VISITING TAYLOR SWIFT'S HOUSE + la travels (iv)

Now that I've gotten your attention, I have to say, I've lied - I didn't go to Taylor Swift's house, but I did visit Greystone Mansion, so basically the same thing! I also went to a few places in Hollywood - Commissary at The Line Hotel, Griffith Park, LACMA, and Melrose Ave.

Greystone was such an amazing place to visit.

When I checked the hours online, it said they opened at 8, so we got there then, and realized they weren't technically open until 10! Fortunately, there are no gates to the grounds or anything, so we were able to wander around, and there weren't too many people aside from a summer camp that was just beginning to assemble.

The whole area gave off a Blank Space vibe, and I feel like it could have been the set from the music video! If Taylor Swift didn't have her New York apartment (and if Greystone were for sale), I'm 99% sure she would live here.

Since we were going to be surrounded by a lot of green, I decided to go with a simple white Alexander Wang tee, my (only) jeans, and t-strap sandals I wear in virtually every outfit. This time I'm glad I didn't wear grey!

It drives me nuts when shirts are see through, but only slightly, so when you first try them on, you think it's okay to only wear a bra, but once you're at home and in different lighting, they're a little too see through to wear to work or comfortably to school.

I'm forever on the search for a nice quality (and reasonably priced) white shirt that doesn't have to be worn with a bandeau or tank top. Though this one is super soft and comfy, it doesn't fulfill the latter requirement.

If you guys have any brands/shirts that work well sans more layers, please let me know in the comments!

Greystone has quite a comprehensive list of "don'ts" - they include: no dogs, no picnics, no sports, no personal training (???), no having fun (jk), and no photography/filming unless you have a permit. I looked it up, and a permit is somewhere around the lines of $300/hr for personal use. For commercial use, it's even more!

So, uh, these photos...

(update: I checked on Yelp, and photos are okay if they are unprofessional! Plus Chiara Ferragni did a blog post there, and I don't think she paid $300 for 5 photos)

I've also been playing around with presets in Lightroom! It took me forever to figure out why certain people could get such amazing colors with their cameras, and why my colors always looked flat and dull.

I've been looking around a lot for free ones (mainly for portraits), so if you know of any, please link to them in the comments! <3

Time spent here: ~2 hrs, you could spend more just sitting in the gardens.
Things to note: You can't go into the mansion unless you arrange a tour (not completely sure how to do that). You can peek in the windows though, which we would have done, had we been able to figure out how to get from the gardens to the mansion - it's on a hill above. Also, Beverly Hills has city wide free wifi!
Cost: Free.

For lunch, we went Commissary at The Line Hotel. It's located in Koreatown, and has pretty good Asian fusion food! I'll admit, I mainly wanted to visit because of an amazing Instagram photo I saw on @discoverla, but it was worth it. 

I just had avocado salmon toast, since we weren't very hungry. Their aesthetic is something along the lines of "quirky and mismatched, while still somewhat upscale". The quirky would be their mismatched dining ware (the dishes, glasses, and napkins were all different), the upscale would be their prices. 

Time spent here: It depends on how fast you eat! The service wasn't particularly fast, nor slow. 

Things to note: They have a pool right outside, and I think you'd probably be able to slip in even if you don't stay at the hotel if you act nonchalant. I love the hotel vibe, and the prices aren't too bad. Their lobby also plays really nice music (think Flume and Lorde remixes), and the people watching is great - everyone is so stylish!

Cost: Somewhere between $$ and $$$. I think the toast was around $20, and it wasn't too big. 

We went back to the Line Hotel a few days later, and tried the other restaurant downstairs - Pot. I would not recommend it. It was more expensive (though to be fair we went for dinner instead of lunch), and the food was eh. We ordered a pot of kimchi, given the name of the restaurant we thought it would be good, but it was basically $50 worth of kimchi floating around in watered down soup. 

After heading back to our Airbnb room for a bit to relax (LA was hot!), we headed out again to Griffith Observatory for sunset. We obviously weren't the only people with this idea, and it was crowded both for parking and while there. 

It was definitely worth it though! The sunset was spectacular, and I loved watching the lights slowly turn on. The best part of the sunset is always right after the sun dips below the horizon, and the pastel colors appear. 

I would've loved to see it at sunrise, probably much fewer people, but no way would I have been able to get up then. 

Time spent here: ~1.5 hrs. We didn't go inside the observatory though, only admired the views from the outside.
Things to note: When we went, lots of people were clamoring to get the same coveted photo spots, so please do try and be courteous. I had to wait an absurd amount of time (to be fair, I'm pretty impatient) for this girl to take her 100 selfies from different angles. Although we didn't try it since we weren't dressed for it, there's hiking available too!
Cost: Free.

This trip was full of museums, and I really wanted to get photos in front of Lacma's famous Urban Light exhibit - I did, but unfortunately they didn't turn out very well.

I did really enjoy this museum though - it's huge, and has a very wide variety of art!

No trip to LA is complete without some shopping! We were living quite close to Melrose, so we spent an afternoon there (mainly for the photo ops). I was prepared to take tons of outfit photos, since everyone's probably used to fashion bloggers, but at the last minute, forgot my camera. Oh well.

There are a few affordable shops, but the majority are for window shopping. Some must sees would be Fred Segal, Paul Smith (the pink wall!), Resurrection, and Creatures of Comfort.

For stores in which you can actually afford more than a clothes hanger, I would go to Crossroads and Wasteland. The latter is much more expensive and high end, but both are significantly pricier than the secondhand stores back home. Apparently celebrities go there to clean out their closets!

This is the last post in my SoCal road trip (you can read the other ones here). Summer truly is over, though it's hard to believe I've already been back in school for a month! 

What would you guys recommend to for activities and must dos in LA? What's the best restaurant there? Any affordable boutiques? Let me know in the comments!

xx

Angelina

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adios summer 2015

Every year, I make a bucket list of things I want to try and accomplish over the summer. It helps me plan out my time, and keeps me from being bored! This year, I got quite a lot done. 

1. Bake super cute cookies - I'm terrible at baking, so this was way over my expectations! I had (lots of) help from a friend, and they were amazing for photos, and even better for eating. 

2. Spend 24 hours with someone - There are like 2 people I could spend this long for in one sitting without going crazy - one of them lives in Canada. We got a ton of things done, shot lots of photos, and caught up with each other's lives!

3. Redye my hair - I originally dyed my hair in April, so it was time for a touch up. My hair was much more damaged this round, and I now have two tufts of hair that stick out. It's terrible, and they look like horns. 

4. Take photos with someone who traveled to California - Nora and I met through Instagram - she's originally from Atlanta, so it was really cool to be able to meet her!

5. Go on a picnic - Ok, so this one is mainly for the photos, but I love going out and doing things I used to when I was younger. When you're swamped with schoolwork, picnics aren't really an option, but in the summer, they're my favorite thing to do. 

6. Do a roadtrip to SoCal - 2 weeks, 4 (and a half) posts - 1, 2, 2.5, 3, and 4.

7. Sit by a window and read while it rains - Technically I wasn't sitting by the window. Or reading a book, which is what I originally meant. Buuut, on our last day in LA, it rained for a few hours, and we sat in the lobby of the Line Hotel (they play some really nice music), and I read blogs. So I'm counting it!

8. Do a shoot with someone Internet famous - LA is like the Mesopotamia of YouTubers, so I thought going there would make it a lot easier to shoot with one of them! I didn't get to - I discovered how most of them are rather occupied with other things and won't respond to your DMs after a while, buut I did get to do a shoot with Jennifer from Art In Our Blood! The pictures aren't up on her blog, but you can see some of them here and here. She's such a genuinely kind person, and I loved getting to talk to her. 

9. Start making a dress - I've always wanted to get into designing and making my clothes. A dress, since it allows for more mistakes, seemed like the perfect way to get into it! I worked on this for about 5 hours nonstop, and now it's just been sitting in a corner. This is a terrible habit I have. 

10. Take photos for a couple - Next up: get cute couple pictures taken of me and my...dog.
11. Make a teapot that works - I have a love-hate relationship with teapots. I love making them in different shapes - the bottom one is the first one I ever made in elementary school, the pumpkin is more recent (inspired by Cinderella's carriage), and the unicorn is from this summer. It technically works, but someone fired it with the lid on, so it's glazed shut...
12. Receive a sponsorship through my blog - I started blogging regularly in April, and I'm really happy about my sponsorship from eShakti. Not because I'm into blogging for free clothes (if that was my goal, I think I'd do those surveys that pay you instead of this), but it was just the first tangible outcome. It was like a reassurance that yes, we see all the hard work you've put into this, and it's paying off!
13. Make $500 from photography - This summer, I ran two week long photography camps, took photos for two summer camps, and a company, and taught on the side! I ended up making over $1,800, which was way more than I expected!
14. Take more Polaroids - A few years ago, I got a polaroid camera for Christmas, but I rarely use it. I made a point to bring it on my SoCal trip, and took tons more!
15. Take blog photos for someone - Blog photos are so so so fun to take. End of story!
16. Sell/trade 80% of the clothes I didn't want - I shop a lot. I also get tired of clothes quickly. Solution? Selling and swapping on Poshmark, Vinted, and with friends! For me, 80% was about 70 items.
17. Take photos with 3 people I don't know very well - Towards the end of the year, I was running out of people to photograph. My photography Instagram was starting to look like a fan page for the few regulars I did shoot with! I reached out to a few people, and am finally out of my photo rut.
18. Participate in a Color Run - A great way to trick myself into being active. Because I will never be one of those people who run for fun. Except maybe in the mall. Mall marathons, I would do those.


A few items I didn't get around to, but will next year (hopefully):
1. Go to an outdoor concert.
2. Volunteer.
3. Go to the zoo.
4. Go to the Boardwalk.
5. Go swimming (yes I went my whole summer without ever going swimming. Not on purpose).

What are some of your summer highlights? Do you like to plan things out beforehand, or just let things happen? What do you hope to do next year?

xx

Angelina

p.s. I'm also trying to figure out what color to dye my hair next. If you'd like to help out, I would be forever grateful if you guys used this form (yes I made a survey)!

an eye opening experience (ii 1/2)

This may be potentially triggering for some. If you'd rather read something more light hearted, here's the most recent part of my travel series. 

here

In between our road trip and San Diego, we took a little break and went on a cruise to Ensenada, Mexico. Although I have been on cruises before, this was my first time with Carnival, and definitely my last.

What happened on that cruise was shocking, and I had never experienced anything like it, though I know I'll have to deal with it on a frequent basis the rest of my life. I wasn't physically harmed, but it's changed my view on the world, and how I feel about certain issues.

When I was younger, I didn't really see the whole issue with catcalling and sexual harassment. I thought they were like compliments, albeit ones shouted from passing cars by strange men. I didn't mind it, because that meant I was beautiful, right? At least, pretty enough to be noticed. This is the reasoning used by many, when they say it isn't an issue, and aren't sure why it needs to stop.

But as it happens to me more and more daily, I don't enjoy it, and can't imagine why I ever did.

My first incident within the three days we were on that cruise: we were having dinner at a two person table, and were about done with our meal, when an older man sat next to us. As with most restaurants, you typically follow the waiter to your table, but looking back, I'm not so sure the seating choice was chosen by the waiter.

He was friendly, joking that it was alright if we didn't like Italian guys, and telling us about his son - though he was alone, and didn't have a wedding ring. My initial impression was that he was a little loud and irritating, but harmless, and probably just lonely.

My first red flag was when he started touching my hair, saying how it was pretty, but "natural black hair is much more beautiful, this isn't you. You should own who you are" - basically all the frustrations I vented about in this post. Of course I told him off, saying I know and love who I am, and the color of my hair means nothing, I'm not trying to be white. I should have also added not to touch me, but I was so flustered by this talkative, imperceptibly callous man.

I regret that I didn't do anything at that time. He became even more pushy, plunking down his menu on our table, telling us to order him whatever because he didn't care at all. He tried to spoon feed us his meal, and wanted to share a bottle of wine. He kept asking what race we were, and had an inappropriate fascination with the fact that we were Asian.

It didn't stop there. He began to make lewd comments as to what he though my dining companion and I should do, and I was so horrified. She was a little tipsy and hard of hearing, so she could only nod and smile, thinking he was a polite stranger inquiring about normal, acceptable things. I was speechless, and couldn't say anything.

I ended up telling him off about a comment that I said was racist (in actuality it wasn't terribly so, I just needed a reason to release my feelings). He tensed up, going off about he had fought in the DMZ in Korea, I was just a little girl, and he was the farthest thing from racist. I turned away from him, and he touched my arm, trying to get me to listen.

The only proud moment I have during this whole exchange was that I was able to tell him, without trembling: "Please don't touch me sir.", though I felt like breaking down. I motioned to my friend to leave, and cluelessly, she followed my lead. As soon as we got up, so did he - going the other direction.

After that encounter, I was so shaken up. Up until that time, I had a naive belief that men were good and chivalrous at their core, though obviously I understood they weren't all like that. Although this is clear to some, this isn't the case, and often times, you're alone in standing up for yourself.

Thankfully, nothing happened. I never saw that man again, but that night, I was scared out of my mind. My friend went out later alone, while I huddled in our room, and when she didn't return as quickly as I thought she would have, I worried he might have found her and done something. I worried he could have somehow found out our names, or followed us back to our room. I dreamed up terrible situations. And all this was after a 15 minute conversation.

The next day, we docked in Ensenada. Having looked up multiple reviews on Yelp, I knew there wasn't too much to do really, so we slept in, and left to walk around the town after lunch.

I'm no stranger to places where vendors call to you constantly, trying to get you to look at their wares, and maybe purchase. Many malls in China have recordings set up that advertise their products to passerby, so you're constantly bombarded.

Ensenada is a port city, and it mainly depends on cruise ship visitors. I can understand how the locals really need to make sales, and we're the best option. So I was prepared and understood the many peddlers that called to us, but what I wasn't expecting was the catcalling and inappropriate things they said to us.

Maybe it was because we were both female, maybe it was because I'm blonde, but it seemed like we were the only ones getting harassed constantly. They kept trying to have us stop in their bar for marguerites, and "a Mexican boyfriend to go".

This one bar, "Papas & Beer" was terrible. They were on a cross street, so we had to pass by a couple times, and each time, they shouted things like: "How many Mexican boyfriends do you want?", "Come on, you guys aren't doing anything else, you know you want it!", "Hey blondie, come here!", and "Honey, you know you want a piece of this."

Walking away, I could feel their eyes on me, and it was definitely not pleasant. I felt violated, though none of them actually physically harassed us, it was tiring and disgusting.

There are many who don't support catcalling, and dozens of videos of to show what it's like to men, but there are also those who say, "It's a compliment". I used to be one of those, who believed it wasn't a bad thing, when men called out to you. But I've realized, a compliment, a real one, doesn't make you feel like your insides are twisting up, like they can see you at your most vulnerable. It should make you feel warm, light, like a hug from one of your best friends.

I don't know if catcalling will stop becoming acceptable or tolerated in my lifetime. It's not an optimistic view, but it's my personal feeling that we have so many issues everywhere now, I'm not sure catcalling is at the forefront of people's minds. Harassment, assault, those things, yes. To the casual onlooker, those things seem bigger, more permanent, more damaging than catcalling. But that's not true.

I hate the way I feel when it happens, how I can't do anything. Most of the time, it's from cars or bikes, and I don't have enough time to respond. I can't think of a witty retort, and I don't even have the time to raise my middle finger, I only have enough time to stare, and blink at them. Not exactly a powerful sign of "no".

So, I'm hoping this'll be an open dialogue about feelings you have, experiences or tips to share. I understand this is a sensitive topic, and am completely with you if you would rather not share your own experiences or if you don't agree with my opinions. I only ask that you do so respectfully.

Please talk with me.

xx

Angelina

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p.s. on a more optimistic note, go and 

 (or read my post about what I'm grateful for!)

tips for polaroid beginners

I'd like to say I take Polaroids all the time, and I'm quite skilled at it, but only recently have I been lugging my camera around. I took several on my trip to SoCal, and thought I'd share some tips on how to take great Polaroids I've learned since then. 

Behold, my Polaroids from this trip. Most of them turned out well, I didn't get any unsalvageable ones, but definitely wish I took more. In Polaroid form, many boring scenes get that "je ne sais quoi" usually reserved for amazing ones.

Out of the 10 or so photos I took, I would say these two were the least successful for these reasons:

1. There wasn't much sun after sunset (obviously) and I've found Polaroids don't develop too well when there isn't bright light. Also, shooting into the light causes the brightest part of the photo to turn black (you can see it in the middle of the photo, to the left of my head). This also happens if you attempt to take a mirror selfie (which I did when I first got my camera).

2. It was too dark in the setting, and although I used the "lighter" setting, it obviously didn't help much. Instax cameras don't seem to do well when there are different lighting situations in one area (dark in the redwoods, light falling behind).

Some of my mundane, landscape shoots. Clockwise from top left - LA city hall observation deck, Balboa Park, La Jolla Cove, Getty Villa, and Greystone Park.

For better photos like the ones above, I'd suggest:

1. Shooting while it's light outside for better exposure. The colors also seem to develop faster and better.

2. Putting the shot down as soon as it comes out of the camera. Often, if you hold onto it, you risk having the colors bleed as shown below.

3. Not trying to focus on things close up. It may just be my camera, but once I tried to focus on a flower with a busy background, and it just didn't want to happen. It's easier to stick with farther and simpler subjects (aka a bigger aperture).

4. Simple compositions. My camera takes the photos slightly to the left, so if I don't account for that space, sometimes it can cut off vital parts of the photo. Simpler is better and easier.

Be very careful not to touch the image part while it's still developing. I've found that even holding onto the white tab can cause bleeding, as you can see in both pictures on the left side.

I think I accidentally touched the photo above, and my finger print is on the photo in magenta. Not sure of the science behind that, but I'm not a huge fan of how it looks now. 

I like displaying mine, so I stuck my Polaroids onto my wall with plain tape. You can also get an album especially made for these (Urban Outfitters has some cute, but pricey ones), or a scrapbook if you have one of those as well!

I haven't updated the wall in quite some time, but hoping to add more soon!

Do you guys have instant film cameras? What would be your tips for getting successful ones? What are your favorite things to take photos of? 

xx

Angelina

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road trip: diverse views (i)

I just got back from my 2 week long road trip to SoCal (you may have seen my packing tips here), and it was great! I have so many photos I'll have to post them in increments. In this post, Henry Colwell Redwoods, Carmel Mission, Bixby Bridge, and McWay Falls. 

Henry Colwell Redwood State Park: We rarely get to go to national parks, so when I realized this was on the way, I was super excited to visit! It was a very relaxing walk (we did the Redwood Grove Trail as neither of us had actual running shoes), and quite shady. 

There were lots of children running around since they have some sort of kids' scavenger hunt, so definitely family friendly. 

Time spent here: 1 hr, but more is possible.
Things to note: Camping is available!
Cost: Free, but parking is $10 inside the park.

Carmel Mission Basilica: I really enjoyed it here. It doesn't seem to be a huge tourist attraction, which is even better for me. The mission has an otherworldly feel, and it made me feel like I was in Spain. 

Great photo ops throughout, and not too many people who stare. Would've loved to spend more time, but we had many miles ahead of us. 

Time spent here: 2.5 hrs, would've liked more just for photo ops.
Things to note: Beautiful photo ops, also has a church.
Cost: $2 - 6.50, free parking.

On our way, we crossed Bixby Bridge, so I thought we might as well hop out and take some photos. For photos of the bridge, it's best to find a turnout about half a mile before the actual bridge, and you can get a full photo. The ones below were taken at the turnout to see the bridge.

I would've loved to stay here for sunset, but the road is pretty windy and tough to drive, so we had to make it out before then.

You can go a bit further down, and the water is so incredible and blue - it honestly looks like Hawaii! Am I exaggerating here?

Time spent here: 20-30 mins (camera difficulties).
Things to note: Many people stop here for photos, so try and be courteous and make sure no one is waiting for your spot.
Cost: Free! Park at the turnout.

Of course, we had to stop for McWay Falls! There are so many gorgeous photos of this waterfall online, I have to say I was really hoping for a bit more oomph.

Also the flowers weren't in bloom, which made me a little sad as well, but still a beautiful must-see.

Time spent here: 30 mins.

Things to note: There isn't an address for the falls, it's a little bit north of Julia Pfeiffer State Park, so you can park on the highway and walk to it. You'll know when you're getting close because there are tons of cars parked. 

Cost: Free! Parking can be tough though. 

I hope you guys enjoyed my (photo heavy) first post! I've split my trip into 4 sections, coming out about every week. 

Have you been to any of these places? What other destinations would you suggest for a road trip - either in California, or elsewhere?

xx

Angelina

p.s. if you'd like to pin this, here's a great picture for that!

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pacific coast highway road trip

I left on a road trip to SoCal a few days ago (note: I didn't actually pack today, this was written beforehand)! Specifically LA and San Diego. Here is what I'm thinking of bringing - because let's be honest, I'm always going to throw in a few "last minute" items - as well as how I would suggest packing. 

Grab everything that you're thinking of bringing and loosely arrange them in categories - tops, bottoms, dresses, outerwear. You can adapt to your needs and travel situation. We're driving, so I was able to bring more, but I definitely would not suggest this much if you're traveling abroad as you'll probably shop and bring back even more. 

white lace top - Billabong, striped bandeau top - Roxy, both bottoms - Hollister

Since LA and San Diego are basically beaches, I brought two swim bottoms, and two swim tops. The reason I have two basic black ones are because the one on the left is cheeky, and the one on the right isn't as much. I haven't actually worn either in public before though.

I'm a fan of simpler tops, so I have a triangle white lace one, and a striped bandeau, depending on whether I'll actually be swimming, or just tanning.

black pompom shorts - Ecote, black skirt - F21, black highwaisted shorts - Hollister, dark highwaisted shorts - AE, jeans - AE, patterned pants - Zara

As you can see, I definitely lean towards darker colors. They're typically more slimming, but they also show stains less (aka I can be lazy and wash them less).

I really love the pompom details on the shorts, because it makes them so easy to dress up or down! The black skirt actually has a bit of herringbone detail, and it matches with basically any top.

I've had my printed pants for ages, and I've only really found one top that matches with it. Needless to say, I don't really get many chances to wear them out, but I thought I'd bring them along in the hopes of finally figuring out what to wear with them. They also double as sweatpants because they're so comfy!

striped long sleeve - BP, black chiffon top - Lush, grey v neck - BP, plaid top - zara, striped corset top - frenchi

All my tops wouldn't fit in one photo (overpacking? nahh), so I divided them into neutrals and color. You can definitely tell my love for stripes - I tried to put them far from each other so as to not blind all of you.

The great thing about neutrals is they match with more or less everything! They're also great for accessorizing and adding bright colors.

magenta silk top - chelsea28, burgundy top - A&F, orange baseball raglan - Free People
purple v neck - BP, peter pan collared top - Topshop, mint crop top - O'Neill, love crop top - F21

Since SoCal has a reputation for being laidback and surfer chic, I brought a few really casual pieces. I didn't want to look like a clueless tourist in case we went to fancier restaurants though, so I included a gorgeous magenta silk crop top I've yet to take the tags off of, and a light green peter pan collared top.

Side note of my love for deals - I got the Free People raglan for $1. With the same amount of money I bought a pack of Skittles with, I bought an amazingly soft and comfy We The Free top. Obviously, that was a good day. (p.s. you can have a great clothing day too with these ways to get clothes for super cheap!)

burgundy cardigan - Roxy, grey cardigan - Brandy Melville, creme cardigan - Mossimo, tan raincoat - Uniqlo

Once, we went on an overnight trip to Big Sur, and I didn't bring a jacket, because my mind goes something like this: warm now = warmer at Big Sur because there are beaches = no possible way it will get colder at night. I was very wrong, and even wearing 3 shirts at a time isn't as good as a jacket or cardigan.

I'm making sure I won't freeze during our road trip, and bringing a variety of cardigans to match every outfit. I'm even bringing a rain coat, because you never know!

black half zip - VS Pink, purple sweatshirt - Wildfox

Okay first, can we please take a moment to admire my Wildfox sweater? I got it slightly used on this app, Poshmark, and I love it to death. I've been looking for the "Shopping Is My Cardio" saying for ages, and I love the pastel colors of it. Also, IT WAS ONLY $30.

Also from Poshmark, a black half zip, which I've also been looking for for a few years (no joke - they just never have colors I like in store). It set me back $14.

Sensing a trend here? Poshmark is a lifesaver. I'm thinking of writing a post about the ins and outs, as well as how to sell on there, so let me know if that's something you'd like to see!

red printed dress - Zara, floral dress - Kimchi Blue
white dress - A&F, black t shirt dress - F21

I love wearing dresses because you only really have to pick the shoes and the dress. Also, no pants, and no pants is always a bonus. Speaking of bonuses, pockets in dresses! Seriously debating on whether I should spend this summer sewing pockets into all of my dresses.

As you may have noticed, I like to pick neutrals (black + white), and then a few colorful options. I think it's a great way to be prepared for every situation. Make sure you also have options for different levels of formalness.

My packing tips in a nutshell:

Pick items that can do double duty - a tube dress that folds down into a skirt, flowy pants that can be worn as pajamas, or a maxi skirt that can turn into a strapless dress will save you space in your suitcase! This also goes for shoes and accessories.

Know what events to dress for - If you already know you'll be attending dinner at a posh restaurant, make sure you have something that you could wear there. Even if you don't have plans, bring a dress just in case, it'll save you money if you have to go shopping again! Or I guess you can use it as an excuse to shop more.

Pick neutral outerwear - This way, you won't be stuck with a hot pink cardigan that only matches one top in your closet. I like picking black, white, and one color that's easy to match, usually navy or burgundy.

Take 2 things out before you leave - I'm an over-packer, so I always have things that I think I'll wear, and then never do. Force yourself to surrender two things, and you probably won't even notice they're gone. I'd go with whatever you wear the least in your normal, day-to-day closet.

Let me know if these tips were helpful! What's your favorite thing to bring on road trips? Do you have any tips for traveling smart?

xx

Angelina

p.s. As this is being posted, I'm already in SoCal! I will be reading comments, and possibly responding, but at a much slower rate. I will definitely get back on when I'm home though!

Should you need to contact me quickly, please don't hesitate to email. 

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