My vacation is looming closer, and I couldn’t be happier to be getting the hell out of dodge. So far, I’ve got all of my travel accounted for (though I still have to purchase train tickets for travelling in Italy). My hotels/hostel are lined up, I have a good idea of the times I’ll be travelling, and over the last few weeks, I’ve been spending time putting together a mental list of the outfits I’ll be bringing with me.

I’m travelling with only a backpack, so it’s imperative to travel light. That wouldn’t be too much of a problem, save for the wedding I’m attending. It’s a conundrum – I could pack light and tight, with the tiniest of flat sandals and a lightweight dress, or I could be a stunner and bring heels, a cute jacket, etc. The deciding factor is that it’s one of my best friends, and I simply cannot go to her wedding looking just so-so. Especially not if I’m travelling half way around the world for the event!

I bought a cute dress on ModCloth a few weeks ago, and was generally happy with it, but not exactly overjoyed. It’s cute, see?

I even went out and found a pretty little green sweater to wear with it, but something about the outfit just didn’t seem right to me still. I know, that’s very vague, but when I put everything on I felt cute, but not excited or pretty. Just meh. I think it might be because the bodice has all of the extra fabric criss-crossing it, and it makes me look poofy. Lord knows, I don’t need any extra padding on a sundress!

So today I went out shopping, with the intention of buying some cat food and maybe a pair of gold heels to go with the peacock dress. Instead, I ended up going by Francesca’s and finding this gorgeous little sundress that is absolutely perfect in every way (although it kind of looks like a QR code if you’re staring at it too intently). The best part about the dress is that while I can definitely dress it up for the wedding, I’ll be able to wear it elsewhere during my vacation, getting me multiple days’ worth of clothing in one fell swoop.

I shopped for an appropriate cardigan/jacket for a couple of hours before finding one that looks a lot like this, without the buttons, in a thin cotton that drapes really nicely. Imagine a few more folds at the longest front part – there’s more material, so it’s got some flair without competing with the pattern of the dress too much. In the dressing room it was a straight toss up on whether I looked like a cool art gallery manager or if I was edging into frumpy, so I actually dredged up the courage to ask the other women in the dressing room for their opinions. It was a fun fashion moment, and they all agreed that with the right pair of heels, I would be unstoppable (or something to that effect).

An hour later, I was prancing home with the PERFECT heels, bought at a steal. While trying them on and deliberating in front of the mirror, a lady with a thick German accent stopped to tell me how lovely the shoes were, and that I should definitely buy them. I took that as a sign from the Universe that the look, once pulled together, would be a success. Check out these babies – they’re a little more industrial than my normal taste, but they really do lend an edgy, artistic air to a dress that would otherwise be a sunny little number for the beach.

I think I might end up wearing these cute earrings I just won on auction at my newest obsession site, Tophatter. They’re sterling silver, and made by an Etsy dealer named AnniePants. What do you think – funky enough?