rosé all day

Okay, so, maybe not all day, but it was the varietal of the day for my sister’s bachelorette winery tour. I’m so glad that rosé is becoming somewhat en vogue, as I’ve been a fan ever since traveling in the south of France for my honeymoon. We had three stops lined up for the day, and agreed to try the rosé at each. While the wine at the first, King Family Vineyards, was my favorite (a dry rosé, named after the small town of Crozet in which the winery is located), the atmosphere at our third and final stop was unparalleled. Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards is nestled just outside of Charlottesville and offers pristine views coupled with rustic elegance. A joint effort of husband and wife team, Lynn Easton and Dean Andrews, Pippin Hill combines their wealth of professional experience in luxury properties and bespoke events. It’s no wonder that Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux were rumored to have been married here! As I imagine is the case most Saturdays, they were busy setting up for a wedding later that evening. Though I don’t have any weddings to plan anytime soon, I would love to come back here for a special occasion, like an anniversary dinner, to try their “vineyard to table” cuisine. While it was the perfect way to celebrate my sister’s final days as a single lady, I was surprised to see many young families with toddlers in tow at King Family and and Veritas Vineyards. It actually makes perfect sense as there are big grassy knolls to upon which to spread out a blanket where adults can catch up with friends over their vintage of choice, and the little ones can run and play. I can’t wait to pack a picnic, round up a few friends, and head back to Virginia wine country. I’d love to hear any recommendations of other Virginia vineyards or wineries that are worth trying. I know Virginia isn’t especially known for great wine, but it still makes for a nice day-trip and the scenery can be simply stunning. Salut!

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Party Perfect Packing Tips

When one of my friends mentioned heading to Vegas to celebrate her birthday, which just happens to be the day before New Year’s Eve, visions of sequined dresses danced in my head. As much fun as heading out of town to celebrate with friends can be, packing can present a challenge, especially if air travel is involved. In order to make packing a little easier and still arrive in style, I’ve devised a few tips and tricks that ensure your outfits will arrive looking as fabulous as you do.

Lay out outfits

First, I lay out my outfits in advance. This helps me see which pieces coordinate with each other to make multiple ensembles.

accessories

Doing this also helps me visualize which shoes or clutches could pull double duty and to think through any undergarments or other accessories that may be needed for each.

undergarments

This brings me to…pack any necessary undergarments. I also recommend trying on your outfits before they go in your suitcase just to make sure your unmentionables don’t shine through your dress or show below the hemline of your skirt. Nothing is worse than having been so excited to wear a outfit that is ruined by an ill-fitting or inappropriate base layer. You can buy lingerie bags, but I like using Piperlime bags since they are the perfect size and think the new style is so pretty!

shoe bag

When packing shoes, I also like to pack them in individual bags to make sure they don’t knock against each other in my suitcase and scuff. This also prevents stiletto heels from picking any garments you’ve packed as well. Some shoes come with their own dust bags, but any small drawstring bag works well.

indivually

Also make sure to individually pack anything with sequins or embellishments that can snag with plastic or tissue paper. This keeps the sequins or other embellishments from catching on each other or snagging other items. I just saved up a few drying cleaning bags and reused those for an easy way to keep my sequin dresses pristine in my garment bag.

Jewelry

Jewelry can also be tricky to pack since it is easy for necklaces to get knotted up in one another or earrings to go missing. It’s worth the space in your suitcase to pack these items in an organizer or travel container made especially for jewelry.

skincare minis

Given the stringent restrictions on liquids and limited space in checked luggage, I like to stock up on miniature versions of my favorite facial products to have on hand for travel. Buying products during “bonus” times can be a great way to snag them for free!

suitcase

Finally, when actually placing items in my suitcase, I prefer to put harder and heavier items at the bottom so that they don’t crush my clothing when I stand the suitcase up to roll it through the airport.

This is by no means and exhaustive list of travel tips, but I have a flight to catch! What are your go-to travel tips and tricks?