Author Archives: lifewithlilred

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About lifewithlilred

Just your average gal blogging an average blog!
Jan6

DLS Vengeance Swatch

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DLS Vengeance Swatch

Hellooo! With a makeup queen for an older sister, I am lucky enough to receive all of her hand me downs when she decides that she dislikes a product or is sick of it. There is also the occasional miss from her Ipsy subscription that falls into my lap, as well. I recently was given the lippie seen below by DLS, which I now know stands for “Dirty Little Secret”, and I don’t particularly care for it.

SO WHY ARE YOU WRITING ABOUT IT?!?!

Because someone might! This shade in “Vengeance” is wayyyy too purpley for my taste. I stick to my reds and nudes, thank you very much. With my pale complexion and vibrant red hair, I avoid purple makeup like the plague, because it looks very clown-like on me. Not a good look! But if you are #blessed enough to be able to rock purple lipstick, then this shade might be for you:

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So, the first heart seen above is taken without the flash and it looks quite pink, right? At least, to me, it looks like a deep rose. The second heart picture was taken with the flash on and WOAH, hello purple! My mind was blown by this, because in the tube you can see that Vengeance looks like a dusky magenta but you really couldn’t see that color pop until the flash was on.

This intrigued me, and I had to bite the bullet and apply the lipstick – even though I knew that it would look horrible – to get to the bottom of this color mystery. And, what do you know? The lipstick looked super purple on my lips. This was all so crazy to me, because to my eyes, it looked so pink on my hand – but on my lips it was a different story!

Was the pink shade picture a camera fluke? Maybe, my iPod doesn’t take the best pics. BUT, that doesn’t change the fact that I didn’t see purple in the original swatch until the flash setting was on my camera. Is it all in the lighting, how you see color, and where on your body you apply the lippie? I guess so!

What shades of lipstick look best on you? Which shades of lippie are ehh…not so much? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan5

Cleaning Out My Clothing Hoard

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Cleaning Out My Clothing Hoard

Hey!! One thing that I have a really difficult time doing is letting go of clothing. I have a dresser and closet filled with gorgeous clothes that are certainly pretty to look at, but some of them really just don’t belong anymore. Whether that be from the clothes not fitting the best or I haven’t worn it in years, I never know when I might need it! 😉 Hence, a massive clothing hoard that needed to be tamed.

On the day after Christmas, I spent my time going through my closet and dresser and selecting clothes to sell to Plato’s Closet. It was hard!! There were pieces that I had in mind to add to my Plato’s bag, but when the time came to remove it from the hanger and fold it, it was like my feet became super glued to the floor. I knew that I needed to purge my closet but, damnit, I really didn’t want to!

Despite massive cold feet about my closet clean out, I managed to fill a whole bag to bring to Plato’s Closet. How, you might ask? First, the clothes that didn’t fit well were an automatic toss into the bag. Then, I took a deep breath, really tried to measure how many times I’ve worn the piece in the past year, and made my decision based on that.

The first few times that I had to make a decision to keep or toss was so difficult because, of course, you want to keep everything! But, then you think about why the clothing is taking up space in your closet if you’re not using it and it just makes sense to rid yourself of it. It really seemed like a “now or never” type of situation and even though I had a hard time, I was committed to completing my project in the now.

I took my clothes to Plato’s Closet and got twenty-five bucks for the clothes that they wanted the day after Christmas. It was great, because no one was there so I was in and out in no time! Everyone, me included, thinks that their clothes are worth way more but hey, it’s better than nothing! Of course, you can also sell your clothes on the Poshmark app and make potentially even more money that way, especially if you use this Poshmark sharing tool to reach as many people as possible.

I wasn’t too disappointed that everything wasn’t taken from my bag, but there are two things that I wanted to throw out to the blogging world to see if anyone wanted to make an offer on them. They just seem too nice and cute for someone not to want to score a great deal!!

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Both the Express blazer and American Eagle Outfitters peacoat are an Extra Small. The blazer was originally $108 with the tags still on it and the AEO peacoat was close to one hundred, as well. The Express blazer has a bit of discoloration on the collar from my hair dye, but can’t be seen when it’s worn. Both are super cute and in great condition, so if you want to make an offer, it’s all yours! 🙂

What are your tips on cleaning out a clothing hoard? How do you choose which items to keep or toss? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan4

Holiday Haul Finale: The Room Edition

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Holiday Haul Finale: The Room Edition

Helloooo everyone and welcome to the conclusion of my Holiday Haul, once again compliments of my sister. Kristen was truly the Christmas MVP this year so cue the applause for that wonderful woman! The Room is easily my favorite bad movie ever and it brings me so much joy introducing it to other people. It took Kristen a long time to accept The Room for the hilarity that it is, but her life changed for the better when she finally did.

We recently enjoyed a sister date night to see The Disaster Artist and were in stitches the entire time. Our next “The Room” related festivities include going to the midnight showing of it in Cleveland that happens monthly at an indie theater. I CAN’T WAIT! For Christmas, Kristen gifted me with two of the following prezzies that Tommy Wiseau would be proud of:

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Seen above is a shirt featuring the infamous tagline of “You’re tearing me apart, Lisa” with Tommy Wiseau in a moment of frustrated passion. There is also a homemade card that she ordered from the flower shop “Hi, doggy” scene. If that isn’t prezzie perfect, then I genuinely don’t know what is. Kristen and I were absolutely dying when I opened this gift and I am so excited to finally own some merchandise from The Room!

This Holiday Haul was incredibly successful and I had an amazing time celebrating Christmas with my family. The company, food, and tom foolery was all as good as it can get, and it was definitely one of my favorite Christmases yet.

So there you have it, my Holiday Haul Finale: The Room Edition! Who else is a fan of the infamously bad flick, The Room? What is your favorite cult film? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan3

Switching Careers Out Of Left Field – A Handy Guide

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Switching Careers Out Of Left Field – A Handy Guide

Switching careers out of left field can be a difficult thing to do. Not only does it immediately set you off outside of your comfort zone, but it can take years of sacrifice and lower income to get to a level that you’re finally happy with. However, sometimes going for a career with less room for growth or taking on a position with less rewards, money, and benefits can be perfect if you’re happy with what you’re doing. Not every job requires you to earn millions of dollars to make the entire affair bearable. Some things you can genuinely enjoy from the bottom of your heart, a concept which can become relatively blurred when we have yet to experience it.

Many people are hesitant to switch to a career that they truly enjoy because they feel like time has passed them by. As you age and become comfortable in a set routine, this can be harder and harder to change. But, age is always nothing but a number. You can change careers at almost any time you want, provided you have a reasonable amount of time left before retirement! But what should you keep in mind when you do this? We’re here to find out:

Education:

You should consider yourself at square one when choosing a completely new career. How do you proceed in a field you know little about? You learn about it’s nuances and quirks. Job training will always help out, particularly if you start from a lowly position. If you have the funding or the loan eligibility, then applying for a university course both online or offline in an institution can help you gain a fast track to mental competence (Provided you take your studies seriously!).

It might seem worrying going back to college, especially when you believe you’ll be older than almost everyone in your class. However, you’d be surprised at how many mature people return to university for the same purpose as you. This is especially true in fine arts courses, such as music, film, fashion, and graphic design. It’s common for people with successful STEM careers to find out they had an inner artist all along just yearning to break free.

Resume:

When you hope to change jobs, you once again become a candidate. It’s likely you have built up a respectable amount of job experience by this point, meaning that you have all the possibility in the world of making a great impression. List all of the achievements you have made at your previous work. It counts, even if it has little or nothing to do with the new role. People often look for transferable skills, not the specifics of your job.

For example, someone who is competent at running a film set need not be someone skilled in producing, but someone who managed events for a period of time. There is likely more overlap with your career now than you might have originally estimated. If you need help crafting a modern resume, CV advice services are on hand to offer you a deft and careful touch in its writing. A good employer will see this value immediately, but only if you succeed in selling yourself with appealing language.

These two disciplines – building the new while highlighting the value of the old can combine, and help you create a career that you truly desire and deserve.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jan3

Scarf Series: Intergalactic Planetary Edition

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Scarf Series: Intergalactic Planetary Edition

Helloooo everyone! Today we are going to talk about a fabulous new scarf from my Holiday Haul compliments of my mom and Mr. Steve Madden. One thing that I love is really cool galaxy prints, and a scarf of the like caught my eye when my mom and I were shopping at TJMaxx. Other things trumped purchasing the scarf, and I had all but forgotten about it until Christmas day. Take a look and let’s discuss:

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It turns out that my mom went back to TJMaxx the following day to get this here scarf for me, because I did like it a lot! I was so surprised when I opened this present, because it was so thoughtful and sweet of my mom to make the trip back there just for one thing. I love all of the planets, stars, and different colors of this Steve Madden scarf. It’s such a fun pattern but it still looks chic and I can picture myself wearing it to work with a crisp white button down to let all of the planets pop!

I love bold accessories, like this scarf, because your outfit doesn’t need much afterwards. Throw on a cute pair of black booties and a sweet peacoat and you’re out the door in no time. This scarf is also perfect for playing around with makeup while wearing it, thanks to all of the gorgeous different colors featured in it. A navy smokey eye would look lovely or even a metallic liner for a cool galaxy pop.

So there you have it, the next part of my Holiday Haul in today’s Scarf Series: Intergalactic Planetary Edition! What is your favorite pattern to wear? How would you style this scarf? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan2

Ensuring Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick

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Ensuring Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick

The New Year is upon us, and if you’re like the majority of people in the western world, chances are that you’ve made a resolution or two. Perhaps you’ve decided to make 2018 the year you get serious about exercising, giving up drugs and alcohol, or volunteering in your local community.

Whatever your resolutions are, if you want to stick to them, you’re going to have to get serious because approximately 80 percent of all resolutions are broken by February! If you want to buck that trend, here are a few things that you can do:

Small Steps:

In January, it makes sense to start small. Instead of resolving to spend six days in the gym every week, start with two or three. That way, your resolutions will be much easier to stick to, and you can build upon them as time goes by instead of doing too much too soon, burning out and failing!

One Thing at a Time:

You might want to quit smoking, take up lifting, and eliminate any and all junk from your diet, but numerous studies have shown that the more you try to do, the less likely you are to succeed at changing any of your habits. So, instead of doing the traditional thing of writing down multiple resolutions and trying to work on them all at once, try working on one at a time. Once you’ve got the exercising habit down, then start working on your diet, and so on. Chances are you’ll be much more successful.

Share Them:

Whatever your New Year’s resolutions are, it’s always worth sharing them with others, whether that be friends, family, or even a dedicated support group. Why? Because once you let people know what your intentions are, you’ll be more motivated to stick to your goals and see results, so that you don’t let them down. Not only that but having the support of a group can make the whole process simpler.

Track It:

Whether you’re using an app to track how many pounds you’ve lost, a calendar to mark off every day you’ve gone without a drink/smoke/etc., or something like My Fitness Pal to log the nutritional value of your food, keeping track of your progress is a great way to keep your head in the game. Try it!

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Log that progress!

Seek Help:

Whether it’s a personal trainer, an intervention specialist, or your spouse, asking for help from someone who understands your issues and wants to help you overcome them can be a very effective way of not only sticking to your resolutions but of achieving your goals, too.

Don’t Be Too Hard on Yourself:

Remind yourself that there isn’t such a thing as perfection. Just because you caved and ate a piece of cake a week after you vowed to give up sugar doesn’t mean that you’re a failure. The only thing that will make you a failure is throwing in the towel. Most people slip when they’re trying to make positive changes to their lives. But it is the ones who don’t beat themselves up, who stand back up, and keep fighting, who get to where they want to be eventually!

Good Luck!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Jan2

Positive Mindsets To Kick Start Your New Career

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Positive Mindsets To Kick Start Your New Career

You wake up each morning with a sinking, fearful feeling at the prospect of heading to work. When your alarm goes off, you aren’t filled with ambition and motivation; it seems you’re stuck in a rut and you can’t find your way out of it. With the New Year well and truly upon us, now is the time to shake it up and make a change for the better. Alter your mindset and become a happier, unwavering, career-driven person. Make some decisions and get yourself on track today:

Own Your Goals:

When was the last time that you sat down and thought about where you want to be in life? You have probably found yourself in a dead-end job, which you are constantly trying to escape. Your job may well pay the bills, but you can’t put a price on your own happiness so let’s start reassessing. Write down your career goals on a piece of paper and be proud to have big ambitions. Planning out a meaningful career path will boost your motivation and set you up to succeed.

Start small with your goals and plan out each stage that you can take in order to reach your ultimate dream. You might want to try out an internship on the weekends to get yourself networking with people you need to know. You may dream of starting a business from home, which will take time and energy outside of your current job. Plan out your time meticulously and use each moment to get where you need to be. It could take one year of really hard work to make a huge step in the right direction so get to grips with your goals today.

Love To Learn:

Once you have your goals and aims in order, you need to establish how you’re going to attain them. You may need to take on some additional courses or go back to college. There are tons of tools online which can help you to get the qualifications you need. You can even earn an mba online and kick-start a career in whatever your heart desires.

You should thrive in a learning environment and be motivated to grow your knowledge. Be prepared for some hard work, as getting a further education isn’t a walk in the park. You may need to keep earning money in your current job as you learn other skills part-time. It will all be a balancing act at first, but if you’re determined enough you will stick at it and feel proud when you achieve each step.

Take a Risk:

Now is the time to take the leap and conquer the unknown. If you’ve always dreamed of starting your business or creating a brand new company of your own, you can do it with the correct support and planning. Be meticulous in the process of finding staff, software, and the like so that the reward will outweigh a risk should you choose to take it. Consider services like online accounting or a sportsbook solution provider if this is something you can’t do on your own. Before taking a financial risk, make sure that you’ve got adequate savings to fall back on. Build your own brand from scratch and finally be happy in your career. If being your own boss appeals to you, then this might be the way forward.

Leverage Tools That Support Your Growth:

As you move forward in your career journey, don’t overlook the power of structured digital environments to support your learning and productivity. If you’re working in a corporate or collaborative setting, tools like a site collection website can help you find relevant industry resources, stay informed on emerging trends, and connect with valuable content in your field. Whether you’re in marketing, content creation, or simply looking to expand your knowledge base, tapping into curated link directories can quietly enhance your efficiency and keep you ahead of the curve. Of course, you will want to keep all of your digital operations secure and efficient, especially if you are using the cloud. Cloud management like aws devops consulting services can be hugely beneficial to your company to streamline this process. With the right tools and services in place, you’ll be better equipped to take control of your workflow, adapt quickly, and deliver impactful results.

Make a plan, carry out the method, and take the leap. A happy, healthy and open mind will allow you to reach your career dreams in no time!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jan2

New Year, New Home

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New Year, New Home

The New Year is the perfect time to start thinking about revamping your home. Traditionally, a lot of people wait until the spring to spruce up their homes, but that just means that they don’t get to enjoy the change in the weather quite so much. No, the winter time when it’s cold, and we’ve just started a new calendar is the best time for fixing up the home and here are some tips to help you with that:

Clear Your Clutter:

Chances are that you’re entering the New Year with the aim of cleansing your body and keeping it as clear and clutter-free as possible. Why not do the same for your home? A house that is free from clutter is a house that looks great, allows you to live life exactly how you want to, and best of all, is easy to clean. So, pick a room and start decluttering. Do the same with another room tomorrow and keep going until you have no stuff in your home that you don’t expressly want to be there.

Ensure it’s Safe:

Your house is your home, your safe haven, and the one place you can retreat to and not have to worry about the outside world. So, it’s important that it is really safe. Now is the perfect time to go around your property checking that the security cameras work, ensuring that the fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are in great shape, and testing the locks on your doors and windows. That way, you’ll have a safe and snug 2018.

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Is your smoke alarm working?

Keep It Clean:

A clean house is an inviting house. When your home looks and smells god, it makes you and your guests happy to be there. So, make 2018 the year when you finally get serious about chores. To make it easy for yourself, invest in the basics like rubber gloves, brushes, cleaning fluids, and dusters and store them all in one central location. Then, draw up a schedule of when you’ll clean each room or when you’ll complete each cleaning task. By grouping tasks like cleaning the windows or vacuuming the carpets together, it’ll be easier to keep your home cleaner without missing anything or spending too much time on it.

Mend the Cracks:

January is an excellent time to call in the handyman and have him do all of those little jobs like patching up the holes in the basement floor or re-tiling the roof, that you haven’t got around to yet. Why? Because handymen are often less busy at this time of year, before the spring rush, so you can get things done more quickly, and sometimes even cheaper, than at other times of the year.

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Patch it up!

A Fresh Coat of Paint:

Last, but not least, if you want to seriously spruce your home up for the New Year, why not treat it to a lick of paint? It’s amazing how transformative a new color on the walls can be, and it needn’t cost you too much money or time (Get the handyman to do it.), either!

Here’s to a fabulous ‘new’ home this year!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Jan2

Accessory Story: Betsey Johnson Edition

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Accessory Story: Betsey Johnson Edition

Hello!!! Basically all of my favorite gifts this Holiday Haul came from my sister, Kristen. Although our personal styles are very different, she always seems to know exactly what I would like. I like to think that the same goes for me, and it makes me feel good that we are close enough to pick out a slam dunk of a present every single time. This Christmas, Kristen treated me to a necklace from one of my favorite designers, Betsey Johnson. Take a look and let’s discuss:

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If there’s one thing that a Lil Red loves, it’s skulls on clothing and accessories. Normal old skulls, skeletons, sugar skulls – I love it all. I have already worn my gorgeous blinged out sugar skull necklace so many times and it seriously makes every single OOTD pop. I love the heart eyes, the flowers, and the ribbon threaded through the chain. It’s such a fun piece and it is SO obviously Betsey Johnson, which is what I love about her brand.

This necklace looks so pretty when it hits just above a V-neck top or against one of my many black sweaters. The pastel colors really make a statement, and it’s a fun edition to my wardrobe because I don’t have a lot of clothes or accessories in a pastel palette. Kristen took one of my favorite patterns and favorite designers and ran with it, and seriously hit the nail so hard on the head with this beautiful necklace. I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!! :*)

So there you have it, the next issue in my Holiday Haul with an Accessory Story: Betsey Johnson Edition! Who was gifted with jewelry this year? Who is your favorite designer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan1

Happy New Year!!

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Happy New Year!!

Hellooooo everyone and welcome to 2018! Here’s to hoping that this is your best year yet, that you keep up with your resolutions, and that you accomplish great things in the new year. Enjoy your celebrations and thanks for sticking around with lifewithlilred! Much love. -Sarah