Category Archives: Fashion

If The Shoe Fits: ANEFUN Wheelies Edition

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If The Shoe Fits: ANEFUN Wheelies Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of If The Shoe Fits! As you all know, I live in heels during the weekend. During the work week when I am out and about with clients or on a content shoot, however, is when I wear a sad pair of Nikes that were purchased around fifteen years ago when I was in my PacSun era. For the past several months, my Nikes began falling apart and the sole of one of them finally came clean off when I was at the gym. My sneakers had a good run but it was time for something new. Something different. Something with wheels? Oh yeah!

Wheelie shoes became popular in my childhood and I coveted them so badly. I never did get a pair but that’s okay because I got one now at the tender age of almost thirty-two lol. These ANEFUN wheelie sneakers hit me right in the childhood and I can’t wait to bust them out to walk or skate around town! Check it out:

Am I any good at rollerskating? No. Do I care? Absolutely not because these shoes are just pure FUN! I was hopeful that these could double as regular old tennies for my family vacation to Italy but they are, admittedly, pretty clunky. I’ll have to get a normal pair of walking shoes for that, which isn’t as fun as shopping for heels but it is still shoe shopping at least! 😀 Until then, these ANEFUN shoe skates will work just fine. I adore the pastel pop colors against the stark white and when the wheels are up they are like wearing platform sneakers which I am all about. These bad boys are funky, so unique, and transforming them into skates is as easy as pressing the button on the heel. I haven’t taken my skates to the streets yet but I have been practicing in my apartment where the only person who will laugh at me if I fall is Johnny lol. I’m pleased to report that that hasn’t happened yet. 🙂

If you are interested in these shoes for yourself, then heed my warning: Order a size down! I am a true blue size six and that is what I ordered. I was ecstatic when they arrived in the mail and then was immediately disappointed when I realized how big they were by a half a size at the bare minimum. I returned them and ordered a five, instead, and they are actually a bit big too but that problem will be solved by doubling up on ankle socks. These shoes were advertised for women and children but there is NO way a child could fit them when the smallest size had wiggle room for me. Proceed with caution for the sizes and proceed with caution in general because I am one thousand percent sure my butt will be on the pavement at some point when I skate in them!

There is nothing better than making a purchase that your childhood self would freak out over and my inner child definitely is! A trip to the Sketchers store will be in order for a classic pair of tennis shoes but I am going to be wearing my wheelies as often as possible. Be on the lookout for a new OOTD featuring them soon!

What was a toy or clothing item you really wanted as a child? Did you ever end up getting it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Daisy Darling OOTD

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Daisy Darling OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! This past Sunday we enjoyed a wonderful day out celebrating my brother’s birthday and it was so much fun! We started our adventure by mini golfing at Fun n’ Stuff and then wrapped up the festivities with a delicious Middle Class Fancy meal at Applebees. We really lucked out with the weather because rain was on the forecast and it ended up being a bright sunshiny day – just what I needed to break out a sassy little OOTD! Check it out:

Daisy Crop Top: This was purchased forever ago at PacSun!

Jean Shorts: American Eagle Outfitters

Candy Button Platforms: B.A.I.T., Unique Vintage

Cherry Earrings: Anthropologie, TJMaxx

Spring is one of my favorite seasons and, unfortunately, it has been total crap in good ol’ Akron, Ohio. This spring has been cold, rainy, and grey and it basically feels like five o’clock in the evening all day. It was so exciting to be blessed with some warm weather so I could finally wear something other than jeans and a hoodie when I’m out and about! It was eighty degrees during our outing and my mind immediately went to a crop top and shorts to enjoy the weather before it changed for the worse. And, in classic Ohio fashion, it did a few days later lol SMH.

The crop top I chose was an ancient relic from my days at PacSun and it has to be around fifteen years old at this point. Do I care? Hard no! This delightful daisy crop is not only nostalgic but one of my favorites and I don’t think I’ll ever get rid of it. That punchy pink color is the sweetest and I mean, do we need to say anything more about the daisy boobs? That speaks for itself! All that was left to do was put on a pair of my go to AEO jean shorts and then it was onto shoes and accessories…

For my shoes I went with a fabulous pair of platforms by B.A.I.T. that were actually purchased for my Candy Queen Halloween costume. How adorable is that candy button motif?! Buying these heels was a total win/win because it was perfect for my costume and also perfect for spring and summertime use. They are oh so comfy and I had no problem strutting about for an afternoon on the mini golf circuit! Last on the agenda was accessories and since my tattoos were doing the talking, I kept it simple with a pair of simply charming cherry earrings. They provided an extra pop of girly cuteness and were the best little treat from TJMaxx at just ten dollars. With that, I was ready to score a hole in one!

Stay tuned for the Blooper Reel from my Daisy Darling OOTD and lots more fashion fun here on lifewithlilred! ❤

What is spring weather like in your neck of the woods? What is your favorite warm weather activity? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dressed To The Nines OOTD Bloopers

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Dressed To The Nines OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Dressed To The Nines OOTDs! My family had the most wonderful time celebrating my beautiful cousin on her wedding day and we did so in style! Johnny and I simply come alive at a wedding and had been looking forward to Anna’s big day for months. It did not disappoint! I have no clue when the next wedding we attend will happen but I sure hope it does soon. I think we both have wedding fever despite being already married lol. Indeed, the day couldn’t have gone better for the bride, groom, and guests. These pictures could stand to improve, though!

After Anna’s wedding ceremony we checked into the Hotel Indigo to prepare for her reception. We planned on Ubering to the party so all that we needed to do was get dressed and pop on the TV for the constant Office marathon that is always running on Comedy Central lol. When it was time to go, we headed to the lobby to wait for our Uber and that began the longest journey of our lives. Cleveland was a buzz of activity because there was a baseball game, a basketball game, and a concert happening all in one night. The streets were jam packed with traffic and people and finding our Uber proved to be an impossible task.

Our driver let us know where he was and we walked a block or so to the location. Was he there? NO. He then said he was a few streets down so we walked there too. Was he there? … NO. Finally, he informed us that he was at a restaurant over three blocks away and we simply gave up. It was hot AF, we were dressed to impress, and refused to walk another step to find the rogue driver. Then, a miracle happened. A taxi driver approached us and after explaining the situation, he told us to hop in. This driver was our guardian angel and really did save the day/our lives. Thanks to his kindness, our long trek ended in a comfy car to be chauffeured to the party. Screw Uber but huge shout out to our taxi driver!! ❤

After trudging through the uneven sidewalks of Cleveland for a solid half hour in platforms, my dogs were barking. That didn’t stop me from dancing the night away one bit! 😀

Have you ever had a bad Uber or ride share experience? How did the problem get solved? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dressed To The Nines Pt. 2 OOTD

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Dressed To The Nines Pt. 2 OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to Part Two of my Dressed To The Nines OOTDs from my cousin’s wedding weekend! Johnny and I had the most amazing time celebrating with my family and we so loved getting dressed up for such a special occasion. After my cousin’s wedding ceremony, we made a quick pit stop at the Hotel Indigo to rest and change into our reception outfits. I was very inspired by Audrey Hepburn a la Breakfast At Tiffany’s when I styled this look and am obsessed with how it turned out. I have been so excited to show you all because I think this is one of my best OOTDs yet! Check it out:

Dress: Lark + Grey, Ross

Gloves: These belonged to Johnny’s grandma!

Platforms: Mark Fisher, TJMaxx

I think the earrings are from Target!

As you recall from my OOTD post for the wedding ceremony, the dress code for the festivities was Creative Formal. This twelve dollar Lark + Grey dress from Ross fit under that category perfectly! While I feel terrible about cheating on my beloved TJMaxx, I just couldn’t help myself because this dress is everything. It is flirty, frilly, and oh so much fun. That fitted tank going into a cascading skirt of polka dot ruffles is so gorgeous and it moved like a dream. I couldn’t get over how it swirled and twirled when I hit the dance floor and it was received wonderfully by all of the wedding guests. I felt like a star!

All that was left to do with this dress was go straight to shoes and accessories. When I tried my dress on, I already knew exactly how I wanted to style it and did just that. I went for my Barbie pink pair of Mark Fisher platforms which played into the girly sweet vibes but also set the stage for the piece de resistance: A beautiful pair of sheer pink vintage gloves that belonged to Johnny’s grandma. I adore the length of these gloves and they added a touch of old Hollywood aesthetic to such a modern dress. Last but not least was a pair of strand of pearls earrings to further solidify the Audrey Hepburn inspiration with her favorite gem. Pearls are my ultimate fave too – Twinning!!

This OOTD was Audrey Hepburn Lil Red’s way and I am still swooning over the end results. What’s that old saying again? Steal from the best and make it your own!

Who is your celebrity style icon? What is your favorite Audrey Hepburn movie? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

A Treat For Johnny!

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A Treat For Johnny!

Howdy! Whenever Johnny and I are out and about running errands, we love to surprise each other with little treats. It could be anything from a candy bar or snack to clothing or a plushie. Whatever it is, it’s always fun to return home with treasure in tow to brighten each other’s day. This past week, I was at my beloved 5 Below with a client and it is the perfect store to purchase little treats at. Everything is so cheap that it’s literally a guilt free shopping trip! 5 Below was decked out in Memorial Day swag and as soon as I saw this shirt, it was as good as Johnny’s. ❤ Check it out:

^^^ LOLOLOLOL!!!!!!

My Johnny is a hot dog loving guy lol. So much so, that he even has a tattoo of one on his arm! It is one of his favorite foods and he was so proud to have a hot dog with my niece when we took her on her birthday treat day. He said it’s one of his favorite memories with her! As you can see, a good hot dog is never far from his mind and when I see literally anything hot dog related, Johnny is not far from mine. I was beyond excited to gift him with this hilarious shirt when I got home from work and his reaction was better than I could have ever hoped for…

When I presented Johnny with this T, he told me how much he loved it. What’s more, he informed me that a hot dog truck was coming to his work for lunch the following day. Talk about perfect timing! Johnny and I have been together for over six years and, at this point, I think we are both a little psychic. Several times throughout each day, we say something that was just on the tip of each other’s tongue. However, I’m not so psychic that I knew his lunchtime plans for the next day! I am pleased to report that his shirt was a hit and he deeply enjoyed his hot dog lunch. Lol, this freaking man of mine! 🙂

Huge shout out to 5 Below for blessing my husband with this shirt. I am honestly still amped up with the serendipity of this purchase!

What do you like to treat your partner with? Do you have any Memorial Day plans? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dressed To The Nines OOTD

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Dressed To The Nines OOTD

Howdy! We had too much fun celebrating my beautiful cousin’s wedding this weekend and made the most amazing memories with my family. Johnny and I live for a good wedding because it’s not often that we get to break out our special occasion wear. We’re just a fashionista couple through and through! The dress code for Anna’s wedding was “Creative Formal” and I understood the assignment perfectly. I was delighted to find two gorgeous dresses for both the wedding and reception and felt like a Hollywood star in my looks. I wore this pretty little number to the ceremony:

Polka Dot Dress: Shein

Vertebrae Heels: Show Story

Gloves: These belonged to Johnny’s grandma!

The earrings are from Target, I think!

During a shopping trip to TJMaxx, I found a very similar dress to the one I purchased on Shein. The only problem was that it was much too big. However, I loved it so much that I couldn’t imagine wearing anything different and turned to the world wide web to find a solution. I scoured through the TJMaxx and Marshall’s websites and came up with zilch. I found the dress on Poshmark but it was, once again, too big and too pricey. Then, I found a dupe on Shein and realized it was as good as it was going to get. Was I thrilled about ordering off of the fast fashion website? No and I would never order off of it again. Was I happy to have a low quality version of the dress I wanted? …Yes. Yes, I was. -_-

Although the quality of the dress pales in comparison to the original, I still love it oh so much. The polka dots, silk, and lace scream old Hollywood glamour and I just felt so good in it! I was getting compliments left and right and everyone was convinced it was a vintage piece as opposed to a twenty-five dollar knock off. This dress was ideal for the wedding ceremony but definitely not the reception… The bottom half of my frock was quite fitted and it was hard to take big steps in it let alone dance the night away!

In the shoes department, I needed a lot of length because, as you can see, the dress was still pretty long on me even with heels on! I chose my vertebrae heels from my wedding and it was so nice to break those bad boys out again. The heels also provided an edgy pop to the dreamy vibes of the dress. For accessories, I just had to don a pair of *actual* vintage gloves that belonged to Johnny’s grandma. It is always so special to wear them and they further enhanced the old Hollywood aesthetic. Since there was a lot going on in this look, I opted for a simple pair of black teardrop gemstone earrings to tie the look together. With that, I was ready to celebrate my cousin and her new husband! ❤

Stay tuned for my reception look (Audrey Hepburn, anyone?!) and all of the bloopers coming soon on lifewithlilred. See you then!!

What is your favorite era of fashion? Did you have a dress code for your wedding? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

5 Below Finds

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5 Below Finds

Hello! As you all know, I am freaking obsessed with 5 Below and go there fairly frequently. It’s the perfect spot to pick up treats for my nieces, myself, and honestly anyone when I see something that reminds me of them! The prices are just too good to pass up and I’m genuinely amazed by the quality of everything that I have purchased from there. During one of my last trips, I couldn’t resist a new K-Pop Demon Hunters crop top for myself as well as a Britney Spears T-shirt for my sister. Unfortunately, the shirt didn’t work for her but it SO works for me! Check it out:

The K-Pop Demon Hunters crop featuring Rumi is basically the same K-Pop crop I already have from 5 Below with a different pattern. That was A-okay by me because my other crop top is just the best. It fits like a glove, is soft as can be, and shows off my shape without being too tight. I was so excited to find the Rumi one because I already knew that it was going to work and I loved rocking it on a mini golf outing last weekend. I always have to rep my Huntrix girls and 5 Below is the spot to find all of the K-Pop swag. They are constantly releasing new clothing and I am constantly SO there for it! ❤

And, of course, we have Queen B. My beloved Britney Spears. The sweetest angel in all of the land. My sister and I grew up on Britney Spears and she was and always will be our favorite. There is nothing toxic about this T although it features lyrics from her banger! It is just pure pop amazingness! I am so blessed to add another Britney Spears top to my wardrobe as I only have one other one and it was lonely lol. While I am sad that this top didn’t work out for my sis, I am sort of happy that it wound up with me… I was kicking myself in the butt for not buying two of them so all’s well that ends well. 😀

Need a pick me up? 5 Below. Need to find what you didn’t know you needed to begin with? 5 Below. I love that damn store!!

What is your favorite discount store? Who is your favorite pop princess? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Floral Fierce OOTD Bloopers

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Floral Fierce OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Floral Fierce OOTD! TGIF, amiright?! I have been counting down to the end of the week since the beginning of the week lol. I just couldn’t help it because I am beyond excited for my cousin’s wedding weekend. Johnny and I simply come alive at a wedding and I just know we are all going to have a blast with my family. I can’t wait to dress to the nines, drink champagne, and dance the night away… Then tell you all about it next week! Let’s get this weekend eve started with some fun by poking some fun at these yikes shots:

I have never really thought about bugs or pests before. I like butterflies, moths, ladybugs, lightening bugs, caterpillars and… that’s about it lol. However, I have been doing some content creating for a pest control company as of late and now it’s literally ALL I can think about! Thanks to this gig, I have developed quite an understanding for different Northeast Ohio pests, where they might be found, and warning signs of infestation. I really enjoy taking walks around the neighborhood and going on hikes and it has now turned into a demonstration of my newfound knowledge. I am constantly pointing things out to whoever is joining me on the trek!

Standing water from a storm? BOOM – mosquitoes. Tall grass in an unmaintained lawn? BOOM – ticks. Sodden mulch or rotted wood chips? BOOM – carpenter ants and termites lol. It’s a gift that I can’t freaking turn off to save my own life! I am one of those people who gets itchy just thinking about bugs. This was exasperated by a carpenter ant infestation in my old apartment. I woke up one night to one crawling on me and haven’t been the same since. Despite this little phobia, I do think it’s getting better because I am learning so much about these crawly creatures. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I want them in my home or on my skin but I guess they’re not so bad… maybe? As long as they stay the frick away from me! 😀

Every walk I have been on since starting this job has put my pest knowledge to the test. Hey, it’s always great to learn something new!

What kind of pests are in your neck of the woods? What is your favorite bug? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Floral Fierce OOTD

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Floral Fierce OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! It has been such a joy to break out warm weather clothing again and I have been having a blast styling spring OOTDs. While I love dressing for fall the best, spring is a very close second! Give me all of the light jackets and sweaters, skirts, and dresses!! I am obsessed with how this Floral Fierce look turned out and was excited to sport a new top compliments of my last TJMaxx trip. This outfit turned out exactly how I pictured it in the fitting room and that is always a feather in my cap! Check it out:

Embroidered Blouse: Democracy, TJMaxx

Bodycon Skirt: Originality, Dry Goods

Lace Up Heels: BCBG, TJMaxx

Face Silhouette Earrings: Cynthia Rowley, TJMaxx

Outside of black and red, I am extremely partial to the color yellow because it was my grandma’s favorite and it always reminds me of her. As soon as my eyes locked on the pretty, flax yellow blouse by Democracy when I was at TJs, it was like an instant hug from her and it instantly went into the cart! This lovely little number is decked out in sweet surprises from the embroidered flowers and scooped neck to the ruffle sleeves and delicate oyster hued buttons. The material is oh so soft and light and it just feels perfect for spring!

As per my OOTD vision in the TJMaxx dressing room, I paired my blouse with a bodycon skirt by Originality. I am very fond of a good bodycon skirt and this is, hands down, one of my faves. It fits like a glove and I love the funky 70s colors in the flower power pattern. With the blouse tucked in, a pseudo dress was formed and these two pieces together are magic. The yellow of the blouse closely mimics some of the flowers in the skirt for a fully cohesive combination. I felt like the star of a garden party, or my apartment complex at least, when I was rocking it lol.

In the shoes department, I opted for a darling pair of lace up heels by BCBG. These saddle brown heels were a neutral which is exactly what I needed for this look as there were already a lot of colors and patterns. They also provided the length for mile long legs which is a must with a bodycon skirt! For accessories, I kept things minimal for the same reason as the neutral shoes. There was a lot going on! I went for an ultra cool pair of face silhouette earrings by Cynthia Rowley for a pop of bling and with that, I was ready to go!

This Floral Fierce OOTD is one of my favorite spring looks yet. Stay tuned for more fashion fun here on lifewithlilred!

What color makes you think of a loved one? What is your favorite spring staple? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Skort & Sweet OOTD Bloopers

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Skort & Sweet OOTD Bloopers

Howdy everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Skort & Sweet OOTD! We are officially into May and HURRAY! Is it just me or did April take like three months to be over? I am manifesting lots of fun in the sun after several days of rain, snow, and even hail and there is nothing better for sunshine vibes than a good laugh. Sometimes, you just have to create your own sun! Taking a look at these yikes shots, for example, is a great place to start:

I don’t know about all of you, but last week was a doozy for me. My work week was pretty long and I was looking forward to the weekend since last Monday morning lol. We had plans to go mini golfing with my brother and his friend (More on that later!) and it was a total blast. Other than that, we had nothing going on and all I wanted to do was play more It Takes Two – a super fun puzzle solving co-op game with my main squeeze. With several busy weekends behind us, it was a while since we played and I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into more fast paced team work missions. So tell me why we didn’t end up playing at all? I’ll tell you why…

We got way too invested in Law & Order SVU lol. After we returned home from mini golfing, I made us some tacos for a late lunch and we watched an episode while we ate. And, like that potato chip slogan, just one wouldn’t do! We decided on just one more after our meal and that turned into two more to three more and so on and so forth until we went to bed SMH. In our defense, there were crimes to solve and we couldn’t let the elite squad face them alone! Sometimes you just have to take it easy, binge watch your favorite shows, and become one with your couch. I guess we were both more worn out from the week than we originally bargained for. But, hey, I went into Monday feeling SO well rested that it was actually a very successful weekend, indeed!

Although we didn’t get to play It Takes Two, we had a lot of quality time with Olivia Benson so I really think that it all balances out in the end!

Who is your favorite SVU character? What do you think of the new season? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah