Oct3

Parks and Rec! My favorite:)

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Parks and Rec! My favorite:)

My mom and I are absolutely in love with the show Parks and Recreation. We binge watched up to season five and were SO disappointed to have to wait for such a long time to see season six, as it only came out on Netflix and DVD a few days ago. Lucky for us, we finally snagged the DVD set from the library, and have been watching our usual two episodes per night, just like before! My P&R time with my mom is very similar to my Dancing With the Stars time with my dad (see previous posts!). It’s our special time with each other, where we don’t have to think or do anything other than laugh. We love the cast of the show so very much. I’ll be honest, I used to despise Amy Poehler before I started watching Parks. I found her quite annoying. But after spending six seasons with her on this show, I adore her. She’s the cutest little thing ever! I love how passionate her character, Leslie Knope is about her job and her coworkers. I find it so adorable just how much she goes above and beyond for all of the members of the Parks team. Leslie Knope is thoughtful and goofy! Poehler is just fantastic at portraying this. Another fan favorite of ours is Rob Lowe as Chris Traeger. (Anne Perkins!) This guy cracks me up! Everything said by Traeger is either funny or indirectly funny because of his delivery. Seriously every time he opens his mouth it puts my mom and I in stitches. The chemistry between the cast is really something special. They also have a great script to work with as well. The writing on Parks is sharp and quick. I love the different types of humor it touches on, everything from sarcasm, satire, to complete silliness. Even the smallest backhanded comments on each episode pack a humorous punch. I’m looking forward to watching more of season six. My partner in crime and I are on episode five and so far so good!

If you haven’t watched Parks and Recreation, I can’t recommend it enough. Fantastic writing, a solid story line, and an all star cast including Rashida Jones, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, and Adam Scott to name a few. Did I forget to mention Guardians of the Galaxy super star Chris Pratt is on the show too?! He’s a trip. Here’s a few snippets of some funny moments from the show:

Where are all of my Parks and Rec fans on here? What’s your favorite episode? (Mine is the Sexual Education epi on season 5!) Who’s your favorite character? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! Goodnight! -Sarah

Oct2

Fall crafts I want to try!

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Fall crafts I want to try!

So as all of you know, I LOVE crafting with my friends. I was looking for some quick and easy crafts to make on our next hang outs together and found quite a few that I like a lot. I’ve been really drawn to the candle holder crafts lately. I think they add such a neat and unique touch to any room. Not only are they great decor, but they make awesome gifts too. I wanted to share all of these cool new crafts I plan on trying with you guys. If there’s any crafts that you’ve completed recently that you think are awesome, please share them with me!

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I’m really looking forward to making the candle holders with the haunted house and bat stencils. They look so cool! Hopefully mine turn out just as well. I also really like the canvas art that’s set as my featured image. As you all know, I love me a good canvas art, as you can see by my previous crafting posts 😉 The little acorn owls are seriously the cutest things ever. I feel like this would be an awesome craft to make with little ones during your fall family gatherings this year. So precious!

What crafts are you guys currently working on? If you’ve made anything similar to the pictures I posted, PLEASE show me! I’d love to see it! Wish me luck on my fall crafting adventures! -Sarah

Oct2

Into it/Over it!

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Into it/Over it!

Alright, there’s a lot of new trends that this fall season will be bringing us, so here I am to rate them with an Into it! or Over it! Here we go!

Aubergine: Eggplant everything! I’m so very INTO IT! This color is such an awesome revamp of the traditional fall hue of oxblood. I can already picture it now: deep purple pea coats, knit scarves, trouser pants, the list goes on. It’s such a gorgeous, rich color. I’m so ready to find the perfect eggplant pieces to add into my wardrobe!

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Aztec Print: OVER IT. SO OVER IT. I’ve BEEN over it for over a year now, but Aztec print always seems to make a drastic comeback during the fall season. I want something new. Something original. Something that everyone and their brother doesn’t own already. To get more specific, I’m ESPECIALLY over the Aztec print cardigan. To stand out in a sea of tribal print this fall, I plan on getting a lot of solid hued cardis in rich colors such as emerald green, mustard yellow, and my new favorite aubergine. Once accessorized right, it will be an awesome statement!

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The sweater and skirt combo: I’m very on the fence about this trend, so I’m neither into it or over it. I really like this cute combo on other people, but I’m not sure how I would feel about it on me. The pairings of the outfits I’ve seen are pretty dramatic, and too much fabric over powers my tiny frame. I don’t want to look like I’m swimming in the outfit! However. I give props to the girl pictured below, because she looks hella cute! If anyone has any tips or pics on how they styled this trend, let me know!

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Emerald green: ALWAYS AND FOREVER INTO IT!!!!! So much yes. If you’ve read any of my previous blog posts, you’ll already know how very fond I am of any shade of green. Of course, I’m extremely biased to this trend, because green is my absolute favorite color to wear. There’s nothing better than a pasty pale girl with bright red hair working a deep green! I recommend that everyone find their favorite green piece immediately. Whether it be a scarf, handbag, or major piece like a blazer or pea coat. You won’t regret it!

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Mickey Mouse print clothes: OVER IT. In fact, I HATE this trend. I don’t know where this recent obsession with Mickey print clothing has stemmed from but I am NOT a fan. I think this print is extremely childish. I can’t find one appealing thing about a grown woman wearing a Mickey Mouse shirt. Save it for Disneyland. *hair flip*

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Animal print clothing (specifically snakeskin): I’m actually very INTO IT. However, let me state this right now – I will forever be OVER any type of animal hide used in ANY type of clothing. Whether it be leather, alligator, sheepskin, or snakeskin. Anything other than man made materials hold no place in my wardrobe. Having said that, I very much like the snakeskin pattern. I think it’s extremely edgy and quite sexy. It’s a very rock n’ roll print, and that’s definitely something I’m into! I would really like to find some cool snakeskin print skinnies to add to my wardrobe soon!

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So there you have it! I’ll be adding on to my list of Into it/Over it trends through out the fall season. What are your favorite fall fashion statements so far? What are you over? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah

Oct1

OOTD – Hump Day!

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OOTD – Hump Day!

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My outfit of the day today was fairly simple. But I felt insanely confident in it, which is the most important thing when it comes to dressing yourself. As usual, here’s the breakdown of each article of clothing:

  • Challis pants: H&M (these are brand new, and they ran at roughly $35 for anyone interested in buying them)
  • Flannel: Hollister, but I got it from the Goodwill #bargain
  • Crop top: PacSun, LA Hearts
  • Heels: TJMaxx, Guess

I’m legit so in love with my army green pants it’s ridiculous. They’re so chic, flattering, and SO comfortable. I felt like I was in sweatpants all day, but of course was way more stylish ;). The flannel I wore today was such a good find from the Goodwill. It was the first flannel I ever bought and it remains my favorite one to this day. I thought the little “he loves me he loves me not” crop was so sweet, and it’s the perfect ‘wear under a flannel’ top. And of course, my Guess shoes are my babies! It was such an awesome TJ’s find, and I really liked the two similar but different shades of green in the heels and my pants together – it made for a really cool color block. The colors in my OOTD are some of my favorites, and they all complimented each other so well in each piece of clothing. I’m very fond of black and hunter green together, and the flannel over the crop top really tied the whole look together. I felt amazing strutting my stuff around the mall today when I went with my sister and mom!

So there you have it! My OOTD. What was everyone rockin today? What are some of your favorite color combos for fall? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah

Oct1

Lil Red Recommends: Part 2!!

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Lil Red Recommends: Part 2!!

Alright, it’s time for the annual Lil Red Recommends segment, where I let everyone know what songs I’ve been obsessed with as of late. Here we go:

  • Bad Suns – Transpose. LOVE this song, we played it at PacSun and it was one of my favorites.
  • Basement Jaxx – Romeo (remix). So catchy and fun.
  • Bastille – Bad Blood. Yet another PacSun song, but I don’t care. I love these guys. Their entire album, also entitled Bad Blood is really great.
  • Chromeo – Fancy Footwork. How can you not love Chromeo? Seriously.
  • The Go! Team – Huddle Formation. Get hyped, get hyped, get hyped.
  • Hot Chip – My Piano. Funky fresh.
  • Jay-Z & Kanye West – Gotta Have it. My two favorite gents absolutely have what I need 😉
  • Juicy J – Bounce It. Need I say more? Juicy is freaking hilarious. If you ever need a good laugh, just listen to one of his songs.
  • Kid Cudi – Ashin’ Kusher. Best believe I blast this in the Little Red Love Machine (aka my car) every chance I get. Who are you to judge? JUDY?!
  • Lady Gaga – Judas. Oldie but goodie.
  • Locksley – The Whip. Why? Well, just because. 😉
  • The Neighbourhood – Afraid. These guys are angsty. I love it.
  • New Order – Temptation. So classic. I always got so excited when we played this at Pac.
  • One Direction – Best Song Ever. Judge me, I dare you. 🙂
  • Rick Ross – The Devil is a Lie. I can dig it. Jay-Z goes IN on his verse. So good.
  • Say Hi to Your Mom – Blah Blah Blah. This guys lyrics are so quirky-cool.
  • The Stone Roses – Love Spreads. Cool band, cool lyrics, cool song.
  • Tapes ‘n Tapes –  Omaha. Do yourselves a favor and give this band a try. The Loon is easily their best album so it’s a good place to start.
  • Wild Belle – Keep You. This gals voice is sweet. Sick song too.

^^^ SO GOOD!

Give some of these songs a try and let me know how you like them! What should I listen to next? What bands are you guys obsessed with right now? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah

Oct1

Crocker Park: The best shopping in Ohio!

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Crocker Park: The best shopping in Ohio!

I had an absolute blast yesterday at Crocker Park with one of my best friends, Kaytee. Crocker Park is a shopping wonderland. It’s a beautiful outdoor plaza that spans for about three blocks worth of amazing clothing and accessory stores, restaurants, and movie theaters. There’s seriously a store for everyone at Crocker Park. Fabulous shops include: Urban Outfitters, Francesca’s, H&M, Sephora, Anthropologie, Express, White House Black Market, Victoria’s Secret, MAC, and American Eagle. That list doesn’t even begin to cover everything though! Kaytee and I spent a lot of time in H&M, and it was so terrific. Two floors worth of beautiful clothes for really reasonable prices. It’s also always an added bonus when the cashier is DROP DEAD GORGEOUS and French! I left him my number, so keep your fingers crossed that he texts me! 😉 I was so happy because I FINALLY found a new pair of coated leather black skinny jeans at H&M to replace my falling apart pair from PacSun. They’re gorgeous. There’s zippers at the ankles for a cool rocker feel, and the knees are patched with quilted leather rather than the coated denim for an amazing touch. I also purchased a really awesome pair of army green challis pants with some very unique detailing. They feature four sets of pockets, two perfect squares on each side with a pocket flap, and then two rectangles on the hips with the fabric draping rather than looking like a traditional pocket. I always love browsing through Urban Outfitters whenever me and my girl make the trip up to Crocker Park, however I rarely buy anything from there. The store gives me great ideas of different looks and styles that I can usually find for much cheaper else where. Another store we spent a lot of time in was Francesca’s, which is a lovely little boutique filled with sweet clothing, shoes, and accessories. All of the clothes there are stunning. The colors used are all so rich and the detailing and patterns are to die for. It’s so fun going shopping with Kaytee because we actually shop when we’re together. Some people breeze through the store quickly and then leave. Not us. We take our time and go through each rack of clothes so we don’t miss anything. If we didn’t shop that way I wouldn’t have found my black jeans at H&M!! It’s a tradition of ours to get dinner at The Cheesecake Factory whenever we have a shopping day, so we held true to that tradition yesterday. Dinner was delicious, fettuccine alfredo for me and a burger for Kaytee. To finish the meal we got a piece of Dulce de Leche cheesecake to share. YUM. I’m gaining weight just thinking about it!! If you’re ever in Ohio and are looking for a shopping extravaganza, I can’t recommend Crocker Park enough. The shopping is fabulous and the outdoor plaza is so lovely that it’s fun to just grab a coffee and walk around. Here’s a picture of all of my purchases:

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I also got a free panty from Victoria’s Secret and a free lotion from Bath and Body Works. I LOVE COUPONS!!! Here’s the official website for Crocker Park if you would like more information on it: http://www.crockerpark.com/

Have a happy Hump Day! -Sarah

Oct1

Bedtime Musings

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Bedtime Musings

Hello! First of all, I hope you guys had a fantastic Tuesday. I actually had a great day, so expect a post about my first good day in a long time tomorrow. Second of all, thank you all again so much for the outpouring of likes, follows, and love. It’s much appreciated. I believe in this blog. I believe in myself. I believe that someone is going to read my posts and feel like they can relate to me. It’s so important to me to keep on writing, not only for me, but for someone who might need a smile or laugh for the day. It encourages me so very much to see that people are reading my blog and responding well to my posts. This isn’t an “I’m trying to become a world famous blogger post”. This is my online and real life journal, that I’m finally comfortable enough to share with anyone and everyone. If you would have asked me before to read my hand written journals, I would have laughed in your face and said “no way”. (But with a lot more profanity 😉 ) I’ve grown secure enough in myself and my own feelings that I’m 200% cool with anyone in the world reading lifewithlilred. It’s an awesome feeling. Thank you guys again so much for the love. Have sweet dreams and a happy hump day to you! -Sarah

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Sep30

Quitting Smoking

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Quitting Smoking

So I made the decision to try quitting smoking on Thursday of last week. Since then, I’ve only had two cigarettes. Let me tell you, I’ve been fiending for a cigarette every day, and last night I finally caved and had one because I was so stressed out. All of this stuff with trying to get registered for college, and looking for a new job has just been a whirl wind of anxiety for me. I just want one thing to go my way for once, so I’m really REALLY hoping I get the job at Next, which I interviewed for yesterday. My fingers and toes have been crossed all day, and it would make me so happy if I was offered a job. It would relieve so much stress to get one out of my two major issues (college and job) tackled. I had a minor freak out last night about it and my need for a cig was too strong to fight! Lucky for me, my sister smokes the same kind of cigarettes I do, so it was easy access for me to grab one. I thought that not smoking for a few days straight would help ease the desire for a cigarette, but it did just the opposite. My cravings are insane and my anxiety is through the roof. I feel like I gained a few pounds too from not smoking so frequently, so that really wigs me out as well, because I’m such a freak about my body and my weight. I really hope all of this gets easier these next few days, because I feel my anxiety building up in me like a big rubber ball and it’s seconds away from shooting off. I feel so irritable all the time. I know the easy way out would just be to go buy a pack of my beloved Marlboro Smooths, but I’ve made it close to five days with only two bummed cigarettes – I have to keep going. I could really use some love and encouragement, guys. These past few days have been so rough. Please, please keep your fingers and toes crossed for this job I interviewed for, it would mean a lot to me! Have a great Tuesday everyone! -Sarah

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Sep30

Sleeper Agent

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Sleeper Agent

An album I’ve been really enjoying as of late is Celabrasion by the punky fun group Sleeper Agent. This group of guys and gal are cool. They have a really amazing ability to combine some very pop-inspired lyrics with a rocker edge. Our lead singer Miss Alex Kandel is extremely talented. The way she plays with her voice to go from pop star, to rock star, to sweet crooner at the drop of a hat is quite impressive. The album is best known for their opening jam “Get it Daddy” – an anthem of rebellion if I’ve ever heard one! Kandel gives us her best sultry “I’m a grown up now” voice during the chorus as she announces to the world “I’m not a baby no more”. I’m sure a variation of these words have been uttered by every teenager in the entire world, myself included. The gentlemen in the band are to be acknowledged as well, because the playing of their instruments is tight as a drum. Here’s the lineup:

  • Tony Smith – guitars, vocals
  • Justin Wilson – drums
  • Scott Gardner – keys, synths
  • Lee Williams – bass
  • Josh Martin – lead guitar

With so many instruments being played at one time, you might think that Sleeper Agent might sound like a bunch of noise, but that’s far from true. Some of their playing through out the album is so subtle, you can barely even tell it’s there. There are also a bunch of ingeniously placed pauses through out a few of the songs when some players get a break while another instrument is introduced after the pause. While working at PacSun, we played at least half of Celabrasion through out the day when it first came out. I liked what I heard so much that I had to get the entire album so I could hear it the whole way through. The album ranges in a symphony of different sounds, from sexy little singles like “Shuga Cane” to sweet ballads like “That’s my Baby”, there’s sure to be something for everyone. Celabrasion is short and sweet, barely thirty five minutes, but each song packs such a punch that a half hour is all you need to feel satisfied by Sleeper Agent.

Check out their official video for “Get it Daddy”, and you’ll be head bobbing and feet tapping in no time. Do I have any Sleeper Agent fans out here? What’s your favorite song off of Celabrasion? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah

Sep30

A Special Night

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A Special Night

Family is so important to me. Monday nights always hold a special place in my heart because it’s when I get my cherished one on one time with my dad. And it’s no secret that I’m the ultimate daddy’s girl. Monday nights (AKA Middle Aged Monday – AKA MAM) is when I get a full two hours just for me and my dad when we watch Dancing With the Stars together. It’s been a tradition of ours for years now, and it’s time that I wouldn’t trade for all the money in the world. Every Monday night like clockwork at eight o’clock we settle into the living room with our snacks and soda and indulge in our television guilty pleasure of DWTS. Every season we tell each other we’re not gonna get sucked into watching…and every season we find ourselves glued to the tv set every Monday night. It’s always so fun to be daddy’s little girl and cuddle up next to him, laugh at all the commentary, and tell each other “I could do that” to all the moves in the routines. During commercial breaks we dance around the living room and recap the just performed dances. We comment on all the racy costumes and snicker at all the dances that we declare “I could have done better than that!” I love it when my dad is goofy with me, and I love seeing him laugh and enjoy himself. One on one time with each of my parents is so special to me, and it’s memories like Monday night tv time that I’m going to cherish for forever. Simple things like watching a television program with my dad or going on a quick shopping trip with my mom hold very dear to my heart, and I’m so lucky that I can indulge in time with one or both of my parents whenever I want. I’m so thankful that for my entire twenty years of life, I’ve truly been a mama and daddy’s girl. I’m feeling incredibly grateful right now. It’s so nice to be able to look forward to Monday night tv every week and to have the two hour daddy daughter hang out exceed expectations. My DWTS time with my dad is the equivalent of a daddy daughter dance to me, and how lucky am I that I get to attend a daddy daughter dance every week. I am content. I am thankful. Have an amazing night guys. Be well. -Sarah

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