Win a Tumi TAG case

To celebrate the launch of its Artist's Proof TAG Case, Tumi is giving away a piece that is signed by graffiti artist John "Crash" Matos. Enter on the Tumi Facebook page before Friday.

Weekend Bags

Whether you're headed somewhere fab for spring break or are already looking forward to those long summer weekends, get there in style with a colorful new weekend bag.

Weekend Bags by Jet Set Girls on Polyvore.com

Items in this set:
Kipling Yuzu Large Print Duffle > Travel Duffels > Luggage - eBags, $115
Coach :: Travel, $470
Saltbox Basketweave Travel Bag > Fabric Handbags > Handbags - eBags, $170
Le SportSac Medium Weekender, $98
Mulholland Luxury Leather Goods | Flourish Small Hippo Duffel
Tory Burch Totes, $365

TSA Changes

With so many of us traveling over the holidays and the failed Christmas day attack on a Northwest Airlines flight, we checked the TSA website regarding heightened security.  The TSA has added security measures; but they aren't disclosing the changes which vary from airport to airport.  You can also expect to stow your carry on bags, turn off electronics and remain seated for longer periods once you're on your flight.  Our advice?  Arrive earlier than usual and expect longer lines at the security gates. 

We're always interested in changes to the carry on regulations, since we try to avoid checking whenever possible.  Here's a sampling of some of the things TSA wants you to pack in your checked baggage or leave at home. 

Cranberry sauce, cologne, creamy dips and spreads (cheeses, peanut butter, etc.), gift baskets with food items (salsa, jams and salad dressings), gravy, jams, jellies, lotions, maple syrup, oils and vinegars, perfume, salad dressing, and salsa.

We're puzzled by the cheese restriction: do they make draw a line between a triple cream and an aged cheddar?  When in doubt, send or pack it.  By the way, pies can be carried on but are subject to additional screening.

Photo courtesy of www.tsa.gov

Lani and Lola Tote Couture Women's Laptop Bags

All work and no play makes for a disappointing getaway. But if you must bring your laptop, carry it in style.

We like these Lani and Lola pleated laptop totes because aside from being cute, they are quite functional. You’ll find designated pockets for your cell phone, pens, business cards and more.

Another convenient surprise is a hidden back pocket that unzips, so you can slide it over rolling luggage handles — a great plus when traveling across busy airport terminals.


The bags are built tough from durable canvas, and they are water resistant, so they hold their own while you jet set from place to place. All you have to do is pick your favorite design. Lani is green and brown, while Lola is black and white.

For more information, visit http://www.coolcomputerbags.com/

Lost Luggage

Ever since our friend Paul over at Daily Makeover told us about Is This Your Luggage, we've become obsessed with the site. Photographer Luna Laboo buys luggage that is lost and never claimed. She then photographs the luggage with all its contents in tact in the hopes of finding the rightful owner.

While she has yet to reunite a bag with its owner, it is ridiculously fun to look at the contents of the lost luggage and wonder about the person who packed a particular bag. For instance, why did this guy need eight pairs of blue jeans? And what is that red outfit? It reminds us of the uniform Zach Braff had to wear in Garden State at the pseudo Indian restaurant he worked at in L.A.

Ever lost a bag? Check out Is This Your Luggage and maybe you'll see it again--along with the rest of the world!

Laptop Sleeves

Going on a girls' getaway, especially when you write about them, means traveling with your laptop. Since we're much more likely to be carrying our favorite tote instead of a computer case, we've been on the lookout for a computer sleeve. We want something that will protect our laptops from spills and drops; but is sleek enough that we can fit it into our bags that aren't designed to carry computers.

This handsome leather laptop sleeve by MacCase is the only one we found that comes with an accessory pouch. The light tan is our pick; but it comes in six other colors too.


The Manhattan Beach Computer Laptop Sleeve by California Leash comes in a handful of super chic patterns. The only problem here is finding the perfect carry-on to go with it.

Looking for something more basic? This pink and brown reversible neoprene cover from Case Logic is on sale for $15.99. The snug fit means it will fit well in your favorite tote.


The Laura Merkin laptop bags are almost too pretty to use for a computer. Bonus: they are on sale at Gilt for $98 or until they're sold out.



In the end, we bought this totally cute neoprene case in a red and pink print from Walmart for only $12. When it's that cheap, you can afford to change it up with the season or your mood.

Win a Smythson Jewelry Roll

We dream about the day we can afford the Smythson Weekender bag for our short jaunts—til then, we’re satiating our leather lust with their accessories, like the jewelry roll,

a passport cover


and the classic travel journals.



The buttery leather and sunny colors keep us happy, even after our plane has been delayed for the third time. JSG is excited to be partnering with Smythson to giveaway a jewelry roll in mustard, valued at $465. To enter, go to our message boards (click on the message boards hyperlink at the upper left of this page) and tell us what you went on your best girls’ getaway. We'll pick a winner at random and email you for your address.



The contest is open to US readers only. You must submit your response before Monday, April 20, 2009. We love all your girls' trips! Please leave a comment on our message boards to be entered. This will also hide your email information. Click on "message boards" at the top of the page. Thanks for reading!

On Our Radar: Win Your Dream Trip

We always hesitate to tell you about these contests, because it means more competition for us. But this one is too good to keep to ourselves! Kipling is sponsoring a Monkey World Tour contest where the grand prize winner gets a trip to the destination of their dreams, in the form of a $7,500 travel voucher. Our dream pick? Capetown South Africa, because New York Magazine has us all hyped up to go on a safari now.

Kipling also has a fun Facebook ap where you take a quiz and invite your friends to join in to see who makes the best travel companions. The questions cover the basics: do you like cities or beaches, Asia or Europe or South America or Africa, how much do you like to plan your trip out, that sorta thing. It's a great place to start when planning a trip.

The site also matches bags for your ideal destination. For our dream trip to South Africa, we're going off the menu, with our own pick the Katie Shoulder Bag. The green will remind us to be on our best eco-friendly behavior.



Where's your dream destination? JSG wants to know!

Discount Luggage

After months of searching, we finally made the plunge today on a new piece of luggage. Last week we told you about the bags we were considering. After going to Bloomie's to see the pieces in person, we ended up going in a different direction. We stuck with a Tumi bag, but we went with a bag from the discontinued (read heavily discounted) T Tech line. Why? Because we trust the Tumi brand--we've had a Tumi Garment Bag for over a decade and it's still in fine shape, at 30% off, it was a steal and, well, the deciding factor was, that, we love the burgundy color. It's feminine without being girlie, elegant without sacrificing function.

We got ours at Bloomies for $265 (including tax). It's available at eBags for about $20 less, including shipping, but we wanted it for our trip to Austin on Friday. That's the price of procrastination!

Flight 001 Friends and Family Discount

Yet another Friend and Family Discount landed in our inbox. This time it’s for our favorite travel store Flight 001. You’ll get 20% off at check out with the code “Private”.

While we love the store, and they do carry our favorite Halsea luggage, you can probably get a better deal at Bloomies or Macy’s. Now, if only we had extra cash flow, we would be shopping up a storm!

In Search of the Perfect Luggage

Ever since the unfortunate incident last August when our luggage was stolen off the street, we've been in need of a new wheelie bag. We weren't too crazy about the particular bag (a promotional piece from Royal Caribbean) and had been on the hunt for a new piece of wheeled luggage for a few months prior. (Our new Marc Jacobs bikini is another story.) In the meantime, we've been making do with a Coach leather trimmed duffel--a gorgeous bag--but our shoulders are starting to feel the pain. (We're sure we don't need to tell you about the benefits of a wheeled bag that's small enough to carry on.) And with three trips in the next month, it's time for JSG to take the plunge. Care to help us chose?

We're still eying this piece from Halsea's Boat Canyon Collection, that we were thinking about last June.

We also adore Halsea's Little Harbor Collection, which is more versatile for those cosmopolitan trips.


Then there's always the gold standard, Tumi. As luck would have it, our SO's brother works there and gets a substantial discount, making the Ducati bag within our reach. How can you not love a luggage line named after the motorcycle favored by Brad Pitt?


Of course, we are girlie girls and this pink bag from Titan is calling our name. Even better 10% of the sale goes to fight breast cancer.


And if money were no object, the J.Crew Globe-Trotter Centenary Collection this bag would be it. It retails for a cool $1,800, so the search continues. Care to weigh in?

Carry On Burton Luggage

We're always on the look out for a great carry-on bag and we found this Burton Wheelie Flight Deck bag at Athleta . We love that it's soft sided, making it lightweight for hoisting in the overhead bin, it's airline compliant, and it's easy to spot in the Antique Ivory Zebra print. We have at least 3 trips on our horizon in the next month and this would be perfect. What's holding us back is the concern the safari look is over and we'll look like Tarzan's Jane tromping through the airport.

American Express Lambertson Truex Limited Edition Bags for the Whitney Museum

We first spied the Lambertson Truex "Index of Happiness" bag in the American Express Sky Box over fashion week. It immediately caught our eye as an attractive bag we would like to own, but little did we know it was so much more than the rhetorical pretty face.



The canvas and leather trimmed bag is actually a functional piece of art. The mixed media print was created by artist Donal Baechler. Donald is a world traveler who draws inspiration for his art from a collection of slides from his many trips It's signed by Donald, along with Richard Lambertson and John Truex. There are only 200 in the world and 15 percent of the proceeds go towards the Whitney Museum of American Art's Photography Program, Collection and Special Exhibitions in a partnership sponsored with American Express and Vanity Fair. It sells for $1,000.

For those who want to support the Whitney, but have a little less cash to spare, the Gertrude tote is another option. Named after Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, the tote is canvas with leather trim. It's $120.

For more info, check out Vanity Fair Campaign NY.

Would You Buy This Luggage?

We've been lusting after this bag since last summer. Those crabs are just too cute. Having grown up in the D.C. area where we summered in Maryland, we have a special appreciation for the little critters, especially when they're doused with lots of malt vinegar and Old Bay.

With our birthday around the corner and our SO asking what we would like as a gift, we're seriously considering requesting this Halsea wheelie bag. What's stopping us? Well, the price tag--at $335, it's not anywhere near as expensive as other bags we like--but it does seem a little pricey for a novelty bag. Which brings us to the next question: While this bag would certainly work in a beach destination like Miami or Mexico, would we feel silly picking it up off the baggage carousel in glitzy Vegas or chic Paris?

What do you think? Yea or Nay?

In Our Dreams: Louis Vuitton Luggage

In truth, we’ve never been big Louis Vuitton fans. We’re not the type to carry obvious “It” bags (looking at you YSL Muse) or anything with logos splashed all over it. That may soon change, if we hit the lottery, that is!

Last week we went to a breakfast for Louis Vuitton where we met the president of the USA division, Daniel Lalonde. The purpose of the breakfast was to discuss with the brand how we think they could best interact with bloggers, such as ourselves. We’re impressed and excited that such an iconic luxury brand is taking our medium so seriously. Rightly so, if we do say so ourselves. Everyone from the brand was lovely and really did listen to what we had to say.

Here’s what caught our attention: Louis Vuitton is headed back to their roots as luggage designers. We fantasize about the days when trunks were de rigeur and boring black wheelie bags were yet to be running over the toes of airport passengers everywhere.

We love the first add of the Journeys campaign that features Keith Richards. Some LV loyalists feel that Keith Richards is a poor choice for the iconic brand, but we love him! On the LV site, you can watch Keith talk about his favorite things about London, including the right way to eat Fish and Chips and his lifetime there. The tag line is just about perfect: Some Journeys Cannot Be Put Into Words.

Pack It Up!

While we lust after the T. Anthony Rawhide leather collection--at $1,700 for the makeup case alone (shown above), we can't quite afford it or the valet we imagine required to pack such a piece of art. In the meantime, we'll stick with shopping at stores like Loehman's and Marshalls. This adorable Diane Von Furstenberg bag (shown right) is only $70 at SmartBargains.com, the online outlet for Loehman's. We've had good luck going into the stores as well. Santa, are you listening?