This may not come as a shock to some of you but, I like finding excuses to shop, and my daughter has been one of the greatest excuses to ever come my way. Shopping for myself is a bit less fun now adays due to lack of dressing up and all that tummy to love. But shopping for and dressing Layla is great fun. Since it is Thanksgiving I have to give thanks to Papou without whom, only a very small portion of her wardrobe would be possible, quite possibly she would be dressed only in vintage finds. Also let me clear one thing up despite the glamourous title of this post we are not going on a cruise. I just like the idea of a ‘Cruise wear collection’
we are however going to that spot on the map below.
Map illustration by Alison Lester from her book “Are we there yet?”
We are headed to Australia!
Off to Mick’s homeland, my second home, the place where half of Layla’s roots lie.
First stop Sydney and then a good old fashioned road trip, 4 hours down the south coast to a little spot called Mossy Point.
It doesn’t just sound lovely. It is lovely. Waves crashing, sun shining, toes in sand, lovely.
When we hop our flight on January 1st summer will have arrived in the southern hemisphere and since summer here has come and gone and Layla has grown and grown right out of her American warm weather clothes, it was time to scrounge around the shops for the leftovers of last season. I was on the look out for bargains and for items that could be mixed and matched many different ways to keep Layla’s wardrobe fresh for the entire 3 weeks of our trip. She will be meeting some friends for the first time, and seeing cousins and relatives for the first time since she was 2 months old.
So even if her jet lag leaves people with a bad impression, hopefully her clothing will not.
You will see below the items I purchased new as well as some previously acquired items.
Then you will see them all mixed and matched together to create a fun vacation/holiday (you say tomato, I say tomato) wardrobe.
Purchased at Carter’s: New
Op purchased at Walmart: Gift from Grandma – Old
White Sandals: See Kai Run – Purchased from Diapers.com
Silver sparkle slip ons: Tom’s – Purchased at Shoes and More, Westport Conn.
Pale pink ruffle suit: Purchased at Carter’s – New
Pink and green Lilly Pulitzer Suit: Gift from Auntie Fun – Old
Purchased at Carter’s: New
Purchased at Carter’s in a set with tunics: New
Purchased at Carter’s: New
Purchased in a set of 3 at Carter’s: New
Patterned Butterfly hat: Purchased at The Children’s Place – Old
White Bow Hat: Gift from grandma – Old
Purple Hat reversible to white: Purchased at Polarn O. Pyret – Old
Black Jackie O’s: Janie and Jack – Gift from Auntie Fun
Wayfarers: The Children’s Place – Old
The Elton’s: The Children’s Place – Old
Purchased at Carter’s – New
Purchased at Carter’s: New
I spent about $150 on the new clothing, hopefully some of it will last till Spring or Summer in the U.S.A.
If not it can remain in Australia with Mick’s sister and her new baby Pippa for their summer next year when she will be big enough to fit into them. Either way they should get good use.
A tunic can become a beach cover up
Slip, slop, slap is the Australian way, a country of people striving to be sun smart.
All good Aussie children know to put their sun hats on when they go outside, it starts from a very young age.
So Layla will learn to Slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen and slap on a hat.
Florals can mix with checks.
Shorts with tunics
and leggings with a hoodie for cooler nights.
Rotate sunnies, hats and shoes to change the look.
There are about a million combinations of t shirts and shorts, I tried to capture most of them.
The key to stretching the vacation wardrobe is keeping everything in complimentary tones and colors right down to the accessories, that way anything you pull out of your luggage is pretty much a go.
I hope to employ some of these same techniques when packing my suitcase, here’s to it making it on the plane with less then ten pairs of shoes and minus an ‘overweight’ sticker.
