the weekend is coming up…

When you need to get away for the weekend ( and still look like a creative ). As a designer you like elements to go together, to look complimentary and your personal travel elements should get as much attention as your client's project. There are a few simple ways to make the ordinary a little special. A little more you. That you with the Queen of the Jungle Panty Set.

Going away for the weekend ( three days ) is different from going away for five or seven. The needs are different, stricter and more urgent.

travel•buddy is just letting you know what has worked for me, a list of things to make the journey and the stay practical and enjoyable with a great design sense. There are hundreds of magazines, websites, blogs and books out there telling you what to buy and where to go.
You just have to Google them.

It's getting warmer ( we hope ) and thoughts of travel are upon us.
Where to go?
How far to go for a weekend trip?
When to go?
Who to take along? Should I go by myself?
( the choice of a travel buddy is just as important as the choice of a good pair of walking shoes )


The Weekend Away

a weekend travel bag with
• toiletries
( place each bottle or tube in a small ziplok bag. You will thank me later )
All those samples you've gotten in the mail and from friends, now is the time to use them.
• an outfit for going and coming back
This could be the same outfit with a different t-shirt. Add one other shirt
• a jacket, if it could double as a raincoat or anorak, great!
• one pair of comfortable shoes matching
• a simple dress or skirt for dining out
• a pair of underwear for each day of your stay and two more
• a pouch for travel documents and maps
• a water bottle. If you take your own bottle, you will drink more water than if you remember to be thirsty and then buy a bottle
• a sketch book or a journal. Use this getaway as a catharsis
You will be carefree when you get back to work on Monday
• camera and its needs ( film, chips, cords etc. )
• a good book or music player
• maps, research and some very flexible plans for when you get there

that's it.

The choice of a weekend bag is a personal thing. It depends on your preference, of travel style. And come on, be creative.
Choose a non-traditional bag, good for travel and then accessorize with a few well designed pieces. Same goes for the toiletries bag and the document pouch.

I can give you a list of websites to look. Places to search for your personal travel style, but it all depends on what you like.
Make the individual pieces look like part of a collection. Your collection.
Pick a colour, pick an aesthetic and look for the pieces you need,

For example, you can go vintage travel.
Search for one of those 1970's travel document pouches given free by travel agents.
Then a Pan Am ( or some other defunct airline ) carry-on travel bag
Get yourself one of those boxy leather cosmetics cases.
Very nice start. Pick a complimentary luggage tag and you are set to go.

Here is a list of a few suggested places to look for very cool and not highly decorated stuff.
These are the ones I check first —

• www.flight001.com — check out their black F1 overnighter, the Maxx New York Overnight bag,
the brown basic dopp kit, or the makeup case, the brown passport and document set. Take a look, there are choices for every price range.

• www.ebags.com — they have a wide variety. Look here for bargins.

• www.cb2.com — has some accessories which could glamourize a plain travel bag.
I like their travel first aid and sewing kits, the mini maxi black shopper and the hotel luggage tags ( which as a designer you could probably create yourself, ha ha ha ha )

• www.target.com — target has a "red hot shop" where there are a few things which may be to your taste and may match your set, try it and see. Their 360° Tender Bag is a good starting point. With a few red accessories from Flight001 ( keep the hue and tones consistent ), you are good to go. Use Target to shop for that great travel outfit. Choose linen, silk or cotton. These are easy to roll up, easy to wash out and comfortable.

When you are all packed up and you lift that bag, it shouldn't be heavy.
If it is, you are taking way too much with you, literally and metaphorically.
Believe me. When I say you won't need that extra pair of jeans and socks and pajamas ( sleep nude or in a tank top and underwear ), you're on a little weekend vacation! Go!

Securing Your Luggage for your trip

You can have a worry-free trip knowing that the contents of your luggage and the luggage are safe.

Here are a few tips, tricks and downright safety precautions you should take; and with practice, it will become second nature each time you go away from home.


Buy good Ziplock bags. Various sizes and pack anything loose in them.

You will thank me later.

Yes I'm sure.


Make a list of everything in your bags and keep a copy at home and/or with an friend, and one with you.

Do the same with your itinerary: your destination, business address and all emergency contact and financial information.

Lock your luggage with (and this is the glorious part) a TSA approved lock.

www.tsa.gov

This may seem a foolish tip, but with the national security regulations about luggage searches, they want to know what you are carrying. They will open your luggage randomly. They will open ANY and ALL locked luggage. TSA screeners have tools for opening and re-locking baggage with approved locks, thus avoiding damage to the lock or bag if a physical inspection is required.

Remove ALL old luggage and airline tags to avoid any confusion and destination errors. That old sticker from last year's New Zealand trip?, take it off and save it in your travel journal instead, or else…

Place a tag on the inside and the outside of your luggage.
Tags on the inside should include the following information: name, business address and telephone number.
Tags on the outside should have only contact information, a telephone number and/or email address.

Tie a distinctive coloured belt, tag, string around the handles of your luggage or decorate it in a way that provides quick identification. There are even colourful luggage handles you can purchase to decorate and identify that bag that it seems everyone else bought as well.

Remove any dangling straps from your luggage. Most are removable for this purpose. They will catch and tear from all the bags you plan to check. Cinch straps of a backpack tightly so they don't get torn during transport.

Remember to get for a claim stub for every checked bag.

If you are checking a soft piece of luggage, make sure the airline puts it into a large plastic bag for protection.

And people, avoid expensive luggage and ones that look expensive. This is temptation for thieves. They have all day to plan to steal your stuff, make it a little tougher. Save the extra $$ for that cute carry-on.

Also don't buy cheap or frail luggage. It is an excuse for airlines not to reimburse you for damaged luggage. And you WILL regret not spending the extra $30-$40 more.

Pack valuables, such as jewelry, medication, cellular phones and travel documents, in your carry-on luggage. Or don't bring them at all. Anything you will cry and rage about losing, leave home. You'll probably never use it anyway.

REMEMBER THOSE ZIPLOCK BAGS? Pull them out now, it's a real power move.
Place the following items IN your carry-on baggage or in a plastic bag prior to entering the security checkpoint:

mobile phone
keys
loose change
money clips and wallets
PDA's, ipods, mp3 players, cd players
jewelry (in fact leave it at home)
metal hair accessories
large belt buckles
laptops and video cameras with cassettes take them OUT of their cases and place them in the bin provided at the checkpoint

Some great luggage accessory sites and my personal favourites:

www.flight001.com:
Great site, store and excellent customer service.

www.ebags.com:
Luggage at a decent price. Research the stuff you want first and go there to buy. Good discounts and service.

www.campmor.com:
Campmor specializes in camping and adventure gear but a lot of the storage stuff is great for traveling

www.roadwired.com:
The KeyCard Travelock® Security Kit rivals any locking system I have ever seen. I use it to lock my carry on luggage especially my photo bag. I wear the key around my neck under my clothes on a long chain. It is accessible during the trip and my stuff stays locked. It is not TSA approved so do not use on checked luggage.

www.cb2.com:
Pretty stuff that makes you just want to travel so you can buy something new for the trip. Lovely first aid and sewing kits "to die for".

www.troyland.com/traveljournal:
The Wanderlust Travel Journal. I haven't made a mark in mine because it is so pretty. I prefer to write and draw in my moleskine notebook

www.moleskine.com: Barnes and Noble seems to carry a steady selection of them.

And remember. If you can't carry it or can't bear to be parted from it, leave it home.

a walk in the park

a walk in the park
Originally uploaded by carol-anne.

Sometimes it's fine to take a walk in your home town. To check out what's been happening while you've been distracted by other romantic thoughts of travelling.

I love the parks in New York City. Well designed to eject the city and take you to that tranquil place you know exists, even for a few moments.

Prospect and Fort Tryon Parks are the best and most easliy accessible. Central Park is nice but doesn't do so well in making you forget the city life.

To get to Ft. Tryon Park jump on the A train uptown to 190th Street.

Ride the elevator up to the street level and look for the exit on Ft. Washington Avenue, swing right and head towards the Ft. Tryon sign.

Ft. Tryon is high up on Manhattan and high enough up that you get wonderful views of the Hudson Valley.

A great trip to renew your faith in the greatness of the universe and remin you why you live in New York in the first place.