Currently Obsessed: One-piece Swimsuits

One-piece swimsuits are making a come-back! From classic, vintage inspired to the barely-there monokini, one-pieces are sure to be the top trend for the Summer of 2012!

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Here are some one-piece suits that we are loving...

{ 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 }

Channeling your inner Marilyn Monroe? Try #2 and #3
Want to accentuate your waist? Try #5, #6, #7 or #8!

No matter what body shape you have, one-piece swimsuits are perfect for making you feel fabulous and vacation ready!

Packing 101: Rimowa Luggage

With Summer vacation right around the corner, a lot of you will be packing up the family and heading to the destination of your choice. I will actually be heading to China for two weeks, and I couldn't be more thrilled! As I gradually start the packing process, I want to share with you some of my "go-to's" for any trip. 

Starting with Rimowa luggage...

Rimowa luggage

 Now I know it isn't the most fashionable-looking line, but trust me, these bags are amazing! I do a lot of traveling for Southern Living, and I would always have to check my bags. Now, everything fits. I can pack for a two-week trip using just one bag, and the best part, I can carry it onto the plane with me. Pretty unbelievable right? They are also so sturdy. If you are a frequent traveler and are worried about ruining your luggage, these would be a wonderful alternative.

Check out some of the stars that are loving these bags too!

Jessica Alba with the classic silver Rimowa luggage

Rosie Huntington with a chic copper Rimowa

Bradley Cooper with a seal grey Rimowa

Ashley Greene with a fun red Rimowa

You'll have to let me know if you try them out!

Do you have any "go-to's" when planning your vacations?

Taking Great Vacation Photos

I treasure photos taking on our vacations.  They are the lasting memories of wonderful adventures!
Here are a few tips to help us all take better photos while on our summer travels.

There are a few steps that you need to tackle before you go:

• If you have a new camera, make sure you know how to operate it and practice with it by taking a lot of test shots.  
• Make sure you have a proper travel bag or protection for it.
• Purchase extra batteries and memory cards and pack them in your camera bag.  You will not want to spend your vacation time looking for camera equipment!

Here are few tips for great vacation photos:

• Pay attention to the entire frame.  Zoom in as close as you can to your subject and make sure there are not any unsightly distractions around the edges of the frame.
• Be sure to take both horizontal and vertical images.  Variety will make your photo albums more interesting.
• A professional photographer once told me that if you breath in while pressing the shutter button your photos will be less blurry!
• The sun should be at your back when taking a photo.  We took a lot of photos last week with the sun behind our subjects and when we looked at them, the people looked like black silhouettes!  
• Outdoor shots are best when it is cloudy or a bit overcast!  
• Take lots and lots and lots of photos!  I have a two year old so we need to take 20 shots to get one good one!  

Spring Break Staycation

Staycations are become more and more popular. The idea of staying home and skipping the testy travel does have a certain appeal, not to mention the money saved! The trick to a successful staycation is to make a plan and keep the activities fun!

• Give each day a different theme and tell you children about them ahead of time so that they can look forward to it. Designate one day Outer Space day and visit the planetarium and watch Star Wars or have a Princess Day, Wild West Day, Dinosaur Day or Nature Day. Be creative and let your kids pick themes too!
• Use this time to tackle some of the projects that you never seem to get to. Schedule a time to clean out your kids rooms with them or organize your photographs. Give your children an assignment that they can be proud of helping you accomplish.
• If you are missing the beach, bring the beach home! Visit your local hardware store and purchase some sand for your back yard. I love Crayola Sand for it's festive colors! Set out your beach towels and bring out the sand toys! You could bury shells or little treat toys in the sand and have a treasure hunt!
• Consider volunteering with your children. If there is a charitable organization that you are particularly interested in, give them a ring and ask them how you and your family can help. Imagine the example you are setting for your children and the memories your will make.

Party Planning in Palm Beach

I am sure that you are shocked to see a photo of a sheriffholding a machine gun on this blog!  Well, it is relevant, I promise!  Justin and I went to Palm Beach, Florida to work on the plans for an upcoming 60th birthday celebration that will take place a Donald Trump's Mar-A-Lago club.  We were taken on an wonderful tour by the facilities fantastic event organizer, Carmen Graff.  Each room was even more fantastic than the next!  It is really a "must-see" if you are ever in Palm Beach.  After reviewing the details of the event, we checked in at the near by Ritz Carlton.  Our stay was lovely until we noticed a police chopper circling over our balcony and the hotel's security guards scattered about.  We noticed that the guests seemed unfazed so we headed down for a lovely ocean side dinner on the terrace of the hotel.  Near the end of our dinner a hotel employee instructed everyone on the terrace to get up immediately and go in to the lobby.  Justin and I decided to head to our room and relax for the rest of the evening but were met at the elevator by a security officer telling us that the rooms had been evacuated and we were to stay in the lobby.  When we turned to head back to the lobby we were pushed aside by three SWAT officers toting machine guns running by us.  By the time we returned to the lobby there were men with machine guns all around us.  It looked like Beirut!  It was so surreal and we were frightened as we had no idea what was going on.  After a few minutes in the lobby every hotel guest was instructed to head into a sequestered ball room and stay away from the windows.  The photo attached is from that room.  The sheriff paced in front of us while we all gathered together.  By this point my hear was racing and all I could think of was the fact that my friend Tina Craig, the one and only "bagsnob" would be telling me to take a photo!  So...I whipped out my iphone and quickly took this shot.  What you can not see in the photo is the 70 (yes...70) other officers with machine guns that were surrounding us.  After a short time in the ballroom, the sheriff pictured here informed us that they had captured the man they were after and he we were now free to return to our rooms.  The man had apparently kidnapped his girlfriend and tried to kill her.  She got away (praise the Lord) and he ran to the Ritz Carlton (can't really blame him.)  Apparently he had buried himself in the sand 15 feet away from where Justin and I were enjoying our lovely beach side dinner!  The next morning we woke up to start our day only to find that the hotel had lost it's power!  They couldn't get our room service orders right either!  I think that they were really shaken up! I hope your vacation photos look better than mine!