Author Archives: lifewithlilred

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About lifewithlilred

Just your average gal blogging an average blog!

Out On The Town OOTD

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Out On The Town OOTD

Hello!!! This past Friday, I had a wonderful holiday hangout with my bestie. Lea and I went to what is, easily, one of the best martini bars in our neck of the woods called the Cashmere Cricket for drinks and dinner. The Cricket is just the cutest little spot tucked away in downtown Cuyahoga Falls and it is one of my favorite places. In fact, Johnny and I had our first date and celebrated our engagement there! The Cashmere Cricket definitely requires more sophisticated attire than a typical bar so it is always fun to step out there. This is what I wore:

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Who? What? Wear?

Black & Navy Jacket: Xhilaration, Target

Skull Sweater: 360 Cashmere, TJMaxx

Skinny Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Heeled Boots: Bamboo, TJMaxx

Dark Green Hoop Earrings: Argentino Vivo, TJMaxx

Do you remember a point in your life where even if it was freaking freezing out, you still wouldn’t wear cold weather clothes? IE: A dress in wintertime? I definitely did that in my younger twenties! Now? Not so much lol. Although it hasn’t been super snowy in Ohio this winter, it has been damp and cold and it intensifies instantly as soon as the sun sets. Lea and I were meeting later into the evening and as much as I enjoy getting super dolled up for the Cricket, I wasn’t trying to set myself up for frostbite. So, I opted to stay warm and cute instead!

For my Out On The Town OOTD, I wanted to create a smoky and chic color palette – like a smoky eye look for your clothes. To start, I chose my V-neck sweater adorned in skulls by 360 Cashmere. This was a Christmas gift from me to me a few years ago and it is one of my faves. What I particularly like is the fit because it offers some slouch without being baggy. I tend to drown in truly oversized pieces! With an all over pattern like this sweater has, I kept things simple on the bottom with a plain black pair of skinny jeans. While I could have went for distressing or coating, I decided against it to keep any of the pieces from clashing which can happen with a bold patterned top.

Next, it was onto a jacket, shoes, and accessories. For my jacket, I selected a little number from Target. I have had this jacket for years now and it still hits every time. The shape is so classic and the color blocking of black and navy is such a unique touch. And, of course, it is very warm! These deeper colors really helped to create the color palette I wanted and I thought it looked lovely on top of the flint grey sweater.

Shoes came next on my agenda and I went with a pair of heeled booties by Bamboo. I love, love, love the gold brocade pattern and it was a great way to add something different to the outfit without going overboard. Since the palette of this OOTD was all neutral pieces, the gold pattern only enhanced rather than clashed. Last was accessories and I kept things minimal with a medium size pair of dark green hoop earrings by Argentino Vivo. Granted, there wasn’t much open real estate for additional jewelry and the patterned sweater, color block jacket, and gold detailed boots were enough of an accessory on their own!

It was fun to style this Out On The Town OOTD, but it was the most fun to go out with my best girl for a post holiday celebration. This look felt just right for the Cashmere Cricket and I can’t wait to go back. Happy Hour, anyone?!

What is your cold weather style like? How do you dress up for a night out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

New Coral & Lilac Nails

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New Coral & Lilac Nails

Hello! This past Monday, I was able to finally get my nails done after work and it was SO very needed. I was unable to come in during Christmas week because sick and my salon takes a week off after New Years so that was a no go either. After a much deserved break for all of the wonderful employees of Elysian Nails, my appointment for a fill couldn’t have come sooner. My nails were looking awful – they were insanely grown out, dull as dishwater, and there was some lifting too. I couldn’t stand it! Thankfully, a new to me tech got me right and it was one of the best fills I’ve had in months. Check it out:

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During the grey months of winter, I normally opt for deeper colors for my nails. However, after a not ideal holiday break, I needed some brightness in my life and decided to change things up. I was craving the poppy, fun shades of spring and a coral polish caught my eye as I was scouring my selection. This hue just screamed spring and was like an instant pick me up. To keep with the spring motif, I went with a lovely lilac as my complimentary color and loved how it turned out. I seriously can’t stop staring at my nails as I type this and they are a breath of fresh air to start the new year with.

For such a pretty color palette, I needed pretty nails to match and my tech did an incredible job. I was very impressed with her from the jump because she was so detail oriented. For example, she took the time to really work on my cuticles and that is something that I have never had a tech do before. I didn’t realize how bad mine were until she removed all of the dead skin that was ready to come off. My tech tended to everything wrong with my nails with so much precision and care. By the time she was done, it was like the lifted nails never happened in the first place. My nails felt strong, sturdy, and sharp enough to poke an eye out and that’s exactly how I like it!

One of my favorite things about Elysian Nails is that your hands will always be in the best hands no matter which tech is pampering you. Everyone is so amazingly skilled and even though I couldn’t get an appointment with my go to girl, I was still treated like a long term client by the tech who did my fill. You simply can’t beat that level of customer service! ❤

What color of nail polish are you currently rocking? Are you craving springtime already? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

BFF Holiday Hangout

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BFF Holiday Hangout

Hello!!! This past Friday, I had a wonderful post holiday hang out with my BFF, Lea. This was fantastic because I spent the entirety of my Christmas break sick so it was nice to have a celebration that I was up for. We hit up our favorite bar, the Cashmere Cricket, for drinks and dinner and it was divine! We sipped on martinis (Lavender Fizz for me and Key Lime Pie for her) and had a delicious meal. I have never ate at the Cricket before and I am still thinking about their grilled cheese dippers! SO yummy. What I am swooning over the most, though, are the most amazing gifts from my bestie:

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Lea and I have been best friends since high school, but the novelty of gift giving for Christmas and birthdays has yet to wear off. We both agree that we are each other’s favorite person to shop for because it’s fun lol. Whenever I hit up my preferred TJMaxx or she attends a craft fair, we are very much in tune to the prezzies that we would go wild over. Her and I know exactly what each other would like and we always end up with gifts that we would have bought for ourselves or would want to buy. It’s a beautiful thing. ❤

For Christmas, Lea gifted me with a bottle of Peach Moscato, cocktail mixes, a gorgeous pair of skeleton hand earrings, and a lounging skeleton pillow. Lea and I are peach wine girls and that is forever a staple in our gifts during exchanges. The Farm Fresh wine was very tasty and it was so nice to sip on during a weekend viewing of My 600 Lb. Life. She also got me cocktail mixes in Cherry Limeade, Citrus-Berry Sangria, and Strawberry Pineapple. I have never seen anything like these drink pouches before, but all you have to do is add wine or vodka and water and sip away. These are going to be a blast to try out!

What I am loving the most from my gifts from Lea has got to be the earrings and pillow. Lea knows that all things spooky speak to my soul so anything with skeletons is A-okay with me. In fact, I was wearing a sweater with a skull print when we were together! I cannot wait to wear my new earrings and am shocked that I don’t already own something like them. They are creepy while still being delicate in sparkling silver and will be a welcome addition to one of my next OOTDs. And, of course, how fabulous is that pillow? The lounging skeleton is perfect for… Well, lounging lol and how fun are those tassels?! It matches mine and Johnny’s emo aesthetic to the T. 🙂

Having a best friend like my Lea is the absolute best gift I could ever have and I look forward to our annual holiday hangouts every year. Our summer birthdays are still way over the horizon, but I already can’t wait to shop for my best girl! ❤

How do you and your friends celebrate the holidays? How long have you been friends with your best friend for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Harry Potter Room Of Requirement Lego Set

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Harry Potter Room Of Requirement Lego Set

Hellooo!!! Johnny and I only watch one show when it’s airing on television and that is Lego Masters. We enjoyed this past season (And all of them!) so very much and we always feel a Lego brick sized hole in our hearts when the show ends. When a season of Lego Masters is on, the desire to build with Lego bricks increases infinitely so I was most excited when Johnny gifted me with a new set for Christmas. He got me the Room Of Requirement from Harry Potter and we put it together last weekend. It turned out awesome, but it was such a speedy built that it didn’t satisfy my Lego cravings in the slightest! Check it out:

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^^^ LOL at Johnny in the background!!! The angel boy!!

It has been a fat minute since Johnny and I have built Lego, but we were able to fall back into our rhythm immediately. When I first built Lego with Johnny, we learned quickly that my talon nails were going to be a massive hindrance. Putting the small pieces together proved to be impossible so we developed our own tried and true method. Johnny would assemble the small bricks and details while I would handle the more substantial parts of the build. Teamwork at its finest! Unfortunately, this set featured a lot of detail work so I didn’t get to sink my teeth into it as much as I would have liked, but I love how the set turned out!

Whenever Johnny and I build Lego, it never ceases to amaze me. It is wondrous to watch a pile of bricks turn into whatever it is you’re creating and the ingenious designs forever blow my mind. Many of the Harry Potter Lego sets feature lots of cool surprises and the Room Of Requirement was no different. The best one is, easily, the reveal of the door leading into the room where lost things go. There are two brick walls on a sliding panel that show the door when you pull them apart and I thought that was just the tops. And, of course, I always love a guest appearance by a Cornish Pixie flitting about on a stack of trunks. ❤

The Room Of Requirement was a fast paced, easy peasy build, but it was so much fun to get my brick on with Johnny. I hope this new year brings us lots more Lego sets! 😀

Do you watch Lego Masters? What did you think of this past season? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

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TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Howdy!! For Christmas and my birthday, I know for a fact that I am going to receive lots of gift cards to TJMaxx. Everyone seems to know by now that it is my happy place and a gift card to TJs is truly the perfect gift for me. With my Christmas gift card hauls, I always like to do a major restock of my skin care supplies. While it would be fun to blow the lot on new clothes and shoes (And I have before!), I like to get things that I actually need and skin care is of the highest priority. I take my skin care routine very seriously and I got enough product to last for at least five months FO FREE. You just can’t beat that! Check it out:

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^^^ All of these products are Leaping Bunny Certified!

I visited TJMaxx on January second and the store was understandably pretty bare to prep for their spring shipment. Unfortunately, this meant the skin care department was nowhere near as well stocked as usual. I had to really look to find the serums, moisturizers, toners, eye creams, and cleansers that would not only work for me but were cruelty free too. This was a lot easier said than done and I spent a majority of my shopping trip scouring the shelves. While I did walk away with everything I needed, the biggest disappointment was not being able to find any of my tried and true Evoluderm Micellar Water. Normally, TJs has an entire shelf full so that was a bummer but, luckily, I have more gift cards for when they get a restock! 😀

For this haul, I walked away with two toners, one cleanser, four moisturizers, four serums, and one eye cream. I was very happy with this because of how bare the skin care section was and I was able to find some familiar brands and brand new ones to try. What I am particularly curious about is the Provence Beauty serums in the bright yellow and baby pink bottles. And, yes, I did get them specifically for what they looked like lol. What can I say, I’m a sucker for pretty packaging! I was also most excited to find another Simple eye cream because of what a fantastic value they are. I have been using a similar product by Simple for the past FIVE months and I am still not even close to being done. Highly recommend!

I am very pleased with my gift card haul from TJMaxx and planned it out to perfection. I only paid nine additional dollars for what my gift cards didn’t cover and I thought that was a great success. Nothing makes me happier than a fully restocked skin care hoard and I can’t wait to test out the new to me products!

What are your thoughts on any of these products if you have used them before? What is important for you when it comes to skin care? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

New Rachel Roy Vest Thing

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New Rachel Roy Vest Thing

Hello!! Tuesdays are one of my favorite days of the week because I don’t really have too much to do. I just have a short shift in the morning and later in the afternoon so I have from eleven to two thirty off. In that time, I either run errands, hang out with my parents, or work online. This past Tuesday, I decided to hit up TJMaxx because I had some Christmas gift cards and TJ rewards burning a hole in my pocket. I did a full restock of my skin care, which we’ll check out tomorrow and had just enough left over for this amazing Rachel Roy Vest… Thing? Lol take a look:

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Post holiday shopping at TJMaxx is one of my favorite things to do. Until their spring shipment comes in, I feel like all of the weird stuff that didn’t sell throughout the year gets brought back out and everything is marked down. Luckily for me, I LOVE all of the weird stuff and have made some of my best purchases during this time of the year. During my rounds in the clothing department, I was searching specifically for these items and ended up finding this Rachel Roy Vest/whatever. I don’t know what it is exactly, but I did know I liked the pattern going around the edges and on the tie very much.

In the fitting room, I realized that you put this vest on like a poncho. It slips over your head so two panels of fabric are in the front and then you tie it together. Once it was on, I was completely sold! This vest is such a unique piece and I have never seen nor own anything like it. I love the traditional vest style quilting paired with the flowers in deep fall colors. The fit was also everything because after it was tied, the shoulders came jutting out and created such a cool shape. I found the only vest like this in the store and I highly doubt I’ll see anyone wearing one of them in public. This makes it feel exclusive to me and that is always a huge selling point for me because I don’t want what everyone else has!

Throughout the new year, I will be making lots of new content with Tim Misny and my Rachel Roy Vest Thing is the first thing I plan on rocking during our next shoot. I can’t wait to serve up fashion looks and a whole lot of fun!

What is your favorite day of the week? When during the year is your favorite time to shop? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Seeing Stars

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Seeing Stars

Hello darlings!! Starting at the beginning of December, I began a very fun project that I am stoked about. I became the social media manager for a local metalcore band called Constellations. The guys welcomed me into their circle with open arms to kick start strategizing for a content schedule to build up to the release of their debut single RIP. It has been an absolute blast getting to know all of my new besties, spitballing ideas, and enjoying their music. My favorite thing is our group chat, which one of the members created for all of us for social media chatter. It makes me feel so legit and like a real part of the team. ❤

It would mean so much to all of us if you gave Constellations a follow and like on their Facebook page: ConstellationsBand. We will also be releasing their other social media pages soon! Even if metalcore isn’t your thing, this band has a fantastic array of additional content including their “hot takes”, a band game, and clips talking about all things music. They are SO endearing and funny and I just know all of you will love them too. 🙂 Thanks in advance for helping support Lil Red on her latest work adventure!

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

All Better OOTD Bloopers

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All Better OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my All Better OOTD! I spent the majority of my holiday break being sick AF and only started rallying over the weekend. This couldn’t have come a moment too soon because my family celebrated Christmas late when the whole crew could be there. On Friday, we enjoyed a wonderful family meal at Hibachi Japan and I was stoked! It is one of my favorite restaurants in my neck of the woods and also the last time Johnny and I went I dropped my leftovers all over the stairs leading up to our apartment. SMH! Anyways, let’s get to these bloopers:

When you literally can’t pop your foot

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Lol, SO over it!

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She sticks the landing!!!

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Making sure no one saw that…

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Lol my eyes look terrified, my mouth is smiling, and I have no idea what’s happening

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I LOOK GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I had grand plans for my holiday break. Sure, I was going to rest and spend some time reading and watching my favorite shows. In between the R&R, I had dates for outings with friends and family and a few shifts that I didn’t feel like missing. That all went up in shambles and it turns out that I would be spending my break in its entirety recuperating and watching endless episodes of My 600 Lb. Life. It was a massive bummer but, on the bright side, I really love watching My 600 Lb. Life so I guess it wasn’t all bad? lol

Come this past Tuesday, I was honestly so ready to go back to work. I’m sure many of you didn’t want your holiday break to end on account of all of the fun you were having. Myself, on the other hand, was willing every day to go by quicker because it would be one less day of being sick! Returning to the grind after a solid week of vegging out wasn’t ideal, but I couldn’t wait for the change to my routine – especially considering I could breathe out of my nose again. All I know is that I am taking a whole week off for my birthday in June to make up for this dud of a break. Start crossing your fingers now that I don’t get sick for that too!

It’s never fun feeling under the weather, but it is even worse when it’s over the holidays. I am SO happy to be back on my bullshit and not sounding like Napoleon Dynamite anymore. Bring it on, 2024!

What are your tried and true remedies for a cold? When was the last time you got sick? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

All Better OOTD

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All Better OOTD

Hello!!! Unfortunately, I spent my holiday break under the weather. I had the worst cold, aches, and fever and chills and was feeling pretty miserable. It was such a bummer, but at least I had an entire week off of work to rest and recuperate! By the time this past weekend rolled around, I was doing a lot better and was able to attend a family dinner at Hibachi Japan. It had felt like forever since I put on makeup and got dressed up so I couldn’t wait to finally take some OOTD shots! I kept my look for the evening comfy and cute and this is what I came up with:

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Who? What? Wear?

Moto Jacket: Zara

T-Shirt: Misny Merch

Coated Skinny Jeans: Seven Jeans, TJMaxx

Vertebrae Platforms: Dolls Kill

Cross Earrings: EmLeigh’s and Mama B’s

Normally when I style an OOTD, I begin with a completely blank slate. This time around, however, I already had the base of my outfit established with the T and jeans and decided to keep it that way. The coated Seven Jeans inspired me to play with texture and I wanted to incorporate more of that through shoes and a jacket. While it is fun to experiment with texture outside of a neutral palette, I kept things simple and used all black clothing and accessories to do so. This is a lazy gal technique because it’s never going to be “too much” when your textured pieces are all the same color!

Next on my agenda was a jacket and I knew exactly which one I was going to go for – my embellished moto jacket from Zara. This is quite possibly one of my favorite moto jackets that I have ever owned and I think it is perfect. I love the stud details, the grey hood, and classic shape and it is one of my go tos during the winter. This jacket was also ideal for introducing another texture because the faux leather looks matte in comparison to the sheen of the jeans. Although these two pieces were completely different textures, it still flowed seamlessly because they were both black. Lazy gal, or just really smart? lol 😀

Finally, it was onto shoes and accessories. For jewelry, I chose a pair of dangly bejeweled black cross earrings. I wanted the pop of color to come from the burgundy T-shirt so I decided to let the earrings blend with the rest of the outfit. I also planned on leaving my jacket on during the evening so there was no need for anything additional. The last step was shoes and I went with a killer pair of platforms by Dolls Kill. These boots speak to my spooky soul and and they were just what I needed to complete the look. They tied this outfit together from top to bottom as they appeared matte but still offered a bit of shine and, with that, I was ready to hit the town!

Last year, my goal was to shoot as many OOTDs as possible and my goal remains the same this year too. I was able to shake off the yuck in my All Better OOTD and I can’t wait to see what outfits I put together in 2024!

How was your new year celebration? What did you do over your holiday time off? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Spring Cleaning Tips You Need For 2024

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Spring Cleaning Tips You Need For 2024

We’re moving into a new year which means that you have to start thinking about how you want it to begin. Some people want to start their new year with a huge bash but who wants to start with a house they have to clean up?! Getting your home cleaned at the beginning of the new year can make a huge difference to your health and well being but it can also make a difference to the way you choose to get organized.

We may still be in the midst of winter and spring is a few months away, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t get the house cleaned up and ready to go for the season. In fact, with the tips below you can ensure that every inch of your home is cleaned out and is ready to feel great. Let’s take a look at some tips that’ll help you to kick off well:

Start from the ground up:

The first thing is to get the vacuum cleaner and rid your home of dust and that starts with the floors. You need to vacuum everything from carpets and tiles to window tracks and skirting boards. Cleaning along all of these areas prevents the dust building up any further than it already has. Go cordless if you want to get everything done but always have a corded vacuum cleaner in the background just in case!

If your carpets have ground in stains or are a far cry from their original color, vacuuming alone is not going to give you the deep clean you are looking for. If this is the case for your home, simply enter a search for “Carpet Cleaning in Round Rock” (or your local area). You will be amazed by the results when your carpets are looking as good as they did when you first moved in.

Wash the walls:

Not many people think that their walls need to have anything done to them but washing the walls down is a great idea. Mixing a sugar soap solution in a bucket of warm water is the first step, the next is a flat mop. This will help you to wash the walls top to bottom without streaks being left anywhere.

Clean the bathrooms:

Bathrooms are germ cesspits and yours is no different no matter how often you clean it. Don’t just clean the bath and shower or the toilet, but clean the extractor fans, too, as this will stop any dust flying through the air and misting your bathroom with more dirt.

Bring in the cleaning experts:

Getting help with your cleaning can be a smart move if you’re short on time and energy. It will help keep things in order while giving you time to relax so it is well worth the money. Look into apartment maid services or cleaners locally, or you could hire specific help like an oven cleaning company or an ironing company.

When it comes to carpet cleaning you can either hire someone to do it for you or you can hire a carpet cleaning machine and do it yourself. This should be done every three to six months because of dust and mite build up in the fibers. Cleaning out the carpets can also be done with steam cleaners and shampoo, but you need to make sure you don’t over wet it. The last thing you need in your quest to clean up is mold growth in the carpet and that musty smell that follows.

Sparkling windows:

When was the last time you had your windows professionally cleaned? It could be a great gift to yourself this year to have them cleaned on the inside and the outside. You won’t really notice how dirty the windows have become until you give them a proper clean. You can vacuum the tracks and then go through with warm water and detergent to scrub the windows, tracks, and the windows themselves. Always use a squeegee to remove any water so that you can get rid of any streaks.

Kick start your spring cleaning now for a squeaky clean home to welcome the new year with!

Featured Image By: Pexels