Tag Archives: akron

Apr15

Jesus Christ Superstar At EJ Thomas Hall Review

Posted on April 15, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Hello! My hands down, all time favorite musical is easily Jesus Christ Superstar. Random, I know, but I just love it lol. Last year, I was lucky enough to see it for its 50th anniversary tour at Playhouse Square and it was amazing! So, needless to say, I had to get tickets when I learned that it was coming to EJ Thomas Hall at the University Of Akron this month. On Tuesday, Johnny’s mom and I enjoyed a wonderful night at the theater and it was an absolute blast. This is the second year in a row that I have seen the show and I can only hope for a threepeat next year! 😀

While EJ Thomas Hall is a sizeable theater, it truly has nothing on the Connor Palace at Playhouse Square. This was okay, though, because they still made it work and the set was the exact same as at Playhouse, just on a smaller scale. The main difference of the EJ Thomas Hall performance was the run time of the show. By cutting out the intermission, lengthy intros and outros, and longer choreography sequences, the show was barely over an hour and a half long. Basically, one song would end and the next one would begin immediately. Any other time, I would have been upset by this choice – without the buffer music, this production at times sounded cacophonous. However, since it was a week night and I had seen the show before, it was A-okay with me!

Prior to going to the EJ Thomas Hall performance, I had essentially made up my mind that the actors at Playhouse Square would blow this cast out of the water. And, in some instances, I was right. The chorus in this performance was not strong at all and they were very difficult to understand at times. I wasn’t particularly thrilled with Jack Hopewell’s portrayal of Jesus, either. Don’t get me wrong, he is an insanely gifted singer but I didn’t feel the power of his voice in his presence, which is such a key component for that character.

My main issue in the casting was actually not Jack Hopewell but for Pilate, who was played by Nicholas Hambruch. Surprisingly, Pilate is one of my favorite characters in the show because I love his songs and the traditional vocals that are usually used. Normally, Pilate has a medium range voice that can go into a higher register easily. Hambruch’s vocals remained guttural and growling throughout the entire performance with no range or change whatsoever. I understand what they were trying to do by making Pilate seem menacing. BUT, during the moments when he was trying to show compassion to Jesus, his vocals just came out as insincere and it didn’t match up to the lyrics he was singing.

Despite some duds in the cast, there were other members that simply blew me away. Elvie Ellis as Judas, for example, blew my mind. He was fantastic and his vocals reminded me so much of Carl Anderson’s in the 1973 movie. In fact, I thought he was better than the actor we saw at Playhouse Square. Another all star in this cast was Faith Jones who played Mary Magdalene, and was also light years better than any other portrayal of the character I have seen before. Mary Magdalene’s ballad songs are gorgeous, but can be quite boring when done wrong. I had never seen such a powerful, sure of herself portrayal and it was spectacular. Strong, crystal clear vocals and a confident presence went a long way in helping Jones steal the show.

One final cast shout out has to be given to Erich W. Schleck as King Herod, who was completely fabulous. I love the pure vaudeville vibe of Herod’s Song that the 50th anniversary tour used and Schleck tapped into this effortlessly. His lanky body high kicking across the stage was everything and it was so amazing to watch his over exaggeration without going overboard. Schleck was able to go from cutesy to sword brandishing scary at the drop of a hat and this was another show stealing performance. Quite impressive, considering that it was his only song!

Although there were some things about this viewing of Jesus Christ Superstar that I didn’t care for, I still enjoyed it so very much. The best part was being able to go with my mother in law for a night on the town. Nothing is better than an evening at the theater with amazing company! ❤

Have you been to the theater recently? What did you see? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr9

Lil Red’s Art Gallery: Timber Top Hall Of Fame Edition

Posted on April 9, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Lil Red’s Art Gallery: Timber Top Hall Of Fame Edition

Hello! Johnny and I live in the Timber Top apartment community and it has truly left a lot to be desired this past year. Someone passed away on the property due to carbon monoxide poisoning, an apartment complex caught on fire, and inclement weather has left us with no heat or power for days. Due to all of these utter failures from the management company the property is under, TTop received a not so glowing review in the Akron Beacon Journal this past December. Johnny’s dad saved it for us and I have been saving it until we can get it framed.

This past week, I came home to a fabulous surprise… Johnny found a perfect frame for the article! I can’t wait to hang it up:

At Johnny’s work, they were getting rid of lots of random odds and ends for spring cleaning and the employees were allowed to take anything home that they wanted. Johnny was late in the game to receive the memo so it was pretty slim pickings by the time he got around to scavenging lol. That’s okay, though, because he walked away with exactly what we needed to display our lack of pride in the property management company. The thrown together wood frame fully embodies our haphazard labyrinth of old, wooden apartment complexes to the T and I am obsessed! 😀

It has been an insanely crappy week in Lil Red’s world and this was just one of the many surprises that I returned home to after being gone almost all day every day. Johnny took it upon himself to give the apartment some much needed spring cleaning one day. The next, he went to Walmart and got storage bins for all of our bunny supplies, which I have wanted for forever. And the following day, the piece de resistance of our new wall art. No matter how sad or run down I was feeling, Johnny always made sure that I would have a smile on my face as soon as I got home. It definitely worked! He is simply the best. ❤

Johnny gave me the job of finding just the right spot in our apartment for our Timber Top Hall Of Fame picture and it is a challenge that I can’t wait to take on. This was a five month in the making idea and it couldn’t have turned out any better, thanks to my sweet husband!

What was the worst apartment you ever lived in? Have you gotten any amazing surprises recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar8

Do Pickles Go On Pizza? YES!

Posted on March 8, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Sunday is mine and Johnny’s day of rest before it’s back to the grind. We watch TV and movies all day and DoorDash dinner and it is one of my favorite times of the week. At least until 5 PM, anyway, then it starts sinking in that we have to go to work the next day! For the past several weeks, I have been asking Johnny if we could try out a new to us pizza place called the Twisted Tomato and he finally agreed to give it a shot. It was SO insanely good and pats on the back for me because right away, Johnny said we need to get it again! Check it out:

The Twisted Tomato features a pizza called the Peter Piper Pickle Pizza, which has mozzarella and provolone cheese, a white garlic sauce, dill pickle slices, and Italian seasoning. About a year ago, a Facebook friend of mine posted a picture of it with his recommendations and I screenshotted the post with every intention of trying it. Then, I forgot lol. It wasn’t until I started my new job working with an online directory at the beginning of this year when I remembered because Twisted Tomato has a listing in our food and dining section. I love my new gig and I love it even more that it led me to mine and Johnny’s new favorite eatery!

After scouring the menu on Saturday night, I decided to go with the pickle pizza and an order of their Rotini in a creamy pesto sauce on Sunday. Johnny went for a personalized calzone and cheesy bread, but it was incredibly hard for both of us to narrow our choices down because everything looked so delicious! Our food arrived quickly and even our DoorDash driver, the incomparable Frank, told us how good it smelled haha we almost invited him in for a slice and screening of HELP! 😀

I can’t speak for Johnny’s calzone because it had meat in it, but everything else in the order was freaking incredible. The answer to the question of if pickles belong on pizza is a resounding YES. The pickle pizza took my taste buds around the world with dilly, garlicky goodness and the combination was just right. The pickle flavor wasn’t overpowering and it just enhanced all of the other ingredients. Because I didn’t know if it would be a love or hate situation, I ordered a small pickle pizza. However, Johnny and I both liked it so much that we will have to get a bigger size next time!

The creamy pesto sauce for the Rotini was also really yummy and was a blend of Alfredo and pesto sauce. I have never tried anything like it before and it was good, but not as garlicky as I prefer. I will give their plain pesto a try next time so it won’t be diluted with the cream sauce. Another definite reorder item was the cheesy bread, which was probably one of the best I have ever tried from a pizza place. The layer of cheese was so thick and the dipping sauce was sweet, making for a perfectly savory/sweet blend with each bite.

Lazy Sunday was a raging success this past weekend and I think that Johnny and I will be frequenting the Twisted Tomato often. I have a feeling that I will be getting the pickle pizza every time!

What is your favorite specialty pizza shop? What are your favorite pizza toppings? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec26

Holiday Fun At Lock 3

Posted on December 26, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone!!! This past Wednesday, I bundled up against the cold with my sister, Kristen, and sweet nieces, Val and Raya, for some pre-Christmas fun. Originally, we were going to go to a somewhat far away holiday lights display but got turned off by the driving. So, we headed to downtown Akron’s Lock 3 instead that hosts light displays and ice skating in the winter. The rink was crazy crowded and to both mine and Val’s disappointment, we had to pass on her first skating lesson with TT. We still had a blast visiting Archie The Talking Snowman and playing mini golf, though! Check it out:

Literally everyone in northeast Ohio knows Archie The Talking Snowman. He had a long tenure at Chapel Hill Mall until it closed down a few years ago and since got moved to Lock 3. Every holiday season when we were little, we would visit Archie at the mall and tell him what we wanted for Christmas and, of course, that we had been good all year. He would then promise to put in a good word with the Big Man just for us. Yes, it was just some guy in the gigantic snowman talking to us but it was freaking magical as a kid!

Kristen and I thought Val would be stoked to meet Archie and tell him what’s on her wish list but that was far from the case. Lol, little lady was freaking terrified and, honestly, so was I! The booming voice of Archie reverberated throughout the entire area and even into the parking garage. I don’t remember him being so loud! Val agreed to let Kristen talk to Archie on her behalf and it was a fine compromise. 🙂

After visiting with Archie, we went to check out the adorable displays set up in cabins that used to house vendors for a Christkindl Market. These displays actually used to be set up in windows all throughout the buildings of downtown Akron and it was cool to see them all in one place without walking around the city in the cold. I definitely remember the little snowpeople window from way back when! This was my favorite one and Val’s too. She is such a TT’s girl! ❤

When we were done scouring the displays, we realized ice skating was a bust. To warm up and make the most of the evening, we played mini golf at the small indoor course set up by the Akron Children’s Museum. This was the first time Val played putt putt and it went better than we expected – no meltdowns were had unlike her TT when she was little! About halfway through mini golfing, Val realized it was the funnest thing ever and took mine and Kristen’s turns for us. She rolled with the punches of not being able to skate beautifully and our evening ended on such a high note.

I have always loved the holiday season and it is infinitely better now that Johnny and I have sweet nieces and nephews to share it with. I cannot wait to take Val skating and it looks like we’re going to have to go mini golfing this summer!

Are there any holiday traditions like Archie in your neck of the woods? What is your favorite holiday activity? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov10

Sweet Surprises: Husband’s Haul Edition

Posted on November 10, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! This past weekend, Johnny and my brother visited a Comicon event that was happening right down the street from us at a banquet center. Like the last time that they went to a similar event this past summer, both guys walked away with a ton of awesome purchases from the vendors that were set up. By the time I returned home after their outing, Johnny was already out for the evening. But, he told me the amount of goodies he set up throughout the apartment and it was like a scavenger hunt to find them all! Check it out:

As I wandered around the apartment trying to find all of Johnny’s purchases, I couldn’t quite believe it – everything was just so cool! I also loved that he knew exactly what I would have bought for myself if I had been able to come because I would have been all over that Sam Minifig from Trick ‘R Treat. The Link Minifig that Johnny got for himself also looks fantastic next to our collection of Legend Of Zelda amiibos. And, of course, our Funko Pop collection continues to grow with figures from our favorite holiday flick, Jingle All The Way. Now, I just need to get my hands on a Turbo Man Funko! 😀

What really blew my mind from Johnny’s haul was the perler bead art of R2D2 and Duck Hunt. Perler beads were something that I constantly played with when I was little and I hadn’t really thought about them until seeing our new wall art. The Duck Hunt one is so clever and I wish that I came up with the idea myself! In fact, I kind of want to try some perler bead kits in my free time – although it might be kind of difficult with my talon nails lol smh.

The most noticeable change in our apartment’s decor is, obviously, the huge horror movie icon prints that Johnny got from the hosts of Transylvania Tonight. All of these were painted by “Drac” and both him and “Countess Carita” signed the print of one of their advertisement shots. From what Johnny told me, they both definitely seem like our kind of people and I can’t get over how spectacular each print is. As soon as I saw them hanging up thanks to Johnny’s handiwork, I literally clutched my pearls!

I am so proud of my Johnny’s Comicon haul and I wish that I could have joined in the fun with him and my brother. However, it’s probably a good thing that I had other plans because our whole apartment would be overrun with purchases!

Have you ever been to a Comicon before? What is your favorite horror movie? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct12

Heritage Farms Date Day

Posted on October 12, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! This past Saturday, Johnny and I had a lovely date day/OOTD shoot at the Heritage Farms pumpkin patch. Because, let’s be real, are you really a fashion blogger if you don’t take pictures at a pumpkin patch during spooky season?! The answer is: NO! We even got surprised by a super sweet woman who insisted on taking our pictures after yelling “POWER COUPLE ALERT” lol. Check it out:

^^^ You can peep this OOTD tomorrow!!

Heritage Farms is a beautiful property that hosts all kinds of different events year round. There are farmers markets in the summer, pumpkin patches in the fall, and a Christmas tree farm come winter. The pumpkin patch was SO perfect and was decked out with something for everyone. There were food trucks, pumpkins of every shape and size, and a children’s area featuring games and hay rides. I can’t wait to take my nieces!! 😀

We couldn’t have asked for better weather for our date day and what started out really chilly turned into a sunny and warm fall afternoon. It felt wonderful to walk around and breathe in that fresh fall air and see all of the other families having such a great time. Nothing warms mine and Johnny’s hearts more than seeing other people basking in the glory of Halloween time. ❤

After selecting two baby pumpkins apiece, we started to get hungry and continued our date at a bar called The Basement. I had never been before even though it’s right down the street from our apartment and the food was, shockingly, insanely good. We returned home with very full bellies and I treated Johnny to some pampering by dyeing his hair. Then, it was time for Magic The Gathering and video games to wrap up a fantastic day.

Ever since Johnny and I began doing our combined date and OOTD shoot on Saturdays, I have been such a happy camper. It gives me something to look forward to every week and it is so much fun to explore all kinds of different places in the greater Akron area with my main squeeze. I can’t wait to figure out where we’ll go next week!

What does your ideal date consist of? What is your favorite fall activity? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct10

Libraries Rock!

Posted on October 10, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! I have had the absolute pleasure of taking my sweet niece, Val Gal, to a couple of story times at one of the many local libraries in our area. It is seriously the cutest thing on planet Earth and I love having some extra TT time! During story hour, the kids listen to stories (Obviously lol), sing songs, learn dances, and do a craft themed around their topic for the day. The teacher also peppers in tips for the parents or family to help improve language skills. I have never been to a library story hour before taking Val and I was SO impressed by the librarians running the program.

When I first started my job as an Independent Provider for people with special needs, I was working strictly in the evenings. Prior to this, I used to think that libraries were just for using the computers and getting books. However, they are so much more than that, which I learned from taking my clients to the numerous programs held at the libraries.

Every month, I would scour the Events pages for the libraries in the greater Akron area for programs my clients would enjoy. And, every time, I was blown away with what was being offered. We would attend vinyl record clubs, movie nights, crafts, an escape room, and even a murder mystery night! The best part? Everything was always free!

Libraries in my area offer everything from computer courses and sign language classes to cooking clubs and concerts. And, I’m sure that the libraries in your neck of the woods probably have a lot of similar experiences for your community. These places are, truly, a gift and I wanted to shine a light on it. Not only can you expand your knowledge but you can make friends in the process too. This is very evident every time Val meets a new pal at her story times. 🙂

If you are looking for activities to do with your children or with a group of friends as the weather gets colder, then head to your local library. You never know what amazing things you will find!

Have you ever attended any library programs before? What were they? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct5

Sarah’s Vineyard Date Night

Posted on October 5, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! The fall is when Johnny and I thrive and we have been making the most out of the lovely weather through weekend date days. This typically involves taking OOTD pictures, running an errand or two, and then going out for a late lunch or dinner. It is the best! This weekend, we decided to go to Sarah’s Vineyard for dinner and it was delightful and delicious! Check it out:

There is nothing like some quality time with my main squeeze to lift my spirits and we had a blast at Sarah’s Vineyard. It is a beautiful property and we both haven’t been in years. Also, whenever I have gone with my friends, it’s strictly for the wine and not the food lol! I was so excited because everyone in my neck of the woods raves about the vineyard’s wood fire pizzas and I couldn’t wait to have a slice or ten. 😀

I don’t know about you guys but whenever Johnny and I go out to eat, I look at the menu hours in advance. This gives me ample time to decide what I want because it can be overwhelming to choose from a menu I haven’t experienced yet. It didn’t take me long to know what I wanted from my pre-screening and everything was just as good as I imagined it to be.

For wine, Johnny went with the not too sweet Sweet Elisa, which kind of tasted like church wine but was still pretty tasty. We also got to make use of the vineyard’s bottling service since Johnny haphazardly ordered a full carafe SMH! I was disappointed that my favorite, their white sangria, wasn’t available so I chose the sweetest option, Golden Solstice. It was light, refreshing and much better than my usual Barefoot!

Normally when we go out to a restaurant, we never order appetizers. However, I just couldn’t say no to the Artichoke & Asiago dip. Sign me up for anything that involves artichoke and cheese because I love it oh so much. I’m glad I tried it out and it was SO yummy but I wouldn’t order it again next time. I hate to be the one to complain about prices but I thought ten dollars was steep for the tiniest bowl ever of the dip. Hey, sometimes you just have to live a little. 😀

As our main dish, I got the Margherita pizza and Johnny got the Pepperoni & Banana Pepper. In fact, he’s currently eating his leftovers for breakfast as I write this! Johnny really liked his pizza and I was happy overall with mine. It actually tasted much better the next day. The garlic oil sauce and toppings on mine were so light that my pizza just tasted kind of doughy. Next time we go, I plan on just doing a cheese pizza with a couple of veggies on top and I think that I’ll like that much better.

Johnny and I had such a great time at Sarah’s Vineyard and we are eager to go back – especially since it’s close to our apartment. The vineyard has such a charming, cozy atmosphere and it really is the perfect date night setting!

Where was the last place you went on a date? What is your favorite restaurant? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug19

All In Your Own Backyard

Posted on August 19, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! When I first started working as an Independent Provider for people with special needs, I was mainly on the evening shift for purely social outings with my clients. For free and fun entertainment, we would often hit up the local libraries in the greater Akron area. Activities ranged from vinyl record clubs to art projects and murder mysteries and it was always a blast.

Now, I work in the mornings and afternoons and provide care under the umbrella of daily living skills. It has been a while since I scoured the library and community websites for outings and I, honestly, kind of forgot how amazing all of our local programs are until this summer. My family has certainly been making the most of them!

This past summer, people in my family have attended numerous events including a watercolor painting class and a Comicon style vendor fair. We have also loved taking my sweet niece to story time almost every week at the library. It is the most adorable little hour filled with books, songs, and crafts. My heart just melted when I took Val last week. ❤

Over last weekend, I experienced one of the best community events I have been to in a while with my dad and Val – the Heinz Poll Summer Dance Festival. It was held at the Goodyear Heights Metro Park and featured awesome performances by various dance groups. We got to watch a jazz and ballet troop as well as the dancers from ArtSparks, which is a dance group made up of people with special needs. It was SO cool!

The main event of the night was a performance by Pilobolus, a world famous troop. However, we didn’t get to watch them because it was getting close to Valerie’s bedtime. All of the dancers we did see were spectacular but the best part of the night was when the kids in the audience got to take the stage. Val had a blast learning different ballet and jazz moves. She also unintentionally stole the show when she was showing off her newfound skills during another performance lol it was so funny. 😀

After Val learned some dance steps, she said that she would like to take dance classes and that’s what is so wonderful about all of these community programs. Not only do you get to meet new people but you also get to try your hand at new things for free or close to it. Similarly, my mom and I now paint in our free time after the ten dollar watercolor class we took.

Children, teenagers, and adults alike can all benefit from local programs – you just need to know where to look. Library websites, newspapers, and community pages can all point you in the right direction. If you are searching for new activities with minimal funding, then this is the way to go. Explore your community and have fun!

What community events do you like to attend? Have you learned a new skill or hobby recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug11

Sweet Surprises: Funko Fandom Edition

Posted on August 11, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Johnny and I are constantly surprising each other with little gifts, favorite meals, and upgrades to our Halloween decor. It is always so nice for us to come home to a treat, especially with things being as stressful as they are in my life right now. This past weekend, Johnny went to a convention with my brother at the Akron library that featured all things anime, comics, super heroes, and various fandoms. These are the prezzies that I returned home to:

Although mine and Johnny’s Funko Pop collection pales in comparison to my brother’s, we have our fair share too. Our Funko shelf includes characters from Seinfeld, Diablo, Pee Wee’s Playhouse, and the incomparable Bret Michaels from our days of obsessing over Rock Of Love. What a crazy time for TV that was!

The Elvira Funko that Johnny brought home is one that I get. She’s a goddess among mere mortals and everyone should feel lucky to share planet Earth with her. The Igor Karkaroff one, however, was a head scratcher lol. Johnny and I love the Harry Potter franchise but it’s not like Igor is our favorite character of all time. In fact, I feel like we have never even mentioned him in passing when watching the movies. I am so not mad about whatever urge Johnny felt to purchase it, though, because it was such a random funny thing when I walked in the apartment.

Not only did Johnny come home with new Funkos but he also got me a new sticker for my laptop. Lol at it being Hogwarts Castle as the White Castle logo! I adore the book marks he snagged for free from a local artist, Griffie – Kiss for him and movie monsters for me. This was so thoughtful because he noticed that I had an old receipt tucked in a book and thought that’s what I was using to mark the pages. Little did he know that was unintentional and it just happened when I had it in my work bag. Regardless, it was really sweet!

What a guy, am I right? Johnny is such an angel and these Sweet Surprises were just what I needed to put a smile on my face. ❤

What do you like to surprise people with? Which Funko Pops do you have in your collection? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

	lifewithlilred on Spirit Christmas Haul
	oliveunicorn on Spirit Christmas Haul
	Simon on Thxgiving OOTD Bloopers
	lifewithlilred on Thxgiving OOTD Bloopers
	Simon on Thxgiving OOTD Bloopers