The countdown to summer vacation is on! If you can relate to this picture.. then keep reading! In response to a comment I received on an earlier post, I'm going to share my secrets of how to be an expert packer. I had mentioned I can actually pack for a 2 week (really 10 days.. but close enough, right?) vacation in a carry on bag.. so here's what I did. I actually did some research on packing before the trip because I was determined not to take more than one carry on bag and a purse. My husband also packed everything (or should I say, I also packed everything for my husband) in a separate carry on bag.. and if you know me, you know what kind of an amazing feat this was! We were traveling through Italy for our anniversary and didn't want a lot a luggage anyways since we were going to be on and off planes, trains and automobiles for several days. I first picked a color scheme. I went with brown.. everything I packed went with brown shoes, accessories, etc. I only took must-have items.. no hairdryers (I made sure the hotels had them in the rooms before we left) and no Chi iron. It's just too much trouble packing converters and everything else when traveling overseas, so it's just easier to leave it all at home. I also made sure my shirts, jackets, and pants were all interchangeable so it looked like I had several different outfits with only a few pieces -- that way I didn't look the same in all of my pictures! I also rolled my clothes instead of folding them. This kept wrinkles to a minimum and I could fit a lot more in my bag. The hardest part for me was limiting the number of shoes I packed. I only took two pairs, one pair of brown boots (flats of course for the cobblestone streets) and a pair of stylish sneakers for comfort. I also brought along a small bottle of Woolite so I could do a little bit of washing in the hotel sink. It was definitely worth it packing lightly and I didn't miss anything that I left at home... and since you always end up coming home with more than you left with, it's nice to start the trip off light! I hope this helps with your summer packing problems. Bon voyage!