/ TravelBella

I chose the Midsummer Maxi Dress in Raj Paisley as my travel outfit. I’ll be comfortable in it and be able to layer with the cardigan or jacket if I get cold. I’m wearing my Birkenstock’s but did bring some socks. If my feet are cold, I’m cold. The Soludos in Chambray also look great with this dress. 

Ciao!
/ TravelBella

This is it! The FINAL FINAL packing list for my trip. I changed out a few items from my last packing list due to weather in some places. We’ll be in the mountains for almost a week and it’s quite cool during the day (60s) there right now. Of course, that’s compared to what I’m used to. I don’t think I can remember any days in the 60s this year. We went from 50s to summer almost overnight. It will feel nice but I do get cold easily so I’ve prepared for that. 

-Old Navy Maxi Dress – I bought this dress in Fuchsia last year from ON and was excited to see they brought it back. I grabbed it in the Blue and Green when they had a promo. It runs big and I could have fit into an XS. Some may not like how it ties in the back but it doesn’t bother me. (similar here, here, here and here)
–J Crew Midsummer Maxi Dress in Raj Paisley – This was an unexpected sale find. It fits great and will be perfect for the plane trip and sight-seeing. I bought an 8. The 6 would have been too tight in the rib-cage for me. The length is perfect, hitting about an inch or so off the ground. And it has pockets!
-J Crew Striped Linen Perfect Shirt – Since this is a Cotton/Linen Blend the wrinkling won’t be as apparent. The stripes will help conceal the wrinkles, if there’s any to see. (similar here)
–J Crew Vintage Cotton Tee in White – White tees go with every skirt and it’s a great layering piece for the chilly air in the mountains.
-J Crew Cotton Cardigan – This will be great on the plane and just in general for any cool evenings we encounter. (similar here and here)
-3 Jersey Knit Shirts – These are all similar to the ones I am bringing and Husband even found the red one at Nordstrom Rack for me way back in January. 
–Old Navy Black Jersey Skirt – I felt I needed one more of something and this skirt won out because it will go with every top I am bringing.
-Anthropologie Go Anywhere Skirt – I found this skirt on Ebay a few months ago and will be great during the day in Madrid and Rome. (similar here)
–J Crew Jardin Maxi Skirt – You know the story about this skirt. I think it will be a great item for the trip and also goes with every top. 
-J Crew Factory Scarf in Gallerista Print – I had planned on taking the Printed Summer Scarf in Bold Orange but Husband was a little hurt I was not wearing or bringing either of the scarves he bought for me in India. Never tell a man who doesn’t understand fashion that something doesn’t match with what you have. No amount of explaining that it’s not wide enough to cover your shoulders or act as a beach cover-up will help and will only hurt his feelings more. So, I’m taking a green-ish printed silk scarf and this one that goes with most of what I’m taking. 
–J Crew Crochet Straw Hat – Love this hat and it’s just so summery.
-J Crew Trilby Hat – This is Husband’s but it looks good on me too.
-J Crew Factory Casbah Tunic – I bought this after I knew I won the ebay auction for the swimsuit. And it can work as a blouse tucked into the skirts.
-J Crew Casbah Swimsuit – Though we are going to the beach 2-3 times I am only taking one swimsuit. I was lucky enough to find this on ebay.
–Birkenstock Birko-Flor Mayari – This is made with Birko-Flor which is acrylic and polyamide fibers, making it $40 cheaper than the all leather material I was originally looking at. The footbed is the same as the original/more expensive sandals, just the upper is cheaper. This wasn’t my original Birkenstock choice but after trying them on they were the cuter ones. 
–Soludos Espadrilles in Chambray and Navy Stripe – These go with everything I’m bringing. I was originally going to get the White over the Chambray but after trying them on I liked the Chambray more.
-Tumi Messenger Bag – I found this at the Factory Store for a great deal. I’m still finding extra pockets in it. I wish they had a blue color but for the price I couldn’t pass it up.
Our first stop is Madrid for a few days and then we are off to Rome. After Rome we are flying to Bari, on the Southeast coast and staying in Vico del Gargano and Matera. The last two places will bring calmer, more relaxing days along with a few beach trips. I am so ready and if it were not for being super-busy at work I would not be able to concentrate. 
I am supposed to have wi-fi access and will be bringing Diva so you may see a post or two while I’m abroad. 
Have a GREAT Day!!!
/ TravelBella

As I mentioned in my previous post, we are heading to Europe this summer. We finally decided on our country destinations and now are whittling down the cities. We’ll fly in to Madrid and spend a few days there before heading to Italy. We currently have stops in Rome, Naples, Matera, Puglia and Sicily/Palermo in our two week plans. Because some of our stops to the smaller cities/areas will be a night or two Husband has declared we will only survive on one carry-on each. I laughed as I had grand plans of wearing skirts and dresses while strolling through these cities. Instead, I’ve had to whittle down my thoughts and wardrobe to be the following.

  • Practical
  • Easily washable by hand
  • No ironing needed
  • Easy to mix and match
  • 3-4 days worth of clothes total

It truly is difficult to pack this way but I do tend to over-pack and bring more than enough close and shoes wherever I go. So, here’s what I have so far.

Italy Packing

Five tops: The four tops I have are all jersey and either have flutter or cap-sleeves that cover my shoulders. They are all random brands I found at Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, or Marshalls. They are easily washable, don’t require ironing and can be mixed with my bottoms. The Striped Tippi Sweater I just added because it’s linen but I think I won’t bring it because the weather might be too warm and I don’t want to lose it or leave it behind.

Italy Tops

Five Bottoms: Old Navy Jersey Skirt, Anthropologie Go Anywhere Skirt, J Crew Maxi Skirt, J Crew Shorts
I prefer to wear a skirt or comfortable dress on a plane and the maxi skirt will be perfect, especially if/when I get cold. The other two skirts and shorts will hide dirt and spots well and can be washed and dried quickly.

Italy Bottoms

 Italy Bottoms by audreybella featuring a jersey skirt

One Dress: I have to choose between these two dresses. I had originally planned on taking the Blouson Dress to wear when we go to dinner (one nice dinner in Madrid, Rome and Palermo) but I was able to find the Castle Lake Dress in my size recently. (I sold my size Small because it didn’t fit up top any longer.) Now, I’m leaning towards that one because it’s a little more casual, floats away from the body and has pockets.
Swimsuit: We’ll be at the beach once or twice and I love this Tulle Polk-Dot swimsuit from J Crew. I just need to find a cover-up.
Scarf: I’ll carry this in my bag in case I need it to cover up at any point during our sight-seeing. This one is from Talbots and is linen.
Shoes…I don’t have any really good sturdy walking shoes other than tennis shoes. I will start looking for some that are sturdy, comfortable and just a little bit stylish. Here are my current options.

  • Tom’s Ballet Flats: I don’t have these yet but plan on getting them and breaking them in before we go. I was going to take my Black Glitter slip-ons but the ballet flats might be better and a little more comfortable.
  • J Crew Madras Converse Sneakers: I will take these to wear with my shorts I’ll be taking.
  • Tory Burch Thora Flip-Flop: These will mainly be used when we are travelling to our next location (plane, train, automobile).
Italy Dresses & Accessories

I want to take a bag and thought about this one but Husband said he’d rather I not carry anything if possible.

So, that’s my outfit planning…3 months early. I thought about taking a cardigan instead of the scarf but the weather should be warm.

What do you think of my choices? Anything I shouldn’t take? Anything I’m missing. Any other tips or suggestions about the cities?