Travel: What To Pack for a Beach Vacation

I’m currently vacationing in sunny Florida! It’s super hot in Florida at the moment, and my friend Shannon and I have agreed that we should stick to a grueling schedule of beach-pool-beach-pool with some meals in between. Tough, yes. That’s how we roll when we’re in Florida! Of course, though, there’ll be days and nights of shopping trips, and we’re looking forward to a trip-within-a-trip to Sarasota. Oh – and we’ll be seeing two concerts while we’re here – Gwen Stefani and the Dave Matthews Band. Very cool. Good times ahead!

I’m a decent packer, and I generally have a good sense of what outfits I may need while I’m on vacation. That said, I sometimes pack more than I need and I don’t like lugging around useless weight. For this vacation, I wanted to pack light – absurdly light – because (a) I don’t wear much more than bathing suits while I’m here, (b) it’s too hot to wear more than a bathing suit, and (c) I’m hoping for a few sales which means I’ll be returning with a heavier luggage on my way home. I’m so good at supporting the American economy when I’m in Florida that I should really get a prize.

I’m (almost) ready to challenge myself to stick to a very strict colour scheme this trip. I’m starting with two navy/white bikinis that I picked up in Copenhagen last month from H&M. Most of my packing for this trip revolved around navy/white (quite a departure from the usual black and white, I know). Here’s what I considered (and just about ended up following through on) packing for this vacation (very similar items, not necessarily the exact items).

beach-vacation-White-Cabana-what-to-pack-1beach-vacation-White-Cabana-what-to-pack-2

sunglasses, sun hat, watch, dress, bikini, kaftan coverup, flip flops, white tee, white denim shorts, purse, navy shorts, dress, tank top, striped bikini, sneakers, sweatshirt, pajamas, sandals, sports bra, sports tank, running shoes, running skirt

What do you think? Could you spend two weeks in Florida with these 22 pieces?

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Two for Tuesday: The Magnificent Magnolia

My friend Shannon and I are back in Madeira Beach for our annual girls’ vacation, and in between going to the beach, we’ve been catching up on some HGTV shows. Neither of us have cable at our homes, so this is a treat for us. We watched a couple episodes of Fixer Upper the other day with Chip and Joanna Gaines, and I really like their work. Generally, their makeovers are a bit more country than I generally like, but they do such a good job with the renos and styling. It’s so impressive! Via blogging, I’ve followed some of their projects, but I’ve only ever watched  a few episodes of their show. Have you seen the show?

In addition to the show, they run a bed and breakfast in Texas, and have a beautiful shop called Magnolia Market. So that’s the inspiration for today’s two-of-a-kind. Magnolia_Product_63_of_69_1024x1024

magnolia art print, Magnolia Market

Seeing the collection of magnolia art prints at Magnolia Market reminded me of the gorgeous magnolia tree I saw in Florence on the property of San Miniato al Monte.

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photo by Jordana

The Friday Five: Swinging Around

Lots of people talk about bringing the outdoors in. A lot of the time, they’re talking about plants and colour schemes. But today I’m talking about something else that is traditionally an outdoor item – the swing! Yes, the swing. Have a look at these five spaces and tell me if they don’t make you want to have one of your very own!

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DIY swing by Chris Loves Julia

swing-sbh-interior

via SBH Interior

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Sukha Amsterdam via Vosges Paris

emmasdesignbloggswing-450x692

via Remodelista

the-playing-circle-vaudeville-pop-up-store-the-loft-amsterdam-11

The Loft via Sarah Le Donne

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

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Hotel to Home: The Palladian, Seattle, WA

I came across The Palladian on Apartment 34 and my jaw dropped. The hotel is stunning. I’ve never been to Seattle…hmm…

I wanted to recreate so many of the rooms, but since I’ve done quite a few bedrooms recently, I thought I’d move into the bathroom for today’s hotel to home post.

The Palladian, A Kimpton Hotel, Seattle. Designed by Nicole Hollis.

The Palladian, A Kimpton Hotel, Seattle. Designed by Nicole Hollis.

photo via Apartment 34

White-Cabana-inspired by Palladian

mirror, faucet, vanity, towels, sconce, soap, art, easel

I just love the addition of the old portrait artwork, don’t you? It’s sort of unexpected in a bathroom, isn’t it?

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