NEW YORK RECAP

In lieu of the usual "On My Radar" post this Friday, I want to share a recap of my trip to NY instead. If you follow me on Instagram then you know that I headed back up to Long Island and NYC this past week for some quality time with family. It was a wonderful trip and I feel so lucky that I got to spend such a great week with family. 

After spending a few days on Long Island celebrating my grandfather's birthday, we headed into the city for a few days.

To kick things off, we spent a few hours in the Guggenheim enjoying the architecture and art. 

I think the museums may be what I miss the most about living in the city so it was the perfect way to start the day. 

If you've never been, I highly recommend stopping in the next time you're in the city. It's a great museum that you can easily see in a few hours - perfect for a quick trip.     

Next up, we grabbed a quick bite at a Thai place near the museum before heading to my favorite bakery for a sweet treat. I seriously want to start a petition to bring Maison Kayser to Charleston and I savored every moment of my almond croissant.

Once we were done tending to our sweet tooth, we headed over to 5th Ave for some shopping. I didn't find anything that I have on my list for fall, but I still had a blast enjoying the energy of the city - nothing beats it! After we got out shopping fill, we grabbed some delicious pizza at B Squared before heading back to our hotel.

On our last day in the city, we grabbed brunch at an adorable (and delicious!) diner called Nickel & Diner. Not only was it incredibly tasty, but it has the cutest decor.

Plus, it's right around the corner from the Glossier showroom so it's the perfect spot to visit if you're waiting for Glossier to open. 

After enjoying a relaxing brunch, we headed around the corner to Glossier where I picked up a few pieces that I'll be reviewing soon.

After that, we made a dash to the airport and I landed safely back in Charleston to slightly cooler August temps that have me dreaming about fall. 

HOW TO PACK LIGHT WITHOUT SACRIFICING STYLE

Today's post is all about how I pack light without sacrificing style. Below, I've outlined my go-to tips along with a corresponding video that I hope will help you travel light the next time you head out of town. 

First up is an obvious one but I think it bears repeating. Before I pack for any trip I always check the weather. I find that doing so not only prepares me for what to expect, but it also helps me to pack for the weather I'll actually be experiencing rather than the weather I assume I'll have. Plus, knowing the weather to expect immediately eliminates some items from my closet, making it easier to narrow things down. 

After knowing the weather to expect, I like to assess what I'll be doing on vacation. For example, when I went to Paris a few years ago I knew that we would be visiting cafes, museums and semi-formal restaurants for dinner. Knowing this allowed me to narrow things down to wrinkle-free pieces that were comfortable, but not too casual. Much like assessing the weather, this step allows me to eliminate many items from my closet before I even begin to pack. 

Next, I select a color palette for my trip. Just like I do for my capsules each season, I like to choose a color palette for my travel capsules each trip. Using the example of Paris again, I stuck to a palette of black, grey and navy as my base and a few complimentary colors for my accessories. 

Once that I know the weather to expect, what I'll be doing and my color palette, I like to plan out my outfits. As I'm selecting the pieces to bring with me, I like to take some time and try everything on while I put outfits together. As I do that, I'll snap a few pics and save them in a folder on my phone so that I can easily recall the looks I planned while I'm on vacation. I find that this saves a ton of time each morning so that I can get out and enjoy my vacation more. 

Now that I've shared how I plan what to pack, I want to share the ways I get everything into a small carry-on. First up is to roll your clothes. If you've never done this before I can't recommend it enough to not only save space but also prevent wrinkles. I like to roll like with like and if I'm extra short on space, I'll layer all of my tops and then roll them all together to optimize space even further. 

Just like rolling your clothes saves space, packing cubes take it up an extra notch.

These cubes are my favorite and I find that they go so far in saving space and keeping me organized, which is huge when working with a smaller suitcase. 

My next tip for getting everything into a small carry-on is to choose shoes wisely. I've found that shoes take up a great deal of space, so when choosing which to pack I like to optimize space and versatility. In order to do this, I like to choose footwear that does double-duty like ballet flats and ankle booties. Both of these can be dresses up or down and worn with a multitude of pieces to create different looks. 

In order to get away with bringing only a carry-on, travel size toiletries are a must. I find that one of the best ways to guarantee I always have travel-size products is to decant my regular sized items into travel containers. I have some that I bought from Target years ago and I use them every time I travel with great results. In the same vain as toiletry containers, I love perfume atomizers for downsizing my fragrance. 

Just like bringing versatile shoes saves space, I like to pack multi-taskers of every sort when I travel to further optimize my luggage space. For example, I like to bring either a blush or bronzer (not both) in order to save space in my makeup bag. Likewise with skirts, tops, pants, sweaters and more. 

Last but not least, I like to load up on accessories to stretch my pieces even further. Unlike tops and bottoms, accessories take up practically no space in your suitcase but go a long way in changing up your looks. Just like I do in my day-to-day looks, I rely on silk scarves, necklaces and more to stretch my travel outfits even further without feeling like I'm wearing the same thing day after day. 

15 EASY TRAVEL LOOKS

Today I'm excited to share 15 easy travel looks that will keep you chic and comfy! In the below video I've put together some of the looks that I rely on to keep me feeling fresh no matter where I'm traveling. Like always, thank you so much for watching and I hope you enjoy!

ON MY RADAR No. 3

Happy Friday! As you read this, I am in Long Island enjoying some quality family time with my mom, sisters and extended family. I'm sure my weekend will be full of laughter, food and fun and I feel so lucky to be able to enjoy this time. Before all of that kicks off though, I want to share a few things I've been taking note of this week.

• First up, are some fashion podcasts that I think I may give a go soon. I've never really gotten into podcasts, but feel that I may be missing out so I think these may be a great place to start. 

• Without a doubt, London is one of the top ten places I want to visit in the near future and this list of things to do when you visit London in the winter is quickly bumping that gorgeous city closer and closer to the top. 

• By now you know that I'm a huge fan of Glossier, so when they launched their all new WOWDER this week I was more than a little interested. I'm hoping to pop into the Glossier showroom while I'm in the city and will definitely let you know what I think. 

• I know it's only August and we're still experiencing temps into the 90's here in Charleston, but this list of the best places for fall foliage is making me crave New England, apple cider and fisherman sweaters ASAP! 

• Last but not least, I'm beginning to make a few fall wardrobe updates and army green chinos are at the top of my list. At the moment, I have my eye on these, these and these.