Tag Archives: ballin on a budget

August 2025 Finishes

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August 2025 Finishes

Howdy!! September is here and I am feeling so fabulously fall and LOVING every second of it! However, we will have to time travel a bit because we have yet to discuss my beauty finishes from August. In July, I had beaucoup empties and some were total and complete duds. This time around was a GREAT SUCCESS and I would happily use each product I completed again. Particularly one of my new favorite serums! Take a look and let’s get to it:

Would I Use Again?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: YES!!

Bath & Body Works Poppy Lotion: YES

Bath & Body Works Gingham All-American Shower Gel: YES

Precision Beauty Vitamin C + Collagen Serum: YES!!

Why/Why Not?

Evoluderm Micellar Water: As you all know, I am incredibly loyal to my preferred brand of micellar water and have been using it for years. In all of that time, I have never seen the jumbo bottles at TJMaxx before and jumped on buying a few of them. You just can’t beat seven dollars for that size when the smaller size was being sold for five! The mega bottle has lasted me over two months as opposed to one and I have another one on standby. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that TJMaxx continues to have the XL bottle available because it is a steal and the epitome on ballin’ on a budget for great skin care.

B&BW Products: The products from Bath & Body Works just make me happy and Poppy is one of my favorite older scents while Gingham All-American has stood out as a new favorite. When you think of a scent called Poppy, you think floral, but that is not what it is in the slightest. If it was, I would hate it because I am so not a flowery fragrance girl! Rather, Poppy smells like a delicious strawberry/pear combo and I simply adore it. It is soft, sweet, and packs a delightfully fruity punch. If you are a fan of berry fragrances like me, you will also love Gingham All-American which invokes the scent of a big summer fruit salad. Strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries combine to make a scent perfect for the season and, honestly, whenever you want!

Precision Beauty Serum: I have been partial to the Precision Beauty serums for the past several months and have been loving them. They are long lasting and it takes me over five weeks of twice daily use to finish a bottle. I also like that they are thicker in texture, leaving my skin feeling so nourished after each application. The Vitamin C + Collagen serum certainly delivered on its promises. My skin looked radiantly sun kissed and I could literally feel the tightening properties of the collagen and there is nothing better than actually feeling a product work. Highly recommend!

This batch of empties was small but mighty and were wonderful additions to my beauty routines. I can’t wait to see what September brings!

Which products did you use up last month? What are your thoughts on any of the above products if you have used them before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

5 Below Haul

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5 Below Haul

Hello! My clients absolutely love shopping at 5 Below and I do too! I am always excited to check out what’s new on the cheap whenever we go and had a fabulous haul this past week. We ended up at good ol’ 5 B after a trip to Spirit Halloween was a total dud. Seriously, everything there was SO expensive and we were hard pressed to find anything cool that was below twenty bucks. So, 5 Below it was and we couldn’t have gone at a better time. They were just putting their Halloween collection out and I kid you not, they had so many of the exact same things that we just saw at Spirit Halloween. Everything at Spirit Halloween feels like a rip off when you know where to shop! I couldn’t resist going a little crazy and ended up with a big haul with treats for my nieces, myself, and Johnny too. Check it out:

This haul costed fifty dollars for ten items and you can’t beat that!

Johnny and I have never decorated for holidays because it is Halloween year round in our apartment and that’s just the way we like it. Whenever our happy time comes around, we are always happy to splurge a little on all of the Halloween goodies our favorite stores have to offer. And, in the case of this 5 Below haul, I actually needed to use a cart for the very first time because there were so many items I couldn’t say no to as soon as I walked in the door! 😀

The first thing that caught my eye was His and Hers skeleton plushies that are just so damn cute I can’t stand it. They reminded me of big versions of adorable Frankenstein and skeleton stuffies we got on vacation in the Poconos and I can’t wait to curl up with our newest additions and watch a scary movie. Whoever says adults can’t get plushies has never bought a plushie as an adult before and Johnny and I adore these comfort items. In comparison to the plushies at Spirit Halloween that were thirty dollars and up, these were a steal at five dollars apiece. BALLIN ON A BUDGET, BABY!

Next in my haul was a few candy treats. A few years ago on social media, I saw the Sour Patch Apple Harvest pack but could never find them anywhere in stores. It was a crying shame because apple candy is my favorite so I couldn’t believe my good fortune when I found them at 5 Below. So much so, that I had to get two bags of them lol. They are so delish and my favorite is the Apple Cider flavor. They are not as sour as I would like but they are still really tasty nonetheless. I also got a pack of Caramel Apple Peelerz which I have seen all over social media too so peep a TikTok on a taste test for those coming soon. 😀

After the first portion of 5 Below was thoroughly shopped through, it was onto the clothing department where I got a set of pajamas for me and a couple of shirts for Johnny. This summer, I purchased an adorable short and cami top PJ set from TJMaxx and have been living in them. They are the only pair of non sweatpants pajamas I have so I was excited to find another pair that costed twelve dollars in total. I’m so excited to slip into the bat adorned fleece shorts and oversized tee that says Bite Me on it lol. I actually have a tattoo of vampire fangs that say Bite Me on my shoulder as well as a robe with the same sentiments so this PJ set really spoke to me. 🙂

For Johnny’s treats, I was so excited to find a wicked cool Halloween shirt. I am a Texas Chainsaw Massacre girl, myself, but Johnny is a Michael Myers fan through and through and the original Halloween is his all time favorite. Also, peep that young Jamie Lee Curtis! Such a doll then and now. ❤ Another one of our favorite movies that has nothing to do with Halloween is School Of Rock and how amazing is that band tee?! Unfortunately, they didn’t have it in Johnny’s size so I got the next size up because I knew he would like it. He loved them both and wore his Halloween shirt to work the next day!

My last purchase in this haul was a fun craft for my nieces. I had plans for a visit over the weekend and wanted something we could do all together. One of their favorite activities is pottery paint kits so I got a darling set of pottery fruit planters for them to create a masterpiece. This set of three costed six dollars making them two bucks a pop and that is a steal. The girls are always so proud of their painted creations and I can’t wait to see their fantastically fruity works or art. ❤

Whether it is at TJMaxx, Marc’s, or 5 Below – your girl loves to discount shop. This haul was so good it’s scary and I am stoked to see what other Halloween goodies 5 Below has as the happiest season of all continues!

What is your favorite discount store? Have you had any great hauls recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Bath & Body Works August Freebie

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Bath & Body Works August Freebie

Howdy!! I always get so excited when a Bath & Body Works coupon book arrives in the mail because ninety-nine percent of the time it contains a percentage off and a freebie coupon. The latest one I received was for ringing in all of the autumn scents and was actually one of their better ones. There was a free travel size product as well as twenty-five percent off your purchase. Usually it’s only twenty percent so hell yeah because every little bit helps. During my break on Tuesday, I stopped in to cash in my free product and will definitely be back for a reup of my foaming hand soap soon. I don’t need a restock quite yet but that twenty-five percent off is too good to pass up! Let’s take a look at my freebie and discuss:

If I am not rocking a fruity fragrance, I am a vanilla girl through and through. Ever since I was little, my mom and I would revel in all things vanilla because that’s her favorite too and our sentiments have yet to change. So whenever a new to me vanilla scent is on the market at Bath & Body Works, I always have to see what that’s all about! Is Vanilla Romance the best vanilla scent I have ever tried? Not especially lol but it is nice enough just not nice enough to eventually purchase a full size body wash or lotion.

Vanilla Romance features fragrance notes of “fresh cardamom, vanilla absolute, and captivating woods”. I can’t speak for the captivating woods and I swear B&BW just throws anything in their scent notes. The first two notes are usually right on the money and the third one is a kitchen sink addition and it never ceases to make me laugh! Also are they referencing vanilla absolute like the vodka or saying it’s absolutely vanilla? But I digress. Vanilla Romance is more spicy and musky than what I prefer, which is a true vanilla that’s soft and sweet. It’s not pungent enough to be overpowering but it’s definitely on the fence about it. If you are looking for a vanilla scent with some oomph, you might like Vanilla Romance. If you are a fan of pure vanilla, then this is not the scent for you or me!

Although this is not my favorite B&BW fragrance by a long shot, free is free and it gives me a chance to try something new sans commitment. Not mad about it!

Are you on the market for fall fragrances? How often do you restock your bath and body care? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Fruit Salad OOTD

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Fruit Salad OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! Johnny and I had the absolute pleasure of attending the wedding of our two dear friends recently and it was the most wonderful time. The groom actually officiated our wedding and the happy couple holds such a special place in our hearts! The wedding was held on an extremely hot summer day at a lovely reception hall at Hale Farm. I was unsure as to if there were outdoor portions of the evening so I wanted to wear a dress that would keep me nice and cool. I am so happy I did because the party gravitated into the great outdoors after a beautiful wedding! Check it out:

Dress: Cynthia Rowley, TJMaxx

Platforms: Marc Fisher, TJMaxx

I have no idea where the flower stained glass earrings are from!

As the wedding was going to be on a ninety plus degree day, I decided that I would like to try to find a new sundress at TJMaxx. I had other options at home but they were all maxi style, a thicker material, or too casual for the event. I would have made it work but when have I ever turned down a shopping trip? I definitely lucked out because the Cynthia Rowley dress was the last thing I tried on and it was only ten dollars. SCORE!! My only regret is that I didn’t find it earlier into summer because it is just perfect for the season.

This dress is adorned in a fruit salad pattern featuring juicy kiwis, oranges, and pomegranates over an eggshell white background and it looks good enough to eat! The only not so good thing was the tiny buttons going down the center which were a pain in the booty to do with my nails lol. Hey, it was a small price to pay for an otherwise ten out of ten dress! This little number had a belt that cinched into a gorgeous hourglass silhouette and it made me feel like a 1960s housewife. I was so not mad about it!

I know several of the employees at TJMaxx and greet them like old friends. My favorite, however, is the fitting room attendant who is working almost every time I go shopping. I have known her for years and whenever I show her the winners, she will ask what shoes I am going to wear with it. When we talked styling this dress, I told her I was going to wear a pair of baby pink platforms and I earned a high five! The rest of this look was as easy as slipping on my pair of Marc Fisher platforms which matched my 1960s vibe to the T. For earrings, I pulled from the green and yellow hues of the kiwis in the dress and put on a pair of dangly flower shaped earrings that look like stained glass. With that, I was ready for a fabulous time at the wedding!

This Fruit Salad OOTD was oh so yummy and Johnny and I had the most magical time celebrating our friends! ❤

Do you have a favorite employee at the stores you shop at? Do you plan on shopping summer clearance? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

New Cynthia Rowley Dress

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New Cynthia Rowley Dress

Hello! Johnny and I are attending an outdoor summer wedding of our dear friends and we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate such a wonderful couple! The wedding will take place on an almost ninety degree day and as you all know, Lil Red does not do well in extreme heat. For this reason, every dress I had in mind to wear went straight out the window because they were thicker in material or a maxi style. While I would have made do, I thought I would try my luck at TJMaxx to see if I could find something that would keep me more comfortable. During my last trip to TJs, everything summer was getting marked down and I was hoping to find a dress on the cheap. The fashion gods truly smiled upon me because the dress I ended up with was the very last one I tried on! Check it out:

As you might remember, I have a method when it comes to shopping at TJMaxx and this trip was a shining example of why it works so well. Step 1) Make my rounds. Step 2) Try clothes on. Step 3) Revisit the departments for anything I might have missed. As I browsed the store for Step 1, I honestly had thought that I had seen it all. The racks of dresses went from jam packed a few weeks ago to barely anything there. And, unfortunately, every dress I did happen to like did nothing for me during my first fitting room session. I was frustrated and I almost bypassed Step 3 of revisiting the dress racks because surely I couldn’t have missed anything when there were such limited options to pick from. WRONG!!

I was SO dead wrong and this is exactly why you never bypass Step 3! Sure enough, as soon as I returned to the dresses, it was like the pretty little Cynthia Rowley number magically appeared. I took a few other dresses to the fitting room and I shouldn’t have even bothered. This dress was last but certainly not least and it was perfect. The price was perfect too – it was only ten dollars!! My new dress is a linen material and it is nice and light and the pattern just screams summer. It is laden with kiwis, pomegranates, and oranges and is basically a fruit salad in a dress. Have I used the word perfect already? Yes, but I don’t care because it also perfectly compliments by orange and pink nails! It was like my trip to Elysian Nails was leading up to this fateful fitting room moment.

Now, this dress might not be dressy enough for a typical wedding. However, an outdoor summer wedding gives you plenty of wiggle room for what’s appropriate to wear. Let’s be honest, is anyone expecting other people to wear full fledged penguin suits and ball gowns? Hard no. It’s all about light fabrics and sundresses and every dress I tried on prior to the Cynthia Rowley one seemed laughable once it was on. They were all long and heavy and I just know I would have been miserable in them even if they looked good. I was genuinely worried about being in the heat for that long and this dress will allow me to celebrate and dance the night away without getting heat stroke. GREAT SUCCESS!

If at first you don’t succeed at TJMaxx, try and try again or however that old saying goes. My only regret is that I didn’t find this dress sooner because I would have been wearing it all summer long!

Have the stores near you put out fall clothing yet? Do you plan on shopping summer clearance? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Side Hustles You Can Start ASAP

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Side Hustles You Can Start ASAP

Howdy! Literally everything is SO expensive now and it often feels like you’re breaking the bank as soon as you leave the house. For this reason, the side hustle culture has been thriving. You might think side hustles are limited to creative based endeavors like crafting, a stand at the farmers market, or teaching music lessons on the side. This is great for the people who can do so and it’s amazing to support the local makers in your community. However, if you don’t have a talent that is monetization worthy, you might not know where to start. Let’s take a look at some side hustles that you can begin ASAP with no artistic strings attached:

If you love pets and you have some free time on your hands, dog walking could be the perfect side hustle for you. As a member of several Talk Of The Town groups on Facebook, I am always amazed by how many people are interested in this service when someone offers it in a post. It makes a lot of sense, though. A senior member of the community might not be able to walk their dog safely in the winter. Families with children might not have the extra time to walk their pup in the morning when school is back in session. Whatever the reason may be, it will not be as hard as you think to get a couple of clients quickly. From there, it could blossom into house and pet sitting too as the natural next step.

If you are a member of Talk Of The Town pages too, you will certainly have seen posts about housekeeping services. You don’t need to have experience with a professional housekeeping service to have a passion for a good, deep clean and if you have the skills to achieve it – why not give it a shot? Like dog walking, housekeeping is a task that families with children or senior citizens are typically seeking. You will have the satisfaction of cleaning to a shine as well as the fact that you are really helping someone who might not be capable of doing it themselves. Total win/win!

With the first day of school looming just around the corner, the posts looking for tutors for the school year have been flooding my newsfeed. If you are a fresh out of college kid with a degree to flaunt, this could be an amazing way to make some extra cash as you seek out employment options. Tutoring could also be a great gig for retired teachers, teacher’s assistants, those who speak more than one language, or have a wealth of knowledge for the subject at hand. Having a tutoring job for an entire school year will not only be lucrative but really cool. You will be helping your student earn better grades and improve their learning skills which they will have for life.

I know countless people who DoorDash on the side and I have heard nothing but good things about their experience. The key points they always mention are the same: 1) It’s easy. 2) They can do it whenever they want. And 3) The money is pretty good. If you have a car and are a safe driver, it can’t hurt to try a few DoorDash or Uber shifts. I, personally, would not be a good DoorDash driver because I would want to eat everything lol. However, if you have more self control than I, this could be an awesome side hustle when you have a couple of extra hours to spare.

Honestly, it sucks living in a world where a forty hour work week isn’t enough to get you by. The side hustles above could be a really good thing should you need a little extra cushion!

Do you have a side hustle? What do you do? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Bath & Body Works Freebie Haul

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Bath & Body Works Freebie Haul

Hello! On Tuesdays, I have an hour and a half or so break until my last shift of the day. During that time, I will work, read, run errands, have coffee with a friend, or an impromptu shopping date. It’s such a nice little hiatus and I always look forward to it. This past Tuesday, I had a few errands to run before posting up at Starbucks with my Passion Fruit Tea and a good book. I needed bunny supplies and a trip to Bath & Body Works to cash in on all of the freebies. I had a free travel size coupon as well as two free full sized products from their rewards program. It truly couldn’t have come at a better time because they just launched their Halloween line!! Thanks to a helpful employee, I found my new favorite thing and I seriously can’t wait to use it! Check it out:

^^^ You can peep my review for Gingham All-American here!

When it comes to B&BW freebies, I have a system. I always alternate between a shower gel and a lotion so that my stockpile is relatively even Stevens. I had every intention of doing the same with my freebies and that got turned on its head! As soon as I walked in the store, I couldn’t help but share my excitement for the Halloween line with the first employee who talked to me. She asked if I wanted to see her favorite new product and I said ABSOLUTELY. I have been missing the Halloween collection since it left the shelves last year and wanted to see everything B&BW had to offer!

The employee returned with a Shimmer Fizz Body Lotion in my absolute favorite scent of Vampire Blood. When she put some on for me to sample, my mind was blown. This lotion looks like shaving cream when you use it and quite literally fizzes on your skin. It felt like little bubbles dancing and it was the most delightful sensation. Not to mention it was insanely light and hydrating to boot. The piece de resistance, however, was the shimmer. The lotion left behind a sparkly trail of glitter and I was totally and completely sold. So much so that I just had to get another bottle in their newest scent, I Scream Float.

You can check out my Vampire Blood review here, but let’s discuss the brand new addition to the Halloween collection:

I Scream Float: Thanks to Facebook ads, I knew that I Scream Float was going to be hitting the stores and I was SO excited to take a whiff lol. The fragrance notes offered are “fizzing cola, frightful vanilla float, and spooky sugars” and I couldn’t agree more. I Scream Float really does smell like a Coca Cola float with a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream and sugar crystals on the rim. It is absolutely delicious and speaks to my Diet Coke addicted heart. I never thought I wanted to smell like my favorite bevvie but here we are now and I can’t get enough. And, yes, I feel that way about I Scream Float and my beloved Diet Coke!

The Shimmer Fizz Body Lotion from Bath & Body Works is going to be oh so sweet for summer concerts and complimenting Halloween costumes. I can’t wait to use it with my summer OOTDs! My freebie haul totaled out to forty-seven bucks in product and I am beyond happy with it. So much so, that I actually might pay full price for more Shimmer Fizz. RUN don’t walk to get a bottle for yourself!

What is your favorite holiday collection from B&BW? Have you scored any good freebies recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Bath & Body Works Summer Sweets Collection

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Bath & Body Works Summer Sweets Collection

Howdy!! During my last trip to Bath & Body Works, I was on the hunt for hand soaps but spent some time browsing the rest of the store. I had no intention of buying anything else because I refuse to pay full price for their products, I just wanted to see and smell what was new – especially one of their latest collections. I saw advertisements for Bubble Gum, Cotton Candy, and Blue Raspberry scents and I had to see what that was all about! Even though everything smelled awesome, I didn’t make a purchase. As luck would have it, though, this collection was featured a few weeks later in the Semi Annual Sale and I was able to get these products for four bucks instead of eighteen. SCORE!! Check it out and let’s discuss these scents:

^^^ How cute is that packaging?! So fun and summery!

Cotton Candy Clouds: This fragrance literally has me on cloud nine and I am obsessed. I don’t think cotton candy has a scent, but if it did – this would be it! Cotton Candy Clouds offers notes of “spun sugar, pink berries, and whipped vanilla” and as an avid vanilla fan, I am all about it. If you are not, this is definitely one that you can skip on because it really is pure vanilla with the slightest hint of strawberries. Cotton Candy? Maybe. A vanilla cone with fresh strawberries on top? Absolutely!

Bubble Gum Pop: Now, this scent is a lot more straight forward than Cotton Candy Clouds lol. There’s not much room for interpretation on a Bubble Gum scent! Just imagine a piece of Big Chew and there you go. The notes of “gumball sugar, candied fruits, and citrus burst” are all just smoke and mirrors to say “this smells exactly like a piece of bubble gum”. Simple as that! I can’t say that I would get this scent again but I couldn’t resist at least getting a shower gel. 😀

Blue Raspberry Burst: The piece de resistance of this batch has got to be Blue Raspberry Burst! I am a blue flavor gal through and through – blue Gatorade, blue Icees, blue slushies, blue Italian Ice, blue candy, Blue Moon ice cream, all blue everything. If you, too, share my sentiments that anything blue is the best, then this is the scent for you. Blue Raspberry Burst features notes of “blue raspberry (obvi lol), juicy candy, and sweet musk” and smells exactly like a blue Jolly Rancher. AKA the best flavor!! I am SO there for it and had to get it in a fragrance spray too. I can’t wait to use them. ❤

I didn’t think it was possible, but these scents are even sweeter because the price was nice. I got four items for less than it would have costed to get one full price. You can’t beat that!!

Did you shop the B&BW Semi Annual Sale? What did you get in your haul? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale Haul

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Bath & Body Works Semi Annual Sale Haul

Hello!! When it comes to bath and body care in my household, Bath & Body Works reigns supreme. We are huge fans of their foaming hand soap, shower gel, lotion, wallflowers, and hand sanitizers but I would never consider paying full price for them. Rather, I wait until the summer and winter Semi Annual Sales and do a massive restock of all of the goods that keep us smelling good. A few weeks ago, I received a text that said B&BW was offering an early preview of the Semi Annual Sale to their reward members and I hopped on it! For seventy dollars, I scored a total of eighteen items and you just can’t beat that! Check it out and let’s discuss the hand soaps from this haul:

Normally, I go nuts on hand soap during the Semi Annual Sale because we use ours constantly throughout the day. However, I just had a restock of my beloved soaps so I limited myself to four different scents – a couple of the classics and some Christmas in June vibes. I am smelling two of these for the first time as I write this so let’s see what I think lol:

Hot Cocoa & Cream: Wow, this is an incredibly straightforward and new to me scent. If you have ever had a steaming mug of hot cocoa, frothy whipped cream, and sweet marshmallows on a winter day, then that is exactly what Hot Cocoa & Cream smells like. In fact, the featured notes closely mimic what I just said with “decadent milk chocolate, fresh steamed milk, and mini marshmallows”. This would be an amazing scent to do holiday gift baskets with. Love it!

Winter Candy Apple: Other than Vanilla Bean Noel and Twisted Peppermint, Winter Candy Apple is one of my favorite holiday scents from B&BW. Of course, I love anything with the word apple in it when it comes to fragrances! Winter Candy Apple offers notes of “red apples, winter rose petals, and candied oranges”. It smells like a freshly made winter potpourri or tea and is a perfect blend between the apple and orange. It has a bit of spice to it but is primarily oh so sweet.

Fresh Amalfi Lemon: This is the other new to me scent in the batch and it is an interesting one. I was assuming Fresh Amalfi Lemon would be straight up lemon but it surprised me with the notes featured of “lemon leaves, chilled spearmint, and cedarwood citrus”. This is lemony and minty all in one and I actually don’t know how to feel about it lol. It’s not the best nor the worst, but I wouldn’t purchase this one again.

Cucumber Melon: A timeless classic, indeed! It’s hard not to think about Cucumber Melon when you think about Bath & Body Works. It is such a nostalgic scent from junior high and I can vividly remember the notes of “crisp cucumber, watery honeydew, and juicy cantaloupe” wafting around the gym locker room lol. This scent is so melony, so fresh, and just top tier B&BW. I always have to get a little something something from the Cucumber Melon line every Semi Annual Sale!

Stay tuned for more from my haul all week as well as a brand new OOTD! ❤

What is your favorite B&BW scent? Which scent do you wish B&BW would bring back (It’s Pearberry all the way for me!)? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

New Bozzolo Crop Top

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New Bozzolo Crop Top

Howdy!! As you all know, I am not a summer girl whatsoever. I do not handle the heat well, I detest dressing for summer, and it is an all around miserable time for your favorite vampire. Although I am not happy in the slightest about the hot weather, I am extremely happy about the new clothes I got during my last TJMaxx adventure. That is always going to be a surefire way to perk me up! Cool and cute clothes were the name of the game and this eight dollar crop by Bozzolo certainly checks those boxes. Check it out:

Black will forever be my favorite color and a majority of the clothes in my wardrobe feature it. In stark contrast, I also adore white clothing – especially cream hues. These shades make my tattoos pop and I love being able to enhance my artwork accessories. I already have several cream crochet style crops in my closet so, unsurprisingly, this little number by Bozzolo caught my eye. It was an instance where I knew immediately that it would work, the price was nice at under ten bucks, and into the cart it went.

As expected, this cute crop was perfect when I tried it on. The material was soft and light, the thick straps were ideal for covering bra straps, and it looked like it was made to wear with the high waisted shorts I had on. Although this top is fairly simple, it has more to it than my typical tank tops and is a great option to just throw on and go about the day. It also provides the opportunity to dress up or down. It was already fabulous with shorts but would be oh so sweet with a flowing maxi skirt. This is definitely going to be one of my summer go tos and I won’t be giving it up as we transition to fall. It will be totes adorbs under a chunky cardigan too!

There is nothing better than finding clothes that are just right and this top was exactly what I needed for my summer wardrobe. It also might make a cameo in a concert OOTD soon so stay tuned!

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