DIY Magnetic Inspiration Boards (on a Budget)!

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For the longest time, I really wanted to own a pretty memo ribbon board.  I had a boring cork board with equally dull thumbtacks.  The ribbon boards were so pretty, functional, and customizable to your needs.  Then when Pinterest came around, there were tons of tutorials about how to make all types of memo boards!

When I saw the tutorial for a magnetic memo board made from a cookie sheet, it was immediate inspiration.  However, being the overly detailed crafter that I am, I decided to make it a huge project.  The upside is, here's a tutorial about how to make your own magnetic inspiration board!

What You Will Need

Cookie sheet

Frame (or cabinet door) slightly larger than the cookie sheet

Cardboard, if the cookie sheet is not perfectly flat

Cotton batting

Upholstery nails

Fabric

Tape

Ruler

Pencil

Blank sheet of paper

Hammer

Nail

Pliers

Rubber Mallet

Magnets

Embellishments (paint, vinyl, stickers, etc.)

Disclaimer: I've never done a tutorial before, so be prepared for LOTS of pictures!

Instructions

By the way, my project materials came to me while walking through IKEA.  A couple of As-Is cabinet doors for $4.99, and cookie sheets for $6.99.  I could have probably gotten the materials for cheaper at the dollar store, or with a bit of searching but I was antsy to start!  Also, I got two of each since I was trying out a new project from scratch and was sure to make some mistakes.

Minor problem, the cookie sheet was bent...

Weekly Wrap-Up: Secret Projects & Tasty Dishes

When I started these weekly wrap-ups, I wasn't sure what they would be all about.  Now, I know that I like to document my food activities most of all.  Can you blame me?  That will definitely change in April when I get to share some of my exciting travel!

But for now, here is a week of local adventures.  :)

Read on for a few sneak peeks of future projects, and some yummy waffles at The Iron Press and seafood at Walt's Wharf!


Thursday
Remember last week, when I shared my deals from the Banana Republic Factory Store?  Well, it turned out that one of the items still had a security sensor in it!  I had to go back to have it removed, and in the process bought a few more items.  Oops!

And this time, I spent about $5 per item.  Yes, you heard me right.   That's four pretty garments for $20!  :)

The contrast band is so flirty and feminine!

Sewing Rewind: Hodgepodge edition!

When I was making up my sewing rewind lists, I ended up with a few projects that didn't really fall into one category or another.  Here is a hodgepodge of my past sewing projects, including a couple of fannypacks or waistbags, a body pillow cover, and a couple of pouches!  :)

Dianne Von Furstenburg-Inspired Waist Bags
I was headed to Vegas for a weekend, and I wanted to bring a little pouch for the necessities: room key, money, ID, etc.  It's always a pain to have a huge purse, so I searched for a sewing pattern and came upon this from I Spy DIY!

I thought I could recreate it, so I headed to Jo-Ann's and bought fabric for the bag.  That was the easy part, but then I had to find a chain!  Since I was already headed to the swap meet for zippers, I thought I might find something and I did!

Here's what I came up with!

Curried Red Lentil Soup

A few weeks back, Tessa from Handle the Heat posted a soup recipe that I was super excited try out.  You know that I love my soup, and have a bowl almost every day, even during the summer!  I had some difficulty locating the red lentils, but after I found them at a Middle Eastern grocery store, I whipped this up!

It's totally warm and comforting, perfect for cold weather.  While it's simmering on the stove, it smells absolutely heavenly throughout the house.  :)

Side note: I'm not sure how the red lentils completely lost their color, but the curry powder made the whole dish turn yellow!

I only made a few changes to the recipe below, but only out of necessity.  First of all, instead of a jalapeño, I used a few spicy peppers from the backyard.  Apparently I should have checked to see how spicy they were because ironically my guy couldn't handle the heat!  Oops, more for me.  :)

Also, I did not use the mango chutney or yogurt to garnish, but the results were fantastic!

Curried Red Lentil Soup
From Eating Well via Handle the Heat

Saturday Synopsis!

This week has been a collection of ups and downs in my personal life, but the good thing is that there are always more ups.  Whew!

Luckily, I have been able to stay creative and keep a clear mind.  I'm excited for what's up for next week's posts and projects!

Saturday Synopsis!

Monday: One of my favorite, easy recipes for baked falafel.  Fast, healthy and delicious!

Tuesday:  Sewing rewind: In Progress edition.  I modified two patterns, which didn't turn out great the first time.  I still need a few tweaks to finish each one, but for right now they're a couple of UFOs that are haunting me!!!

Wednesday:  Weekly Wrap-up: Valentine's dinner, shopping for inspiration at Anthropologie & deals at the outlet stores, and patterns!

Thursday:  My pattern organization system.  :)

Friday: Addressing a pet peeve of mine: improperly hulled strawberries!  Yes, I full admit that I'm a bit of a nit-picker. :)

Tip: How to Hull Strawberries Without a Fancy Gadget

Disclaimer: I don't claim to be a chef, a food expert, or have extraordinary knife skills.  That means everyone will be able to find this a helpful tip!

When I first started to cook for myself after college, I loved buying and using every gadget that Bed, Bath, and Beyond had to offer.  However, when I was growing up, my mom always said "Real chefs don't use gadgets."  At first, I didn't understand what she was talking about, but then I was introduced to the wall of gadgets with an avocado slicer, the cherry pitter, and mango splitter.

Chances are if the name of the gadget contains a specific food, it's a unitasker that Alton Brown would abhor and can easily be thrown out with the proper use of a knife.  I have since made my mom proud and brought my kitchen items down to the basics.


Last week during Valentine's Day, there were tons of dishes using strawberries and one of my pet peeves surfaced everywhere.

This!

Do you notice the little piece of stem and a lot of the tart, white part (the hull) on the prepped strawberries?  No one wants to eat that!

Pattern Organization!

You may remember from yesterday's post that I bought a few patterns, which I love love love!

So now to the process of organizing them, which would be terribly boring for most people, but I have a system that I love!

First of all, I do not have a huge sewing/craft room, so everything that I need to sew has to always be immediately put away.  Also, I do not have space in any rooms or closets to store my patterns, so no filing cabinets like in the stores.  Of course, I dislike spending money when I don't need to, therefore it needed to be free or close to free.

After putting my thinking cap on, I came up with an awesome pattern organizing system for small spaces!  I'll go through the steps of how to replicate my system and what you will need.  Let me warn you that this may not work if you have an especially large collection of patterns, but may ever expanding pattern stash is growing and growing!


What you will need:
- 3 ring binders
- Sheet protectors
- Plain paper (optional)
- Dividers (optional)
- Ziploc bags - quart & gallon sizes
- Storage boxes, shoe-boxed sized or larger
- Time!

Weekly Wrap-Up: Valentine's Dinner, Anthropologie, Deals & Patterns!

Finally a normal weekend!  It seems that as soon as I started these weekly wrap-ups, my life started to get more interesting!

Book events, celebrity run-ins (here and here), sporting events, concerts, trying out new sports, restaurants (1,2,3,4,5), warehouse sales, exploring around town, trips to New York and Nashville, planning a huge trip to Europe, and about a million donuts (1,2,3,4)!

Luckily, life is back to normal with just a few fun things along the way.  This week, the high points were Valentine's dinner with my man, shopping (Anthropologie, Off 5th, Banana Republic Factory), buying fun food items at Mitsuwa marketplace, cooking up three new recipes, pattern shopping, and getting a big chunk of travel planning done.

Wednesday

Valentine's Day was casual for my guy and me.  We decided that it is crazy to fight for a reservation at a fancy restaurant and be surrounded by tons of people who are doing the exact same thing, all in the name of a holiday that can tend to get out of control with decor, food, etc.  I'm not saying I'd turn away a pink cupcake though...

We went to Simmzy's, which I went to about a month ago for the first time.

To start we shared the Goat Cheese Tapas which doesn't look like much, but it was perfect!  Goat cheese with apricots and honey!  I'm in.  :)  I was majorly hungry and barely saved any for my guy, but then again he had his beer flight!

I got their Simmzy's Burger and added roasted Shiitakes.  So yummy!

The close-up shows off all the amazing goodies stuffed inside!

Sewing Rewind: Works In Progress Edition!

This is a pretty embarrassing post, but I do it in the name of cataloging my past work without holding anything back.  Unfortunately, I have two as-yet unfinished projects to share with you: a green lace dress and a mustard yellow coat.  I keep thinking, "Maybe I'll finish these one day!" and they've sat for over four months now untouched!  Well here goes, warts and all...


"Emerald is This Girl's Worst Friend" Dress

For this first dress, I had visions of an emerald green lace beauty like the one here.  The lovely lace overlay, button up front, scalloped lace hem and neckline, and cap sleeves were adorable!

Falafel - Baked Not Fried!

The title of the post sounds like something a pitchman would say in an infomercial!  Believe me, one taste of these and you'll be sold.  :)

Middle Eastern cuisine is incredibly flavorful with tons of spices, herbs, and fresh vegetables.  I grew up eating falafel, but it was always fried.  Is it just me, or does it not make sense when a vegetable is fried?  If you're going to the trouble of eating a healthy item, why fry it?

For those of you who have never had falafel, it's almost like a meatball using chickpeas or garbanzo beans instead of meat.  It is also just as easy to make, if not easier!

The recipe I use is Ellie Krieger's Baked Felafel with some minor modifications, including no chopping (yay!), shaping the falafel differently, and using hummus instead of tahini.  Enjoy!

Saturday synopsis!

What a fun week of posts!  A little bit something for everyone with posts on cooking, sewing, mini-adventures, organization, and style watching.

By the way, thanks to everyone for reading and commenting!  Even though I started this out for myself to track projects, it's been fun to share my projects and have you guys send some love my way.  :)

What are the plans for this weekend?  For me, it's piecing together the last bits of my vacation plans!

Saturday Synopsis!

Monday:  The ultimate Carrot Cupcake recipe with my favorite Cream Cheese frosting!

Tuesday:  Sewing rewind: Self-drafted edition.  Three modified patterns, two fails, and one fun shirt! Apparently, I never wore it in front of my guy, so it became my Valentine's top for a casual dinner out.

Wednesday:  Weekly Wrap-up: 18 hours in Nashville visiting some of my old haunts.

Thursday:  The DIY solution I use for storing my jewelry!  

Friday: Looking through an episode of Hart of Dixie for some seriously cute outfits!

Style / Sewing Inspiration: Hart of Dixie!

I admit it.  I love a good teeny bopper show.  I grew up with My So-Called Life, Felicity, and Dawson's Creek.  Come on, remember how much you wanted to dye your hair bright red, or move to New York for a guy, or be part of a love triangle?

Anyways, nowadays my tastes have grown up.  Almost.  I can't help but watch some of the shows that are made for kids half my age!  One of my silly, guilty pleasures is Hart of Dixie.  Then again, the actors are actually still older than me, so I don't feel too bad.

One of my favorite parts is the cute outfits they wear.  I used to live in the South for a bit, so I thought maybe my taste changed to a more Southern, genteel style.  Then I found out that they wear a mix of Kate Spade, Anthropologie, J Crew, and other faves of mine.  While writing this post, I found out there is even a website that documents each episode!

Suzannah from Adventures in Dressmaking shared her love of How I Met Your Mother and other shows for sewing inspiration, and I have decided to do the same and share one episode of outfits from Hart of Dixie!

*Sorry in advance for the blurry screen-caps!  There are some better pictures here.*

I tend to prefer the Southern girls' outfits more, but this dress on Rachel Bilson's character is super cute!

Jewelry Organization!

Happy Valentine's Day!  Or Happy Thursday to anyone who would rather not partake of the holiday and all of the chocolate that comes with it.  :)

Anyways, as you may remember, I shared my closet organization post and the DIY tool I use to make it even more organized, a couple of weeks back.  To follow up, I decided to share the DIY item that helps to keep my jewelry organized!  Hopefully this post comes in time to organize any new baubles or trinkets that you may have received (or gifted yourself) today!

First of all, I have a large dresser with a drawer that I set aside specifically for jewelry and fragrances.

I love having such a large dresser for my clothing, but it takes up most of the wall.  Therefore, I can't store my jewelry in a super cute hanging display.  Just check out my organization Pinterest board to see my love of hanging jewelry organization!

Weekly Wrap-Up: Nashville, Gaucho Grill, and TONS of Travel Planning!

Thankfully, this week was less action-packed but on the flip-side, I was definitely more stressed out!  A combination of time zone ping-pong and poring over travel details all weekend had me falling asleep at 8pm last night.

But I admit that I had some fun while out of town and during a dinner out with the whole family before my stressful weekend.  :)

Little Miss in Nashville again!  If you're wondering who this is, click here!

Wednesday
Last I left you, I was in New York headed to Nashville.  I had less than 24 hours until my flight home, and even with a half day of work, I was able to squeeze in the most of a city that I used to know (enter Gotye & Kimbra).

Side note, I got to Nashville at about 11pm, and rented the silliest looking car ever.  Have you ever seen the inside of a Kia Soul?  It's like an advertisement all over the seats and inside the car doors.  Ridiculous!

Immediately after my obligations the next day, I met up with my Little Sister from Big Brothers Big Sisters from when I used to live here.  I was starving, so we went to Arnold's Country Kitchen for a late lunch!

Sewing Rewind: Self-drafted Edition!

At one point or another, we all decide to break out of the box and make our own patterns, either by modifying other patterns, using existing clothing, or making them from scratch.  This was TOTALLY difficult for me, because the patterns I had already sewed worked pretty well for me with very little alterations.  The prospect of failing was scary, and even though these projects were far from perfect, I learned from them and eventually tweaked them to my liking!

The reason I wanted to start sewing was to make a simple summer tank dress with an elastic waistband in fabrics that I liked.  I had been seeing a few in stores, but they were either really expensive, in a terrible fabric, or in a fabric that would be instantly recognizable to someone else who frequented the store.  That's when I decided that I would take a class to learn how to sew just a simple A-line dress.  Little did I know how obsessed I would get!

Tank Dress, Bird tank & Ruched polka dot top

Tank Dress

For the first few weeks of class, I was very good at making my crafting projects and learning a few techniques.  In fact, I even finished a dress with sleeves, darts, and princess seams before attacking this item.  I was sure that I would totally rock it!

Please ignore the smushy dress form underneath!

And while yes, it looks fine, it wasn't what I was initially going for.  First of all, the skirt hugs the body too much because I wasn't sure how A-line my skirt should be.  So, I ended up hacking off too much.  Also, you won't be able to see this, but my pockets ended up much too low initially and some clever internal seams helped to fix this without ripping apart the entire thing!

And although I do love the fabric, it doesn't drape well.  I guess that's what happens when you don't follow the instructions on the back of the envelope (that doesn't exist).

I am impressed with how well the top fits though, and I won't make any changes to the pattern!

Oops!  I didn't realize how blurry this picture was!

Overall, not a terrible project and I learned quite a few things: drafting a proper A-line skirt for my body, choosing the correct fabrics, and pocket placement.  Lessons learned!

"Put a Bird on It" Tank

I found a printed bird fabric and decided I wanted to make a top out of it.  However, it was a little busy and I didn't want to make the entire top out of the fabric, and therefore end up resembling a tablecloth.  Therefore, the idea of a two-tone top came to me!

At first, I couldn't decide what style I wanted.  One idea was to make a color blocked top, but it probably wouldn't have worked with a print.  Then, I toyed with the idea of a baby doll top with the bust in the print and the purple "skirt" underneath, but it might have looked too juvenile.  However, bodycon tops are huge now, so I settled on this style!

I traced an existing tank top that fit me, and drafted different pieces with for each of the fabrics and this is what I came up with!

I loved the look on my dress form, but I think it would have looked better with more of the print in the middle section, and therefore a thinner outside section.

Lesson number two was that the material didn't stretch nearly as much as my original tank top, and it was just a bit form fitting around my mid-section.  And lastly, I realized the importance of following the neckline all around to make sure it was an even scoop, but I could say it was a fashion choice instead of a mistake and hopefully no one would be the wiser!

Turquoise Polka Dot Top

With two self-drafted patterns that hadn't worked yet, I wasn't expecting much from this project but I ended up so happy with the results!  I was in love with this T-shirt from Anthropologie because of the ruched sleeves, slight boat neck, and cute print.

I had never ruched anything before, and didn't have a pattern, so I made my own!  Simplicity 2181, View B was my starting point for a shirt pattern.  I omitted the wrap detail and shortened the sleeves.

I had a cute turquoise polka dot fabric that I bought from a Sewer's Guild yard sale for $1, and it was just right for the job.  It was barely enough for the pieces I had to cut out, so I actually had to rotate the back piece on my fabric 90 degrees and hope there would still be enough ease and stretch through the front to fit on me!  I was definitely nervous from my last shirt...

Apparently, I didn't have to worry because it turned out great.  This is possibly the worst that any of my garments have looked on my dress form, but I swear it looks much better on me!

I'm obsessed with polka dots, they're just so entrancing if you stare for a while... :)

Although the sleeve looks like this on the dress form...

It looks like this on me!

Pretty spot on compared to the original, right?

Anyways, I felt a little awkward not using pattern pieces at first, but now I have a tiny foundation into what goes into making patterns.  Also, if there's something I see in the stores, magazines, or blogs that I want, but there's no comparable pattern, I'm going to take a crack at making my own from now on!

Has anybody else had a hard time with drafting patterns (even if it's not from scratch like mine), or am I the only one?

Cream Cheese Frosting with Carrot Cupcakes and Raisins

There is almost nothing better than cream cheese frosting.  I could eat it on anything or on it's own.  At times, it even makes red velvet (IMO the most overrated "flavor") tolerable.  Please don't stop reading if you love red velvet, because I'm sure all  of us will be able to agree on my next recipe!

The hardest part of making cream cheese frosting is still having enough for your cake by the time it has cooled and figuring out what cake to put underneath it!

I love carrot cake in nearly all forms, but my preferences are as follows: a cupcake with (golden) raisins and cream cheese frosting.  Loaves are great, but I prefer a cute, pre-portioned little cake than I can eat all by myself.  Some people add zucchini, pineapple, or coconut and leave out raisins, but my favorite is with plain with some golden raisins dotted throughout.  Finally, I honestly don't understand who would use buttercream frosting or leave it (gasp!) unfrosted.

Why did I make two recipes?  First of all, I had a ton of carrots that needed to be used up (thanks Costco!), and I had just seen a carrot cake loaf recipe from Averie Cooks that I needed to make immediately.  And my old standby from Ellie Krieger is a tried and true recipe that I decided to make as well.

First are the two cupcake recipes side by side, and finally my resulting adaptation of both recipes into my ultimate carrot cupcake!

Basic ingredients for any carrot cake minus a ton of shredded carrot!

Saturday synopsis!

This was definitely a whirlwind week with traveling all over the U.S., and now I'm going to take the weekend to play catch up with e-mails, travel planning, and sleep!  There will definitely be a ton of Europe guidebooks in my future, so I plan on breaking out the white board & dry-erase markers again!

I hope everyone has a restful weekend too!

Saturday Synopsis!

Monday:  Venting about travel pains, sharing exciting upcoming travel plans, and a tip to scoring free internet on flights!

Tuesday:  Sewing rewind: Travel edition featuring my packing cubes, cord tamers, and jewelry roll!

Wednesday:  Weekly Wrap-up: dinner at Ado, Bruxie waffle sandwiches, my subway adventure in NYC, and running around NYC for food (Shake Shack, Momofuku, Rice to Riches, S'MAC, Jacques Torres Chocolates, Zabar's).  Mmmm!

Thursday:  Get a travel mascot!  I shared some of Little Miss' adventures and pictures.  

Friday: DIY Laundry folding board.  This almost makes folding laundry tolerable.  Almost!

DIY Laundry Folding Board

You may be asking yourself, how is a laundry folding board a travel item?  Well, you get back home and dump all of your clothes in the wash and end up with a ton of clothes to fold.  What a way to be welcomed home!

You might remember my post from a couple weeks back where I shared my closet and my folded clothes.  I promised a mini tutorial to DIY a folding tool, and here it is!

By the way, I made this after seeing an infomercial for a similar tool but didn't want to spend the $30 + S&H.  This ended up costing about $2, and is completely customized to my drawers!


What you will need:
- Foam core board (any size that will fit the clothing you will be folding)
- Measuring tool
- Pen/pencil/Sharpie
- Box cutter
- Tape (clear packaging or duct)
- Fabric or decorative paper (optional)

1. Measure the drawer you will be using for your clothes.  Divide this measurement by the number of columns of clothes you will be store in your drawer.  Take this number and subtract 0.25" or so, to give space between the columns of clothing.  This will be Measurement A!

* My drawer width is 29" and I want 3 columns of clothes, so my equation is as follows:
    Measurement A = 29"/3 = 9.33 - 0.25 = about 9"

Travel Tip #1: Get a Travel Mascot!

I am loaded with tons of useful travel tips: how to pack for 4 weeks in a carry-on suitcase, traveling through security the fastest and easiest way, and how to save money on food.

This is not one of those tips!

I am all about planning and budgeting my trips beforehand, but once I'm on vacation, it's time to have fun.

Meet my travel mascot: Little Miss!

Leaning Tower of Pisa!

I think having a little travel buddy is fun for everyone, and I'm sure kids would love it!  My particular mascot is a Little Miss Late figurine I had when I was a kid from the Mr. Men / Little Miss series by Roger Hargreaves.  Honestly, I have no reason why I picked her, except that she was the smallest toy I had (no space in the suitcase), and she was a great selection!

Friends and family have brought her to several places as well in the last two years.  Here is a sampling of my photos with Little Miss and a few tips for picking your own travel mascot!

*Scroll down for a bonus picture of Little Miss and a couple of rock stars!*


Europe

Coliseum in Rome

Obelisk in Paris

The Louvre in Paris

1. Pick a figurine that stands up on its own.  Otherwise you'll have to hold it or drape it over items in the environment.

Weekly Wrap-Up: Food, Food, Food & New York

I am RIDICULOUSLY tired and this weekly wrap-up can shed some light on why this is...

Quick recap: Ado restaurant in Venice, the errand marathon, Bruxie waffle sandwiches, travel planning, and NYC food (Shake Shack, Momofuku, Rice to Riches, S'MAC, Jacques Torres Chocolates, Zabar's).


Friday
My family and I had dinner at a really nice, quaint Italian restaurant in Venice called Ado.  It must have been converted from a house because it was a tiny yellow building squished between large apartment complexes (almost like in the movie Up!).

Most of the first floor was taken up by the kitchen, so all six of us sat upstairs on the tiny second floor with about 40 seats all crammed together.  The tables were packed tightly together and the only light was provided by candles, which made it super cozy!

Now to the food!  Excuse the pictures because phone + candlelight doesn't make for the best pictures.

Update: I Photoshopped a bit, to make the pictures turn out just a little lighter!

First up, duck carpaccio.  It was so super thin, and perfectly balanced with a pile of sweet caramelized onions.  We also ordered beef carpaccio, but I thought this was much, much better.

Then, the scallops with fondue.  They were super huge and expertly seared with a delicious, creamy sauce underneath.

Sewing Rewind: Travel edition!

It's sewing rewind time again!  A week goes by so fast, doesn't it?  Anyways, coincidentally when I was making out a schedule of the projects I wanted to share, it didn't even occur to me that this post would be so fitting due to recent travels!

Right now, I am in New York and headed to Nashville tomorrow.  Tons of traveling, and today's featured projects are getting a some use right now!

Cord Tamers, Packing Cubes & Jewelry Roll

Packing Cubes

Last year I had a few weekend trips when I decided that I wanted to make something that would make it easy to organize my suitcase quickly.

Previously, I had been using large Ziplock bags for items such as toiletries, underwear, and makeup.  For my shoes, I was using some drawstring bags that my grandmother made and are still in perfect condition.  And for my clothes, I was using the vinyl bags that bedsheets are packaged in.

Pros: Everything was in clear bags and therefore easy to find!  Many bags with different categories made it easy to pick out exactly what I wanted (PJs in one bag, workout gear in another).

Cons: Plastic bags have no structure and fell over easily, with smaller bags of makeup, etc. falling to the bottom of the bag and becoming hidden and hard to find.  The bedsheet bags for my clothes were flat and therefore difficult to access the items at the bottom of the bag.

So I put together a wishlist of what I wanted:

1. Clear

2. Easy to access

3. Semi-structured (to avoid smaller items falling to the bottom)

4. Different sizes

5. Inexpensive!

After finding out what worked and what didn't, I scoured the web to find a solution.  Nothing struck my fancy, until I spotted the packing cubes:

They seemed great for organizing, provided easy access to contents, sturdy, and came in different sizes.  However, they weren't clear, didn't have a small size, were super expensive!

So what's a girl to do?  Make her own!  I tend to do that...

Here's a view of the lower part of my suitcase with clothing, workout clothes, PJs, undies, and an extra for other clothing.

And here's the upper part of my suitcase with shoes in drawstring bags made by my grandmother (!), as well as toiletries, accessories, jewelry, charging cords, and a bathing suit + cover up.