Haute Khuuture

Sunday, April 20, 2014

ULTIMATE Packing Tips and Travel Checklist

I am the self-professed Queen of organizing y’all. From my closet, to the bedroom, the studio, and beyond, I’ve got systems on top of systems to check and balance this brain into a highly functioning method of order. I get to the point where I’m such a Nazi about structure that I’ve been known to organize things right outta its place, anyone else guilty of that? It’s so absurd but I swear it’s an ongoing addiction! I can’t tell ya how many times I’ve refined my ULTIMATE travel checklist, you know the one you scribble months/weeks/days/hours ahead of said travel time? I’ve got one for the tropical vacation, one for the ski/snow ones, I’ve even got the super-detailed, 2-page long ones for a measly 24-hour trip to Vegas with the girls. I know, I know, OCD much Julie? But my obsessive-compulsive need to get this checklist in order is where you benefit hunnies! Complete with my bonafide no-fail packing tips so you never have to ask: What am I going to wear???

Peep out my top 5 tips below and print out this handy-dandy packing list for your next vacation!

1) Lay out all potential ensembles side-by-side. I like to rock a myriad of colors on vacay, makes looking back at pictures much more vibrant and completely frame-worthy for gallery walls.

(Top: Day Looks/ Bottom: Night Looks)

2) Once you’ve got the outfits laid out, select footwear and accessories to match. I try to select attire based on the repetition of shoes, at least 2 looks per sandal/boot/heel. Can you imagine how many luggages you’d need to rock a different pair every day? Consolidate as much as possible peeps!

Haute tip: Don’t just throw a bunch of necklaces, bracelets, rings in a bag and call it day! Choose your jewelry based on EACH look and pack them in individual Ziploc pouches so they don’t tangle together. The clear view will also make them easier to retrieve when you're in a rush.

3) Now that all your ensembles are finalized, snap a pic of the entire outfit and keep it stored on your phone. Once you've arrived at your travel destination, you can simply refer to the images for a complete day-to-night review of all the amazing looks you intend to rock! You'll never forget which accessories go with which ensemble since they're conveniently recorded right there on your phone!

4) Next, you’re ready to roll! Lay out all items by ensemble and roll ‘em up hunnies! Not only will they stay wrinkle-free upon unpacking, you’ll also have TONS of room in the luggage for all the shopping you’ll do on holiday!

Below: My 10 outfits for day and 10 outfits for night ALL roll up into one half side of my entire luggage!

Do the same for your jammies and workout gear!

5) FINALLY, pack toiletries, makeup, and essentials in individual bags. The more singular bags you have within the luggage, the easier it’ll be to stuff them around your clothing. They take up more volume when grouped together so why not separate and take advantage of the filler space.

Haute tip: Pack all apparel in the larger luggage and accessories in a smaller one. I find it easier to locate items once they've been separated by category. Use individual cloth bags to store your shoes so they don't scratch!

EFFICIENCY is key when it comes to packing y'all!
Hope this makes your next vacation stress free since you've got the packing part down pat!

...and as an ADDED BONUS you can download my ULTIMATE travel checklist below and print it out before your next vacation! You'll never forget a single item again!

DOWNLOAD this checklist HERE

Awww, too bad my pup Musubi couldn't come along!
Missing this lil face more than words can say!

Hope these handy dandy tips help to relieve some of your packing stress before your next vacation my loves!

You deserve to relax and unwind without all the anxiety, dontcha think?? ;D

Currently blogging from Hong Kong and having the time of my life y'all!

Follow along my Instagram HERE for all the latest!

Happy Easter and make it a fantastic week hunny bunnies!

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Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Haute Khuuture's 4 yr. Anniversary!

I can’t believe I’ve been on this bloggy venture for the last 4 years of my life. It’s one of those stories that started out innocently enough where a hiatus in work projects kick started me to do 1 of 2 things: a) Start a blog or b) Win a spot on HGTV’s reality-competition show Design Star. That was January of 2010, right after I completed the design of this nightclub in Huntington Beach that was a 2.5 year-long project. I was at a standstill with no new work on the horizon and generally just feeling very sorry for myself without any real direction. Yup, *cue the violins* y’all.

After having attended the open casting call for Design Star on a whim, I was completely awestruck by having advanced round after round of call backs and phone interviews, eventually landing a coveted spot on season 5 of the show, in which I was promptly sent home right after the first White Box challenge. I was ill-prepared (actually completely UNprepared would be the correct assessment), timid, shy, and honestly just not right for what would sell on reality TV back then. Not my finest hour I admit, but what I learned in the process made my strength to succeed outside of scripted design work much more prominent and unwavering to this day.

If you know me, I’m one of those perpetually passionate goal-seekers whom at any given moment are either learning/ sharing/ crafting/ researching/ reading/ finding new opportunity for creative growth. Completely driven by an immense wonder of the world around me, I consider myself quite simply just a curious girl. I thrive in a challenging environment, whether I fail or prevail, it’s the thrill of the chase that resonates in my core and propels me seek new and exciting adventures.

Enter my first post for this here bloggy HERE. I had just returned from New York, fragile and desperately seeking a creative outlet for all of my design ideas, free from any deadlines, pressures, or plain ol’ judgment, I sought to collect all the findings stored up in my head and dispense them on a personal forum crafted and curated especially by me. It was one of the most invigorating results to a very disheartening time. The blog was a catalyst for my creative energy and although Design Star didn’t air until mid-summer, I had a head-start into what I affectionately consider my comeback story.

Four years, 713 posts, 219 ensembles, 117 Food Porns, 4,002 design pins, and a few dozen online friends later and she hasn’t let me down since y’all.

Just because the network of our blogging community will inevitably change and maybe even diminish throughout the years, doesn’t mean the face of it will. CHEERS to another 4+ (here’s hoping) years y’all! Thank you thank you THANK YOU for following along this journey with me!!! There will be TONS of new designs, new series, and new ideas in the works as I’m excited to share every last bit of my crazy life with y’all! I loveloveLOVE my readers- you’ve made Haute Khuuture what she is today and I seriously can’t THANK YOU enough!

….and just for kicks, here’s the episode of HGTV’s Design Star that *spoiler alert!* not only sent me home packing, but created my unrelenting motivation for starting this blog. Like I said...can’t THANK YOU enough!