If The Shoe Fits: Free People Edition

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If The Shoe Fits: Free People Edition

Hellooo everyone and welcome to another wonderful week here on lifewithlilred! Today, we are going to discuss a new pair of kicks from a brand that I have admired from afar for many a year now – that being: Free People. Oh, Free People. So boho. So chic. So fun. SO. FREAKING. EXPENSIVE!!!! Trust and believe that if I didn’t get these shoes at TJMaxx, then buying them would be completely out of the question. Honestly, the TJ’s price was steep for me. BUT, these cute boots were too fabulous to pass up on and I can’t have a guilty conscience weighing me down. Check it out:

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Aside from being a total label whore about finally owning something by Free People, there is a lot that I love about these wedges. And, by a lot, I mean: EVERYTHING. The off white color, the chunky, platform-esque heel, the sparkly pale pink laces. Ugh, they’re perfect.<3

These Free People bootie boots are like a high fashion version of Timberland’s, which is a lot better than it sounds, I promise! Because, seriously, the styling potential for these knows no bounds and, if done properly, they can be an all four seasons pair of shoes. I love the idea of stomping around in the leaves with these bad boys during the fall, but I can totally picture myself avoiding puddles in them during a rainy spring day. And, the neutral off white allows you to rock them with anything and everything while still looking fashion forward. Sweet!

Do I plan on purchasing Free People clothing and shoes from TJMaxx constantly? No, definitely not. But, am I happy to have gotten my new boots to upgrade my fall footwear? Definitely! 😀

What is a brand that you admire from afar? How would you style these boots? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

More New Clothes!

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More New Clothes!

Howdy! Right about now marks the time when I love to shop, because fall clothes are beginning to be introduced in stores. And, as we all know, fall is Lil Red’s season. The clothes, the weather, the activities, the clothes – I love it all! But, most importantly, I love the clothes! Fall fashion is the jam. From cozy sweaters and cute boots to layering all the things, my fashion sense truly shines in autumn.

To help kick start my fall wardrobe, some online shopping at TJMaxx was a must, and I was able to welcome these pretty little numbers home. Check it out:

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  • Faux Leather Skirt by BB Dakota: $20
  • Rust Colored Sweater by Lush: $10

The midi skirt is an article of clothing that I have admired from afar for a long time. Because of my 5’1 stature, most midi skirts end up looking maxi on me, until this BB Dakota one came along. I. Love. It. So. Much. It fits at my natural waist instead of on my hips, so the extra length doesn’t go down my legs but, rather, up my torso to make for a real midi skirt instead of a maxi. And the faux leather floral material? Forget about it.

This skirt is going to look amazing with a pair of heeled booties, a tucked in black sweater, and a denim jacket over the top if it’s a bit chilly out. I am so excited to finally be able to style my first midi skirt and am looking forward to hopefully finding more midis that I can actually wear as a midi in the future!

And, we can’t forget about the ten dolla holla sweater by Lush! This top is so totally comfy and the colors are so totally perfect for fall AND for me. Rust orange is one of my favorite colors to wear, because it’s deep enough that it doesn’t clash against my bright red hair. Instead, it plays up with my pasty pale skin tone and creates a really nice look overall.

You really can’t beat a brand new sweater for ten dollars and I am psyched to wear it already. This is a perfect lazy fall day top, because all you need do is pair it with a good pair of skinnies and boots and go. Love it!

What is your favorite season to dress for? How would you style the above clothing? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Making Big Purchases Possible Even If You Are In Debt

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Making Big Purchases Possible Even If You Are In Debt

In late 2017, Americans had an all-time high outstanding debt total of $13.1 trillion. Experts also estimate that “student loan balances soared by 146%” in the last 10 years, and that roughly 80% of Americans are in debt. If you are one of the millions of people who find themselves under a mountain of student loan, credit card, or personal loan debt, you’re not alone. As a result of the level of debt that most individuals carry, many are delaying the process of making big life purchases (e.g. homes, cars). However, there are many instances in which big purchases are not completely avoidable.

Need to make a big purchase while in debt? Explore three expert strategies to make your goals a reality:

Figure out where your money is going:

Having a large amount of debt doesn’t mean that you can’t make big purchases. Although you have to be more strategic in your approach, there is almost always a way to find the funds you need. The first (and most crucial) step that you should take, is to find out where your money is going. In other words, it’s time to create a budget (if you haven’t done so already). One study recently revealed that “only 41% of Americans use a budget.” While many people see a budget as something that is restrictive, it will actually show you how much money you have leftover after paying your bills. This enables you to know how much money you have to put aside toward your big purchase.

Make a savings plan (if possible):

The best strategy for making a big purchase while in debt is to not add more of it. Rather than applying for another credit card or loan right away, see what you can do to save up for the item that you need. Since you’ve already made a budget, you should know exactly how much you can set aside each week. If your finances and timing allow, create a savings goal and an estimated date for when you plan to reasonably reach that milestone. Depending on the urgency of the big purchase you’ll be making, see how long you can go without in order to avoid further debt.

Quickly clean up your credit if you will need financing:

Need to make a big purchase right away? Whether you have to find a replacement car or appliance, you may not be able to pay off all of your existing debt before going into more debt. What should you do if this is the case? Prior to making the purchase, do whatever you can to quickly clean up your credit. Experts recommend paying down your revolving credit balances as much as possible, looking for and disputing any errors on your credit report, and continuing to make all payments on time. Any boost to your credit score (and reduction of your current debt) will give you the best chance of getting approved for a new loan, and for receiving a low interest rate.

Although it can seem daunting, making a big purchase while in debt is possible. Utilizing the tips listed above will help you reduce the impact to your current financial situation, and assist you in achieving your goal.

Featured Image By: Unsplash

New Nine West Cape Blazer

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New Nine West Cape Blazer

Hello everyone and a very happy weekend to all of you! I don’t know about you but, when I get the idea of something that I want in my head, it literally takes until I get that thing for the thought to dissipate. This rings true constantly for clothing, because I want the piece that I buy to be just right. Take the cape blazer, for example. I’ve wanted one for close to two years, and I finally found the one, because every cape that I encountered leading up to the Nine West number seen below just wasn’t up to snuff. Check it out:

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Ugh, ain’t she a beaut?! Nine West is a brand that I really, really love. But, god knows that their normal prices cost a pretty penny, so I don’t indulge unless it’s at TJMaxx or a thrift store. My new cape was forty dollars, which is ONE HUNDO cheaper than its original price. You literally can’t beat that!

I love everything about this cape. The polka dot lining, the shape, how it falls perfectly away from my hips, the styling potential. WOOF. It really is perfect and I can’t wait to wear it constantly. From a more formal take on business casual for work to exploring my favorite outdoor mall, Crocker Park, during a blustery fall day, this Nine West piece will be the jam.

Every cape blazer that I’ve tried on has paled in comparison to my latest find and, even though it was a long time coming, it was so worth the wait. The cape is such a unique piece of clothing and when you find just the right one for just the right price, it would be a shame to not get it!

Who else is a fan of the cape? How would you style this piece? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

How To Borrow Money For Home Improvements

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How To Borrow Money For Home Improvements

Giving your home a makeover can be incredibly expensive and, if you don’t have the cash in the bank, you might have to make do with it as it is. But, making improvements to your home is an investment, because it increases the value of the house and you’ll get that money back if you eventually decide to sell it. That’s why it’s not a bad idea to borrow money to make those changes around the house. However, you’ve got to be careful, because if you don’t borrow sensibly, you could end up in serious financial trouble. If you want to invest in your home and make some improvements, here’s how to safely borrow the money to do it:

Sort Your Credit:

Your credit score tells lenders how sensible you are with your money and they’ll use it to decide on the interest rate that they’re willing to offer you on a loan, if they’re willing to give you one at all. If you’ve got a poor credit score, you’re going to be paying a lot more to borrow money. That’s why you need to sort out your credit score before you try to find a loan to make home improvements.

Request a credit report and look over it carefully. Often, there are mistakes on there and you’ll be unfairly penalized. If you think that might be the case, you can dispute credit report mistakes and have them changed. Once you’ve got an accurate credit score, you can start taking steps to change it. Cut back on your spending and clear any debts that you’ve got. Then, you need to get a credit card and start making purchases, while making sure to pay it off immediately. This will show that you’re trustworthy and help you to start building your credit score again.

Personal Loans:

Getting a personal loan is one avenue for borrowing money. You can go to the bank and borrow the money from them. The amount that you’ll get and the interest rate will depend on your credit score so the first step is important. You’re not likely to get as much as if you borrow through other avenues, so you’ll have to make those improvements on a budget. Before you sign anything, shop around a bit and find the best deals. You should also be careful about the amount that you’re borrowing. Only agree to borrow an amount that you can comfortably pay back so that you don’t get into financial trouble.

Should you need money for emergency repairs like plumbing, structural, or electrical, you might not have time to explore the avenue mentioned above. If this is the case, looking into Same day loans could get you the money you need for the repair quickly. This is an excellent option if you are in a bind as the safety of you and your family in your home is the most important thing. And, should you let these issues fester, they will only become more expensive to repair.

Borrow Against The House:

Personal loans are fine, but you might be better off borrowing money against the house itself. The benefit of doing it that way, is that you’ll probably get more money and, because you’ve put the house up as collateral, the interest rate isn’t going to be as high as a personal loan. However, there is an element of risk involved. If you’re increasing your mortgage, then you’re more likely to default on the payments and risk losing your house. Just like with personal loans, make sure that you’re only borrowing what you can afford.

Follow these rules and you’ll be able to borrow the money to get all of the home improvements that you need done!

Featured Image By: Pxhere

New Black & Opal Nails

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New Black & Opal Nails

Hiii everyone and TGIF! After having my acrylics on since October of 2017, it was finally time to get a new full set. My talons were overgrown, lifting, and getting super uncomfortable. But, now, they are obscenely short for my liking, which is uncomfortable in a different way! I’m still getting used to typing with tiny talons, so hopefully they’ll start growing out to reach their full lengthy potential soon! Check it out:

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Although it cost me a pretty penny to get my new nails, it was a necessary evil, because my old ones were breaking constantly and it was stupid annoying. For short nails – well, short by my standards, my nails look good. But, I definitely won’t be completely happy with them until they grow some extra length! Despite my complaints, it was sure nice to spend a morning at the salon after five weeks in between nail maintenance. I spent more than what I would have liked on this set, but for nails that won’t break and a morning to myself, it was so worth it!

What length do you prefer to keep your nails at? What color of nail polish do you have on right now? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Butterflying Away

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Butterflying Away

Hi everyone and happy Thursday! We are so close to the weekend that I can taste it, but with that sensation can come a case of the blahs, because two sweet days off seems so close yet so far. So I decided to brighten up everyone’s newsfeed today with some pictures that my dad took of a big, beautiful Monarch Butterfly that was fluttering around the garden. And, soon, we will be Butterflying Away to the weekend in no time!

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^^^ Our butterfly friend isn’t in the sunflower picture, I just really like it! 🙂

There are so many different meanings that can come from spotting the gorgeous Monarch Butterfly. From good luck to a friendly hello from your guardian angels or a loved one that has passed on, Monarchs only carry the best vibes. That’s why it was so exciting for this little carrier of good news to be hanging around our garden, besides for the lovely pictures taken by my dad, of course!

I hope these pictures brighten your day and carry you to the weekend with a smile on your face!

What is one of your favorite surprises to find in nature? What is your favorite insect? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

July 2018 Finishes

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July 2018 Finishes

Hello everyone and happy Hump Day! Can you believe that another month of 2018 is nearing an end? Before we know it, we’ll be ringing in the holiday season and celebrating the start of 2019. Time continues to fly, and you all know what that means! A monthly finishes post, of course! Take a look at my empties and let’s discuss:

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Would I Use Again?

  • Le Petit Marseiliais Vanilla Milk shower cream: YES
  • Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water: YES
  • The Body Shop Strawberry scrub: YES
  • The Body Shop Oils Of Life serum: YES
  • 40 Carrots moisturizer: YES

Why/Why Not?

LPM Shower Cream: Although this brand name might be a bitch to spell out, this shower cream is so not a bitch to use! As all of you know, I looove all vanilla everything and this cream had the most richest, delicious vanilla scent I’ve ever used. The cream was hydrating as all get out, and my skin was left feeling silky smooth after every shower. It took me about two months to finish this product.

Garnier Micellar Water: Am I the biggest fan of micellar water? No. But, is it a cheap alternative to buying a toner and makeup remover? Yes. Garnier easily has the best cleansing water that I’ve used thus far and it lasted me a decently long time considering I use it daily – over a month and a half. It’s a good value and it’s an all in one product and I can definitely get down with that.

TBS Scrub: A scrub is an essential part of my routine when I’m shaving and I literally couldn’t imagine taming the Woolly Mammoth legs without it. We all know this by now. I got about six full body uses out of the mini sized scrub, which is not bad at all!

TBS Serum: I really, really like this product, and I was super happy because after using my other bottle, my mom gave me hers to finish up. The Oils Of Life serum hydrates the living hell out of your skin and it sits amazingly well under makeup. This serum ranges on the more pricey side of products from The Body Shop, but a little lasts a long way and it took me over two months to finish half of a bottle of it.

40 Carrots Moisturizer: My beauty queen sister gave me this moisturizer out of her reject pile of products and I enjoyed it well enough. I liked how hydrating it was and that you didn’t need to use a ton of it to make your skin feel well taken care of for the day. This moisturizer was thicker in texture but it sat under makeup with no problem. It took me over a month to finish half of a jar of the moisturizer so, from a value side, I would definitely use this again.

July brought along some new and old favorites for me to enjoy and I am satisfied with each product that I finished up. I would recommend all of the above empties and would gladly use them again, myself.

Have you used any of the products seen above? What are your thoughts on them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Face Mask Festivities: Nubian Heritage Mud Mask Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: Nubian Heritage Mud Mask Edition

Hello everyone and a happy Tuesday to all of you! In today’s surprise edition of Face Mask Festivities, we are going to discuss a mud mask by Nubian Heritage. I say surprise, because I wasn’t expecting to have another FMF post for a while but, then, my mom bought this mask ON THE CHEAP at Target! How can you say no to an originally fifteen dollar mask for five bucks?! Lol, take a look at some pics and let’s discuss:

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In all honesty, this mask was not my favorite and I feel disappointed by that, because I LOVED the texture of it. It felt so cool to the touch and the consistency was like BUTTAH! It was so smooth and creamy and it felt amazing when I applied it. And, then, it remained that way on my face for the entire ten minutes that I had it on. It didn’t dry, it didn’t harden, and it felt like it didn’t do NOTHIN. When I washed it off, it felt exactly how it felt when I first put it on my hands, so it left me feeling like it didn’t even work. It was really weird.

I will say, that the blackheads on my nose look a bit better, and the scent of the mask was nice and earthy. BUT, its lack of a change of consistency when the mask was supposedly doing its thing left a lot to be desired. And, now I see why this was marked down to five dollars! #smh

Has anyone else used this Nubian Heritage mask before? How did you feel about it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Marilyn Manson Concert At Blossom Music Center

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Marilyn Manson Concert At Blossom Music Center

Hiii everyone and happy Monday! Last week, I got to see Marilyn Manson in concert for the second time in less than one year. Our hometown hero was performing at Blossom Music Center with Rob Zombie for the Twins Of Evil tour. It was not an option to not go, even though Blossom isn’t one of my favorite venues so my sister, Kristen, and I made our happy way to the show and everything started out just fine until…

MY FAVORITE PLATFORMS BROKE WHILE WALKING INTO BLOSSOM!!!

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There is literally nothing worse than looking all kinds of trashy when walking into a concert with bare feet and your tail between your legs, but what can you do? Lol, anyways, because Kristen and I pre-gamed and Ubered to the show, Marilyn Manson began performing moments after we found a good spot to post up at on the lawn.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Blossom, it’s an outdoor venue with a pavilion and a huge lawn as your seating options. Being seated in the pavilion is expensive, but you can see the stage. Meanwhile, the lawn is dirt cheap, but you can’t see shit and taking pictures or videos won’t do you a lick of good. Because Kristen and I were so spoiled with front row spots during the last show we saw Marilyn Manson at, our twenty buck lawn seats were just fine.

In all honesty, the show was quite disappointing. Granted, we couldn’t see anything without the mega screens, but there were some other issues that spoiled the fun, too. First of all, the set list, which will be discussed in a moment was short. We’re talking twelve songs and then off the stage for good short. And second, the crowd was just not feeling it, and that was shocking to me – especially considering that Marilyn Manson’s home town was literally fifteen minutes away from where we were. All of these circumstances together created a really lackluster vibe, and it was a bummer to be in an audience that wasn’t welcoming back Ohio’s finest like the royalty he is.

Now, the set list was okay, but it did leave a lot to be desired. The majority of his picks were crowd pleasers like mOBSCENE, This Is The New Shit, Disposable Teens, Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This), The Beautiful People, and The Dope Show. He also added in fan favorites from his most recent album, Heaven Upside Down, with Kill4Me and Say10. With over seventy-five percent of the set list being made up of his most popular hits, the crowd should have been going nuts, and it just wasn’t happening.

The remaining tracks that he performed was his encore of his new remake of Cry Little Sister, which was fabulous, and Irresponsible Hate Anthem (Which he opened with.), Angel With The Scabbed Wings, and Antichrist Superstar. As I said, there was a lot to be desired.

After Marilyn Manson finished up, Kristen and I decided that we had no desire to see Rob Zombie perform, so we called an Uber and headed home. Overall, it was a fun night and I am so happy to have seen one of my favorite artists for the second time. But, nothing will ever compare to seeing him front and center for the first time at Stage AE!

What concerts have you been to this summer? Do you have a venue similar to Blossom in your area? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah