*Tent on Wheels ON WATER* Packed! In 5-4-3-2-1....

This one's for you, sis!

This post is dedicated to my Sis-in-law, who was so impressed by my packing gear, I think she was ready to run off the ship and get some for herself!  

I travel for work, am known for being an incredible organizer in my personal life, but am also a notorious over-packer/be-ready-for-anything kinda person.  Wait for a few days when I post my Justin-Case Bag and you'll understand how deep the rabbit hole goes.  I didn't want to be that way for our cruise.  So, I researched packing ideas and discovered this numerical system that seemed simple enough. 

You just pack:

5 Tops

4 Bottoms

3 Pairs of Shoes

2 Dresses and 

1 Swimsuit

Having planned this cruise months in advance, I decided I could also plan my outfits months in advance, and maybe there was something to this 5-4-3-2-1 thing.  So I started planning. Navy and orange would be my main colors (packing around a central color theme always makes it easier to mix and match outfits).  I notified my styler at Stitch-Fix: it's an online personal shopper service for women on-the-go and it's awesome! If you haven't heard of it, check them out here.  I had several Fixes arrive over the following months that had items specifically picked for the cruise. Two of them made it into my selections for the week.

So, here's what 5-4-3-2-1 looked like:

5 Tops

The two furthest to the right (navy with beads and the chevron print) are my Stitch Fix selections.

4 Bottoms

A pair of white capris, black cloth shorts, blue jean cut offs, and a knee length black skirt.

3 Pairs of Shoes

 Slip on tennis shoes for walking, navy wedges for dress-up, and flip-flops for the beach/pool.

2 Dresses

So, really one dress, and then a wrap/sleeves to go over it for a different look.

1 Swimsuit 

(which I never even put on!)

All of this packed nicely into two Eagle Creek packing cubes and my garment sleeve. I also brought along a Clean/Dirty cube and (shown in the picture to the far right) my Target roll-up toiletry bag that goes with me on work overnight trips.

I tried to keep accessories to a minimum as well - you can see my nautical scarf (Ebay) in the half cube on the left, bottom, and a red belt underneath my Burt's Bees repurposed bag with all my costume jewelry in the right, top left next to my make-up case on top of the garment sleeve.  I also brought a white floppy hat (Target) and white visor (WalMart) and two pin on flowers to jazz them up. 

Btw - With the garment sleeve (which I've always called a folded suiter), I also have room for RDB's suit along with my dress.  For the most part, they arrive without wrinkles, but I hang them first thing when our luggage is delivered.

What you don't see listed (but is included) are my unmentionables.  Because they're unmentionable. Duh.  (They're in the Clean/Dirty half cube, in case you're wondering.)  And you might also notice the "Tops" cube has 6 items, as does the "Bottoms" cube: nightgowns.  Didn't really want to post photos of those for the internet-world to see.  ;-)

So, how did I feel once I got on the ship? Was it too much? Not enough?  

I think this one pretty much sums it up:

PS - I've had several people ask me about what nail polish I had on in that top picture - if you're looking for a manicure that will last your entire cruise without chipping, I've got the perfect thing to pack!  Go check out Jamberry Nails! These are do-at-home nails wraps that cost a fraction of what you pay in the salon and with over 350 unique designs, you're sure to find the perfect nails for your upcoming adventure!  Bon Voyage!