[trip style = camping & glamping]
Trip styling, in every shape and form {read: from vacationing like Oprah to camping by the sea}, is my obsession. Even when I take to the mild wild. The only requirement: fashion has to rival function.
Recently my husband and I decided to go camping---'tis the summer season---and when I put my campsite = glampsite blueprint in front of him, he turned a shade of winter. Once I told him I'd do the majority of the 10-minute set-up---oh yes, chic camping is that easy---he literally said "Ok, I'll play ball" as his cheeks rosied at the thought of sipping crisp rose out of a mason jar at our tenting scene-stealer.
There's camping, then there's trip-styled camping. Here are some tried and tested ways to turn your good ole' site into a fetching summer sight:
Chic Camping 101 {I made the garland at home with twine and pieces of heavy canvas. The blanket is from Mexico, the pillows are from Ikea, and the throw in the basket is Pendleton. For the record, I fell asleep here one afternoon. PS - if you are camping at a site with a dirt floor, bring a tarp to put under your blanket---the concept still works.}
{I turned these utilitarian camping chairs into something a little more sassy with faux-fur throws, $12 from Ikea. Bonus, if your thermarest looses air throughout the night, these do a bang-up job of cushioning your core.}
{I elevated the eating surface, aka picnic table, to a woodsy table pour deux with this wipeable table cloth (I think it was $3.00 from the camping store), beach wood, beach rocks and a bunch of wildflowers. I brought the lantern from home.}
{While sleeping bags are best for more extreme camping, I opted for a zebra-print throw as my duvet. Life is too short not to.}
{Morning coffee.}
{When we walked 20 steps to the deserted (yay!) beach, I re-purposed my Mexi blanket and pillows for the afternoon.}
{Bird's eye view of the beach, a triple threat mingling driftwood, pebbles and sand.}
{Where I sipped wine at sundown.}
Recap --- camping at Fort Casey on Whidbey Island is $26/night {in my humble opinion the best campsites are 11, 12 and 13} --- For Casey is 1.5 hours from Seattle and 2.5 hrs from Vancouver --- chic camping essentials: a heavy blanket to create a petite paradise (and a tarp), outdoor pillows, faux-fur pelts, a lantern and a garland if you're feeling extra crafty --- the menu: - breakfast: eggs in a nest - lunch: veggie salad wraps - appetizer: bocconcini s'mores {you roast cheese over the fire and place it on top of a cracker or slice of baguette with basil and sun-dried tomato tapanade} - dinner: roast chicken with veggie kabobs and salad
[photos by @tripstyler]