8 Outlander Inspired Everyday Outfits

I just started binge-watching Outlander and—though I'm just beginning Season 2—I've been sucked in. The sweeping, scenic views of Scotland. That ginger-haired laddie Jamie. And, of course, the gorgeous costumes. Lately, I can't stop wondering how I could get away with dressing like Claire every single day. I would love to go frolicking about in lavish gowns. And working from home, the most judgement I'd probably face would be a side-eye from my cats—and some level of complaint from G, who'd probably get stuck helping me with all that buttoning and corset-lacing.

But realistically, I need a more modern approach.

Win an #EverythingEverything movie/book prize pack!

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Thank you Warner Bros. Pictures for providing the prizing and samples for this sweepstakes.

Good morning, lovelies! I'm so excited about the giveaway kicking off today.

Nicola Yoon's bestselling book Everything, Everything has been on my TBR list for a while—and now, Warner Bros. Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, and director Stella Meghie are bringing the swoonworthy romantic drama to the big screen on May 19. The film stars Amandla Stenberg (The Hunger Games) as Maddy, Nick Robinson (Jurassic World) as Olly, Ana de la Reguera (Sun Belt Express), and Anika Noni Rose (Dreamgirls). 

And thanks to Warner Bros. Pictures, one lucky The Lovely Side reader will receive this adorable prize pack, including a copy of the book (movie tie-in cover), Everything, Everything tank top and backpack, and a $25 Visa gift card to go see the movie in theaters.

Win the Season 3 DVD of #BroadCity

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With the holidays over, winter starts to feel especially dismal. Am I right? Cold weather, dreary skies, icy sidewalks—all perfect excuses to stay inside and binge watch. 

Courtesy of Comedy Central, I'm giving away the new Season 3 DVD of Broad City, plus a $25 VISA gift card—consider it spending money for snacks for your Broad City binge-sesh with friends.

The DVD is available in stores now, but this is your chance to get a FREE copy! 

Bridget Jones's Baby Baby Giveaway

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This post and giveaway are brought to you in partnership with Universal Pictures.

**This giveaway has ended. Stay tuned for more giveaways!**

SISTERS Movie Giveaway (Closed)

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are reuniting (yay!) for the upcoming film SISTERS, which hits theatres on December 18. And thanks to Universal Pictures, I have the pleasure of giving away a special party pack to celebrate the movie's release! 

One (1) lucky The Lovely Side reader will receive:

• ban.do Giant Gem Speaker
• SISTERS Sweatshirt, T-shirt, and party cup

Vintage Meets Modern: Tivoli Audio Model One BT Bluetooth Radio Review

This post brought to you by Tivoli Audio. The content and opinions expressed below are that of The Lovely Side.

From the sleek, compact design to the circular knobs and speakers, I've always had a soft spot for vintage radios - especially the mid-century modern ones. Despite being easy to find hiding in antique stores and thrift shops, they're not always in working order - and obviously, not caught up with today's tech. So when Tivoli Audio gave me the opportunity to pick out and review one of their new Model One BT Bluetooth radios, I swooned over the collection of radios that combined a timeless vintage look with modern convenience. And seriously... how lovely does it look on my tv stand?!

Green has never felt so cool | Save energy and money beating the heat with COOLMORE

This post is sponsored by COOLMORE. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.

As a college student and young professional, I've lived in a variety of dorms and apartments... some with central air, some with window air conditioning, and some without a/c altogether.

"What?! No a/c in the twenty-first century?!"

At home with the Lenovo™: 500 Bluetooth® Speaker | Review & Giveaway

Music makes my world go round. I have a playlist for everything. At work, I'm usually listening to a folksy, focused playlist for writing and an upbeat mix for coding emails. At home, I like to jam to the nostalgic tunes of my youth (Backstreet Boys and Spice Girls) while cleaning. And when I finally wind down for the night to blog or work on my novel, I put on an inspiring mix of Daughter, Halsey, Lana Del Rey, and Bastille.

Music sets the mood. Music inspires. And music evokes (and makes) memories.

But what good is it when you can't hear it from the other room?

#TheDUFF Movie Giveaway (Closed)

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In theaters on February 20th and based on the novel by Kody Keplinger, The DUFF is "a comedic snap shot about what it’s like to be a teen today." CBS Films is providing one lucky The Lovely Side reader with a #TheDUFF movie prize pack, including:

Customize your smartphone to be as unique and lovely as you are!

It's about time to turn the page on a new year. But how about instead of making resolutions, we focus instead on customizations? Isn't that what living a lovely life is really about, anyway? Customizing your closet to curate a comfortable yet personality-packed wardrobe for work and weekends. Customizing your small space to be cozy, convenient, and stylish in a way that reflects your unique taste. Customizing your phone and tablet in brightly colored cases. Customizing your life to be... well, lovely and unique. 

New Year, New You, New Phone!

Motorola has stepped in with Moto X, a fully customizable smartphone. It's a designer's / decorator's / color lover's dream. Picking out and playing with the colors like decorating - but for a smartphone!

The 4 Period Dramas I'm Watching While I Wait for Downton Abbey

January 4 cannot get here fast enough. Going a year without the romance, heartache, and intrigues of Downton Abbey is just too long. (You can bet I've been re-watching episodes in preparation for the new season.) I'm a sucker for a good period drama, whether it takes place in the Roaring 20s or Wartime 40s. The costumes, the set design, the music! I just can't get enough. So in the meantime, I've been digging into the period dramas on Netflix. These four are my favorites:

Decor Inspired By the Young Ladies' Rooms in 'Call the Midwife'

My most recent Netflix binge has been Call the Midwife. There's nothing like coming home from work, settling in with a bowl of soup and glass of beer, and procrastinating my packing with a couple episodes of this British hit series. The show centers around young midwives in impoverished East London during the 1950's. Every episode is filled with lovely vintage fashion, era appropriate music, heartwarming and heartbreaking plot twists, and nods to political, social, and medical issues we're still dealing with today. I love the characters and their stories - just have a box of tissues nearby. 

Music Spotlight: Sir Sly, Broods, Noosa, & MisterWives

Need a dose of new music for your Friday? Check out these four artists that I'v recently discovered - and that my ears have become quite smitten with. (Image: Top left - Sir Sly; Top right - Broods, Bottom left - Noosa, Bottom right - MisterWives)
Sir Sly | These three L.A. boys crank out atmospheric, indie-meets-electronic music with just the right amount of moodiness. Plus, Sir Sly sounds like a mash-up of The Neighbourhood and Snowmine. And I just can't seem to get enough.

The Best of Me Book + Soundtrack + Sephora Giveaway | #TheBestofMe (Closed)

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Autumn. Besides the return of cozy sweaters, warm scarves, and all things pumpkin spice flavored - there's something about the season that inspires nostalgia and romance. A chilly evening is the perfect excuse to grab your girls, your sister(s) and mom, or your guy and head to the cinema - after grabbing a pumpkin spice latte, of course. And just in time for this cozy, nostalgic, romance-is-in-the-air weather, The Best of Me is hitting theatres. 

5 Must-Have Apps for My Upcoming Vacation | #TabletCrew Acer Iconia Tab A1-840

Next week, I get to go on vacation. Not a pack-your-bag, drive-two-hours, visit with friends and family for the weekend type of vacation. But a pack-your-suitcase, hop-on-a-plane, hang out with the boyfriend and his parents for a week split between Phoenix and San Diego kinda vacation. And it's been a long time coming. And my trust travel companion has made it even easier. (Not the boyfriend! Though he's been rad about planning the trip.) I'm talking about my trusty Acer Iconia Tab A1-840. Yep, she's coming with.

In my carry-on. In my purse. In my hands. My Iconia is helping me get excited for, plan for, and pack for the upcoming adventure. (I'm sure she'll be a lotta fun when we get there, too.)

Here are the 5 must-have apps I've downloaded in prep for the trip:

1. Kindle 

I bounce between old fashioned books and e-books, but e-books are much more convenient for travel. I'm not sure whether I'll be finishing up George R. R. Martin's Clash of Kings or a new Victorian-era mystery set in England. Either way, it will be there without me having to pack a bag of books... because that just won't fly. (Heh! Get it?)

2. Instagram

One thing that bums me out about my Windows 8 tablet (as much as I love her) is that I can't have Instagram on it. Since these Iconia is Android, I'm all set up and ready to go. This is definitely an app I'll use more when I'm out on the West Coast, but for now I've been scrolling San Diego and Phoenix fashion hashtags for wardrobe inspiration. Speaking of which...

3. PackPoint

I came across this app randomly, took a look, and thought it'd fit right in. It's great. You enter your vacation dates, your destination, and some of the activities you have planned (fancy dinner, beach, etc.). You can also select whether you're okay with re-wearing basics or if you'll have access to laundry. Then the app generates a packing list for you. You can add and remove items based as you wish, but this is coming in super handy for me. We're going on a hike in Arizona (something I've never done) and the hike list reminded me of several things I need to stash in my suitcase that I might have otherwise forgotten... like a sports bra.

4. Evernote

EverNote is my digital handy dandy notebook. I love that I can store anything there. So when a random writing or blogging idea strikes me, I'll have a place to file it away for later. I do need to get better at filing away my notes, though. It's getting pretty crowded in there.

5. Blogger

Last but certainly not least, I downloaded the Blogger app. Hopefully I'll have a bit of free time to jump online and share a blog post or two. I've never blogged on anything but a laptop or desktop computer, so blogging on a tablet will be a whole new level. I'm excited and have a sneaky feeling that I might end up hooked. 

There are other apps I'll be using, to. I've downloaded my essentials: Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, and AccuWeather. I've downloaded some additional entertainment apps for when I'm tired of reading and just want some visual stimulation: WeHeartIt and Pinterest. And this is probably going to make my boyfriend and I sound like a wrinkly old couple, but we love tuning into local police scanners on weekend nights. Haha. So I'll probably get one of those apps so we can listen to what hooligans are up to in sunny CA and AZ. 

There's just one thing my tablet is missing that I really wish I had: a keyboard. I know, I know... "But it's a tablet; you don't need a keyboard." But I'm a writer. And I do. I've been scoping out some options online for a sleek little bluetooth keyboard and case, but nothing's won me over just yet. And the ones that did were either a size too big or too small for my Iconia. So I'm keeping my eyes open for the time being.

Well, I've got to get back to planning out my entire wardrobe for the upcoming week and figuring out how to fit it into a carry-on sized suitcase. 

Check out all available Intel Tablets.

Now it's your turn. Tell me how to dress for San Diego and Phoenix at this time of year. Spill your smooth travel secrets. Clue me in to another helpful app to download on my tablet. Ready, set, go:

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Lovely Tech: Acer Iconia Tab 8 A1-840 FHD #TabletCrew

Recently, Intel sent a piece of tech my way to review: the new Acer Iconia Tab 8 A1-840 FHD. I've been enjoying using it for work and blog related things as well as just playing around with it. In the coming weeks, As part of the Intel Tablet Crew, I'll be sharing my thoughts about the tablet here on The Lovely Side - favorite apps, productivity tools, and even a fun way to help decorate! 

Today, I wanted to kick off the review with a bit of background information and my first impression of the Acer Iconia Tab 8 - as well as open up the floor for your questions, which I'll answer in upcoming posts.

4 Cinematic Date Night Looks for Endless Love | Coming to Theaters February 14 #EndlessLove

Valentine's Day is right around the corner. With Endless Love hitting theaters on February 14, it's the perfect excuse to get gussied up and hit the cinema for a Valentine's movie date with your guy - or a "Galentine's" movie night with your best girlfriends. 

Endless Love stars Alex Pettyfer (you've seen in him Magic Mike) and Gabriella Wilde (also in The Three Muskateers). It's the story of a privileged girl (Jade) and a charismatic boy (David) whose instant desire sparks a love affair made only more reckless by parents trying to keep them apart. It's jam-packed with young love set to the tunes of a fantastic soundtrack featuring Tegan and Sara, Franz Ferdinand, The Tallest Man on Earth, and Lord Huron.

Winter Music | Playlists for Snowy Days

Frostbite from l1v on 8tracks Radio.

What I'm Listening to: 2 Hours of Lorde, Bastille, + More

Come in close from Allie Newman on 8tracks Radio.

Not So Silent Night from flying_away on 8tracks Radio.

2 playlists. 2 hours. Lorde, Bastille, The Neighbourhood, Alt-J, Arcade Fire, Passenger, Iron and Wine. Enjoy and happy Friday!

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What I'm Listening to this Morning: Quiet Winter Mix

quiet winter mix from keepcalmanddrinktea on 8tracks Radio.

breathing in snowflakes ♡ from rinaaych on 8tracks Radio.

lay around the house all day long from Jj.Bells on 8tracks Radio.

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