*This is NOT a sponsored post, although some items were gifted and there may be affiliate links. All thoughts and opinions are my own*

Welcome back Penny Darlings!

Happy Friday!

I’m sorry this post comes to you a little late today – but I had to find an alternate location to post this. Harrisburg got hit with a HUGE thunderstorm last night and I swear to God, lightning hit our chimney and SHATTERED it to pieces (like the back yard is FULL of bricks) and it has indefinitely knocked out the Wi-Fi. It was the LOUDEST thing I have ever heard. Has anyone else ever been inside a place that got struck by lightning? So apologies for any weirdness in pictures – it’s been a PAIN to get any uploaded to here. I’ll probably fix them later IF the power ever comes back on.

And, I had double bad luck – because Preston (my usual photographer) has to work extra all week and Mabel (Preston’s sister, friend, and back up photographer) got the stomach bug so I was super worried I wouldn’t have pictures in time. Luckily, my friend Lexi was able to help me out in a pinch and she took SOME AMAZING photos! She’s a free-lance photographer and totally saved my butt! Thanks Lexi!

But here’s the meat & potatoes of this post here!

Preston & I are headed back up to the Adirondacks for 9 whole days! It’s going to be AMAZING! The weather *knock on wood* is supposed to be amazing, the Roosevelt Baths & Spas have generously gifted Preston & I a spa day, and I love boating and swimming and reading by the lake. *Sigh* It’s going to be wonderful.

So today I wanted to bring a bunch of my ‘vacation must haves’ and a sneak peek at my personal packing list to show off what you can bring to a week long vay-cay to look fab!

Swim Suits

We vacation up in Lake George and it is GORGEOUSLY MONDO EXTRA WONDERFUL! And….as the name suggests, there is, in fact, a lake there. So there’s tons of swimming and boating and lakeside activities. And I personally was born a mermaid in my heart so it is tough to get me out of the water!

So I have three go-to swimsuits for spending a week lakeside!

I have my Barbie ‘fatkini’, my pink and black shirred suit, and my zebra tie back!

These are all finds from Torrid!

 

 

ROMPERS!

This to me is a STAPLE vacation piece. I love how versatile rompers are! If you pair them with a straw hat and sunnies – they are perfect to go lakeside and to wear super casually – but with an updo, a bold lip, and cute shoes it totally works for a night out to dinner! It’s the perfect mix of cute and casual with a dash of summery and chic!

 

Tassel Romper

This Eloquii Romper – which you can snag on SUPER clearance right meow (and they are going FAST – so if you want one, go snag it!) It’s more than 50% off right meow! Check out this link for this ah-mah-zing romper. I’ve been mentioning how much I lovelovelovelovelovelovelovelovelovelove the tassel and pom pom trend that is happening right now and I’ll tell you – I’m HERE*FOR*IT with this tassel red romper!

 

Parrot Romper

This Eloquii Parrot Romper – this is TECHNICALLY a swim suit cover-up (which is *mostly* what I’ve been wearing it as). It’s stretchy, breathable, lightweight, easy to throw on and off on the boat and is COMFY AF without being too hot out in the sun. This is the perfect swim cover up that you could definitely go get a cone of ice cream in! This parrot romper is ALSO on a deep deep deep deep discount – I think like 30% or 40% off. Check it out here!

 

Polka Dot Romper

This romper has been my go-to all summer long! This polka dot romper for Torrid is everything I could ever want in a romper. For real. It’s jersey, stretchy, not too short, has thick sleeves, doesn’t weirdly show my bra in the back, opens from the front.

BEAUTY

This part is not especially exciting for make-up – because I take my every day make up along and honestly, I hardly ever wear any of it. Perhaps a swipe of mascara or one quick draw of eyeliner. Nothing crazy. If you’re interested in hearing about my daily beauty routine and having me make a ‘beauty faves’ – let me know in the comments!

 

Hair Care

You know how I feel about Not Your Mother’s Brand. I have almost their whole line of products (I JUST LIKE SAMPLING STUFF SOMETIMES!) – these are my three every day uses! And after swimming in a lake, all day, every day, I need to make sure my curls are bouncing back! So I packed my NYM Beach Babe Spray (for texture), Plump for Joy (for volume), and the Curl Defining Creme (….for curl definition!). Check out this brand at their website!

Skin Care

It’s important to keep up a skin routine! With the heavy changing PH levels of the lake (or ocean or pool!) water and shower water, the sunscreen oils, bug spray, extra sweating, maybe eating out to dinner or heavier foods – it’s easy for your skin to protest and QUICK! I always try to make sure I have some make-up removers, a scrub face wash, and some sunscreen to keep my skin looking healthy on va-cay!

 

Bags

Vacation always requires bags. That’s the law. Don’t tell me it’s not – because it is.

You need a suitcase to get there, a laundry bag for dirty stuff, a bag to take towels and books to the beach, a purse for once you’re there, sometimes you need two different purses if there’s a special occasion, etc. You need bags. Non-negotiable.

Peach Circle Bag

This peach circle bag is an absolute MUST (and it looks SO FREAKING CUTE with this Rachel Antonoff Fruit Dress – a Gwynnie Bee steal – try GB here for free!). But this little bag is perfect for my wallet, keys, phone, and a lipstick which is all I really want to carry around while exploring the nightlife and the downtown shops! It’s definitely a fun statement piece!

I snagged this peach bag from Harvey’s California! They are a super fun company with a cool company culture (which I appreciate) and they have DISNEY THEMED ITEMS! I REPEAT: DISNEY THEMED ITEMS! Check out all Harvey’s items here!

Wicker Purse

So this is another one Harvey’s purse! This one is this thick pink fabric around this wicker print circle bag. I like this purse, because much like the Tardis, it’s bigger on the inside. This bag was the perfect size for my wallet, keys, phone, sunscreen, a book, and my swim cover up! The perfect size for taking to the beach or out on the boat – or even to a spa. Double bonus: it matches my hat.

 

Dresses & Outfits

I always like to have a good mix of casual, adorable, and a few dressed up items (spoiler alert – if I’m NOT flying – I definitely tend to over pack. Is that even a spoiler?). So here’s a snap shot of a few of the items I will be bringing. (Some of it is BORING stuff – so I omitted it.)

Three ‘Personal Faves’

So in my, ‘Fashion Motto’ post – I mentioned that this cut of my Effie’s Heart dress was absolutely my favorite dresses that I own. I’m actually wearing a DIFFERENT pattern of it while I’m typing this.

But when I go on vacation – these are definite musts in the suitcase. They’re easy to dress up and dress down with just a few accessories, look perfect with a sweater on cooler nights, are a stretchy jersey fabric on hotter days, and they’re jersey so they don’t wrinkle in a suitcase. They are so perfect that there have been trips that these are literally all I brought with me. No joke.

A Dash of Whimsy

I always like to have a few whimsical items with me! I can’t help myself to be a LITTLE whimsical. I would pretty wear these heart shaped sunglasses with anything and this rainbow skirt has been an absolute summer staple!

 

A Touch of Comfort

Nevertheless, we are going to a cabin in the woods! I need some grabbing a slice of pizza, mini-golf, staying in at the cabin looks! So I tried to stay casual with this striped peplum from Kohl’s ($8 on clearance!) and these Avenue Butter Denim Jeans! I also added my LulaRoe Nicole Dress & Sarah Cardigan for a rainy day vibe! Perfect way to glam up some casual looks!

 

Comfy PJ’s

Check out this Queen Bee set from Avenue – here! It’s so comfy and electrically pink. Very me! And I love relaxing in something soft and comfy for lazy mornings in the cabin!

 

My ‘MUST HAVE’

SPF LIPBALM

IMHO, this is one of those secret items that no one is ever plugging to you – but if you are going out in the sun all day (like to a beach) – YOU*NEED*SPF*CHAPSTICK.

Non-negotiable. Your lips CAN get sunburned and as a person who had their lips swell to the size of a grapefruit and then spend the next week or two bleeding and peeling their lips and barely being able to eat or drink – INVEST IN THIS PRODUCT. It’s like $3. Please. Please.

Image of My Swollen Lips Last Summer: Let this be a cautionary tale.

An Oversized Towel

One thing I always run into going to the beach – and that’s that most ‘regular’ sized towels don’t wrap all the way around my body and don’t really do that efficient of a job at actually drying me (you know, the point of a towel). So I am always on the hunt for the BEST oversized beach towel (usually a 70×40). Another Harvey’s find – I got this Lavender Vacation towel and can wrap up in it, spread it out to relax, and VACATION!

*More like SLAYCATION, amirite?* Check out this towel herehere!

Great Sunnies!

An Awesome Travel Partner

I love traveling with Preston. He puts my mind at ease and makes it easy for me to relax and I cherish being able to build all these memories together!

 

Final Packing List:

Enough outfits for every day that you are there, plus one (in case you change your mind or spill something!)

Bring items that are easy to mix and match to create different outfits!

Plan for activities and weather in choosing your clothes (if you know you’re ONLY going t to the beach – no need for something schmancy – if it’s supposed to be cold – bring a sweater).

Sunscreen, SPF Lip Balm, Skin & Hair care for the beach soaked curls!

Sunnies!

A few books to read

An oversized towel!

Enough bags for every purpose! (packing tip – pack all of the bags in one big tote and use them as you need them!).

A relaxed mind!

 

What do you think?! Did I leave anything off of the packing list? What are your travel must haves! Comment quick – I’m leaving tomorrow morning (early, ugh!). So if I missed anything – be sure to let me know!

 

SO HERE’S THE “END OF BLOG” SPIEL!

The next few weeks have some awesome stuff planned! I’ll be doing a post with Eloquii, Lady V. London, and  as well as more Gwynnie Bee & Society+ stuff, a cosmetic post, some lifestyle stuff, and more! And I’m going to post my root touch up post!

If you are at all interested in doing a collab or working with me – please feel free to check out my new Contact Me! page!

I definitely want to do more His & Her fashion. Do you guys like seeing Preston more?

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Thank you for all that you do. You are truly extraordinary.

Love all you wonderful ladies (and gents!) out there!

How Very,

Abby