Simplicity in the City
Ahhhh… Finally, my long-awaited beach getaway is here! After seven days a week of work and mommying for months on end, a moment of blissful, restorative, sunny escape awaits me. The babysitter has been scheduled. All of my hours at work are covered. My suitcase for Florida is packed (I’m gearing up to write a colorful blog on how to pack for down-dog-to-drinks-poolside.) My flight is in 14 hours and there’s only one thing standing between me and paradise: a category 4 hurricane.
This is where all those years of yoga training are supposed to kick in. You know, the part where those “ah-ha!” nuggets on the mat translate into actual elevated living. Time to gracefully surrender your attachment to all of the ego’s perceived needs and just melt into whatever the universe has in mind for you in the moment.
I kind of stumbled getting there… My husband essentially catapulted himself off a cliff. I know… just a vacation, right??? But we both REALLY needed a break and John loves nothing more than margaritas poolside. As soon as I told him I was cancelling our plans and booking us for a weekend of fine dining and shopping in Chicago, he cried, “Oh, come on!!! There MUST be somewhere inland in Florida where we can get some sunshine!” Um, yeah, sure honey. Time to unpack and repack for a weekend in the city.
I’m proud to say, I pretty quickly jumped into a positive state of mind. I decided to embrace the moment by taking on a fun challenge: create a suitcase capsule of mix-and-match pieces perfect for transitional fall weather and a range of activities literally spanning down-dog-to-date-night. You know that my great mission in life right now is to simplify! How many of you travel regularly and want to figure out how to do it with nothing but a carry-on? Who out there is already doing it and can offer the rest of us chronic over-packers some advice for lightening our load on the road without sacrificing our need to look and feel fab?
Whether you travel for fun or are constantly on the road for work, I’m guessing I unearthed some packing tips that could revolutionize your next jaunt to the city:
Lime & Vine. For travel, this brand ROCKS!!!!! I wanted to really mix it up, but the truth is that I just kept coming back to pieces from this edgy loungewear designer. No “sweatpants” here, only cool sueded joggers and cuffed harem pants. The collection is so cohesive, so comfortable, so durable for travel, and so fashion-forward while maintaining practicality. Down dog to date night? This is it! From Lime & Vine, I brought this pencil skirt in both the grey on black and black on black, these joggers in both the white alabaster and the onyx black, an off-the-shoulder sweatshirt and an easy autumn jacket. All black, cream and grey, all mix-and-match, all insanely comfortable, all sexy enough with the right shoes and jewelry (I LOVE you Sol Sana and Jenny Bird!) for date night.
The unitard. Yeah, you heard me right. I’m in my 40’s… If it can work for me, trust me, chances are it can work for you. I haven’t been able to stop selling unitards at the store, however nobody believes me until they try one on! My unitard (several styles coming soon to loveyourbodyboutique.com) is my down-dog-to-date-night go-to. How does it getter better than a top and bottom built into one? In the privacy of our hotel room, that’s all I wore while doing my vinyasas. Out and about, I threw on my oversized, super-soft Laundry Room tunic with my new Free People moto booties. At night, my unitard became the base upon which I built a sexy Lime & Vine look, with calf-length straight skirt atop, Monrow deep v-neck tee knotted at the waist and Sol Sana mesh ankle booties. Meow!
Travel yoga mat. I literally cannot leave home for more than a day without my ultra-light, foldable yoga mat from Manduka (coming soon to loveyourbodyboutique.com.) No joke, this mat fits right into the top of my carryon. Sorry, I don’t want face-to-face contact in child’s pose with the carpet in my hotel room and this is the perfect solution. I also love Kulae’s eco-friendly version of the travel mat!
Laundry room tunic. Is it a dress, a swimsuit coverup, a tunic or a nightie? You decide! What I was planning on wearing poolside became one of the most versatile pieces in my suitcase for a trip to the city. I wore it over jeans with a Free People cardi atop, slept in in it, and have now decided I can’t live without it!
Free People moto booties. Every woman on this planet who values comfort and coolness MUST own the new free people moto booties! I know that’s a bit extreme, but it’s how I feel. I have the feet of a woman who has been dancing her whole life. I’ve walked a lot of miles. I am in a state of perpetual discomfort. This might be one of the only pairs of non-sneaker, high-fashion shoes I’ve ever been able to stand for an entire day in and not have to stop and ask my husband if we can buy new ones in order to finish the trek back to the hotel.
My grandmother and mother always advised, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” My translation: when life delivers a hurricane, turn your swimsuit coverup into a fall tunic. Both have their place, their seasonal joys, their own deliciousness. Surrendering to the moment feels so good!
Namaste,
Lisa Berry