Friday Favorites #60: Pack it up!

My Friday Favorites post is a little bit different this week!  Since I'm currently in NYC for a long weekend, I thought it might be fun to do a little post about my travel must-haves.  I always think it's interesting to see a different take on a "what's in my bag?" post, so here are my necessities for my metropolitan getaway!

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First of all, I'm totally obsessed with Lulu Guinness purses, and the Lulu by Lulu Guinness line at JC Penney is absolutely wonderful.  Her regular bags cost a fortune, but the JCP line is incredibly reasonable and unbelievably adorable.  I ended up getting a few different purses (including the one above) from the store.  Not only were they on sale, but I can be very picky about neutral bags, and they happened to have three different ones (a white one, one in a taupe color and a black one) that will be great staple purses for me.  I tend to use one purse until it wears out, and though I have a huge collection of novelty bags, I actually have very few practical purses.  The Lulu purses are the perfect size, too -- the ones I got aren't bulky at all, but all three are big enough to fit my DSLR, which is definitely mandatory for this trip!

Secondly, I needed a new carry-on bag, and I just happened to find this one on Amazon.  It comes in a bunch of different colors (as well as other styles), and it's cutesy without being distracting.  It was really inexpensive, and while it might not be the most durable travel bag in the world, it's a great option for a weekender bag or some light schlepping.  The bows are removable, too (though they're really much of the reason I bought it in the first place!), and it's definitely bigger than it looks!

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Headphones are an absolute must for virtually any type of travel, and though I'm sure they're not as good for your hearing as other types of headphones, these earbuds sure are cute!  I love the hedgehogs and cats, and the Happy Plugs come in tons of other colors!

My flight was too short to really watch anything on DVD, but I've done a lot of traveling on trains and buses, and entertainment is vital on long trips!  I usually opt to bring a DVD set of a beloved TV series for a train ride, but sometimes I'll also bring nostalgic movies.  It's also nice to have something to watch if you don't have internet access!

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If I get bored on the plane or in the airport, I'll definitely be reading more of this book.  If you suspect you're an HSP, you need to pick this one up.  I'm only about a third of the way through, but it's cemented the fact that I am, without a doubt, a Highly Sensitive Person, and it's really nice to know that I'm not alone in that!

If you're a blogger who isn't lucky enough to have someone willing to take your outfit photos for you, you might need to invest in a tripod at some point.  I have a couple of tripods that I use, but I really love this one, and it's excellent for traveling!  It can be packed away easily and conveniently in a suitcase (and even comes with a little bag), but expands to full size.  It's also surprisingly durable, and I use it way more than my other tripod, even when I'm at home.  In addition, it's well worth the money, especially when you consider how reasonable the price is!

Because I don't have the newest iPhone (mine's an iPhone 4S), it's really hard to find backup batteries that fit my model of phone and that are aesthetically-pleasing (and not a total piece of junk).  I'd seen these types of plug-in batteries before and had been looking for this same kind for my phone.  After a lot of searching, I finally found this one.  It wasn't very expensive, so I decided to give it a try.  The design isn't *quite* my style, but it's still pretty cute, and since I know I'll be using my phone a lot when I'm on the go, I think it'll be a good investment.

I don't know about you, but when I'm on vacation in a place with lots of people around (like here in New York or in Disney World), I make an effort to pack dresses that sport a longer hemline.  I'm a relatively tall girl, so some dresses tend to look shorter on me anyway, and it's annoying to have to be constantly pulling down your dress and making sure you're not giving everyone a show!  New York City can be like a wind tunnel sometimes, so I definitely didn't want to worry about that.  These cute-as-can-be dresses are a little more modest, but they don't sacrifice on style.  They're also good for the New York heat and could be worn for pretty much any activity I might do while I'm here, including picnicking in the park, seeing a show, or meeting friends for dinner!

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You know me - I love a dress with a full skirt, and of course, I love crinolines.  However, petticoats are not exactly conducive to traveling.  This pettislip is a great solution.  It provides just a touch of fullness (and it's so soft!), and it barely takes up any room at all in my luggage!

If you're staying at a hotel, you can use an iron to fix wrinkly clothes, but even when an iron is available, I sometimes like to bring my portable steamer instead!  It's so fast, works with regular tap water and is a great size to pack.  I also make sure to bring a robe, both for showering and lounging purposes.  This fuzzy pink one is so fun!

Since it's still summery, cute (and inexpensive) sunglasses are necessary!  I don't trust myself to carry around pricy frames, since they always end up at the bottom of my cluttered purse.  I need something cheap and durable.  I love all three of these sweet and retro pairs (though I'd definitely need a case for the last pair):

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In most cases, traveling = lots of walking!  I anticipated that much better for this trip than for our Disney World vacation (I was in agony almost the entire time!).  I decided to get this pair of white eyelet flats by Aerosoles.  The brand came highly recommended by my friend Kristina, and then when I saw this white pair at DSW, I knew I had to check them out.  I was glad I ended up trying them on in the store, because it seems that, while I wear a size 9 in heels, I end up needing an 8.5 in flats.  They seem very comfortable so far (and I think they'll stretch a little bit, which is good), and it's so nice to actually have arch support!  I tend to buy really cheap flats that I wear constantly, but I needed something of better quality for all the walking I'll be doing.  They were even on sale in the store!

I do tend to wear a lot of makeup.  For one thing, I have skin problems, which are obviously not made better by wearing a lot of makeup, but sometimes it's unavoidable if I want to look halfway decent.  But in addition, I just really *like* makeup, and it's fun to play around with.  My two favorite products as of late are below.  One is brand new to me -- the Anastasia Beverly Hills brow powder duo.  I fill in my eyebrows on a regular basis because, although they have a nice natural shape to them, they are very sparse in some areas and I feel so much more confident when they are filled in.  For a long time, I'd just been trying to find a good color match in eyeshadows, which was somewhat limiting and could lead to a harsh look.  I did some research and found this line of brow products at Sephora, and I am in LOVE.  I needed something travel-sized, and this eyebrow powder duo palette is perfect for that -- not to mention that it's much more natural-looking than what I had been using prior.  The other product is Revlon Colorburst lip balm stain, which I adore because I don't like wearing conventional lipstick, but I do need some color on my lips.  I have kind of a small mouth, and a little lip stain makes a big difference on me.  This balm stays on for a long time and feels much lighter than regular lipstick (and it's also easier to fix if you mess up)!

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And finally: this might not apply if you are staying in a hotel, but if you're staying with friends (like I am) or family, I think it's a very nice gesture to bring a gift as a thank you to your host.  Gift cards for restaurants are always nice, or something for their home.  I opted to get my friend Caitlin a really beautiful candle from Crabtree & Evelyn, but this one is lovely, too.  It's the thought that counts, and a sweet little gift really makes you feel appreciated.

I had a lot of fun putting together this little guide, so I hope you didn't miss my regular Friday Favorites too much!  

Enjoy your weekend!

xox Sammi