"Packing with Chantel"- A Live Blogging Event

As if it isn't bad enough that she is going to grad school in the fall and won't be able to supply office chocolate, a listening ear, or ... anything I request at a moment's notice, my favourite Chantel is going away on vacation for most of July, leaving me to drink my late afternoon cocktails lattes alone.  SIGH.  But, she redeemed herself a little by asking for my help to pack and agreeing to be on the blog again.  Without further ado, let me reveal the first stop on Chantel's vacation! (please say that with a French accent in mind, just to make it more glamorous for us)

 

Who knows where this is?!  Tweet us if you do!

@VVBoutiqueStyle

@Chantelsy

(for bragging rights, we got nothin)

Anyone?  Anyone?  (That's a Ferris Bueller reference which Chantel won't get because she's so friggin young)  She says she gets it, she's seen it.  Not in the theater because YOU WEREN'T BORN.

Carrying on: it's the City (!) of Brooks, Alberta!  Chantel is heading there next weekend and says they even have a Boston Pizza.  Congratulations, Brooks.  Chantel is going to a wedding and then chillaxin with her mom.  She needs a wedding outfit and is iffy on the one I chose for her as featured on BT Edmonton.  She thinks she shouldn't wear white...

Chantel, this is not white.

What do you think?  Yay or nay?  We need public opinion!

The MASSES (3 people) have spoken and they agree with me, of course.  Peggy gave a great suggestion to add a coloured cardi...

This light mustard cardi is the perfect choice AND it was thrifted for $3 from VV Boutique!

Chantel added a necklace and casual shoes because it's going to be a cas affair and...

The shoes she planned on are, um, a bit big.

Hand 'em over.

Chantel informed me she usually wears sweats when visiting home.  YOU CAN DO BETTER.

See, a nice thrifted maxi ($12 VV Boutique) is perfectly comfortable, gives some mosquito coverage and prevents you from looking schleppy.  You're welcome in advance.

Next leg of the trip...

Any guesses this time?

That's right!  Chantel is heading to Vegas for 4 days and will be hitting a Cirque show, shopping and going to a bachelorette party.  (Typical.)  What happens in Vegas... but we will know what you're wearing at minimum!  The bachelorette party may feature some, er, special guests and special bevvies so she needs something, er, fool proof - a little black dress!  She has two good options:

Light fabric, flattering cut and red shoes = win, win, win!!

Chantel has never worn this dress!!!!  So it gets my vote because it simply deserves to go out.

What do you think?  Which LBD would you pack?

For the Cirque show, a little more colour and pattern is perfect, especially when it's thrifted!

She tells me she has the other shoe somewhere downstairs, but the wine is right here with us so why leave the room.

Shopping in Vegas heat requires cool comfort.  We real women know that skirts can present some chaffing issues, so these cute shorts from Target are a better choice.  We don't want anything impeding the shopping.

Best of all, these pieces will be versatile for the next leg of the trip since Chantel won't be able to come home first and repack.  Next leg is...

You're gonna need to go in here Chantel, if you're coming straight from Vegas...

If you recognized this as DUBLIN, you'd be correct!  Chantel is flying from Vegas to Ireland to meet up with her mom and grandma for a spontaneous itinerary (i.e., they have no idea yet what specifically they'll be doing).  Chantel will be hitting Dublin, Glasgow, Edinburgh, the Highlands and more.  She will do some sight-seeing, shopping and visit gay old friends.  Aside from this information, she said it would be 15 degrees...  GO!  Make outfits and keep the packing light enough for a small rolling duffel bag!  Here's what we came up with:

 We went with the first LBD because it had more versatility for rest of the trip.
I have knotted my chambray recently and have been seeing it everywhere.  Tie a chambray over a dress or anything!
Go ahead and be knotty!  Snicker snicker.

Showcasing the two bags and scarves she plans to pack that will mix, match and extend all the other pieces.

 Skinny jeans styled with her Vegas tank.  Swap the necklace, add a scarf and BOOM another outfit.
Basic black pants rolled with her Vegas red pumps look good with all her tops including a floral tank.  
The sparkle & lace tee is so much more interesting than basic gray, and added mileage to her Cirque dress.

More shorts looks!  Stripes and floral always makes us think of Franish.
The casual cotton floral tank will mix with everything else and her ModCloth skull tee reminds me again that she's a young hip 25yo.  
It's an embroidered lacy skull and will add some tough chic to her other pieces.

By this time, Chantel was sweltering and begging me with her eyes not to ask her to try on anything else... HA guess the old lady has pretty decent stamina after all.  Heh heh.

She ended up packing:

• 2 dresses - black, Cirque
• 3 tanks - floral, navy, floral cotton
• 2 tees - gray sparkle, skull
• long sleeve striped tee
• 2 shorts - gray print, teal
• 2 pants - skinny denim, black
• 3 finishing pieces - chambray, mustard cardi, green ponte blazer
• 2 scarves - mustard, floral
• 3 shoes - red pumps, sandals, crochet lace-ups
• 2 bags

That duffel bag isn't even half full!!!

Chantel has plenty of room for her hair and makeup stuff, and even then has space to bring home treasures!  We discussed adding a maxi dress, striped dress and basic white tee to extend her vacation wardrobe even further - one of them might even make a good travel outfit.  

These pieces can be mixed and matched to make more than 30 outfits!  I would call this a packing success story, even if the whole live blogging thing ended up taking a bit longer than I anticipated!  That at least goes to show it was an authentic process!

Chantel, have a wonderful trip!  I hope these outfits serve you well and if you have any doubts, you better take your personal packing consultant along to be sure, just let me get my bag!