Packing for Lopez

I'm headed to Lopez Island this weekend for a girls' getaway birthday bash in honor of my friend Amy. The house we will call our home for a few short days is prime beach-front property. It is, quite literally, on the beach. It is the type of place that prompts me to look to the heavens and announce that if only I could have that house, that glorious, wonderful, house, I would never ask for anything ever again and would be happy until the end of my days. Promise. It's not a particularly large house, and it's not in a ritzy neighborhood (if, in fact, there exists a ritzy neighborhood on the sleepy little island, which I doubt, and which does not count the occasional sequestered hillside island mansion); in fact, it's toward the end of a hidden dead-end street with just a handful of nearby residences, mostly beach retreats for the upper-middle class. I have been to this house once before, two years ago, and immediately fell in love. It is one of the loveliest, most relaxing places I can think of--floor to ceiling windows facing the ocean, and just steps from the beach--you walk from the deck through a small patch of dune-rushes, past the fire pit, and there you are. There is a rope swing down the beach a ways that swings you out over the water during low tide, and you can soar just inches above an abstract tableau of purple sea-stars, limpets, hermit crabs, jellyfish, and eel grass. Seriously, I could spend the rest of my days there and be content.

Anyway, in preparation for this mini-vacation, I am rounding up the essential items needed for a successful all-girls trip to Lopez. Here are the items I have on my list so far:

1) Cowboy boots. Always. For any occasion. I wore these on my wedding day, I wore them to school yesterday, I will probably be wearing them when I die. No weekend getaway is complete without my kickers.

2) In addition to bringing the shoes I actually wore on for my wedding, I am bringing the shoes I intended to wear that day. I'm not sure what I was thinking, since we got married on a rocky northwest beach. I suppose I was dazed by love (for the shoes and for my man).

3) My pink tutu. Handmade by yours truly. Some people think that a tutu is only for ballerinas, four-year-old's, or Halloween dress-up, but I think a tutu is appropriate attire for far more situations than that. Like walking on the beach on Lopez Island.

4) Homemade cheesecake. The birthday girl's favorite.

5) A snapshot of my sweetie. Just in case I forget to come home, this will remind me. Just kidding, baby!

6) A variety of amazing earrings. Balls to the wall, sisters--if we are going all-out, I intend to look fancy! I have gold lame puffed hoops that I purchased at Forever 21, but look as if they are straight off the set of "Dynasty;" enormous gold J-Lo hoops (seriously, these are J-Lo brand); and some sassy sparkly hoops from Macy's that were designed by Jessica Simpson.

7) A bird identification book. Sibley's this is not--it's a pocket-size bird book designed to travel in the amateur birder's pocket, or more likely, fanny pack, alongside some homemade trail mix and a tiny box of tissues.

That's all I have on my list. Am I forgetting anything?