Tag Archives: accessories

Sep28

Werk At Work OOTD

Posted on September 28, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! I took a trip to Misnyland on Tuesday to do some filming for a video series launching on the social media pages I manage this October. It was SO much fun and it is always a nice little treat to get myself done up during the work week. Nine times out of ten, you can catch me in jeans, a T-shirt, and a makeup free face so it was definitely a change of pace! Before heading out, Johnny graciously snapped these shots of my Werk At Work OOTD:

Who? What? Wear?

Cardigan: Jessica Simpson, TJMaxx

Cami Top: mittoshop, French Rooster

Bodycon Skirt: Originality, Dry Goods

Kitten Heels: Nine West, TJMaxx

Turquoise Earrings: Lucky Brand, TJMaxx

Sometimes when I put an outfit together, it is completely off the top of my head. In this instance, however, I had the OOTD planned the day before because I knew I wouldn’t have a lot of time to go shopping in my closet beforehand. Thankfully, it turned out exactly how I hoped it would – something work appropriate while still having that extra dose of Lil Red flare. As a social media manager, it gives me permission to have a lot of fun with what I wear while on the job and I take full advantage of it.

As I built the outfit in my head, I began with the bodycon skirt by Originality. It is one of my absolute favorites and the color palette was perfect for welcoming the first few official days of fall. I liked this skirt for work because it offered some shape without being completely curve hugging. Pairing it with a simple pair of black tights also added a classy and practical touch. My legs sure as hell weren’t shaved!! 😀

Because the pattern on the skirt was so bold, all that was left to do was slip on and tuck in one of my go to cami tops by mittoshop. I am most fond of a combination like this as it gives the illusion of wearing a dress. On a night out, I would leave the outfit at this and roll out. Spaghetti straps for work are a no no, though, so I opted for a gorgeous cream colored cardigan by Jessica Simpson to cover them up. The soft hue and flower embroidery on this cardi are just the sweetest and it helped tone down any sex appeal from the cami’s lace detailing.

With the base of the outfit sorted, it was time to move on to shoes and accessories. The Nine West kitten heels were a given. I live for the sassy pointed toe and that darling band of bling! I know I always pair the bodycon skirt with these heels, but I truly don’t own anything else that would work as well or better. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it! With no open real estate for bracelets or necklaces, I popped on a dangly pair of turquoise teardrop earrings and was ready for my content shoot.

My Werk At Work OOTD came together just as I imagined and thank goodness because I didn’t have a moment to spare!

What is your favorite fall color? How do you add your personal style to work outfits? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep27

Spooky Surprises

Posted on September 27, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Halloween decor reigns supreme in my household all year round and Johnny and I add a few new things every year when the stores shift to spooky season. For the past two years, my contribution were snow globes with a Halloween twist. I really liked the idea of getting one new snow globe per year as a tradition. During our date day, we made a visit to TJMaxx and, unfortunately, their snow globe selection left a lot to be desired. We did, however, find this ultra cool skull that I am obsessed with! Check it out:

As we made our rounds through spooky decor, everything was pretty picked over. There were a few things that we took note of but nothing worth buying. That is, until the red skull with blinged out devil horns caught my eye. It was the very last one on the shelf and as soon as I saw the ten dollar price tag, it was immediately added to our cart. We are seasoned pros when it comes to Halloween decorations but I had never seen anything quite like this before. This skull is so different from anything we have and its brilliant shade of red speaks sweet nothings to my Lil Red heart. It certainly makes a statement on our many spooky shelves!!

One final little treat I purchased for myself was a pair of Betsey Johnson spiderweb tights. They were expertly placed in the catch all aisle as you are waiting to check out and that really is where TJMaxx gets you! I am a huge fan of all things Betsey and these tights are just what I needed for fall. Literally every pair I have is riddled with holes and while these are holey, they are purposeful lol. Patterned tights are an amazing way to shake up sweater dresses and skater skirts. They also look so edgy and cool when worn under shorts. I cannot wait to break my spiderweb pair out to add some spooky flare to any OOTD. 😀

These Spooky Surprises were the perfect, cost effective little somethings to bring home during our date day shopping trip. The best surprise, though, is the fact that Johnny asked me to go to TJMaxx in the first place!! 🙂

Do you and your partner like to shop together? What are your favorite stores to visit? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep25

Date Day OOTD

Posted on September 25, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! Yesterday we discussed a lovely little Date Day from this past weekend and no date day would be complete without a killer outfit. During the work week, Johnny and I do the bare minimum when it comes to getting ready for work. When we have plans over the weekend, however, it’s a totally different story! Both of us are incredibly passionate about fashion so when we step out, we always do so in our Sunday best. Here is what I wore for our out and about adventure:

Who? What? Wear?

Flutter Sleeve Top: Japna, TJMaxx

Distressed Skinny Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Two Toned Loafers: Steve Madden, Walmart

Mustard Yellow Purse: Chillx By LeMiel, TJMaxx

While my heart is screaming fall, the weather in Ohio has yet to catch up and we are still experiencing summer like temperatures. This is not ideal for Johnny and me because 1) We hate hot weather. And 2) As soon as September hits I fall back into the routine of wearing jeans again, stop shaving my legs, and have no desire for anyone else to see the old woolly mammoths should I wear shorts lol. The name of the game for this weather is ventilation – staying cool and breezy despite not wearing fully summer appropriate clothes. With that in mind, I knew exactly what to do to keep myself comfortable and I most definitely was all day!

For starters, I slipped on a darling little number by Japna for the top. Other than green being one of my favorite colors to wear, this shirt was chosen more for practicality’s sake. The material is so light, the back is slightly open, and the cropped style matched the word of the day of ventilation. And, of course, I just can’t get enough of those flutter sleeves! They provided the most amazing movement every time the wind picked up and I felt like a butterfly taking off… Most of the time, anyways. You’ll see what I mean in the blooper reel so peep that coming soon. 😀

For pantaloons, I chose my all time favorite pair of distressed skinnies from American Eagle Outfitters. Talk about ventilation, am I right?! The holes on the thighs of these jeans are massive, so much so that it almost did feel like wearing shorts. Although these jeans are pretty old, they still have retained their jet black original appearance because I avoid washing them like the plague – the last thing they need is more holes! Because the black denim was still nice and crispy, it helped compliment the same color striping on the top even more.

Finally, it was onto shoes and accessories. Now, normally, I am not a matchy matchy kind of gal. However, I had to make an exception in this case because the two toned Steve Madden loafers were just too perfect to not wear with this look. Was the green on the soles of the loafers a perfect match to the top? No, and that’s okay because they were close enough and still formed top to bottom cohesion. For accessories, I selected a few bracelets and my signature pair of dangly black cross earrings and I was ready to step out with my honey!

I felt dynamite in my Date Day OOTD and I loved how it turned out. A great day deserves a great outfit too!

What is your favorite pattern to wear? How about your favorite color to wear? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep8

Super Casual OOTD

Posted on September 8, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! This past weekend we celebrated my sweet niece’s second birthday with a party. It was a wonderful event hosted by her uncles with great friends, family, food, and fun. Of course, I had to put together a little look to attend the party that I kept Super Casual to keep up with all of the kiddos running around! The OOTD you are about to see is a simple one but it kept me feeling cute and comfortable as we spent a glorious afternoon in the sun. Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Crop Top: This was a hand me down from my sister from forever ago!

Floral Pants: Nicole Miller, TJMaxx

Platform Heels: Olivia Miller, Walmart

BFF Bracelet: TJMaxx

The bangles are from Aerie and the earrings are Lucky Brand!

As I prepared for the party, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to wear. A lot of my clothes aren’t exactly conducive to being around children and I would have hated to see any of them get ruined (In fact, I ended up spilling juice on my shirt almost immediately at the get together SMH!). With that in mind, low key was the way to go. I started building this look from the bottom down with my Nicole Miller floral pants from TJMaxx. They are insanely comfy and light which is just what I needed for a warm day. As most of my fun tops would be difficult to remove a stain from, these joggers were the way to go to still add some pizazz while being far away from the shirt spill zone.

For my top, I also wasn’t sure what to wear lol. I own a handful of non patterned tops and none of them were what I needed to match the color palette of the pants. Then, I decided to dig deeper into my drawer of tops that I don’t wear very often. It was there that I found the heather grey crop top that my sister gave me years ago. I honestly forgot I had it and I’m glad I did because it was just right. The soft grey was the ideal neutral to wear with the more muted hues of the joggers. And it was no harm no foul when I spilled on myself because I didn’t even realize I had this crop top in the first place! 😀

Finally, it was onto shoes and accessories. For shoes, I just had to wear my new pastel pink Olivia Miller platforms. Although they weren’t a perfect match to the pink in the flower pattern, it was close enough and that was good enough for me. I am also a master at walking/running in heels so wearing them to a child’s birthday party was no problem! I went to my jewelry box and added a pretty pair of dangly turquoise gems and a few bangles too. And, of course, my bestie bracelet that the birthday girl’s big sister has the other half to. ❤

For such a casual look, I was getting compliments left and right. This was a much needed confidence boost for me because I was actually out of my comfort zone in this look. You all know how much I love dressing up!

Do you have any hand me down clothing? How often do you clean through your wardrobe? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug27

Bestie Bracelets

Posted on August 27, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! My two nieces are my A1 besties and Johnny and I adore being their aunt and uncle. One recently celebrated her second birthday and the other is off to kindergarten and I’m ready for them to stop growing any time now! During my last trip to TJMaxx, I wanted to pick up a few “starting school” treats so little lady could have gifts to open while her sister celebrated her birthday. I got her some fun hair accessories, a nail polish kit, and best friends bracelets. I was hoping she would give me one of them because it was inspired by something my mom did for me when I started school. She did and I proudly wear my half of the Bestie Bracelets every day:

As a new kindergartner, I missed my mom terribly. To help ease that transition, my mom gave me a locket with a picture of us in it. She told me that I should open the locket every time I missed her and I made great use of it and still have it to this day. Johnny’s mom did something similar. She gave him a drawing of a clock with the time that she would pick him up and he was better able to measure the time when he would see her again. This is exactly why I gave my niece our BFF bracelets – so if she ever needed a hug from her TT at school, all she would have to do is look at her bracelet and know how much I love her. Honestly, my bracelet is going to help me too because I am going to miss her SO much while she is at school!

If you have kiddos or lil besties that are about to start their school year, I cannot recommend doing something like this enough. It’s such a simple but effective gesture in combating that back to school angst. It is also something that will be forever remembered. Johnny and I are in our thirties and still think about how our moms gave us something tangible to hold onto when we began kindergarten! Whatever you choose for your little will be cherished and it is definitely worth giving it a try as they start their big adventure. ❤

I am so excited to see how much my niece learns and grows this year and I am so happy that we have Bestie Bracelets together. This proud TT is going to need it, without a doubt!

Did you like going to school? (I sure didn’t lol) What was your favorite subject? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug21

Guest Appearance OOTD

Posted on August 21, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! I attended a work function this past Friday with Johnny to celebrate with his teammates on the completion of a new product. I was really excited because I have never met any of his coworkers before and just had to make a Guest Appearance after my shift at work. It was an absolute blast to sip on drinks and chat it up with everyone who spends part of their day with my better half! Since it was a casual event, I didn’t want to go all out with an outfit but wanted to put together something cute and eye catching. Especially since Johnny did an outfit change to go to the party too! I love how this little look turned out:

Who? What? Wear?

Houndstooth Vest: Sincerely Jules, TJMaxx

The black crop top is from Target from forever ago!

Skinny Jeans: 1822 Denim, TJMaxx

Color Pop Loafers: Steve Madden, Walmart

Bat Earrings: AbbieDabbles

The necklace is from American Eagle from forever ago!

I am so not a jeans and a T-shirt girl and when it comes to casual dressing, this OOTD is about as casual as it gets for me. A majority of Johnny’s coworkers are aware of my blog and job so I wanted my look to reflect that without being too extra about it. However, that proved to be more difficult than I imagined because all of my clothes are pretty extra lol! As I browsed through my closet to decide what to wear, I locked in on my houndstooth vest by Sincerely Jules and went for it. I am a huge fan of anything in this pattern and knew I could use the vest as the focal point of the outfit while keeping the rest fairly basic. Exactly what I needed for a low key event!

Since I wanted the vest to do the talking, I went the minimal route for the base of the outfit. My ballerina crop top from Target is old as dirt but it served its purpose well for this look. It also provided just the right amount of peek-a-boo skin that wasn’t too revealing. For jeans, I slipped on my pair of skinnies by 1822 Denim. These are one of the newest additions to my black skinny jeans collection and I am all about that distressing at the ankle. It’s a simple touch but it turns basic skinnies into something a little more special.

Finally, it was time for shoes and accessories. The shoe selection was easy peasy because I couldn’t wait to break out my new Steve Madden loafers! I am obsessed with the bright green pop of color and it packed even more of a punch among the neutral palette established. Last on the agenda was jewelry. I filled the blank space on my torso with a canteen style necklace on a thin silver chain and popped on a pair of small dangly bats. With that, I was ready to hit the work party with my main squeeze!

My Guest Appearance OOTD was a hit at the function and I’m confident that everyone knew who I was as soon as I walked in. And, if they didn’t, a smooch hello from Johnny certainly cleared things up!

Do you like attending work parties? Do you hang out with your coworkers outside of work? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug8

Cute Jumpsuit OOTD

Posted on August 8, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Johnny and I went on some fantastic outings this past weekend and we had the best time. Whenever we can go on a date together is a special occasion and I always want to look the part for it. Amazing company and a great outfit can turn the most ordinary date like a dinner out into something extraordinary. Johnny and I really do revel in a night out and just like me, he dresses to impress too! For date night, I put together a little look with an adorable jumpsuit. Oddly enough, Johnny had a dream the night before that we went on a date to a concert and I wore a jumpsuit. We are so in sync, even in our dreams! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Jumpsuit: Japna, TJMaxx

Floral Platforms: Qupid, TJMaxx

Butterfly Sunglasses: A Signature Antiques

Pink Snake Cuff Bracelet: Betsey Johnson

Blue Snake Cuff Bracelet: I got this at the zoo forever ago lol

The large gold cuff is from Aerie and the stud earrings are from PacSun – both purchased when I was in high school!!

One style of clothing that I absolutely love is the jumpsuit. They are such a simple piece but so effective in creating a stand out outfit. The only problem with jumpsuits are that they are definitely made with people over five foot one in mind! I cannot tell you the amount of jumpsuits I have tried on at TJMaxx that were perfect – minus the fact that about one foot in leg length would have to be removed. It was certainly a stroke of good luck when I found the Japna jumpsuit seen above that I could just make work with an uber tall pair of platforms!

For mine and Johnny’s date night, we were going to do dinner and a movie. I’m not sure why I instantly thought of my jumpsuit (Maybe it was from Johnny’s dream!), but I thought it would be a comfortable option for reclining in a movie theater after a meal. We didn’t end up going to the movie after the fact of the outfit being styled and I stuck with it anyways. The canvas hued linen screams summer and I can’t get enough of the stitch details and bustier button up top. It is truly a summer staple and exactly what I needed for a balmy evening on the town.

Since the top and bottom of this OOTD were accounted for, it was time for shoes and accessories. For shoes, I went with a pair of pink floral print platforms by Qupid. These were a must for the added height and gave a sweet peek-a-boo pop of pink with every step. For accessories, I chose a pair of stud earrings because I didn’t want a dangly pair to overshadow the length of my neck. When you are a petite gal, you always have to think about accentuating your length – especially when you’re in something with a lot of fabric like a jumpsuit. Rather than necklaces or earrings, I accessorized with some funky cuff bracelets and was ready for a date night with my main squeeze!

This Cute Jumpsuit OOTD was a cinch to style and a joy to wear. I was literally in the outfit of Johnny’s dreams and it had him doing a quadruple take. I’ll take it!

What is your favorite summer wardrobe staple? What is your perfect date night outfit? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul18

Accessory Story: Vintage Gloves Edition

Posted on July 18, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Johnny and I had a lovely Date Day during our Fourth of July staycation that included some vintage and antique shopping. I was enamored with one of the shops we visited and couldn’t stop thinking about all of the wonderful (and wildly expensive) treasures. Then, a few days later I forgot all about it because Johnny brought me home the most amazing surprise. He was helping his mom go through boxes and trunks of storage and I was presented with vintage treasures of my very own – five pairs of gloves and two clutch purses that belonged to Johnny’s grandma. Both himself and my mother-in-law thought I should have them and I was so incredibly touched. These beautiful accessories date back to the 1940s! Check it out:

When I opened the box containing my “new” accessories, I was literally stunned. I am very rarely speechless and this was one of those situations that didn’t require words. All I could think was that the vintage shops we visited could eat their hearts out because in my hands was something so special that they are invaluable. While Johnny’s grandma had a fondness for gloves, my mom’s mom was all about hats. I have at least fifteen of her vintage hats and they are some of my most prized possessions. I now have something from Johnny’s grandma that I can add to that category AND wear with some of my grandma’s hats to complete the look. ❤

…. Of course, if the gloves fit that is!

Lol, after getting over my initial shock, the next thought I had was “Wouldn’t it suck if none of them fit?”. I have very small hands but these gloves looked tiny. I kid you not that I had more butterflies in my stomach than when I go swimsuit shopping and I really hate that. However, you can always get a bigger size of a bathing suit in the store. Definitely not the case with gloves that are over eighty years old! Thankfully, the fashion gods blessed me. Despite some slight difficulties, I was able to wear each pair quite comfortably. YAY! My favorite accessories from the bunch are easily the gloves and purse from the second photo. The pinwheel style rouching on the cuffs are *chef’s kiss* and can we talk about that sequined bag? Perfect for keeping your phone, credit card, and keys in during a night out!

I am so completely over the moon over these accessories and I cannot wait to incorporate them into fall and winter OOTDs. Vintage chic styles here I come!

Do you have any relics from your grandparents? How do you add vintage vibes to your outfits? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul9

A Signature Antiques Accessories

Posted on July 9, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Johnny and I enjoyed some amazing time off for the Fourth of July week. It was much needed and we were able to jam pack our schedule full of outings and pencil in some time to relax too. One of my favorite things we did during our staycation was a Date Day this past Tuesday. We went shopping in Downtown Cuyahoga Falls AKA the Riverfront and then had drinks and a snack at the Cashmere Cricket. It is our favorite bar because it’s awesome lol and it’s where we had our first date! It was a perfect day and I loved being able to check out all of the fantastic vintage and antique shops along the Riverfront. The best one was, hands down, A Signature Antiques. If I had all of the money in the world, I would have bought everything! Alas, I don’t but I couldn’t leave without the following:

The first thing that really caught my eye in A Signature was the stunning black choker necklace with chains and dangling jewels. It was displayed on a mannequin head and I literally clutched my pearls when I saw it. I love choker necklaces but I have never found one that I fell in love with. There was a point a few years ago when they were a HUGE trend. However (And I hate to say this!), I always thought the simple style chokers looked a bit basic. I definitely needed to find one with extravagance and my “new” vintage choker checks all the boxes. It is my favorite color, has so much drama, and makes a stunning addition to my jewelry collection. I cannot wait to plan an OOTD with it as the focal point. 😀

My next purchase was a pair of adorable, blinged out butterfly sunglasses. They remind me SO much of the 90s (Aging myself here!) and the online fashion dolls that you could customize outfits for. I think these sunglasses are just the tops. The shape and decorative crystals are so bold but there is something about them that feels classic and chic. They literally make me feel like a 90s/early 2K pop star and it truly doesn’t get any better than that! I am also really looking forward to styling an OOTD with these stunner shades. I’m thinking baggy jeans and a tiny little crop top for sure!!

These new accessories totally fall under the “treat yourself” category and they are lovely staycation souvenirs from the best date day! ❤

What is your favorite era of fashion? How about your favorite era of music? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr30

Hawaii Haul

Posted on April 30, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! In mid April, my mom, dad, and brother went on a guided vacation to Hawaii. This was their dream trip and we were all thrilled that they got to go on such a wonderful adventure. Although I was happy for their fun in the sun, I was missing them something fierce. Honestly, I couldn’t wait for them to come home as soon as they left! Prior to their departure, they asked all of the family what kind of souvenirs they might like. I answered with jewelry and my history buff husband wanted something from Pearl Harbor. I am pleased to report that my travelers delivered! Check it out:

When I visited my family after they returned, it was like a mini Christmas on the dining room table. It was laden with gifts for the kids and grandkids and it warmed my heart that all of us were thought of no matter how far apart we were. Johnny received some guitar picks and a model of the USS Arizona Memorial. He was SO excited to build the model and when I returned home from work the following day, he was almost done with it already. In fact, he enjoyed the build so much that he plans on buying more from the brand. Both the picks and model are proudly displayed on our knick knack shelves.

For my gift, I got exactly what I wanted – a stunning necklace and earrings! I am loving the shell necklace and it will be a fabulous accessory this summer. I am going to wear it wrapped as a bracelet and the pretty, neutral palette will allow me to wear it with anything and everything. The piece de resistance, however, was the earrings for sure. The delicate gold cutouts of sea turtles blew me away and they are also highly sentimental. Sea turtles are my brother’s favorite and what he was most looking forward to seeing. Like the necklace, these earrings are going to enhance any outfit and it will be like a hug from my family every time I wear them. ❤

My family had the best time on their trip and I had the best time welcoming them home. I call dibs on next vacation!!!

Do you have any vacations planned? Where are you going? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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