Pampered in Soho

I’ve been a bit busy since I’ve talked with you all last.

I had the opportunity to travel, and who doesn’t like to travel? I went to New York on business for a couple nights. I love to travel, but I dislike packing because I’m an over-packer. Back when you weren’t charged for an extra bag, being an over-packer wasn’t a problem. Now if you travel, you get charged for the bag, and it can’t exceed 50 pounds.

YIKES!

So here is what I’ve found that works best for me. I use extra large and large ziplock bags to pack with. I gather each outfit and pack each of them in an extra large bag. This is when my 23 years of working for the Gap comes in quite handy, because folding was so important in those days. I could fold with my eyes closed! Taking each article of clothing and folding it to make it the most compact to fit in a XL bag takes a little practice. I take the large bags and add accessories and undergarments. They get partnered with the outfit they go with. Packing this way makes the trip so much easier! If I’m staying longer than a few days and need to mix and match, I’ve found that trying each outfit on and taking a picture of the look is a huge help to be able to get the most out of what I’ve brought with me. If you’re are like me, and I’m always in a hurry to be somewhere on time, it’s great to be able to look at my phone pictures and not have to think about what to wear. I also make sure I have the majority of my makeup with me in my carry-on, just in case my bag gets lost. It’s much easier to buy an outfit than to have to buy skincare and all new cosmetics.

Once this is done, the only thing left is to figure out what to wear for a day of traveling. The day I left for New York it snowed here in Atlanta. Snow and Atlanta don’t really mix you see. We don’t have this type of weather too often. I decided on a pair of tapered knit jogger pants with a drop crotch. Very easy and comfortable to move and sit in. This lightweight knit sweater is so soft. The ruffle details on the sleeve added just a little feminine touch to the look, and the silk scarf helped keep my neck warm. Thankful I wore this outfit because my flights cancelled 3 times and I did a lot of sitting at Hartfield Airport. We finally took off at 3:20PM. I was suppose to arrive in New York at 1:44pm with my original flight, but ended up arriving at 6:00pm. It was along day, but I was so glad I to have finally made it.

While I was in Soho, I got the opportunity to meet up with other bloggers I’ve met through social media, but I hadn’t actually met in person. One of the wonderful things about the blogging community is the people that are part of it. Special thanks to Diana Gabriel for coming out to see me and take a few photos with me. I’d especially like to thank all the wonderful people at Chico’s, who showed what true professionalism and hospitality looks like. I’ve never been treated better and had every little detail carefully considered and taken care of to make my comfort and my stay the most enjoyable event possible. If there were a category way above first class and pure luxury, they would have achieved it many times over.

Also a very special thanks to Denton Taylor for these wonderful photos.