IT'S MY THING

The youngest member of the group I refer to as my Muses -- Pouring Paint Woman -- has finally reached the big 6-0, and she invited us all to take a little trip with her to help celebrate. Where are we going? San Miguel de Allende!

We'll even be staying in the same marvelous hotel that John and I stayed at August before last, when we tagged along with a local yoga group. I think my Hubby is pretty sad that it's going to be a girls only trip this time.

Since I am the only one in the group who has been there before, I dug out my folder from the last trip and let them take turns browsing through it. Perhaps I should have curated what was in it first, and removed this little jewel -- my list of clothes and accessories to pack.

Apparently they all shared it with their hubbies and got a good laugh out of it! What can I say? It's my "thing".

I can remember, at 9 or 10, pouring over a J.C. Penney's catalog with my cousin, as we cut out all the clothes we wanted to have when we were teenagers. What did I do with my clippings? I immediately began to pare them down, to see how I could get the most combinations from the fewest number of pieces.

When I was at UT studying fashion merchandising, I had to take a fashion design class. Not easy for someone who couldn't draw stick figures at the time! What did I do for my final project? I designed a travel wardrobe, of course, where I could get numerous outfits from just a few pieces.

Which is why my bedroom always looks like this just before I leave on a trip:

It starts with me hanging everything I might possibly want to take from our bed rails. Then over the next week or two I mix, match, add, then pare the pieces down to a reasonable number. I was inspired last time by a friend who wore nothing but black, and fit it all into the smallest of carry-ons, but managed to look Paris-Smart the entire trip. I tried. I failed.

I just had to have some color-madness mixed in with it.

What can I say? It's my thing!