Feb19

Fashion From India To Singapore

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Fashion From India To Singapore

Hello hello and welcome to a poignant and thoughtful post by my friend Lakshmi from The Rink. Spring is always connected to transformation and new life. In this personal excerpt from Lakshmi, she discusses the metamorphosis of her personal style after she moved from India to Singapore. Miss Lakshmi has been featured here on lifewithlilred before and I absolutely love working with her. I encourage all of you to check out her page and get to know her because she is such a doll and a talented writer, to boot!

Fashion From India To Singapore

I used to live in a small city in the conservative South India and went on to the developed island nation of Singapore. There were so many differences that I saw…from the small things like food, the way they dress, and basically everything! A small introduction to Singapore is Mini-America – in terms of how the culture is. People from other countries come as immigrants, become citizens, and embrace their unique culture. It is true that there are lots of South Indian families, but somehow, they have adapted to Singapore in such a way that they had accepted a different more accommodating lifestyle. So, even though I could relate to them, it stopped to some extent. This changed in a matter of time. Why, my fashion sense actually evolved there!

Revealing Clothes: The first thing that I noticed was how the girls would flaunt their exposed skin! They felt free and not a soul leered at them or judged them for the way they dressed. I knew that it marked the beginning of my transformation from being a girl from a conservative city to a girl in the open world! Gradually, I started wearing shorts and letting the outside world know that my change had begun. I stopped caring about what others thought of me and my style and it was all about whether I liked the outfit or not. I had the choice to wear any outfit I liked. I had the choice to expose skin…It was crazy!

Styling Up The Daily Outfit: Back in my city, my daily outfit would be a round-neck shirt or a regular top with a pant or skirt. I never thought much of it and that was it. Other than the regular pair of earrings and a watch, I wore absolutely no accessories! I was never interested in accessorizing my outfits. However back then, I was no fool when it came to dressing at that point – my outfit would have always been well suited and matched. Nevertheless, it just improved when Singapore entered my life! I got a better insight into style by just looking at my Singaporean friends. They wore their accessories in a simple yet elegant fashion and it looked so chic. The proper jacket or a perfect belt sure does make a huge difference!

Keeping Up With The Trends: Speaking of accessories, I was in Singapore during the rise of choker chains. For a long time, I did debate on buying one and giving it a shot but I always felt that it was going to choke me to death! Hahaha! There was this one day when I felt like I had to experiment with this style and tried it on – it looked classic and it was like my neck’s guard and it really didn’t choke me. With instances like this, Singapore had soon become a place where I experimented with the styles and current trends. And guess what? I wasn’t alone in this endeavor – all my friends did this from time to time!

Singapore brought about great changes in my wardrobe, but the best part is that I always retained my love for Indian fashion (especially the Indian prints). This was also the period when Indian fashion designers rose to bigger and international platforms, and they started tweaking Indian clothes to accommodate western styles. The timing couldn’t have been better! Fashion from India to Singapore didn’t change me or my identity over the course of time – it became another dimension of my life.

THE RINK

^^^ Thank you so much again to Lakshmi for creating this post special for lifewithlilred! Please be sure to check out her page and give it some love! How has your sense of style developed over time? Can you relate to Lakshmi’s story at all? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

To close out my Think Spring guest bloggers series, the lovely Nida from Shopaholic Blogs will be featured on my page tomorrow!

Feb18

What DO I Wear?!?! Spring Has Sprung

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What DO I Wear?!?! Spring Has Sprung

Hi everyone and welcome to an OOTD post compliments of the darling K.M. from Ankhor You for my Think Spring guest bloggers series. This post is a branch out from her What DO I Wear?!?! segments on her blog so definitely check them out because they are all equally fabulous! K.M.’s Spring Has Sprung look will show you how to create the perfect ensemble for browsing botanical gardens, sipping coffee at an outdoor cafe, or simply hanging out with the girls once the warmer weather hits. Take a look:

What DO I Wear?!?! Spring Has Sprung

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” ~  Coco Chanel

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Spring is one of my favorite times of year. It is the signal of the end of winter doldrums. The streets become busier as people, birds, and flowers alike come out of the cocoons they hibernated in, blossoming with a plethora of energy. In the city it seems almost over night that the abundance of food carts and street side cafes are introduced back onto the blocks, fully stocked with goodies for sale. The city is vibrant again. We are no longer hunched over protecting ourselves from the wind and bitter cold, but instead stealing away on our lunch breaks to the park, taking trips to the Botanic Gardens, or hanging out at Bryant Park on the weekends.

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Despite the new zest on life, Spring can still be brutal in New York. While the days might be getting longer and the sun stronger, Mother Nature still likes to play pesky mind games. Which is why despite wanting to shed the darker palette that makes my winter wardrobe, and don a cute sundress, I also don’t want to be freezing my Kim K derrière (!!!!! -Sarah) as I smell the flowers in Central Park.

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//Sunglasses and bag: Tory Burch// Sweater and shirt: Anthropology// Jeans: White House Black Market// Sandals: Aldo// 

When Sarah and I discussed ideas for this post I immediately went to an oldie but goodie. It is an oldie because jeans and a shirt are such a classic look and can be worn anywhere depending on how you style it. I have chosen to give it a bit of an update with some spring pizzazz, which incorporates the going strong trend of florals. Because let’s be real, spring is the perfect time to look like a flower pot, so I say go for it if you want to bust out those flowery prints! It also makes layering super easy, which is a must during this time of the year. It combines casualness with some glam making it perfect to transition from frolicking in the park to hitting the two for ones at night. Just add some cute cork wedges and you are ready to go.

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Now the Look:

Being a petite curvy gal, I am obsessed with White House Black Market’s jeans. They not only come in petite but a variety of styles making them flattering for everyone but especially those who have a little bit of a booty. This style is called the Skimmer Jean and is similar to the skinny jean. I love the dark wash, and the rips at the knees creates an edgier look. While I love a good dress, the jeans make it much easier to have some spring time fun, whether it is an impromptu yoga session in the grass, or playing a game of catch on the green in Bryant Park.

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I decided to pair my jeans with a floral blouse from Anthropology channeling one of the trends for Spring. This shirt is as comfy as it is feminine and chic. The chiffon fabric, delicate embroidery, and ruffled collar channel my inner skater girl making me feel poised and graceful, without feeling too buttoned up. It is that perfect combination of casual and glam.

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I am obsessed with this Primula cocoon sweater from Anthro’s 2016 fall collection. It feels like I am wrapped in a big cuddly yet fashionable snuggie and is perfect for those Spring days where Mother Nature doesn’t know whether to shine or be a downer. The wool blend isn’t at all itchy and the blush color adds that perfect touch of spring softness.

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I love going barefoot, especially in a park with my feet in the grass, so when it hits about fifty-five degrees, I throw the boots away and dive into flip flops as soon as I can. These sandals from Aldo are equally comfortable AND fashionable.

To finish the look, I decided to keep with the blush theme and added a SeaMilligan Design necklace and paired it with my Tory Burch sunglasses and tote bag. Last but not least, I added my lace cuff bracelet, another Anthropology treasure to close out the look.

^^^ Thank you so much again to K.M. for such a beautiful post! I loved your look and pictures as I’m sure all of my readers did! How do you still a spring ready look? What is one of your spring wardrobe staples? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Make sure to tune in tomorrow for a post by Lakshmi from The Rink!

Feb17

New Nails!

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New Nails!

Hey everyone and TGIF! As you guys know if you follow my stiletto nail saga, I have a wonderful relationship with Vinny, my nail tech. He is such a fantastic friend and a nail wizard but, unfortunately, is now working at a salon closer to his home but way far away for me. I wouldn’t have minded continuing to go to the salon that he worked at previously but I was never happy with how the other technicians working there did my nails when Vinny couldn’t. So, I began the hunt for a new salon to go to.

I searched through Google, asked for recommendations from friends, and turned to Facebook which helped me settle on a salon that’s a whopping two minutes away from my house, LT Nails. For the most part, the salon had excellent reviews and their prices were fair so I figured that I would give it a shot. I’ve been itching to get new nails for a while now as I’ve had the same set since the beginning of November so the technician at LT hooked me up with these little beauties:

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Now, wait, something appears to be missing…My middle finger crosses perhaps? Yeah. I honestly wasn’t sure if the salon even had airbrushing because it wasn’t advertised on their price menu and also the lady who did my nails kind of scared me. But, that’s no big deal, I’ll snag some nail art pens or something elsewhere and draw the crosses on myself because how hard can it be?!

Anyways, I’m really happy with how my nails turned out, especially because they’re longer than the old set that I had taken off. I wanted them long enough for them to still feel like talons but short enough to be functional and I think that this was a good in between length. But, I am secretly looking forward to them growing out a little!

The one thing that I wasn’t too thrilled about at LT asides from my fingers getting stabbed quite a few times was that they charged five dollars extra for all services involving long nails. I mean, okay, I get it because they do take more time but I had never been to a salon or even heard of one doing that before which was a little annoying. So, now I’m on the great debate of continuing to go to LT when I need a fill or going to my old salon to see if a tech that I haven’t been to before could potentially do a good job. Oh, what a tangled web we weave!!

But, regardless, my new nails still look really good which is all that matters, I guess! Who else likes to sport stiletto nails? What is one of your favorite nail polish colors to wear? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb17

How You Can Include Your Bookcase In Your Spring Cleaning Regime

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How You Can Include Your Bookcase In Your Spring Cleaning Regime

Hi everyone and welcome to the next addition of my Think Spring guest bloggers series brought to you by Christie from Christie Adams Writer. When we are thinking spring, one not so fun thing that inevitably comes to mind is cleaning! Spring cleaning to many is a must, though, so this post from Christie will teach you how to incorporate your book (or CD and movie) shelves into your cleaning to do list. Take a look:

How You Can Include Your Bookcase In Your Spring Cleaning Regime (your excuse to buy more books)

Spring is on its way. Well OK, I admit winter is still hanging around, it seems to get later every year doesn’t it? Anyway, a bit of forward planning never hurt anyone. Spring cleaning your home, cleaning the car, yep, ticked that box? How about reinvigorating your bookcases? I’m not talking a quick whizz over with a feather duster, I’m talking a proper spring clean. If your book collection is a library you may need to break this up a bit, but it’s do-able, honest.

  1. Take a good long look at what you have, then take the books off the shelves:

A good way to ‘see’ things clearly, is to take a photograph or two and put them on one side. You’ll need them later. Taking out the books will probably surprise you. You will find ones you never knew you had. Those beloved sneaky books that have hidden amongst much read favorites. To make it easier and less stressful later on, sort them into two piles:

  1. Keep
  2. Maybe I could let these go

 Don’t know where to start? I try to live by William Morris’

‘Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful’.

The focus will be to cut at least 10%, if not more. You may at this stage also find the odd one you really don’t like. It may have been a gift or a bargain bucket buy. If so, create a third pile somewhere out of sight. You can bring them back into the room when you get to stage 3.

WARNING – DO NOT start flicking through the pages, if you do, you are doomed and will never finish the task in hand!

  1. Clean the shelves and fix any loose or broken bits:

Think serious Health & Safety here. Books are HEAVY. If your bookshelves are not safe and securely fastened it could really hurt someone, or worse. Yes, sadly, people have been crushed beneath falling furniture.

http://www.wikihow.com/Secure-a-Bookcase-to-a-Wall

Once they’re safe, fixed, and empty, you need to assess if they are what you want. This is the time to get reinspired. Remember those photographs I told you to put on one side? Now get them out and take a good close look. Be critical, be detached. If you saw those shelves in someone else’s house, would you love them? Aspire to own them? Want to embrace them in a big hug? OK, a bit difficult to imagine but you should understand the sentiment.

This is the time to repaint, rebuild, extend, downsize. You could go truly minimalist/tiny house and choose to let go of it all and move to a fully electronic reading habit. If so, jump ahead to stage 3 in this post.

Happy? All done? Fantastic, now on to the hard work.

(You could swap stages 2 and 3 if it suits you to focus on your collection, rather than your space or furniture.)

  1. Create a collection of loved literature and beloved battered books:

Now this can be a difficult bit, because it’s time to sort out what you want to keep and what you can let go. Go back to your books in those tidy piles (you did leave them tidy didn’t you?) and begin the process according to these guidelines:

Keep – you can look lovingly at this one, smile, then move on to the second pile.

Maybe I could let these go – you need to sort through these and divide them again into three piles:.

  1. Sell – if you have rare books, first editions, signed copies, then do your research. Contact an expert. If you’re lucky you could pay for a new book, a holiday, or your house! Otherwise, garage sales or online auction sites are your friend.
  2. Donate to charity or friends – do you love a book but know you’ll never re-read it? Why not write a hand written ‘no spoiler’ review note and place it in the book before you donate it?
  3. Reuse – note, there is not a ‘bin’ pile. If you do have any books that are truly falling to pieces why not create some book art (get on Pinterest people, it’s amazing what you can do with the pages of an old book). Your local school or art college may take them off your hands. Final option? Recycling center.

If you find it difficult, recruit a book buddy or cleaning companion, offer them a brew and get cracking.

If you have an electronic ebook/audio book copy, do you need the paperback? Do you have books about garden design but now live in a small apartment? Will you ever learn to play the guitar? No? Then sideline the ‘how to’ book.

Fashions change. Technology moves on. Maps and text books get out of date. Learn to let go people! This cleansing can take as long as you need but once you start you’ll be surprised by how easy it is. Make sure it doesn’t drag on, be decisive, and reach or pass that 10% target.

  1. Decide on how you will arrange your ‘new’ beautiful bookcase and beloved book collection:

Now, you’ve done the hard bit. You should have a (slightly?) smaller collection. It’s time to decide how you’ll show them off and care for them. Will you go ‘library style’ and sort by genre then alphabetical? How about color, blue next to purple, red next to pink etc? It can look awesome if you embrace the idea fully.

Do you have truly gorgeous bound books, how about those being at eye level so you truly enjoy the sight of them every day? Kids books? They need to be accessible to little hands. On the alternate side, you need to put ‘valuable’ (I know they all are, but stay with me here) books away from direct sunlight and away from little hands.

Libraries put books on end for a reason, it preserves them and protects them. Make room for them all stood up, not lying flat. You can be as innovative or traditionalist as you like. You can scribble down ideas, draw out detailed plans, or just move books into yet more piles so you can keep track. I’ve got a small section of ‘will read then let go’ books, too.

  1. Fill The Gaps! Now is the time to celebrate the space you’ve created, by filling the spaces with new books:

Yes, you’ve done it! Your new clean and empty shelves are calling out to be filled. Dust off your books and put them back in their newly well planned home. I start with the big books, which may only fit on one of many shelves. Also, that’s often the safest. You recall I told you to fasten the shelves securely, this is important. If the shelves are not secured (WHY NOT!!) always start at the bottom when refilling. DO NOT make them top heavy by starting at the top.

Just remember your home should be somewhere that you love. Somewhere you’re proud of. Somewhere you feel at home in. I’d love to see how you got on, and how you display your books. When you’ve finished take a picture and share it with me on social media.

You May Also Like:

http://www.christieadamswriter.com/how-to-organise-your-bookshelf/

Get in touch with me from your next coffee shop or library:

^^^ Thank you so much again to Christie for such a helpful and well thought out post! Again, please be sure to check out her blog and give her page some love! What is on your spring cleaning check list? How many books do you have in your collection? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: Be sure to tune in tomorrow for a gorgeous OOTD from K.M. at Ankhor You!

Feb16

Sweet Spring MOTD

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Sweet Spring MOTD

Hii everyone and welcome to the next post in my Think Spring guest bloggers series by my darling friend, Jackie, from Makeup and Beyond. I am so excited to have her share her makeup expertise with all of you because you and I both know that I wear the same makeup literally every day! Jackie is going to teach you guys how to create a soft and sweet look perfect for a spring afternoon with the girls. For more fabulous MOTDs and beauty advice, please be sure to check out her page and give it some love!

Sweet Spring MOTD

Hey Guys!!

My name is Jackie from the blog Makeup and Beyond. My usual posts are about makeup/beauty products and this blog is no different apart from…being a guest blogger. The lovely lifewithlilred is doing a series on guest bloggers and I am honored to be a part of it. Spring is in the air, which brings new makeup looks and a fresh color palette to compliment the season. I have put together a look that I would use for going out for a coffee with mates or a stroll through the park if the weather permits!

First, I want to apologize for the bad photo quality, I took about 40 photos to try and get this look perfect, but I just couldn’t get the quality through the pictures. These were the best that I could do and any tips would be much appreciated. (I think they look great! -Sarah)

I always start with moisturizer first. I personally use Clinique Dramatically Cream, but whatever you use will be fine, this is just my preference at the moment. I let that settle into my skin for a couple of minutes to make sure that it all seeps in nicely. I then move on to my primer. I love using the Benefit POREfessional, this is great for disguising pores, which I have on my cheeks, nose, and forehead. I tend to use this all over my face, though, as it gives a smooth base to apply my foundation.

That’s the prep work done for my base and now I am just going to list the products I used and how I used them:

  • Foundation – Estee Lauder Double Wear (2N1 Desert Beige) – I apply this with a damp Real Techniques sponge all over my face.
  • Concealer – Maybelline Eye Eraser (Light) – I apply this under my eyes and blend out with the damp sponge used to apply my foundation.
  • Powder – Rimmel Stay Matte (Translucent) –  I apply this all over my face to set my foundation and concealer.
  • Bronzer – Makeup Revolution Ultra Bronze – I do a slight contour with this on my cheeks and blend into my forehead and under my chin
  • Blush – Milani Baked Blush (Luminoso) – I apply this to the apple of my cheeks, just to give a nice healthy glow.
  • Highlighter – I Heart Makeup Goddess of Love (Goddess of Faith) – I used this to highlight my cheek bones, down my nose and my cupids bow
  • Eye Primer – Urban Decay Original Primer Potion – I apply this all over my lid to ensure that it’s blended well and then apply my face powder over the top. I do this as the primer is quite tacky and powder makes it easier to blend the eyeshadows.
  • Eyeshadow – Morphe 350 – I used numerous colors from this palette, so I have numbered them below:

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I used 1,2 and 3, all separately, but all blended into my crease. Layering them on top of each other to create a good gradient. I then applied 4 to the center and inner part of my eyelid, then used 3 to apply to my outer corner and blended this together to create a smokey effect.

Over the top of color 4, this being a quite pinky, glittery shade, I wanted to make it pop more. I decided to apply the Maybelline Eyeshadow Color Tattoo in Pink Gold over the top, just to make it stand out more and have a more creamy look to it. I would really recommend this, it’s great to work with and the color is absolutely gorgeous. It definitely gave this look the spring feel that I was looking for.

I then used color 2 and 3 on my lower lash line, to warm up under my eyes.

Eyeliners can be applied if you were looking to turn this into a more evening look, but I think for during the day, smoking out an eyeshadow on your lower lash line is the best option for creating an approachable and soft look for day time wear.

And, finally, here are the products that I used to complete the look:

  • Mascara – Benefit Roller Lash – I used this on my upper and lower lashes. This is one of my new favorites, as it’s made my lashes look longer but also helps them look fluffier by separating them.
  • Eyebrows – Sleep Eyebrow Stylist (Medium) and Benefit Gimme Brow (3)
  • Lips – Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Gloss (Rose & Shine) – I’m not much of a gloss person, but as I was going for a spring look, I thought that the matte lipsticks I have were too bold and I wanted something more subtle.

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did making it and hopefully this will inspire you to create a soft and smokey spring time look of your own! Please visit my page and give me a follow at Makeup and Beyond and thank you to Sarah at lifewithlilred for allowing me to share my passion on her blog.

^^^ Thank you so much again to Jackie for creating this drop dead gorgeous Sweet Spring MOTD! Make sure to tune in tomorrow for some super helpful spring cleaning tips by Christie Adams Writer. Until then, how do you sport a soft makeup look for spring? Do any of you have some of the same products as Jackie in your arsenal? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb16

Fix Your Skin Expert Roundup

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Fix Your Skin Expert Roundup

Heyy guys and happy Thursday! So a couple of weeks ago I was contacted by my friends at Fix Your Skin to give some advice in their 2017 Expert Roundup. I have to say, I was completely flattered to have been one out of the 200 dermatologists, makeup artists, bloggers, and skin care experts that were chosen to participate. Not only flattered but SO FREAKING EXCITED!! What an honor!

Skin care has been something that is extremely important to me since I was a teenager. My complexion has always been a feature of mine that I take a lot of pride in so I have always wanted to maintain peaches and cream perfection since I entered high school. Teenage skin made me nervous. Breakouts, acne, blackheads, whiteheads, pimples – whatever name you have for problem skin, I was scared.

The fear of having high school being even shittier if acne was a problem motivated me to create a regime and find products that worked for me. Through trial and error, I was able to find cleansers, moisturizers, serums, and creams that helped to enhance my skin’s beauty, some of which I still use to this day. And, I hate to jinx myself now, but at twenty-two years old I have never had a pimple in my life!

When I tell people my “never had a pimple” fun fact, I always feel very lucky, especially since all of my life and to this day, I constantly commit the biggest skin care no no: I sleep in my makeup!! But, you know what? That’s okay. If sleeping with makeup on is my one bugaboo after close to ten years of diligently caring for my skin, I’d say that I’m doing alright!

Believe me, my high school years were still shit despite a fresh face but I am so thankful that acne was not a problem that was added onto my pile of stress that came from an abundance of mental health issues. I graduated high school, then, when I was eighteen, I began to work at The Body Shop as one of their assistant managers and that just took my always growing knowledge and passion for skin care to a whole other level.

Working at The Body Shop will always remain one of my favorite retail jobs that I have ever worked. I reveled in being able to assist my customers with their skin care needs and create custom regimens to help solve their problems and boost their confidence. It really was a joy and I loved being able to swap skin care stories and secrets with everyone that walked into my store.

I was hungry to learn about all of the products that The Body Shop as well as our competitors offered to provide customers with the best answers to their questions and I was consistently complimented on my expertise. It felt good to be praised for something that I learned, which rarely happened during my high school career and even after I quit working at TBS, I still would always drop skin care knowledge on my mom, sister, friends, and randoms on Facebook when they needed advice.

When lifewithlilred was born in 2014, I knew that product reviews had to be something that was included on my page. I loved being able to steer my readers in the direction of products that I loved while helping them avoid the ones that were ehh…not so much! And you know, I guess this rambling little story about the past ten years of my skin care experimentation is a roundabout way of getting at that I am really freaking proud of myself to have been chosen by Fix Your Skin to be a part of a roundup of people that they considered experts in skin care.

I may not be working in a skin care based field anymore but I do have a blurb on a website dedicated to helping people with their skin care needs. Check it out and be sure to take a look at the full article for more advice:

blurb

I want to thank Fix Your Skin again for including little old me in their Expert Roundup because it means much more than people probably realize! What are some of your skin care tips and tricks? What is one of your most loved skin care products? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb15

A Welcome Letter To Spring

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A Welcome Letter To Spring

Hi everyone and welcome, welcome, welcome to my Think Spring guest bloggers series. This six day extravaganza was created to help everyone shake away the blahs of winter by celebrating all things spring. From creative writing and spring cleaning tips to the perfect soft spring time makeup looks, this series has it all. To kick start the fun, this series will start out with A Welcome Letter To Spring by my dear friend, Tanya, over at TanyaTales. Her blog will help take your imagination to a new level and I encourage everyone to check it out! Now, let’s get to it:

A Welcome Letter To Spring:

Dear Spring,

In truth, I know it has only been a year since we have been apart and though I know you have only just returned I fear that soon you will depart. A year may not be long in the grand scheme of things but it has given me a chance to reconsider what each month you offer me brings. I look upon the long and difficult year I seem to have ahead of me and see not tasks or challenges but the four seasons of which there will be. The winter, the autumn, the summer and not to forget you. For spring is the season which starts the cycle of life brand new.

Each seasons in the year presents its own role within the family and you, young spring, know your role as the bringer of life and vitality. You are a fresh start, of that I am sure, and act as a constant reminder that when god closes a window he opens a door. You are my favorite of all the seasons and this letter should outline all of my reasons. While most choose to ignore your friendly and gentle breeze which causes the grass to shiver slightly and shake the high standing trees, I chose to see only the good for us you do and although it isn’t acknowledged by many it is appreciated by us few.

The way you dress giggling children, hooded and footed in rain boots and coats as they jump in puddles pretending to be pirate boats as across the sea they float. While you, dear spring, watch on quietly not seeking attention or feeling need to gloat. Your breeze fills their sails and creates new tales of which they will play out. Untold tales of undiscovered lands and shores which glitter with multi colored sands.

But as children grow into young teens your spring days are suddenly given very different means. It offers new tales of bright and blossoming love in the time old image of flying white doves. Fluttering through the sky their feathers floating to the ground as they fall around us without making a sound.

Your days they bring images of fluffy yellow ducklings breaking free from the confinements of their shells and brings pictures of babies, pure and innocent, taking their first breath and telling worried mothers that they are alive and well. As fresh air fills every newborn’s room with clean and fresh scents of flowers in bloom and your unpredictable April showers rain down on young birds chirping in the early hours. As dams are built by busy beavers, message of your arrival spreads in the form of hay-fever.

Oh spring, you may not offer the hot and relaxing summer holidays but you bring back stolen light in a warm spring blaze. You wash away the winter snow while placing glistening dew on the green grass which glows. You put back the leaves which autumn took away and by the time the year reaches May, our windows are graced with bright pastel colors and beautiful leaves which takes out the anguish every time you make me sneeze.

Oh spring, if I am only sure of one thing it is that, I am most definitely glad that you have come back.

^^^ Thank you again to Tanya for such a beautiful post to start the Think Spring guest bloggers series with. Tanya offers new pieces of creative writing on her blog every Friday at 7 PM so definitely take a look if you like the piece that she wrote special for lifewithlilred. What images comes to mind when you think of spring? What is your favorite season? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb15

Moving In 101

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Moving In 101

In terms of stress- moving into a new place is right up there with starting a new job. All the packing and unpacking, hammering nails, and setting up of bills, it’s enough to send anyone into a panic. Before chaos ensues, take a breath, and read these top tips for packing up your old place and setting up your new one:

Lists: As much as the mention of lists might cause some sighs and eye-rolls, they are an essential part of moving. Boring yes, but completely essential. Before you move out make a list of things that you need to do. This will probably include finding and hiring movers, decluttering your home, and the careful packing up of your belongings. Tick off your list as you go so you know what’s left to do. This will keep you organized and on schedule throughout the move.

Packing & Decluttering: It’s time to be ruthless. Be realistic about what you’re keeping, especially if you’re downsizing. Get the measurements of your new place and make sure that everything is going to fit. Once you’ve sorted through your belongings it’s time to pack. Try and pack your items in room by room boxes. This will make it so much easier on the other end. Pack the heaviest items first to avoid crushing any smaller items. Avoid packing heavy books or ornaments in cardboard boxes. Even with tape on the bottom, it’s best to opt for a sturdier book box (the plastic kind).

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Pixabay Image

Setting Up The Bills: This stresses a lot of people out, but it doesn’t need to! For most of us, it’s about finding the internet, phone, gas and electricity providers. There are lots of sites out there that compare different gas and electric providers for you, based on your postcode. For internet and phone providers, shop around and find a deal that suits you that’s within your budget. This can all be done before you move in. The previous tenants or homeowners might also be able to provide some good tips about which providers worked for them.

Moving In Date & Time: If your move in date is flexible, be sure to choose wisely. Choose a date when you don’t have work the next day, or request it off. Try moving in as early in the day as possible. This gives you time to at least set up your bed with linen and unpack some essential toiletries and kitchen utensils. This means that when you wake up the next day you won’t be met by lots of unorganized chaos.

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Unpacking party!

Sleep: Moving is stressful! There’s no way around it. By following these tips and tricks you should be able to at least minimize the stress. But it’s still so important to get a great night’s sleep the day before the move. This will allow you to feel your best for the physically demanding day ahead! Try not too talk to much about the move the night before. This could lead to a sleepless night of worrying. As long as everything is planned and organized beforehand, you should be worry free!

Featured Image By: Pixabay

Feb14

Get Ready With Me: Valentine’s Day Style

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Get Ready With Me: Valentine’s Day Style

Hello everyone and happy happy Valentine’s Day! Shout out to the couples celebrating today and also shout out to the single ladies (like me) who will be enjoying wine, chocolate, and chick flicks solo dolo! But hey, whether you’re in a relationship or not, there is one thing that I’m sure we can all agree on: Valentine’s Day is a day to get cute. It’s no matter if it’s just for yourself or for your significant other, V-Day is the day to pull out all of the girly fun stops that might not fly for you on the regular. We’re talking florals, lace, darling dresses, and accessories for days.

“But Sarah, you’re the farthest thing from girly when it comes to your style”, you might say? Yeah, I know but watch me put together the best of both worlds of rocker chic and totally sweet with this look:

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My Outfit:

  • Butterfly Moto Jacket: Nasty Gal, Signature Eight
  • Floral Dress: One Love Yoga & Boutique, Millibon
  • Dove Detailed Heels: ModCloth
  • Heart Shaped Sunnies: PacSun
  • Pearl Necklace: My grandma’s! ❤

When styling this look, I knew that I wanted to create something very feminine and pretty but I also wanted to give myself a bit of edge so that I would still feel like myself. I started the process with my burgundy floral Millibon dress and began to piece together a cohesive outfit from there. The butterfly moto jacket from Nasty Gal was a no brainer to throw over the dress. The olive hue of the jacket matched those in the dress perfectly but what sold me on it was the shape. To toughen up a sweet as pie dress, all you need to do is throw on your favorite motorcycle jacket and you’re off!

My dove detailed heels are from ModCloth and they are actually so worn that I can’t even tell what brand it is anymore! Anyways, I was toying with putting on one of my many pairs of black heels but my ModCloth pair just looked too cute to pass up on wearing them. How can you go wrong with something so darling on Valentine’s Day? My heart shaped sunnies seemed like the perfect way to go to add some cheeky fun to the look, but the accessory that I’m the most excited about is the pearls that you can see peeking out in the pictures. This strand of pearls belonged to my beloved grandma and it is my favorite piece of jewelry to wear with basically everything. Not only are the pearls timeless and beautiful, but I love knowing that my grandma is with me, especially when they’re fastened around my neck.

After assembling an outfit that I was pleased with, it was time for hair and makeup. As you can see, I went with a rocker chic pompadour to add that little extra something something to the look. Nothing makes me feel more glam rock than a hair to the heavens pompadour a la David Bowie and this is what kept me feeling like me while sporting such a pretty look. And, of course, there is no better time than Valentine’s Day for a set of ruby red lips to pucker up with. I’m sure all of you already know that I went with my favorite shade of Pure Red by NYX considering that’s literally all I wear!

Now, I realize that Valentine’s Day is the day for us accessorizers to get some new jewelry to add to our collection. Whether your new jewelry is a gift from your special someone or a total TREAT YOSELF splurge, I am sure that all of my darling readers will go gaga over the gorgeous jewelry from AUrate. This company specializes in the most fantastic gold accessories to add a touch of glam to your look and I just had to share two of my favorite pieces with you from their gold necklace collection. Take a look and proceed to drool:

^^^ SO. PRETTY!!

If you guys haven’t gathered by now, I love, love, LOVE pearls. The glamour, the elegance, the pure beauty – pearls just speak to me. That’s why I simply adore the Simple Pearl Necklace that AUrate offers. The single drop of a perfectly shaped pearl on a glistening gold chain? Woof! I’m sold.

And this wouldn’t be a signature lifewithlilred post if I didn’t go all heart eyes over a piece of clothing or accessory with my favorite color: black. Say hello to AUrate’s Black Diamond Choker. This piece is so totally in right now and nothing screams Lil Red more than an expertly crafted black diamond accessory. SO gorgeous! *insert heart eyes emoji*

Do check out the rest of the stunning gold necklace collection from AUrate and be sure to leave the page up on your computer as a little hint to your honey! 😉

So there you have it, a look perfect for date night, girls night, or a TREAT YOSELF day as seen in my Get Ready With Me: Valentine’s Day Style post! How do you sport the perfect Valentine’s Day look? What are you and your significant other doing to celebrate? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb14

Spring Clean Your Way To a Healthy Mind

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Spring Clean Your Way To a Healthy Mind

We’re only going to whisper it, since it’s still pretty chilly out there, but…spring is just around the corner (!!!). And you know what that means: no, not lazy Sunday strolls hand in hand with your loved one, we’re talking spring cleaning! But don’t worry, because we’re going to be talking about it in a different way. Specifically, how you can use your spring cleaning as a way to reach a healthier state of mind – for both yourself and your family. That’s right – we’re suggesting you declutter your home, get rid of the mess, and adopt a minimalist lifestyle, both in your home and in your mind:

A Calm Mind: It is easy, all too easy, to acquire a large number of material items in the 21st century. Things are cheap so we buy them without much of a second thought. We have space and a need to hold on to signs of our success, so we hoard our items. But by hoarding our items, what are we really doing besides clogging up our home and denying ourselves of a pure mind? Take a look around the house, gather everything that hasn’t been used in the last 6 months (unless it’s sentimental), and contact samedayrubbishremoval.com.au to take it all away. We can’t function with stuff piled up around the house. When it’s gone and things look orderly, you’ll find it much easier to adopt a happy, carefree state of mind.

Space for Passions to Grow: Have you ever had to live without a television or the internet? If you did, you’ll remember the feelings of boredom, and then shortly after those feelings were replaced by a burst of creativity. Boredom brings out the best in us, it really does. It’s an opportunity for passions to grow and for us to do things that we never usually do. Getting rid of your junk is the same as getting rid of the television and changing the wireless internet password. With an empty home, where will your imagination take you?

Bringing the Family Together: Decluttering isn’t just good for you, it’s good for your partner and children, too, both on a personal level and as part of the family. With less distractions, you’ll find yourself naturally gravitating towards one another. Instead of living “alone together”, under one roof but decidedly different lives, you’ll be able to enjoy the rich and joyful moments of a calm space together. You’ll find you’re more interested in playing childish games with your kids, and they’ll naturally feel calmed by the serene surroundings you’ve created during the spring clean.

Boosting that Confidence: Maintaining a neat, uncluttered, orderly home also has one more benefit: it will boost your confidence. That’s a certain confidence we can draw from being in control of our surroundings, of knowing that we’re not tied down by the things that we own. Everything in your home has a purpose, you have already decided that. Instead of being owned by your possessions, you own them – and you’ll soon find this control seeping into other areas of your life, too.

Featured Image By: Pexels