Sara, Author at livelovesara

What I Wore This Week

December 11, 2017Sara Leave a Comment

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With the Outlander season finale on Sunday we have officially entered droughtlander time 🙁 I can’t wait until next season. I wish Sherlock had a new season starting in the new year. There aren’t very many shows that I look forward to, but both of those rank at the top.

I got some really great things from Value Village this past week. The red Adidas and Green New Balances above were scored while looking for winter boots. A little bit of a sidetrack but they are very festive aren’t they? 😉 I also got some pretty good shirts too that you will see over the next week or so.

Today is Green Monday. In my naive self I assumed that Green Monday had something to do with shopping ethically or buying environmentally friendly gifts from ethical shops. Not even close. It’s actually the busiest day of shopping in December because it is the last day that most businesses offer guaranteed delivery before Christmas (although that is changing with new shipping options becoming available). I assume the green represents the colour of money :/ So if need to get some online shopping done then Monday is probably a good day to do it because a) there are a lot of sales to encourage buyers, and b) your items will be guaranteed to arrive on time.

Did you get a chance to read my Aimee Kestenberg Bag review that I posted on Saturday night? If you didn’t and you have a Canadian address head over there and enter the giveaway to win the chestnut bag shown there plus a $25 gift card to TSC. The contest closes this Friday. Good luck!

Here are some of the Green Monday sales that I know of:

Express up to 50% off
Forever 21 15% off $75 with code SAVE15, 20% off $100 with SAVE20, and 30% off $150 with SAVE30
Frye up to 50% off select
KIEHL’S $20 off $65 with code JINGLE
LOFT an Extra 50% off CODE: GIFTAWAY
MADEWELL 20% OFF $100 & 30% off $200 CODE: OHWHATFUN
SPERRY $15 off $75, $20 off $100, $30 off $150 CODE: STOCKINGUP
TALBOTS 30% off one item or 40% off two or more items CODE: HOLIDAY
TIMEX get 20% off + Shipping is free site wide CODE: REINDEER20
WILLIAMS SONOMA Free Shipping, no minimum CODE: FREESHIP – 25% off Cookware – 20% off Gift Crates – 20% off Kitchen Linens – Up to 75% off select Cutlery – 20% off Bar Event
Ebay various deals and discounts across categories

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Aimee Kestenberg Bag Review and a Holiday Giveaway

December 9, 2017Sara 12 Comments

Edit: Contest closed! The winner is Samantha Griffith-Niles. Congratulations! 🙂

First off, I am not a bag connoisseur. When I Find a purse that I like I use it very single day, so I have to really love it. I recently had the privilege and opportunity to work with TSC to review the Bali Double Entry Hobo by Aimee Kestenberg.

This purse is gorgeous. It comes in black, chestnut, denim, lipstick red, and metallic, and today I am going to show you the black and chestnut versions. When I first opened the box I could smell the leather immediately (although they were wrapped up nicely), and when I opened them both I was so pleased by what I saw. The black is a deep shade, while the chestnut is a bold brown that I would equate to a rich cognac colour. Both have a buttery, pebbled leather, patterned lining, and metal hardware.

The fun part of these bags are that they have a double entry. What does that mean? That means that not only does it look cool, the flap that folds over and closes also opens up and is like a lined, deep pocket that goes all the way down the back of the purse. This is a really neat addition to a purse, and allows it to carry so much more than its size would lead you to believe. The Mary Poppins bottomless bag comes to mind.

Aside from the double entry, there are also several zipped pockets on the sides, across the back, and inside that will keep everything neat and organized. It also comes with a dust bag. I am very much into organization and utility because I tend to carry my life (and my children’s lives) in my bag, and this checks the boxes.

The general shape of the purse is a classic hobo style with a short (but adjustable), thick leather strap that allows for both shoulder wear or to be carried on the arm or by hand with ease. This is such a classic style that you will can wear it anywhere from a night out, to running errands in your casual clothes without batting an eyelash.

*I am very pleased to be able to offer my Canadian readers a chance to win your own Aimee Kestenberg bag (the chestnut colour seen above) plus a $25 gift card for TSC. To enter you can follow this link, and then comment below and let me know you entered. You can also head over to my Instagram post and tag any of your Canadian friends in the comments to give them a chance as well. You have until Friday December 15th to enter, and I will announce the winner on this post and my social platforms.

The Aimee Kestenberg brand delivers contemporary designer handbags & accessories for the modern woman. The brand embodies the attitude and personal style of its global award winning designer Aimee Kestenberg. Aimee delivers edgy yet wearable accessories of the highest quality by combining unique design techniques with detailed custom hardware and exclusive supple leathers from all around the world.

Aimee’s unique training as both an industrial and accessory designer has distinguished her amongst her peers. Her 3-D vision of objects gives her the ability to create product not only for its aesthetic look but also for its function, the magic combination for today’s modern woman. – TSC

Although TSC sponsored this post, all opinions are my own. I am so very pleased with these Aimee Kestenberg bags, and mine has officially become part of my daily wardrobe.

Don’t forget to enter and spread the word. Happy Holidays from me and TSC.

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Weekly Reads and Finds Plus an Under $20 Gift Guide

December 8, 2017Sara 4 Comments

Holiday Gift Guide gifts for under $20 #giftguide #holiday2017 #holidaygiftguide #christmasgiftguide #christmas2017

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What to Pack for Lisbon, Portugal Outfit Options

December 7, 2017Sara 1 Comment

What to Wear in Portugal

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What to Pack for Lisbon, Portugal in Winter

December 6, 2017Sara 2 Comments

Portugal Packing List

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When people think about taking a vacation to Portugal most will think about travelling in summer. I’ve heard that it’s pretty damn marvellous in winter though, and that is what this packing list is about. A family trip to Lisbon in the winter.

They are travelling from Halifax Nova, Scotia, directly across the Pacific Ocean 😉

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What I Wore This Week

December 4, 2017Sara 2 Comments

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I have decided this week is all about catching up on the shit that I had fallen behind in. Tom is done work for the holidays this Friday which means that he will be home ongoing until the new year. Not to point any fingers but I swear to god the house gets a million times messier when he is home so my intention is to get it in good working order for the holidays. I have also warned the girls that they need to get their stuff figured out in their room or else there will not be any room for Christmas stuff. I bought a lot of things that will add to their collections so they need to get their shelves into a neat organized manner to make room. It’s like spring cleaning in December.

I also want to get this blog in better working order. I think it is probably time for a new look/template but I have been scared of doing it because a) change scares me a bit, and b) I am terrified that I am totally going to mess up everything and will have no idea how to fix it. I am nowhere near wealthy enough to be able to afford someone to do this for me, nor for someone to fix it if I eff it up. So I am entirely on my own and while I am pretty technology literate I am by no means to the level of web design, or knowing why something may not be working. So I am on the lookout for a new blog look. I will probably shop at Pipdig because I have seen and liked a lot of their designs on bloggers that I have read, and they are very affordable. I mean who has the money to drop a few thousand on their fashion blog (I know lots of people do but why would you want to)? When I will do this I haven’t decided yet 😉

Were you able to find any good deals over the past couple of weeks? There was a lot going on and it was borderline overwhelming. Honestly, this holiday season inspired me to unsubscribe from a lot of business emails. I’m cleaning out hundreds every day and that is just in my day-to-day email. My email address that I generally use to sign up for things (my “junk” one) has of 10,000 unread emails and I cringe at the thought of going through and cleaning that out. I guess that will be part of my blog working order/organization deal that I am planning.

Also part of that is growing my audience and since Pinterest is one of my biggest traffic generators I am focusing a chunk of my time on that. I recently found Tailwind which is making it easier. I also set up a Tailwind Tribe to get some like-minded people together to share each other’s posts which will extend our audiences to people that generally wouldn’t see our stuff. The gist behind them is simple, you share your post within the tribe page and then share one or more of someone else’s in the tribe queue. It’s a give and take thing and will only work if you give more that you take. Right now I am trying to get the ball rolling with it, but I am having some issues with a few people who are just sharing their own and no one else’s which defeats the purpose. So if you are looking to grow your Pinterest or blog and want to join a tailwind tribe you can join mine with this invite (it’s usually a request to join, but the invite should take you right in). Join if you are interested and I look forward to seeing you there.

P.S. Don’t forget to read the rules, they are pretty straightforward 😉

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