*Brag alert. Warning. If you do not wish to hear me gush about personal details pertaining to my love life, specifically how much I <3 my boyfriend and how much he luvs me, stop reading now.

My guy surprised me this past weekend with a romantic resort getaway. He is awesome. I am lucky.

About 5 minutes after reading his email and the words weekend getaway, the initial excitement dissipated and I quickly went into panic mode - as most women do when faced with the decision of what to wear/pack/buy/bring when they will be away from the comfort of their closets for multiple days and nights.

Normally I begin making out mental packing lists weeks before my departure date, this time I had a handful of hours. I figured other girls who have equally romantic and awesome boyfriends/husbands/significant others might feel the same level of panic when faced with a similar surprise situation, so here is my list of the key pieces to pack (besides toiletries) that will have you set for your next surprise sleepover.

The Bikini. Whether you're going on a warm weather getaway or en route to an icy winter hideaway, there will most likely be a heated pool and/or hot tub somewhere in the hotel. I know this because I watch The Bachelor. Bring a cute sarong and you have another cute outfit for sidewalk shopping.

The Dresses. Dresses are a staple for any type of getaway because they 1. Don't take up a lot of room in the suitcase. 2. Don't get super wrinkled during travels (if you stick to easy jerseys and knits) 3. Can be dressed up or down with a simple change of shoes or jewelry. I brought three, one short, one medium and one maxi. Make sure you have at least one kind of formal dress, just in case Michelle and Barack Obama are staying in your hotel and you are invited to dine with them.

The Tops. Bring a few trusted tanks and tees that you can mix and match with a skirt, shorts or jeans.

The Bottoms. Bring a skirt, short, jeans or all three. Why? 1. Because you can't wear those tops by themselves and 2. It gives you options.

The Cover up. I do not speak of concealer to mask unfortunate under eye baggage (although it couldn't hurt to bring that too). The cover up I am referencing is something to wear when and if it gets chilly. The choice is up to you: fisherman sweater, cropped cardigan, blazer, wrap or sweatshirt. My cover up of choice was a roughed up denim jacket. It goes with everything.

The Shoes. Gold flip flops (more chic than your run of the mill Old Navy flip flops) to show off at the pool or beach, wedges, nice heels, or sneakers if your guy is an outdoor adventure kind of guy.

The Lingerie. He went through all of the trouble to plan a surprise weekend getaway, the least you can do is pack something sexy to wear for him. If you make an appearance in the posh king-sized hotel bed in that over-sized Minnie Mouse t shirt with the holes under the arms, it very well maybe the last romantic excursion he ever takes you on... and I wouldn't blame the dude. Bring something silky, satiny, leathery or lacy. You know what he likes.

What did I forget? The sunscreen. Now I have a red blotchy Rorschach test-like sunburn on my abdomen. I think it's a butterfly, or the movie poster from the Mothman Prophecies.

It doesn't matter. It was worth it.

Happy packing.

ps Keeping miniature sized sundries already stashed in a bag under the bathroom sink will always save you valuable packing time that would be better served picking out shoes.