Preppy Packing for the Keys...oops, one suitcase is one too many!

Oops! This Preppy has to pare-down her Florida Keys trip packing pronto!

Yes, even the jewelry gets pared down, sigh. The following photos are of some of the outfits gathered together from the limited space a roll-aboard and matching satchel allows for clothes n' shoes:

Bikini, coverup big-shirt, cute sandals, Hemingway book, room key...ready!

Another swimsuit with its coordinating sarong plus great bag n' sandals

Preppy-plaid swimsuit top paired with old comfy shorts n' Sperry flip-flops

Working RL Polo jean shorts with an Ann Taylor sweater-top n' pearls

Basic black soft knits with my fave Jones NY linen blouse-top

Khaki cargo-style travel skirt by Royal Robbins is soooo coool, ahh

Tropically-inspired dressing up dress for day into evening wearability! Various other look combinations and a few other clothing pieces aren't shown here but you get the idea....

Imagine my acute dismay when James informed me that um, we didn't have room for my suitcase this trip and I'd have to pack for 10 days in the Florida Keys using just my roll-aboard and its matching satchel bag....what????

I was literally all packed up and ready to go when he came inside from hitching up our kayak trailer to his truck after putting into the truck's back seat area various fishing, kayaking and snorkeling gear. I was shell shocked for a moment until I went down myself to the truck, looked inside and realized that, wow, even getting down to my two typical carry-on pieces I always fly with was going to be a spacial challenge. Drat!

Well, long story short, I DID manage to pare down to the barest of necessities for this trip, which aside from my fishing togs, have managed to be comfortable and casual-enough for the Keys while remaining a bit stylish all the same. Basically living-in swimsuits since we've been here has helped "stretch" my wardrobe for going out to eat and bummin' around places other than the beaches or pool areas.

Last year while spending a few weeks out in Hawaii, James told me that I was far too dressy which I was, yes, but I'm usually dressier-than-most anyway. I like dressing up...so sue me ;) This trip I guess I'm casual-enough since I haven't heard any comments to the contrary, haha.

This not however the lightest I've ever packed for traveling...that honor goes to the long weekend James and I spent in London a couple of years ago where, yes indeed, in the still cold months of early spring I toted only a mid-sized backpack as my luggage! It worked out okay but that probably won't happen again. I DO like to wear more than two outfits heavily layered n' accessorized and have more than one pair of tall leather riding boots as footwear options. But as for the fitted trench coat paired with a soft scarf and thin leather gloves: those were teriffic!

Thankfully, here in the Florida Keys, a whole less layering is needed aside from bikini coverups.

And so five days down and five more to go and... I think I'll actually make-it outfit wise, wheh!