25 Wednesday Jan 2012
Posted in Uncategorized
{via}
I’m back from Kauai! I have a lot of photos to go through and so many things to take care of already! I wish I was still at the beach. Phooey.
Aside from my upcoming vacay photoblog, In the next few weeks I’ll be listing a few more things in the blog sale. I’ll let you know via twitter and blog post when that’ll be.
As always thanks for stopping by 
♥ E&I
15 Sunday Jan 2012
Posted in Travel
Tags
My luggage contents for Kauai: (minus shoes, which are in plastic grocery bags)
I have a few travel staples from the Container Store that I swear by.
In the above photo I have:
I will admit, that these items aren’t cheap, but they aren’t exorbitant either. Initially I was a bit skeptical if they’d actually be helpful, but now I won’t travel without them.
To give you an idea of what I packed in my 2 envelopes and 1 packing cube:
10 tees and tanks, 4 bikinis, 2 sleep rompers, 2 sleep camis, 10 pairs of undies, 5 pairs of socks, 2 denim shorts, 1 denim bermuda short, 1 linen beach short, 3 bandeau bras, 1 maxi dress.
The envelopes are great for packing bulky clothing items, and I use the packing cube for socks, undies, and bathing suits. Having items compartmentalized like this makes it easier for me to find certain things, and it’s easy to toss the whole kit into hotel dresser drawers when unpacking. Also, it prevents items of clothing from shifting and getting wrinkled. Another bonus is if you ever happen to get your luggage searched, the TSA agent (and the rest of the security line) won’t be able to see your things. The Container store sells various sizes for the envelopes and the packing cubes, but this system works for me so far. Before our October trip to Oahu, I bought the same size set of envelopes and cube for Justin, but in black.
I have too many big toiletries to bring that won’t fit in my Wallaby Kit, thus the large zippy bag in the bottom left. The black bag with the yellow tag contains electronic cords (actually I moved this to my purse/carry on), and you know from my last post that the orange and pink bag contains my makeup.
The white plastic thing with pink polka dots peeking out from the bottom is my laundry bag. It’s a large plastic drawstring I bought from Daiso that will house my wet and dirty clothes from the beach.
Everything (except the electronics bag) above fits into only half of my red 14″ x 10″ x 26″ Heys hardside, spinner luggage (2nd biggest, on the right). I bought it for less than $100 at Marshalls, but I have seen it at TJMaxx as well. The other half of my luggage will house some snorkel gear, sandals, and some room to spare. I suggest if you’re planning on upgrading your luggage or doing a lot of city-hopping in the future, buy a lightweight, hard-cased luggage with 4 wheels. Bringing this bag through 9 cities of Japan’s public transpo was effortless, even despite its weight towards the end of my stay.
My other packing staple: Plastic vinyl TSA bags for carrying toiletries onto the plane.
I bought these 2 zippered bags from Ebay for $5. Cheap, completely re-usable and durable. When I was in college I frequently flew back and forth for the holidays and I used the same thin, dingy zippy bags over and over again. Never again!
Thanks for reading! Hopefully this gives you a few organizational packing ideas for your next trip. And just FYI, I’m not affiliated with or sponsored by the Container Store, nor Eagle Creek. I just love their products that much!
♥ E&I
14 Saturday Jan 2012
Posted in Fashion, Inspiration, Shopping
Tags
Justin and I are Kauai bound! Cold winter weather will be waiting while we set off for the tropics! Hawaii makes me think of candy colors and punchy brights! I’ll be back soon with lots of vacation photos as always.
Aloha! ♥
{1. Bottega Veneta Layered silk-chiffon dress, 2. Elizabeth Hurley Chloe Bikini (similar), 3. R&Y AUGOUSTI Cobra Tote, 4. Blonde Ambition Doris Neon Wedge, 5. Marc by Marc Jacobs Stardust embossed iPad case, 6. Asos Round Sunglasses (similar)}
♥ E&I
13 Friday Jan 2012
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For the longest time I’ve been thinking about buying the Mary Kay travel makeup bag. I forget where I first heard about it. Maybe YT? Makeupally also has favorable reviews.
Basically it has 4 prism-shaped compartments that roll up into a square:
Compact, space saving, and with clear zippered compartments so you can see everything! That way you can separate each pouch for a different purpose: face, eyes, lips, etc. So everything you need is clearly visible and you no longer have to go digging and searching blindly.
The best thing about this bag is that I don’t need a separate bag/pouch/case for my brushes. One pouch is large enough to store a set of everyday makeup brushes and maybe even room for a few extras.
Luckily I found a dupe at JCPenney for a mere $6 on clearance! The only real differences are that its brightly colored, and the sides are not clear. It was by Elle (fancy that!!) but I’m unable to find it online unfortunately. I will link similar products below if you’re interested.
Bright punchy pink and orange! I do wish the sides were clear like the Mary Kay bag, but then again it was only $6.
Pouch contents from left to right:
Face, eyes, brushes, miscellaneous.
If you’re in the market to buy a similar bag, here are some options:
♥ E&I
11 Wednesday Jan 2012
Tags
couponing, cvs, nail strips, nails, sally hansen, saving money
Current CVS promos: Buy $30 in selected merch and receive a $10 CVS cash card. Buy any Sally Hansen Item, get another 50% off. (Ends 1/14/11)
Buy 4 Sally Hansen Salon Nail Effects $9.99
Buy One Get One 50% Off, On Sale thru 1/14
Use $4.00 off a $20.00 Beauty Purchased emailed to Beauty Club Members (exp 1/16)
Pay $24.96, Receive $10.00 CVS Cash Card
Final Price: $3.74 each when you buy 4
Or, if you don’t get the Beauty Club member discount in time, here’s what you’ll pay:
Buy 4 Sally Hansen Salon Nail Effects $9.99
Buy One Get One 50% Off, On Sale thru 1/14
Pay $29.96, Receive $10.00 CVS Cash Card
Final Price: $4.99 each when you buy 4
Here’s my receipt. I had a $10 cash card from a previous transaction, 2 $0.50 coupons for Sally Hansen Items (now out of print from Redplum.com), and my $4 off $20 purchase coupon from CVS Beauty club.
I paid $17.10 out-of-pocket and received a $10 CVS cash card. Not bad!
♥ E&I
