Tag Archives: accessories

Apr30

Best Girls Girl Time

Posted on April 30, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! My nieces, Valerie and Raya, are two of the best things that have ever happened to me. They have been my little besties since day one and I love watching them grow, even though I’d prefer for them to stay little forever! Last Tuesday, I finally got to spend some quality time at my sister’s house for the ultimate girl’s night in. We play, play, played, danced, and ran around the house like crazy people! The best part, though, was playing dress up with my Val Gal:

Valerie is so much like me and it never fails to warm my cold, bitter heart. She is so funny, sassy, and kind and I love her creativity. Val has taken to her dance classes like a fish to water and is eager for her TT to teach her how to ice skate. Like her ol’ T, she also has a passion for fashion. Val selects her own outfits every day and I am always excited to see what she comes up with. Future OOTD blogger in the making? I think YES!

On Tuesday, Val wanted to get fancy and I was so there for it. She proudly showed me her jewelry box filled with her Disney Princess nail polish, necklaces, bracelets, hair accessories, and random artifacts and TT got to work. First, we played nail salon and Val selected her favorite colors of polish and the pattern she wanted for her nails and toes. Like me, she insisted on nail touch ups if they smudged while drying. I was so proud. ❤

Once her nails were to her liking, she let me do her hair and I was thrilled about that because she never lets me put her hair up. I have wanted to do space buns for her for forever and they turned out as adorable as I pictured them! After her nails and hair were on fleek, it was time to accessorize and, in this case, more was more. Val put on every single bracelet she owns and I helped her clasp all of her necklaces. The look was completed with a butterfly clip and a bow in her hair and my girl was ready to work it!

I like to think of this day as when Val learned the power of the confidence boost you can get when you are wearing something that makes you happy. By the time her OOTD was done, she was not merely walking but strutting! We worked on our runway walks and poses and my heart melted when she summoned her parents to check out our handiwork by saying “Mommy, daddy! Look at me! I’m so fancy!” Haha, that’s my girl. 😀

While Val and I played dress up, my mind went into a montage of us shopping, getting our nails done, and having girl time. It made me so happy and proud and these are seriously the moments that I live for. Val is most excited for our next slumber party because we plan on playing dress up again in TT and Uncle Johnny’s closet. I think she is going to lose her mind seeing all of our scarves, hats, and jewelry at her disposal! I can’t wait. ❤

What was your favorite thing to play when you were little? What makes you feel “so fancy”? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr23

So Bright I Need Shades

Posted on April 23, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Last Tuesday, I had the morning to myself after working from home and all I wanted to do was shop, shop, shop! Before my afternoon shift, I hit up TJMaxx and Bath & Body Works for some much needed retail therapy and had an absolute blast. At TJMaxx, I spent my Christmas gift cards on a few new things for me, skin care, birthday gifts for my bestie, a new shirt for Johnny, and sunglasses! I have been so sick of wearing Johnny’s plain frames and chose two new pairs; one by Sam Edelman and the other, surprisingly, was by America’s number one baddie, Martha Stewart lol. Check them out:

There was a point in my early twenties when I had sunglasses galore as they were a cheap and fun way for a little pick me up. I had quite the collection of sunnies in various shapes, sizes, and colors and would change out which one I was using often. Of course, sunglasses don’t last forever and all of them had definitely seen better days. Scratches, loose screws, and cracks began to form and one by one my collection ended up in the trash. And, eventually, I had to resort to square black frames a la Johnny when driving and out and about.

The sunglasses that I had been using were probably the most boring thing that Johnny and I own and I decided to check out the sunglasses wall at TJs during my excursion. I was pretty unimpressed with a majority of the options and was drowning in a sea of tortoiseshell! However, I did have luck with two pairs and that’s great because literally anything was better than what I had! I was shocked to see so many Martha Stewart pairs on the shelf, but it all worked out because they were arguably the most fun frames available. I still can’t quite wrap my mind around that. 🙂

The pair of Martha, Martha, Marthas that I selected are really cool and I love the shape; they are huge! One problem that I have found with gigantic frames are how heavy they are and that was not the case with my new pair at all. These are so light but still feel sturdy and that is a major plus. I feel so perfectly posh in these shades and ten dollars isn’t a bad price to pay for a pair by America’s sweetheart! 😀

The other pair I chose was by Sam Edelman, whose accessories I am obsessed with. In fact, I used to have a pair of sunglasses from that designer until they broke! I am all about sunnies with a unique shape and these octagonal frames were an instant must. In fact, I used to have a very similar pair until they broke lol. Noticing a theme here? I have been wearing these sunnies every day since I got them and they are awesome! Like the Marthas, they are nice and light and the protection they offer from the sun without drastically changing the colors of everything makes for an ideal pair for driving. And for also looking fresh to death!

For so long, I focused on clothing and shoes while shopping that I didn’t even think about getting new sunglasses, which I really needed. These new pairs will come in very handy during the sunny days of spring and summer and I might just have to start rebuilding my sunglasses collection again! Keep it posted for more from my TJMaxx Haul coming soon!

Do you have a collection of any accessories? What is your favorite accessory to shop for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr20

Spring Green OOTD

Posted on April 20, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred!! This past week, it was absolutely glorious in Ohio and it finally felt like spring. However, this has since been redacted because the pictures taken on Saturday was the last of the heat wave. It is now cold, rainy, and a little bit snowy here in the 330 and it feels cruel and unusual after days in the sun soaking up that Vitamin D! Let’s reminisce on the spring flowers and warmth by checking out some pics and discussing this look further while I freeze in my apartment:

Who? What? Wear?

Wrap Sweater: Caution To The Wind, TJMaxx

Lace Cami Top: mittoshop, French Rooster

Blue Jean Shorts: American Eagle Outfitters

Hoop Earrings: Argentino Vivo, TJMaxx

Cage Wedges: Juicy Couture, Kohl’s

Rings: PacSun, Target

The first few weeks of spring can be really awkward to dress for because you never know what kind of weather you’re going to get! Chilly mornings can either turn into hot afternoons or just more cold. It was about seventy degrees on OOTD day with crisp winds blowing occasionally, but I still figured that I could get away with shorts. To achieve a bit of balance in the warmth department, I wanted a light, long sleeved top and began building my outfit under those parameters.

I have been creating OOTDs almost weekly since the new year as per my 2023 blogging goals and, I’ll admit, I was feeling fairly uninspired while shopping in my closet. Although I have a decent amount of clothing for any type of weather, my wardrobe favors the fall and winter. The heat wave we experienced was awesome, but my tunnel vision for winter cold still wasn’t lifted quite yet and I needed to clear the fog before proceeding. Once I began thinking spring after a work week in jeans and hoodies, I was ready to see my warmer weather clothing with new eyes.

Most of the long sleeved tops that I have feature a fall palette so I was very happy to have rediscovered my wrap sweater by Caution To The Wind. I had all but forgotten it because this top was meant to be worn with a sports bra while ice skating, then I stopped skating. It was just what I needed, though, so I made some adjustments. I love how light and form fitting this top is and it is an ideal one for spring. The fern green and cream makes for such a rich palette and I paired it with my lace oyster shell cami underneath. Not a perfect match, but the cami was in a similar color family to the cream stripes and it worked while adding a sweet feminine pop.

For shorts, I went with an undistressed pair of midrises from American Eagle Outfitters. I love my distressed shorties, but the pattern on my top was somewhat busy and I didn’t want that conflict of visual interest between the two. A no muss no fuss option was better and I thought the simple blue jean shorts looked adorable with such a cutesy top. Remember, less is nine times out of ten more when building outfits so if you ever feel like any pieces are clashing against each other; you’re probably right. 🙂

In the accessory department, I chose one of my favorite pairs of hoop earrings by Argentino Vivo. The size of these medium hoops was exactly what I wanted. They enhanced the cleavage and long neckline I was working with as they matched up with the length of my hair. As a shorter gal, I am always looking to add length to my looks and, other than killer heels, one of the best ways to do this is through expertly placed jewelry. Accessories are just as important as the top or pants you have on! Once again, to keep my neck uncovered, I went necklace free and chose several statement rings to add some bling. I love the double ring with the rhinestone fern!

Finally, for shoes, I put on my army green cage wedges by Juicy Couture. These shoes are old as dirt, but I just can’t part with them! I had a few other pairs of army green heels in mind, however, all of them hit further up the leg and that wasn’t going to work with short shorts. The Juicy Coutures hit slightly above the ankle, which was much more like it! And, of course, they played to the color palette that I had established.

This Spring Green OOTD got me in the spring state of mind a little too late in the game before the cold hit, but that’s alright; it was nice while it lasted lol. Keep it posted for the blooper reel from this shoot tomorrow!

Which seasons does your wardrobe favor? Do you switch out and store clothing as the seasons change? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr17

A Night On The Town OOTD

Posted on April 17, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! During a normal work week, it is a very rare occasion that I get dolled up. Almost ten times out of ten, you can catch me with a fresh face, leggings, and a hoodie. This past Tuesday, however, was different because I went to see Jesus Christ Superstar at EJ Thomas Hall with my mother-in-law! By the time I got home to prepare for our night out, I was exhausted. But, you’re not going to not get dressed up for a trip to the theater! I put this outfit together in my head the night before and it turned out great, if I do say so myself:

Who? What? Wear?

Black sweater: Shrinking Violet, TJMaxx

Floral pleather skirt: BB Dakota, TJMaxx

Kitten heels: Nine West, TJMaxx

Earrings: American Eagle Outfitters

Flower necklace: This was a Sweet 16 gift from my grandma that is from Talbots

When I am styling OOTDs, I plan ahead to an extent but I usually make things up on the fly. I’m sure we have all had those moments when we think an outfit is going to look so good only for it to turn out awful; which is why I was very pleased that this fit looked exactly how it did in my head on the first go. For this particular night at the theater, I wanted to invoke elegance. Once I had that keyword in mind, I built the look from there and I like to think that I hit the nail on the head!

I began styling this look with my pleather BB Dakota skirt in mind. This is one of my favorite pieces because it is not only gorgeous but so fun to wear! The pleats and pretty pattern are all well and good, but this skirt truly shines in the movement department. It swishes and swings with every step and I felt like a princess when I was twirling around in it. This skirt is a one hundred percent staple piece and with it as my focal point, it was very easy to style the rest of this OOTD around it.

For the top, I chose my Shrinking Violet sweater from TJMaxx. This sweater is almost nine years old – I got it when I first started college at Tri-C! While it may be old as dirt, it still looks good and came in very handy for my outfit. I wanted to give the illusion of wearing a dress with a tucked in sweater and this one was perfect. The material is so light and it is form fitting, which is exactly what I wanted since the skirt was so playful in its movement.

Once the base of the outfit was sorted, it was time for accessories! I selected my kitten heels by Nine West specifically for their shape. As I was pretty much covered up in this outfit, I didn’t want to shorten the minimal leg I was showing with an ankle strap. The slip on style was just what I needed and the itty bitty heel still offered some much needed length. Kitten heels are so sweet and charming and the pointed toe and blinged out strap added a cool pop of visual interest.

In the jewelry department, I went with a tiny pair of dangly earrings so it wouldn’t distract from my neck. Remember, when you are showing little skin in an outfit, you want to enhance the parts that are visible and that often means keeping things minimal. With that in mind, I completed the outfit with my flower necklace from my grandma. I think that this necklace is so beautiful and it was an awesome match to the pink in the skirt. It also cradled the collar of the sweater just right which, in turn, drew attention to my exposed neck. Finally, for some additional length, I threw my hair in a top knot and was ready for my night out!

I felt so effortlessly elegant in my Night On The Town OOTD and had the best time seeing my favorite musical with my favorite mother-in-law. Keep it posted tomorrow for the blooper reel from this shoot!

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

Apr11

Sweaters In Spring OOTD

Posted on April 11, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Ohio is slowly but surely crossing the threshold from winter to spring and I am so there for it! While I am especially partial to warm spring days, I am okay with the chilly ones too as I live for light jacket weather. This time of the year is also fun to dress for because lighter fall pieces can be incorporated into OOTDs to combat the cold in. For my Sweaters In Spring look, I did just that and mixed a few cold weather staples into the mix for an adorable OOTD that can be easily replicated. Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Striped Sweater: Cynthia Rowley, TJMaxx

Jean Shorts: American Eagle Outfitters

Snakeskin Print Kitten Heels: Splendid, TJMaxx

Knee Highs: Target

Lightning Bolt Earrings: I got these at Universal Studios forever ago on vacation!

Spring weather in Ohio typically follows the pattern of a cold morning and a warmer afternoon and flip flopping temps can make it hard to decide what to wear! The day I took these pictures, I knew that I wouldn’t be outside other than walking to and from my car so I chose to throw caution to the wind and put on shorts even if it was cooler outside. Of course, the outfit needed a few modifications to make it fully weather appropriate and I was very okay with this; I am SO sick of wearing jeans!

For this Sweaters In Spring OOTD, I began building the look with my Cynthia Rowley striped sweater in mind. I absolutely LOVE this simple but sweet sweater and the red heart makes for an eye catching pop. It is so light but cozy and is such an ideal option for a crisp fall or spring day. This sweater is also a great layering piece because it is nice and form fitting; if it’s a bit too cold out, literally any style of jacket will work well on top of it.

Another reason for selecting my navy striped sweater was because I knew how cute it would pair up with denim shorts. This was a no brainer decision and I selected one of my go to pairs from American Eagle. These shorts feature a midrise fit, which I really appreciate because it is SO hard to find bottoms that aren’t high waisted. I also liked that this particular pair wasn’t distressed as I knew that I would have a few different patterns in this look and didn’t want it to be distracting.

Originally, I planned on wearing tights underneath my shorts but that idea fell short. I tried a few different pairs on, but it was doing nothing for me and I set my sights on knee highs instead. Although tights would have kept me slightly warmer, the knee highs were good enough and still covered up a majority of my legs lol. I have had the pair of argyle knee highs I selected for forever and they were a perfect pair with the navy sweater. The green and cobalt blue in the pattern also provided another little pop of color, which is always fun. 😀

For accessories, I chose to keep things minimal because there were three separate patterns in this look and they served as an accessory in themselves. Since I had an open crew neck on top, I put on a pair of dangly lightning bolt earrings to enhance my neck line. The shape added a playful touch of movement, which was needed as all of the other components of this look fit close to the body.

And, finally, I chose my kitten heel, pointed toe, snakeskin patterned booties by Splendid for the shoe department. These are one of my favorite pairs and they work so well for work or on the go. They looked so darling paired with the knee highs and were a unique addition that worked despite a drastic change in pattern and palette. This was okay, though! It is totally fine to stray from the motif of your look for the shoes; as long as the rest of your OOTD is cohesive, it will look like a decision you made rather than just throwing something on. 🙂

I felt ready to take on the day or at least page through a few novels in a bookstore in this scholarly sweet Sweaters In Spring OOTD! Keep it posted tomorrow for the blooper reel from this look! ❤

What is your favorite pattern to wear? Have you done any spring shopping recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr4

Here (Sort Of) Comes The Sun OOTD

Posted on April 4, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! This past Saturday was an interesting one; Johnny wasn’t feeling well with a stomach bug so I was left to my own devices when it came time for OOTD pictures. The weather was gorgeous in the morning and was going to change drastically by noon so I knew that I would have to take advantage of the warmth and sun while I could. So, I set up my tripod on our apartment balcony and got to work. I’m glad I did, because a half hour or so after I was done, our power went out for the second weekend in a row due to a massive wind storm. SMH.

While I am pleased with how my tripod shots turned out, I can’t wait for next weekend when Johnny can take my pictures again! Check it out:

^^^ BTW that is not a “Don’t tread on me” flag we have hanging up – ours says “Don’t tread on my uterus”!!

Who? What? Wear?

Crochet Top: Rebellion Again, TJMaxx

Black Shorts: American Eagle Outfitters

Dove Detail Heels: ModCloth

Blue Flower Earrings: Bella Jack, TJMaxx

Ruler Bracelet: Big Blue Moma, Jenks Building

The giraffe cuff is from Target and the gold bracelets are both from American Eagle Outfitters

As always, wintertime in Ohio dragged ass and we still aren’t experiencing true springtime weather yet. I have desperately missed wearing shorts, skirts, and dresses so when the temperature was close to sixty degrees, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to wear warm weather clothes even for a little bit. This OOTD is one that I have been thinking about for a while to welcome the spring with and was super easy to style and can be very easily replicated.

I really enjoy styling fall and winter outfits because I love all of the possibilities that come with it and layering to my heart’s content. Spring and summer outfits definitely requires less think work on my part because you can pretty much just throw on a cute top, shorts, and go. I began styling this outfit with my Rebellion Again crochet top already chosen because I think it is such a perfect spring top. The creamy color, pretty pattern, fit, and scalloping all morph together beautifully to create a top that is great with shorts, patterned pants, or a skirt. I am also very fond of the peek a boo pop you can get with a brightly colored bra for a touch of sex appeal thrown into the mix with such a sweet top.

For shorts, I went with one of my favorite pairs from American Eagle Outfitters. AEO has never steered me wrong in the jeans and shorts department and I will die on the hill that they are the absolute best. My favorite thing about the shorts and jeans from AEO is that they fit so well without ever feeling too tight. I liked how these form fitting shorts paired with the breezy top. Although the top does offer movement, it is quite boxy and the shorts were able to create a defined shape that made me feel so confident!

I’m not going to lie, my toes were in dire need of some nail polish when I took these pictures so an open toed shoe was out of the question. This was fine, though, because I had my pair of ModCloth heels in mind and would have chosen them regardless of painted toes or not. These heels were one of the first things I bought from ModCloth over a decade ago and they are very beloved. While I would never pair a stiletto heel with shorts, these ones were just right with their rounded toe and thick mini heel. They are so comfortable and I feel like I could walk for miles in them! The bold blue on the heel and details also added some visual interest in a fairly minimal palette.

With the base of my OOTD settled, it was time to accessorize. To start, I put on one of my favorite pairs of earrings by Bella Jack. The dangly bluebell flowers are so darling and the color also matched perfectly with the pale base of the heels. Bare arms and legs left lots of open real estate for jewelry so I added a few statement bracelets and called it a day. My favorite one is the ruler bracelet that I got from the Jenks Building in Cuyahoga Falls. I had wanted something similar for forever so that was an awesome find!

Even if it was only momentarily, it felt so good to be in warm weather clothes for my Here (Sort Of) Comes The Sun OOTD! Keep it posted tomorrow for some bloopers and what I did and didn’t like about shooting with a tripod for the first time. See you then!

What is your favorite season to dress for? Are you going to do any spring shopping to update your wardrobe? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar16

Peek A Boo Pop OOTD

Posted on March 16, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone!! Ohio went from a really mild winter with fairly high temps to freaking freezing these past two weeks. I thought spring was just around the corner and I’m beyond over it! Because the weather has been less than amazing, fall and winter clothes are still the move. However, I want warm weather so badly that I styled an outfit with a peek a boo pop for some summer fun. Remind me of this statement in a few months when I start complaining about how hot it is! Lol, check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Army Green Button Down: Beautiful Stories, TJMaxx

Embroidered Crop Top: Target

Skinny Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Heeled Boots: Free People, TJMaxx

Hoop Earrings: Argentino Vivo, TJMaxx

With summer on the mind but nowhere to be found, I wanted to create a look that would be appropriate for cold or warm weather with a few modifications. When the Beautiful Stories button down is buttoned up, you still get an adorable pop of the red violet crop. But could you imagine this outfit styled for the heat? All you need to do is keep the button down open and trade the jeans for shorts and BOOM – you have a perfectly summer OOTD. 😀

I have several army green button downs and decided to start building my outfit from there. I chose the Beautiful Stories one primarily for its shape. It is a standard cut and style whereas the other ones I have are either too long or or too bulky. Not only is the one I selected ideal for what I needed, but it really is gorgeous. The pattern on the back is so striking and the colors used closely mimic the orange and yellow on the crop top underneath.

When I picked out the Beautiful Stories button down, I instantly thought about my Bollywood inspired crop from Target. Everything about this combination worked in my favor. Purple and green are complementary colors so pairing them together was no issue and, of course, the colors in the patterns helped too. The crop top also had the wow factor I wanted once the button down was open. Sure, I could have worn a simple black crop underneath but where is the fun in that?!

Since I refuse to wear anything but black skinny jeans, we will move right onto accessories. For this look, I wanted to keep these to a minimum because the bold patterns on top served as an accessory in themselves. My Free People heeled boots spoke to me immediately as the winner in the shoe department. These are one of my faves and the cream base and tan heel paired beautifully with the color palette I was working with.

To complete the look, I put on my huge gold earrings by Argentino Vivo. These were such an amazing TJMaxx find and I love them so very much. The oversized style brought attention back to my face, which was needed as the tops were both fairly loud. And, obviously, the gold color was just right to enhance the patterns and jewel tones featured in this OOTD!

My Peek A Boo Pop OOTD is a look that is very easy to recreate, whether in the snow or sunshine. I can’t wait to rewear this outfit with summer modifications as soon as winter finally decides to be over!

What is the weather like where you live? What are you looking forward to as the seasons change? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb8

Galentine’s Day OOTD

Posted on February 8, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! This past Saturday was a fairly busy one because I was pet sitting and going back and forth to take care of a sweet pup named Luna. Afterwards, I had plans to take Johnny out for dinner because he did such a good job cleaning the apartment this past week! Since we had a date night, I decided to put together a little look more appropriate for Galentine’s Day to take some pics and go out in. Granted, we ended up just DoorDashing because tired but we did go to a different bathroom brick wall at another local park so it was still a successful day! Lol, check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Navy Peacoat: I got this forever ago from ModCloth
Unicorn Sweater: Loft
Plaid Skinny Jeans: Sound & Style, TJMaxx
Hoop Earrings: SugarFix By BaubleBar, Target
Pink Heels: Plato’s Closet

Although we should be celebrating our lady friends every day, there is something about Galentine’s Day that just hits different! Whether you’re brunching with your besties or hitting up happy hour on G-Day, I wanted to put together some outfit inspiration so you can look your best with your best girls. For this look, I wanted to use pieces in my wardrobe that were both cute, cozy, and would open up the conversation of “where did you get that?” to initiate shopping talk – a very important Galentine’s Day component!

When I first started styling my Galentine’s Day OOTD, I had my plaid skinnies by Sound & Style in mind. Afterwards, everything came into place easily because it just took a little common sense. While I love a patterned pant, they are not the most versatile and all I did was draw from the plaid to build the rest of the outfit. The base of this look pretty much had to be navy because of the base color on the pants. Then, I turned to the pinky mauve hue of the plaid to accessorize.

For the top, I chose my unicorn sweater from Loft. This was a gift from my mom a few Christmases ago and it is one of my favorites. You might notice that the navy on the sweater, pants, and peacoat is not a perfect match and that is okay! When you are styling a more monochromatic look, do not let yourself get bogged down by something like that or you will end up scrapping everything. The variants in the color you are working with will add some interest to a minimal outfit palette. As long as it is close enough, you are all good!

Because there was a pattern on my pants and top, I wanted to keep the accessories to a minimum. I went with my glittery pink hoops from Target, which I love. No Galentine’s Day look is complete without a little sparkle! These earrings added brightness around my face and note how I simply used the colors in the plaid pants to make my selection. The same process was used for the shoes. These heels are god knows how old from Plato’s Closet and were actually one of the first pairs that helped stoke the fires of my shoe addiction! The color of the heels is essentially the shade of the detailing in the pants in its brightest form and it added a poppy touch of fun to the look.

Finally, all that was left was a coat or jacket and I knew just what I wanted to put on – my peacoat from ModCloth. This was one of my first ModCloth purchases and I have had it since I was a teenager. Despite its age, it’s one of my favorite coats because it is just so adorable! The cobalt blue heart patches and piping are the girly sweet details that are a Galentine’s Day essential. While super cute, the cobalt also helped break up the sea of navy and was the perfect way to complete my outfit!

Celebrate your Galentine’s Day in style with the outfit inspo above and have the best time celebrating with your best friends! ❤

Do you celebrate Galentine’s Day? What are you going to wear and do? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan26

A Night At The Theater Pt. 5 OOTD

Posted on January 26, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! My sister, Kristen, and I saw Beetlejuice at Playhouse Square this past Saturday and you know your girl had to show out for it! Unfortunately, there are not too many pictures from this look because this was Kristen’s first go at taking OOTD shots and she did alright for a first timer haha it’s just me being picky. 🙂 For this outfit, I wanted to create a modern night on the town look inspired by Beetlejuice’s iconic black and white striped duds. I think I succeeded:

Who? What? Wear?

Black Blazer: Express, Goodwill
Silk Tie Back Top: Japna, TJMaxx
Striped Skinny Jeans: Hot Topic (These are Johnny’s!)
Faux Fur Collar: Modena, TJMaxx
Vertebrae Heels: Show Story
Rosary Necklace: Target
Dagger Earrings: Spirit Halloween

For the very first time in my life, I was happy that Johnny didn’t attend an event with me because I could borrow his black and white striped skinny jeans! And, let me just say, it is so great to have a husband whose clothes I can wear. 😀 I absolutely needed Johnny’s emo kid essential from Hot Topic for my Beetlejuice 2.0 look and I am thrilled with what I came up with. In fact, when I returned home from the theater, our friend who was over called me “Bougiejuice” and it was exactly what I was going for. ❤

Since the pants for this OOTD were already set in stone, all I had to do was build the remainder of the outfit and it was actually really easy. A few days before the show, I spent some time before bed piecing together my look and I knew that I wanted to incorporate a blazer and faux fur. To keep things simple beneath the blazer, I wore my tie back Japna top. The silky material added some texture and, although you can’t see it well, it has a snakeskin pattern which felt perfect to wear when attending a horror/comedy show.

For the blazer, I went with my Goodwill’s best that costed me four dollars and is from Express. Yes, I have worn this on a recent OOTD but all of my other black blazers are somewhat faded and that wouldn’t do! I love the inky black color of this blazer and it is just what I needed for my retelling of Beetlejuice’s suit. It made me feel chic as opposed to being in a costume and it was the cherry on top when I added the green faux fur collar. The collar tipped the cap to Beetlejuice’s green mop and it made the look go from standard to special instantly.

Once the base of my outfit was settled, it was time to accessorize. I wore my dangle dagger earrings to give some length back to my neck since it was mostly covered. I also chose one of my favorite rosary necklaces that was a gift from my mom to fill in the blank space of the blazer’s V-neck. The delicate chain and small beads were dainty enough to enhance rather than take away from the rest of the look and it was an ideal add-on.

Finally, it was time for heels and I knew exactly what I wanted to wear – the pumps from my wedding! These heels were a pain in the ass to acquire but they are the coolest. The vertebrae backing on the heel brought a touch of the macabre to the OOTD, which was a must for seeing Beetlejuice in. Trust and believe that I wore my slippers while driving, though, which was a genius move on my part. 😀

I felt like a celebrity in my Night At The Theater OOTD and it made me proud to receive so many compliments on it. It always feels good when an outfit comes together as planned and I think I gave Beetlejuice a run for his money!

Do you have a celebrity style icon? Do you plan outfits in advance or make them up on the fly? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan6

Mad For Plaid OOTD

Posted on January 6, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! Today, we’re going to take a look at what I was hoping to style when I shot my It’s Not Just A Phase OOTD. At that time, the Anne Klein blazer I’m wearing below was not yet in my wardrobe and the other red plaid blazer I have was way too big. I vowed to one day shoot the plaid tuxedo look I had in mind but I had no idea that that day would come so soon. A few short weeks later, I found the perfect blazer during a TJMaxx shopping trip! Take a look and let’s discuss:

Who? What? Wear?

Plaid Blazer: Anne Klein, TJMaxx
Black Cami Top: mittoshop, French Rooster
Plaid Skinny Jeans: Wild Fable, Target
Platform Boots: Forever 21
Hoop Earrings: Argentino Vivo, TJMaxx

As I mentioned, I have had the idea for this Mad For Plaid look since November and I was so happy to see it come into fruition this past weekend. This is actually the first time in lifewithlilred history that I used the same piece of clothing in two OOTDs so close together but it needed to happen and I love the end result! Like my It’s Not Just A Phase OOTD, I began with the Wild Fable yellow plaid skinnies and began to build the outfit from there…

For this OOTD, the most important thing was to avoid looking cluttered because the plaid on plaid combo is so bold. I have featured my mittoshop cami in many an OOTD and return to it often when I need a neutral top. This cami looks just as cute tucked in as it does worn normally and I chose to tuck it in for this look. I wouldn’t call it flowy but it does have some movement to it and that wouldn’t do for the sleek silhouette I had envisioned. Also, peep that peek a boo lace detailing from underneath the blazer – the sweetest way to show some skin in an almost fully covered look!

After the pants and top were sorted, all that was left to do was throw the blazer on and accessorize. At first, you might think that a plaid on plaid in two different color palettes could never work together. So, I wanted to discuss the reasons why this Anne Klein blazer was a thumbs up instead of a faux pas. The main key to the pants and blazer creating fashion magic is the pattern itself. Notice that the plaid pattern is almost identical in both pieces. This made the pants feel like an extension of the jacket and you can see where the plaid almost matches up perfectly in each piece.

The other component to these two statement items being cohesive was the color palette. Other than the red base, the blazer uses all of the colors found in the pants. The red and yellow are also found close together on the color wheel so they worked in unity rather than against each other. The black and white in both plaids were no matter, either, because they are both neutrals. And, finally, both of these pieces have a straight but fitted shape which kept the look flowing rather than breaking it up with two completely different fits.

Once the plaid tuxedo was on, shoes and jewelry were next and I went with my favorite pair of Forever 21 platforms. Like my cami, these babies appear in a lot of my looks but not for practicality’s sake – they just look awesome lol. The platform shape helped add to the punk vibe but the primary reason for choosing them was the pop of color on the back. These boots have red and gold flames, which further tied the jacket and pants together.

For jewelry, I kept things minimal because the plaid was an accessory in itself. When a look is this loud, too much jewelry can literally destroy the outfit through unnecessary distractions. I decided to go for my huge gold hoops by Argentino Vivo for one final touch of fun. I liked how it almost mimicked the outfit’s color palette with my red hair and the gold earrings. They also provided a bit of movement, which I didn’t want in the clothing but wanted to incorporate elsewhere. I think it worked!

This Mad For Plaid OOTD turned out exactly how I hoped it would and I am so proud of it. Tune in tomorrow for bloopers from this look!

What is your favorite pattern? Are you doing any post holiday shopping? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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