Tag Archives: autumn

Oct18

Fall Craft Morning

Posted on October 18, 2022 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! I work as an Independent Provider for people with special needs and it is the best job ever! This past Friday, I spent a fantastic morning getting crafty with one of my clients and we had a blast. Even better, part of our supplies for the projects we completed came from going on a fall hike. We gathered leaves to do some crayon stenciling and also purchased small pumpkins to paint. These crafts were simple to make but so much fun and will be a great way to spend a chilly fall afternoon with nothing to do:

My neck of the woods boasts so many different Metro Parks that it’s impossible to keep track of them all. I have been looking forward to fall hikes with my client since the summertime and the trail we went on was glorious with all of the leaves changing colors. It also was a unique twist to turn it into a scavenger hunt of sorts while we scoured the ground for perfect leaves to stencil.

After the hike was done and our hoodie pockets were filled with leaves, we bought pumpkins and headed home to get our craft on. The leaf stenciling was a huge hit and, although the directions are self explanatory, here they are:

Acquire leaves
Place the leaf vein side up underneath a piece of paper
Rub over the leaf gently with the side of a crayon
Rinse and repeat

While our leaf craft was very successful, the piece de resistance was definitely painting the pumpkins! I have never carved a pumpkin before and, honestly, don’t trust myself enough to lol so painting a pumpkin is my compromise. This is a craft that I have done with many a client and it’s an ideal way to get into the fall spirit without the messiness of pumpkin carving. I opted for a pumpkin with the lifewithlilred initials and my client painted a super colorful pumpkin that turned out amazing. Now, I have to figure out some more crafts for next week! 😀

Not only is fall my favorite season but it is also my favorite time of year to spend with the people I serve. Enjoying the beautiful nature, cooler temps, and all of the activities and crafts that come with autumn never makes for a dull moment! ❤

Have you made any fall crafts? How did they turn out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct17

Must Have Fall Wardrobe Staples

Posted on October 17, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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For many, myself included, fall is the most beloved season of all. The weather, holidays, activities, and changing leaves make for a beautiful and fun time of the year. And, oh yeah, the fashion isn’t bad either! Fall fashion is a blast and provides an opportunity for a killer OOTD every time you walk out the door. Layering pieces and cold weather accessories are all must haves in a solid fall wardrobe arsenal. Here are a few that will keep you OOTD ready all season long:

Statement Jacket:

When it comes to fall clothing, priority number one should be a fantastic statement jacket. A good coat or jacket can turn the most basic outfit into something blog worthy by simply slipping it on. There is a coat for every style and occasion and it is one of my favorite pieces to indulge in when shopping. Feeling edgy? Try a moto jacket! Classically cute? A topper jacket or trench coat is your new best friend. Comfy cozy? A soft cardigan jacket will be perfect for wrapping yourself in.

For layering purposes, remember to follow this golden rule: You never want to layer two bulky or tight articles of clothing on top of each other. If you have a looser fitting coat, a thick sweater underneath is fine. On the other hand, a tight fitting moto jacket should be paired with a thinner top or sweater underneath to keep the proportions of the outfit in check.

Boots, Baby:

Put your summer sandals and wedges away because boot season is in full swing! Like a good jacket, a bold pair of shoes can instantly transform an outfit. Look for heeled boots to wear during an outing and some cool combat boots to sport during a fall hike. To add some extra visual interest, you can try patterns like snakeskin, cheetah print, or floral. Hardware embellished boots with chains or studs are also sure to be a hit!

Cold Weather Accessories:

There are three must have cold weather accessories to not only keep you nice and warm but oh so fashionable: Scarves, hats, and gloves. These pieces will help tie your fall OOTDs together and are a great way to spice up your wardrobe without breaking the bank. When it comes to these accessories, the possibilities are endless! Do you want mittens or fingerless gloves? An infinity scarf or a pashmina? How about a floppy or cloche hat? Regardless of what you choose, you will be toasty and always ready for a photo op.

Cardigans/Sweaters:

For maximum comfort, warmth, and style, a gorgeous cardigan or sweater is the way to go! You can keep things simple with a plain one in fall hues like burnt orange, mustard yellow, and forest green. Or you can take things to the next level with patterns like polka dots, Halloween themes, or thick stripes. For many a fall OOTD, comfy cozy is the name of the game. Snap a pic in your fall sweater or cardi with a Pumpkin Spice Latte in hand and you just broke Instagram!

It doesn’t take much to revamp your fall wardrobe – just a few of the pieces above will suffice. Now, go werk those fall fits and hit the apple orchard!

What is your favorite piece of fall clothing? How do you upgrade your wardrobe as the seasons change? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct15

Pumpkin Patch Party OOTD Bonus Pics

Posted on October 15, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! We are back to our regularly scheduled programming of some bonus pics from my Pumpkin Patch Party OOTD! Johnny and I had such a blast during our date day at Heritage Farms and I love the baby pumpkins that we picked out so very much. We can’t wait to take our nieces there to share in the fall fun with hay rides and a huge children’s section decked out with games and crafts. Although, I don’t know if I’ll be able to put together an OOTD as good as this one:

This past week, it was like a flip switched in Ohio and my neck of the woods truly began feeling like fall. Seemingly overnight, the leaves began to change colors and the temperatures dropped to the pleasant chill of an autumn day. I can’t even fathom a guess at the amount of times that I have said “look at that tree” already lol. Say what you will about Ohio but, come fall time, my state delivers with postcard worthy beauty.

Heritage Farms is located near Peninsula, Ohio and this area is filled with Metro Parks, bike trails, orchards, and the most delicious ice cream on planet Earth. It was such a lovely drive to get there, as we went through the Cuyahoga Valley and passed many a good tree. I thought that I had been in fall mode since September but this OOTD and an afternoon at the pumpkin patch made me think otherwise!

Although I have a lot of unique clothing in my wardrobe, I try to achieve balance through classic styles so that I can wear everything for forever. Each piece in this Pumpkin Patch Party OOTD is something that I can picture wearing now or when I’m forty. At twenty-eight, I often forget that I am technically a “grown up”. However, this fit made me feel like woman, hear me roar. This is, arguably, the most grown up OOTD that I have ever wore and it definitely took me out of my comfort zone. But, I achieved my goal of a classic fall outfit and what better place to wear it than to a classic fall activity like going to a pumpkin patch?!

There are so many different ways to expand your fashion horizons in the fall and I can’t wait to keep exploring them with all of you. Tune in tomorrow for bloopers from this shoot! We will also be revisiting my A Night At The Theater OOTD series next week after a date night at Playhouse Square this weekend. See you then!

When does it start feeling like fall to you? What is your favorite thing about fall fashion? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct13

Pumpkin Patch Party OOTD

Posted on October 13, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! This past Saturday, Johnny and I visited the Heritage Farms pumpkin patch and had such a wonderful time. For an activity that is so autumn, I wanted to style a really classic fall outfit. I drew lots of inspiration from fashion stories in magazines and clothing catalogues and this is what I came up with:

Who? What? Wear?

The hat was my grandma’s
My mom knitted me the scarf
Topper Jacket: Lucky Brand
Ladybug Print Button Down: Zara
Pinstripe Pants: Free People, TJMaxx
Snakeskin Pattern Heeled Boots: Vince Camuto, TJMaxx
Forest Green Hoop Earrings: Argentino Vivo, TJMaxx

This outfit is, honestly, a far cry from my usual OOTDs and I think that’s why I liked it so much. I was channeling my inner 1940s fall queen and I definitely felt like it too! I had been planning out this look for a while but was waiting for the right outing to wear it to. The pumpkin patch seemed like the perfect place to wear a classic fall fit and Heritage Farms delivered with so many scenic areas to snap some shots.

Figuring out the base of this outfit with the button down and pinstripe pants was easy for several reasons. I adore the ladybug button down from Zara and had been wanting to incorporate it into a fall OOTD. As you all know, I refuse to buy anything but black skinny jeans and we can agree that blue jeans would have been the better option for the top.

However, I did have my navy pinstripe pants and I knew that I had found a match. These Free People slacks feel so vintage and I don’t get to wear them as often as I would like. They embodied the vibe that I was going for and it also teaches a little something about mixing and matching patterns. With the ultra thin vertical striping on both the top and bottom, it created cohesiveness rather than a cluttered appearance. If one of the pieces featured a thicker stripe, it just wouldn’t have worked the same. Pulling from the same color family of shades of blue also made this an ideal pairing.

I had a bit of difficulty choosing shoes for this look but ended up going with my Vince Camuto snakeskin heeled boots. I originally had on a shorter heel but with the breezy pants on my shorter frame, I needed the extra height. These boots added a unique pop to the look without going overboard. Again, had the pinstripe on the pants not been so paper thin, the snakeskin pattern wouldn’t have worked. Happily, that wasn’t the case and because this OOTD featured almost all neutral colors, the rich brown snakeskin pattern was a winner.

For accessories, I decided to keep things simple and added my medium sized forest green hoop earrings by Argentino Vivo. I love all shades of green and thought that these complimented my hair and the rest of the outfit so well. These earrings provided movement when I was wearing my grandma’s gorgeous hat and also gave me an extra non-neutral color once I took my handmade scarf off.

Our date day started out with cooler temps and I knew just what I wanted to wear: My Lucky Brand topper jacket. This is one of my favorite pieces in my wardrobe – it is so pretty AND soft! It also helped add to the vintage inspo because of its classic shape. And, of course, no fall outfit would be complete without some mustard yellow, which my scarf had in spades! It is beautiful and knitted with love. After our first round of pictures, I got warmed up enough to take the jacket and scarf off. It all went together exactly how I wanted it, though, and I got compliments on my outfit the entire time at the pumpkin patch!

This outfit was an absolute blast to style and shoot. It took me out of my comfort zone and I loved it. I can’t wait to figure out what to wear next weekend!

What is your fall style like? Where do you get OOTD inspiration from? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: Tune in tomorrow for bonus pictures from this look!

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

Oct7

Simply Spooky OOTD Bonus Pics

Posted on October 7, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to some bonus pics from my Simply Spooky OOTD! This outfit was worn during a date night at Sarah’s Vineyard with Johnny and it was a HOOT. Not only was it a lovely outing but it was nice to get done up and tear ourselves away from our scary movie marathons for a spell! The spooky spirit remained with us, however, with my jack-o-lantern sweater and Johnny’s spiderweb one:

With my new hair, I feel like the queen of October and I have been looking forward to the happiest time of the year since last Halloween. After the dreadfully hot days of summer, there is truly nothing better to me than a brisk fall day when you can throw on a jacket that you don’t need to instantly take off! From the fashion and decor to all of the scary movies and autumn activities, this is truly the time when Johnny and I thrive.

There are a few fall outings that I am dying to do so maybe I’ll need another spooky sweater or two for all of the following:

Pumpkin Patch:

Are you really a basic ass lover of fall if you don’t go to a pumpkin patch and take pictures? The answer is a resounding NO! We have so many beautiful pumpkin patches/apple orchards nearby and I would love to frequent a few – especially when live music and hay rides are offered over the weekends! Plus, a trip to the pumpkin patch means making jack-o-lanterns later so talk about a win/win!

Movie Nights:

Despite mine and Johnny’s constant stream of horror movies at home, it’s even more fun to share with friends! We are excited to host movie nights with some of our besties to enjoy the season and slashers all together. I can’t wait to scour Pinterest for cute ideas for spooky treats and apple cider cocktails for the whole crew. 😀

Afternoon Hikes:

There are an infinite amount of Metro Parks in my neck of the woods and you would be crazy not to explore them during the fall. It is absolutely glorious when the leaves change colors! Although I don’t think Johnny and I will complete the rounds of the annual Fall Hiking Spree, it will be nice to work up an appetite with an afternoon hike before a dinner date.

Community Activities:

Over the weekend, there are tons of local community events in the good ol’ 330. From movie screenings at the Riverfront to Boo At The Zoo and fall festivals, it is all such a blast. Last year, I took my Val Gal to trick-or-treat in downtown Cuyahoga Falls and it was simply the best. Johnny and I are also eager to assist my parents with trick-or-treat this year in their neighborhood. Fire pit and the Monster Mash on repeat, anyone?!

With all of the outings of fall and an OOTD for every occasion, I am ready to have some fun this October. Who’s with me?!

What are your favorite fall activities? What seasonal events are going on in your area? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep28

Summer In Fall OOTD

Posted on September 28, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred!! In early fall, you never know what kind of weather you are going to get. Is it going to be summer hot or hoodie weather? Who knows?! On this particular day that I took pictures, it was hot AF so I decided to do one final hurrah for summertime. Now, bring on the brisk days of fall, baby! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Mustard Yellow Kimono: Rebellion Again, TJMaxx
Floral Top: Banana Republic, TJMaxx
Distressed Jean Shorts: American Eagle Outfitters
The lace up wedges are old as the hills and I think I got them from Kohl’s?

This past summer, I learned to love warm weather fashion a little more. Although it will never be my favorite season to dress for, I admit that it does have its merits lol. I just love more elaborate fall outfits so the simplicity of clothing to keep you cool in the summertime bores me. That is why fun additional pieces like kimonos, earthy wedges, and quirky jewelry are a must for my summer apparel, as you can see in this OOTD.

I already had the Rebellion Again kimono in mind and I thought that its gauzy fabric in my favorite hue of mustard yellow was an ideal summer piece to welcome the fall. It is such a versatile option and would make a fabulous cover up over a bathing suit or look charming over top of a dress at a summer wedding… Which I definitely wore last year when mine and Johnny’s friends tied the knot!

Pairing my kimono with the Banana Republic cami top was a no brainer as you can see from the colors in its pattern. While the yellow flowers weren’t a perfect match, it was close enough. The blue flowers, however, popped just right against the distressed jean shorts, which you can really see when the kimono is off. I found this top when I was going through my “I have no tops” phase and love its sweet pattern and silky fabric. It was also a total steal at just twelve bucks for a Banana Republic top. Freaking SCORE! 😀

The styling of this outfit really did speak for itself as I prepped in my wardrobe office and it’s always great when a cute fit requires minimal think work. My lace up wedges of unknown origin was just right to tie the outfit together. I’m actually just noticing this now but the earthy tones of the canvas also work in tandem with the olive green flowers in the top. NICE.

Guys, I love these damn shoes so much it’s not even funny. They were one of my first pairs of wedges and my massive shoe collection went haywire after that! Unfortunately, I pushed them too hard in this OOTD. After getting back in the car, I saw a huge tear from the canvas to the woven heel and I was SO sad. Despite their unwearable condition, I refuse to part with them for sentimental purposes. But, what a way to glorify them for forever with one last killer OOTD! But, I digress…

After the shoes (RIP) were selected, it was time to accessorize. I went with my go to bangle bracelets that I adore. They are even more special because all of them were gifted to me from my mom and sister. For earrings, I chose my dangle feather pair that was a hand me down from my sis. Do you remember when feather earrings were all the rage and then they just weren’t? Lol, they, obviously, still are for me and looked so pretty against the creamy base of the cami top.

Let’s be real, it has been fall in my head since late August but I just had to send summer off with a bang with my Summer In Fall OOTD. Keep it posted here on lifewithlilred for lots more fall fun, fits, and fabulousness! ❤

What is a trend that you can think of that was wildly popular then wasn’t? What is fall weather like where you live? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep23

New Aegean Blue & Fire Orange Nails

Posted on September 23, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! This past Monday, my pampering session at Elysian Nails was the best because my favorite nail tech is back after an almost half year hiatus. I missed her terribly and, although all of the nail techs at Elysian are superb, there is nothing better than seeing your go to girl. This time around, I got a brand new set and was in desperate need of it – almost all of my acrylics were lifting! It turned out great and I am loving this color combo:

I spent a lot of time praying over what colors I wanted my nails to be on Monday and had some general ideas. I knew that I wanted shades that welcomed fall without being really obvious about it and decided to let the nail polish wall speak to me. As soon as I began looking over the different options, the super dark blue didn’t speak but SCREAMED at me and I knew that I had found a winner. I also had orange at the forefront of my mind and went with a fiery hue to compliment the blue – which it did perfectly, I might add. 😀

I have never been one for holiday or seasonal themed nails and just go with what I feel like at the time. However, fall is my favorite season and I wanted to pay my homage to it. This color combination reminds me of when the sun goes down on an autumn night and changing leaves and I think it is just so pretty. It subtly whispers “fall” without going overboard and I am so happy with it!

And, of course, my nail tech did a bang up job as per ushe. I didn’t realize how badly I needed a new set until I got a new set lol. My nails feel nice and strong again and are sharpened and shaped just the way I like. Now, here’s to my tech not going anywhere anytime soon after finally being reunited lol. Thanks, Elysian Nails! ❤

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

Sep11

Autumn Awesome OOTD Bloopers

Posted on September 11, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Autumn Awesome OOTD! This photo shoot provided me with an abundance of pictures to choose from because Johnny took what felt like a million pics. There were enough winners to turn this OOTD into a three part series and there were also bloopers for days. Here are a few that I think you will all enjoy:

Lol, this was the first picture Johnny took and I look mean as hell!

Ahhh, I’m a monster

I LOOK GREAT!!

Trying to figure out what to do next… ?

Making some adjustments while apparently rolling, patting, and marking my cake with an LR

Lol, wtf?

Definitely stumbled here but…

I STUCK THE LANDING!!

Call the authorized personal because there’s a wild Lil Red on the loose!

Speaking of bloopers in picture form, my apartment is serving me a huge blooper too. I woke up this morning to find my entire kitchen leaking from the ceiling and am typing this as I wait for maintenance to grace me with their presence. Like, what even guys? Lol, I originally thought Johnny didn’t turn the sink off all of the way in the morning so you can imagine my surprise when the whole ceiling was raining!

As you can see, my morning is filled with blooper reel moments. One is hilarious and one just sucks! Here’s to everyone’s bloopers today being the fun kind and not the kind where you need an umbrella in your own home. Have a fabulous day, darlings! ❤

Have you had any blooper reel worthy incidents recently? What happened? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep9

Autumn Awesome OOTD Pt. 3

Posted on September 9, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the last set of photos from my Autumn Awesome OOTD before we move on to the blooper reel! I had a ball styling this look and exploring a new to me metro park with Johnny. I definitely want to go back in proper hiking attire to enjoy the trails because this outfit had me sweating bullets in the fifteen minutes it took to take all of my pictures! My OOTD was, admittedly, not the best for hiking but it was the best for a fabulous fall look:

^^^ The mural was painted by Matt Miller @mtmilo .

I have many favorite things about blogging but high in the ranks is doing OOTD posts. The process is just so satisfying to me and I love seeing something that I had in my head come to life. Planning the outfit, finding the perfect location, taking pictures with my husband, and seeing the results is all such a blast. It also makes it difficult to select only a handful of pictures, which is why several of my recent OOTDs have been a series!

I very much enjoy taking pictures of others and, obviously, having my picture taken too. I consider it to be an excellent practice in self confidence and I can tell how much mine has improved in terms of my OOTD shoots over the years. I’d be a liar if I said that I didn’t use to feel silly having pictures taken of me. Now, I feel like a model when I’m being photographed and try to do photo shoots for the blog with Johnny as often as I can. 😀

Blogging can be hard work but nine times out of ten it feels like play. I appreciate everyone who tunes in to share in the fun with me ❤ . Keep it posted for bloopers from my Autumn Awesome OOTD after a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club!

Do you prefer to be behind or in front of the camera? What helps you improve your self confidence? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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