Category Archives: School

Nov27

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!

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Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!

Happy happy Thanksgiving!!!! My sister, mother, and I have taken a break from our preparations of our Thanksgiving dinner, so I figured now would be a good time to send some holiday wishes to all of you! There are so many things that I’m thankful for that I’d like to share with you. In my list and explanations I didn’t include my family and friends, because those are the obvious ones! My close circle of immediate family and a whopping two friends (sad but true) will always be my number one, so no explanation is needed:) #enoughsaid

Here’s some of the things that I’m thankful for this holiday season and every day!

My education: I’ve been feeling an overwhelming sensation of pride in myself lately for finally getting myself back to school. I always thought that college wasn’t going to be for me, but now that I finished my first semester I wish that I would have started school sooner! I’m so thankful that my parents have been helping me occasionally with my tuition and text books. But shockingly, I’m also thankful for being able to pay most of my college expenses on my own. Which leads me to my second thing on my list….

My job: As soon as I ended my four year stint at PacSun, I honestly had no idea what I was going to do. I was so nervous for my future. I was so scared that I wouldn’t find another job right away. Getting that call with a job offer from Next was the biggest relief I’ve experienced in a long time. If it wasn’t for that call, there’s no way that I could afford paying for my education almost completely on my own, as well as keeping up with my car payment for the Little Red Love Machine. I’m so appreciative to have a job period, let alone a job that I really enjoy. My coworkers and clientele are just fantastic, so it makes going into work a joy.

My blog: This might sound dumb to some people, but I really am thankful for starting http://www.lifewithlilred.com!! I’ve been told that I should make a blog countless times before, so a little over two months ago I figured “why not?”. And I am so glad that I did! I forgot how much I enjoyed writing and expressing my feelings until I started trying to make a blog post or two daily. I’m so thankful for all of my readers and followers who have shown me so much love and support! Lifewithlilred is always going to be a thing, and I’m really hoping that as the hype continues to build that I’ll be able to make some kind of moolah for my work. But that’s thinking way far in advance! It’s good to dream though:)

Myself: Sarah: I am so thankful for the person who you’ve become. It feels so good to finally say that I love who I am after years of depression, self harm, and eating disorders. I love the way I look, which I never thought I would say. I love that I’m open and accepting to everyone. I love that I have a bright and bubbly personality. I love that I think for myself, which is so very important. Most of all, I’m thankful that I’m finally able to recognize all of these amazing qualities about myself. I’m thankful that I’m no longer in a zombie like state of depression. I’m finally thankful to be alive.

So there you have it – the other things that I’m thankful for besides my family and friends! I hope all of you have an amazing Thanksgiving today. I hope all of you share it with people who you love. Where ever you are in the world – I am so thankful for you! Thank you so much for reading. If you have any questions or concerns: leave me a comment and let’s chat! ALSO: If you partake in Black Friday shopping tonight or tomorrow PLEASE remember to be kind to the retail workers!!! I promise you that they would give anything to not be working amongst all of the craziness that is sure to happen! Send me some good luck vibes as well so I can get through my Black Friday shift! It would be much appreciated 😉 Happy holidays! -Sarah

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Nov3

I Love Mondays – Seriously!

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I Love Mondays – Seriously!

I never EVER thought I’d say this….but I love Mondays. I do, I do. Monday is the day I get all of my assignments in for my online classes at Tri-C and it just so happens that my schedule at Next usually allows for me to be off on Mondays, since I work all weekend. So for me, Monday turns into a day of sleeping in until whenever I want, lounging in sweats, wearing no makeup, and working on college assignments in bed. It’s the BEST. All of the assignments I get on Monday morning usually aren’t due until Sunday night, but because I’m off all day I try to get as much done as possible. I did a buttload of reading today, I’m talking over 100 pages in a textbook buttload. It sucked. But my diligence in completing the chapters and taking notes then going back through and highlighting them paid off. I got a 100 on my quiz for the week! My first perfect score of my college career! I was so freaking proud. I may be attending school in an unconventional way but I’m still just as much of a student as the kids attending school on campus. Getting that score proved this to me, and for the first time I really do feel like a college student. After about six hours of nonstop reading and note taking, I called it quits. Now I only have an essay to complete which isn’t due until the 16th – which is awesome considering I have NO clue what to write about. We have to write an essay explaining a concept to the reader. I’ve been racking my brains all day for a good concept to write about and I’m drawing a blank. Everything that there is to write about is just so broad and I’m having a really hard time narrowing stuff down to just one general idea. If any of you guys have any topics that you think might work for a college composition class, please let me know!

Today was full of educating and beautifying myself. After I wrapped up all of my school work, it was time for some pampering. My eyebrows were in desperate need of a good pluckin’ and thankfully my sister is the queen of the tweezers. That girl can shape up eyebrows like nobody’s business. After my brows were shaped to perfection, it was time to dye my hair. I like to dye my hair every month to keep my red nice and vibrant. As I’ve mentioned before, I use the Runway Red coloring in Vidal Sassoon’s London Luxe collection.

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This stuff is seriously MAGIC. It’s a must for any redhead that’s looking for bright, bold, “look at me” hair. I’m not lying or exaggerating when I say that my hair turns out identical to the color example on the box. This is also the color that I paid a lot of money to get month after month in a salon. You can’t beat five dollars a month for a box of color and salon quality results! Today I also began using Biore’s Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser.

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I must say that this stuff is FABULOUS. A sample of this cleanser was available in a magazine I was reading, so I ripped it out and gave it a try. I kid you not, that after one use almost all of my blackheads were eliminated. I knew that I had to have this cleanser in my arsenal of skin care products, so the next day I went to Target and purchased it. I have four piercings on my nose, two on each nostril and that’s where I tend to get a lot of blackheads. After I used the cleanser tonight, I took a look in the mirror and all of the blemishes around my piercings were gone. The charcoal in this product attracts all the dirt and grime like a magnet and leaves your skin invigorated with a rush of an icy chill. I can’t recommend this cleanser enough.

I forgot to mention the comfy cozy feeling I’ve had all day in my new sweats from Aerie.

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I’ve been snuggled up in these bad boys all day while working and pampering. I’ve been in desperate need of new sweat pants, as I haven’t bought a new pair in over two years since I don’t really feel the need. Especially when my sister’s vast collection of Victoria’s Secret yoga pants is right down the hall! But finally I purchased these sweats in the heather grey and in tan when I made my way to the mall a few nights ago. Both colors of the sweats were marked down 60% off, so I got both of them for about twenty-four dollars! You can’t beat that! If you go on http://www.aerie.com you can find these sweats and a bunch of other cute fall sale items for a crazy good deal! You may have noticed that I have a new book I’ve started reading in my sweat pant picture. I started Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson last night which was a big mistake because I couldn’t put it down! I’m about forty pages in, so I’m not far enough to give you guys a good synopsis of what’s going on, but expect an article by the time I’m half way through it!

So there you have it, my Monday Funday! Make sure you guys check in for my review of Dancing With The Stars tonight since it’s Middle Aged Monday. And if you have a good topic to write about for a concept essay, leave me a comment and let’s chat! Have a good night! -Sarah

Oct23

Letter to Myself

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Letter to Myself

Today I got an assignment in one of my classes at Tri-C to write a letter to my future self that my teacher will mail to us some time down the road of our college career. I absolutely loved the idea of this assignment, because my best friend, Lea and I love writing letters to our future selves. In fact, a month or so ago we opened up one of our letters from two years ago and had a blast reading them and reminiscing on what we wrote about. We had completely forgotten some of the fun things we added into the letter, like questions that could be answered from piecing highlighted letters together and questions from my parents’ daily Jeopardy calender. So obviously, this assignment was right up my ally! I would like to share what I wrote to myself with you guys.

Dear Future Sarah,

First of all, let me say how proud I am of you. You had a goal of going to college way back in September, and you achieved that. I trust that as you read this now, you’re well on your way to earning your Associate of Arts degree. My wish for your entire future, from the time you read this now, until the day you die is: That you continue to do things that make you happy. That can be anything, from theater which you love so much, or blogging, or even pursuing a higher degree in school. As long as you’re doing something that you love, you’re succeeding. I hope that as the months go by, you recognize all of the potential that people constantly tell you you have. You are worthy of a beautiful life. I know in the past you had a hard time believing that, and I hope some day you can truly believe and embrace that yourself. I also would like to remind you of how far you’ve come in your life. It’s not a bad thing to remember your not so great past and celebrate the milestones you’ve accomplished, even in your darkest times. You are beautiful, inside and out. Take pride in who you are, because you matter. You are important. You are capable of greatness.

With all of my love,

Sarah

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I had such a good time writing this letter. It felt awesome to write down and see the positive affirmations I try and tell myself daily. I wrote this letter with the reminders I like hearing from other people in mind, because I know my future self will appreciate it. When I receive this letter in the mail, whenever it may be, I’m confident that it will help me through a rough time that I may be going through or it will give me positive reassurance to keep on trucking on the path that I’m on.

If you ever have the time, I highly recommend that you take the time to write your future self a letter. And when you do open it, your words may be just what you need on that given day. Have a fantastic Thursday! -Sarah

Oct21

My Drives to Cleveland

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My Drives to Cleveland

Two to three days during the week, I have to make my way up to Cleveland for my classes at Tri-C. The drive usually isn’t that bad…except for rush hour morning traffic. What usually is a half hour drive from Cuyahoga Falls to Tri-C doubles into an hour in the blink of an eye. These past few days have been particularly rough, because not only is everyone and their brother driving to work at eight o’clock in the morning, but it’s been extremely rainy, AND there’s construction happening to top it all off. So after reading all of these things working against me on good ol’ Route 8, you’re going to think I’m crazy when I let you guys know that I actually really enjoy my drives to school and back. The number one reason why my trek to C-Town is tolerable is because I can finish entire albums of music in my travel time. It’s awesome. On a usual drive for me to work or running errands around Akron I can only get through about four or so songs on any given album. The fact that on my way to school I can hype myself up with an hours worth of music instantly makes for a good day. When I have my favorite bands playing in my car (AKA: The Little Red Love Machine), all of the stressful obstacles on my route to class disappear. Being stuck in traffic that’s moving one MPH turns into a one woman dance party/karaoke club in an instant. Stupid highway drivers who need to get off the road immediately are forgotten once I turn on a good jam. You guys must think that this is a silly post and that everyone knows that music can change the mood of an annoying drive. But I never really experienced this first hand until my drives to school, because I never really needed to go an hour or so out of my way before. Everything and everyone that I drive to is a half hour away or less. During these drives I’ve been enjoying albums such as:

  • The Ting Tings: We Started Nothing (This is the ultimate girl power, woman on the go driving music! Love it.)
  • Cold War Kids: Robbers & Cowards (Nothing hypes me up more than some CWK. Trying to match the lead singers gorgeous vocals is always an enjoyable driving game 😉 )
  • The Used: The Used (This self titled album satisfies all of my road rage needs.)
  • Twenty One Pilots: Vessel (If you read my blog post about these guys, you’ll already know my deep love for them. This album is the perfect throw back your thermos of coffee and wake up music.)
  • Bear Hands: Distraction (I was playing this today and it was fantastic. I love these guys so much! Shout out to PacSun for introducing me to them 😉 )

The albums listed above are just to name a few of what I’ve been jamming to lately! What’s on everyone’s driving play lists? What song gets you pumped for your day while you’re in the car? Do you have any suggestions for me to listen to? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -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:

isis

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

Oct15

My New Student Orientation!

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My New Student Orientation!

Today I had my new student orientation at Tri-C. It was alright….it was actually really boring! Ha! But I’m glad I got it done today because without going to the five hour orientation I wouldn’t have been able to register for my classes. I really lucked out because I was able to apply for two classes, my English course and the First Year Experience course that I can take right away on October 20th. If those classes weren’t available I would have to wait until January to take any classes, so I’m really glad I can at least dip my toe in the water with these two courses. During the orientation we got a tour of the school, a tutorial on how to use the online accommodations for students, a meeting with our guidance counselor, and we learned how to register online for the classes recommended to us by our counselors. Tri-C’s campus is really fantastic, and there’s so many great facilities and resources for the students such as a fitness center, swimming pool, tutoring center, and library. However, I’ll be taking most of my courses online, so I wont be on campus too often. My amazing counselor Miss Lady and I decided it would be a good idea to only do school part time right now and work up to full time scheduling if I want to. And that’s perfectly fine by me, because I still would like to work as often as I can so I can afford my car payments, filling up my car, and paying my tuition. As mentioned previously, I plan on doing an Associate of Arts Degree which is a two year program. I’m really hoping I’ll be able to graduate in the fall of 2016, but I’m not sure if that will be possible since I’m only going to school part time. I plan on taking summer courses though so I can try and speed the process up. As of next Monday, I’ll be a college gal! I would really appreciate all of the good vibes you guys can muster – because I’m not gonna lie, I’m pretty nervous to start school! I’m just afraid of feeling overwhelmed by everything. I haven’t done any type of schooling in well over two years so all of the old skills I learned are going to be pretty rusty! Does anyone have any tips on how to make the first few months at college a little bit easier? I could use all the help I can get! Also, make sure you check in at http://www.lifewithlilred.com tomorrow for my review of the new episode of American Horror Story tonight! Have a great evening! -Sarah

ANNNNNND BREAK:

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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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Oct8

I Love College – Part 2!

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I Love College – Part 2!

It’s not an I love college post without referencing the great Asher Roth at least once…so enjoy this music video and enjoy my post immediately after!

KEG STAND KEG STAND KEG……done already? Whoops. Then I shall proceed with the important stuff!

So I met with my guidance counselor today and she is absolutely FANTASTIC. Seriously we were a match made in heaven. I beyond lucked out when I got paired with her when I called to schedule an appointment. I won’t use her name to ensure her privacy, so we’ll just call her Miss Lady! And let me just say that Miss Lady is an absolute dynamo. Our energy is so alike it’s almost unreal. We’re both extremely enthusiastic and witty, but also straight forward enough that we were able to get legitimate work done amidst all of our first meeting jabber and jokes. I know for a fact that I’ll be on a path to success at Tri-C with Miss Lady by my side. She managed to get me into some classes so I can start them on October 20th rather than in January when the Spring semester starts. Needless to say, I’m THRILLED, because the last thing I wanted to do was have to wait any longer to start some courses. My counselor was genuinely interested in me and my hobbies. When I told her that I’m really into music, she asked me for suggestions on bands I like so that she could listen to them and talk with me about them when I see her next Wednesday for my new student orientation. I thought that was the coolest thing ever – the fact that she wanted to get to know me on a more intimate level than just guidance counselor and student made me feel like we’re going to be friends. Pause. I know we’re going to be friends…..

Jack White thinks so too.

Not only was she interested in my taste in music, but she was interested in my blog as well! She was specifically interested in my fashion sense which sealed our friendship deal right there. Anyone who appreciates my piercings, my freshly dyed bright red hair, and the outfits I throw together can be my friend any day! The personal touches she added to our conversations, like how she was excited to see what I was going to wear next Wednesday made me so excited to start this college chapter in my life. It’s so nice going into a new adventure with somebody on your side. Now I don’t feel so alone and overwhelmed. I feel quite the opposite actually – I feel empowered, I feel ready, I feel like I’m going to be successful. I’ve never felt that way about school before and it’s an AWESOME feeling. For once in my life, I feel really proud of myself. Tri-C – I’m ready for you!!!! Have a fantastic Hump Day everyone! Learn something new. -Sarah

Sep26

I Love College

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I Love College

In the words of the great Asher Roth….I love college. I love college and I haven’t even started yet. I went to the Tri-C campus this morning to take my prep placement course and my actual math and English placement tests. I don’t mean to toot my own horn or anything, but it went GREAT! It felt SO good to use my brain for educational purposes again. I haven’t thought about school related stuff since I graduated high school in 2012, and I honestly shocked myself at how easily I picked up a school pace again. The placement prep course was set up like an actual class, and it felt really good to be in a learning environment again, even if it was only for two hours. It felt awesome to be able to interact with a teacher, and to learn and share laughs with other future students. Math was never my strong point through out my high school career, but I apparently learned more than I thought I did, because I was able to recall a lot of algebra based problems that our professor was going through with us. That made me feel really good, because I was so worried that I had forgotten a lot of skills and knowledge after I graduated. It’s nice to know that maybe some of this college stuff won’t be so hard after all. The English portion of the prep course and the actual placement test was a breeze. I’ve always loved literature and creative writing, so it was right up my ally. I was pleased to find out I got placed in Beginning Algebra 1 for my math course and College Composition 1 for my English course. I’ve never really been proud of myself about much in life. But I’m genuinely proud of myself right now, and it’s a fantastic feeling. Happy Friday everyone! Learn something new. Do something fun. Be kind to one another. -Sarah

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