Today on Weekend Meanderings, what I packed versus what I wore in Mexico, an adorable, affordable summer dress, and, for Bay Area locals, a home and garden tour you won’t want to miss.
Happy weekend, friends!
It’s Saturday and I’m joining Kim and Elizabeth for Weekend Meanderings.
Our weekly roundup of inspiration and goings on.
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We’re back from our whirlwind, 20th anniversary trip to Mexico.
It was fabulous.
Jim and I got married in Maui during the kid’s Spring break.
My funniest memory is walking from ceremony to dinner with the kids trailing behind us singing
‘here comes the bride, all dressed in … off-white!’
Although this moment was pretty funny too.
Let’s get down to business.
WHAT I PACKED VERSUS WHAT I WORE IN MEXICO
We’re back from the most amazing four days at La Casa Que Canta in Zihautanejo, Mexico. Have you been to Zihautanejo? I’ll share more about our trip, and Zihautanejo, in a separate post (most likely a couple of weeks out). Today is all about what I packed in my carry-on bag versus what I actually wore in Mexico. It may help you in planning your packing for upcoming spring and summer travel. Of course, what you pack depends on what you’ll be doing. And for this trip our agenda was to relax and do nothing. My preferred vacation style.
I consider a vacation and a trip two completely different things. For instance, going to Europe is a trip. Yes, it’s a vacation as well, but there’s usually a (jam packed) agenda, like my upcoming trip to Italy. A vacation, for me, is all about relaxation and rejuvenation … with a minimal agenda outside of eating, lolling around the pool with a good book, and visiting the spa. Am I lazy? Unashamedly, yes. Jim likes to include a golf outing or two, but there wasn’t time on this trip. My ability to vacation (do nothing) lasts about 3 days (4 nights) and I’m rejuvenated and ready to get back to life.
What I packed ~
You can read about my packing here (I partially updated the post since our return and will keep working on it).
What I packed.
What I wore ~
What I wore.
I wore all four new swimsuits. At the last minute I threw in a fifth (older) suit, from Bleu|Rod Beattie, and wore it too! Several people asked which suit is my favorite and it’s impossible to choose. I love them all.
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- J.Crew
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- Andie Swim
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- Summersalt
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- J.Crew
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- Bleu|Rod Beattie
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- J.Crew
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- J.Crew
Bleu|Rod Beattie
Ugh. That’s an awful lot of me in a swimwear … sorry.
Swimwear ~
As expected I wore a swimsuit and cover up every day … swanning around the hotel and wandering down the beach for lunch. I wore three of the coverups I packed. A years-old J. Valdi black tunic-style cover up, this J.Crew white sarong and linen-cotton striped beach shirt.
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- J.Crew
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- J. Valdi
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- J.Crew
Had it arrived in time, I would worn this black maxi skirt with my leopard print suit.
Cover ups ~
For evening I wore my new J.Crew tiered cotton mini- dress and my WARM striped midi-dress. I didn’t wear the slip dress I packed. Instead I wore this pair of white shorts with a stripped blouse from Loft. The resort vibe was very casual. I wore the same earrings every night, the smaller version of these white raffia lantern earrings. And carried this woven clutch. I can’t say enough about how much I love this clutch. It’s an ideal size to hold the stuff you need but still small and easy to carry. It comes in many fun colors and I plan to buy one in another color for our Italy trip … when I decide on a dress for the main event, our friend’s wedding.
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- J.Crew
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- WARM
Casual resort evenings ~
Several of you commented that the four pair of sandals I packed were basically the same and I should have taken only one pair. Correct! Shoes take up a lot of room, and I wore the same pair of sandals the entire trip – day and night. Lesson learned. The sandals I wore are an old pair of Bonnibel Micah slides from my oldest niece, Sam’s, former online boutique. Something like these. You’ll see these Steve Madden raffia slides in several photos taken in our room. In full disclosure, I changed out of them when we left our room due to the steep, narrow, curving stairs around the cliffside resort and cobblestone streets. I needed a more pliable (and worn in) sole to navigate the tricky terrain. I did wear these Tuckernuck raffia, low-platform slides to dinner at our hotel just for the heck of it … but I could just as easily have worn the same pair of sandals.
At the last minute I decided to wear my Adidas Superstars on the plane … and that was a good decision.
My new Paige denim jacket was ideal for the plane, but I didn’t need the light-weight cardigan I packed.
Travel ensemble ~
As for accessories … in addition to my woven clutch, I used this Longchamp Le Pliage Filet Knit shoulder bag as a beach bag. The drawback to it is the large, open weave allows things to poke through. Ouch. Think comb, hair clip, and the sharp edges of a sunscreen tube. I fixed it by plopping all of those things into a large zip lock (used for packing my liquid toiletries) bag. On the plus side, it expands and I could get both pairs of our sandals inside while walking on the beach. I also used my J.Crew woven market tote as a beach bag around the hotel pools. But I could just as easily have left it at home and been fine.
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- J.Crew Tote
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- Longchamp Bag
As I mentioned above, I only wore two pair of the four pair of earrings I packed. These faux diamond studs during the day and the smaller version of these white raffia lantern earrings at night.
I wore my Panama hat constantly. And, by the way, a hat clip for travel is a game changer and I can’t believe I just discovered it. My inexpensive Tuckernuck sunnies were also a constant companion. As was my hair claw clip.
Resort accessories ~
And we used a lot of sunscreen ~
One thing I should have packed was a book. A real book. Reading outdoors on an iPad screen can be challenging (read irritating), even in the shade. Thankfully, our room (which had no television) was well stocked with good books and we each found something to bury our noses in.
Despite some challenges with the hotel Wifi, we managed to watch the entire season of The Diplomat, starring Keri Russell, which is very good. I hope there’s a second season.
Overall I didn’t do too badly with my packing. But I could have saved some room in my luggage, the main overpack being shoes. I’m not sure why shoes are so hard, I’ll have to get a handle on this before we travel to Italy in June.
Most of the photo credit, as well as packing expertise, goes to Jim.
VERANDA MAY/JUNE ISSUE
While changing planes a LAX, I stopped by the newsstand and bought the May/June issue of Veranda. The theme, Design in Bloom, is a feast for the eyes. I devoured it.
There’s a delightful feature on woven vessels (baskets).
Decoupage lamps.
Romantic homes and gardens.
Floral pattern textiles.
A swoon-worthy spread on flowers and jewels.
And so much more. Even the advertising is worth the price of admission.
Time to resubscribe.
ADORABLE SUMMER DRESS
Niece Shelby and I met up for lunch this week and she was wearing the cutest dress. I mean totally adorable. She told me it’s from Target and I was both surprised and proud. There was a time when she turned up her nose up when I suggested shopping for clothes at Target. I wish I could say this turn-around is because she listens to me, but I think she figured it out on her own. And I’m glad she did because this dress is not only adorable, it’s well made and only $25. I kept touching the fabric over and over again and embarrassed her by flipping the hem up to see what it’s made of (55% linen, 45% rayon). The fabric feels solid, but lightweight … and there’s enough wrinkle to let you know it’s linen, but not so much you want to run for the ironing board.
Shelby has the dress in pink too … hot pink. And she’d like it in black.
When I got home and searched the Target web-site and was pleasantly surprised to see the dress comes in six colors. I love the olive green and orange.
Shelby is petite at 5′ 1″ and the dress falls at a nice length on her. The Target models are likely much taller therefore the dress appears shorter.
No matter, I love this dress and wish I had the legs to wear it. But possibly you do … or you have a daughter, granddaughter, or sweet niece, who will look great in it … for only $25. I think it’s the best summer dress … fun and flirty, perfect for date night, wine tasting excursions, or just having lunch with your favorite Auntie.
Shop Shelby’s cute dress ~
ARE YOU THERE GOD, IT’S ME, MARGARET … IS FINALLY A MOVIE
Judy Blum’s classic Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret is finally a movie! What took so long? While I can’t recall all the details of the storyline, I absolutely remember reading it and it left a lasting impression. In fact, seeing the movie trailer made me emotional. I’ll probably wait for it to be available to watch at home.
In the meantime, I ordered the book and can’t wait to reread it before seeing the movie.
LAFAYETTE JUNIORS ANNUAL LIFESTYLE TOUR
One of my favorite annual events is coming up … the Lafayette Juniors Lifestyle Tour is Saturday, May 6th from 10:00am – 3:00pm! Yikes, that’s next weekend! If you’re a Bay Area local you won’t want to miss it. The tour showcases the most amazing Lafayette homes while raising much needed funds for the Cancer Support Community, A Brighter Day Charity, and The Assistance League of Diablo Valley. Here’s a sneak peek at one of the homes on this year’s tour.
I’m still dreaming about last year’s tour and all the incredible indoor and outdoor spaces. Like this historic property in Happy Valley. I’d always been curious about it and couldn’t believe my good fortune to find it on the tour.
A few more snaps from tours past. You can see more on Lafayette Juniors Facebook page.
What are you waiting for … get your tickets for the tour here. There’s a tour and lunch option too. Always say ‘yes’ to lunch!
Shop for the Tour ~
Need something to wear on tour … or another upcoming event?! Luck, the fabulous Lafayette boutique, is hosting a Shop for the Tour event this Tuesday, May 2 from 6-8pm. And they’re donating 10% of the proceeds to support this year’s tour beneficiaries!
And that’s what I have for you this week.
Let’s see what’s inspiring Kim and Elizabeth …
And another thing ~
Burrata with Lemon & Basil … yes, please.
Speaking of packing and travel, if Japan is on your bucket list, check out these invaluable travel and packing tips.
Grace Atwood is the cutest. Have you seen her new collaboration with Addison Bay? Love!
Current (vacation-on-the-brain) Favorites ~
If you missed last weekend’s post, what I packed for my trip to Mexico, it’s been updated.
You’ll find all my Weekend posts collected here.
You can also follow along on Instagram and Pinterest.
As always, I appreciate your visit and welcome your thoughts in the comments below.
Cheers from Snowberry!
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