my kate spade travel essentials

now that we're officially into summer (isn't memorial day the magic day that makes summer summer?!) i thought it would be fun to put together a little post of my favorite travel essentials!

i'm starting off with a brand new bag that's from one of my all time favorite designers – kate spade new york. this holly street clear francis tote is exclusive to the kate spade new york store in east hampton (17 newtown ln east hampton, ny 11937) but you can get it online here or here. i honestly walked into the kate spade beverly hills store with this last week and the girl said, “where did you get that?” ha. so, it is exclusive and hard to find which is kind of fun! if you're on a budget but still want a kate spade tote for your summer travels, they have a bunch on sale too and i think this one is so cute and has the same dimensions as the clear tote.

i love that it's clear because it's kind of convenient when you want to be able to see everything in your bag and not have it disappear into a bottomless abyss, which happens so frequently with my other bags!

in my carry-on tote i really like having easy access to my laptop, ipad, phone, wallet, a little notebook and pen, and some lipstick or lipgloss and my favorite lip liner. i really try to clean out my bag and not carry any other unnecessary things.

i really am loyal to kate spade because their products are so well-made and classy and cute. nice enough to take to a business meeting but fun and cute enough to not be boring. i have their laptop sleeve on my laptop and their ipad mini case on my mini so those two things don't get completely beat up when i travel. know how they make you pop your laptop out of your bag at security when you fly? you can keep it in this pouch to protect it on the conveyer belt. awesome. i'm also still using my plum street prints case which i love and adore for my iphone 5.

i always make double sure that i have the cords to charge my electronic devices and i really LOVE this AmazonBasics 6 foot Lightning Cable that i use for both my iphone and ipad mini. you never know when you're traveling where the nearest outlet will be to your bed, and it's so nice that it's super long.

i also just started using this flashcards large manuela cosmetic case to organize all my toiletries and makeup for travel. it's ginormous and even the most high maintenance girl can fit most of her stuff in this thing 😉 but i love it because it's all plastic with compartments and zippers everywhere so that when you're packing all that liquid stuff and (heaven forbid) something explodes, it doesn't completely ruin everything else in your bag. i know this one is a bit expensive so if you need something more affordable this orla kiely garden weekender is cute and kind of the same concept. it's not as spacious as the kate spade but is a good budget pick!

so i like to minimize stuff that i bring and keep it to basic, simple essentials. face wash, tooth brush, some makeup wipes, and travel size shampoo, conditioner, and hairspray – three things i don't like to rely on from the hotel 😉 and i never, ever leave home without my wet brush.

clear tote – kate spade c/o
laptop sleeve – kate spade
wallet – kate spade (on sale!)
ipad mini folio – kate spade (no longer available), similar here and here (on sale!)
iphone case – plum street prints
tickled pink notebook – gifted but i think from TJ maxx
cosmetic case – kate spade c/o