livelovesara - An over 40 Style and Travel Blog

What to Wear in the Amalfi Coast Outfit Options

December 16, 2016Sara Leave a Comment

Holy Crap it’s the last full weekend before Christmas, I can’t believe it’s already here. I have to go to the mall to pick up some stuff and I’m scared to enter the insanity. Maybe I can put it off until Monday to avoid some of the craziness.

This post features the outfit options from the pieces I included in the What to Wear for the Amalfi Coast in spring list. You will notice that there is a black purse and cognac coloured purse in these options, that is because the purse is reversible so you get two looks for one giving you more variety out of your wardrobe.

I mentioned that this list was a combination of 11 separate requests to several cities and regions in Italy. I didn’t have enough time (or the mental drive) to do a separate list for each but when I researched the temperatures at this time of year they all averaged within 1-2 degrees of one another so this list would work for all of those regions I mentioned in the last post. Everything can easily layer to accommodate cooler mornings/evenings and warmer afternoons. I included a swimsuit because it is likely you will encounter a pool or warm water during your trip. I made 20 outfit options but you could easily get more with a little creativity therefore this list would work for longer trips as well as long as you have access to laundry at some point. I hope this inspires you to get creative with your wardrobe.

Are you headed out to join the last-minute shopping crowd this weekend?
I’m glad that I’m done because Tom has to work unit Christmas eve. Originally he had this time off but he fell into a show pilot for December so I am happy that I don’t have much running around left to do because there isn’t a car to use. All my outings involve walking or public transit right now and walking in a blizzard isn’t all it’s cracked out to be 😉

Have a good weekend.

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What to Pack for the Amalfi Coast in Spring

December 14, 2016Sara Leave a Comment

Please excuse the tardiness. It’s Merle’s birthday today, and while we celebrated yesterday (Tom’s only day off until Christmas eve) I didn’t want to spend the whole day on the computer. I haven’t got my shit together enough to get posts ready weeks in advance, so I pretty much finish them just before I hit publish.

What to Pack for the Amalfi Coast is a combination of several requests for various cities in Italy in spring. I couldn’t do an individual one for each because it was 11 requests which would be a lot of work and a lot of repetition. The trips range from 2 weeks to a month so I am making this one for 2 weeks. With 2 weeks worth of clothes and access to a washing machine you easily have enough clothes and outfit options to cover you for a month.

The cities/regions that this covers are Rome, Amalfi Coast, Cinque Terre, Tuscany, and Naples. I emailed back several people in regards to their preferences in style and colour but never heard back so look at these lists in general terms not necessarily by style (since it’s based on things I like). T-shirts, skirts, jeans, sweaters, shoes are all open to your own interpretation. I give you ideas of what sort of items you should bring and then you pick items in those categories suited to your tastes. The key is to find a colour palette and base it on that so everything is cohesive.

Spring in Italy is one of the greatest travelling times because there won’t be as many tourists, the flowers are blooming, and the heat isn’t extreme. The average temperature of these cities during the month of April is 14°C, with a high of 20°C and low of 9°C. To me these temperatures are perfect, you can wear sweaters, mid-lightweight jackets, but have enough layerable items in case the day gets warmer when you are sightseeing.

I included a swim suit in case the weather accommodates one or you stay in places that have pools. The purse in reversible to a solid black on the other side, which is an easy way to get some variety in your handbag. Outfit options will be in the next post.

I typed this after 4 cups of coffee so excuse me if it seems disjointed 😉

If you like this post you can find more packing lists and outfit options in my:
Packing Light Series
What to Wear Options

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What I Wore This Week

December 12, 2016Sara 6 Comments

Well, it looks like the predictions are true and we will be getting a lot more snow than last years low amount because it is currently snowing an assload. I’m so glad I went out and bought the girls their snow boots last week, and while I did we stopped at Value Village and I found a pair of Sorels for $25 in my size that looked like they were never worn. That’s a pretty good score since I was prepared to fork over the $150+ that they are.

Merle’s birthday is this week and she wants to go to either the Ontario Science Centre or the Royal Ontario Museum for the day which is fine with me since it’s been a while since we have been to either. Last time we went to the museum she was so little that she ran into the glass of a display when she got super excited. It knocked her flat on her ass which was both hilarious and sad at the same time. At least it will be a weekday when we go so the crowds should be minimal. I hate it when the crowds are so thick you almost get ushered through it by the mobs of people.

I spent 4 hours wrapping presents the other night and I’m still not done but I ran out of paper. I also realized how much I actually suck at wrapping. I’m really not very good at it and several of them are patched with various pieces of paper when I cut the wrong size. I’m still waiting for 5 things to arrive in the mail though and I hope to shit they arrive on time. I don’t know how people wait until the last-minute and not need anxiety meds 😉

I think my Ancestry DNA kit will arrive this week so I look forward to posting about that later. I hope you have a great week!

Do you suck at wrapping presents too? I even tried that Japanese gift wrapping trick but I still failed.

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What to Wear in Washington DC Outfit Options

December 9, 2016Sara 2 Comments

I would say Happy Friday but for those that have to work and have unpleasant stuff to do it isn’t so happy, so I will say the week flew by and I can’t believe it’s almost Christmas. I’m actually disappointed that it is almost over 🙁

This post is the outfit options segment of the What to Pack for 10 Days in Washington DC from Wednesday. The request is for a mom who is chaperoning her sons trip to Washington D.C. in early April. I put together 20 outfit ideas to using the pieces from that list to cover a variety of outings. The requested list is for April which is an unpredictable month weather-wise so a coat of some sort should be brought. I included several sweaters for layering and a blazer as a light jacket/dressy options. A blazer is an easy way to instantly make your outfit look more put together so I suggest you get one for your wardrobe if you don’t already have one. They are very versatile.

For the colour palette I stuck with the basic neutrals and then added the jewel tones of a dark green and plum. Because the palette is neutral it is easy to match a more colourful and rich shade of a coat, which is a good way to add some fun to your outfits. For shoes I stuck with a basic flat, casual slip-ons, and a pair of leather boots which should take you through any outing or scenario. I hope this list gives you some good ideas.

Have good weekend (if you can) 🙂

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What to Pack for Washington D.C. for 10 Days

December 7, 2016Sara 5 Comments

After skipping last week while I was trying to get some gift guides out I am back to a packing list this week. I received a request from a woman who is going to Washington D.C. at the beginning of April as a chaperone for her son’s school trip. She is stumped for what to pack for this trip as they are only allowed a carry-on. This being a school trip I assume there will be a lot of sightseeing that will involve a mix of dressy-casual, and casual outfits depending on the itinerary. I included some simple and easy to wear items that are both comfortable, and dressy when needed by some easy pairings.

I always encourage that you pack a couple of tank tops or camisoles because they take up little to no room and are perfect for layering under sweaters, cardigans, blazers, and even as a sleepwear option if necessary. This time of year in Washington is when the Cherry Blossom Festival is and would be beautiful to see and experience.

I played with some different colour combinations here because I was feeling the jewel tones. The coat is a mid-weight which is perfect for April’s unpredictability and is in a beautiful plum colour. The blazer is for a lighter jacket option, but it pays to check the forecast leading up to the day you depart so you know what type of jacket you need to bring. I added some accents of a rich green, with some leopard (because I love leopard mixed with jewel tones). The wrap shirt is multi purpose because it can be worn as a shirt over a camisole or open as a light cardigan. The key to packing light is to pack things that you can wear in several different ways so you can make the most out of what you bring. I hope these pieces give you some ideas for your trip.

The outfit options are in this post.

Have you ever been to the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington?

If you like this post you can find more packing lists and outfit options in my:
Packing Light Series
What to Wear Options

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What I Wore This Week

December 5, 2016Sara 5 Comments

We made an exciting purchase today, we bought a new vacuum. Our old one decided it was going thing to spit the dirt out the back as I sucked it up which was really fun and seriously slows progress. I stuffed an old sock into the place the dirt was coming out of and it kind of worked as a temporary fix, but we were in the market for a new one. I also told Tom that if he bought me one for Christmas then he would be finding elsewhere to live 😉 Many, many years ago when we were dating he borrowed my disc man (without asking) when he was rollerblading and ended up dropping it and breaking it. He said he would buy me a new one to replace it since I used it everyday when I was walking to and from work 40 minutes each way. It just so happened that it was around my birthday so he bought me my replacement as a “birthday” gift. I’m sure I sound like an asshole but I was pissed that he used that as a way to replace it when he owed me one anyway. It’s like “Happy Birthday! Here is a replacement for the disc man I borrowed with asking and broke.” He kind of notoriously does that so I warned him this year that you don’t buy your wife a vacuum for Christmas unless she specifically asked for one which I did not. I could have lived with it for a bit longer (as long as the sock plugged the hole) he was the one pushing for a new one. Anyway, the new vacuum, it’s smaller, a Bissell, and lime green/grey. It’s good.

And that’s my ungrateful story of the day 😉

Note: I added a currently wearing/shop Instagram page to the blog. I get a lot of questions of where something is from on Instgram, you can’t post imbedded links on there and since a lot of my stuff is older I have to search for newer/similar items for people so it makes sense to have that info on one page. Also, I am trying to find plus size options where I can for those that asked that as well which will be included with each photo too when I can (it’s a work in progress). I am also looking for a new blog template. It’s time for an upgrade so if you know of any good sites that offer them for a reasonable price that would be great. Have a great week!

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