I'm pretty sure that everyone who watched Eat, Pray, Love in the movie theaters this weekend was focused on either A) the unsurprising lack of gentlemen in the audience B) daydreaming about taking their own find-love-and-happiness adventure or C) lamenting over the fact that there aren't more carbon copies of Javier Bardem running around in this world. But me? I zeroed in on Liz Gilbert's most excellent packing decisions.

Tracey mentioned earlier that the costume team assembled over 100 different outfits for Julia Roberts' character, but I was focused on a few smart packing ideas that'd be useful for nearly every trip--whether it's a year-long expedition around the world or a long weekend at your granny's in Boca. I know it sounds a lot less glamorous than, say Lauren Conrad's new fall collection, Sarah Jessica Parker's latest I-want-it outfit or Michelle Obama's newest fashion love, but making the mad dash to pack up before a trip can be stressful and these little tips help whittle down the freak-out factor to just a few minutes.

Learn to love the shirt dress. As someone who has just spent her vacation (and yeah, her whole hot summer) in a blue shirt dress, I can testify for the wear-everywhere awesomeness of the button-down shirt dresses Liz Gilbert wore day in and day out during her Rome stint:

If you stick to one color, everything'll automatically match with everything else. Julia Robert's Liz character wore a lot of blues and greens in the film--plus, she had a few empire-waist jersey dresses that made dressing up for mildly fancy places a total breeze. (Plus, they make indulging in course after course of Italian treats a comfy possibility.)

Remember that pockets are your friends.The cool linen pants and outdoorsy-meets-chic cargo pants Liz wore during her meditative time in India reminded me of how important it is to have places to stash things (like money, cell phones, postcards you'll mean to send but never will get around to putting in the mail) when you're walking around a foreign place. Toting around a big bag is never fun when playing tourist, so pockets are a good way to level things out. (Your back will thank you.)

Leave the fussy shoes at home. You need a vacation, not your heels. Save the stilettos and strappy sandals for a night out in your own home town and stick to shoes that you can easily take on and off at the airport. And while we're on the topic of accessories, a crushable straw hat that'll keep the sun out of your eyes (and make you look glamorous in vacay pics) is always a good idea. Seriously, didn't Julia Roberts look extra gorgeous in her hat and shades combo?

Go easy on the accessories--they're heavy and will just weigh you and your bags down. Plus, unless your vacation itinerary is full of five-star restaurants and a few red carpet appearances, you probably won't wear as many bracelets, rings, necklaces and other baubles as you think you will. Outside of a pair of pretty earrings, a pair of great shades and a scarf that doubles as an evening wrap, a plane blanket and a beach cover-up are the only accessories you really need.