Tag Archives: ballin on a budget

It’s In The Bag – British Invasion Edition

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It’s In The Bag – British Invasion Edition

Hey everyone and happy Sunday! It’s time to debut a new segment on http://www.lifewithlilred.com, which is appropriately entitled “It’s In The Bag” for obvious reasons! If there’s one thing that I know every girl loves, it’s a great statement purse, and now I’m here to discuss some of my personal favorites from my wardrobe boutique with all of you! Take another look at my go to handbag and then let’s discuss:

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I’m very particular about all of the pieces in my closet and purses are no exception. All of my purchases have to have just the right touches of edgy rocker chic and nothing does it better than this fab find from Charming Charlie! For those of you who are unfamiliar with CC, it’s a huge accessories store – we’re talking purses, jewelry, hats, scarves, clothing, the whole shebang. I don’t venture into Charming Charlie very often, but when I do, I always manage to find some fun new goodies!

I found my British Invasion purse during a shopping trip to Crocker Park, a gorgeous outdoor mall in Westlake, Ohio. Crocker Park offers a huge Charming Charlie that has so much cuteness it’s almost overwhelming. My (ex)friend and I entered the store and the first thing that caught my eye was my studded bag baby. Usually I’m not one to go completely gaga over a purse but I just couldn’t help myself – this one was special. I plucked the bag from the display and power walked my sweet tookus to the closest mirror possible and it truly was perfect. It felt so right flung over my shoulder or clutched in my protective hands. I remember that I was wearing all black that day (as usual) and the bag simply popped against my blank canvas of an outfit. It had to be mine.

Not only is this purse stylish but it’s also very functional, which is something that’s very important to me. When I’m in need of a new bag, the size has to be just right. I don’t want anything too big, like a hobo bag, and I can’t do anything too small either, like a clutch. My ideal purse has to have enough room to fit my wallet, car keys, cigarettes, lighter, lipstick, and any other odds and ends that I might need. My British Invasion purse fits everything comfortably and still offers additional room if I need to throw anything else in. Despite the Lil Red Approved size, I still manage to have difficulty finding my things in there…Go figure. -_-

In all honesty, I’m not a girl who’s one for designer anything, especially when it comes to purses. I’d prefer to find a unique piece that I know not everyone will have and most importantly, I prefer to find it with a reasonable price tag attached. I scored my Charming Charlie British Invasion purse for thirty dollars and to me, this is such a steal. I like to use the “cost per wear” method and the amount of times that I’ve used my bag baby has paid for itself a hundred times over. This purse is sharp, sleek, and so damn cool! I get compliments on it wherever I go and I feel awesome strutting about with its beautiful little self casually hanging over my shoulder. It’s in the bag. ❤

So there you have it, the first edition of It’s In The Bag – British Invasion Edition. Now I need your help! What purse should I write about next? Your choices are between my Betsey Johnson telephone purse or my Target animal skull satchel. I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

If The Shoe Fits – Vince Camuto Edition

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If The Shoe Fits – Vince Camuto Edition

Heyyy everyone and happy Saturday! Welcome to another edition of If The Shoe Fits – Vince Camuto style! With the fall season upon us, I thought it was the perfect time to write about my favorite cold weather booties! Take a look at some more pics of my pretty babies and then let’s discuss the story behind my Vince Camuto’s:

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^^^ LOVE!

Once upon a time on Valentine’s Day of 2015, Lil Red got dumped by a guy who she liked a whole lot. I was so crushed and my heart was heavy with sadness. So what did I do? I went shopping! My mom and I hit up TJMaxx for a fuck Valentine’s Day shopping spree and I became the proud owner of my fabulous Vince Camuto booties. As I browsed through the shoe department, my eyes locked on the booties and I grabbed them immediately. They had everything that I love so very much – black, buckles, and a pointed toe. What more could a girl ask for?…Other than a date on Valentine’s Day. -___- #FML

It’s not like I’m bitter or anything……Where was I? Oh yes, so I grabbed the booties and hauled ass to the nearest bench so I could give the Vinny C’s a try and they were absolutely stellar. They fit comfortably, they looked sleek, and most importantly they made me feel a little better. Not only was I in sad girl shoe heaven BUT I was also in ballin on a budget heaven as well because I got my shoes on a marked down price of twenty-nine dolla holla. Such a steal! (And in case you weren’t aware, sad girl shoe heaven and ballin on a budget heaven are two distinctively different places.)

A lot of people argue that it’s unhealthy to have a shopping spree when they’re upset…I SAY OTHERWISE! Seriously, the only thing that made me happy during that stupid lousy holiday was buying my Vince Camuto’s. Pathetic? Maybe. Worth it? Totally. My mental health was saved by a gorgeous pair of chic, sharp, and sassy as hell ankle boots. They made me feel like I could take on the world…and the gallon of ice cream waiting for me in the freezer, but that’s neither here nor there. What I’m trying to say, is that this sexy staple shoe provided me with a confidence boost that I so desperately needed that day. They made me want to get dolled up and shoot a big fuck you text to the worst guy ever. So once again, I say: If you’re emotional, shop away!!

As I mentioned earlier, my Vince Camuto’s are my go to fall shoe. I love pairing them with my black skinnies and wearing them with a cute pair of short shorts with tights underneath. These booties scream “woman on the go” to me, so obviously they’re my default shoe to wear around campus at Tri-C. The combination of a pointed toe with edgy gold buckles is cool in such an effortless way, so it’s easy to see why I turn to these babies for all of my fall footwear needs!

So there you have it, the newest issue of If The Shoe Fits – Vince Camuto Edition! Has anyone had a shopping situation similar to the one I described? What fall shoe are you most excited to break out this season? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Monday Update: Alright, Alright, Alright Edition

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Monday Update: Alright, Alright, Alright Edition

Whatupppppp everyone and happy Monday! It’s currently one thirty in the AM and I’m not very tired and I promised my sister that I would stop watching the new season of Orange Is The New Black without her, so I figured I would get the Monday Update out of the way now. I hope all of you had a great weekend! I know I did, thanks for asking! As you guys know, I spent my Friday night at the Horseshoe Casino (See article “Casino Adventures”) which was tons of fun – and the good times continued throughout Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was a day of sleeping in, shopping, and date night. Sunday was a day of wonderful company, hair dye, family, and #OITNB. Best. Weekend. Ever!

On Saturday afternoon my mom and I were shopping around in the Fairlawn area and we happened to stumble into Bath & Body Works in the midst of their semi-annual sale. I’ve never been a huge B&BW fan, but holy moley their sale prices were incredible! I got six FULL SIZE (8 oz.) perfumes for the price of one original priced bottle – talk about a deal! As I’ve mentioned before, the only perfume that I wear is Victoria’s Secret’s “Enchanted Apple”, but unfortunately they don’t carry the fragrance year round. The only times they break that scent out is during their semi-annual sales, which is when I stock up on my perfume for the year. About a month ago, I finished my last of five bottles that I purchased during the last VS sale, so I’ve been using the random odds and ends fragrances that my sister and I have…Believe me, I’m not thrilled about it! I feel incomplete without my signature scent. BUT fear not, because I found a very similar apple-y fragrance from B&BW that I’m super obsessed with. B&BW’s “Country Apple” has the exact same sweet/tart fragrance that I love so much in “Enchanted Apple”, so best believe I bought five bottles to keep me going as well as one of their aquatic fragrances “Cool Amazon Rain”. I also stocked up on some dirt cheap lotions which make perfect add ons to birthday and holiday gifts. #BALLIN After shopping with my mama, it was time for date night with my darling, handsome prince Kyle. We went hard on appetizers and yummy drinks at Applebee’s and spent beautiful quality time with each other which was much much needed! Love him! ❤

Yesterday was a pretty chill day which was so nice after being out and about most nights last week. I met up with one of my dear friends, Scott, for some terrific conversation and coffee – which was an absolute joy. He’s definitely on my list of “Lil Red’s Favorite People in The World”! Once I got home in the mid afternoon, my sister and I binge watched #OITNB for a bit and then I got to work on dying my hair. I dye my locks once a month to keep my red fresh and vibrant and let me tell you, it’s a trip washing the dye out of my hair and watching all of the color come out. It straight up looks like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre happened in my shower every time. The rest of my evening was spent plucking my eyebrows to perfection (ayy!), annihilating at Scrabble, watching #OITNB once again, and here I am now getting my blog on!

So now that you guys know what my weekend was looking like, let me tell you all about how freaking excited I am for tonight! I’m going to see Glass Animals at the House Of Blues in Cleveland with one of my comrades and I’m seriously so pumped I could cry!!! I really lucked out when I found out that Glass Animals was playing in Cleveland last Thursday because if it wasn’t for Facebook I would have had no idea. While scrolling through my news feed on FB I happened to see a status from HOB advertising for the chance to win tickets to the show on Monday night. It was weird that it showed up on my news feed because I have yet to “like” HOB or Glass Animals on there, so there was no reason for it to show up – but I’m so beyond glad that it did! As soon as I saw that they were playing I bought tickets ASAP because there’s no way in hell that I would pass up seeing these guys live. I’ve been in love with Glass Animals since last September and I’ve told literally everyone who I’ve introduced their music to how much I would love to see them live. I can’t believe that in less than twenty-four hours I’ll be hanging out at the House Of Blues watching one of my favorite bands perform! AHHHH! June will definitely be a good month for concerts, because I’ll be back at HOB on the 30th to see one of my other favorites, AWOLNATION, compliments of my brother for my birthday. What a guy! I’m also pretty hyped because Family Of The Year is opening for them and I happen to really like them too! Exciting stuff!!

^^^ SO GOOD! Also, if you’re interested in shopping the semi-annual sale at Bath & Body Works, their offers are available online as well at: http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/home/index.jsp! Happy shopping!

So there you have it, my Monday Update: Alright, Alright, Alright Edition! #MCCONAUGHEY!!!! Make sure you check back in with me at some point during the week to hear all about my Glass Animals concert experience! Is anyone going to any concerts coming up? What about any of the festivals like Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, or the Hangout Fest? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Have a lovely day! -Sarah

Monday Update: Shoes, Shoes Shoes Edition!

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Monday Update: Shoes, Shoes Shoes Edition!

Helloooo everyone and welcome to my Monday Update: Shoes, Shoes, Shoes Edition! My mom and I had a fabulous afternoon of shopping at Kohl’s yesterday and I made out like a bandit in the markdown shoes department. Take a look at my three new beauties that I got for an amazing price:

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^^^ So gorgeous, right? Before I discuss the experience, here’s the usual break down of each shoe and the brand. I also will be including the original and markdown prices as well!

  • Black wedges: Kohl’s, Apt. 9 (Originally $64.99, marked down to $18 and some change)
  • White lace up wedges: Kohl’s, Juicy Couture (Originally $74.99, marked down to $50)
  • Mushroom grey wedges: Kohl’s, Juicy Couture (Originally $74.99, marked down to $19 and some change)

For three amazing pairs of shoes I paid about $90 and saved a total of over $100…if that’s not ballin on a budget then I don’t know what is!

When my mom asked me to go to Kohl’s with her I really had no intention of buying anything – but lo and behold, I ended up having multiple shoegasms that resulted in my ever growing shoe collection to expand once again. Kohl’s always has amazing winter markdowns, especially in the shoe department. In fact, some of my favorite shoes have came from the end of winter sales, including my beloved Vera Wang wedges and a really amazing pair of lace up espadrille wedges. So needless to say, I’m not surprised with how lucky I got in the shoe section yesterday. By the time I got to the shoesies, I already had an armful of clothes that I planned on trying after I breezed through the shoes. But I shouldn’t have lied to myself, because with Lil Red there’s no such thing as “breezing through” the shoe department. AS IF. As soon as I got to the shoe section my eyes fell on my beautiful new lace up Juicy heels and I knew that they had to be mine. My armful of clothes was no longer of importance, because I was in shoe territory now and the only thing that mattered was getting those pretty babies on my feet ASAP. It was seriously love at first sight and I feel even deeper into my affection once I took my first steps in them. They were perfect. I was in love, and when my mom showed up to take a look at my finds, so was she. While strutting about the shoe section in my latest obsession, I happened to notice the green/grey Juicy wedges which made my heart beat a little faster when I laid eyes on them. I grabbed my size and when I looked at the price I almost had an aneurism! Nineteen dollars?! Yes, please. In all reality, I didn’t even have to try these shoes on because I knew I was going to purchase them. They were adorable and you’re not going to NOT buy a pair of Juicy wedges for under twenty bucks! I modeled them for the full length mirror and my mama anyways, and while I took my usual stroll around the shoe department once more to test the waters of the wicker basket detailed wedges I locked eyes on one more fabulous find…the black zip up Apt. 9 wedges for EIGHTEEN DOLLARS. I basically shoegasmed everywhere. Once again, I snatched up my size and returned back to my mom and try on bench for the last time. My mom is such an amazing sport – every new shoe that I showed up with she rolled her eyes and said something along the lines of “it must be hard having everything look good on you” or “Sarah, you’re the only one who could pull those off…other than the designers”. So sweet! My Apt. 9 wedges were no exception, because as soon as they were on my feet they had the mama and Sarah stamp of approval…who could ask for anything more?!

Annnnd in case you were wondering, here’s a picture of my shirt that I got at The Used concert on Saturday night!

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^^^ Love, love, love.

I hope all of you guys are having a wonderful Monday! Where are all of my fans of The Following at? How excited are you for tonight’s new episode?! I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: My new shoe purchases can be found online at http://www.kohls.com or possibly in stores depending on their markdown selection!

Crocker Park Fun!!

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Crocker Park Fun!!

Hello all and happy Saturday! I had an absolutely fabulous time shopping at Crocker Park yesterday with my lovely Kate! We braved the spring time snow in Ohio to get our shop on and it was so worth it. And great news: I found a mustard yellow shirt that I’m in love with!! H&M has the cutest new spring and summer clothes out right now, and taking advantage of my twenty percent off coupon resulted in three to die for new pieces for under sixty dollars! Take a look: #ballinonabudget

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Embellished mid length blouse: Yeeeee! I absolutely ADORE this shirt. In fact, it’s my favorite thing that I got yesterday. I’m really excited about this piece because I don’t own anything pure white and I don’t own anything like this shirt in general. I usually shy away from button down tops and blouses because I find them unflattering on me. I’m also not a huge fan of “flowy” clothing because I prefer my clothes to be more form fitting. However, this sassy little blouse is too perfect for words. The embellished collar and mid length cut of the shirt gives it the rock n’ roll edge that I always search for in my clothing. The blouse hits right at the waist line of my black skinnies which I love because it shows some skin while you’re moving about. I love clothes that play peek a boo with my side tattoo. This semi sheer shirt is also the perfect one to show off the intentional exposed bra trend which I’m pretty hyped about too! I love this blouse so much that I plan on double checking online if H&M has it in black so I can order it as well. So clearly obsessed!

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Faux suede skirt: Such a cute little number! I’m not the biggest skirt fan in the world, but I thought this would be a really sweet spring and summer piece that I could easily transition into my fall and winter wardrobe. I really like the cool seam details and the faux suede texture gives it a fun unexpected twist. I’m really excited to pair this with my new embellished blouse, flannels, or just a plain old graphic tee to help dress it up. The deep rusty color of this skirt screams fall to me, so it will be fun to pair this bad boy with knee high socks and a blazer and be on my merry way!

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Mustard yellow top: Woohoo! I love this shirt!!!! I got this little linen beauty for seven bucks on the clearance rack, and it was the best money I’ve spent in a long time! I love the way that the mustard yellow color pops against my signature red hair, red lip, and pasty pale skin. Seriously, the color is everything I imagined it being AND MORE! I have so many outfit ideas for this simple top already, from pairing it with my tribal print body con skirt to my navy blue Audrey Hepburn-esque trouser pants this top is going to become one of my go to pieces…I can feel it! I have some really gorgeous Lucky Brand wooden jewelry and a stunning turquoise necklace that my brother got me from New Mexico that will go perfectly with this little baby. The possibilities are endless and I can’t wait to explore them all!

As you can see from my fab new purchases it was a very successful trip to Crocker Park! I can’t wait to incorporate all of these new pieces into my looks for many seasons to come! I couldn’t find a pair of shorts that I liked enough to buy yesterday so that’s the last thing I need to complete my spring and summer wardrobe!

I hope all of you are having a terrific weekend! If you know of any stores that sell knee high gladiator sandals OR some really good normal rise shorts please leave me a comment and let’s chat! I’ll be on the prowl for them on my next shopping trip so I’m up for any suggestions! Much love. -Sarah

PS: All of these items should be available for purchase in stores or online at http://www.hm.com! And if you sign up for their email newsletter you’ll receive a twenty percent off of one item coupon! 🙂

Happy Friday!!

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Happy Friday!!

Heyyyy everyone and TGIF! To celebrate one of the best days of the week enjoy one of the worst songs in the world and then we’ll chat!

FRIDAY FRIDAY GETTIN DOWN ON FRIDAYYYY……oh you’re done already? I…uhh…whoops. 😉

I’ll be out of office today because I’ll be spending a lovely afternoon and evening at Crocker Park with my best ladyfriend, Kate. I’ve wrote about Crocker Park before, but if you’re unfamiliar with it, it’s a beautiful outdoor shopping mall in Cleveland. It has the absolute best stores, like H&M, Urban Outfitters, and Express. Going to Crocker Park is one of my favorite things to do in Ohio and I’m so excited because I really need to finish assembling my spring and summer wardrobe. All I really need now is some shorts but I also have my heart set on finding an awesome mustard yellow piece to add to my collection. Mustard yellow is probably one of the only colors I don’t have a piece of clothing or accessory in so I hope I find something! Preferably a blazer or light jacket – I feel like a mustard yellow outerwear item would be super cute for spring. I also wouldn’t say no to a new pair of gladiator sandals either! I would love to find a knee high pair, but I’ve been having no luck finding any in stores. I’ve seen them online before, but a shoe like that is something I would definitely need to try on before purchasing so I can make sure that it’s completely perfect. Last night I downloaded the Retailmenot app on my iPod so I could get a feel for all of the sales going on at the stores in Crocker Park. There seems to be a lot of good deals going on which is great, because you know I’m all about ballin on a budget. ALSO, if you’re an H&M fan, you can go on their website and sign up for their newsletter to receive a twenty percent off of one item coupon. I love H&M so much so if I find something there today, the twenty percent off will make it even sweeter! #ballinonabudget Today is sure to be a beautiful perfect day full of fun, fashion, and of course: treatin yoself!!

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I hope all of you have a fantastic Friday and weekend! Do you have any fun plans coming up? I wanna hear all about them, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: If you know of any stores that sell knee high gladiator sandals please holla atcha girl!!!

 

OMG Shoes!

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OMG Shoes!

Shoes. Make. Me. Happy. Seriously, nothing makes me feel better than adding a new pair of kicks to my ever growing collection. In the immortal words of Madonna “we are living in a material world and I am a material girl,” damnit! But lucky for my wallet, this material girl knows how to ball on a budget, because I got a gorgeous new pair of Madden Girl combat boots for twenty dolla holla today! Special shout out to Journey’s and their amazing winter sale for providing me with a guilt free splurge on an originally sixty dollar boot! Here’s a pic of my pretty new babies:

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Ahhhh I love them so much it hurts! Tonight I hit up the mall with my sisters boyfriend Ramon to visit her at work at The Body Shop. It made my retail goddess heart swell with pride to see Kristen in my previous employment stomping grounds! After we hung out with my sis for a bit, Ramon and I did some shopping of our own. I contained myself on making any purchases at any of the clothing stores, which was super hard because everything was so damn cute! I thought that myself and my bank account were home free as Ramon and I started walking towards our exit, when of course, I got sidetracked at Journey’s. A few heels caught my eye and some of the sandals were cute, but when I saw my boots I had heart palpitations. I love Madden Girl shoes so much and when I saw the $19.99 sale price I knew that it was meant to be. When I slipped these bad boys on it was true love. The love was so pure and beautiful and stronger than I feel about most people. (Ha!) In my mind I was thinking “Sarah, you have like five pairs of combat boots at home.” BUT in my defense, my beloved favorite pair in the whole wide world is no longer wearable because the bottom of the shoe is tearing off completely. (I can’t bear to part with them though.) AND all of my other pairs are worn to the ground as well, and Lil Red refuses to wear them. They’re grungy in the gross way at this point, not in the cute 90’s grunge way. Anyways, once I mentally defended purchasing the shoes, I happily treated myself with my new addition to my collection. Best twenty dollars spent EVER! #treatyoself

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I have the most delightful apple scented candle burning as I write this post and happy thoughts of all of the outfits my new boots can take part in….it’s glorious! Tonight was absolutely lovely, it was a perfect start to my spring break!! To officially kick off my week long freedom from school, white girl wastedness will probably take place tomorrow! AYYY!

I hope all of you have sweet dreams and make sure to sleep as much as you can since we’re losing an hour this weekend. -___- #UGH Do you guys have any wild and crazy plans coming up? What was your favorite ballin on a budget purchase? I’d love to hear from you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! I leave you with a thought from one of the worst rappers alive, Riff Raff: “I was born to ball (on a budget!), whether it be hoopin or two door Bentley coopin.” The parenthesis were added by me, of course! Goodnight and much love! -Sarah