get out of town: packing up for a last minute road trip

the husband and i are really good at getting out of town. sometimes we're so good that we're already on the road before we've decided where we're going. i thought i'd let you in on a few things i've learned about packing up in a hurry but still having exactly what you need. this time i was packing for a weekend road trip to Seattle (about 6+ hours away).

this is how i pack for quick weekend excursions where we have a place to stay and i'm not flying.
one backpack, one bag...

i keep a backpack that's pretty much ready to go when i need it with a few basics pre-loaded like my flat iron, body wash, face wash, lotion shampoo and conditioner. i keep a spare make-up bag packed with minis of my regulars and smaller items that i can use as well and toss that in to the backpack too.

you'll have to actually put some thought into what you're going to wear and what the weather is going to be like. i bring clothes that are versatile and can be easily matched up with each other. light layers and basics work best for me. i'm never too fancy. the weather for this trip was going to range from 60s to 90s over the four days. this is what i brought as far as clothing:

• DRESS: 1 light dress (for the hottest day)
• TOPS: 1 long sleeve shirt, 1 button up, 1 t-shirt, 2 layering/undershirts, a tank and a sweater.
• BOTTOMS: 1 pair of skinny jeans, 1 pair of shorts, 1 skirt and 1 pair of leggings
• UNDER: 2 bras (one strapless for the dress), 3 socks, 5 panties
• EXTRAS: jacket, hat, scarf, bandana, swimsuit, pajamas
• SHOES: 1 pair of sneakers and 1 pair of sandals

folded and stacked, everything fits perfectly inside the backpack. i left a few things out to wear.

next i pack all of my little essentials in the bag. its a decent sized shoulder bag and it has a padded pocket for my laptop and enough room for all my things i'd have a hard time living without.

in the bag is: my laptop & case, writing utensils, lotion & sunscreen, a carabiner, hair tie, computer and phone charger, a waterproof wallet (just in case), iPod, iPhone, keys, candy, notebook, sketch pad, markers, glasses, lip gloss, mascara, lip balm, compact, aspirin, my wallet, a headlamp and hand sanitizer.

also, last minute i added a little draw string bag for laundry because the last thing i need is for my dirty socks to fall out while i'm digging around and a small zip bag to keep my clean panties together.

i always bring a bandana or two... i lay one over a pillow so i have my own surface to put my face on, use one for hiding a bad hair day, an emergency belt, wrapping up fragile souvenirs. lots of stuff.

and, last thing, i did bring a small cross-body purse so i didn't have to lug around my giant shoulder bag around while sight-seeing, eating out and shopping. it fit into the big bag and i just threw my wallet and lip gloss in when i used it.

Z and i will be flying to California in November and i will try and write about how to pack without checking any luggage. for now, this is how i pack for a weekender.

xo, pearl

road trip: Seattle

last weekend we did a quick road trip up to Seattle with my husband and his sis and bro-in-law. we packed up the night before and left before the sun came up on thursday morning. it was my grandma's 76th birthday so i wanted to surprise her on our way through the town where she lives (and i grew up).

after passing through we headed to the town where huzbo grew up to pick up the rest of the crew, his sister and her husband. Seattle is such a cool place. the scale is just so huge compared to where we live and there is so much to see and do. even without spending much money we were more than entertained.

fremont bridge

gas works park

the daily donut

pike place market

xo, pearl

last week looked like:

i mostly take pictures with my iPhone and they never get much farther than that. every once in a while i like to go back and see what those pictures look like. here are a few from the last week:

my embroidery threads were in desperate need of organization, this is the end result.

on Sunday, the husband and i went to visit a friend at his new doughnut shop. husband had a buttermilk bar and i had doughnut holes.

yesterday i stopped in on the husband at work and he made me this delicious salad with a big ol' slab of salmon on top.

liquored up: sangria

i'm kind of a lush. one of my favorite things to live by is the time-and-a-place rule. there's a time and a place for everything. like vodka redbulls... the time was seven years ago and the place was any given night club where the volume of the music alone could make you feel buzzed. i'm a lot older now but i still like that buzz. kinda like how if you get drunk off wine you're worldly and tasteful and if your guilty pleasure is a well-whiskey drink, or two, you're as good as the local hobo... 

so, i bring to you SANGRIA!

classy people drink sangria, in large sunglasses and maxi dresses on patios downtown during the day.

this is a first for me, i don't make things in the kitchen. bear with me. the cool thing about sangria is you can't really go wrong. i wasn't following an exact recipe. i came up with this after chatting up a couple bartenders and some quick google searches...

ingredients:

750ml bottle of dry white wine (i am NOT a wine drinker, i just grabbed the highest alc %)

6oz. cheap vodka (cause i'm cheap)

random fruit of your choice - i used peaches, pineapple and ginger

1/4 cup simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, bring to boil, let cool)

soda water, lemon-lime pop, ginger ale or other fizzy drink of your preference

after adding all the ingredients, let it sit in your fridge for a night or two. remember: patience is a virtue.

the idea is for the fruit to ooze it's flavor into the booze. we added the vodka for two reasons 1) because it makes the sangria stronger, and 2) because it actually acts as a type of preservative to keep the fruit from spoiling. i mean i don't know how long you plan on this lasting but if you had to keep it for a week or so you would probably be pretty fine.

once you've let it sit and do its thing for a day or so serve it over some ice and top it off with some soda water or even lemon-lime soda or ginger ale if you like it more sweet. my intention was to garnish it with a skewered piece of candied ginger and a mint leaf, but i ate it all before the sangria was ready. so, i topped it off with a slice of lemon, just cause it needed something. we're going classy, remember?

i tried this recipe because i want to take a jar of it to a friend's birthday party. how cute would this giant mason jar look with some pretty fabric tucked under the lid and a little packet of candied ginger tied around the neck with a sweet little bow?

i'll try and take a photo to share with you before i give it away.

cheers!

xo, pearl