Dec29

New Coat Heaven!

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New Coat Heaven!

Hello everyone and happy Tuesday! On Christmas day I died and found myself in New Coat Heaven. If you read yesterday’s Monday Update: Holiday Haul Edition, you’ll know that my parents gifted me with a gorgeous new coat. If you didn’t know that – then now you know! I am so madly in love with my new beauty from Target that I just had to give it some extra special attention in today’s post. Take a look at this bad boy:

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^^^ Swoon. ❤

I’ve had my eyes on this stunning knee length coat from Target for over two months but it was quite expensive so I never would have bought it for myself. While my mom and I went on one of our monthly Target excursions, I pointed the coat out to her and tried it on. I modeled the coat, expressed my desperate interest, and then hung it up and put it away so we could continue our shopping. That shopping trip was Operation: Planting the Seed.

And believe me, the seed in my mother’s brain was planted, alright. When I was gifted with the Corella Deville coat on Christmas day, my mom told me that the day after our outing she went out and bought it for me for one of my presents. She said that if she didn’t do it right away then she would have forgotten the size I needed and she didn’t want it to get sold out. What a lady! ❤

I’ve been planning outfits in my head around this knock out of a coat for days now. The unveiling of my new winter garb will take place on New Year’s Eve, when Kyle and I go out for a date night to ring in 2016. I’m going to pair it with a beautiful, knee length, floral dress along with a killer pair of heels and of course, a bright red lip! Be on the look out for pictures!!

I really am in New Coat Heaven and I’m so thankful for the amazing gift compliments of my mom and dad! Who received new clothes for Christmas? What about new jewelry or accessories? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec28

Monday Update: Holiday Haul Edition

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Monday Update: Holiday Haul Edition

Hello everyone and happy Monday! Welcome to this week’s Update: Holiday Haul Edition! Lil Red made out like a bandit this Christmas and it’s still not over! I still have presents to receive from my sister and my best friend later this week. But so far, the loot has been fantastic. I feel so spoiled because I’ve never had a boyfriend during the holiday season and Kyle and his mom were nice enough to give me some amazing presents. Take a look at what I received on Christmas according to each person:

My parents:

I am SO in love with the gorgeous coat that my mom and dad got me. I’ve been eyeing this jacket from Target for over two months now and I’m so happy that it’s finally mine! My mom got it for me the day after I tried it on in front of her in October and has been hiding it for my surprise ever since. What a lady! I also received a generous donation to the Lil Red Foundation as well as a fresh supply of my favorite beauty products from The Body Shop and Trader Joe’s. Thanks, mom and dad!

My brother and sister-in-law:

From Peter and Megan I received my first Adult Coloring Book, complete with colored pencils and a sharpener. My sister and I have been interested in these for a while so I’m so excited to unleash my inner child and crack open the coloring book with her. I also got a Groupon for two free admissions to a Paint Nite. In Ohio, there are certain bars that offer a night of drinking and canvas painting and I’ve heard that they’re so much fun! It will be the perfect date night for me and Kyle!

The most special gift I got this Christmas, however, was the rosary that Peter and Megan brought home for me from their honeymoon in Italy. It’s my favorite color and it is also blessed by Pope Francis from when they had the honor of meeting him. How cool is that?!

My other brother:

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From my second oldest brother, Andrew, I received another generous donation to the Lil Red Foundation. You can’t go wrong with cold hard cash!

My boyfriend:

My darling Kyle spoiled me rotten this year with some of the most fantastic gifts ever!! He gave me an entire family of stuffed animals from Despicable Me – one of our favorite movies. I also got a stuffed Moogle from Final Fantasy, which I’m pretty stoked about! To continue with the Minion theme, Kyle got me the most comfy pair of Minion patterned fleece pajama pants, which were unfortunately in the washing machine while I was taking my haul photos! Rest assured, they’re cute. 🙂

Kyle did a wonderful job of picking me out some beautiful accessories as well. I was so surprised when I opened the boxes of gorgeous jewelry, which included two stunning bracelets and a necklace. Kyle also knocked it out of the park with a burgundy and grey infinity scarf (Which I’m wearing right now!) and burgundy and black trimmed gloves. I can’t wait to wear my new scarf with all of my favorite sweaters and pair my gloves with my new coat from my parents! Thanks, babe – I love you! ❤

My boyfriend’s mom:

I was so humbled by the lovely gifts that my boyfriend’s mom treated me to. She got me the absolute cutest ornament for my tree of a little penguin ice skating. I made sure to put it right by my human skater, which I got at a figure skating competition in New York. Mrs. Kyle’s Mom also gifted me with some luscious bath and body products from Philosophy. I’ve never used their products before but have always wanted to so I was SO excited to try both of them out! Spoiler alert: They’re amazing and they smell heavenly!

As much as I enjoyed receiving all of these beautiful presents, I enjoyed giving everyone the gifts I picked out special for them even more! I am so thankful for all of the goodies that I was gifted with but would have been just fine with only having the quality time with my family and loved ones. My Christmas this year was one of the best ever and I can’t wait to continue the celebrations this week with my sister and darling best friend!

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Holiday Haul Edition! How was everyone’s holiday? What was your favorite gift that you received or gave? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec27

Give Me A Like!!

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Give Me A Like!!

Howdy everyone and happy Sunday! I know I said I would be taking a little weekend break from the ol’ blog but that obviously didn’t stop me from putting a shameless plug in to like my page on Facebook!

As you look through my pages, you’ll notice that I have different articles posted on various subjects. These are from the wonderful advertising company Twistfire Media. If you are interested in posting for Twistfire on your Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest you can let your girl know at: sarah.mush6794@gmail.com! I can’t recommend it enough!

If all of my fabulous readers could Give Me A Like on my Facebook page, that would be great – so thank you in advance! Feel free to friend me on my Facebook page as well! And following lifewithlilred wouldn’t hurt either! 😉 I hope you’re all having a great holiday weekend and I’ll see you soon for the Monday Update: Holiday Haul Edition! Much love. -Sarah

Dec26

Be Back Monday!

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Be Back Monday!

Helloooo everyone and happy Saturday! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas that was filled with family and good cheer. I’m taking the weekend off from lifewithlilred as a little holiday vaca so I’ll be back with you on Monday for the usual Monday Update which will be the Holiday Haul Edition! Until then, how was everyone’s Christmas? Was Santa good to you this year? 😉 I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

^^^ If you haven’t seen the movie Vacation, do yourselves a favor and do it! It’s me and Kyle’s new favorite! ❤

Dec25

Merry Christmas!!

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Merry Christmas!!

Hello everyone and a very Merry Christmas to all of you!! I hope that you’re surrounded by people you love all day and have a joyous time celebrating. I’m keeping this post short and sweet so all of you can read it, smile, and move on to all of the exciting plans you might have going on for the day. I can’t wait to hear about how you celebrated this holiday season. What is your favorite gift you received? What is your favorite gift that you gave? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

❤ HAPPY HOLIDAYS! ❤

Dec24

New Year, New Look

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New Year, New Look

Hello everyone and happy Thursday! I’ve been itching to do something fun to my hair (no, not dye it!) and I think I found the perfect style to do that with. Take a look:

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^^^ Isn’t that gorgeous?!

The thing about my hair, is that it’s incredibly thick. This is absolute torture for me because I like my hair to be really sleek. My beloved hair stylist, Anna, and I have played around with different methods to get rid of the bulk of my hair during each cut but it always seems to grow back with a vengeance. After taking that situation for what it is, I started playing around with styles that will “remove” the thickness from my hair and give me something really sharp and edgy.

I knew that I absolutely did NOT want to do anything like shaving the sides, so then I decided that cornrows or braids would be a good way to go. To have a somewhat permanent twist on both sides of my head would eliminate the problem of what Anna and I call the “bubble”. The bubble effect happens what my hair starts poofing from the thickness and NOTHING makes it better!

What really drew me to the style that I found, though, was the fauxhawk. I’ve wanted my hair like that for ages but I always thought that it wasn’t long enough. Despite the appearance of a short haired cut, my hair still reaches my collarbones, aside from the back of my hair which is cropped nice and tight. The back of my hair has always been a problem for me, as well, because once it starts growing in, it looks like a straight up mullet – and not in the Uncle Jesse on Full House cute way. This style should help ease that unfortunate issue as well.

Everything about this New Look for the New Year sounds like the answer to my hair related prayers and I’m ready for something fresh and new. I’ve really liked the way that I’ve had my hair, but it’s been basically the same all year and I really want an edgy change. And can you imagine how dope this style will look with my bright red hair? Dayum!

I would never do such a drastic change without the 100% approval and professional opinions of my stylist, so I posted the picture I posted above on her wall on Facebook. Anna was in love right away so the new style is a go! Once everything slows down a little after Christmas, I’ll hit up the salon to get it done. I’d like to have it done before New Years though so I can have my new hair when Kyle takes me on our New Year’s Eve date!

I’m ready to ring in the New Year with a New Look and I’m so excited!! What are your plans for the new year? Who’s going to treat themselves to a new look for 2016? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec23

The Happy Couple

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The Happy Couple

Hellooo everyone and happy Hump Day! Kyle and I celebrated our four month anniversary on Monday (woo!) and we have the cute photographs to prove it! When it comes to taking pictures, Kyle and I are the polar opposite. I like very posed photos that are taken in a timely manner and Kyle just presses the “Ok” button rapidly thirty times in a row and hopes for a good one…Not that there’s anything wrong with that!

After we examined the photos taken from his shooting spree, he told me that we were only going to put two on Facebook so we don’t look like an “annoying” couple (Which is a good rule to live by.). Kyle’s choice is my featured image photo, which has grown on me after a few defiant “no-s” from him when I asked him to change his mind! My choice is as follows:

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^^^ The lighting is lousy, but when the opportunity for a couple’s pic arises you have to seize it!

My beau and I had a great day together. We went for drinks at the Burntwood Tavern, which is where we had our first date. Then we hit up the gigantic Giant Eagle that I live by to grab some beer, compliments of the option they have to “build your own” six pack, which Kyle loves! After we got our refreshments, we settled down at my place for some snuggle and TV time followed by dinner with my family. We concluded our day by watching Kicking and Screaming, which Kyle has never seen before and ended up really enjoying! It was perfect. 🙂

Today, Kyle, my brother Peter, his wife Megan, and I will be going to the Great Lakes brewery in Cleveland for drinks and dinner, which should be a lot of fun! Anything that keeps my mind off of trying to guess what Kyle got me for Christmas is time well spent!! For the past two weeks the poor thing has had to deal with me asking him if I can have my presents multiple times per day…Whoops. :*)

I’m so excited for a great day with my beau, brother, and sister-in-law and I hope all of you have a wonderful day as well! What are your holiday plans? What is a gift that you’ve bought or made that you’re most excited about giving? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec22

Attention All Beauty Bloggers: HELP!!!!

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Attention All Beauty Bloggers: HELP!!!!

Hello to all of the fabulous beauty bloggers here on WordPress! I need your help desperately so I’m sending out a Lil Red SOS. As you may know, I am the proud owner of extremely fake red hair. It’s safe to say that I have a mild obsession with my locks and I’m totally okay with it. Because I’m dedicated to keeping my herrr luscious at all times, the SOS has been sent because my hair is dry as a desert right now thanks to the winter cold. Let’s discuss, but first enjoy this ironic choice in music:

What I really need in my life is a good leave in conditioning product as well as a heat protecting spray or serum. I only wash my hair twice a month so a wash out conditioner just isn’t for me. Lucky for me, I’ve been blessed with hair that never gets oily or greasy so my semi annual washes help me in my quest to prevent color fading. I never really “wash” my hair either, I just put conditioner in, let it sit, and then wash it out. What I really would like is a great leave in product or anything really to help get some moisture back into my hair. I’m open to any and all suggestions because hair isn’t my forte at all.

Another product that I’m interested in is a heat protecting product. I flat iron my hair every day and frankly, it’s never been an issue until this past month when the temperatures have dropped. For all of the straightening that I do every day, I’ve never had dry split ends result from it so I definitely want to avoid that from now on. I also think that it would be a good thing to start using anyways with or without the winter cold effecting my hair.

You guys are probably reading this post and thinking “how does this girl even have hair left?” because to me, it sounds like it really should be damaged. But for over a year now, Ive been using the no wash technique and only during my last hair cut was the first time my stylist has ever mentioned split ends on my hair. I would love to get my locks back into the good graces of having a soft and sleek texture as well as nice and sharp ends as opposed to the jagged straggles I’ve had as of late. Any and all suggestions for a conditioning and heat protecting product are welcomed and encouraged!

To all of my beauty bloggers: I NEED YOU NOW!! If you have any pro tips on how to get my hair back to its normal ways, I would forever appreciate it! Do you have any suggestions or recommendations? What are some of your off kilter hair care techniques that you swear by? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

^^^ Lolololololol, I had to!

Dec21

Monday Update: NCI Training Edition

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Monday Update: NCI Training Edition

Hi everyone and happy Monday!! This past Thursday I had my training for the National Core Indicators (NCI) research project in association with the Ohio Board of Developmental Disabilities at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio…What a mouthful! I had the honor of being one of fifty out of over five hundred selected to take part in this opportunity and I was so happy to be there – even though I had to get up at 4:15 in the morning to begin my day! Let’s discuss, but first take a look at some of the responsibilities that my new job will hold by watching some or all of this video:

My day began early on Thursday morning and didn’t stop until I got home at roughly 7:30 in the evening. After I finished getting myself ready for the day, I packed some snacks, made some coffee, and then hit the road. I live in Akron, Ohio and my drive to Columbus took a little over two hours. Luckily, I began my drive early enough to account for traffic because the rush hour traffic was insane! I had to be at The Ohio State University’s McCampbell Hall by 8:30 to begin checking in and because of my early start I made it right on time.

When I got to our designated room number, I was a bit taken aback by the fact that I was easily the youngest person there. Everyone was at least thirty or older and as I learned throughout the day, all of them had some type of job in the field of service for people with developmental disabilities. Other members of the research project had children with some type of special needs and there were also some fantastic self advocates taking part in the day as well. My parents were so impressed when I told them this and I have to say, I was quite impressed with myself, too!

Our day began at 9:00 sharp and we were introduced to the responsibilities we would have as members of the NCI research project. It’s going to be our job to interview people with developmental disabilities to make sure that through the Ohio Board of Developmental Disabilities they’re receiving the best care possible. It’s also going to be our duty to report anything suspicious to make sure that there is no negligence or abuse going on.

Throughout the day we watched and analyzed the video I posted above, learned how to report possible cases of abuse, and listened to speakers such as the head of the Nisonger Center at OSU who is assisting with this project, department heads at the Ohio Board of Developmental Disabilities, and the people in charge of the NCI project. It was so cool to be able to ask questions and interact with people who are in such high esteem in the world of developmental disabilities.

My training went on until five in the afternoon and I learned so much. We went over the survey that we’ll be completing in extensive detail and I feel confident in my ability to do it well. I have a folder full of paper with the slides of the Powerpoints that we were viewing too so I can look over them whenever I need. My mom read some of them with me too because she’s a developmental pediatrician and is always hungry for more knowledge!

My day was so jam packed with information that I couldn’t even begin to cover it all in one post. All of the speakers did a great job of holding my interest because it definitely would have been easy to zone out during the day! I am so happy to take part in such an important project and I can’t wait to begin conducting my interviews throughout the next few months!

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: NCI Training Edition! How was everyone’s weekend? What are your plans for the holidays? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec19

Treat Yoself! My Grown Up Wishlist From Spring

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Treat Yoself! My Grown Up Wishlist From Spring

Hello everyone and happy weekend! I recently got invited to create my own “Treat Yoself” Grown Up wishlist with the amazing products from Spring, an online boutique for all of your fashion needs! I have to say, if I treated myself to everything that I wanted from their incredible selection of clothing and accessories, I would be in severe debt because it’s basically the entire website, which is: Spring . Click on the link, shop along, and see what Lil Red likes the most as well as what you can send my way for the holiday! 😉 ❤

Silk Gauze Parka by Laveer: Oh. My. Goodness. This jacket is fabulous. I’m a huge jacket girl and this piece really caught my eye. As I scrolled through Spring, I noticed a lot of gorgeous leather jackets as well and perhaps if I wasn’t a strict vegetarian, one of those would be on my list. But this Laveer piece is just to die for. If there’s one thing my readers have learned about me, it’s that when I purchase clothing it must fall under the criteria of: black (usually), edgy, and super chic and this jacket fits that to the T.

laveer

Blazer with Bones Crystals by Libertine: Okay, the thing about this blazer is that if I talk about it for too long I’m going to start to cry because that’s how badly I want it. I LOVE Libertine so when I saw this piece I instantly started to drool…metaphorically speaking. This is hands down my favorite item on the website, and that’s really saying something. It’s perfect. I can’t say more than that.

libertine

Mollie Box Pleat V Neck Flare Dress by Alice + Olivia: Surprise! A non black item! I adore this dress! Some people are shocked that I love dresses but the funny thing about my style is that I love either really edgy or really girly pieces, there’s no in between. What I like the most about this dress is the color because I love wearing burnt orange. Rich fall colors make up quite a bit of my wardrobe so this dress would fit in perfectly. And the fact that it’s Alice + Olivia is a plus – their clothes are darling!

alice

Multi Blue “OH ROY” Pump by Pierre Hardy: Soooo…I really like shoes. I tried to go through all of the various categories on Spring but I got stuck on their selection of heels, boots, and flats. These. Are. FABULOUS!! I love pieces that are so unique and out there that the only question people can ask is “where did you find something like that?” These pumps by Pierre Hardy scream quirky to me, therefore, I’m in love.

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Comet Mid Heel Ankle Boot with Removable Bracelet by Freda Salvador: Yes, these are leather but that’s why they’re part of my wishlist…because I wish they weren’t leather! These are the coolest pair of booties ever! And everyone knows that Lil Red loves her booties. There comes a point in the world of ankle boots when they all start to look the same but these are such a loud and cool statement and I can’t get enough of it. Size 6 1/2 pleather, please.

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Embellished Tiger Sweater by Nicole Miller: The thing is…is that I’m kind of obsessed with this sweater. I scrolled through the entire section of tops on Spring and fell in love with their silly slogan-ed shirts adorned with phrases like “Namastay In Bed” but I couldn’t stop thinking about this piece! It’s so quirky, but it’s still sharp and chic and I can’t pinpoint why but I really like it. I’m not exactly one to walk around with an embellished tiger on my tops but I can definitely picture myself rocking this one!

tigre

I had a complete ball making my Treat Yoself! Grown Up Wishlist From Spring and I encourage all of you to check out their site at: Spring. What is your favorite piece from Spring? What are you going to add to your holiday wishlist from their site? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah