didn't bring the white jeans either and i missed them but there just wasn't any room.

oh and my clutch was so perfect.  it was there if i needed it for nights out but more importantly it fit into my handbag and held all my vital information and money.  it was so easy for me to access and keep tickets that i'd be using that day, so easy to get to.  no fumbling through my handbag.
plus it is so darn cute.

also i should have brought one of my striped long sleeve t shirts, why i didn't still confounds me.

this photo was taken at kiftsgate garden on one of the rare sunny days we had.

at hidcote wearing a borrowed belt from romy b/c i had forgotten to pack mine!

i wore my sunglasses every single day - even if it wasn't sunny.

2 favorite accessories - this stick shift peugot that i drove all through provence and nice and the head scarf that faux fuchsia gave me as a gift.

these tretorn's that i got from j. crew (sold out at the moment) were perfect when i needed to hike up ruins throughout france.

as an afterthought i threw in a pair of knit gloves and i'm so glad i did.

this is romy isn't she gorgeous?

she is from tasmania but living in the south of france with her husband and 4 children please go read her blog here.  she has impeccable taste in everything!

this is me at designers guild flagship store wearing the fatigue jacket...again.

on the top of vita's tower at sissinghurt.  the most perfect weather we had on the whole tour.

here is am at rosemary verey's garden at barnsley house.

fatigue jacket yet again.

ahhh, dinner somewhere in provence.

that white shirt was perfect in provence b/c the weather was nice and i could wear it tucked in with jeans or out with leggings - so glad i brought it.

the bathing suit.  it was hot and sunny for about 3 hours on my last day in the french riviera so i got to swim in the mediteranean.  then the heavens opened and it poured for about 3 hours.

so that is that.

  the bottom line is that i was super jealous of people who packed lots of gorgeous outfits but in the end i was glad i had packed light enough to fit into such a small and easy to tote suitcase.
it's kind of a catch 22 situation.
and even the experienced travelers i met said they had gotten certain aspects of their packing wrong.  so i didn't feel so bad.
hope this helps.
i can answer specific questions in the comments.

happy saturday everyone.

xo