Sunday Social!

I haven't done a Sunday Social post in quite a while, so I thought I'd try to get back int he habit of linking up over at A Complete Waste of Makeup.  These are such fun posts and it's always entertaining to read what other ladies have to share!

This week's topic is travel, so I was all about ranting about that!

Me in Seattle during my recent trip to Washington!

1. What is the best trip you've ever been on?  Oh, that's a hard one!  I think it might be a tie between my trip to New York during spring break a few years ago and my recent trip to Washington.  Being a KS girl, it's super fun to get to see other parts of the US that are different than my neck of the woods.  NY was so much fun and it helped that I was traveling with 2 girls who had previously lived there.  I would have totally been lost without their expertise!  There's so much I got to see and so much more that I didn't that I'd love to make it back there someday.  Washington was absolutely beautiful and was my first time traveling anywhere west of Colorado.  I'm not the most outdoorsy type, but I totally was up for outdoor adventure on that trip!  It's another place I'm hoping to make it back to.
2. What is your best idea for a girls weekend trip?  My favorite girls weekends have been ones where we don't travel super far (3 hours or so) and just shop and relax.  I think weekend trips are too stressful when you try to jam in too many activities.  Shop all day, eat a yummy dinner, and spend the night in wearing PJs and watching movies is totally my kinda day.
3. What is your best idea for a couples trip?  I think the best couples trips are the kinds that allow both people to enjoy their own personal interests together.  I think having some relaxing downtime to just chill is also a good thing for a couple to do when they travel together.  Traveling can be a stressful event, so just enjoying some time together without worrying about being on a schedule is always a good idea.
4. What is the best vacation on the cheap?  I've been on several trips where we rented a cabin or condo for the trip, which allowed us to be able to buy groceries and cook most of our meals right there.  If you've got a group of 4 or 5 people and split those costs, it's much cheaper than going out to eat for every meal.  I'm not super big into doing really "touristy" things and paying for stuff like that, but rather just explore the sites on my own.  
5. What is the place you most want to visit?  I've never been outside of the US and that is my ultimate goal someday...  To go to another country.  I think at the top of my list would be Europe.  I'd love to see England, France, and Germany and get to experience the culture in those places.  A little closer to home, I'd like to visit Canada and some of the big cities up there.  

The gorgeous sunset at Pacific Beach.

The Alamo!

I loved Times Square!  It was so filled with life at all times of the day and night!

Literally chillin' with friends on a mountain in Colorado!

Yes, that's the sign pointing to South Park, Colorado!

Fashion Friday: Vacation Wear

My vacation this summer ended up being a last minute trip to visit a close friend.  Within that vacation, we took a road trip to the West Coast and I really didn't know what to expect.  With packing, I pretty much stuck with simple tees that would be cute and comfortable for whatever activities.  I wanted to share what I packed for my week long trip.  I've always been an over-packer, so I had more than what I needed, but it all fit perfectly in my suitcase with room to spare.

1 & 4 - These are the J.Crew Factory textured Charley sweaters and I absolutely love them.  I didn't end of wearing either of them, but still think they were a good "just in case."

2 - My colorblock tee has made quite a few appearances on here...  It's cute, comfy, and soooo versatile!

3, 5, & 6 - Gap's "Essential" tees are probably my most worn item these days.  I wore these tees with my black maxi skirt and a jacket for my airplane rides.

7 - This Aerie tee is another cute, slouchy tee that's comfortable without being too sloppy.  I wore this one on one of our long driving days.

8 - I'm so happy I was able to snag this striped tee from Gap last month.  The minty embellishment by the neckline steps it up a notch from just a basic striped tee and it was pretty much the most dressed up I got during the week.

9 - I used to be a huge sucker for graphic tees, but don't really buy them much these days.  They're still great for those casual days when you want something a little more interesting than a basic t-shirt.

10 - Since the high temps were forecasted to be in the lower 70's, I decided to toss in a basic cardigan so that I had something to keep me warm that wasn't just a hoodie.

11 - These Aerie tees are so stinkin' soft.  The charcoal gray is a toned-down alternative to all of my other bright tees.  

12 - A lightweight basic hoodie was another essential for this trip.  I'm pretty sure I wore it almost everyday of my trip!

For bottoms, I kept it pretty basic with 2 pairs of AE boyfit jeans, a pair of black cropped pants, a black maxi skirt, and some denim shorts.  I wore the skirt on my airplane days (which was so comfy) and didn't end up wearing the shorts at all since it was pretty cool most of the time.  I wanted everything to be very easy to mix and match and I think I totally achieved that.

What do you pack for a casual vacation?  
What are your must have clothing items for summer travel?

Summer Vacation

One of the biggest perks to being a teacher is that I get about a 2 1/2 month break off from work.  Although I'm taking quite a few classes throughout the summer, I still managed to have a lot of free time for some fun.  

I ended up going on a slightly last minute trip to Washington last week.  One of my best friends moved back there a couple years ago and between my teaching schedule and his job with the military it hasn't worked for me to go out there until now.  He's made it back to KS a few times, but I was itching to go out there and see a new part of the country!  We found that we had some common time off and so I booked flights and was off on my adventure about a week and a half later!  (If you know me and how much of a planner I can be you know that going on a BIG vacation "last minute" like that is kind of crazy for me!)

I ended up going on a trip within a trip as we ended up going out to the coast to spend a few days at the beach.  I've never actually been to the beach / ocean before and this was also the first time I've traveled west of Colorado!

Oh my gosh, I love it out there!  First of all, I escaped KS just in time for the first wave of hot summer weather to hit.  In fact, I was actually a little under-prepared for the cooler temperatures along the beach.  It was lovely, though, and the perfect spot for my summer vacation.

I pretty much got to see the entire state of Washington from the eastern edge all the way out of west to the coast.  We spent some time visiting several of the parks and even a couple rain forests!  It was definitely a welcome change in scenery for this KS girl!

We stopped in Seattle on my last full day out there.  I didn't get to see much of the city (my friend that I was visiting isn't all that familiar with the Seattle area anyway), but it great to get out there anyway.  I can add that to my list of big cities I've been to now!

7 days sounds like a long time, but I would have stayed out there much longer if I could have.  It was absolutely beautiful and of course it was wonderful getting to spend some good, quality time with one of my best friends.  I think there are already some plans in the works for me to make another trip out that direction (hopefully sooner than later)!

And one last photo...  I'm a HUGE "Back to the Future" fan, so it totally made my day getting to see this DeLorean on the highway in Seattle.  Yes, it's complete with the OUTATME license plate just like in the movie!  My friend made sure to speed up so that I could snap some pics!

Fashion Friday: Travel Style

I'm preparing to go on a slightly last minute vacation and have been trying to plan out my outfits.  Let's put it this way...  I'm not sure what I will be doing other than that there's probably going to be a trip within a trip, so I've been kinda keeping my packing to basics.  

For my traveling days, though, I decided I wanted to be as comfortable as possible without looking like a complete slob.  My first flight leaves at 6 a.m. since I'll most likely be surviving on 3 or 4 hours of sleep, I'll probably be napping it out on the plane.  

Traveling In Style (& Comfort)

Here's why I chose this look:

1. It's incredibly comfy.  I mean, it's basically like wearing a long t-shirt or blanket.  
2. It involves layers.  Airplanes are known to be cold, but I've also been on flights where the air wasn't working properly and it was unpleasantly warm.  I'm actually traveling to a cooler climate, so the jacket will come in handy once I get there.
3. It's not scrubby looking.  The last time I had a super early flight I wore holey jeans, a K-State tee, and a baseball cap.  (Which I think actually makes for a cute combo...)  I got to my destination around lunchtime and it ended up that my friend and I immediately met up with her mom for lunch at at somewhat nice restaurant.  I really hadn't planned that out and felt like a scrub...  A cute scrub, but a scrub, nonetheless.  Since this flight will be the same way (arrive around lunchtime), I want to be presentable for whatever the rest of the day brings.  (I might add that I will probably pack some denim crops in my carry-on just in case the need for pants arises for some reason.)

After a long search, I finally found a black maxi skirt that I liked!  (I had the worst time finding on that was short enough, not slinky or clingy, and that was a reasonable price.)  I found this one from Target, but since my store didn't have my size in the black I ordered it online.  I also broke down and bought a light wash denim jacket from Gap with a reward coupon and the teacher discount.  Both items are good basics that will transition perfectly into my everyday wardrobe and my teacher wardrobe.

Need some more inspiration?  Check out these pins!

What's your travel style?