livelovesara - An over 40 Style and Travel Blog

What I Wore This Week

January 16, 2017Sara 2 Comments

Merle has had two back to back colds over the last couple of weeks which I assume is from the extreme weather fluctuation of below freezing to above seasonal temperatures that seem to occur daily. I thought I got lucky and was in the clear from contracting either one but when I woke up at 6 Sunday to say goodbye to Tom as he left for work I told him he better not kiss me because my throat was really sore. I thought maybe it was from the dry air but it has stuck all day. I hope that it kind of just fizzles out without turning in to anything more.

Did anyone hit any of the good winter clear out sales online? I just had to pay a $500 hydro bill so needless to say I didn’t do much shopping last week, not even groceries. BUT before I realized how much the hydro bill was I did pick up a few things from Mango that haven’t arrived yet so I hope they work out. I picked up some “cropped” jeans (I put it in quotes because they probably won’t be cropped on me but one can hope since I want a pair in my wardrobe), a camisole, and a long cardigan. Of all the sweaters I have I don’t have along one, but I have looked for one for the last year.

I’ve also been eyeing the low Sam Edelman Petty Chelsea Boot in all black but I can’t seem to find a good price that ships to Canada. Sometimes they make it so hard to online shop here. I do like the Klash boot from Topshop though. They have great reviews (one being from a 60-year-old which rocks) and the price is amazing. I may give up my Chelsea boot search for these. They would also look awesome with the cropped jeans, you know, if in fact they are cropped 😉

Are any of you guys going to the Women’s March in DC on the 21st (or the Sister Marches in any other city worldwide)? I think this will be one of those iconic, pivotal moments, and I wish I could attend the DC march but not being American makes it hard. I can’t wait to see the turnout of women united across the world though. Stand together, stand strong.

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Back to Basics Starter Work Capsule Outfit Options

January 13, 2017Sara Leave a Comment

Back to Basics Starter Work Capsule for under $250 Outfit Options

I probably should have included these outfits with the original post of The Back to Basics Work Capsule for Under $250 but I honestly had not finished them when I posted it, so you may want to look back at the original to get the background of this.

In that post, I discussed taking your wardrobe down to its bones so you can see how many items that you already own could be brought forth and used in your work wardrobe.

After you finish that I showed you a small little collection of items that when added to pieces that you already own can give you a very versatile and well-rounded work wardrobe.

I put together 12 outfits from that small collection which will turn in to an innumerable amount of options once you integrate your other pieces.

If I added those to what I currently have in my wardrobe that could be brought forth I could easily put together 2 months worth of work outfits without repeating a day and I don’t have a lot of “workish” pieces.

That is a lot of options for only spending an extra $250.

Now, to a lot of people, $250 may seem like a huge expense which is why I am a huge advocate for finding things in thrift/second-hand stores, Ebay, and thredup.

This will give you the same options for a fraction of the price, and really, who doesn’t like to save money?

I really wish that I had a setup here in the apartment that would allow me to photograph me wearing some of these outfits vs the collages to give you a better visual of how they look once you add accessories.

Kind of like a store mannequin. But I don’t have a DSLR camera, ample lighting, or a proper white background so the collages will have to do for the time being.

I know they can be a bit impersonal and it is something that I am looking to change so I can to give alternate visuals.

I hope that these two last posts allow you to see that you do not have to spend a lot of money to freshen up your work wardrobe, you just need a little ingenuity.

Have a great weekend guys!

This post contains affiliate links. By using my links to shop I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you). Thanks for supporting what I do

Back to Basics Starter Work Capsule for under $250

January 10, 2017Sara 2 Comments

Scenario: You are starting a new job that has a more professional dress code than your closet is equipped for. You have pieces that you can use and get away with but you need to up your game and build a work capsule for under $250.

First: I suggest stripping your current wardrobe down to the bones and bring forward anything that you can use for your new work wardrobe.

Try things on in a more formal way, like adding a blazer or slipping on some heels and see if that moves it from a casual wardrobe to work.

I give five simple steps for building a work wardrobe in this post that will help you get an idea of where you stand, and what you may need.

Next: Once you have gone through those steps I suggest looking for your pieces at thredup, ebay, or used/consignment stores.

That are so many treasures and deals that you can find there and many times you can find things that look like they have never been worn and even still have tags.

This will save you tons and allow you to get some extra pieces if you wish.

I’ve put together some suggestions that start with a small collection of pieces that most women already have in their closets. There is no point in buying something when you have pieces that will work.

In my experience most women have at least one of the of the following in their wardrobes:

any style of blazer (even if you just bought it for job interviews)
a long sleeve blouse
heels
flats
boots (good for seasonal weather)
a structured bag or two (blue bag, black bag)

Most women also have at least a small collection of accessories like jewellery and scarves which can completely change and dress up and outfit.

The pieces that I have selected to add I picked for their cohesiveness. That is important when you want to make as many outfits as possible with as little pieces as possible.

The new addition pieces I have selected are:

Grand Total: $226.85
(which can be made way lower if you find these pieces second-hand)

In the next post I am going to show a bunch of outfit combinations from these pieces so you can see how they can all be paired.

I hope that this gives you a start on your new work wardrobe.

Do you have a favourite second-hand retailer for finding great pieces?

This post contains affiliate links. By using my links to shop I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you). Thanks for supporting what I do

What I Wore This Week

January 9, 2017Sara Leave a Comment

When it’s Sunday night and your husband has been away working on site all week. You glance around with your outsider eyes and notice how bad the kids have kicked the shit out of the apartment. The apartment that you let slide because it is/was the last few days of Christmas vacation and you really didn’t feel like constantly cleaning while on holidays. With him due home any time you cringe, maybe weave some swear words together, then rally the troops (ie. the kids) who may or may not be very helpful. They have the tendency to start strong and then fizzle out to nothing when they get side tracked with missing toys, or are suddenly starving and perishing of thirst. Cleaning brings out the drama in everyone.

So I just cleaned the shit out of the place and now have to prep for school tomorrow. The girls are going to be pissed but I am amping up the work load since Roo is getting so close to high school age (I can’t believe it) shit is starting to get serious. I found 14 pencils when I vacuumed out the couch so we are off to a good start 😉

You know how you get sucked down holes when you are looking online? Like, you start searching something and then end up in a completely different universe? That happens to me on Wikipedia a lot, but today I started looking up slider recipes because I remember seeing one of those Facebook cooking videos that was “Sliders 4 Ways” which I neglected to save and couldn’t find, and somehow I ended up discovering a really cool fashion book. It is called The Fashion Sketchbook by Atsuko Kikuchi, and is written in Japanese. I kind of want it in the original language, but I found a French Version. It’s called Mon Fashion Sketchbook which will be easier for me too muddle through since I am studying French (no matter if I still suck). The writer/artist is on Instagram under the name oookickooo where she posts pages/art from the book. I jet spent a hour scrolling though and clicking on everything. I searched all over online trying to find a copy with a decent price and shipping which I found at bookdepository.com for $19 (Canadian) and free worldwide shipping. I buy from there a lot and I recommend them.

Side Note: My Ancestry DNA sample arrived at the lab so my mailing worries were for naught. Now to wait 6-8 weeks for my results 🙁

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What to Wear in Vancouver, British Columbia

January 6, 2017Sara Leave a Comment

Quick and to the point today because I have a puking child :/ These are the outfit options to last posts What to Pack for Vancouver, British Columbia list. It’s actually for the destinations of Denver, Colorado and Vancouver but since both destinations have similar temperature ranges during the point of this trip you should be pretty well covered. Someone mentioned that a water/wind proof jacket would be a good addition because the rain and wind in Vancouver have the tendency to be strong especially if you are venturing off from the city to do some sightseeing.

Coming from a colder climate the temperatures will feel warmer to you, coming from a warmer climate it will feel colder so pack accordingly since this is never a one size fits all sort of deal. An extra sweater, or a knit hat would be good additions.

Vancouver is an amazingly beautiful city, the views and the landscape are breathtaking so I really hope your enjoy this trip.

Happy weekend guys. I hope the sickness doesn’t take anyone else down.

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What to Pack for Vancouver, British Columbia

January 4, 2017Sara 2 Comments

My father was in the air force and when I was a kid I moved a lot. Not as much as a lot of military families but a fair amount. From ages 4 – almost 9 I lived in Victoria, British Columbia which is just a ferry ride across from Vancouver. My grandmother lived in Vancouver so we went there a lot and I loved it. I can honestly say the years there were the best of my childhood, the ones I remember most fondly. I would love to be able to live in Vancouver but it’s so expensive that I can’t see it ever becoming a reality even though it is the only other city in Canada that Tom would be able to work in for film. Vancouver and Toronto are the two Canadian film cities.

This packing list actually covers two cities but they are of similar climates. I received a request for a 5-week trip to Vancouver and Denver, Colorado in the middle of winter. The two cities don’t have long, drawn out, cold winters like many other cities. In fact they both start to get warmer in February and many times you will see flowers starting to bloom at that time (in Vancouver at least). I can remember my mom once having to mow the lawn in February which is pretty crazy.

I didn’t include any winter or cold weather boots in this list because honestly the snow is minimal (if any at all), the roads/sidewalks will be clear for walking, and the temperatures will range from around 7°C and up to the mid teens. But if you feel that you need some sort of winter boot then just omit one of the choices I included. Five weeks are a long time but with access to laundry you can get away without bring too much. You can change-up the looks a lot with different accessories so you shouldn’t get to board with not bringing a lot. Don’t forget that all the items listed aren’t to be packed. Your travel outfit comes from the pieces I include, and should be selected from the heavier/bulkier, harder to pack items that will take up the most room in your suitcase.

It’s been noted that a waterproof jacket might be a good idea to bring, an umbrella can easily be bought if needed but a waterproof jacket will come in handy especially if you are going to be doing a lot of out of the city walking and sightseeing. Something like this that has a lining, is hooded, and wind/waterproof will be sufficient because you can layer a sweater underneath. You also have to remember that what is considered cold to one person won’t be to another so if the temperatures are dramatically colder than you usually experience, then you need to pack accordingly since it will take a bit to acclimate.

I have friends who go to Disney World every winter from here (Toronto area), and every single time they go they say that while they are running up and down the beach enjoying the weather which seems warm to them most Floridians wear coats and jackets because it is freezing to them. Dress for your personal comfort.

The outfit are found in this post.

Did you move around a lot as a child?

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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