Author Archives: lifewithlilred

About lifewithlilred

Just your average gal blogging an average blog!

Oct16

If The Shoe Fits: B.A.I.T. Candy Button Platforms Edition

Posted on October 16, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of If The Shoe Fits! Johnny and I are going to be sporting Candyland themed costumes for Halloween. He will be Lord Licorice and I will be a Candy Queen. I honestly thought finding a candy style costume would be like taking candy from a baby lol. Unfortunately, I was dead wrong and the hunt for the perfect costume was not only insanely difficult but insanely annoying too. However, finding the perfect shoes for the cause was a piece of cake! Check it out:

After several failed attempts for finding a Halloween costume to my liking, it was a gift for the shoe buying process to go without a hitch. I’m not surprised, though, you all know I am a shoe girl through and through! The hardest part of finding heels for my costume was narrowing down my options. There were an abundance of candy inspired shoes to browse through, each one cuter than the next. With great cuteness comes great cost or whatever Uncle Ben said because goodness me were some of them expensive. Then, I came across these adorable platforms by B.A.I.T. for under fifty dollars and I knew we were in business!

I went with this pair of candy dot platforms for a lot of different reasons. The price was nice and I also have a pair of mules by B.A.I.T. in my shoe boutique so the fit wasn’t a concern. The primary factor wasn’t either of these even though they were both important. The main selling point was the fact that I could absolutely wear them with an outfit that isn’t a costume. Yes, the candy dot motif is ideal for what I have picked out for Halloween but it wasn’t limited to one time use and that was very appealing. While I am overjoyed that it’s fall, I am kind of sad that summer is over now that I have these platforms. How fun would they be with a little pair of denim shorts?! 😀

I’m not going to lie, costume shopping was more disappointing than enjoyable this year. These platforms definitely helped perk me up and I’m happy at least one aspect of the process was blessedly simple!

What are you going to be for Halloween? Where do you normally purchase your costumes? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct15

Weekend Of Lounge

Posted on October 15, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Johnny and I literally don’t do anything during the work week so we are legit always working for the weekend lol. Our work schedules really don’t allow for many extracurriculars and we try to squeeze in as much fun as we can once the weekend rolls around. This past weekend, however, there were no plans. Well, there was one – to do nothing. On Friday, I got my Covid and flu shot and it was strategically scheduled. I have not had the best reactions to the Covid shots and knew that I would need a weekend of recuperation to be okay for work on Monday. Needless to say, I will most definitely be looking forward to some actual enjoyment after this week is out!

I got my shots mid afternoon on Friday and I was still feeling fine until late evening rolled around. Then, my arm started to ache with the force of one thousand suns and I got so very, very tired. That night, I must have slept for at least twelve hours and I know for a fact I was running a fever the entire time because I woke up covered in sweat and damp clothes. Not cute. Apparently, I also had some crazy dreams that night because Johnny claimed I did a lot of talking in my sleep lol – unknown side effect of the shot, perhaps? Or perhaps NOT because I supposedly talk in my sleep really frequently.

Once I got over the grossness of my sweatiness, I was jolted awake by how achey I felt. Everything was stiff and every once in a while it felt like a jolt of electricity going through my arm or to make a consistently pounding headache interesting. I think I got up from the couch on Saturday like six times and I would return back to my nest feeling like I had just run a marathon. Other than watching So. Much. Degrassi. the major high point of that miserable day was talking to my blogging bestie, Kate, of Live In The Nautical on FaceTime. The two or so hour chat paled in comparison to our previous personal best of seven hours but your girl was dying over here!

On Saturday night I think I slept twelve hours again, had a fever the whole time, and spent a majority of the day sore and fatigued. Then, around late evening I started perking up and was good as new – or as good as I can be on a Monday morning. It was annoying to spend the weekend laid up but this was actually the mildest reaction I’ve had yet so great success and glad to have an extra layer of protection this winter! 😀

How was your weekend? What makes you feel better when you’re not feeling well? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct14

Chilly Day OOTD

Posted on October 14, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! This past Monday was a really exciting day because Johnny was a featured musician on an episode of The World According To Polka on PBS. We took a day trip to Burton, Ohio to film with the Chardon Polka Band and it was an excellent, albeit chilly, time. Unfortunately, the OOTD you are about to see wasn’t quite warm enough for an afternoon of outdoor filming. Fear not, because I dethawed in the car afterwards lol. Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Poncho: Modena New York, TJMaxx

Elbow Patch Sleeve Sweater: Blu Pepper, Dry Goods

Skinny Jeans: 1822 Denim, TJMaxx

Heeled Combat Boots: BCBG, TJMaxx

The stud earrings were purchased forever ago at PacSun!

Other than being at the location and proudly supporting my husband, I had absolutely nothing to do with the PBS filming process. It honestly felt like a mini vacation because I am so used to being the one behind the camera filming content! As all I had to do was literally just stand there for several hours, I wanted to wear something that was comfy, cute, and would keep me some semblance of warm. With that in mind, I knew what needed to be done and began to browse the poncho department of my boutique.

I freaking LOVE a poncho for fall. They are so low key yet still manage to look chic and it’s nice to feel like you’re wrapped in a blanket! I chose a taupe plaid poncho by Modena New York. It is my favorite one because of the clasp on the front and adorable hood. The dusty colors are so autumn and it is a perfect piece to wear while strolling through crunchy fallen leaves. This poncho gives me Disney Princess in the woods vibes and I am so there for it!

For underneath the poncho, I selected a thin sweater by Blu Pepper with darling elbow patched sleeves. I am a sucker for anything with an elbow patch and this sweater is one of my go tos for fall. The color was just right for pairing seamlessly with the muted palette of the poncho. They were made to be worn together! Next, I put on a pair of black skinny jeans by 1822 Denim and it was onto shoes and accessories.

I opted for a no muss no fuss pair of army green heeled combat boots by BCBG (One of my favorite brands!). These boots are old as dirt but are still holding strong and remain a much beloved staple in my fall wardrobe arsenal. Like the Blu Pepper sweater, the boots enhanced my established palette and provided the extra height that I always require. Finally, I popped on a pair of huge stud earrings with giant roses in the middle and I was ready to watch my husband make music magic!

Although this Chilly Day OOTD would have been better if the temps were the slightest bit warmer, I still love how it turned out. Johnny and I had the best day! ❤

What are your favorite fall colors? Have you updated your fall wardrobe this year? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct13

Something Cool!!!

Posted on October 13, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! I have been working as the social media manager for Tim Misny since the end of April. It has been the best experience and there is always something new and exciting to look forward to every day. While I love going to different events with Tim, one of my favorite things to do is simply shoot content. It is, after all, the cornerstone of my job and collaborating with Tim on what we should create next is SO much fun. This past week, I visited Misnyland to shoot three different videos. One was for a new Halloween themed contest, the other was a video with Tim and yours truly modeling some new Misny Merch, and the last one was Tim talking about the importance of voting.

I had absolutely no idea that Tim wanted to use the voting video to fill his regular Friday morning spot on CBS so it was a wonderful surprise. We recently received the final edit and I wanted to share it with all of you:

^^^ As always, I have no rights to this video!

When I saw Version 2.0 of my video, I was completely shook. What started out as a video that I assumed was strictly for social media became a newsworthy clip and it will be airing every Friday until the election. I am SO incredibly proud of this and thankful for each and every opportunity that this job has given me. Honestly, if you would have told me at the beginning of 2024 that I would be stepping into a full fledged social media career with Ohio’s biggest local celebrity – I would have asked you if you were high lol. Yet, here we are and even if I have been in this roll for almost half a year, every day still feels like a dream come true. ❤

I know that the vast majority of you have no idea who Tim Misny is when I reference him and that’s okay! Regardless, I would be so appreciative if you followed his pages anyways because they sure are fun. And, as a bonus, you get a peek into what little old me is up to for work in real time. You can give Tim’s Facebook page some love here, Instagram here, and TikTok here. Many thanks in advance and please make sure you rock the vote this election!

What is your favorite part about your job? If you could do any job in the world, what would it be? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct12

Johnny On The Big Screen

Posted on October 12, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! My Johnny is an exceptionally talented musician and this past Monday was fabulous because I got to see him in action for something really cool. Johnny’s first band was called Johnny and The Apple Stompers and they played bluegrass music. One of the bands that they would play with over a decade ago was the Chardon Polka Band. The CPB absolutely rules and they have become a cult phenomenon – not just in Ohio but all over the country. One of their most recent ventures is a show on PBS called The World According To Polka and Johnny got to play for one of their future episodes that revolves around trains. It was the best, most fun experience and I was so happy I was able to share in it with my main squeeze. Check it out:

After I finished working on Monday morning, Johnny and I made the hour drive to Burton, Ohio to film in one of their historic villages. We met up with Jake, the lead singer and accordion player for Chardon Polka Band, Bob on washboard, and Jeff on fiddle and banjo, as well as a team from PBS. Of course, we were so excited for the opportunity but the best of all was seeing Jake. It had been literal years since either of us have seen him and he is pure joy incarnate. After catching up, the musicians began their practice sessions for Johnny’s song selections of “Freight Train” and “Waiting For A Train”. I was most surprised because I had no idea that Johnny was going to sing them along with playing his guitar!!

It wasn’t long before all of the players made adjustments and got in their groove together. Then, it was time for the cameras to roll! Within three takes of each song, they were golden and I was legit glowing with pride. I am so used to shooting content at events like this and being able to sit back and enjoy the magic in front of me was such a welcome change of pace. Once each song was shot to their liking, we took a brief break to explore the grounds around Burton. It was so scenic and beautiful, as you can see, and we made friends with a really nice cow. 🙂 Afterwards, Johnny did some interviews for the show to showcase his vast musical knowledge as well as his sharp as a tack wit. He did beyond amazing and I can’t wait to see the end result.

Unfortunately, Johnny’s feature on The World According To Polka will not be aired until the fall of 2025. Until then, we will look back on the day fondly because it was an excellent one. I am the proudest wife!!! ❤

What is your favorite local band? What is your favorite genre of music? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct11

Don’t Watch This Movie!

Posted on October 11, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Johnny and I are working our way through the 31 in 31 challenge – AKA watching a scary movie every day of October. So far, we have watched a lot of movies that we have both enjoyed. This Monday, however, we watched quite possibly the WORST movie we have ever seen. It was called We’re All Going to the World’s Fair. I was drawn to the description of the movie, which talked about a lonely teen finding herself immersed in an online horror game. And, of course, we liked the fact that it was under an hour and a half long because we both had a long day. Despite its short length, this movie felt ten hours long and not in the good way. Let’s discuss in a spoiler free setting:

^^^ As always, I have no rights to this video!

Okay! Long story short, Casey joins in playing an online game called the World’s Fair. It is a horror role playing game that employs secret methods to gain entry. Once you are in, strangers dictate what you have to do and the players document the “changes” they undergo on video. As Casey goes through her days in a sad limbo, someone from the game contacts her with the concern that she might seriously harm herself or others. Will Casey take the World’s Fair too far? Please, please don’t watch to find out lol.

Let me first start off by saying, the plot of this movie was enticing to me. I love an internet horror story line. I also very much like artistic and thought provoking horror films. So why didn’t I like We’re All Going to the World’s Fair? Because it sucked lol. Johnny and I watched every agonizing minute of this movie hoping that it would get better. Unfortunately, all it did was get even worse and even weirder to the point that we were in stitches laughing about it.

We’re All Going to the World’s Fair was an impossibly slow burn without a big bang at the end. Every scene which could have lasted seconds took minutes because every action was shown – IE: A man walking through the entirety of his home to get to one room. Had there been anything particularly scary about this movie, maybe these lengthy scenes of movement would have felt more charged. Psychologically and visually, though, there was just no horror there. Rather, we were watching Casey’s pointless livestreams or watching pointless videos that she was watching. Whatever sense of anticipation was built at the beginning quickly crumbled because literally nothing happened.

I have seen SO many positive reviews for We’re All Going to the World’s Fair and it even scored a ninety percent on Rotten Tomatoes. The high tomato-meter score was part of why I chose it. It makes me wonder if I was watching the same film as the people who really enjoyed it because this should have been a movie I liked. If you are looking to waste an hour and a half of your life, put it on. I promise you that you are not missing out on anything if you skip on it!

What is the worst movie you have seen recently? What is your favorite kind of movie? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct10

Fall Flannels OOTD Bloopers

Posted on October 10, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Fall Flannels OOTD! Today, we are going to take a look at the bad and the yikes that definitely didn’t make the first cut. Hey, every single picture can’t be a winner. In fact, sometimes I scroll through seemingly endless options that make me audibly say “woof” until I can find that diamond in the rough shot. Let’s see some of these said woof pics and then chat a bit about my most recent obsession…

The most fake ass laugh ever

I swear to stoned I’m not god

A simply electrifying shot

Not half bad! Ba dum chhhhhhh

My special “I’m feeling sexy” face 😉

TFYM when Johnny constantly asks if he can be done taking pictures yet. (The answer is a firm NEVER)

See ya next blooper reel! BYEEEEE!

When it comes to my preferences for TV shows, it’s a mixed bag. Yes, I love me my horror and true crime programs. I enjoy game shows, comedy series, documentaries, and political satire reports. I do, however, have a huge guilty pleasure – that being reality TV. Sometimes, I am just in the mood for something I don’t have to think about and reality TV checks all of those boxes. It’s mindless, can be funny, and always promises to be juicy. I take great pleasure in discussing these types of shows with my best girl, Kate. During our last FaceTime gab session, she told me about a show I just have to watch called The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Right off the bat, I told her that sounded dumb AF but she insisted. Because I trust Kate with my life and TV choices, I decided to give it a go and… I. Was. Obsessed.

Long story short, this show is set up like a Desperate Housewives series and revolves around the Mormon gals of the popular TikTok channel, MomTok. As you can imagine with any close group of girls, things aren’t always what they seem and it was drama central. I was SO there for it and was hooked within minutes. The scandals, the different personalities, and all around different culture piqued my interest. What I liked best of all wasn’t so much the drama as it was delving into social media as I could relate to a lot of it being a professional myself. Before I knew it, I had binged the entire series and Kate and I are eagerly awaiting Season Two. I have ate my words about my initial sentiments on the show and am now recommending it to everyone. And, if you do or did watch it, hit your girl up so we can gossip!!

Just because The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is wrapped up for a while doesn’t mean there’s not still plenty of dirt going around and you already know I’ve been keeping tabs. Bring on Season Two, baby!

What is your guilty pleasure entertainment? What is your favorite reality show? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct9

Weed Boutique

Posted on October 9, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Not a ton of cool stuff happens in Ohio. In 2023, however, a legalization for recreational marijuana use passed and that was pretty damn cool lol. Since then, dispensaries have popped up all around the greater Akron area – one of which being a mere fifteen minutes from Johnny and me. I have never visited a dispensary before and that changed this past Saturday when we made a trip to curaleaf. It was definitely not what I expected!!

^^^ Lol at the copy of Shrek that was on a display shelf!

I’m not sure what I thought curaleaf was going to be like. Was it going to be a hazy hangout like local head shops? Was it going to be set up like you were in a lab? I had no clue because I had no experience to base it off of! Upon my entry, it was a bit of a shock – you basically walked into an office where IDs were checked. Then, the doors opened into the store itself and it really was like walking into a Weed Boutique. curaleaf was smartly decorated with lush plants, brightly hued marketing, and no product. Rather than browsing through the store, iPads were set up and you would shop from there, place an order, and receive your purchase at the checkout counter.

Honestly, looking through the online catalogue was overwhelming. There were SO many different options for however you prefer your cannabis and all of them sounded good lol. We opted for gummies and a vape cartridge that were extremely reasonable in price. The staff was also most knowledgeable for any questions we might have had while we shopped and we were in and out in about twenty minutes. After exiting the sterile environment of the store, it felt really weird to be deposited back into a rundown plaza. The weirdest of all, though, was that we literally just left a store to purchase cannabis products – that certainly was novel!!

This outing was a brand new experience to me and curaleaf made it a great one. I have a for sure feeling that we will be back!

How do you like to relax? Are there any dispensaries near you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct8

Fall Flannels OOTD

Posted on October 8, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred!! This past Saturday, I enjoyed a wonderful lunch with one of my girlfriends and ran a few errands with Johnny afterwards. It was a chill day and perfectly matched my laid back mood because it had been a really long week. In fact, “chill” also meant the weather because it has finally started to cool down in my neck of the woods! To accommodate my low key disposition and the shift in the weather, I decided to break out a fall staple: The flannel. No fashion blog is complete without at least one flannel OOTD come autumn and I chose this weekend to partake. Take a look:

Who? What? Wear?

Red Flannel: This was a Christmas gift from my sister and it’s from Express

Skinny Jeans: 1822 Denim, TJMaxx

Heeled Combat Boots: Forever 21

Cheetah Bling Necklace: Natasha, TJMaxx

Stud Earrings: American Eagle Outfitters

The beanie was a gift from a stupid ex-boyfriend lolol

I began building this fit by browsing through the flannel department in my boutique. I have a ton of oversize flannels that I prefer to tie around my waist rather than actually wear. More fitted flannels were what I required and that limited my choices significantly as I only had three. Rather than the black or white options, Lil Red went with red! This gifted Express flannel was just what I needed – a nice, bright color and a fit that I could button up without looking like I was drowning in fabric.

Black skinny jeans were a given to pair with the flannel. I could imagine it would have looked cute with blue jeans but you all know I would never be caught dead in a pair of traditional denim! So, that brings us onto shoes and accessories. I didn’t have any intention of wearing a beanie with this outfit. However, my hair just did not want to behave itself. It was one of those days where no matter what I did, I wasn’t happy with it. Probably because I am itching for my hair appointment at the end of the month! Because of this major annoyance, a beanie it was and I opted for one with the phrase “Bad Hair Day” and truer words have never been printed for the current situation. I received this from an ex for Christmas and, normally, I would never keep anything from someone I hate. This beanie is something I couldn’t toss because I like it so much and it has gotten me out of many bad hair days past lol.

Once my hair problem was solved, it was time to complete the look. For the remainder of my accessories, I put on one of my favorite chunky gold necklaces by Natasha. It features a blinged out big cat of some kind and it made such a statement splash smack dab in the middle of the flannel. I kept things simple with earrings and added a small pair of gold studs so nothing would clash with the focal point necklace. Finally, I put on a pair of stark white heeled combat boots. I loved how the crisp color popped against the red and black of the outfit’s base. With that, I was ready to go!!

Johnny told me this look was very Alanis Morissette and I couldn’t agree more. I certainly felt like a grunge queen while wearing it!

What is your favorite fall wardrobe staple? Which celebrity style do you admire? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct7

Halloween Fun

Posted on October 7, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Last year was a pretty rough time for yours truly and although Johnny and I always revel in the Halloween season, we didn’t do a whole lot of anything. I am pleased to report that this year, we are back on our BS in a major way and I love that for us! We have grand plans for this beloved time for the both of us and I can’t wait to complete everything on our Halloween checklist:

Haunted House:

Johnny and I started dating in September of 2019 – mere months before the Covid-19 pandemic. That Halloween was the only time that we went to a haunted house together and I just won’t stand for it. There is an absolutely fantastic haunted house about a half hour or so away from us. It’s called the Factory of Terror and it is one of the largest indoor haunted attractions in the country. This is the haunted house we went to when we first started dating! However, it will be nothing like what we saw during our outing. The cool thing about the Factory of Terror is that they change all five of their haunted houses every year into something unrecognizable to prior visits. I can’t wait to see what it looks like this year!

Something you might not know about me is that my first job was working as an actor at a haunted house called Carnival of Horrors. I know every single trick in the book, yet all that knowledge goes out the window as soon as I go to haunted houses. Much to Johnny’s amusement, I become the prime target for the actors because I get got every time lol. I’m sure it will be the same thing this time around but, hey, that’s the fun of a haunted house. 😀

Pumpkin Patch:

One of my all time favorite Date Days with Johnny was when we visited a local pumpkin patch. We got the cutest tiny pumpkins, took the cutest pictures, and enjoyed a yummy meal afterwards. We also never did this again so we are adding it to the agenda! While we don’t have a yard to decorate due to apartment life, we need a little something and no porch is complete without a few pumpkins. Johnny also takes great pleasure in throwing them at trees so we’ll grab a couple of extra ones for that purpose lol.

Trick or Treat:

Last year, Johnny and I made a bonfire and passed out candy with my parents at their house. It was SO much fun to see all of the kids in their costumes parading throughout the neighborhood and we definitely plan on doing that again. We also will be joining our nieces for their Trick or Treat outing and are looking forward to it so much. We are keeping our fingers crossed that our nieces will share the loot with their Fun Aunt and Uncle! 😀

Costumes:

Johnny and I have never done matching costumes and we are going for it this year. We are going to have Candyland inspired costumes with Johnny being Lord Licorice and me being a Candy Queen. I am so excited for it! In fact, we already have our costumes for next year picked out too: Alice Cooper and Cold Ethyl. The hilarious thing about both of these costumes for Johnny is that he literally already has everything he needs in his own wardrobe. Does that mean he’ll go halfsies with me on the costumes I have to buy? #fingerscrossed

31 in 31:

Finally, Johnny and I are VERY committed to completing the 31 scary movies in 31 days challenge this year. We haven’t missed a day yet and it has been great. We have been working our way through Johnny’s silly slashers and my atmospheric picks in alternation. And, of course, wearing our matching spooky pajamas and noshing on movie theater treats. I look forward to what we are going to watch every day upon our return home and it is such a nice change of pace from our usual post-work screenings of SVU!

All aboard the Halloween Fun express because we are living it up this spooky season!

What are your favorite Halloween activities? What is your favorite holiday? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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