Category Archives: Fashion

Oct3

On The Move OOTD

Posted on October 3, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Hello! Johnny and I like to try and have an outing together every weekend. When it is just us we, of course, dress however we want. This past weekend, however, we had company – our five year old niece. The plan was a Treat Day at an indoor amusement center and it was going to be very much on the go. Since our day promised SO many activities, I *gasp* dressed sensibly for the occasion. This On The Move OOTD is pretty much as casual as it gets for yours truly, which is definitely not something I’m used to! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Crop Top: Been Trill, PacSun

Distressed Skinny Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Cheetah Print Boots: Circus By Sam Edelman, TJMaxx

Lego Earrings: AbbieDabbles

To begin this look, I went browsing in an area of Lil Red’s Boutique that I don’t shop in often: The chest of drawers. One of the drawers is home to casual tops including crops, tanks, and T’s. Normally, this is not where I would go to style what is my usual weekend ensembles. But, in the case of Treat Day, I was exactly where I needed to be. The last thing I wanted was to wear one of my “good” tops with the almost certain risk of stains and snags! I was in an All Black Everything mood so I went for a Been Trill crop top. This was purchased literally FOREVER ago when I worked at PacSun so it is a total throwback. Regardless of the fact that the crop is over a decade old, I think it still looks great!

Next on the agenda was jeans and I chose my super distressed skinnies from American Eagle Outfitters. The color is still so crispy (Even after three plus years of wear!) and they are just right for an All Black Everything OOTD. These jeans were the only option I considered because all of the other black skinnies I own are horribly faded. I haven’t bought AEO denim since said purchase of super distressed skinnies so I’m making a mental note to fix that ASAP. 😀

Finally, it was time for shoes and accessories. Rather than my preferred platforms, I opted for an amazing pair of ankle boots by Sam Edelman. The shape, buckles, and cheetah print pop are just so cool and Johnny’s biggest regret is not having the same shoe size as me because these are his fave! And, yes, they do have a baby heel which made me happy. 🙂 If it wasn’t Treat Day, I would have added some huge, chunky gold jewelry to this look – but, alas, it was Treat Day. So, I popped on a small pair of Lego bats and was ready for an afternoon adventure with my two BFFs!

I genuinely can’t wait to get dressed up for real next weekend – fall fits are calling my name. I’ll return the call next Saturday so stay tuned for more fashion fun on lifewithlilred!

Do you usually dress up or down? What is a casual look for you like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct2

Werk At Work OOTD Bloopers

Posted on October 2, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Werk At Work OOTD! Today, we are going to take a look at the bad and the yikes that came from a speedy shoot before I had to be at a content shoot. I like to think that my best face was put forward during my evening of making some media magic. These shots, however, certainly don’t fall under that category in the slightest! Let’s get to it:

A sultry gaze just for you! ❤

When there aren’t any paper towels in the bathroom

A surprise conversation with my neighbor, Tony!! (He’s the best!)

Using the power of my mind to shoot laser beams

I’M SEXY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TFYM when you’re eating an entire lemon

Live. Laugh. Love.

On Saturday, Johnny and I had a delightful treat day with our eldest niece. She recently started kindergarten and we are SO proud of her, so we just had to take her out and celebrate. We visited an indoor amusement center that features arcade games, laser tag, roller skating, trampolines, rides, etc. Her favorite thing is the gigantic playground smack dab in the middle of the facility. It is basically a McDonald’s PlayPlace on steroids and it seriously looks like the funnest thing ever lol. Unfortunately, us big people could only hang on the bottom floor of the playground… Until this weekend, that is!

As Johnny and I watched our niece explore, we both agreed that we really wanted to go down one of the enormous slides. We were the only people in the play area so we figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask the attendant and he said… NO. -_- Of course, we understood but were secretly peeved about it so we activated stealth mode. As we were standing around, Johnny clocked that the attendant had his back turned and told me he was going to go down the slide anyways. Like a thief in the night, he made his way up the towering structure and was simply gleeful when he emerged at the bottom of the slide. And, as the ride or die that he is, he stood guard as I took a trip down the slide too. We felt most cheeky with our small act of rebellion and it was one thousand percent worth it – that slide was amazing!

One of Johnny’s favorite things to do when playing video games is “being sneaky” and it definitely translated in real life. We all had the best day!!

What did you do this past weekend? What is your favorite place to visit with your kiddos? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep28

Werk At Work OOTD

Posted on September 28, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! I took a trip to Misnyland on Tuesday to do some filming for a video series launching on the social media pages I manage this October. It was SO much fun and it is always a nice little treat to get myself done up during the work week. Nine times out of ten, you can catch me in jeans, a T-shirt, and a makeup free face so it was definitely a change of pace! Before heading out, Johnny graciously snapped these shots of my Werk At Work OOTD:

Who? What? Wear?

Cardigan: Jessica Simpson, TJMaxx

Cami Top: mittoshop, French Rooster

Bodycon Skirt: Originality, Dry Goods

Kitten Heels: Nine West, TJMaxx

Turquoise Earrings: Lucky Brand, TJMaxx

Sometimes when I put an outfit together, it is completely off the top of my head. In this instance, however, I had the OOTD planned the day before because I knew I wouldn’t have a lot of time to go shopping in my closet beforehand. Thankfully, it turned out exactly how I hoped it would – something work appropriate while still having that extra dose of Lil Red flare. As a social media manager, it gives me permission to have a lot of fun with what I wear while on the job and I take full advantage of it.

As I built the outfit in my head, I began with the bodycon skirt by Originality. It is one of my absolute favorites and the color palette was perfect for welcoming the first few official days of fall. I liked this skirt for work because it offered some shape without being completely curve hugging. Pairing it with a simple pair of black tights also added a classy and practical touch. My legs sure as hell weren’t shaved!! 😀

Because the pattern on the skirt was so bold, all that was left to do was slip on and tuck in one of my go to cami tops by mittoshop. I am most fond of a combination like this as it gives the illusion of wearing a dress. On a night out, I would leave the outfit at this and roll out. Spaghetti straps for work are a no no, though, so I opted for a gorgeous cream colored cardigan by Jessica Simpson to cover them up. The soft hue and flower embroidery on this cardi are just the sweetest and it helped tone down any sex appeal from the cami’s lace detailing.

With the base of the outfit sorted, it was time to move on to shoes and accessories. The Nine West kitten heels were a given. I live for the sassy pointed toe and that darling band of bling! I know I always pair the bodycon skirt with these heels, but I truly don’t own anything else that would work as well or better. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it! With no open real estate for bracelets or necklaces, I popped on a dangly pair of turquoise teardrop earrings and was ready for my content shoot.

My Werk At Work OOTD came together just as I imagined and thank goodness because I didn’t have a moment to spare!

What is your favorite fall color? How do you add your personal style to work outfits? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep27

Spooky Surprises

Posted on September 27, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Halloween decor reigns supreme in my household all year round and Johnny and I add a few new things every year when the stores shift to spooky season. For the past two years, my contribution were snow globes with a Halloween twist. I really liked the idea of getting one new snow globe per year as a tradition. During our date day, we made a visit to TJMaxx and, unfortunately, their snow globe selection left a lot to be desired. We did, however, find this ultra cool skull that I am obsessed with! Check it out:

As we made our rounds through spooky decor, everything was pretty picked over. There were a few things that we took note of but nothing worth buying. That is, until the red skull with blinged out devil horns caught my eye. It was the very last one on the shelf and as soon as I saw the ten dollar price tag, it was immediately added to our cart. We are seasoned pros when it comes to Halloween decorations but I had never seen anything quite like this before. This skull is so different from anything we have and its brilliant shade of red speaks sweet nothings to my Lil Red heart. It certainly makes a statement on our many spooky shelves!!

One final little treat I purchased for myself was a pair of Betsey Johnson spiderweb tights. They were expertly placed in the catch all aisle as you are waiting to check out and that really is where TJMaxx gets you! I am a huge fan of all things Betsey and these tights are just what I needed for fall. Literally every pair I have is riddled with holes and while these are holey, they are purposeful lol. Patterned tights are an amazing way to shake up sweater dresses and skater skirts. They also look so edgy and cool when worn under shorts. I cannot wait to break my spiderweb pair out to add some spooky flare to any OOTD. 😀

These Spooky Surprises were the perfect, cost effective little somethings to bring home during our date day shopping trip. The best surprise, though, is the fact that Johnny asked me to go to TJMaxx in the first place!! 🙂

Do you and your partner like to shop together? What are your favorite stores to visit? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep26

Date Day OOTD Bloopers

Posted on September 26, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Date Day OOTD! Johnny and I got all prettied up this past weekend for an afternoon on the town and we had the best time. We have been together for over five years and married for three of them. I still get butterflies when I see my main squeeze and it makes even the most simple outings of shopping and lunch feel special. Everything about our day was perfect… minus these blooper shots, anyways! Lol check it out:

As I mentioned yesterday, the flutter sleeves of the top occasionally fluttered a bit too much!

When wind in the hair goes horribly wrong. Example one:

Example two:

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

This had the potential for a lovely picture if my face wasn’t doing that!

Something STANK

Contemplating my life in its entirety

See ya next time!!!!!!!!

This little story has nothing to do with date day, but everything to do with what is currently happening in my apartment at this exact moment. It is six in the morning as I type this and it’s raining cats and dogs out. I absolutely love rainy days and my bunnies, Melvin and Penelope, really enjoy them too. Normally, they are pretty rambunctious in the morning and are getting into adorable mischief. When it rains, however, they shift into pensive mode and use that time to have their bunny reflections.

One of Melvin and Penelope’s favorite spots to chill is behind their hutch next to a big window. Said window offers a four inch or so sill that they always try to chew on and requires constant intervention… Except for when it rains! Rather than chew, the bunnies will put their little front paws on the ledge and watch the weather. It is basically the cutest thing ever but I can never get a picture of it before they beeline away! The running joke between Johnny and me is that it would be SO funny if we could capture this moment while “Thank You” by Dido plays in the background. If you are unfamiliar with the title of the song, you might recognize its lyrics of:

My tea’s gone cold, I’m wondering why
I got out of bed at all
The morning rain clouds up my window
And I can’t see at all
And even if I could, it’d all be gray
But your picture on my wall
It reminds me that it’s not so bad
It’s not so bad

Long story short, that is what is going on in real time at chez moi and it definitely gave me my laughs for the morning. Our rainy day bunnies will never not be funny to us!

What do your pets do that makes you laugh? What is your favorite rainy day activity? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep25

Date Day OOTD

Posted on September 25, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! Yesterday we discussed a lovely little Date Day from this past weekend and no date day would be complete without a killer outfit. During the work week, Johnny and I do the bare minimum when it comes to getting ready for work. When we have plans over the weekend, however, it’s a totally different story! Both of us are incredibly passionate about fashion so when we step out, we always do so in our Sunday best. Here is what I wore for our out and about adventure:

Who? What? Wear?

Flutter Sleeve Top: Japna, TJMaxx

Distressed Skinny Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Two Toned Loafers: Steve Madden, Walmart

Mustard Yellow Purse: Chillx By LeMiel, TJMaxx

While my heart is screaming fall, the weather in Ohio has yet to catch up and we are still experiencing summer like temperatures. This is not ideal for Johnny and me because 1) We hate hot weather. And 2) As soon as September hits I fall back into the routine of wearing jeans again, stop shaving my legs, and have no desire for anyone else to see the old woolly mammoths should I wear shorts lol. The name of the game for this weather is ventilation – staying cool and breezy despite not wearing fully summer appropriate clothes. With that in mind, I knew exactly what to do to keep myself comfortable and I most definitely was all day!

For starters, I slipped on a darling little number by Japna for the top. Other than green being one of my favorite colors to wear, this shirt was chosen more for practicality’s sake. The material is so light, the back is slightly open, and the cropped style matched the word of the day of ventilation. And, of course, I just can’t get enough of those flutter sleeves! They provided the most amazing movement every time the wind picked up and I felt like a butterfly taking off… Most of the time, anyways. You’ll see what I mean in the blooper reel so peep that coming soon. 😀

For pantaloons, I chose my all time favorite pair of distressed skinnies from American Eagle Outfitters. Talk about ventilation, am I right?! The holes on the thighs of these jeans are massive, so much so that it almost did feel like wearing shorts. Although these jeans are pretty old, they still have retained their jet black original appearance because I avoid washing them like the plague – the last thing they need is more holes! Because the black denim was still nice and crispy, it helped compliment the same color striping on the top even more.

Finally, it was onto shoes and accessories. Now, normally, I am not a matchy matchy kind of gal. However, I had to make an exception in this case because the two toned Steve Madden loafers were just too perfect to not wear with this look. Was the green on the soles of the loafers a perfect match to the top? No, and that’s okay because they were close enough and still formed top to bottom cohesion. For accessories, I selected a few bracelets and my signature pair of dangly black cross earrings and I was ready to step out with my honey!

I felt dynamite in my Date Day OOTD and I loved how it turned out. A great day deserves a great outfit too!

What is your favorite pattern to wear? How about your favorite color to wear? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep23

Hello, Yellow OOTD Bloopers

Posted on September 23, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Hello, Yellow OOTD. This look was worn on a mad dash of a ten plus hour work day and I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I am pleased to report that I made it through and even put together a fun little look too! Like the theme of the day, taking OOTD pics was a rapid fire process. I’d love to say that every shot taken was a winner, but we all know that is never the case! Let’s take a look at these bloopers:

When your upper lip is sweating PROFUSELY

Say cheese!!!! 🙂

Exsqueeze me?!

RSF (Resting Stank Face)

Legit just trying my best

I’M SEXY!!!!!!!!!!

Have you had one of those “are you freaking kidding me?” moments recently? I definitely did this week! My brother and I like to hike together as often as we can. It is great exercise and gives us the chance to chat away or not say anything at all. There is a wonderful trail right down the street from us and it is one that we frequent regularly. We always thought it was strange when we visited the park that we had to walk a good quarter of a mile on a street to get to the trail itself. And, every time without fail, I would bring up that it was like we were in a horror movie.

Because of the process alone of getting to the trail, we never finished the path in its entirety. However, we are completing a Fall Hiking Spree and we both had enough energy that we decided to go for it this time. We walked, and walked, and walked some more. I had a minor heart attack when a snake slithered by me on the path but we trudged along as my blood pressure sky rocketed. Shortly after, we both realized that we had no idea where we were because the trail is anything but well marked. All that we could do was keep walking and eventually, we ended up at a parking lot that was infinitely closer to the trail. This entire time, we could have avoided the odd on the street trek had I known said parking lot existed. It’s nice to know now SMH!

This hike introduced us to a brand new world. Well, a brand new parking lot anyways. But, hey, we still had a blast and got a killer, albeit longer work out to boot!

Where is your favorite place to hike? What kind of wildlife do you see on your walks? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep22

Hello, Yellow OOTD

Posted on September 22, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hi hi!! This past week, duty called as a social media manager to take part in a meeting for a new project. This was on top of what is already my busiest day of the week and I was wiped out. Regardless of being tired, it is always important to me to put together an OOTD that makes me feel my best so I can put my best face forward. The said project was an art driven one so I wanted to create a look that was business casual with some funky flare. And, of course, I wanted to be comfortable. The Hello, Yellow OOTD you are about to see was so comfy, in fact, that it felt like wearing pajamas and no one was the wiser for it! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Yellow Cardigan: A New Day, Target

Navy Blue Crop Top: This was a hand me down from my sister

Pinstripe Slacks: Free People, TJMaxx

Snakeskin Pattern Kitten Heels: Splendid, TJMaxx

Retro Headband: TJMaxx

The turquoise earrings are Lucky Brand!

Honestly, I didn’t know what I wanted to wear to this meeting and it was quite the mad dash to throw together. I was on a time crunch, had a decent drive ahead of me, and it felt like every idea I had sucked. So, I scrapped them all, took a breath, and did a restart with something that I knew for a fact would work. This began with my pair of pinstripe slacks by Free People. I love the modern take on business casual that they offer with the wide leg and soft cloth material. These slacks also helped set up a neutral base when paired with the navy blue crop top so that I could enhance the look with pops of color.

Speaking of pops of color, cue the mustard yellow cardigan by A New Day! The weather in Ohio has still been really warm and this was a perfect option as it was nice and light. Because navy is a neutral, I could wear this cardigan with no repercussions to the overall outfit. I am a huge fan of anything yellow and the cardi turned the very basic base into something special. It also provided me with some midriff coverage for the little bit showing between the crop top and high waisted slacks. This was great because it kept me worry free about any peek a boo moments for the duration of the evening.

Finally, it was onto shoes and accessories. For shoes, I decided on a pair of snakeskin pattern kitten heels. Had the pinstriping on the pants been more bold, I would have went with something different. However, it was so light that introducing a new pattern wouldn’t clash. This was further assisted by the fully neutral palette too. Next, it was time to browse the accessory department. My hair was not behaving whatsoever, so a headband was in order. I chose a lovely retro hued headband with yellow that closely mimicked the cardigan and popped on a pair of dangly turquoise earrings for good measure. With that, I was ready to go!

There is no rule stating that business casual has to be boring. This Hello, Yellow OOTD is my take on office ready vibes with my signature Lil Red aesthetic!

How do you dress for work? How do you dress for play? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep14

Collegiate Chic OOTD

Posted on September 14, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy!! This past Monday, I had an exciting day at work. I visited Kent State University with my boss, Tim, to assist with a presentation to the Principles of Marketing class. We had a blast and it was a joy to interact with all of the students. For the occasion, I wanted to put together a Collegiate Chic OOTD that was professional, but offered that extra dose of Lil Red flare. Unfortunately, I had to leave before Johnny was home from work so he couldn’t take pictures for me. I didn’t want to fiddle around with my tripod and a timer so I figured some mirror pictures would suffice. Never mind the bunny hutch that makes a guest appearance! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Houndstooth Knit Blazer: Joie, TJMaxx

Navy Blue Skater Skirt: This was a hand me down from a colleague!

Knee Socks: Target

Heeled Oxfords: Lulu Hun, ModCloth

The earrings were a gift from Johnny’s mom!

Sometimes, outfits come to me in a vision and that was very much the case for my Collegiate Chic OOTD. I knew exactly what I wanted and it turned out exactly how I wanted and it was so very satisfying! This look began with the gorgeous knit blazer by Joie. I loved the classic double breasted shape and the houndstooth pattern gave the studious vibe that I was going for. While the shape of the blazer is quite traditional, the color palette is an interesting take on houndstooth and that was the main selling point for me. It gave the quirky aesthetic I needed to do a school inspired look Lil Red’s way.

Obvi before adding the blazer, the base of the outfit needed to be addressed! Aside from the periwinkle pop in the blazer, the remaining colors were fully neutral. Meaning that I could pair it with any other neutral hue and it would form a cohesive look. I chose navy as my neutral and put on a navy blue crop top underneath the blazer and a skater skirt to match. The skirt paired with the blazer offered a modern take on stuffy school uniforms and I felt like the coolest kid on campus because of it.

Finally, it was onto shoes and accessories. To drive the updated uniform motif home, I slipped on some heather grey knee highs. Remember, you can always add another neutral to the mix without negatively effecting the rest of the outfit. And, of course, what is a fresher take on a school uniform than a pair of heeled oxfords? Peep how the tawny shade in the heels matched perfectly to the blazer! Last but not least, I chose a lovely pair of earrings that my mother-in-law gifted me and I was ready to take on a school day my way.

My Collegiate Chic OOTD was such fun to style and even more fun to wear. I was so inspired by the idea of modernizing a school uniform and it ended up being one of my favorite looks in recent past!

Did you have to wear uniforms to school? What were they like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep9

Super Casual OOTD Bloopers

Posted on September 9, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel to my Super Casual OOTD! Thankfully, Johnny and I took these pictures before leaving for our niece’s second birthday party and not after. Not five minutes into the gathering, I spilled juice on my shirt. This is absolutely TMI but I had to walk around the party looking like I was lactating for two hours lol SMH. Despite this faux pas, a wonderful time was had by all and hopefully my boob stain wasn’t too noticeable! And, of course, the pics we are about to see are nothing short of a faux pas too. Check it out:

A sultry gaze just for you

A hot new look called “Demonic Possession”

Wait for it…..

ACHOOO!

Dude, where’s my car?

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

As summer draws to a close, I realize that I did not achieve a stereotypical “bikini body” this year. Or any year, as a matter of fact lol. This is okay because a true bikini body is just a body in a bikini. However, I have to admit that when I wore the crop top above, I was a bit self conscious. My tummy is far from perfectly flat and I am perfectly aware of it. I guess I was just a little more aware of it that particular day. But you know what I did? I wore the crop top anyways! Because at the end of the day, who cares? I still felt good in the top and that was all that mattered to me.

While I contemplated my belly, I thought about how different my body is as a thirty year old woman as opposed to when I was twenty. Was my stomach flatter back in the day? Absolutely. But bodies change and gaining some extra pounds comes with aging. I also considered my activity throughout the week. I have an incredibly strenuous work schedule and I try to go for a walk or hike at least four days a week. I asked myself if after all of that, did I really want to work out once I’m home from work and the resounding answer was a HARD NO!

During my whirlwind body thoughts, I came to the conclusion that I am happy with how I look and that is a beautiful place to be. Yes, I did initially feel self conscious in the top. But, I thought about it carefully and weighed my options. With that, I decided that there is nothing more for me to do than wear whatever I want, when I want. It was a liberating feeling and when I was done having my think session, I felt much better than I did before. And, when next summer rolls around, my bikini body will be ready. All I need to do is add a bikini. 🙂

Feeling self conscious happens to the best of us, but you have the Lil Red Guarantee that you look amazing just the way you are! ❤

What is something you feel self conscious about? What do you do to feel better about it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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