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Post by joan1 on Jun 30, 2008 21:39:19 GMT -5
I have discovered I am in fact the biggest hypocrite in the world,, I say one thing, I preach one thing, , but , here I am , days from my trip, with a suitcase that is OVERFLOWING and I am not having success with my " editing"' .
I cannot pack light!!! I WANT all my stuff. I cannot wear two pairs of capris for 3 1/2 weeks, I want 3 capris, 3 skirts, and 2 pairs of pants. They MATCH stuff, LOL.. and I am not leaving my "stuff" I bought that " stuff" it is new, and I want to wear it..., ,oh I am hopeless.
To be fair, I am anticipating a wide range of activities and weather, from heat in Rome and Venice, to hiking in the Swiss Alps, to dinners out in Paris. So from sunny and hot , to cool and rainy.
Shoes, I need to bring my runners, yes I do, they are comfy, but so are my Naot sandals( platforms, but you can walk for miles in them) , and I am considering my flatter sandals, plus I must bring my flip flops for nasty showers, and plus there is a pool at two of the places we are staying at.. I also have the cutest gladiator sandals ,, and I have just heard on these boards that gladiator sandals are "in" , what to do, ( hey they are flat and pack down to nothing,!!AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!
Someone, please, help me, , I KNOW what to do, I do, I must EDIT,, but I do not want to... LOL
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Post by joan1 on Jun 30, 2008 21:41:35 GMT -5
Great , that was my 501th post, so now I am a Methuselah and a hypocrite, I think I hear cookies calling me, I will go now and drown myself in sugar and fat..
Not my day. LOL
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Post by Shoesy on Jun 30, 2008 21:51:59 GMT -5
If you can manage to take all your "stuff", and if taking it all makes you happy and less stressed about having to select what to leave home, then by all means, do it. I truly understand your desire to have a large variety of clothing with you. Just keep in mind that you will need to leave some room in your suitcase for purchases.  |
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Post by mez on Jun 30, 2008 23:21:38 GMT -5
Joan, My Mother despairs of me however I rarely have holiday wardrobe angst because the majority of my everyday wardrobe is black.  My stress ususally comes from having to pack for trips like I did lasy year where I am off hiking in the mountains for a bit and then heading into cities...when I'm in a city I want my city clothes and not bulky mud-encrusted boots. |
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Post by joan1 on Jul 1, 2008 0:55:47 GMT -5
Ah , Mez, I like black too, I base my wardrobe around it, I always have so it is not just for Paris or for travelling. And , I agree , part of my problem is the mixed activities and sites I am going to see and do.
shoesy, I am not a shopper, I will purchase very little if anything. I like to shop BEFORE I go as it adds to the pretrip planning excitment, but once there, I will rarely shop( although I like the kitchen gadget type stores, and some food stores) . Problem is with the tour I am taking ( non Paris part of trip) I must pack very light as we travel alot on foot apparently ,, and have to carry all our stuff. This is not a huge problem, but I think I may end up having to help my daughter with her bag( on stairs etc) so I must keep my ultra light.
I am going to do the big " spread the piles out all over the floor and mix and match " thing tommorow I think.
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Post by denise on Jul 1, 2008 2:35:54 GMT -5
???Dear Joan..I have the same problem at the moment. It's not just the outfits but the SHOES. One just has to have shoes to match the outfit,! ;D So If I take a dress for going to a restaraunt I have to take high heels. but the trouble is they are heavy. Uk budget airlines are very strict about baggage weight restrictions, even though I have pointed out that I have lost wieght and if I was fatter I would be taking an extra two or three kilos!  That reasoning didn't wash when we went to Rome and it cost us a fortune in excess baggage fees.  Can you explain the "spread the piles out on the floor and mix and match" thing. That may help me also. One thing I have discovered I CAN wear a pair of jeans for a week and they are OK. but what if it's too hot and what if I spill something on them?........Ohh dear. Denise Love from England  |
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Post by Jody on Jul 1, 2008 4:37:35 GMT -5
Don't feel bad , just take what makes you happy and comfortable.
I'm in the black and gray group, even at home so I don't usually stress too much. And those vacuum bags make packing lots of tops easier . My shoes fit inside my husband's extra pair so they don't take up any room. Of course we always travel mainly to cities and in the early spring or fall/winter, so don't sweat up the clothing too much.
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Post by mez on Jul 1, 2008 4:52:40 GMT -5
My shoes fit inside my husband's extra pair so they don't take up any room. ;D Demarais, that is the most useful packing tip I have heard in a long time. I'm Ok luggage-wise LEAVING home...it's just all the stuff I pick up when travelling. For example, I always visit a store in London that sells clothes for tall women (I'm 5'10" on a short day) so I tend to stock up with pants that are the right length - ;D, I typically buy some books along the way, food items as gifts for people add weight as do the multiple pairs of shoes, accessories and clothes I buy for myself. I know many people hate shopping while travelling but I adore it. I have such a fun time browsing...I suppose that as our seasons are the opposite of Europe and NthAmerica, it's fun to see the different seasons fashions. |
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Post by Jody on Jul 1, 2008 5:31:59 GMT -5
It only works if your husband has big feet!! ;D
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Post by sistereurope on Jul 1, 2008 7:44:28 GMT -5
Demarais, that is brilliant! And since my husband wears a size 15, it works for me (even though my feet are not dainty!) ;D
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Post by Happygoin on Jul 1, 2008 8:41:58 GMT -5
This thread cracked me up. I have a horrible time packing too, Joan. I want to bring everything I own. After all, how do I know what I'm going to want to wear next Tuesday?? And every trip, I swear I'm going to pack light this time...and it never happens.
The only thing worse, is the stress I create by wondering if all my stuff is going to fit in on the way home. I can't tell you how many odd suitcases, duffels and foldup totes I own because I had to go out and buy more room to pack my purchases in...
And the worst thing is that I'm pretty sure it's never going to change.
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Post by Shoesy on Jul 1, 2008 9:30:27 GMT -5
Sis - A size 15?  Does that really exist? Does he need to order his shoes or can he find that size in the shops? |
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Post by Happygoin on Jul 1, 2008 9:35:00 GMT -5
Shoesy, he just wears the box. |
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Post by sistereurope on Jul 1, 2008 9:54:39 GMT -5
I'll remember that one happy! ;D My poor hubby either puts up with cramped toes or orders his shoes online. He has tennis shoes, cowboy boots and clogs (he IS dutch, so it fits ;D)
He always joked that he was a good swimmer because his feet are like paddles...
It would KILL me if I couldn't find stylish shoes!! I know that you can relate, Shoesy. Oh, and I'm with you Denise...I CAN NOT travel with just one pair of shoes! On our last trip I narrowed it down to 3, and that was hard...
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Post by joan1 on Jul 1, 2008 12:25:50 GMT -5
Wow, size 15, I am impressed, I tease my hubby about his size 13's,, at 6'4" I guess he would look funny with smaller feet. I have never thought of putting my shoes inside his though,, but I do stuff them with his undies and socks,, I mean those shoes of his take up half a suitcase !
Denise the " piles of clothes" thing, is when I divide my clothes into piles , short sleeved shirts, long sleeved shirts, sweaters , on one side of floor, this is the "top half" of wardrobe, now on other side we divide into casual bottoms, capris, skirts and long pants, and then in its own " pile" the holy grail of all wardrobes,, " the black dress"
Now, all tops and bottoms MUST match at least with three items/ combinations! This is heart breaking when an outfit only matches two,,, and must be " edited" , frankly this is a problem I am having.. sometimes I will add something instead of subtracting to make a third match,, this is of course completely wrong,, LOL
Today is Canada Day, so I may have to put this task off till tomorrow,, and then I have the pedicure and eyebrows to attend to,, I am so lucky to have this sort of stress in my life ,, much better then the regular stress isn't it!! LOL
Happy Canada Day to all the Canadians,, I guess thats what , Lucky Luc and me?? There must more of us I just haven't been paying attention!
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Post by amy321 on Jul 1, 2008 13:31:52 GMT -5
Joan, I do the exact same thing with the piles and editing except that I edit the item out if it only matches one other thing! I will often be up until all hours of the morning before my flight performing this procedure and I usually end up exhausted when I arrive at my destination :-( And putting anything in my fiance's suitcase isn't an option: AirFrance always has to put the "Lourd" sticker on his suitcase! LOL
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Post by geordy on Jul 1, 2008 18:21:01 GMT -5
Joan, Happy Canada Day..a bit late...and I envy your "unluckiness" to be in France for 3 weeks! I pride myself on packing light but my trips of late have been a maximum of 7 nites. In the days when I could go a bit longer at least once a year it was rarely more than 11 nites and then in Sept.(lighter clothes) So..if I were going for longer...don't know that I would be so organized either!   Shoes must be kept to three pair...other than that no hard and fast rules other than ..I do keep lists and if there is an "outfit"..doesn't really mix and match..and it only got worn once..it is not going again!!! Unless of course it is the "little black(or other) dress"!! Again ..no rules!! Obviously! ;D Have FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Packing and there! |
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Post by denise on Jul 2, 2008 5:25:49 GMT -5
:)Thanks for the "piles on the floor" tip....I have now done that and I am left with, Three pairs of capris/city shorts, Grey,brown,Cream.( may chuck out the cream now I've looked at this list!) One pair loose black linen trousers. Three sleeveless shirts,Rose, orange, multi stripe. two short sleeved tops purple,red. Two three quarter sleeved tee shirts,apple green,white. One light white loose sweater. One brown dress. Brown high heels gladiator sandals, black, brown. (just HAVE to take both as I bought them for this trip and they are SO comfy!) Black patent ballet pumps. one small brown bag. One backpack. My jeans I will wear on the plane and another sleeveless shirt and cardigan, with my trainers. I will now have to be VERY disciplined with myself to not put anything extra in. Joan...This is just for EIGHT days. There is no way I could restrict myself for three and a half weeks, and I HATE wearing dirty clothes. Is there any way you will be able to get your things laundered/dry cleaned whilst you are on your trip? I think your list is VERY restrained! Denise Love from England |
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Post by GitteK on Jul 2, 2008 6:31:46 GMT -5
Denise, I exalt you for being able to restrain yourself so much. Your list would barely get me through a weekend-stay ! You haven't taken blouses enough, IMO. What will you do if it is steaming hot and you need to change to a clean blouse in the evening to go out for dinner ?? Do you really need the 3/4-sleeved tops ? I would prepare for heatwave-weather - and if all fails you can always buy a cheap scarf to wrap around your arms. And what about a skirt ?? You have only brought one pair of trousers (and LINEN even, which crinkles when you so much as LOOK at it). Don't you need a pair of e.g. white slacks for changing for dinner ? I mean, after you have come home to apt. sweating like a pig and you have showered, it is not big fun to have to put on the same greasy trousers, as you have been wearing all day, now is it ? Also remember double set of undies: 7 days = 14 pairs (see above warning about pig-style-sweating). And bras enough to be washed and left to dry from day to day, because they can become quite icky too, after a long day in the Paris heat. Gentlemen of the forum: please go on to something else. This debate is not for your sensitive eyes  |
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Post by Anne on Jul 2, 2008 7:44:32 GMT -5
Gitte, I think that the gentlemen have already read MUCH worse on this forum ;D
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Does that really exist? Does he need to order his shoes or can he find that size in the shops?
hahahha