One of our very favorite working artists {and a Pack Accordingly Fan/Friend} is print maker Kendra Gebbia Baillie of Ink Orchard. We’re thrilled to introduce her to you, because she’s a fierce small business owner who creates super unique abstract patterns for woodblock printing, which she then very successfully transfers into to practical home goods. Keep reading to discover more about Kendra @ Ink Orchard and learn how to score one of her original pieces!

{Enter the Giveaway!}

Want to win the stunning Ink Orchard’s Print Lamp above?  It can be yours, just by  following these very simple steps:

1. Follow “Pack Accordingly” on Facebook and Twitter.
2. Follow “Ink Orchard” on Facebook and Twitter.
3. Comment on this Blog Post here and tell us what you love about Kendra’s designs, or which is your favorite item {check out the Ink Orchard Etsy Shop to view all the work}.

Super easy. Please enter to support original artists. We’ll be announcing the winner next week. Good luck!

Kendra Gebbia Baillie graduated with a BFA from College of Visual Arts, St. Paul, MN in 2000. She began her career as an artist oil painting abstracts on wood panels. About six years ago she started mixing fine art with function and created her brand “Ink Orchard”. This includes original woodblock printmaking on paper, glass and fabric. Her designs are inspired by flora and fauna, along with intricate patterns found in textiles, architecture, and home decor. Each piece is handmade at her Northeast Minneapolis studio in the Casket Arts Building.

{Where are you from? Where do you live now?}  Philadelphia, PA ~ Minneapolis, MN.

{How long have you been working at your craft?}  Professionally, 6 years.

{Why do you do the specific art you do?}  I love the process of printmaking and it allows me to make functional products as well as fine art.

{How did you decide to start your own business?}  My family is very supportive and I needed a career change.

{How would you describe your style?}  Earthy, smart, affordable, flora and fauna inspired, functional.

{What do you love most about your work space?}  It is walking distance from my home, north light, a thriving arts district.

{What makes you feel the most inspired/creative?}  Travel, photos, books, wine with friends.

{What tools can you not live without?}  My phone, bone folder, and sketch book.

{What are you obsessed with currently?}  Crows, porcupines, tulips, southwest canyons.

{What are you most grateful for in your life right now?}  My husband, my art supply store, my studio, friends and family.

{What was the last thing you ate?}  Tater Tots.

{Where’s the furthest you’ve been from home?}  Amsterdam.

{Do you have any words of wisdom for other designers, artists or small business owners?}  Follow your dreams~ anything is possible, live it up, be kind~ body, mind, and spirit.

Find Kendra @ Ink Orchard:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Etsy | Flickr

I do love just about everything Swedish-designed, and being a sucker for a twist on classics (especially very well-done updates), these new Heart LR gems are colorful, girly and will make your calves look amazing.  I think they’re the perfect addition to a Spring wardrobe – comfortable enough to stroll around the city in and could certainly be dressed-up for dinner.  They are a tad pricey at about $345 (but a girl really only needs 1 pair, right?).

Something about their product imagery just does it for me as well – simple + moody, leaving a bit to the imagination – makes me want to jump on a plane to Europe and run around in these shoes and leggings!

What do you think… Will clogs like these help spark a come-back?

 As your average upscale  hotel, yes they make strides to treat each guest as special, but in a place such as this, from the moment you check in, you feel welcome beyond welcome. Actually, I take that back – I felt it the moment I called the front desk on my layover in Cincinnati and spoke with Mitchell, the Front Office Manager, to see about an early check-in. It wasn’t just Mitchell’s overall pleasant demeanor… I truly felt as though they were excited for my arrival, and when I did arrive, they genuinely were.

{Don’t miss “The Boston List” at the bottom – Hand-picked for you by an XV Beacon Expert.  PLUS, our Readers get a special 10% off when calling to book a room}.

I was given a room on the 10th floor of the 10 story hotel. With only 62 total rooms and 7 per floor, the hotel is quite intimate. Every room is slightly different and every room is equipped with a stereo and a fireplace. Amenities, to name a couple, include a rooftop patio with a hot tub {turned on at guest’s request} and a fitness room with an amazing view. If you want more “fitness” the hotel also offers guests a complimentary day by day membership at Fitcorp across the street.

In any hotel room, there are a few important things I look for: Ample space to place my bags, check, a closet, check, a mini bar or refrigerator, check check, a robe, check, a second robe, double check!  No matter if I’m there for a night or a week, a month, I unpack immediately and put things in their place {I am a Virgo AND a bit ‘Type A’ after all}. Here at the XV Beacon, unpacking was a most pleasant task, given their spacious closet and a desk conveniently nestled into the wall. The bathroom products were also more than impressive – an array of soaps, shampoos, even lip gloss – all made exclusively for the XV Beacon.

After settling into my amazing hotel room I conducted my first order of business; A tour of the hotel with Meredith, the Manager of Sales and Catering. While she showed me around this fabulous place, we talked about life in Boston and travel. Meredith’s inspiration in life was her Grandmother. Meredith described her Grandmother’s love of travel as being a big factor in her entering the world of hospitality. In school she spent a semester in Rome and has since traveled all over Europe. The one place she has not yet been and would most like to travel to is Panama {Meredith, we’ll be sure to have a little something on Panama soon!}. Being that she is so versed in travel and hospitality, I asked that she provide our readers with some tips on Boston. That insightful list is provided below!

THE DEETS:
What:  The XV Beacon Hotel
Rating:  5 {a&b} stars (out of 5)
Website:  http://www.xvbeacon.com
Where: 15 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02108 {617-670-1500}
Pack Accordingly Special:  Get 10% off when calling to book a room!

THE BOSTON LIST {According to Meredith}:

{ Points of Interest }

• Boston Harbor Cruise
• The Freedom Trail {has great running segments as well}
• Newbury Street/Back Bay {my favorite too}
• The Waterfront! and I’ll add the Boston HarborWalk {because I love exercise}
• Fenway Park {If you’re into sports}
• Faneuil Hall
• Quincy Market

{ Dining }

• Mooo Restaurant {XV Beacon’s award-winning steak house}
• Oishii or O Ya for Sushi
• Mistral or Sorellina for French/Italian Combo
• Grill 23 for Seafood
• Lucca or Tresca in the North End for Italian
• Best Clam Chowder – ’cause isn’t that what you should get when in Boston!? Chart House {I’ve tried it – amazing}
• Union Oyster House

{ Bars/Lounges }

• Emmet’s and The Times for local Irish Pubs
• The following are places whose chef is Barbara Lynch and they are fantastic:
• No. 9 Park  {I’ve tested this one – talk to Ted, the Bar Manager, on Weekends – he’s the best!}
• Menton
• Sportello
• B & G Oyster

{All photographs by Anna L. Coats}

Just “hover” a country and voila! You’ll know they’re having tea-time in London right now. You can search for specific cities as well.  Great if your planning an international trip and want to know when to call home. Bookmark this helpful resource fellow travel bunnies!

Time Zone Check

{What’s your worst ever time zone mix-up story?!}

When I was a kid, I had to fly Delta when I went to San Jose, CA to visit my Grandmother and only once-in-while did I fly United {a side note: United, the airline in which I developed my fear of flying, not to mention I hated the colors}.  But Delta  - which ALWAYS had to layover in Salt Lake City – was the other airline besides Northwest that I constantly flew. So one would think, naturally, I’d be ok with the merger that happened between the two. HA! Ohh, no no no no no. Had it been Northwest taking over Delta, maybe but the other way around made no logical sense to me {I’m sure it did in the world of big business}. I certainly don’t pretend to know what I’m talking about in that sense. But here is what I understood: Northwest was unionized and had only about 8,000 employees. Delta was not and had something like 20,000 employees {I’m speaking of flight attendants only at the moment}.  So from a numbers standpoint I see that 8,000 should join the majority, however, getting 20,000 to now join the union doesn’t sound that easy. That part had to be a given, but it seems to me that the employees with a union behind them would have a little more power and stability and should be the heavies. Why not have Delta join Northwest vs. the other way around? Ok ok, Delta had the bigger name? {and probably the moola}.  But Northwest had the better ideas and policies. In the end, it was recently explained to me that Delta had the larger brand and the larger fleet. Even more simply put, there were less aircrafts to repaint.

But I digress, I don’t pretend to know all the details, only what I’ve gotten from people I’ve talked to in-flight.  All I can say is that I miss Northwest and so do the flight attendants I’ve talked to since, who came from that side.

So here we are, Delta it is and I’ve had to adapt. And adapt I have. My miles are still intact, I get spectacular treatment {remember I’m also super nice – most of the time. Read “Bees with Honey” if you want more} and I spend a lot of money so that I can keep my elite status and my miles {close to half a mil and counting!}. The thing I recognize  most frequently is Delta’s constant commitment to improving. I get their emails telling me about changes and upgrades to their sky clubs, their programs, and their all-around customer service. It’s all a good thing, and compared to any other airline out there, they really seem to be ahead of the curve, contrary to some belief.

{What’s your favorite airline to fly and why?  We want to know!}

I awoke after several hours {learn why I’m such a good plane sleeper} and decided to stretch my legs. I found Tony in the galley between my section and business class relaxing with his paper. We engaged in conversation while he poured me glass after glass of white wine – the bottle meant for business class, not the cheap stuff!  {I know I like to write about the cocktails I enjoy, but truly I’m not a lush, I’m actually quite conservative}. It turned out Tony was a runner and track coach and we had a ton in common. Before you get any crazy ideas – there was no spark of romance – but it was simply a wonderful way to pass the time on a 9 hour flight, to get to know an individual better one-on-one, and receive a little special service. All it takes is pushing through any internal shyness, being open and  friendly, and genuinely interested in others {now that I write that, it seems like a lot, but it’s worth it when you get to make a special human connection!}.

CHEAPIES

• Huffington Post:  Creative Travel Gifts, under $50
• Design*Sponge: 2011 Gift Guide, $25 and under
• NY Times: 10 Gift Ideas for the Frugal Traveler
• InStyle: Gift Ideas Under $50

TECHIES

• Design*Sponge: 22 Stylish Tech Gifts
• ZDNet: Our 20 Favorite Tech Gifts
• internet exposure: 2011 Holiday Tech Gift Guide {for the Nerds in your Life}

TRAVELERS

• NY Times: Practical Traveler: Gifts for the Compact Traveler
• Backpacker: Holiday Gift Guide 2011
• Washington Post: 2011 Travel Gift Guide

FASHIONISTAS

I passed on all invites to go out after my night at the Ballet, in favor of going to back to my lovely hotel and sleeping soundly in my wonderful hotel bed with my super comfy pillows {that I could have changed at any time according to the hotel’s pillow menu} and to wake up early so I could go for my long awaited run in Central Park. When I first thought, mid-year, about going to New York, it was actually just to go for a run. The idea of seeing the Ballet came later. Originally, I simply wanted to say “yeah, I flew to New York City to go for a run in Central Park” {is that pretentious?- not that I care} but to add the Ballet to it was that much better, and if I say it right, I can make it sound downright snooty!  So one in my position, or maybe just someone who can imagine my position can imagine, that when I  twisted my ankle while running two weeks before this trip, I thought the most important part of the whole thing would not actually happen, and what a disaster if it didn’t. Thankfully, I think the city walking actually loosened it up. We never get to walk in LA and sometimes that is the best thing {NOT ALWAYS!!! Don’t think that injuries can be healed by walking on them, dear lord I could have done more damage!} I needed the flexing/stretching of the ligaments and muscles {a total self diagnosis, par for the course with this athlete}. So when I woke up on that amazingly perfect Sunday morning, sun shining, 65 degrees, I could do nothing but lace up my Nikes and get out that door thinking, “just take it easy”….ummm, yeah right.  From the hotel to the north end of the park and around, by the time I got back over an hour later – and almost 9 miles behind me – I was flying high. I showered and packed my things quickly {having already requested a late check out, always}. A note, check-outs can be pushed to an unbelievably late hour - I have a friend who described  sweetly haggling with a Las Vegas hotel desk ultimately getting her a 5pm check out, with no extra charge!

Time to venture out to my final destination before the airport. I had two ultimate goals to complete my trip. The first, to go to the Plaza and have a martini {courtesy of a friend and their suggestion} and a bagel shop to grab a dozen for a friend I would see on my layover in North Carolina. Walking into the Plaza, I eyed the bar. With only 4 seats {all full}, I had to find a table and keep watch. There I sipped coffee, read my book, and ordered a little brunch.  While I sat there I listened – well eavesdropped really – to the conversation next to me… I overhear this woman talking about her marriage being X years TOO long. Empathizing, I crack a little smile and she noticed. She, I, and the man she’s sitting with strike up a brief conversation. When my bar stool opens and I get up to move, he invites {rather insists} I join them. I comply when he stands and offers his chair calling the waiter to bring another over. After contemplating the idea of having my martini at the bar and quietly enjoying my long sought after solitude, I realize this is so much fun and order my drink. It was lovely! I was being filled in on all the gossip of who was staying there; the princess, the people from the UN council were coming, and oh, by the way, the King of Saudi Arabia was just over there a little while ago too… soon we were joined by a friend of the man and he and I struck up a nice conversation about their adventure from the previous night and after he left, “oh that was only the Personal Assistant to the King”, no biggie. All in all, probably one of the most interesting afternoons I have ever had, and when I got up to leave, I was gifted with my new friend covering my entire bill.

It just goes to show you, if you are open to a little friendly conversation and to meeting new people, the skys the limit on whom one might meet.

Hope you all have a magical weekend and enjoy this week’s blog finds!

• SoulPancake would like you to find your heart a home.
• Play dress-up with Matchbook Mag and Club Monaco!
• Yum, yum, yum – a grand recipe for “Intensi-Toddy” from Joylicious & Gojee.com that will kill any winter-time blues.
• Read what House Martin has to say about Sweet Paul.
• Must. Have. This. Sweater. {from Anaise; thanks Monmarte!}
• And, because, we just don’t know if it can get any better than Bacon Candy Canes {Anna, this one’s for you and your Piggy Love}.
• Last but not least… the future of advertising… Catvertising.

If you come across any cool finds yourself, we hope you share!  Please comment here or send us a love note: packaccordingly {at} gmail.com.

But the best Thanksgiving of all for me was a few years ago when I was visiting my parent’s farm.  My mom and I completely forgot that most, if not all, stores were closed on the day-of holidays.  So, we found ourselves food-less on Thanksgiving Day in the middle of no-where Wisconsin. Not to be deterred, we jumped in the car and had extreme faith that we would find something. You can imagine our excitement when we came across a huge sign on a back-country road promoting a “Full Thanksgiving Buffet, only $9.99!”.  We gleefully pulled into the establishment, burst through the doors, and saw gorgeous home-cooked goodies laid out for customers in the back room.  We made a bee-line for the buffet, filled our to-go containers to the brim, and chatted-up the owner’s wife who had lovingly cooked all the food from scratch.  And then, at some point, we looked-up, looked-around and took-in our surroundings… “Why are there a bunch of naked ladies on stage over there?” my mom asks.  Um, mom, yep, I’m pretty certain we’re delighting in a “Strip Club Thanksgiving Dinner”.  Somehow, in all of our excitement, we managed to miss the fact that we were in a nuddy bar. But you know what? It was, by far, one of the best “cooked with love” meals that we’ve ever shared.

According to The Huffington Post, 14 million people are expected to “dine-out” in the US for Thanksgiving this year {with the top reason being “convenience: not having to clean up!”}. So, if I a} didn’t have to visit family, b} was fabulously wealthy, c} didn’t have a day job {wait, if we were filthy rich, it goes without saying that we would travel for a living, duh}, and d} there wasn’t an amazing strip club meal waiting for me, then here are a few peculiar places I would choose to eat my Turkey din-din this year, or Christmas, or New Year’s for that matter….

1} Dinner in the Sky:  Acrophobiacs beware, this one is for the seriously adventurous. “Dinner in the Sky” is basically a table suspended 164 feet above ground for up to eight hours, where you can dine, drink, chat or sing to your heart’s content.  You can even play Poker. Or have a business meeting to strategize taking over the world. Oh, and yes, they have Wifi to help you do that!  This hanging platform can accommodate up to 22 guests and is currently in more than 35 countries with exotic locations like {Lebanon, Holland, Turkey, Cyprus, Mallorca, and Bulgaria} to name a few.

2} Ithaa, Undersea Restaurant:  If you’re not feeling heights, then I doubt you’ll be any less intimidated by dinning 16 feet below sea level! Ithaa, the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island’s unique undersea restaurant, promises 180° view of reef and marine life while you sip champagne and nosh on Maldivian-Western fusion cuisine.  This is in fact the world’s first all-glass undersea restaurant and of course they feature mainly seafood entrees like “Rock lobster with leeks etuvé, snow peas salad and a sauvignon blanc cream sauce”. Yum.

3} The Redwoods Treehouse:  Above all, I want to go here.  Could there be anything better than dinning among redwoods?  The Redwoods Treehouse is a private venue commissioned in 2008 – a striking pod-shaped structure near Warkworth, Auckland, New Zealand. Its made of aminated pine, redwood and plantation poplar woods and is entered using a 120 foot high treetop walkway.
Up to 18 diners can savor a  multicourse menu that includes “pan-fried lamb loins with baby beetroot and mandarin salad with caramelized garlic”.

4} Dolce & Gabbana “Gold”:  In Milan you’ll find posh velvet chairs, hand-carved precious metal utensils and some of the most expensive yellow-rimmed china in the world… yep, “D&G Gold” serves up glamour with shimmering gold accents everywhere {a bit ironic given the current state of Italy, no?}.  Their Sicilian traditional cuisine sounds absolutely divine though – their menu totes dishes like “Crispy egg milanese style, porcini mushroom pie, parmesan fondue and black truffle” and “Black pork loin in bread crust, chicory heart salad, venus rice and dry broad bean cream” – say no more, I’m in!  {well, that is, after I save up for about 10 years}.

I try to make each and every flight as pleasant as possible. That means I’m super friendly to the flight attendants, I roll with the delays, and I pay attention when I get extra attention.

Sure, I use the {I’m female + blonde + single} thing as a “travel-aide” occasionally, but come on, if you want to make sitting in the same seat for hours on-end a PLEASANT experience, then give it all you got!! But truly, all it takes is some simple friendliness.

I look at it this way {and this goes for dining experiences as well}: the flight attendants and personnel one  encounters when traveling have to deal with dozens, if not hundreds, of unpleasant people all day and night, so why not imagine you are that beacon in the sky, that shining light in their awful day that makes them smile, even if only for a moment? With this attitude you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you brightened someone’s day, not to mention you’ll be amazed at what things come to you and are done for you. As much as I’d like to believe that it’s purely on my looks alone, it’s truly about my demeanor. Which, when you have a positive one, makes everyone look more attractive!

I’ll end this first post with a favorite in-flight experience so far:
Delta, sadly, does not serve champagne on their flights – international or not – and I still don’t know why, but, once when I was traveling back from Germany and took one of  Delta’s partners, Air France, instead. To my surprise and excitement they served it. So after one glass, of course I wanted a second while I had the chance. As the flight attendant came through picking up trash and such, I asked sweetly, “Would it be possible to get another glass of champagne?”… His response {please imagine a fabulous French accent here} “Don’t worry Mademoiselle - we’re coming back around with more – we’re FRENCH!” Oh la la, how I loved him.

Like my hometown of Los Angeles, New York City’s restaurant turnover is much more frequent than most cities. So while I’ve been to the City often, the newest and hip places were off my radar.  There is a reason {among many others} I have  Bernadette as a partner in crime {well, mostly in blogging, sometimes in crime}: Heading to the Subway, I text Bernadette with my dinning-dilemma and before I get to the bottom step she has sent me an email with 5 different restaurant choices and their websites {list provided below}. I choose Bar Boulud for two reasons {besides the amazing menu and wine/cocktail list}. A: It is directly across the street from Lincoln Center and B: {and this was Bernadette’s good point as well} it has “bar” seating. Not a real bar, but a counter where one can eat rather than a table. And although I am fine sitting at a table by myself, it’s fun to sit at a bar with other people surrounding you. In addition, you don’t need a reservation on a Saturday night {way to plan ahead, Anna} but hey now, I’m on a 24 hour trip to New York City to see the Ballet and run in central park – I have my priorities!

If you haven’t read {PART ONE} of 1 Night Stand: NYC, what are you waiting for?

In my fabulous new “little black dress” I scan the bar for a seat, eyeing two parties paying their check. I am not one to feel awkward hovering for a place to sit in situations like this. So, I wait patiently and of course {see PART ONE of 1 Night Stand: NYC}, a gentleman waiting for his check starts talking to me. He was intrigued that I was traveling by myself and thrilled meet me. He was with his girl/friend {whatever that means} who was SO excited to tell me all the places I HAD to go. Ha ha, if only I had the time. In any case, Marina and I exchange numbers and we ended up texting after the ballet, {though I gracefully declined the after-party for a good night’s sleep}. Lame, I know… but let me remind you, PRIORITIES!

Moving on, let’s talk piggy.  I am a self proclaimed – and coining the phrase here – “Porkatarian”. I was a veggie for 12 years but bacon ruined me and I have now fully accepted the pig. But, it is the ONLY meat I like and will eat. Anything else grosses me out. I can’t explain it, it just is what it is. So having browsed the menu online, before I even got to the restaurant I knew what I’d be having: RILLONS CROUSTILLANTS AU POIVRE-HOT, CRISPY AND TENDER PORK BELLY WITH CRACKED PEPPER. Or perhaps in other words - the biggest most delicious hunk of bacon-like pig along with a side of veggies. Oh. my. god. yum. To accompany the meal, a glass of French Rose and for “dessert” a watermelon, vodka mint cocktail.

Part 3 of my trip is coming soon – Ballet and Central Park love.  If you haven’t read {PART ONE} of 1 Night Stand: NYC, go for it!

NYC RESTAURANT LIST, a la Bernadette:

Bar Boulud
212-595-0303
1900 Broadway {btwn 63rd & 64th}

Picholine
212-724-8585
34 West 64th St {btwn Broadway & Central Park West}

Lincoln
212-359-6500
142 West 65th Street

Compass
212-875-8600
208 W. 70th St {btwn Amsterdam & West End Aves}

Per Se
212-823-9335
10 Columbus Circle, 4th Flr {60th St. at B’way}

At over five stories tall, it required 500 cans of spray paint and over 50 different colors.  “We been doing graffiti for a long time but this is our first large project involving the whole team,” Fluke of A’shop told The Montreal Gazette. “We’re always busy with other projects so we’ve never really had time to let [the reactions to] them sink in. But this mural was just so big and also our last of the season. It was challenge, took us out of our comfort zone. We wanted to try something more classic.”

Can you image turning a corner on your morning walk and being pleasantly surprised by this?  There are so many boring urban surfaces out there just screaming “make me pretty!”.

Surprisingly, the city of Montreal gave the artists’ collective complete control of the property and project - a big gamble if the public didn’t like it.  “The main thing that struck us was the public’s reaction while we were painting the mural. Some people gave us the cold shoulder at first, thinking we were painting an ad. Then when they realized we were reviving an old wall with a mural, they were came back to see us everyday. That really fueled us. Within days we had the whole community involved. People invited us for lunch and the Jamaicans at the local barber shop were giving us high-fives!”

Fluke hopes this project will encourage other city boroughs to consider their own murals. “Our city has way too much gray. So I hope this [mural] kickstarts a mural campaign.”

Check out some of the project-in-process photos below…

Planes, trains, and automobiles… or perhaps by bicycle.  Of all the ways to go through Europe, just pick one. Or pick all. Either way, this is a trip to make happen. Seeing any of these countries is amazing, seeing all of them is life changing. So we say, go. Take this map and use it as a guide, or use it as an exact map. But whatever you do, use it as your inspiration and follow your path.

Dublin->Glasgow->Edinburgh->Manchester->London->Amsterdam->Rotterdam->Brussels->Paris->Bordeaux->Zaragoza->Madrid->Lisbon->Lagos->Sevilla->Malaga->Valencia->Barcelona->Toulouse->Marseille->Lyon->Geneva->Bern->Milan->Genoa->Florence->Rome->Naples->Venice->Munich->Stuttgart->Frankfurt->Berlin->Hamburg->Copenhagen

Hopefully, the majority of these tid-bits below will further inspire her confidence {with maybe just 1 or 2 exceptions}.  Sorry, Anna, but I couldn’t resist!

DON’T WORRY ABOUT…

{ Turbulence }:  “Pilots find it perplexing that so many people are afraid of turbulence. It’s all but impossible for turbulence to cause a crash. We avoid turbulence not because we’re afraid the wing is going to fall off but because it’s annoying.” -Patrick Smith

{ Lightening }:  “I’ve been struck by lightning twice. Most pilots have. Airplanes are built to take it. You hear a big boom and see a big flash and that’s it. You’re not going to fall out of the sky.” -Pilot for a regional carrier, Charlotte, North Carolina

{ Seating }: Straight forward, but a bit morbid - “There is no safest place to sit. In one accident, the people in the back are dead; in the next, it’s the people up front.” -John Nance

RULES ARE RULES…

{ Cell Phones }:  “People don’t understand why they can’t use their cell phones. Well, what can happen is 12 people will decide to call someone just before landing, and I can get a false reading on my instruments saying that we are higher than we really are.” -Jim Tilmon

{ Projectiles, AKA Laptops }:  “We don’t make you stow your laptop because we’re worried about electronic interference. It’s about having a projectile on your lap. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to get hit in the head by a MacBook going 200 miles per hour.” -Patrick Smith

TRICKS OF THE TRADE…

{ Wing It }:  “The smoothest place to sit is often over or near the wing. The bumpiest place to sit is in the back. A plane is like a seesaw. If you’re in the middle, you don’t move as much.” -Patrick Smith

{ Be a Morning Person }:  If you’re a nervous flier, book a morning flight. The heating of the ground later causes bumpier air, and it’s much more likely to thunderstorm in the afternoon.” -Jerry Johnson, pilot, Los Angeles

{ Common Courtesy }:  “If you’re going to recline your seat, for God’s sake, please check behind you first. You have no idea how many laptops are broken every year by boorish passengers who slam their seat back with total disregard to what’s going on behind them.” -John Nance

If you come across any particularly interesting finds yourself, please do email us at: packaccordingly {at} gmail.com.

• The uber fabulous Design*Sponge interviews one of our favorite travel/design bloggers, Anne Ditmeyer of Prêt à Voyager on her “Tech Setup“.
• Read what Vannessa of Flight And Pattern has to say about our Blog Launch in her post “For Those Who Love to Wander“.
• ohjoy! gives us a fun guest blog post on what to do + eat + see in Kansas City, MO with Jamie of “From Me to You”.
• Yummy, yummy, yummy”Cumin See Roasted Cauliflower with Yogurt” recipe from Smitten Kitchen! {easy + perfect for Fall}.
• Fly introduces us to “30 Americans“, an exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington DC.
• Nat Geo’s Intelligent Travel blog takes us on a tour of a Fall Garden in outside of Philadelphia.

We especially dig their Mission Statement:

“AFAR is devoted to experiential travel, which connects you with the authentic essence of a place and its people, deepening your understanding of the world, its cultures, and yourself.”

Check out AFAR.com and upon registration you’ll be presented with a custom home page featuring trip reports from other users in your area, where you can share ideas and ask questions.  Kinda cool!

And don’t fret, there’s something in it for you!  Like us on Facebook, help us get to 200 Likers, and we’re going to release a butt-load of awesome travel related prizes.  That’s right, you heard me — free stuff!  For EXTRA ENTRIES, Share it to your Wall, Follow us on Twitter, Comment on one of our Blog Posts {you get the idea}.  Check out the ridiculously cool items we’re giving away below…

Okay, well, what will this Blog be about?  Eating bizarre crap, sticking your foot in your mouth, getting so lost that you cry, crying because you’ve never seen anything so beautiful, what you should eat, where not to eat, things we absolutely love, things that will make your life easier, and so-on.  It’s about the experience of life and getting the most out of your surroundings.

So, to give you all a bit of background:  Anna and I have been friends for almost 20 years.  True, we didn’t like each other at first {we’re both Virgos} and there have been ups-and-downs.  But, like all good things, our friendship has withstood the test of time. Time and time again.

Our travels together began pretty immediately.  And I must admit, Anna is usually always the catalyst.  From showing up at my door-step and “announcing” that we are going on a 2-week road trip the next morning from Minneapolis to Los Angeles, to buying airline tickets {without my knowledge} and then “informing” me of our upcoming travel plans, to “hounding” me about our annual Fall birthday celebration excursion until I gave her an answer… yes, she makes it happen.

And, throughout all this, we’ve always known that we wanted to do a project or business together, but nothing in the past seemed to be a fit or get off the ground.  So last Fall, after we hadn’t seen each other in months, we had an “ah-ha!” moment when we decided to make good use of our adventures and share them.  And I quote, “How neat would it be to have a travel blog?  And think of all the super interesting people we always meet who we could feature!”.  And so, Pack Accordingly, was born.

With that said — we take suggestions, comments, content submissions and wooo-hoooos!  Drop us a line at: packaccordingly {at} gmail.com.

We’d also like to thank the super generous, talented people who provided our fabulous giveaway items.  Please take just a moment to visit their Etsy sites and check out their work:

• AnnaDelores (of Los Angeles, California)
• ArtisanGerard (of Grand Forks, North Dakota)
• bisousrose (of Austin, Texas)
• BoardingAllRows (of El Cerrito, California)
• ConstantBaubling (of Ann Arbor, Michigan)
• DreamingFey (of Seattle, Washington)
• FlightandPattern (of Jupiter, Florida)
• floridalisa (of Palm Beach County, Florida)
• lollielotus (of Chicago, Illinois)
• loveandlaughter (of Irvine, California)
• maddiemichael (of Salt Lake City, Utah)
• MsVeronicas (of Jersey City, New Jersey)
• no9images (of Franklin, Ohio)
• owlsay (of Dallas, Texas)
• seasowusa (of Washington, DC)
• sherrytruitt (of Collingswood, New Jersey)
• starwickcandles (of Dayton, Ohio)
• stevenjameskeathley (of Los Angeles, California)
• VintageSwitchPlates (of Truckee, California & Crested Butte, Colorado)