[UPDATED: Giveaway winners announced below.]  Well, y’all know I travel. A lot. 

After more flights than I can count this year, I’ve come to appreciate a few must-have travel items that really get me through the long layovers and constant change in environment.  A few of my favorites.  Above left to right: The Moleskin Travel Diary gives me a place take notes on each city I visit, map out my favorite locations and special spots, and have a place to sketch and dream on long flights.  I don’t own this Barney’s Compass but I sure would like to. Pretty, no? A great bag with lots of pockets helps when you are trying to keep a business running on the road.  This great J Crew bag gives easy access to my iPhone, plane tickets, and other travel items.

If you’ve ever been to my house you know I am mildly obsessed with candles.  The grapefruit Jo Malone Candle makes any hotel room feel like home. A travel necessity that keeps your lips supple and smells divine: Smith’s Rosebud Salve. Part of traveling well is feeling confident and you never know who you are going to see in an airport.  I used to travel in sweat pants until I started to realize that the days I dressed well for travel always felt better.  I have always been a big fan of Dogeared and love their healing gem necklaces… light around my neck and each comes with a special meaning behind the stone.  This Cherry Quartz necklace is one of my favorites.

I love this Monogrammable Leather Excursion Case from Red Envelope.  Travelling light is so much easier when you stay organized and this travel case does the trick. You have to have a great pair of jeans (with good pockets for ID’s and plane tickets) when traveling.  Love these J Crew Jeans.  Airline blankets give me the creeps.  They sit on planes for weeks at a time and who knows how many people have used them.  Nothing like bringing the comforts of home with you on the road with Red Envelope’s Monogrammable Chenille Throw.  So soft, comfy, and thin enough to pack in my carry-on.

I’ve learned the hard way this year about packing too much – especially toiletries.  The Molton Brown Globe Trekker Travel Kit for Women has everything you need and more to feel like you’re getting the royal spa treatment on the road… minus the bulk of big bottles.  Travel on airplanes can dehydrate your skin and leave you feeling less-than-fresh, making the delicious soft scents of these lotions a must-have. I first heard about Skullcandy from the Mammoth Men when I won a pair of earbuds on their Utah trip.  Whether running through an airport or on the treadmill, these Wood Earbuds stay in my ears and have great sound quality.  Did I mention they come in a bajillion colors, designs and materials?  I’m a Skullcandy fan for life.

Perfect for a laptop, magazine and work items: Travelsmith Organizing Tote. Bringing a heavy jacket on the plane is always a pain.  Having a warm soft scarf like this J. Crew Italian Cashmere Scarf works just as well to keep me warm on cold flights without the bulk of a parka. I’ve been using Frederic Fekkai products since I was 14.  They make my unruly hair soft and shiny and they smell like a slice of heaven.  The Brilliant Glossing Travel Kit has natural olive oil Glossing Creme that keeps my frizz at bay and my hair smelling good.

My Swiss Army carry-on is definitely my number 1 favorite travel purchase I’ve made.  It is smaller than most roll-ons so I can get it on those tiny prop planes without having to check it and best of all… it has a side pocket for my MacBook!  Getting through airport security is a breeze with this thing. OK, travel essential alert!  I always bring food on the plane and when I travel.  I pack whole oats, Jay Robb Protein powder packs, Greens Plus Protien Bars, cereal to snack on and a case full of Luna Bars. There’s nothing worse than being hungry on the road with nothing but fast food or expensive room service to order.  Luna Bars are my favorite because they come in dozens of flavors, never melt in my purse, and have essential vitamins and minerals to keep me feeling healthy amidst the stress of traveling. Best travel tip I can give is to stay hydrated.  Many airports now carry Smartwater.  I love the taste but mostly the bottle shape.  It’s easy to fit in my purse and so far I’ve never had one of these bottles leak on my travel items.

OK, now that you know my favs, how about winning a few of them!? The amazing folks at Skullcandy, Red Envelope, SmartWater, Cliff Bars (Luna Bars), and Molton Brown are giving me one of each of the following to giveaway!

Simply leave a comment here telling me about your dream travel destination for your chance to win one of these items.  Contest ends this Sunday at midnight.  Happy travels y’all!

xo lc

UPDATED: Winners!!!

Randomly chosen via random.org:

Winner of the SmartWater, LunaBars, and Scullcandy Earbuds:

Heather at Outstanding Occasions: I love to travel, but unfortunately don’t get to do it as much now with a 2 year old :) I am going back to Paris in May, which I am so excited about, but my dream destination is Africa. I have dreamed about visiting and doing the safari trip for years. My goal is to get there by 40, so I have 8 years. I am pretty sure I will “Make It Happen!” :)

Winner of the Molton Brown Travel Set and Red Envelope Travel Case:

Sara France: I have been always wanted to go to Australia and New Zealand. I would just take a month and travel around the country exploring all there is to see and everyone there is to meet. I have heard so many amazing things and met so many amazing people from there. I can not wait to visit there some day! December 13, 2009 2:54 pm

Email me your mailing addresses, ladies and we’ll send your travel gifts out ASAP!  Merry Christmas and Congrats!

My desk is literally all business.  Right now with an issue coming up and samples flooding in, it’s very pretty business.  But, nonetheless, all business.  I like things clean, I like white, crisp blues, fresh flowers and everything in its place.  Desk details below: (clockwise from top left) invitation samples from Mika78, one of five JCrew pocket wallets that I change out depending on my mood that week, the new issues of Fast Company, Inc and Wired I need to read, La Prairie samples we all need to try, Southern Proper bowties for our upcoming shoot at Watercolor, a stunning gold and pearl dogwood blossom ring that Modest Peach sent to us today, my Macbook Pro (how did I EVER live without this thing!?), Lollia lotions (more info below) and the ever-present Fiji water on my desk (most of the time it’s Smartwater though and yes, I refill these bottles over and over).

Every month I make a folder of inspirations on my trusty Macbook to get me out of my structured and organized mindset and into some fluid creativity.  As a creative person, you have to let yourself dream a little.  We get so busy that we forget to dream or we push it aside for a rainy day.  That rainy day comes along and we still push it aside for something “more important”.  I get inspiration mainly from relationships and experiences, but there are a few things in life that make my heart flutter and my creative juices bubble up from a long-lost vault.  Here are my August favs I collected over the weekend while I was a radiology “residency widow”.

Above: I have recently become obsessed with these woodgrain watches from Nixon. I couldn’t pick a favorite, so I put both of my current lusts in here. Wendy at Fuss Jewelry has made a life-long fan in me. Every season she finds the most lovely stones and natural materials for her one-of-a-kind pieces. How dreamy are these turquoise and gold hoops!?

Second row: On a recent journey to the magical land of Anthropolgie, I discovered Lollia. Hello, Lollia… you smell so good and your packaging is just divine.

Row three: I think it’s safe to say that August is my Anthropologie month. More lovelies from Anthro that I’m dying to get: Beams and Sparks bracelet, Enchanted Seeds bracelet, Lemon Initial necklaces, Storms and Showers earrings, Crocus Petal bracelet

Row four: I am subscribed to two company’s email lists and JCrew is one of them.  I love their branding, marketing and Jenna’s Picks.  Loving the colors for fall and the detail on this shirt.

And finally, a thank you:  I have to thank everyone who sent me emails, messages and left such heartfelt comments on my last post.  It was a challenge to step out and write something personal so soon, but I really felt like I needed to and I’m so glad I did.  So, thanks for helping me make this blog into the positive, encouraging, inspiring place I want it to be.

xo

lc