I'm heading off for Kauai to stay with my girlfriend M at her home there. You remember M, you've seen here California house here and her garden here.. I'm so excited to see her Hawaii home, so I've got some packing to do.
I know a lot of people really don't like packing but for some reason I do. Maybe because I've not traveled much or maybe it's just the challenge of packing light. More likely the latter as I do love a challenge. When I went to Europe last year I probably spent 6 months packing in my brain, and I still didn't get it right. So the gauntlet has been thrown down.
The first thing I do is write down how many days I'll be gone and then the activities planned. I actually draw out the outfit combos (so strange) then I go to my closet and start pulling things out. Because I want to pack lightly, I want things that are easy to mix and match or that can be adapted to different situations.
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This caftan is a good example. It's by Emerson Fry and I fell in love with it over 2 years ago. At $248 I could never justify it but I've been stalking her outlet sale which she holds on Thursday's. When it popped up at $40 I snagged it. I can wear it on the plane, to the beach, out to dinner/cocktails or even water my lawn in it. So obviously this is going in my bag. Other activities planned are some really beautiful hikes, snorkeling, botanical gardens and generally lazing about. Besides some hiking clothes, a skirt, 4 tops (2 fancy, 2 ordinary) and 2 maxi's are what's going with me.
I'm pretty stoked about this caftan as it will hide lots of sins and the whitest skin kauai has probably ever seen. My computer is staying home but if you are at all interested, I will be posting my 15 seconds of beauty on Instagram right here. Aloha.
Your vacation sounds wonderful. Our friends spent a month in Kauai and I have seen the pictures so you are in for a treat.
ReplyDeleteGreat job getting that kaftan on sale....it pays to be patient doesn't it? Plus you didn't break the bank to do it and no one but your readers will know that you didn't she'll out the $248!
Have fun Janet and hope to read about your adventures when you get back.
Have a great holiday, that caftan is utterly gorgeous! It suits you perfectly. I didn't know you were on IG, I'm going to start following you straight away. Safe travels my friend.xo
ReplyDeleteAloha!!!! (any excuse to say that... I wish we could say it here in the states. I love that word!)
ReplyDeleteYou have GOT to be kidding that you love packing. Ha ha. Oh how I wish I loved doing it. Maybe I'll learn more things on how you love it by really taking notes of how you do it. I procrastinate -then do it real quick and forget things OR don't bring the right things OR I pack early and then I forget what I've packed. Something is always off for me. Toiletries are always a mystery for me too. Ugh.just thinking about packing makes me panic. It must be that I never travel but if I did travel a lot I'd get it down to a science.
Love your instagram account. SOOO fun.
Have a blast! Jen
I'v always wanted to go to Hawaii which probably explains my love of vintage Hawaiian dresses! You look gorgeous in your kaftan, much lovelier than the fag-totin' model! Have a fab trip and take loads of photos. xxx
ReplyDeleteAloha Janet! Have a wonderful time. I follow almost nothing on Instagram, saving it for keeping track of a few people with babies, but for you on this trip I may have to make an exception:).
ReplyDeleteI love to pack also, I think it's the challenge of packing light, but having options. Have fun, and I'll see you on Instagram!
ReplyDeleteVix has taken the words right out of my mouth, the kaftan looks much nicer on you than the model. Bon voyage.
ReplyDeleteI am so excited for you! I am living vicariously through you right now as we are still renting and not in a place to buy yet. I check this blog almost daily to see what is going on. I hope you and your family are extremely blessed in this new space!
ReplyDeletecool-design
You look amazing, have a wonderful time, I last went there when I was 21 or so, must snuffle around for the the big hair and perm pics.
ReplyDeleteYou look beautiful! I love packing too. I think it's the organizing everything in a small suitcase that I enjoy. Have a wonderful trip and I'll be following you on instagram.
ReplyDeleteBetty
I love how you got this at a bargain price - great sandals too :)
ReplyDeleteThe little outfit sketches are too cute! They remind me of the fashion plates my sister had when she was little where you could mix and match tops and bottoms, run the crayon over to get the outline of the design, then color them in.
ReplyDeleteI forgot about fashion plates! You're right...thanks for the memory:-)
DeleteHow interesting! Is this how the term 'she's a fashion plate' got started, I wonder? Were fashion plates for kids something from the 1940s, or the 1950s?
DeleteJanet, you look gorgeous!!! I really admire how you make the absolute best of your life, how we all should live. Have a fabulous time in Hawaii, and don't forget your cigarette ;) Deni
ReplyDeleteOkay, so it's not that I'm seeing things, but the model for the caftan DOES have a cigarette hanging out of her mouth?
DeleteHawaii? Lucky you! I don't mind packing either; I find it exciting actually :)
ReplyDeleteS
xo
Don't talk to me about packing! At least you were able to wear the swimming costume that you lugged to Europe in spring! Love that caftan, you'll have to have at least one drink tizzed up in a coconut. Cold here....longing for warm. Rxx
ReplyDeleteswooning over that caftan!
ReplyDeleteYou look beautiful! Have fun!
ReplyDeletePulled up your site, saw only your pic and the title (I love packing), and thought the first line of your blog was going to be, "That's total bullshit! Everyone hates packing!" HA! Sorry! Your little sketches are adorbs and you look as cute as a button in your new find! Enjoy your trip..... Cant wait for the pics.
ReplyDeleteHave a great trip, Janet! The caftan looks great on you and I admire your patience in waiting for it to go on sale.
ReplyDeleteDeborah
I love packing too. And thanks for the Emerson Fry info. I'll be haunting the site now. That caftan looks fabulous on you. Have blast...I'll be following. xoxo
ReplyDeleteHi Janet have a fun and safe trip! love the kaftan you look so pretty in it. Packing usually stresses me out I think because I don't plan it well. I can't wait to see your vacation pics and possibly any finds you may come by! ;-) Aloha!
ReplyDeleteYou look absolutely gorgeous in that caftan! It's a bit of a departure for you isn't it? I love it on you, very boho :)
ReplyDeleteI'm going through a packing panic right now, we are heading to Paris in 4 weeks. I've only been there once, 12 years ago, and I haven't traveled anywhere before or since. I hear it can be miserably hot (we're renting an apartment and most of them do not have a/c), or raining around the time we're going. It is also the first time for my 15 y.o. daughter on a plane. I can't stop worrying about everything!
Have a fantastic time in Hawaii with your friend ... I know you will.
Have a wonderful holiday! But, you are posting photos when you return home, I hope because I love your photos.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Linda C.
Love the caftan and love it that your daw your outfits!! so sweet! I would love to go to Hawaii one day. Jealous! can't wait to see your photos xx
ReplyDeleteHave a fantastic time ! I love packing... always did... even as a child would pack my toys for up to a week in advance before going on holidays... I love that you draw your outfits.. I do something similar but as I spend my whole day in front of a pc it's done in a far less creative way..... looking forward to your Instagrams and pictures on return,
ReplyDeletexo
Mireille
Caftan envy here! Have a fabulous time enjoying the balmy air of Kaui. Love the idea of drawing pictures of my travel outfits but they may be more stick figures than the endearing little figures you have drawn.
ReplyDeleteJanet, the caftan looks way better on you than on the model. Gorgeous! As usual.
ReplyDeleteHa! I'm leaving for a 2 day trip in about 5 hours and I still have not packed!
Lois in SWPA
Janet,
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful time in Kauai, my daughter is going there for her honeymoon in a few months! I want to hear all about it when you return and will be checking out your photos on instagram. :)
You look way better in the caftan than the girl in the photo does...you should have modeled for them instead.
Linda
xo
P.S. You are quite the artist!
Janet -- Thanks for the Emerson Fry outlet tip!
ReplyDeleteNo bathing suit?
ReplyDeleteOh lucky duck! That's your friend with the gorgeous home double lucky! I hope you take photos of her lovely home there too. It's sounds perfect I'm sure you'll have a fantastic time.
ReplyDeleteYou look very elegant in the caftan. Have a beautiful trip to Hawaii!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad SOMEONE got that caftan for that deal! I saw it and wasn't able to get it myself, so glad you were able to take advantage of the super discount.
ReplyDeleteOff topic .. but since you play vinyl - http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2014/06/19/jack-white-lazaretto-album/10931903/
ReplyDeletePaula W
That caftan is the business. Love it. Have a great time.
ReplyDeleteI always obsess over what to pack. then I have dreams that I end up missing my flight! right now I want to go to Paris in the next year or so. I use this as an excuse to purchase clothing that I think will be just perfect for walking down the Left Bank.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful time!
Darby
You look fab as always. I love your travel posts! I've never been to Kauai. Looking forward to your narratives and photos for this vacation. Have an absolutely wonderful, wonderful time, Janet!
ReplyDeleteSketching out your outfits is such a great idea! Even though I might not make a good job at it like you, my pictures would be better than lists of words for me to visualise outfit options. Enjoy Hawaii, Aloha!
ReplyDeleteHi, Janet; you don't need the 'help' because you are already slim but that caftan is constructed beautifully in my opinion to not only be comfortable but also be slenderizing in the front mid-section/thru-the-torso; love it; great buy (am enjoying your little snippets of Kauai on Instagram, btw; perfect place for a perfect caftan!).
ReplyDeleteI've waited to write down my comment til a few days have gone by since you've posted, so as not to clutter up the comment section with my own question which has nothing much to do with the caftan. I've tried hard to limit my comments in length and numbers over the past months as you know.. Here it is, and thanks in advance for considering my request!...
Imagine your granddaughter as a teenager heading into her 20s. I remember that age; I was very serious about wanting to start things out right with how to apply makeup, take care of my skin, what to do with my hair, how to dress, etc. I hadn't had any good mentors, was a late bloomer and now had a full-time office job with people older than I, dressing well and looking their best in the business world. I couldn't figure out my own 'style identity' or how most sensibly to live my life with health and well-being. I was really sincere in wanting to be a good, smart, well-rounded adult in many ways (got off course later on, but at least my intent at the beginning was honest and true!).
I didn't have a lot of money, but I'd start with books to learn things on this subject/dilemma, one of the earliest being one written by Diane Von Furstenburg (I'm sure that's spelled wrong), the wonderful wrap-dress designer still going strong 40 years later; she talked about a lot of things I was interested in, and was into comfort and natural-ness (clothes/makeup/hair/home decor) in spite of her wealth, fame, credentials, elegance, etc. There was also a makeup artist, gosh I think his name was something like Way Bandy, now deceased, who did makeup for supermodels like Cheryl Tiegs who was 'big' in the '70s; I'd practice and practice his techniques/advice.
So, should your maturing granddaughter come to you wanting advice 15 years down the road, such as a simple bullet list she could pin on her vanity mirror on how to have an adult life looking/feeling/being youthful, happy, productive and full of vitality/spark like her nana, what would be your bullet points...pick 10, pick 20, pick more...on what you do day in, day out, to care for your body and mind...care for your life...starting with wake-up to night-night, almost like a page out of a day planner, or 'rules' to live by? How would you synopsize, thinking back on all of your posts, tips, new discoveries?
Maybe I'm asking you to be repetitive on your recipe for living a quality life, but refresher courses are always helpful, not redundant. Like it or not, you have become a role model and a mentor, not just to me.
What a great purchase, both looks and price. I don't mind packing for a warm destination because everything is light and simple. It's another matter entirely when you've to consider warm, cold, wet, dry possibilities all in one week! have a wonderful holiday.
ReplyDeleteI sort of equate packing with some sort of maternal instinct. If one relies on instinct when packing, the the worries vanish. The entire point of one's ability to travel is not just the destination, it is indeed the journey. I think a caftan can not only cover a multitude of sins but also look :boss:. You the boss, Janet. Have fun, sport a pretty orchid lei with that lovely caftan.
ReplyDeleteAloha,
pve
Lovely Kaftan, Janet. I'm a little disappointed you didn't show or talk about your swim suit! The most important item(s) to take to Hawaii ;) Bikini or one piece? You will look fabulous and have fun!!
ReplyDeletelisa forgive me for taking so long to get to this question. i think i had answered it in my head and then i realized i hadn't during the middle of the night. so anyway........i didn't talk about the bathing suit b/c i wasn't sure if i'd be bringing a one piece or bikini. i really hate them both and need to take the time and some money and get something that fits good. i wound up taking the one piece and hated it. the top part was too small and it was uncomfortable. so when i get it figured out i'll do a post on it. thanks lisa. x
DeleteI have that same caftan, and also bought it on sale (but not for $40, you lucky dog!). It looks beautiful on you, and seeing it on you reminds me of how versatile and stylish it is and how much I love it.
ReplyDeleteDon't obsess over what to wear in Kauai! Wear what you are comfortable in! It's very casual. It sounds like you are very organized and have a good clothing list started. We like to hike, sight see, swim and sun..... I take a small carrying on (staying for 3 weeks) and take 2 bikinis, a one-piece swimsuit, a caftan (love the one you found!) and a short swim cover-up, a big straw beach hat and a baseball style hat, a couple pairs of shorts and a few tees and one pair of hiking/river sandals, a pair flip flops and a collapsible beach carryall . That's it. All my activities are covered by that small wardrobe. And I wear the shorts, tee and river sandals on the plane. Easy-Peasy! And instead of a purse I use a small hiking back pack as my plane bag/purse with all my personal things in it and then use it for hiking later on. I don't take any makeup, no jewelry, no hair junk, no "fancy" going out clothes. My entire goal of my island holiday is to be free of all that stuff. Kauai is very relaxed and the perfect place to not spend any time or thought into what I'm wearing. . Anything goes there. I've been to drinks and dinner in my cover-up over my bikini right off the beach. Everyone does it....No need to stress it and over pack. And remember....you're not going to the moon! You can buy anything and everything there that you may have forgotten. Next Jan/Feb I'm going to Molokai for my island holiday. It's the least populated and I can't wait!!!
ReplyDeleteBtw, you are beautiful! Love your natural hair too.
ReplyDeleteThat drawing is too cute. You do look smashing and way better than the model (if I may say so). Hope you have a fab time!
ReplyDeleteTanja
xx
Your drawings are adorable! I would never think of planning things out like that, great idea.
ReplyDeleteI just tuned in after being away a couple of weeks, and all I can say is gosh, girl, you are looking more gorgeous by the day! I need some of whatever you're having! Am more and more inspired by you to simplify my surroundings and my way of eating. Hope you had (are still having?) a great time in Hawaii! Hugs from a huge fan.
ReplyDeleteI don't like frocks but I love the gardens
ReplyDeleteLove your little outfit drawings, so clever
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