2 Women ~ 6 Bags. In my defense, we were on a flea market shopping trip. I bought 2 suitcases in France!

6 Packing Tips for Traveling Abroad

Are you one of those travelers who packs 7 pairs of shoes, full bottles of shampoo and your suitcase weighs just under 50 pounds? Whether you travel a lot like I do, or occasionally (and now is the time to commit to making travel a priority), follow these 6 tips when packing for you next adventure.

Over the years I’ve learned a thing or two about packing, especially when going abroad. I continue to pack more efficiently with each trip, my suitcase has gotten lighter and I can pack in an hour instead of 2 days!

1.  Suitcase

Since traveling light is my goal, I start with a light-weight suitcase with 360 wheels. You will be pulling, pushing, lifting and carrying your luggage throughout your voyage, so make it easy on yourself. Trust me, it’s no fun trying to lug a 45 pound giant suitcase onto a train that’s stopping for only 5 minutes with 20 impatient people behind you. And keep in mind, those charming, antique hotels often do not have elevators. I own both soft shell and hard shell cases, I prefer the soft sided. Hard shell cases have a zipper down the middle and open flat. OK for your bed or floor at home, but not for small European hotel rooms. Soft shell cases take up half the space when open. Whichever style you choose, pick an easily recognizable bright color or print.

2. Packing

There are several schools of thought for packing: fold, roll or use packing cubes or bags. My daughter-in-law swears by the KonMari method. You fold clothes in thirds and then thirds again. Since each item will “stand-up”, your entire wardrobe is visible. Thanks, Kelly, I love this idea. I also use mesh lingerie bags for undies, socks and shoes. They are inexpensive and machine washable.

I haven’t used the packing cubes or compression/vacuum bags. I heard vacuum bags cause lots of wrinkles. Packing cubes take up luggage space, but you can organize complete outfits.  Look for cubes with clear or mesh tops so you can see what’s inside.

Kon Mari packing method

3.  Toiletry Bag

I know I don’t have to tell you to pack your toothbrush. Since I do travel a lot, I keep my travel toiletry bag stocked and ready to go. The items are duplicates of everything I use daily at home (combs, hairspray, deodorant, toothbrush and paste, shampoo, etc.). You’ll never be without your favorite conditioner if your bag is always packed. Put anything liquid in plastic zip bags. Better safe than messy.

4. Washcloths

My best packing tip: Bring washcloths. I’m not sure if it is an American thing or not, but don’t count on European hotels to provide washcloths. So I never leave home without enough to get me through the entire trip. I purchase the cheapest package I can find and tuck them into the empty nooks of my suitcase. After use, I throw them away. I wrap fragile souvenirs in the leftovers to prevent breakage.

5. Curling/Flat Iron

After blowing out a curling iron in Copenhagen, I purchased two, one with a plug that works in the UK and one for the rest of Europe. I travel often enough that the small expense was worth having good hair days. Most hotels provide hair dryers, so leave yours at home.

6. Adapters and chargers

European hotel rooms rarely have enough outlets to handle all your devices. If you’re sharing a room, that can mean double the phones, iPads, laptops, readers, etc. I bring a portable power strip charger (one that works in Europe and another for the UK) so I can charge 4 devices at one time. At the very least, bring a multi-country universal plug adapter.

What are your proven and efficient packing tips? I’ll share the best ideas in a future article.

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 Answer these 5 questions BEFORE starting a bathroom remodel!

The bathroom is probably the most used room in the house. And often one of the last to be remodeled. There are as many excuses as there are homeowners from “where do I start?” to “can I afford it?”.

So before you begin, answer these 5 questions:

1. Why remodel the bathroom?
   1. Is your family growing? Are you ready to sell? Or is it ugly and outdated?
   2. Does it needs a complete overhaul or just a cosmetic change?
2. How much money do you have to spend?
   1. Set your budget. You can’t start a bathroom remodel without a financial plan.
   2. Are you planning to stay in the home for the long-haul or move in 5 years?
3. What’s your style?
   1. Will the bath coordinate with the rest of your house or are you ready to try something completely different?
   2. Who uses the bath will determine how you decorate: Is it a Master bath? Kids bath? Guest bath or power room?
4. Design/Layout?
   1. Will you stick with the existing footprint or add on?
   2. What are ages of the people living in the home? Will you need to consider Universal Design?
      
5. DIY or hire a contractor?
   1. Do you have the skills, know-how and tools to tackle the project?
   2. What are the code and permit requirements in your community?

These questions need to be answered before  jumping in and making any purchases. Then the fun part can begin: finding, ordering and coordinating fixtures and faucets, vanity and sink, flooring and tile, storage options, accessories and paint.

I know it can be overwhelming. I’m here to help you answer these questions, make decisions and determine your unique style. An interior designer can save you money and avoid costly mistakes.

Perfection is in the Details: How to Pair Sinks and Faucets

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The House Museum ~ Musée Nissim de Camondo, Paris

Musée Nissim de Camondo Kitchen

When I travel to a new city, I always look for a “house museum” to visit. They’re always former private homes whose history or residents were important to the community where it was built. Of course the most famous are popular tourist sites (think Monet’s home in Giverny, France, Shakespeare’s Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon, England or Biltmore in North Carolina).

You can find house museums in small towns and large cities across the US. If you look hard enough, you can even find them in European cities and villages too. Since they rarely make the  “Top 10” sites to visit, you usually have the place to yourself. I love being able to look at everything at my own pace and take photos and not have to wait for those pesky tourists to get out of my way!

Musée Nissim de Camondo in Paris, is a well-hidden gem built 1911-1914 in a style reminiscent of le Petit Trianon  by Moïse de Camondo to house his collection of 18th century furniture and decorative arts. His goal was to “recreate an 18th century artistic residence.” The result was a modern  mansion with all the conveniences available to early 20th century architects and builders.

The rotisserie

The cooking range

My favorite room in the house is the spectacular kitchen located in the basement level. The self-guided tour allows you to walk in the space, no velvet ropes here! The large windows provided lots of natural light and could be opened for ventilation. The coal-fired rotisserie and cooking range, made from cast iron and steel were top-of-the-line in cuisine appliances in 1912. The levers on the wall regulated the draught. (Smoke from the range was evacuated under the floor and up the wall.) The rotisserie has two ovens and a spit. I’m getting hungry just thinking how well the family, guests and servants ate.

Levers to control the draught from the range.

The entire room is finished with easy to clean porcelain tiles. The gloss white squares on the ceiling and walls keep the room light, bright and airy.

Imagine the number of dishes and pots and pans that had to be washed 3 times a day.

Salle des gens

The Salle des gens (servants dining room) is adjacent to the kitchen. Under the window are the numbered lockers for the servants’ personal objects. 12- 15 staff lived in the house including the butler, chef and his helpers, manservants and linen maids.

Lest they forget, an enamel sign reminds the servants which stairway they were allowed to use!

The chef’s phone is another reminder of “modern” technology in 1914.

Next time I will feature some of the magnificent furniture from the collection.

Musée Nissim de Camondo

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We travel for many different reasons, but sometimes the time and destination are determined for us. That happened to Tom and I recently when my lovely, dear Aunt Jean passed away this winter. Her funeral was a celebration of her life at the Veteran’s Cemetery in Phoenix, Arizona.  Although she lived across the country, our families stayed very close. She was my Mom’s best friend. Her daughter Susie and I have maintained the sort of relationship where we can pick up our conversation right where we left it off the last time we saw each other.

Although I have to get over the regret of not visiting my aunt before she died, I know she is thrilled at the close relationship Susie and I have. So we spent Memorial weekend, along with our husbands, sharing stories and memories, laughing and crying and eating tons of Mexican food!

Susie and Lee are motorcycle vacationers. They get on the bike and go whenever the mood strikes and the weather cooperates. They took us on one of their favorites routes (in a car) through the mountains south of Mesa. It’s a part of the state we hadn’t been to before. We joked that the first settlers must have arrived in this southern state on a perfect January day. If they had come in August, they would have kept on going!

The mountains  are mysterious and forlorn. Yet there is beauty in the natural ruggedness of a landscape that goes for miles and miles. Living in the north, I appreciate the climate and temperature in Arizona, but the shades of grey and brown in this endless terrain are overwhelming. The lack of color seems lonely.

The scenery does, however, make for great pictures and really lends itself to black and white photos.

The Ray Copper Mine looks a lot like the first step pyramids in ancient Egypt.

Aunt Jean will always be with us. She shared her love of family, her love of travel and adventurous spirit with all who knew her. She was also a prolific and talented quilter. Good luck to Susie who is charged with giving away the endless yards of quilting fabric she left behind!

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Ultra Violet ~ the color of the year was chosen by Pantone, the ultimate color organization. On the color wheel, purple is a secondary color between red and blue ( a bit more red, while violet is closer to blue).

Pantone Executive Director, Leatrice Eiseman describes it as “a blue-based purple that takes our awareness and potential to a higher level…it lights the way to what is yet to come.” That is a lot of pressure to put on a lovely little shade of purple! And yet over the years, purple has had an illustrious history.  It has been the color of royalty and the church.

Queen Victoria wore purple to the Royal Exhibition in 1862. Then Prince Albert died and she never wore color again.

Pop culture icons have embraced purple too. Who can forget the 70s rock band Deep Purple, Jimi Hendrix’s 1967 song “Purple Haze” and late Prince’s hit song and album “Purple Rain”.

In the last century, purple, along with green and white, were the colors of the Women’s Suffrage movement.

Women’s Suffrage poster 1913. Women got the vote in 1918 in England, 1920 in the US, and not until 1971 in Switzerland!

Today there are big and small ways to add violet to your home’s decor.

Go big with toile wallpaper and a to-die-for velvet chair or use it as an accent.

A grape rug in the foyer will really welcome guests!

I agree with artist Dale Chihuly who said, “I never met a color I didn’t like.”  I love Ultra Violet, especially in my wardrobe and garden. What about you? Would we find any shade of purple in your house?

Garden at Kensington Palace London.

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Mary Poppins inspired table setting~another Great Gathering. ACAP’s theme luncheon and wine fundraising event was a huge success. Last week I showed you my Rooftops of London table and today my 17 Cherry Tree Lane table. For those of you who aren’t Mary Poppins nerds, that’s the address of the Banks family home.

Cherries, of course, were the original inspiration. When I found polka dot plates (I adore polka dots) the rest kind of fell into place. I say that, but designing a creative and unique table does take some thought. I often get asked if I start planning in January for an end of April event, but I really don’t start until early April. Where would I store everything 4 months in advance? Besides, ideas develop slowly and organically.  What I mean is, one idea leads to another or a better idea. The creative process that continually evolves is the most fun. Forget meditation, inspiration comes from shopping and researching what others have done before (never copy, where’s the fun in that?) and mostly thinking outside the proverbial box.

Enough about that. Here’s what the table looked liked:

I  repeated the chalk board theme throughout both tables so the little kites are cut out of black poster board. Of course each had a tail with ribbon  bows.

I made the napkins with a decorative stitch hem, from cherry fabric. Since the chargers are a bright turquoise, I glued crystal turquoise trim to clear napkin rings. The pair of cherries are, well the cherry on top!  Instead of the vintage French knife rests I used on the other table, I found polka dot clothes pins. See what I mean when you allow the ideas and inspiration come to you? The final result is something totally unique.

The centerpiece was a combination end of the movie when they went to the park to go fly a kite and the country scene when Mary, Burt and the children jumped into the chalk drawing. I made Mary’s lovely white hat, gave a pair of shoes pink toes and heels and opened a parasol. We added cherry blossoms to a decorative tree and hung paper kites. I bought a few feet of green grass from a home improvement store and the plastic garden fence looks like the real deal.

Thank you to my lovely family and friends who helped set-up, serve and clean-up. Elaine Ellinger, Jon Davis, Pam Boelk, Melissa Davis and Maggie Davis. I love you all!

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Great Gatherings by Design. I put a lot of thought into my table settings when entertaining, In case you didn’t know, I love to entertain but hate to cook. Creating a fabulous table is my specialty. Don’t you think food tastes better when served on a pretty plate than a paper one?

Recently I participated on one of my favorite fundraising events ACAP’s Theme Table Luncheon. 12 talented and creative women set over-the-top tables to support this wonderful organization that provids opportunities for adults with disabilities. This year’s theme was The Great White Way. We could choose any Broadway play and I picked Mary Poppins. Needless to say, I had soooo much fun designing two tables for 12 around one of my favorite plays/movies.

I named table number 1 The Rooftops of London. I made hats for each character in the story and displayed them on boxes covered with brick paper. It was just missing Burt and the sweeps dancing from chimney top to chimney top. Instead of traditional hat stands, each hat was elevated on bed springs.

Mary Poppins hat is front and center. Mrs Banks wore a fashionable straw boater.

My set of J & G Meakin Olde Avondale dishes look just like the countryside in Bert’s chalk drawing. Remember Mary, Bert and the children jumped in the picture and landed in a cartoon country scene?

The sugar cube on the spoon had everyone singing “a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down…!” (I have been singing the songs from Mary Poppins for weeks.)

Small, decorative frame place cards are also reminiscent of Bert’s chalk drawings. My sister Elaine, made these adorable and yummy penguin appetizer treats. She used black olives and string cheese. The feet and beak are carrot pieces. It’s held together with a toothpick topped with a mini Junior Mint.

A good time was had by all and lots of money was raised!  Thank you all so much.

Stay tuned for my next Great Gathering post ~ Table 2: 17 Cherry Tree Lane.

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Someone once gave me a princess magnet. One of my sons, when he was little, said, “that’s you Mom, a princess.” I quickly replied, “oh no, honey, I’m not a princess, I am the Queen!” I’ve always been outnumbered in my house with 3 sons and a husband, so it’s a title well-deserved. And really, who is going to argue with me? On display in a guest bathroom is my little collection of crowns fit for a woman of my status. If you want to know how to style a shelf like the pros, check out my video. Interior Design Tips – Decorating a Shelf

A year ago I was touring Scandinavia. And although I was sick most of the trip, I managed to visit a few sites including the Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark to see the royal jewels.

The crown of King Christian IV of Denmark (1595-1596) was fashioned for his coronation. The diamonds, pearls, gold and enamel along with other gemstones is mind boggling. You see copies in movies, but this is the real deal. It weighs 2895 grams which equals 102 ounces or more than 6 pounds of jewels and precious metal! I could rock that, no problem.

Not to be outdone, King Christian V, Denmark’s second absolute monarch had his own crown made by  the German goldsmith, Paul Kurtz in 1671. It was inspired by the corona worn by Louis XIV of France.

This crown has two large sapphires, a spinel (a gemstone often confused as a ruby) and garnet along with diamonds. At the top is a globe, a sign of power and dignity and on top of the orb is a small, diamond studded cross, showing that only the church stood above The Crown. Not quite as showy, but I could pull this one out for less formal events!

I’m part Swedish so Stockholm was my favorite Scandinavian city (I was also feeling a little better by then). The Royal Palace also houses their ancient royal treasures. The crown of King Eric XIV was worn at his coronation in 1561 and is still used in official ceremonies today. (My photo didn’t turn out, so I borrowed one from a website and don’t know who to attribute it to. Sorry!)

No one beats the Brits in the number of gemstones under guard at the Tower of London. The last time I was there, the line was about 2 hours long. As much as I admire precious stones, we decided not to wait. If you saw them, let me know what I missed. My favorite crown is the Netflix show The Crown about Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. Have you noticed the Queen carries her handbag wherever she goes, even in Buckingham Palace? Where else would she put her hanky and lipstick?

The Crown Jewels at Rosenborg Palace, Copenhagen

The Treasury at the Royal Palace in Stockholm

The British Crown Jewels at The Tower of London

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One of the most recognized signs in Paris (maybe the design world) are the Metropolitan signs. The Brits refer to their subway systems as the Tube, Chicagoan’s call their entire transit system the “L” (go figure) and the Parisians travel underground via the Métro. Paris’ system hit the rails in 1900 (guess who was first*?).

Architect Hector Guimard was awarded the opportunity to design the station entrances at the turn of the 21st century. Between 1900 and 1912, his company constructed 141 entrances (amazingly 86 still exist today). Today he is hailed as one of the best known designers of the Art Nouveau style. His designs in cast iron embody the AN aesthetic: curving, sinuous lines; floral motifs; abstract and organic forms. It was a short-live design movement sandwiched between the Victorian and historic revivals of the late 19th century and Art Deco

Guimard took advantage of modern materials (iron and glass) to create 5 different entrance types. The most common has flower stem railings with amber-colored lights shaped like flower buds. Each is painted green to resemble patina with a Metropolitan sign in Guimard’s original typeface.

Typical of  Parisians, they disapproved of the new signs. They considered the font  “un-French” and the color too German. Today they are protected, iconic symbols of the City of Light.

In 2000, at the Palais Royal-Museé du Louvre station, artist Jean-Michel Othoniel created a modern day take on Guimard’s design using aluminum and hand-blown Venetian Murano glass. Although I love new, original art, this one is lost on me. Not my favorite. What do you think of this one-of-a-kind entrance?

(*London’s Tube opened in 1863. Budapest and Glasgow opened in 1896. Boston’s tunnel is the oldest in the US [1897]).

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Hello friends! I haven’t blogged in quite some time. Actually a very long time. I have all the usual excuses, but mostly, I was looking for a new direction. Then I had an epiphany – write about the things that I truly love (dah): travel, interior design and architecture, history and all things French. So I googled the word wanderlust looking for synonyms and found similar words in other languages.

Wanderlust is, of course, that strong desire to travel and rove about (I love the British definition!).

Being an over-the-top Francophile, I was happy to find a French mot!

Dérive is a spontaneous and unplanned journey where the traveler is guided by the landscape and architecture. Although my travels are planned, I like to be spontaneous when I arrive at my destination and architecture is certainly my guide.

Fernwen is German for the longing you feel for foreign lands. It literally means “distance- sickness”. I think about the next trip all the time!

So my future posts will incorporate any combination of my favorite things. Please join me on this journey to other places. I promise to go behind the scenes and delve into the history of beautiful buildings, homes and historic sites. I will leave the landscape and hiking treks to other travel writers. I like cobblestones under my feet!

Chàteau de Cheverny in the Loire Valley, France.

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