what's in my suitcase?

before most trips, i like to get a few new items to 

fill my suitcase with. . .just to keep it fresh! i've said it 

before, but i mostly get excited to shop when i have a 

new trip in mind. this week as i head to south africa, 

i'm sharing two new finds that i adore :: one for

my toiletry bag, and one for my suitcase. 

•••bloke sugar body scrub is a game-changer. my skin needs it while traveling with all of the dehydration and airplane air, so i'm excited to have this all-natural organic scrub right in my bag. it's made up of brown sugar + sea salt, coconut oil, and other goodness. the best part is it's great to use on your face as well as body. it looks like pretty sand, but smells INCREDIBLE and is my new favorite bedtime routine.

^^ a little shot of the nightly face scrub routine!

•••shop london gray is a darling new clothing brand started by our friends over here! they are just at the start, so i wanted to tell you about them now before they are the next big thing :) right now they have pretty tulle skirts + graphic tees. this brand is simple and chic and the tees are perfect for any traveler since they are in different languages and highlight places all over the world. i haven't taken any pictures in the two items i ordered so far, but they are packed away in my luggage!

they're just launching, and with chelsey's flawless style i know that what's to come will be even better! 

•••last but not least...this isn't in my suitcase yet... but it's on my wish list AS a suitcase! how perfect is this "escape" weekend bag by forest bound? i think i'm in love.

•••very lastly...i'm on the hunt for a new suit to fill my suitcase with later this year for a beach trip, and i'm eyeing this one! thoughts?

happy packing!

xo

holiday giveaway with nailed boutique!

hello!!

the holidays are fast approaching, and when i was in 

salt lake city a few weeks ago for a wedding, i stopped 

into one of my favorite spots for some pampering + 

shopping. nailed is the best nail salon AND boutique 

and i knew i could find some good new clothes for

the holidays as well as gifts... i love it so much that

the owner trish and i decided we are going to do 

a little giveaway for all of you this week before we head

back! we picked out a darling top that is perfect for

holiday parties, + a lovely travel kit to go with it.

so in honor of the holidays and my hometown, 

the giveaway is below.  there's only one mandatory 

step to enter.. and then a few bonus entries below. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

so, just follow @nailed_boutique on instagram 

and tag 5 friends in their giveaway photo. you

can do the same for @emi on insta. 

that's the only mandatory step! 

bonus facebook entries are listed below that,

and as a final bonus you can comment below with

which upcoming holiday party you would wear this to!

--or-- you can tell me what upcoming trip you would

use this travel kit on :) either way, hope you enter!

here are a few photos of this darling shop..

i'll be back in for a mani/pedi over christmas!

how cute is this place? this is the entry,

and then the salon is in the back part! ^^

here's a close-up of the cute blouse you can win ^^

and here's the travel kit with their own line of products --

green tea soap, shampoo + conditioner, salt scrub & cream!

and to give you a taste of the rest of the cute store:

^^ the pedicures here last forever! 
also, cutest socks to pamper your feet even more.

i picked up this cute long sweater here and wore it to
the airport (as you can see in the selfie above :) ^^

thanks nailed for being a favorite stop when in SLC!

enter away!
giveaway ends friday at midnight and we
will notify the winner to pick up or get it
shipped by this weekend! cheers!

xo

what's in my suitcase + white plum GIVEAWAY! {closed- winner announced}

with some big trips coming up and the

holidays approaching, i thought it was high

time for a "what's in my suitcase" post 

with some recent favorites...+ a giveaway!

my suitcase is filled with comfortable clothes and

items that make travel easier. here are just a few

favorites as of late, starting with my favorite new

shirt from white plum, a darling & reasonable 
online shop. i've loved finding darling items here

since discovering it last summer. white plum is 

based in california's central valley, so only about

an hour from SF! they ship all over and the

clothes {along with the low prices} are great.

they always push me a little out of my comfort 

zone while still feeling classic and chic. i promise

i always get compliments on my clothes from here.

this post has some favorite new items from white plum

and others, along with a giveaway and discount code 

just below! enter away to win $50 to white plum!

this friend or faux leather top caught my eye

right away on the website, and i like it even more

in person! i wore it here and got so many questions

about it while wearing it in the city. it's just different

enough to be unique to my wardrobe, but comfortable.

i love it and you can use your credit towards this or

anything on whiteplum.com if you win! enter here
and see some other favorite items below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

^^ enter here, and use discount code

WELLTRAVELED20 to get 20% off 

the entire site. this code will be valid 

from today, 11/19 until 11/26. 

i also love these high sierra leggings, from white plum,
so wintery! i plan to wear them pretty much all of 
christmas break and all through the winter :)

^^ another item in my suitcase actually goes along

 with my suitcase, and it's my new jototes camera bag.

i loved this siena model after seeing my friend with it,

and now i have a perfect shoulder bag to hold my camera

and other essentials while traveling or in the city!

^^ hoodie pillow was a must-have after hearing about

it from shark tank and some travel outlets. we

are so excited to use these on our long flights to

india this week, and on future travels! it's an inflatable

neck pillow with a hood so that it's warm, comfy, &

private. i will report back on how we do with them!

as we get into the colder months,

every good suitcase needs a good umbrella. i

fell for this clear bubble umbrella at urban outfitters.

it might not be the most practical, but it sure is cute!

i do have a smaller one i can pack when i need to save space.

i absolutely love these zara terez cable knit leggings.
they are the best material, perfect for a comfy
travel day. they have lots of fun patterns!

i am so excited to get my picture bracelets in the mail 
from pickture that! i don't usually bring much jewelry 
when traveling, butthey will always be in my suitcase 
for every trip because it's a way to carry those i love 
with me on travels! i love these photo bracelets and 
i will share more about them when i get mine! ^^

can you tell i've really tried to prepare for

our long flights to india and then my flight

to south africa coming up? on top of the 

hoodie pillows, i also got both of us a

relax ally headband-- it's like a sleep mask

with a band to put around the airplane seat

so that your head stays up and comfortable

instead of drooping down and hurting your neck!
i'll also post more about these after our flights.

and one of the best purchases i've made this season

is this uniqlo ultra light down long coat. ^^ it is a

stylish, warm coat that is light enough to roll

up and not take too much room in your luggage.

i wore it all through canada and it was perfect.

there's a little peek into my suitcase,
now i hope you fill yours with new
clothes when you enter to win $50!

xo

gear for good

one of the best parts of this blog is the chance to work 
with amazing companies that i love and agree with and 

want to support. going a little ways back to a post from

last month, lately i've been thinking lots about what matters.

i want to support and be part of things that matter. i want
to live a life that asks not what can i get, but instead what
can i give? i want to start featuring some favorite organizations
that are making a difference and giving opportunities to serve 
and help and make this world we love more beautiful. that's why

i'm inspired by cotopaxi, AKA "gear for good." it's a company

with a mission to help eradicate poverty through donating

proceeds from their outdoor gear sales. the thing i love is that

when you go to their website to buy an item, they actually tell

you exactly what your purchase will make possible. for example,

by buying one kilimanjaro pack like i have, it pays for one week

of tutoring for a student at the kilimanjaro kids community.

amazing! i love this company and what they're about, and i'm

grateful for people who see the need to bring some good into

business. on top of all that, these packs are ideal for all of us

travelers! they are stylish, high-quality, and easy to organize

with a laptop sleeve, multiple pockets, and a good use of space.

on top of the great features of the packs, you carry with you

a literal reminder to do good and leave places better.

you know i'd never lead you astray when it comes to travel, and

this backpack is already being used daily and on trips. plus, i get

to think about the cool impact it's making! love it. go to their

website, cotopaxi.com, browse their story, and if you see 

something you like, use discount code WELLTRAVELED

for 10% off your purchase! it's valid through the end of july. if

you need to be more inspired, please watch this video from

the founder and his wife about a boy named edgar and how

he inspired them to start cotopaxi and give back to the world.

we took a little bike ride to the beach

and then back through golden gate park

and packed my cotopaxi with things for

the beach and a picnic. it was too pretty in

the park, we had to stop and take some

photos of the pack and all the scenery!

 i have a feeling this backpack will go all

over the world with me...not only because it's

so useful and functional, but it reminds me of

why we travel and how we can serve. it's perfect.

all over the city and back to our place,
i loved my first adventure with this pack.
many more to come! join me in supporting
cotopaxi. remember: we make a living by
what we get, we make a life by what we give.

xo