Jan17

Go Sports!

Posted on January 17, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! This past weekend, Ohio’s own Cleveland Browns made it to the playoffs only to get annihilated in typical Browns fashion. Johnny and I have absolutely no interest in watching sports whatsoever, but our bestie Cliff does. So, we were going to hang out at our place, watch the game, and play some board games together. To get into the football spirit, Johnny and I decided to make our very own Cleveland Browns shirts… Well… Sort of lol. I personally think we came up with something infinitely better! Check it out:

Our “Sport?” T-shirts came directly from mine and Johnny’s silly imagination and I am obsessed with them. We both thought it would be funny if we got Browns gear to wear while we watched the game, but it seemed way funnier if we just made our own. So, Johnny went to Walmart and got plain white V-necks and a fabric marker so we could get our Project Runway on. The shirts turned out terribly, as we 100% expected, and that is exactly what we wanted.

Johnny and I know tons of sports lovers, but it is something that both him and I will never appreciate as much as them. In fact, I don’t think we could name one rule of football! However, now that we know we are excellent T-shirt makers, maybe we will be a bit more excited about Ohio sports. In fact, when I posted the Ts we made on social media, several people commented that they want a “Sport?” shirt too. Lol maybe we can all band together to form a club about sports for people who know nothing about them. It could be fun! 😀

I am very proud of how our shirts turned out and I most definitely plan on wearing it out in public. Hopefully, people will find them as funny as Johnny and I do!

What is your favorite sport? What is your favorite sports team? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan16

Writing Prompts For 2024

Posted on January 16, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy everyone!! Is it just me or does January feel like an entire year in itself? Lol, it has been rainy and so freaking cold in good old Akron, Ohio and every day has felt like an eternity. I literally just said yesterday that one of my blogging goals was to try lots of new activities and hit up restaurants and stores that are outside of the norm for me. However, I think I will do all of that when I can leave the apartment without getting drenched or frostbite lol. If you are hibernating like me this month, it might be hard to create content so I thought I would share some writing prompts to help the cause. Let’s get to it:

What are you most looking forward to in 2024?
If you are rocking a “new year, new me” vibe, what is going to be new about you?
What is a goal or resolution that you have achieved?
What is a goal or resolution that you gave up on?
What is something new that you want to try this year?
What is something that you are leaving behind in 2023?
How would you recap 2023? Did anything amazing happen?
Is there anything you really hope to accomplish this year?
What does a new year mean to you? Is it inspiring or daunting?
Do you plan on making any major changes this year? What are they?

The beginning of a new year is a time for reflection and that can be reflected in your content! This is the perfect time to start planning what you want 2024 to look like for you and figuring out the steps you need to take to make it happen. You might find that these prompts will be able to help with that, which is the whole point! This time of the year can be inspiring or it can be writer’s block central. It’s up to you, so make the most of it. 🙂

If you use any of the above prompts, please tag me in the post or shoot me a comment so I can check it out. I would love to see it! ❤

What helps you when you have writer’s block? Does the weather tend to affect your mood or motivation? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan15

2024 Blogging Goals

Posted on January 15, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! We are a few weeks into 2024 and so far so good in my neck of the woods! I can’t remember the last time I made a New Years Resolution, but I do see the merit in setting achievable goals for my blog at the start of each new year. So I guess it’s kind of the same thing? Lol, either way, I always find that setting blog goals keeps me even more motivated to continue sending content into the blogosphere. Last year, I wanted to try and create OOTD posts as often as I could and I think I did a really good job of it! This is something that I definitely want to keep up with as well as the following:

More OOTDs:

My goal last year was to shoot OOTD content each weekend and even though I missed quite a few, I still managed to create more fashion content than ever on lifewithlilred. This was really beneficial to the blog for several reasons. 1) First and foremost, it was a lot of fun. 2) OOTD content gave me two set in stone posts per week for the outfit itself and blooper reel. For someone who publishes daily content, this was a godsend. I will be happy if I can keep up with the pace I established last year so my goal is to keep doing more of the same!

Daily Content:

I have been publishing once a day on lifewithlilred for over four years and it is an amazing achievement! With a streak like that, it is incredibly motivating to keep it up and I simply refuse to break it. Most of the time, it is very easy for me to create posts for my blog. Other times, writer’s block strikes and it can be like pulling teeth! I have two goals this year to help assist in my daily content endeavor and those are: 1) Not to be so hard on myself when I’m feeling uninspired because that just makes writer’s block even worse. 2) To try lots of new things like different experiences, restaurants, and activities to not only enjoy myself but to keep content fresh.

Ten Year Blogiversary Extravaganza:

It will be my ten year blogiversary in September and I am beyond thrilled about it! If anyone were to tell me when I started lifewithlilred that I would still be going strong a decade later, I would have thought it impossible. Yet, here we are and I am so very, very proud. To commemorate this huge achievement, I would love to do a super cute celebratory photo shoot as well as do a few giveaways and contests too. This will be the first time I will be doing something like hosting a contest on my page and I can’t think of a better time to start than a ten year blogiversary. 😀

Interact More:

I have acquired quite a few jobs in the social media field this past year and I feel like I have ignored my newsfeed on WordPress completely. I am not particularly proud of this and it is something that I would like to change. My plan of action will be to spend some time throughout the week exploring new blogs rather than endlessly scrolling through my personal Facebook. The beauty of the blogosphere is making new friends and finding content that inspires you and I definitely need more of that in my life!

Are these goals or New Years Resolutions, who’s to say? But, I plan on sticking with them and I can’t wait to see what 2024 brings for lifewithlilred!

How is 2024 treating you so far? What are some goals for your blog this year? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan14

Out On The Town OOTD Bloopers

Posted on January 14, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Out On The Town OOTD! The blooper segment on lifewithlilred is something that I am very proud of. Every time Johnny takes my pictures, there are always at least ten bad shots for each good pic! It seemed like such a shame to waste perfectly bad (But good!) content and I liked the idea of being someone on the world wide web who wasn’t embarrassed to share horrible pictures. I am most pleased that the blooper reel is continuing to go strong and I even started sharing some yikes shots on my social media. Hey, if you can’t be about it then don’t talk about it! Let’s take a look at the pics that definitely didn’t make the first cut from my OOTD shoot and have a laugh:

Mannequin pose on point

Sweet, sassy, and looking stoned AF lol

I feel like I’m about to say the word “indubitably” in this pic if that makes sense?

Get me out of this thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TFYM when you get electrocuted

Is it just me or is anyone feeling particularly clumsy as of late? Lol I feel like for the past week or so, I have been dropping stuff left and right, forgetting things I need at home, and acquiring minor injuries. I think I forgot my mind in 2023! Yesterday, for example, I got up from the couch to give the bunnies their snack. Within twenty seconds of getting up, I stubbed my toe SO hard and then managed to hit my hand against the door as I steadied myself. Talk about a double whammy because the toe stub hurt like a mother and the hand hit was just salt on the wound smh.

I don’t know about all of you, but I feel like stubbing your toe is one of the worst things. It’s like a paper cut or hitting your funny bone and I think everyone in Timber Top and surrounding neighborhoods heard me yelling expletives. If my life were a reality show, last night’s debacle definitely would have made the blooper reel! Maybe I’m just shaking off the fog of being pretty sick over holiday break. Maybe I’m just going crazy. OR maybe I need to time travel back to last year and get myself together. It could be a combination of the three, but here’s to hoping I have an accident free day today. Fingers and (stubbed) toes crossed!

Bloopers in photos are a hoot, bloopers in real life are not as fun lol. But, hey, at least it makes for something to share with all of you! 🙂 ❤

What is the worst minor injury in your opinion? Have you ever broken something special to you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan13

Out On The Town OOTD

Posted on January 13, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! This past Friday, I had a wonderful holiday hangout with my bestie. Lea and I went to what is, easily, one of the best martini bars in our neck of the woods called the Cashmere Cricket for drinks and dinner. The Cricket is just the cutest little spot tucked away in downtown Cuyahoga Falls and it is one of my favorite places. In fact, Johnny and I had our first date and celebrated our engagement there! The Cashmere Cricket definitely requires more sophisticated attire than a typical bar so it is always fun to step out there. This is what I wore:

Who? What? Wear?

Black & Navy Jacket: Xhilaration, Target

Skull Sweater: 360 Cashmere, TJMaxx

Skinny Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Heeled Boots: Bamboo, TJMaxx

Dark Green Hoop Earrings: Argentino Vivo, TJMaxx

Do you remember a point in your life where even if it was freaking freezing out, you still wouldn’t wear cold weather clothes? IE: A dress in wintertime? I definitely did that in my younger twenties! Now? Not so much lol. Although it hasn’t been super snowy in Ohio this winter, it has been damp and cold and it intensifies instantly as soon as the sun sets. Lea and I were meeting later into the evening and as much as I enjoy getting super dolled up for the Cricket, I wasn’t trying to set myself up for frostbite. So, I opted to stay warm and cute instead!

For my Out On The Town OOTD, I wanted to create a smoky and chic color palette – like a smoky eye look for your clothes. To start, I chose my V-neck sweater adorned in skulls by 360 Cashmere. This was a Christmas gift from me to me a few years ago and it is one of my faves. What I particularly like is the fit because it offers some slouch without being baggy. I tend to drown in truly oversized pieces! With an all over pattern like this sweater has, I kept things simple on the bottom with a plain black pair of skinny jeans. While I could have went for distressing or coating, I decided against it to keep any of the pieces from clashing which can happen with a bold patterned top.

Next, it was onto a jacket, shoes, and accessories. For my jacket, I selected a little number from Target. I have had this jacket for years now and it still hits every time. The shape is so classic and the color blocking of black and navy is such a unique touch. And, of course, it is very warm! These deeper colors really helped to create the color palette I wanted and I thought it looked lovely on top of the flint grey sweater.

Shoes came next on my agenda and I went with a pair of heeled booties by Bamboo. I love, love, love the gold brocade pattern and it was a great way to add something different to the outfit without going overboard. Since the palette of this OOTD was all neutral pieces, the gold pattern only enhanced rather than clashed. Last was accessories and I kept things minimal with a medium size pair of dark green hoop earrings by Argentino Vivo. Granted, there wasn’t much open real estate for additional jewelry and the patterned sweater, color block jacket, and gold detailed boots were enough of an accessory on their own!

It was fun to style this Out On The Town OOTD, but it was the most fun to go out with my best girl for a post holiday celebration. This look felt just right for the Cashmere Cricket and I can’t wait to go back. Happy Hour, anyone?!

What is your cold weather style like? How do you dress up for a night out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan12

New Coral & Lilac Nails

Posted on January 12, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! This past Monday, I was able to finally get my nails done after work and it was SO very needed. I was unable to come in during Christmas week because sick and my salon takes a week off after New Years so that was a no go either. After a much deserved break for all of the wonderful employees of Elysian Nails, my appointment for a fill couldn’t have come sooner. My nails were looking awful – they were insanely grown out, dull as dishwater, and there was some lifting too. I couldn’t stand it! Thankfully, a new to me tech got me right and it was one of the best fills I’ve had in months. Check it out:

During the grey months of winter, I normally opt for deeper colors for my nails. However, after a not ideal holiday break, I needed some brightness in my life and decided to change things up. I was craving the poppy, fun shades of spring and a coral polish caught my eye as I was scouring my selection. This hue just screamed spring and was like an instant pick me up. To keep with the spring motif, I went with a lovely lilac as my complimentary color and loved how it turned out. I seriously can’t stop staring at my nails as I type this and they are a breath of fresh air to start the new year with.

For such a pretty color palette, I needed pretty nails to match and my tech did an incredible job. I was very impressed with her from the jump because she was so detail oriented. For example, she took the time to really work on my cuticles and that is something that I have never had a tech do before. I didn’t realize how bad mine were until she removed all of the dead skin that was ready to come off. My tech tended to everything wrong with my nails with so much precision and care. By the time she was done, it was like the lifted nails never happened in the first place. My nails felt strong, sturdy, and sharp enough to poke an eye out and that’s exactly how I like it!

One of my favorite things about Elysian Nails is that your hands will always be in the best hands no matter which tech is pampering you. Everyone is so amazingly skilled and even though I couldn’t get an appointment with my go to girl, I was still treated like a long term client by the tech who did my fill. You simply can’t beat that level of customer service! ❤

What color of nail polish are you currently rocking? Are you craving springtime already? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan11

BFF Holiday Hangout

Posted on January 11, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! This past Friday, I had a wonderful post holiday hang out with my BFF, Lea. This was fantastic because I spent the entirety of my Christmas break sick so it was nice to have a celebration that I was up for. We hit up our favorite bar, the Cashmere Cricket, for drinks and dinner and it was divine! We sipped on martinis (Lavender Fizz for me and Key Lime Pie for her) and had a delicious meal. I have never ate at the Cricket before and I am still thinking about their grilled cheese dippers! SO yummy. What I am swooning over the most, though, are the most amazing gifts from my bestie:

Lea and I have been best friends since high school, but the novelty of gift giving for Christmas and birthdays has yet to wear off. We both agree that we are each other’s favorite person to shop for because it’s fun lol. Whenever I hit up my preferred TJMaxx or she attends a craft fair, we are very much in tune to the prezzies that we would go wild over. Her and I know exactly what each other would like and we always end up with gifts that we would have bought for ourselves or would want to buy. It’s a beautiful thing. ❤

For Christmas, Lea gifted me with a bottle of Peach Moscato, cocktail mixes, a gorgeous pair of skeleton hand earrings, and a lounging skeleton pillow. Lea and I are peach wine girls and that is forever a staple in our gifts during exchanges. The Farm Fresh wine was very tasty and it was so nice to sip on during a weekend viewing of My 600 Lb. Life. She also got me cocktail mixes in Cherry Limeade, Citrus-Berry Sangria, and Strawberry Pineapple. I have never seen anything like these drink pouches before, but all you have to do is add wine or vodka and water and sip away. These are going to be a blast to try out!

What I am loving the most from my gifts from Lea has got to be the earrings and pillow. Lea knows that all things spooky speak to my soul so anything with skeletons is A-okay with me. In fact, I was wearing a sweater with a skull print when we were together! I cannot wait to wear my new earrings and am shocked that I don’t already own something like them. They are creepy while still being delicate in sparkling silver and will be a welcome addition to one of my next OOTDs. And, of course, how fabulous is that pillow? The lounging skeleton is perfect for… Well, lounging lol and how fun are those tassels?! It matches mine and Johnny’s emo aesthetic to the T. 🙂

Having a best friend like my Lea is the absolute best gift I could ever have and I look forward to our annual holiday hangouts every year. Our summer birthdays are still way over the horizon, but I already can’t wait to shop for my best girl! ❤

How do you and your friends celebrate the holidays? How long have you been friends with your best friend for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan10

Harry Potter Room Of Requirement Lego Set

Posted on January 10, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Harry Potter Room Of Requirement Lego Set

Hellooo!!! Johnny and I only watch one show when it’s airing on television and that is Lego Masters. We enjoyed this past season (And all of them!) so very much and we always feel a Lego brick sized hole in our hearts when the show ends. When a season of Lego Masters is on, the desire to build with Lego bricks increases infinitely so I was most excited when Johnny gifted me with a new set for Christmas. He got me the Room Of Requirement from Harry Potter and we put it together last weekend. It turned out awesome, but it was such a speedy built that it didn’t satisfy my Lego cravings in the slightest! Check it out:

^^^ LOL at Johnny in the background!!! The angel boy!!

It has been a fat minute since Johnny and I have built Lego, but we were able to fall back into our rhythm immediately. When I first built Lego with Johnny, we learned quickly that my talon nails were going to be a massive hindrance. Putting the small pieces together proved to be impossible so we developed our own tried and true method. Johnny would assemble the small bricks and details while I would handle the more substantial parts of the build. Teamwork at its finest! Unfortunately, this set featured a lot of detail work so I didn’t get to sink my teeth into it as much as I would have liked, but I love how the set turned out!

Whenever Johnny and I build Lego, it never ceases to amaze me. It is wondrous to watch a pile of bricks turn into whatever it is you’re creating and the ingenious designs forever blow my mind. Many of the Harry Potter Lego sets feature lots of cool surprises and the Room Of Requirement was no different. The best one is, easily, the reveal of the door leading into the room where lost things go. There are two brick walls on a sliding panel that show the door when you pull them apart and I thought that was just the tops. And, of course, I always love a guest appearance by a Cornish Pixie flitting about on a stack of trunks. ❤

The Room Of Requirement was a fast paced, easy peasy build, but it was so much fun to get my brick on with Johnny. I hope this new year brings us lots more Lego sets! 😀

Do you watch Lego Masters? What did you think of this past season? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan9

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Posted on January 9, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy!! For Christmas and my birthday, I know for a fact that I am going to receive lots of gift cards to TJMaxx. Everyone seems to know by now that it is my happy place and a gift card to TJs is truly the perfect gift for me. With my Christmas gift card hauls, I always like to do a major restock of my skin care supplies. While it would be fun to blow the lot on new clothes and shoes (And I have before!), I like to get things that I actually need and skin care is of the highest priority. I take my skin care routine very seriously and I got enough product to last for at least five months FO FREE. You just can’t beat that! Check it out:

^^^ All of these products are Leaping Bunny Certified!

I visited TJMaxx on January second and the store was understandably pretty bare to prep for their spring shipment. Unfortunately, this meant the skin care department was nowhere near as well stocked as usual. I had to really look to find the serums, moisturizers, toners, eye creams, and cleansers that would not only work for me but were cruelty free too. This was a lot easier said than done and I spent a majority of my shopping trip scouring the shelves. While I did walk away with everything I needed, the biggest disappointment was not being able to find any of my tried and true Evoluderm Micellar Water. Normally, TJs has an entire shelf full so that was a bummer but, luckily, I have more gift cards for when they get a restock! 😀

For this haul, I walked away with two toners, one cleanser, four moisturizers, four serums, and one eye cream. I was very happy with this because of how bare the skin care section was and I was able to find some familiar brands and brand new ones to try. What I am particularly curious about is the Provence Beauty serums in the bright yellow and baby pink bottles. And, yes, I did get them specifically for what they looked like lol. What can I say, I’m a sucker for pretty packaging! I was also most excited to find another Simple eye cream because of what a fantastic value they are. I have been using a similar product by Simple for the past FIVE months and I am still not even close to being done. Highly recommend!

I am very pleased with my gift card haul from TJMaxx and planned it out to perfection. I only paid nine additional dollars for what my gift cards didn’t cover and I thought that was a great success. Nothing makes me happier than a fully restocked skin care hoard and I can’t wait to test out the new to me products!

What are your thoughts on any of these products if you have used them before? What is important for you when it comes to skin care? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan8

New Rachel Roy Vest Thing

Posted on January 8, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Tuesdays are one of my favorite days of the week because I don’t really have too much to do. I just have a short shift in the morning and later in the afternoon so I have from eleven to two thirty off. In that time, I either run errands, hang out with my parents, or work online. This past Tuesday, I decided to hit up TJMaxx because I had some Christmas gift cards and TJ rewards burning a hole in my pocket. I did a full restock of my skin care, which we’ll check out tomorrow and had just enough left over for this amazing Rachel Roy Vest… Thing? Lol take a look:

Post holiday shopping at TJMaxx is one of my favorite things to do. Until their spring shipment comes in, I feel like all of the weird stuff that didn’t sell throughout the year gets brought back out and everything is marked down. Luckily for me, I LOVE all of the weird stuff and have made some of my best purchases during this time of the year. During my rounds in the clothing department, I was searching specifically for these items and ended up finding this Rachel Roy Vest/whatever. I don’t know what it is exactly, but I did know I liked the pattern going around the edges and on the tie very much.

In the fitting room, I realized that you put this vest on like a poncho. It slips over your head so two panels of fabric are in the front and then you tie it together. Once it was on, I was completely sold! This vest is such a unique piece and I have never seen nor own anything like it. I love the traditional vest style quilting paired with the flowers in deep fall colors. The fit was also everything because after it was tied, the shoulders came jutting out and created such a cool shape. I found the only vest like this in the store and I highly doubt I’ll see anyone wearing one of them in public. This makes it feel exclusive to me and that is always a huge selling point for me because I don’t want what everyone else has!

Throughout the new year, I will be making lots of new content with Tim Misny and my Rachel Roy Vest Thing is the first thing I plan on rocking during our next shoot. I can’t wait to serve up fashion looks and a whole lot of fun!

What is your favorite day of the week? When during the year is your favorite time to shop? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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