Packing light is not for me....Blogmas Day 22

Two days before we leave and I still don't have a clue what I'm gonna wear. It's not always that way - in fact, when we're gone for the whole summer, it's fairly easy for me to decide what to bring; everything.
However, since we're only staying out for two nights, I struggle with every piece of clothing I own. Is this really what I want to wear to Dinner on Christmas Eve? Are those PJs the right level of coziness?  Don't I have something even more appropriate for a tea party? What do people even wear to tea partys these days?

I have even tried googling "packing for three days", mostly out of curiosity, and was astonished that there were countless tips for people who are going on a six week adventure trip through the jungle ('cause that's obviously the majority of America, if you'll believe the internet) but not a single one suited for my specific dilemma (I'll admit that my research didn't go further than the first page of suggestions -hey, this isn't my dissertation). So, I decided to enlighten others, who are desperately looking for a similar instruction, with my realizations.

Open your closet. Don't be overwhelmed by all these racks of clothes and let them lead you to think that this is gonna be easy. About eighty percent of those are probably either summer dresses or plain shirts you never wear in your daily life and you're most certainly not going to start now, when there's only three days to dress.

Systematically go through them. Throw everything that doesn't scream "nice christmassy hotel, casually groomed, okay with flat shoes" into one corner and the rest into another. I suggest putting on Lady Antebellum's album "Own The Night" in the background, so you can put all of your past-crushes-passion into the task at hand while getting really emotional 'cause that music makes you want to have a romantic but sad country-song relationship so that you can smash out those lines with real pathos.

 You said you'd be there....you said we'd last forever....oooooh back when you were mine....

Now, concentrate and select all items that are long sleeved. If  you're anything like me, that's a good trick to get rid of about half of everything in any situation. I have just found out that I didn't buy a single long-sleeved shirt this year. That sounds so wrong to me. I need to go shopping before New Year's Eve or else I won't feel like I have done this winter-thing right. When you're on a winter holiday, you wear long-sleeved. Otherwise, how would that look, if you were sporting some three quarter length frilly blouse in front of the picturesque fireplace at the lodge.

Anyways, after that, look at all Christmas pictures from last year and ban everything you've been wearing on there. Sadly, I seem to choose the same three items over and over (another reason why I need to go shopping so badly), 'cause I feel like they're the most appropriate of all my things to wear for breakfast buffet, lunch in the lounge (sounds stupid) and a nice walk around the estate.

Personally, I think it's important to bring jazzpants to wear underneath those big fluffy robes for when you're plastered all over the bed watching festive TV and consuming your weight in chocolate. And some good thighs that suck in your belly for dinner.

Oh, right, that's actually the best part: For dinner, think of the prettiest cocktail dress you own at the moment: that's Christmas Eve. The second prettiest one, probably the one you wore on C.E. last year, is Christmas Day. There you go.

Yeah, I know, now we have to stress about the shoes, which are indeed a crucial and complicated part of the whole process. You'll need one pair for the previously mentioned walk outside, some chelsea boots maybe, then some flats for inside the hotel, as it's pretty warm in there and "real" outside boots would be way too harsh, and of course, lovely heels for dinner. I'd like to take one pair for each dress respectively, but I guess I'll have to settle on one so that we won't have to leave some gifts at home for my shoes' sake. Even though I hope that's pretty safely not gonna happen.

I hope I was helpful. If you're still in a mess, there's lots of  time left to figure it out. Or, to put it differently, a whole day to hit the boutiques!

Love,

Rosy Smith