Travel tips to lighten your load

I, at one point was an extremely heavy packer, inherited from my mother of course. Two large suitcases (one completely dedicated to shoes) was what I packed for a month and a half trip to Europe - and that's only what I originally brought - I had to send 4 boxes back to the States via DHL because I couldn't squeeze in anything else. One suitcase is usually enough of a pain to maneuver through airports and crazy busy European streets, but with two to tote, I was running over feet, tripping on escalators and over crowding the elevators...you get the point - it was a serious hassle. So after one amazing trip to Milan, Paris and London; hitting Dublin and Amsterdam on the weekends, I decided that I should at least attempt to cut down on the amount of clothes that I shove in my suitcase for future travels. Now, I've gotten to be such a great packer that I wanted to share some of my tricks of the trade with you - and yes you can still look hot, even if you don't have your entire closet to chose from. 

• ROLL EVERYTHING. I'm sure you've heard this before, but it really works. You get so much more space from rolling your clothes, that if you really need to you can even pack another outfit. But the point here is packing less, so challenge yourself and see if you can get away without it!
• ACCESSORIZE WITH LOTS OF JEWELRY. This is how I dress anyways, but if you pile on a bunch of textured bangles or funky necklaces you can drastically change an outfit. You can bring as much jewelry as you want because it hardly requires any space. 
• BRING ONLY ONE OUTFIT PER EVENT. If you know you are going to a party, bring one cocktail dress, if you're going to a show, bring a great pair of jeans and colorful top, etc. If you bring multiple outfits per event, you will easily over pack, so plan ahead. 
• LIMIT YOUR SHOES! This is what used to throw me quickly into the over-packing category, I would bring one pair per outfit. Instead, set out your outfits ahead of time and pick out one or two heels that will go with each, one pair of flats and sneakers if you plan to exercise. It may sound crazy, but that's really all you need. 
• PICK YOUR PANTS..STRATEGICALLY. Bring one great pair of jeans, one pair of black pants and one additional pair that you can wear with anything - leggings are a great option. As you know, jeans are so much better when they've already been worn, so remember that when packing. Stick with a dark wash to assure they go with all the tops you bring. As for the leggings please don't treat them like jeans and wear a top long enough to cover your derriere. 
• CHOOSE YOUR SUITCASE FIRST. Decide what you'll be carrying before you pack. If you are going away for the weekend it won't be necessary to bring an entire suitcase, pack a duffel bag. That way when you lay everything out you know what kind of space you are working with. You can always go back and edit your outfits for anything that isn't necessary, which leads me to..
• IF YOU DON'T LOVE IT, LEAVE IT. Just like you do at the store, weed out anything you question if you will wear or not. Of course you should bring a few extra tops, but if you are questioning if you will wear before you even put it in, then take my word - you won't.