Category Archives: Anything & Everything

Oct26

A Thank You Letter to my Parents

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A Thank You Letter to my Parents

This is a special thank you letter to my mom and dad. A thank you for them being so accepting of their extremely unique looking daughter. My mother took me to get all of my piercings done from the time I was fifteen until I was eighteen and old enough to get them done on my own. If you’ve read my original post Body Mods, you’ll know that I’ve gotten pierced and repierced over thirty times, and my mom was there for more than half of these. My dad was never really thrilled when I’d come home with a new piercing, however he’d rarely let me know it. And when he did, it was as nice as he possibly could make it, which usually just involved asking me if I was ever going to take any of my metal out. Not only was my parents cool with my body mods when I was younger, they were also fine with taking me to the hair salon to get my hair dyed and styled into my signature bright red semi short hair. Words can’t really express how much this means to me now. The fact that I was only a teenager but my parents were giving me the freedom to express myself and look the way I want is something I don’t thank them for enough. I should really start. My mom and dad treated me like an adult in the sense that I was able to make decisions on my appearance completely on my own. I’ll never forget all of the times my mom and I would come waltzing into the tattoo shop and being greeted by all of the guys working. My piercer absolutely adored my mom and we visited him frequently enough that my mom would drop the classic phrase of “you can be my adopted son” whenever we would see him. It was always so fun for me to see my mom chat and laugh with all of these pierced and tatted up guys as if she was the mother of all of them. Watching her interact with them and pass no judgement on any of them was amazing. My mom is sixty and my dad is sixty-six and I really think its cool that both of them are totally okay with having a daughter who looks like me. Most people my parents’ age are very set in their ways which tend to be more traditional. When I came home with my newest tattoo yesterday (see the article Body Mods! Part 2 for more information on that), my mom was so eager to see it that she was genuinely upset when I told her I couldn’t take the wrapping off for another two hours. My dad was amazed when he found out his little girl sat through five hours worth of pain to get it done, “how in the hell did you do that?!” There’s so many parents in the world who wouldn’t be okay with their kids opting for a more unique look. And there’s probably a lot of parents who don’t agree with my mom and dad’s acceptance of my appearance. But that’s okay, to each their own. My mom and dad accept me for who I am because I’m my own person and I like what I like. And most importantly, nothing will change the fact that I’m their little girl. My gratitude to my parents for everything knows no bounds, and I am so beyond lucky that I have them. If you guys haven’t read my newest Body Mods article, this is my newest tattoo which I got this weekend:

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Take the time to thank your parents for something they did that you really appreciate. Has there ever been a time where your parents shocked you with how cool they are? What was something that your mom or dad did that you’ll never forget? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! Happy Sunday. -Sarah

Oct25

Body Mods – Part 2!

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Body Mods – Part 2!

Welp, it happened. I got my new tattoo yesterday! Making it the fourth one in my collection. Before I begin telling the tale of getting this baby done, let me show you a picture!

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There she is! The goddess, Isis. I got this masterpiece done at Odd Fellows Tattoos in Akron, Ohio. My friend and tattoo artist, Travis made this work of art possible. (And if you’re into heavy metal at all, please check out his band Below The Tide!) Let me tell you guys, this tattoo was a process! It took a little over five hours to complete. Honestly, I’m shocked that I was able to handle getting the entire tattoo done in one sitting. My sister accompanied me for the stencil placing, because I really wanted her opinion on the placement of it. Unfortunately after that, she had to leave me to go volunteer for the rescue group Canine LIfeline. (You can read all about this fantastic group in my article Must Watch Video!) http://caninelifeline.org/

After the tattoo was placed to my liking, we got to work. The outlining of Isis really wasn’t that bad, it was smooth sailing and was completed in an hour or so. After that was done, we took a five minute break for the bathroom, cigarettes, and to stretch out. In the entire five hour process we took three five minute breaks. Travis then called me back to his chair of doom and began to work on all of the black work in the tattoo. At this point I was still doing fine and dandy, I was a little bit tired, but I was still feeling good enough that nothing was really hurting. I’m a trooper 😉 While Travis worked we enjoyed conversing with each other and the other gentlemen working in the shop. All of them were really just fantastic. I told Travis that himself and everyone working at Odd Fellows did a great job of making an uncomfortable situation feel very comfortable. The conversations we had were full of vulgarity and profanity, but it was hysterical and helped take my mind off of the process at hand. Before I knew it, Travis was done with the black work, and it was time for another break. Once again, it was a bathroom, cigarette, and water break. Things took a turn for the worse as far as how I was feeling goes once Travis started on the color, which he called “the fun part”. Ha! Up until the coloring, I didn’t need any of the guys at the shop to hold my hand, and I wasn’t in genuine pain. But once the color began, it was almost too much. My skin was raw and angry, and every stab Travis took at me with the tattoo gun felt like daggers. I told myself that I wouldn’t cry while I got Isis done, but that didn’t happen. Tears started flowing without me even trying. The water works were coming out like my eyes had sprung a leak. That was when the guys at the shop rallied around me to try and help. One of my other friends, Mitch (who you can check out in the band, Fallen Captive) held my feet when I started squirming. Keith was on hand holding patrol for the rest of the session. I was honestly feeling pretty faint at this point, I was in a lot of pain and I was falling in and out of zoning out. To help with that, all of the guys held conversations with me to help take my mind off of the pain. It was very sweet. The last hour of filling in all the color felt like an eternity. I was so zoned out that I didn’t even realize that Travis had finished it once it was done. It was such an amazing moment when he told me I could get up and go take a look at the finished product! I almost thought he was kidding! When I got to look at my completed side piece for the first time, I was blown away. It was better than how I pictured it to be. It looked even better than the picture that I brought in (which is my featured image photo). Travis couldn’t have done a better job if he tried. I am so thankful to him and all the gents at Odd Fellows who helped make my tattoo experience as tolerable as possible! If you’re ever in Akron and feel like getting a tattoo, you know where to go!

Here’s Odd Fellows Facebook page, make sure you give it a like!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Odd-Fellows-Tattoo/667458826660986

And once again, if you’re into heavy metal check out the bands Below The Tide and Fallen Captive!

Happy Saturday! -Sarah

Oct20

Work Hard Play Hard

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Work Hard Play Hard

In the words of the great Wiz Khalifa: Work hard. Play hard.

I feel like this phrase has been defining my life lately. For four years, from the time I was sixteen until present day, I’ve worked my ass off in the retail world. In that time, I saved a lot of money. I saved enough money that I was able to purchase my beloved 2012 Mazda 2 Sport (AKA the Little Red Love Machine) on my own AND I’m able to pay for my college tuition on my own. Not many twenty year olds can say that and I must say, it’s an awesome feeling. I spent countless hours slaving away in PacSun in order to make the money that I have and I guess when it comes down to it, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. PacSun helped me out a lot financially. If I hadn’t spent those four fateful years working for that company, there’s no way in hell I would be able to afford my car and education. But just because I’m an insanely hard worker, doesn’t mean that I don’t know how to have fun! I’m so thankful that I still have extra pocket money so that I can go on a shopping trip with my friends, or to dinner, or a movie and not feel guilty about it. This article makes me sound like my life revolves around how much moolah I make, but I promise you it doesn’t. On the contrary, my life revolves around me being an independent young woman who happens to need money to keep the woman on the go lifestyle! I’m very blessed that my parents are as supportive of me as they are as well. They don’t make me pay rent and they still pay my phone bill, and I am SO thankful for that! I plan on moving out by the time I graduate school which will be when I’m twenty two. Until then, I’m gonna work my little ass off at Next, ace every college class I take, and still make time for fun stuff too! I’m a firm believer in treating yourself. For example, when I would have to be at the mall early to open the store, I would promise myself I’d get a Starbucks drink if I got to work on time. That was motivation enough to get me out of bed and get myself moving. Or if I’m out running errands, I would purchase a little treat for myself like a new tube of lipstick after I got all of my necessities. There’s nothing wrong with giving yourself motivation in the form of rewards! Ha! My final hurrah gift to myself before I buckle down financially now that school is starting is getting a tattoo this Friday. My tattoo artist has been running specials for Halloween, so I figure no better time than the present to get the tat that I’ve wanted for ages now! Getting inked up is my way of congratulating myself for all the hard work that I did to get myself a new job and to get into school. I’m proud of me! Here’s a pic of what I’ll be getting:

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I’ll be getting Isis on my side, and I am SO excited!

What motivates you guys? How do you work hard? What are your favorite things to do to play hard? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah

Oct12

Extra, Extra! Read all about me!

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Extra, Extra! Read all about me!

Well since it’s my one month blogiversary, I thought it would be fun to drop some Lil Red knowledge on you guys. So here we go. I haven’t lived the most charmed life. My teenage years basically sucked. I had a really hard time struggling with cutting and bulimia for years. I’m very proud to say that I’ve been completely self harm free for over a year now, so that’s really exciting. As awful as my experiences were, they really did help shape me. My near successful suicide attempt made me appreciate life. Quitting cutting and seeing old scars fade made me see my outer beauty. Quitting purging made me feel extremely clear mentally because my thoughts are no longer clouded with worries of gaining weight, and eating, and when’s the next time I can stick my finger down my throat. There’s so many things that helped make my over seven year depression streak possible that I couldn’t imagine listing them all. I don’t plan on listing any either to maintain the privacy of everyone in my life. So sorry you won’t get to know those dirty details 😉 . Once I finally stopped feeling sorry for myself and stopped feeling like I deserved to be punished was when I began healing. That was the day I quit all of my self mutilating cold turkey and never looked back. I live a pretty awesome life now. I have great friends, amazing family, college, and a cool job. Things are looking up.

BUT WAIT! There’s more 😉 Now that we cleared the air of my dark and depressing past, you guys can learn some actual fun facts about me. Such as:

  • I worked at PacSun from the time I was 16 until about two weeks ago. It was a great time….but I’m so glad I don’t work there anymore! Ha!
  • I have a lot of loves in my life – like my deep love for music, red lipstick, Vidal Sassoon’s Runway Red hair dye, and CLOTHES!
  • I have an amazing clothing collection from working retail for four years. I paid for everything I own on my own, which makes my wardrobe very rewarding to me. I have articles of clothing and accessories that dabble in every type of style. From punk, prep, boho, club girl, wannabe model wandering the streets of Akron, Ohio, you name it – I got it.
  • I’m the baby of the family – I have two older brothers, one older sister and my fabulous mom and dad. We also have two dogs, a golden retriever named Gem and an evil Yorkie Shih Tzu mix named Winston. Both are rescue dogs and I love them very much. (Note: Winston is evil because he only likes my sister, so you can’t go near her without him barking and biting. So annoying!)
  • I’ve kept a journal from the time I was twelve, and I love my online journal that is http://www.lifewithlilred.com !!

So there you have it! If you have any questions or concerns – leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah

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Oct12

Must Watch Video!!!!

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Must Watch Video!!!!

So I got home from my man candy’s place last night and was scrolling through my newsfeed on Facebook when I saw this amazing video my mom posted. Now I’m not gonna lie, usually I don’t pay attention to anything my mom posts, but when I saw the headline “Sweet Mama Dog Interacting with a Beautiful Child with Down Syndrome” I just had to watch. And I am SO glad I did. Please take a moment to watch this video and if you’d like you can read my commentary after. It’s really just too beautiful not to share.

http://www.viralmissile.com/sweet-mama-dog-interacting-beautiful-child-syndrome-true-compassion/

Did you bawl your eyes out? Me too. This video is one of the reasons why I believe every household in the world should have a dog. Watching this sweet little angel boy make a friend with the pup really was incredible. The ability of the golden retriever to pick up on the cautiousness of our little boy was just amazing. As the video progresses we see the boy learn to trust that the dog wasn’t going to hurt him and was his friend. I firmly believe he learned this from how gentle the golden was with him. Every time the child would move away from the dog, she wouldn’t try to go near him again, but her remaining still and near the boy was enough to show him that she was his friend. You could just tell how much the mama dog wanted to nurture this precious boy and it was just the sweetest thing. When the video ended in the child embracing the dog I was hysterically sobbing. It was so surreal to watch the little one learn to make a friend with the help of the golden retriever. So so beautiful.

Please share this video, and if you’d like to help dogs in need of a good home check out http://caninelifeline.org/ . It’s a wonderful organization that my mom works with in the Akron, Ohio area that helps save adoptable dogs from being euthanized. A lot of these precious pups come from dog pounds throughout Ohio and Kentucky. Canine Lifeline diligently searches for forever homes for the pups each weekend. Through Canine Lifeline we got our sweet golden retriever, Gem who came all the way from Kentucky. It’s an organization that I hold very dear to my heart. You can donate to this great cause on the website! If you do donate, please leave me a comment so I can personally thank you!

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Above is a pic of my dogs Gem and Winston. My sister found Winston wandering around her old apartment complex where someone abandoned him. My pups love taking naps together! They’re obviously besties! 🙂 Have a lovely day! -Sarah

Oct12

Happy one month blogiversary to me!

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Happy one month blogiversary to me!

Today marks my one month blogiversary of http://www.lifewithlilred.com and I am SO happy! Special thanks to all of my readers and followers for going on my blog journey with me! Only one month in and I already feel like I accomplished a lot on my site. I feel like we covered a lot of ground with each other, and that’s very exciting to me! Best believe there’s more to come on lifewithlilred! In other fantastic news, today is my first day at my new job at Next and I am SOOOOO excited!!!!! I’m really hyped to get back to work and meet my new coworkers. These two weeks of unemployment have been fabulous though. In those two weeks I finished everything I needed to attend school at Tri-C on October 20th. I think that’s what I’m particularly proud of. I did everything all by myself with no former knowledge of how to do it. When I was in high school, a lot of teachers didn’t think I was going to graduate, so they never prepared me to go to college. Well ha ha on them because here I am now going to school and paying for it all on my own to boot! Lil Red is on fire! It took me over two years to get myself back to school, but I’m finally doing it – and you know what they say: it’s better late than never. Which ironically is the phrase I used when I would turn in my homework weeks late in high school 😉 . But I promise that won’t be the case in college! I know what I want to do and I’m ready to do it. Working retail for four years has really shown me that I don’t want to do that for the rest of my life. If I didn’t push myself to go to school, I firmly believe I’d still be stuck in the PacSun rut for years to come – and that’s not okay. I’m finally recognizing my own potential to succeed in the world, and it’s an amazing feeling. I feel like I’m blossoming into an actual adult. It’s hard to feel that way when you’re stuck working in the mall 24/7. I have exactly what I want now. A cool part time job and a college education. What could be better?!

In just one month of blogging, I feel like you guys have already experienced a whirl wind of a journey with me. If you read some of my very first posts, I was extremely depressed. Now I feel like the strong emotions I was feeling prior to these past few weeks are way easier to manage. I feel like the concrete block that was strapped onto my chest has finally been released and I can breathe easy. I have the whole world ahead of me now. These next few months are going to be a roller coaster of new experiences, and I’m happy to say that I’m finally ready to put my hands up and enjoy the ride.

Have a fantastic Sunday guys! Wish me luck on my first day of work!! I can’t wait to tell you all about it! -Sarah

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Oct11

Wowee Wow Wow!

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Wowee Wow Wow!

Over 50 followers?!!!! Thanks guys! This basically sums up how I feel:

Thanks Pharrell. I’m going on my one month bloggiversary on the 12th, and I feel like 53 followers is a very healthy place to be at for only having lifewithlilred up for a month! I’ll tell ya guys, this past month has been an absolute doozy. I was at a pretty hardcore rock bottom when I started my page (which I’ll go into more detail about when the time is right). But now I feel on top of the world with all of the exciting changes that are happening, like my new job and going off to college! I feel like I had a sky rocket moment after things were going so shitty and it was really awesome to feel like things were finally going my way and falling into place. I’ll be honest with you though, my pessimistic side has been poking its ugly head out lately and it’s making me a bit anxious. I have this awful mentality that all of the great stuff that’s been happening is too good to be true. I know that I shouldn’t be thinking that way, but it’s so hard not to. I feel like any day now things are just going to plummet back to rock bottom again. Does anyone have any pointers on how to block out this negativity? If so, pleease leave me a comment! God knows I need it! However, this rising anxiety doesn’t take away from the fact that I’m proud of myself. These new adventures like my job at Next and attending school weren’t just handed to me. I worked hard for both of them, and I did it all by myself. There’s a really great sense of accomplishment to know that I made a game plan and I followed through and made it happen. I wanted a fresh new change of pace and I got it. I should be focusing on that and I should only be feeling positivity right now – but that’s easier said than done, I suppose!

Btw, I’ve been OBSESSED with the song “Pools” by Glass Animals, so make sure you check it out and let me know what ya think!

Does anyone have any tips on how they control their anxiety? What are some positive mantras that you like to tell yourself? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! Goodnight! -Sarah

Oct7

The Lost Art of Letter Writing

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The Lost Art of Letter Writing

One thing I love more than anything in the world is giving and receiving letters. My beloved grandmother (RIP <3) instilled in me at a very young age the power of hand written letters. Growing up, I remember getting so excited to see letters from my grandma in the mail. It wasn’t long before I began to write to her individually and eagerly anticipate a reply back. I loved reading my grandmas beautiful flowing cursive in rich black ink, because she always used brand new ball point pens. I’m actually getting insanely emotional as I type this, because now that my grandma has passed, the letters that I saved from her are even more dear to me. I began thinking about how no one really writes letters anymore while I was writing today to my sweet friend Neva, who you can read all about in my post Thankful. Neva was one of my grandma’s friends, and she’s sort of like my pen pal in between when I visit her. There’s something so beautiful to me about a handwritten note. A note just for you. A note that someone took the time out of their day to sit down and write, because they were thinking about you. That’s just so amazing to me. Whenever I would receive a letter from my grandma or Neva, thoughts like that would fill my head, and make the gift of the letter that much more special to me. The personal touch of a letter is far beyond anything a quick text message, email, or phone call can give you. Whenever I read old notes from my grandma from over a year ago, I can still hear her saying her written words in my head. It’s like an extra special hug from her to reread her telling me that she loves me. What could be better than that? Letters make me happy. It makes me feel good every time I send a letter to Neva, because I know she’s going to open it up and smile at my words. Brightening someones day like that is what I live for. The power of words never ceases to amaze me. Honestly, I’m not sure why people don’t write anymore, especially knowing that writing a quick ten minute note could make someones day. Who wouldn’t take the time to do that? Maybe I’m an old soul at heart, but I’d rather get something handwritten than all this virtual mumbo jumbo any day.

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The picture above are just a few of the notes and cards I have saved from my grandma and Neva. I have them tucked safely away in my desk drawer, where I can look at them any time I want. I can’t encourage you guys enough to sit down and write a letter today to someone who means something to you. They’re going to appreciate it more than you know, I can promise you that. Have a lovely Tuesday evening! -Sarah

Oct5

Lazy Sunday

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Lazy Sunday

It’s a chilly 49 degrees in Akron, Ohio right now. Fall is definitely here. Today is the perfect dreary day to light some candles, get cozy in some sweats, and be a homebody. I’ve had my iTunes playing all morning while tidying up the house in sock feet and there was something so calming and peaceful about it – being home alone and hearing the music echo throughout the quiet rooms and having the aroma from my fall scented candles fill the house. A lazy day is the perfect way to cure the hangover blues (see my previous post Being “That Girl” for more on that incident!) I’m ready for catching up on my lame celebrity gossip magazines and watching some shitty reality TV. I’ve been on the go this past week, from job interviews to college preparations, so it’s so nice to have a day to myself. Speaking of job interviews and college prep – pleeease send me some good vibes! I have my final interview at Family Video and a pretty important college counseling appointment coming up this week so keep your fingers and toes crossed! For those of you who have been keeping up with my posts, you’ll know that Sunday is the day for my TV obsession, The Strain. IT’S THE SEASON FINALE TONIGHT!!!! I’m so excited I can barely even handle it, ten o’clock can’t come soon enough!!! Definitely expect a post either immediately after or tomorrow morning on my views on the finale! I know I always thank you guys for reading my posts, but here’s another friendly thank you! I’ve gotten over five hundred views on my blog that hasn’t even been up for a month yet – that’s awesome! The likes, comments, and follows are much appreciated so keep them coming! ❤ I applaud all of you out here on wordpress-land – there’s so much talent! I might have mentioned this before, but I always try to read as many posts as I can before bed each day, and you guys can write!

Hope you all have a fantastic Sunday. What are you guys up to for the day? Are you getting chilly fall weather where ever you’re at right now? Stay warm if you are! -Sarah

Oct1

Bedtime Musings

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Bedtime Musings

Hello! First of all, I hope you guys had a fantastic Tuesday. I actually had a great day, so expect a post about my first good day in a long time tomorrow. Second of all, thank you all again so much for the outpouring of likes, follows, and love. It’s much appreciated. I believe in this blog. I believe in myself. I believe that someone is going to read my posts and feel like they can relate to me. It’s so important to me to keep on writing, not only for me, but for someone who might need a smile or laugh for the day. It encourages me so very much to see that people are reading my blog and responding well to my posts. This isn’t an “I’m trying to become a world famous blogger post”. This is my online and real life journal, that I’m finally comfortable enough to share with anyone and everyone. If you would have asked me before to read my hand written journals, I would have laughed in your face and said “no way”. (But with a lot more profanity 😉 ) I’ve grown secure enough in myself and my own feelings that I’m 200% cool with anyone in the world reading lifewithlilred. It’s an awesome feeling. Thank you guys again so much for the love. Have sweet dreams and a happy hump day to you! -Sarah

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