Feb13

Valentine’s Day: A Memoir

Posted on February 13, 2015 by lifewithlilred

Hey hey guys. Alright: Valentine’s Day is just around the corner – so take a deep breath and allow me to be the voice of reason to those of you who aren’t doing a damn thing tomorrow….because I’m right there with you! Here’s a few things for you to remember before you binge eat seven boxes of chocolate and let the water works flow free while you watch The Notebook for the ninety-second time:

1) You’ve been single every day this year….Valentine’s Day is no different!

^^ A little harsh, Grumpy Cat…but you get the point. I get so annoyed by the whiny people who are desperate for a Valentine. Riddle me this: Do you really want a date for one night with some equally desperate sleazeball who’s probably more concerned about having sex than anything else? The answer is no, you don’t! And if you get approached by one of these said sleazeballs, flip your gorgeous mane of hair and walk away. STORY TIME! So I don’t know if you guys remember when I told you about that pathetic excuse of a man who broke up with me via Facebook, but he got in touch with me this week. (#ew) He suggested we go see a movie – I suggested he go fuck himself. Moral of the story: I could have easily said he should take me out on a Valentine’s Day date this weekend but I have standards. AND I hate him! In other words, don’t let your standards drop for one night of frivolity.

2) Valentine’s Day can be just as fun without a significant other – hello Galentine’s Day!:

I LOVE Galentine’s Day! Me and my beloved best friend Kate will be having our G-Day festivities tonight and it should be a beautiful time! What are we gonna do? I honestly have no idea, actually. Probably shovel bread sticks from the Olive Garden into our pie holes at a record speed, get wine drunk, and go see 50 Shades of Grey. Note: We absolutely will be wine drunk at the movie theater, and I am SO okay with this. Who needs a date night with a guy when you can have a date night with your best girl friend? Long live Galentine’s Day!!!!

3) If I knew you….I would date you:

That’s right, you heard me. If I knew all of you fabulous readers, I would take you on the hottest date imaginable. So if you’re lonely and feeling down and out tomorrow, do me a solid and just think about me. I can guarantee you that I’m going to be having just as shitty of a time so send me the good vibes and I’ll send them right back your way. To prove just how serious I am, let me spit a little poetry at ya:

Roses are red. Violets are blue. When I see dat ass…I don’t know what to do. 😉

Still don’t believe my sincerity? Then I also dedicate this thought provoking poem from one of my personal favorites “The Ladies Man” to you:

DOES NOT THE WIND LOVE THE DIRT?!!? Inspiring.

Alright guys, I’m peacing out but I just wanna let you know that you’re all gorgeous, fabulous, and fine as hell. Have a splendid Valentine’s Day doing whatever it is that you do. If you’re having a lovely candle lit dinner with your lover, think about me doing nothing tomorrow. If you’re laying in bed surrounded by used Kleenex and a half empty bottle of wine…think about me doing nothing tomorrow. What’s everyone up to for V-Day? Do you have any stories of a Valentine’s Day gone wrong? What was the best V-Day gift you ever received? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much Love. -The very single Sarah ❤

^^Thanks, Beyonce.

Feb11

We Be Steady Bloggin

Posted on February 11, 2015 by lifewithlilred

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Alright guys, seriously? Your favorite Lil Red is STILL SICK! This is the epitome of not okay! I have no idea what I have, because it’s not quite the flu, or a cold, or anything else that I can think of. I have the most severe case of body aches, dizziness, and nausea that I’ve ever experienced. I’ve literally done NOTHING these past few days but when I manage to pull myself out of bed this tidal wave of tiredness hits me. It also doesn’t help that good ol’ Aunt Flo paid me a visit the other day. I’m a hot ass wreck. I’m not gonna lie, I haven’t been feeling too hot as far as my mental health goes lately as well, so I wouldn’t be surprised if my physical sickness is a reflection of that. I can’t put my finger on it, but I’ve just been really sad lately. I’d be a liar if I told you I haven’t cut within this past week, and like usual, that just made matters worse after about an hour or so of the euphoria. I’m really hoping that today I can kick this stupid sickness for good and that I’ll wake up tomorrow bright eyed and bushy tailed. I need this to happen actually because this bitch is trying to get back into the Akron theatre scene that I love so very much, so I’ll be attending a show put on by one of the companies that I used to work for. I’m very excited to see all of my old friends and I’m really looking forward to seeing the piece that’s being put on for the University of Akron’s Rethinking Race Week. It should be a jolly good time. I have my dreaded math class tomorrow morning, but I think I’m just going to sit this one out and sleep in – I just wanna feel better, damnit!!! I’m going on day five of being a hot mess and I am slowly losing my mind. #overdramatic

^^ This basically sums up my life.

Wanna know the icing on the cake of my misery? I broke my very first nail yesterday and it was a TRAVESTY. I got home from school and for the first time in days I was actually feeling hungry (I haven’t had much of an appetite lately), so I jumped on these hunger pangs and started making food pronto. In my rush to get something yummy cooking, my pinkie finger got caught in the handle of one of my cabinets and cracked clean in half. I pulled my hand away and to my horror saw blood oozing from the crack in my pinkie. When this happened all I could think was “fucking seriously?” So I ditched the food I was making because my stomach had officially dropped out of my butt at this point and drove straight to the nail salon. My beloved Vinny wasn’t working that day, but luckily STEVE patched my nail up beautifully. It was too funny, when I rushed into the salon and told the workers whom I love so very much that I broke a nail, they all rushed around me to comfort me, a broken nail hurts, damnit! Steve took a look at my war wound and said “Sarah…it looks like we’re gonna have to cut your finger off.” I was in laughing hysterics! That was the last thing I was expecting to hear but it was somehow just what I needed – I love morbid jokes! To my relief, my nail was salvaged and I was able to go on my merry way. My trip to the salon ended up making my day infinitely better, so maybe my broken nail was a blessing in disguise. Ha, you never know! #pronails

^^^ This totally just came on my iTunes and I’m not gonna NOT share it with you guys. #goodies

So guys. What I need from you is some home remedies that you swear by to help me beat this bug. I NEED to feel better tomorrow! HELP!!!! Happy Hump Day and I will talk to you all soon! Much love. -Sarah

Feb9

I’m Baaaack!!

Posted on February 9, 2015 by lifewithlilred

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Guess who’s back? Back again. Lil Red’s back. Tell a friend.

Whatsuppppp guys. Sorry that I’ve been M.I.A. this past weekend, I was and still am extremely under the weather. I have absolutely no clue what’s wrong. 😦 On Friday night I went to an excruciatingly lame party and got a little too white girl wasted. Naturally I woke up with a hella hangover the following morning, but it wouldn’t go away as the day progressed. I was achy, nauseous, and dizzy all day AND unfortunately, I’ve been achy, nauseous, and dizzy all day today. #fml The only good thing about feeling sick is that you have a really valid excuse to lay in bed and watch Netflix all day. Today I indulged in watching over half of season two of The Following and it was fantastic! I really enjoyed season one but never got around to watching the sophomore season. About a week ago I saw somewhere or another that season three will be airing soon, so I thought today would be the perfect day to get myself all caught up. Kevin Bacon and his chiseled features definitely helped me feel a little bit better! Hubba hubba! Prior to this suck ass weekend, I was having a pretty suck ass week. -___- I’ll tell you guys, Lil Red can NOT catch a break! But it’s whatever, because amongst all of the bullshit, I treated myself to a princess day on Thursday. #treatyoself

Mama needed her nails done DESPERATELY, so I decided that I would hit up the salon after my math class on Thursday morning. I got to class, annihilated a quiz, and then sat through more than half of my two hour lecture until I decided to dip out. Yes, I peaced out of my math class to get my nails done – SUE ME FOR IT! I haven’t said too much about my college classes lately, because they’re all going pretty average so far – BUT, I will tell you that my algebra professor is not my cup of tea. The thing is, is that she seems like such a nice person, but she has one major downfall….she has the worst monotone that I’ve ever heard in my life. Math bores me enough already, so when I have to deal with that on top of listening to a robot lecture the class for an entire two hours I naturally am eager to leave ASAP. So I leave class and take my sassy ass straight to the salon to see my beloved nail tech, Vinny. Vinny has been doing my nails for almost three months now and he is absolutely fantastic. This last visit he spoiled me rotten – he spent TWO hours working on my nails, bought me Starbucks, AND told me he was going to take me to see 50 Shades of Grey on Valentine’s Day! Ha! It felt so amazing to have an entire afternoon of pampering and my nails turned out perfectly, as you can see from the picture below:

So obsessed. Red like my hair and black like my heart. ❤ And here’s a few pics of me and my sweet Vinny, who keeps my nails looking fresh all day every day! #pronails

^^^ Lol, I had to!!!

So there you have it, a quick little update on everyone’s favorite Lil Red before I hit the hay. I promise that I’ll be back in action on the ol’ blog once I’m feeling better this week! Btw, who watched the Grammy’s tonight? What did you guys think of the performances? Who got snubbed out of an award? I’d love to hear from you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Goodnight! -Sarah

Feb6

Millstone – Akron, Ohio’s Latest & Greatest

Posted on February 6, 2015 by lifewithlilred

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Millstone – Akron, Ohio’s Latest & Greatest

Whatsup guys! Hope you’re all having a fabulous day! I’ve had an absolute blast listening to one of Akron, Ohio’s newest bands on the scene, Millstone. They’re releasing their debut album in March, and I was lucky enough to get a first listen to their debut “The Dreams We Don’t Remember”. There’s just so much that was working really well on this ambitious alternative album (yay alliteration!) and I’d love to discuss everything and more with you guys!! I’d especially like to discuss some of the songs that are available as a sneak peak on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MillstoneMusic. Please make sure you press that “Like” button and show them some love!!! (PS: The songs currently available can be seen when you click on BandPage on their Facebook page!)

Millstone: This is the opening song to “The Dreams We Don’t Remember” and I absolute adore it. I’m very fond of albums that begin with an introductory song. (Like “Miseria Cantare: The Beginning” from AFI’s “Sing The Sorrow”! Hello!) Anyways, I love that this track gave me a feel for the rest of the album in under three minutes. That’s genius. From one simple song I got a feel for the vocal style used through out the album which just screams “early 2000’s alternative” to me, and I’m so into it. To those of you who have read my blog before, you’ll know how much I love Bear Hands, and this song reminded me so much of their “Moment Of Silence” in the best way ever. Solid, solid opener.

Cheer Down: Yes. Hell yes. this song is what I would consider a “filler song” on the album since it’s so short and sweet. But that’s what I like about it. I love when bands take their filler songs seriously, as opposed to just a dumb track of them talking or making fart noises with their armpits. One of the lyrics that really stuck out to me in this song was “I don’t want to feel exposed, I like the me that no one knows”. That’s fantastic. I’m sure everyone has felt that way at some point or another. I know I have. There’s so many little quirks and struggles that I deal with that I wouldn’t want anyone but me knowing about. But I like it that way, and this lyric captured that love of introversion to the T. This song was jam packed with content for an under three minute track, and to me that just shows how serious Millstone was about making this album a hard hitter. It definitely packs a one-two punch track after track. POW POW!

Suits and Sighs: “Dreams are for the dreamers, reality is much meaner”. #TRUE. This song definitely touches on some depressing subjects, perfectly invoked through the lyric “we’re living just to die”. But the good news is, I LOVE DEPRESSING SUBJECTS!!! If there’s one thing I love (more than depressing subjects 😉 ) it’s when the band members sing the lyrics in a round, so it made my heart very warm when I heard this the first time I listened to this track. “Suits and Sighs” is another short but sweet song, clocking in at barely over three minutes. I honestly would have loved to hear more from this song, because I really liked the vocals and the vibe that was created. Unfortunately, I feel like it got cut short just a smidgen. Thirty more seconds and it would have been perfect!

Making New Friends In Hell: First things first: LOL at the title. Second of all, this track is just about half way there to me. I would have really loved to hear just a bit more screaming in this song, because I feel like the name of this track in itself calls for a bit of the ol’ emo screamo. That opinion doesn’t take away from a great effort though! And what does my stupid opinion matter anyway?! 😉

Second Impact: The final song available for a sneak peak from Millstone happens to be the final song on the album. One of my favorite things about the lineup of songs featured on “The Dreams We Don’t Remember” is how it begins and ends with a short song. I love that both the opening and closing track were kind of slower paced, because it really gives you time to reflect on what you’re about to hear and what you just heard as the album comes to a close. While listening to “Second Impact” I thought about just what an impact this album had on me. I was blown away by the talent and ambition of the band for one. But I was also so impressed by the time it took for this album to become what it is today. One of the members of Millstone, Adam Jones told me that they’ve been working on “The Dreams We Don’t Remember” for three years – and I can tell. All of the songs feel so nurtured to me. And by that I mean, they’ve been worked on and reworked on until the band felt that they were perfect, which I respect so very much.

Of course the other songs on “The Dreams We Don’t Remember” won’t be available for your listening pleasure until the beginning of March, but I can tell you a bit about what I really liked about this album. The main thing that stuck out to me while I listened and relistened to these tracks was the lyrical content. I got a very AFI vibe from some of the lyrics, like “I gave you my life and it lingers” in one of their mid album songs “Sparrow”. Another lyric that really stuck out to me, and that might be kind of lame to some of you guys was “I’m glad I know that you never cared” from one of my favorite songs on the album “It Hurts”. I know what some of you might be thinking “I’ve heard this lyric before, blah blah blah”. Well guess what, so have I – but that doesn’t take away the impact that a simple statement like that makes. Have you ever been cheated on? Broken up with? Stood up? I can answer yes to all three of these questions, and I’m sure many of you can too. I’m sure many of you who answered yes to these questions have thought something similar to “I’m glad I know that you never cared” – a simple statement that shows so much power. It’s quite fantastic. Another strong point on this album was “Two Birds And No Stone”. It’s actually one of my other favorites on the album, I’ve been listening to it quite frequently since I got my hands on “The Dreams We Don’t Remember”. It’s SO very Taking Back Sunday to me, and that’s a beautiful, beautiful thing. Such a strong chorus with some really great collective vocals from the gentlemen of Millstone. Top notch. If there was two things I could have changed about this album it would be:

The screaming content: Like I mentioned for “Making New Friends In Hell” there were a few songs on the album that could have benefited from a tinge more screaming, in my humble Lil Red opinion. Perhaps that’s because I love the combination of gorgeous vocals and some heavy screaming thrown it. Millstone doesn’t lack in the gorgeous vocals department though!
The song lineup: There was one point about halfway through the album when the songs started to blend together a bit. It was in the lineup of “It Hurts”, “Sparrow”, and “My Bride”. These tracks could have definitely used a filler song in between them to break up the similarities between the songs.

So there you have it, my review for Millstone’s debut album “The Dreams We Don’t Remember”. Now I need a favor from you guys, my faithful readers: Give this band some love!!! Here’s all of the links to their social media sites:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MillstoneMusic
Youtube: youtube.com/themillstoneofficial
Twitter: @MillstoneMusic
Instagram: millstonemusic
Email: millstoneofficial@gmail.com

If you happen to be on any of these social media sites, PLEASE make sure you like and follow them!

ALSO! My boys just released their lyric video for their single “The Dreams We Don’t Remember” on YouTube today! Make sure you check it out!

What did you guys think about the songs that are currently available for your listening pleasure? Do you have any constructive criticism for Millstone? Myself and the band would love to hear from you, so leave us a comment and let’s chat! Much love! -Sarah

PS: A follow up post will be made on their album release date so you can purchase “The Dreams We Don’t Remember” on iTunes!! ❤

Feb4

In A Broken World

Posted on February 4, 2015 by lifewithlilred

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Whatuppppp guys! Today I have the pleasure of writing for one of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio’s immensely talented upcoming bands In A Broken World. (Cfalls happens to be my hometown! #REPRESENT!!) If you’re into thought provoking lyrics, gorgeous screaming as well as vocals, AND a heavy dose of metal – these guys are the band for you. In A Broken World was formed back in March of 2014 by a great group of dudes, one of which happens to be my dear friend (and vocalist!) CJ. Just saying right now – I know this kids speaking voice like the back of my hand, and the things he can do vocally and screaming wise are so impressive! As you guys well know…mama likes her screamo. I was lucky enough to have a copy of their debut EP “For Those Like You” burned right in front of me by CJ in my beloved Starbucks…it was very legit. 😉 More importantly, I was absolutely blown away by their music while I was playing it on the way to school. Best believe that some head banging occurred in the Little Red Love Machine! “For Those Like You” is only four songs long, but that was long enough to get a great feel for who these guys are as a band and what to expect for albums to come.

The EP game starts out strong, opening with the three minute banger “Charade”, which offers one of my favorite things that a metal song can do, which is provide a break in the screaming and go into some stunning vocalizing. It was very Of Mice & Men-esque. One of the great things about In A Broken World’s Facebook page (which I will provide!) is that they provide all of their lyrics for those of you who can’t understand the screaming, so I really enjoyed reading through everything that these guys had to say. “Charade” boasts some lyrical winners such as: “I want to run from all the lies, and get lost inside my mind.” Very nice. What I was particularly struck by while listening to all of their songs, was how completely solid the band is as a whole. Everything from the insane guitaring, drumming, and vocals were SO in synch with each other. The amount of practice and hard work that went into all of these tracks is beyond evident. There was not one point when I was listening to “For Those Like You” that I detected the slightest hint of sloppiness, whether it be in the music itself or the production of it. That’s definitely saying a lot, because I’ve heard many a local bands EP albums that sound like they were straight up recorded on someones phone. The level of professionalism in the production of “For Those Like You” is very impressive for a fairly new local band.

The following song “For Those Like You” is one that I’m particularly excited for. When I spoke to CJ a few days ago, this was the one track that held the deepest meaning to him and it’s so evident through the emotional content of the song. A major shout out is in order for the guitarists of In A Broken World, Daniel and Cody because they absolutely annihilate this track. And PLEASE don’t even get me going on the drumming by Brad, because this kid holds it down and provides such a solid base for all of the songs. Do yourselves a favor and read the lyrics as you’re listening to this track, because like I said – the emotional content is ALL there. These words invoke the feeling of disappointment (which is something that I hate the most) so perfectly:

You said you were OK
You said you were happy
You’re lying to yourself
You made a big mistake

^I love that one!

I’m not sure if you guys are aware of this, but there’s a celebrity appearance made on “The Unfaithful” by none other than the legend himself….Ron Burgundy. #stayclassy The track opens with a message from the mustached myth which I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at in amusement. Once you’re done having a chuckle, let’s just talk about the vocals on this track – because I find them the strongest on this song. The ranges that are hit on top of the fast pace of the track earns a tip of the cap from Lil Red. “The Unfaithful” offers a lot of really classic metal sounds, particularly in the guitars that I appreciated. I actually got a strong System Of A Down vibe from this track thanks to the high pitched screaming that I love so very much, so that was a nice touch.

“For Those Like You” closes with the second longest song “The River of Lies”, which is my personal favorite. Recently I’ve been listening to a lot of Dance Club Massacre and this song definitely reminded me of them. My whole thing with metal music is that there has to be constant change ups in the sound in general for me to appreciate it. I can’t stand when bands stick to one particular sound of screaming or instrumentals, and I also can’t stand when the transition into different sounds isn’t sharp. When it gets to that point, all it sounds like is noise to me. In A Broken World defies all of these pet peeves in a maturity well beyond their not even a year of playing together. Their transitions are SO smooth, like BUTTA! “The River of Lies” ends this short and sweet EP on such a high note and closes the album with the appropriate lyrics of:

Let’s finish out strong together
I’ll help you put the pieces back
This is not the end for you.

^If that’s not motivation to get up and do something…or at least head bang a little – then I don’t know what is.

In A Broken World’s Facebook page provides you with some great photos from previous shows, band updates, and videos and can be seen at: https://www.facebook.com/inabrokenworldofficial I urge all of you to give them a like and send them your support from wherever you are in the world!

ALSO, the link to their bandcamp page is: http://inabrokenworld.bandcamp.com/album/for-those-like-you In A Broken World’s EP “For Those Like You” is available for download and if you wish to purchase it, you can name your price for how much you’re willing to spend. In the words of CJ “you could buy the album for sixty-nine cents.” – What a deal!

In A Broken World’s next show will be happening on February 15th, so make sure you go on their Facebook page and wish them luck! What did you think of “For Those Like You”? What is some constructive criticism you have for the band? We’d love to hear from you, so leave us a comment and let’s chat! Holla atcha girl. -Sarah

Feb2

Melancholy Monday

Posted on February 2, 2015 by lifewithlilred

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Heyyyyyyyyy. So last night I was reading through my psychology book for school, and the statement “misery loves company” was discussed. Well I don’t know about you guys, but that phrase couldn’t be any less true for me. I’ve had a rough past few days, and honestly I’ve just wanted to be alone. Sometimes you really just need to lay in your bed, listen to some angry music, cry if need be, and keep to yourself. I know I wrote yesterday that I just need one more day of being bummed out, but apparently that was a lie – so just bear with me for one more day of being pissy and then I promise I’ll be back to normal!! You have the Lil Red Guarantee. Anyways, while reading through my psych text book, I began thinking more in depth about my feelings and the way I handle them and blah, blah, blah. I came to the realization that I would rather be upset from things that I’ve caused myself then be upset by an issue with another person. When I held myself accountable for this truth, it all just made so much sense. For as long as I can remember, I’ve pushed people away who have upset me in the slightest, and it’s not healthy at all but it’s just how I’ve always been. In terms of my self harm/bulimia when it happens on a rare occasion, I’d rather myself be doing it because of me – rather than someone else making me upset. Does that make sense? Let me see if I can word it better… I guess it comes down to control. I’d rather be in control of all of my emotions – the good, the bad, and the ugly (which happens to be a great Clint Eastwood film 😉 ) as opposed to having someone bring those feelings onto me. It’s such a foreign thing for me, to have someone else make me feel really really happy or like complete shit. I probably sound like such an introvert right now, but the funny thing is is that I’m one of the most outgoing and fun loving people I know. I suppose it’s when I’m left with just myself that things become different. It’s no secret that I haven’t always loved myself as much as I could have. It’s also no secret that on occasion I’m very unhappy with who I am as a person. I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve had people tell me that they wish I could see myself through their eyes and whatnot, and I wish I could too. But until the moment comes when I’m 100% happy with myself I have to continue to strive for improvement. There’s a lot of things that I can work on, like letting people in even if it’s scary and ending self destructive thought patterns. Saying that I’m my own worst critic is an understatement – I can be such a bitch to myself. Think back to my New Years Resolutions post when I said that I need to work on being my own best friend…unfortunately that resolution isn’t going too hot right now, so I need to get back on the horse and try again. If at first you don’t succeed – try again and whatever, right? So here I am now, drinking coffee from my beloved red mug and thinking about what I can do to get this improvement party started. I guess I can begin with writing some positive affirmations down somewhere where I can see them, like in my school planner and notebook. I can do something nice for myself, which I will be doing this Thursday when I can my nails done – HOLLA because they’re looking a hot ass wreck. I can work on turning my negative thoughts around, no matter how much I don’t believe it. Fake it till you make it, right? It would be nice to think “you’re a fucking rock star” as opposed to “you’re a fucking loser” for a change. So what am I waiting for? Let’s do this. Operation “Be My Own Best Friend” AKA BMOBF is a go once again. Wish me luck!

Alright guys, mama needs some help getting hyped for this new challenge. So what I need from you is to leave me something that gets you hyped up in my comments. This can be a book, song, movie, piece of art – anything that gets you amped. I wanna hear from all of you so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb1

No Makeup/Super Bowl Sunday

Posted on February 1, 2015 by lifewithlilred

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Hi guys! I’m so sorry that I’ve been M.I.A. these past few days….saying I had a rough weekend was a bit of an understatement. But you know what they say, “life sucks and then you die.” AM I RIGHT?! Ha, that was over dramatic but long story short: Lil Red had a very shitty, awful, terrible, no good, very bad weekend. But wanna know the bright side? It’s No Makeup Sunday today! (And it’s the Super Bowl for those of you who actually care about sports 😉 ) No Makeup Sunday with my beloved Kate is going to involve getting very drunk and watching hella chick flicks, which is honestly exactly what I need right now. I have some fun stuff coming up on lifewithlilred this upcoming week! I’ll be writing a piece for a very cool local band, In A Broken World. The lead vocalist actually happens to be one of my dear friends from high school way back in the day. I’ll be meeting up with him tomorrow to catch up and discuss the article so that should be lovely! Definitely keep it posted for more on that! I had my first week of math classes this past week, and as expected it sucked ass. Seriously – two classes in and I’m already ready to set fire to my textbook. That’s normal right? ….right?! So yeah, this weekend sucked, school sucked – but getting drunky tonight won’t suck. So one night of frivolity with my favorite lady friend and I’ll be back to blogging and giving you guys the latest and greatest in no time! I missed you all, and I’ll be back real soon! 😉 Have fun doing whatever you’re doing today, whether it be watching the dumb Super Bowl, working in a hospital, reading a book, whatever! Here’s some feel good tunes for your enjoyment:

What are you guys up to today? Who do you want to win the Super Bowl? Who’s even in the Super Bowl? Ha! I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan29

Lil Red Recommends: Procrastination Edition!

Posted on January 29, 2015 by lifewithlilred

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Lil Red Recommends: Procrastination Edition!

Heyyyyyy guys! So I was in the middle of doing math homework, and I was getting SO (Lil) Red with frustration, so I said “fuck it” and decided to blog instead. Math homework can wait….until the day before it’s due 😉 Ha, anyways I’ve had a few fun occurrences happen this week that I would love to inform you lovelies about, so let’s get to it with my Lil Red Recommends: Procrastination Edition!

Read “The Husband’s Secret”: Lol, told you guys I was gonna recommend this one as soon as I finished reading it! It was SO good! I recently read “Big Little Lies” by Liane Moriarty and was obsessed, so I was very excited to start reading one of her best sellers “The Husband’s Secret”. This book did not disappoint, as I expected from the phenomenal Australian author. All of Moriarty’s books weave together three women’s lives, usually through the school that the ladies children attend, which was a common theme between both books. In “The Husband’s Secret” we meet super mom Celeste, introverted Tess, and elderly and depressed Rachel. Rachel has every reason for her sorrow, because her teenage daughter, Janie was murdered years ago and the case was never solved. I can’t say much about the book, because giving one thing away would give away a lot – but I can tell you that there’s a murderer living among the quiet Australian suburb who never fully paid for the crimes committed all those years ago. Saying that “The Husband’s Secret” is a page turner is an absolute understatement. Much like “Big Little Lies”, I devoured this book in days and fell in love with all of the charming characters that “The Husband’s Secret” has to offer. Do yourselves a favor and READ THIS BOOK! I promise that you’ll like it – you have the Lil Red guarantee!

Try Out Jamberry Nails: If you haven’t read my most recent post about these fabulously cute nail wraps, PLEASE DO SO! I had the pleasure of writing about this fun company for a dear friend, and was lucky enough to sample some of the products! I gave myself an adorable Jamberry pedi and hooked my sister up with a manicure yesterday – it’s safe to say that we’re both pretty obsessed! Jamberry has hundreds of wrap patterns to chose from as well as nail lacquers if you’re not a nail wrap fan. Please read my blog post Jamberry Nails for additional info and get yourself a sweet treat on http://jamswithjenna.jamberrynails.net! There’s a bunch of Valentine’s Day themed wraps to pick from to get yourself in the spirit for the most annoying holiday ever! 😉

Go See American Sniper: Alright, so I understand that there’s a lot of controversy surrounding this film regarding how much of the actual story of Chris Kyle was true and whatnot. And here’s the thing – I don’t care. I didn’t look too much into all of the news stories and web articles about the subject – if I did that, I don’t think that I would have enjoyed the film as much as I did. American Sniper was directed and produced by Clint Eastwood, so by default I loved this movie. Anything that Eastwood touches is gold in my opinion, and it brought me great joy to watch a movie that had his unique touch all over it. The entire time I was in the movie theater I couldn’t help but think that the film was such “classic Eastwood”. The controversies regarding the film doesn’t take away from the marvelous direction, cinematography, sound mixing, and acting that American Sniper has to offer. Bradley Cooper gave one hell of a performance – I was so impressed! Usually I don’t care too much for him as an actor, but I truly appreciated this character and the work that went into becoming him. Of course there were a lot of parts in American Sniper that were hard to watch, but if you can look past that, you’re in for a great night at the movies.

Listen To Jagwar Ma: Ohhhh yes. Hell yes. I LOVE these guys! Jagwar Ma has one of the most unique sounds in an indie band that I’ve heard in a very long time. The thing about these guys, is that they’re so much more than just indie. They’re alternative, electronica, surfer rock, with the slightest hint of boy band swag that I just adore. Their 2013 album “Howlin” delivers non stop hits – seriously there’s not one song on there that I dislike. One thing that I’m particularly fond of on “Howlin” is that even their short songs like “Man I Need” and “Let Her Go” pack just as much of a punch as their over five minutes “Come Save Me” and “Four”. I’m sure you all know by now how much I appreciate that, because I feel like I mention it a lot. I always say that you can tell that a band is dedicated to their music when their filler songs are just as good as their main feature songs. Do yourselves a favor and give Jagwar Ma I try, I’m pretty confident that some of you fabulous people will enjoy them!

Alright guys, that’s enough procrastination for the day – mama needs to get back to her homework. -___- I hope all of you have a great rest of your day! What movies have you seen lately? What band are you obsessed with at the moment? I’d love to hear from you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Love, love love – Sarah

PS: CHECK OUT JAMBERRY NAILS! http://jamswithjenna.jamberrynails.net

Jan28

Jamberry Nails!

Posted on January 28, 2015 by lifewithlilred

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Hey guys! I have the absolute pleasure of writing up an article for the fun company Jamberry Nails for a dear friend of mine. I had the privilege of working with Miss Jenna years ago at PacSun and I also got to pierce her sweet little one, Tierney’s ears when I worked at Claire’s briefly. Jenna has been working with the girly cute company Jamberry Nails for months now, and they offer the most adorable wraps for your fingernails and toes (As you can see from my featured image and pictures below!) The wraps are offered in both adult AND junior sizes with the fun option of coordinating Mommy & Me prints for a matching mani with your little ones! How fun is that?

Pictured above is the wrap “Wee Bit Charmed” on little Miss Tierney!

The wraps that Jamberry offers are applied using heat and pressure and they last up to two weeks on fingernails and up to six weeks on your toesies. That’s a beautiful thing to me, because whenever I paint my nails at home, they start chipping at least three days after the polish is applied, and no one likes having to repaint their nails over again. #annoying One of the fantastic benefits of the Jamberry nail wraps is all of the things that they’re “free” of, which include: gluten, latex, and formaldehyde. They’re also vegan friendly AND non toxic, so you can feel great about using them on yourself or mommy’s little helper. Did I mention that Jamberry’s wraps have no odor?! I find that so fantastic, because traditional nail polishes can be so potent smelling. I’ve known of people who have gotten headaches from the odor alone, so these wraps are great for anyone who experiences sensitivity to strong smells.

If you’re to purchase the adult size wraps, you’ll receive eighteen nail wraps per sheet. These wraps are usually long enough to do two nails! You can also give yourself a fun pedi, covering all ten of your toesies with just two of the largest wraps! (Such a steal!) So what does this all mean? So glad you asked! This means that one adult size sheet of Jamberry nail wraps will give you TWO manicures, TWO pedicures and you’ll still have four full wraps left over! Junior size wraps are also available, and usually work on girls up to age eleven. But if you’re an adult with tiny fingers, these wraps might just work on you too! The junior size prints offer forty-two wraps per sheet. There are twenty-eight wraps in one print and then fourteen wraps offered in a coordinating print. This means that you could purchase a sheet of adult wraps and a sheet of juniors wraps for a Mommy & Me mani/pedi!

Pictured below is the “Snow & Ice” wraps (in juniors size!) on Jenna’s hands. These are perfect for your favorite Frozen fan! #letitgo

Not a fan of the nail wraps? That’s okay too, because Jamberry also offers nail lacquers as well if you’d prefer traditional nail polish! Just like the wraps, they’re beyond safe to use on your nails as the polishes are 5-Free. In other words, these polishes are free of the top five harmful chemicals that most nail polishes contain! And very importantly, Jamberry products are never animal tested. The Jamberry nail lacquers are quick to dry and last way longer than any store brand. If you don’t have the necessary tools to apply any of these fun products at home, fear not! Jamberry offers a mini heater AND an application kit. (A hair dryer works just fine too! 🙂 )

Similar to Avon and Tupperware (because Tupperware parties are a thing!), Jamberry also offers in home, Facebook, and catalog parties which are perfect for a girls night in! Going to the nail salon is over rated anyways 😉

I urge ALL of my lovely ladies reading this to take a look at Jenna’s Jamberry site and get in contact with her if you’re interested in purchasing some nail wraps! Here’s all of the info:

Website: http://jamswithjenna.jamberrynails.net
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jamswithjenna
Email: jamswithjenna@gmail.com

While you’re browsing on Jenna’s cute as pie website, keep in mind that the wraps are Buy 3 Get 1 Free (with exclusions to the Licensed Collegiate and Sorority Wraps). There’s a bunch of sweet Valentine’s Day themed wraps as well! Here’s a few of my favorite prints that Jamberry offers:

The wrap names pictured above are as follows:

Love Potion
Midnight Celebration
Flirty Flair

I’m writing this in Starbucks right now, and I asked three lovely teenagers sitting in the cafe to pick which prints they liked best, it was hard for them to pick because they liked them all – but here’s the consensus that the little darlings came to:

Victorian Lace
Sugar & Spice
Secret Promise

Too cute right?! For the purposes of writing this article, I got to sample some Jamberry products, and here’s the final result! (Please excuse my gross feet!)

I had an absolute BLAST applying my adorable Jamberry prints to my toes! I rarely paint my toenails so this was such a treat! The application was as easy as one, two, three as well! All I had to do was push back my cuticles and then match up my nails to the best fitting wrap. Once I found the wrap that worked for me I applied a little bit of heat to it from my hair dryer and pressed the wrap onto my nails. I applied as much pressure as my little hands would allow to the wrap, and then trimmed and filed off the excess. After my nails were perfectly shaped, I applied heat and pressure one more time for fun and fab Jamberry worthy nails!

If you’re interested in purchasing some Jamberry nail wraps, please keep in mind that Jamberry currently only ships to the USA, Canada, and US territories – hopefully that will be changing soon though! Once again the address to Jenna’s fabulous website is: http://jamswithjenna.jamberrynails.net. Make sure you check it out!

What do you guys think of these cute nail wraps? Which ones are your favorites? Would you purchase any of these? I’d love to hear from you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Happy Wednesday! -Sarah

Jan26

Monday Update!

Posted on January 26, 2015 by lifewithlilred

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Hey guys and happy Monday!! I just wanted to give all of you a quick Lil Red update for the week, because I have a lot going on, so I might be M.I.A. for a few days. My first day of my online classes at Tri-C started today and I’ll tell you all right now…it was a big fat pain in the ass! I logged onto the online learning page and instantly felt so overwhelmed by everything that needed done. I’m taking my General Psychology and College Composition II courses online while taking Beginning Algebra on campus. The nice thing about the online classes is that I essentially have the entire week to finish a hefty amount of work, so today, I binge-worked for five hours straight: reading, note taking, high lighting, answering discussion board prompts – the whole shebang! Wanna know the sad part though? I’m essentially only half way done with my work load from both classes for the week. -_____- whomp whomp. This winter break was beautiful and much needed, but my mind was definitely not in the college mind set today thanks to that. I felt so stressed over some of the simplest tasks, which just made me frustrated, which made me step outside and chain smoke – all while drinking the shittiest cup of coffee ever. My hope is that things will get easier once I get a good feel of how the syllabus for each class plays out. Then I’ll know what things to prioritize and what the general work load for each week will entail. On the bright side, I got a 100% on my first twenty five question psychology test that I took today, so the hard work is already paying off! I have my first day of my math class tomorrow, and saying that I’m nervous for it is an understatement. Math was my arch nemesis class in high school – forever hovering failing grades over my head like a rain cloud year after year. I’m so afraid that it’s going to be just as hard for me in college. I’m so determined to do well in this class, because I REFUSE to fail it when I used my hard earned money to pay for the class. Please send some good vibes my way over in Akron, Ohio – god knows I’m gonna need it!

In other news for Lil Red and the blog in general, I have a lot of fun things coming up! Tomorrow I’ll be writing a review for the cute and girly company Jamberry Nails for one of my dear friends who’s doing her thing on the website, so keep it posted on lifewithlilred to learn more about it! I also will have the review for one of Akron, Ohio’s wonderful and upcoming bands, Millstone posted on here by the end of the week once the lyric video for one of their songs is complete! There’s also one big thing that I guess I can spill to you guys….I met a guy! He’s fantastic, charming, handsome, and a complete gentleman! I’m not really sure what’s gonna happen with us, but I’m pretty excited to find out! So I’m sure you’ll be hearing more about that in the days to come! 🙂

Alright guys, mama needs some good vibes this week for my college challenges, so keep them coming and of course I’ll be doing the same for all of you! How was everyone’s weekend? How’s school going for all of my readers who are in attendance? I’d love to hear from you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Keep it posted on lifewithlilred for all of the latest and greatest, and I will talk to you all later! Much love. -Sarah

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