For most of the country, spring is in the air! That means warmer temperatures, longer days, pretty flowers….and the beginning of Conference Season for Road Warriorette. There’s no two-week behemoth like last year (and thank goodness for it!) but I do have three conferences in three months. To make things tricky, all three are with very different audiences. And to make it even trickier, they’re in three very different climates! So I have to figure out how to stay true to what I know are the core conference clothing strategies, but tailor each wardrobe for the specific conference. Hmmmmm, a packing challenge? I accept! (Pictured: What will make you a conference-packing hero? A surge protector!!)

Core conference strategies:

• Comfort. A typical conference lasts from morning until night, therefore everything I wear has to be incredibly comfortable. Soft and stretchy is the name of the game—nothing too tight, with zippers or buttons that dig.
• Layers. Conferences are notorious for being either freezing cold or blazing hot. Wearing layers means I am prepared for any temperature! In the case that I have to lose my top layer, I have to make sure my underneath layer is appropriate and doesn’t show too much skin. On the other end of the spectrum, I keep a pashmina in my bag to use as a shawl or blanket if the conference hall is freezing.
• Shoes I can walk in. All of the conferences I’m attending are either in large hotels or conference centers, so I can count on tons of walking. Only my most comfortable shoes will do! (Although I may slip a pair of flip-flops into my purse for some of the longer hikes.)

Individual conference strategies:

Conference #1:

The first conference is in Las Vegas, where the high will be around 90 every day. This crowd is younger and trendier than the rest of my conferences, so I plan to use brighter colors and bolder accessories. An additional challenge: one night of cocktail attire.

Conference #2:

The second conference is in Colorado in May. This will likely be the most casual of the three conferences, and will also have the coolest temperatures. I will probably wear jeans or leggings with sweaters for cozy comfort.

Conference #3:

The last conference will be on the Gulf Coast of Texas in June, with for sure the hottest temperatures and most humidity. This will also be where I do the most walking outside (oh joy). I don’t know if I have a plan for this one yet….. maybe lots of dresses. And water. Lots of water.

Between the Boston Marathon bombing and the explosion in West, Texas, this week has been really hard for our country. Along with most of the country, I am sending my prayers and good thoughts to those impacted by tragedy and terror. For those of you interested in doing more, here is a list of resources:

Boston:

American Red Cross

Bucks for Bauman

The One Fund Boston

West:

American Red Cross

United Methodist Committee On Relief

100 Club of Central Texas

Also, I just want to say how grateful I am for our first responders. They are out there putting their lives on the line for the rest of us, and they have suffered losses this week. The sacrifice and bravery of these men and women humbles me.

I know that you are all concerned about the people impacted by Superstorm Sandy. Here in Texas, we feel so far removed from what’s going on, but we want to help in some way! One way to help is by donating to the Red Cross. If you feel so inclined, here is the link.

Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone dealing with the aftermath.

A winner has been chosen for the free vacation from Home2 Suites by Hilton. We are working to notify them right now, and will post the name and winning comment as soon as possible.

Thanks!!!

I have been experiencing technical difficulties with my computer for a few days now, which has made posting super difficult. I promise that everything will be worked out over the weekend and I will be back to regular posting next week!! Thanks for your patience.

I hope you all have a great, safe holiday filled with loved ones and fun times. For those of you who are traveling, safe travels! I wish short security lines and on-time departures for you all. My family starts arriving next week in time for my sister’s wedding, so this weekend will actually be the relaxing time. I will try to post some over the next ten days, but I’m not promising anything…..

And there is a tsunami that is supposed to hit in about half an hour. My sister said they are at the airport, even though their flight doesn’t leave until 10pm local time (around 3am CST). And of course, that airport is ON the water, on the east side of the island. To say I’m a little freaked out right now is an understatement. Sending “be safe” thoughts to everyone in harm’s way.

Edited to Add: Thank goodness the tsunami fizzled about before doing  a lot of damage. I spent a few tense hours, but everyone is safe at home now. Sorry the honeymoon is over! Glad it ended safely.

Because I have received questions about what my purse looks like, as a follow up to the post below I wanted to make a post about my specific purse. I love, love my purse! I had a purse similar to this one for two and a half years. As you can see, it is very functional and still attractive. Last January, however, I was ready for something a little more exciting. The things that were important to me were:

Size. Has to fit my laptop, and hold all of my carry-on travel items.

Multiple interior pockets. I think the best purse interior is divided into two sections, one for a laptop and one for the rest of your stuff. It also needs to have a pocket inside for keys, cell phone, and lipstick.

Exterior pockets. An exterior pocket on the side of your purse is so helpful for things you don’t want in your hands, but need easy access to, such as your boarding pass.

Easy to carry. You have to be able to carry your purse on your shoulder or strapped to your suitcase. It would be very difficult to travel with a purse that you had to carry in your hands. I like two straps that are at least an inch wide, which will minimize cutting into your shoulder.

After searching for months online, at various department stores, Coach stores, etc, I finally found one in a random tiny boutique near my house.  The purse I found, by Tano Handbags, has most of the above items. Of course, my old purse had all of them, but, like I said, I was ready for something a little flashier.  My purse is so beautiful! It is red leather with zippers, so shiny and fun.  It did not have the pockets I wanted, either inside or outside, beyond the normal inside pocket for cell phone and keys, soI added a large pocket for my laptop using scrap fabric, which has worked out pretty well.  The straps are good, it’s big, and with the new large pocket is easy to pack and travel with. It looks very similar to this one, but the outside pocket is not as large. If I could change one thing, it would be to add cuter lining. I know that’s shallow, but it makes me happy to look in my purse and see a cute liner fabric. Oh well. I used cute fabric to add my pocket, so that makes the liner situation better.

Another purse that I looked at, but did not ultimately get, is this one from Latico. They have great, high quality purses, and the interior has everything I need. I just didn’t like the outside color choices as much.

I hope this helps all of you who need a new bag! It is possible to have a beautiful, useful purse that will also hold your laptop, and doesn’t look like a briefcase. Happy shopping!

I was talking to a friend after my recent trip to Chicago, and she said to me, “You only take a suitcase and one carry-on bag? How is that possible? What goes in your purse??”  I’ve already told you what I pack in my suitcase for a typical trip, and now, for my friend, I will tell you what I have in my purse when I travel.

The trick is to put everything you don’t need on the plane into your suitcase. This includes umbrellas, jackets, chargers for laptops or phones, extra books, etc.

The purse carries:

iPhone. I used to have a cell phone, a GPS unit, and an MP3 player. Then the geniuses at Apple came out the something that would do all of those functions! Brilliant. And it sure did make my packing easier.

Wallet. Duh. Of course I have my wallet, with my ID, credit cards, and money.

Boarding pass. Print this out ahead of time so you can just fly through security. So much faster!

Make-up. I keep my make-up with me so that I can touch up when I arrive, if necessary.

Kindle. It used to be a book (or two or three), but now that I have the Kindle my purse is much lighter. And easier to put stuff into.

Laptop. For work, it’s a necessity. If I’m not staying overnight, and therefore traveling without my suitcase, I will also keep my charger in here.

Knitting. Just because I love to knit! I don’t always feel like working or reading, and knitting is a great way to pass the time.

Notepad. I love writing lists, and my little notebook holds them all. I have to keep it around in case I have a stroke of brilliance!

Ziploc of teabags, Splenda, and Emergen-C. In case I need a pick-me-up, or the hotel doesn’t have Splenda or a good teabag. Little comforts can make being away from home much easier.

Plastic bag of toiletries. I will keep this in my purse until I get through security, and then throw it in my suitcase.

Keep it simple! Only keep the necessities. Clean your purse out before every trip so you’re not carrying around receipts, old boarding passes, or other unnecessary junk. This way you can find everything you need as soon as you need it, and travel easier.

I was recently asked what one should wear to the airport, as opposed to what one should not wear to the airport (see post below). So, in honor of my shirt made of metal, here is what I typically wear to the airport.

Comfortable, yet professional slacks, usually black. It’s best if they don’t wrinkle and have a bit of stretch. I like this pair from Travel Smith, and this pair from Banana Republic. Sometimes I will wear a skirt or dress, but because often once I arrive at work I have to move or open boxes, pants are usually the easiest.

Comfortable, non-wrinkle shirt. This is where I can bring color and interest to my outfit, so I try to get cute tops. They have to be long enough not to show skin when I am working with boxes (or putting my suitcase into the overhead bin!), and nice enough so that I look professional when doing a presentation. Sweaters, wrinkle-free button downs, silk-blend….you get the idea. Almost any sweater from Banana Republic works, and I love this top from Ann Taylor.

Comfortable, cute flats (are you sensing a theme?). Not only am I walking around airports all the time, but I am on my feet doing presentations a large part of my day. I always have to wear flats, and they must be comfortable.These Cole Haan Air Wedges are very pretty, plus they have Nike Air technology to make them even more comfortable.

Winter coat/jacket. I just got this one in red from Dillard’s and I love, love, love it!! I took it to Chicago this weekend and it kept me plenty warm, plus it is so cute! If it’s not winter I will bring a black suit jacket, because planes and offices can get cold.

Jewelry. I love earrings—they are a great way to add some fun to an outfit without appearing unprofessional. Also, I have been really digging the pearls I got from Manila. One of the necklaces is a long strand of pearls that I tie in a knot, which adds a bit of class to any ensemble. Just make sure any jewelry you wear won’t set off the x-ray machine!

I carry my purse (which doubles as a briefcase) and my suitcase, and I am all set!