Tag Archives: best friends

Mar22

Happy Birthday, Mom!!

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Happy Birthday, Mom!!

Hello! Today is a special day, because it is my beautiful, amazing, wonderful mother’s birthday. Saying that my mom is my best friend is a severe understatement. I don’t know what is better than a best friend, but that’s what she is. She is my confidant, my TJMaxx partner in crime, and my viewing buddy for Ellen DeGeneres, The Voice, and America’s Next Top Model.

Although my mom and I love being women on the go, I love being able to just hang out and enjoy our lunch or dinner together when one of us isn’t working. It’s such a treat to sit down and chat while sharing a meal or one of her to die for grilled cheeses on her homemade bread. YUM.

Through simple pleasures and sweet surprises, my mom brings so much joy to my life. I literally can’t look at her without smiling. Every day, my mom teaches me something new about physical and emotional fortitude, kindness, and just taking life one step at a time. Through both good days and bad, JANE radiates positivity wherever she goes, and I think that anyone can take a page out of that book.

To the best mom and friend in the world, we raise our Margarita glasses to you!

Happy Birthday, Mom! ❤

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(And shout out to the man in the blue shirt on the far right who has no relation whatsoever to my family. Best photobomb ever.)

Who else is celebrating a birthday soon? What is one of your best birthday memories? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar3

Accessory Story: Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, And Something Blue Edition

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Accessory Story: Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, And Something Blue Edition

Howdy! Does anyone have an accessory that they wear every day? Maybe it’s your favorite bracelet, the earrings that you never take out, or the anklet that’s too difficult to bother taking off. I actually have four bracelets that I wear every day, compliments of my beloved mom and the beautiful Kate of Ankhor You.

Back in October, you might remember that I spent some time in New York City for the first annual Bloggers Conference between me and Kate. Once I was there, it was fabulous. But, I’ll tell ya what, getting there was a bit of a struggle. I had never traveled alone before and, needless to say, I was freaking the fuck out lol. But, in true mom fashion, my darling JANE always knew just what to say and do to calm me down. She let me pick out one of her pieces of jewelry so it was like she was with me on the trip. It was

SO SWEET

And I ended up selecting the following bracelet set from my mom:

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By the time I arrived home from my NYC extravaganza, I was too attached to the bracelets to give them back and asked my mom if I could keep them. Obviously, she said yes, because I have been wearing them every day since my trip. The bracelets are kind of falling apart now and beads are falling off. But, I plan on wearing them until every single bead is gone. ❤

These bracelets are old, blue, and technically borrowed – so what’s the new one? This here Alex and Ani bracelet from the beautiful Kate, of course:

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This gorgeous Harry Potter themed bracelet was a Christmas surprise from Kate, and I have been wearing it every day since it arrived in the mail. This is my first Alex And Ani bracelet and it couldn’t be more perfect. The theme, the sentiment behind it, the element of surprise from a package in the mail from NYC. I get emotional just thinking about it!!! :*)

When these bracelets combine, I have something old, new, borrowed, and blue and my day wouldn’t feel complete without having them on my wrist. So special thanks to my mom and my darling Kate for gifting me with something that makes me smile every day. I LOVE YOU!!! ❤

Do you own anything that fits the old, new, borrowed, and blue guidelines? Do you have a piece of jewelry that you wear daily or don’t take off? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan10

Accessory Story: Surprise Pick Me Up Edition

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Accessory Story: Surprise Pick Me Up Edition

Hiiiiiiii! My mom is my best friend, partner in crime, and shopping buddy. Our excursions to the shops has given my mom expert knowledge into Lil Red’s fashion sense, and she now seems to know my personal style like the back of her hand. My mom is also an amazing surprise giver and always seems to know when her daughter needs a little pick me up. After a seriously lackluster and downright shitty afternoon, my beloved mom returned home from Target with these gorgeous earrings for little old moi:

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When it comes to earrings, I made the lifestyle choice years ago to only wear dangly ones, because they are extra fun with short hair. I also deeply enjoy loud gold jewelry, but never really buy any for myself because I’m not the biggest accessorizer in the world. I love these earrings that my mom picked out for me, but I don’t know if I would have bought them for myself – which is probably exactly why she chose them!

It doesn’t take much to make me happy. A kind word always will do – but a lovely new pair of earrings definitely helps the cause! Thanks to a sweet surprise, my mom took away the not so stellar parts of my day and replaced it with something good and kind. She really is the best!

I LOVE YOU, MOM!!!! ❤

What is the easiest way for someone to cheer you up? How do you like to surprise a loved one? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan4

Holiday Haul Finale: The Room Edition

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Holiday Haul Finale: The Room Edition

Helloooo everyone and welcome to the conclusion of my Holiday Haul, once again compliments of my sister. Kristen was truly the Christmas MVP this year so cue the applause for that wonderful woman! The Room is easily my favorite bad movie ever and it brings me so much joy introducing it to other people. It took Kristen a long time to accept The Room for the hilarity that it is, but her life changed for the better when she finally did.

We recently enjoyed a sister date night to see The Disaster Artist and were in stitches the entire time. Our next “The Room” related festivities include going to the midnight showing of it in Cleveland that happens monthly at an indie theater. I CAN’T WAIT! For Christmas, Kristen gifted me with two of the following prezzies that Tommy Wiseau would be proud of:

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Seen above is a shirt featuring the infamous tagline of “You’re tearing me apart, Lisa” with Tommy Wiseau in a moment of frustrated passion. There is also a homemade card that she ordered from the flower shop “Hi, doggy” scene. If that isn’t prezzie perfect, then I genuinely don’t know what is. Kristen and I were absolutely dying when I opened this gift and I am so excited to finally own some merchandise from The Room!

This Holiday Haul was incredibly successful and I had an amazing time celebrating Christmas with my family. The company, food, and tom foolery was all as good as it can get, and it was definitely one of my favorite Christmases yet.

So there you have it, my Holiday Haul Finale: The Room Edition! Who else is a fan of the infamously bad flick, The Room? What is your favorite cult film? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec22

Christmas Surprise Pt. 3

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Christmas Surprise Pt. 3

Hey! For as long as I can remember, my BFF Lea and I have exchanged presents for Christmas. Earlier this week, we had our annual best friend jamboree, where we gave each other our prezzies, drank wine, and had hella girl talk all while lounging on my basement futon. It was a blast! Lea and I love to shop for each other, and this year, she knocked it out of the park with my gifts. Take a look:

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The Haul:

  • A bottle of wine (Already used!)
  • An elephant tealight holder
  • A minion ornament!!!
  • Bath and body goodies (Bath salts, lotion, and a scrub)

Lea knows me all too well, because I seriously loved everything that was in my gift bag. Wine is a must, and we shared the bottle together during our afternoon hangout (“It’s five o’clock somewhere”!). I love knick knacks so the gorgeous elephant candle holder and minion ornament were perfect. And, what girl doesn’t love bath and body products?! I’m always looking to add to my B&B care hoard, so it was great to put some extra goodies in my stash.

Even if Lea and I hang out once a month or once a week, depending on our schedules, we always pick up right where we left off. She really is the best friend a girl could ask for and we will be going on ten years of BFFhood in the new year. I LOVE HER SO MUCH!!!! :*)

How do you and your BFF celebrate the holidays? Is your best friend easy or hard to shop for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec20

Christmas Surprise Pt. 2

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Christmas Surprise Pt. 2

Hey! Someone who is very dear to me is my neighbor, Alice. After years of living next door to her, we have recently become close and I revel in our almost weekly coffee dates at her place. About a month ago, we ventured to the darling Two Cafe in Solon, Ohio for lunch and had a total blast. Not only is Two a cafe but it’s also a boutique with the most beautiful handcrafted items for sale.

Included in the boutique section of Two was a little red ice skate that we both agreed was made for me, as a former Lil Red skater girl. During our gift exchange, I learned that Alice made the almost forty minute drive back to Two to get me the skate decoration for Christmas. Take a look:

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Besides for absolutely LOVING this gift and how adorable it is, I love the thought behind it the most. Alice literally saved this in her archives as my Christmas gift and made a special trip to get it just for me. That’s better than any gift that I could ever receive. I value my neighborly friendship so much, and her care and beautiful thoughts behind this present are something that I will never forget!

What is one of the most thoughtful gifts that you have ever received? How do you put special thoughts into your gift buying? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec19

Christmas Surprise

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Christmas Surprise

Helloooo!! Last week, my beloved, darling, beautiful best friend Kate from Ankhor You sent me over an early Christmas Surprise and I am so beside myself in all of the feels. Aside from bonding over being former skater girls, Kate and I both share a passionate love for Harry Potter. We’ve texted throughout entire HP movies on ABC and spent every evening of our Bloggers Conference tucking into a Harry Potter Weekend flick before bed. Needless to say, we’re obsessed.

Returning home from work to see any type of mail that isn’t bills is always a treat, but it was even more special coming home to something from Kate. I was expecting a holiday card and nothing more from my friend, but ended up with this beautiful Alex And Ani bracelet, instead. AND A CARD!!!!!

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This gorgeous Hogwarts crest Alex And Ani bracelet is so special to me, because it is something that I would never buy for myself. I have ogled over A&A jewelry for some time now, but I ball on a budget so it was always lusting over it from afar. Kate picked out the literal perfect Christmas gift to treat me with and I have worn it every day since it arrived in the mail.

With Kate in New York and me in Ohio, I don’t get to give Kate a huge hug every time we hang out on FaceTime or text, and this bracelet is like a hug from one of my dearest friends. I love it SO much and I can’t wait for my present to Kate to arrive in the Big Apple ASAP!!

How do you treat your friends to a Christmas Surprise? How do you stay close to far away friends? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov18

Mean Muggin’

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Mean Muggin’

Hi everyone and happy weekend! One present that always sits well with me are coffee mugs. Lil Red loves her caffeine, and I love novelty mugs just as much as the next person. My thing, though – is that I never use them! I guess I never really noticed the coffee mug collection that has accumulated on my desk at home until my sister pointed it out. But I can’t help myself. Mugs break, there can be dishwasher disasters, paint and pieces can chip – these are all chances that I’m not willing to take! So, I leave my precious mugs to be admired on my desk and will usually put my knick knacks in them, instead.

Here are just a few of my mugs in my collection – travel ones not included, because that’s an entirely different story!

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Obviously, my sister and best friends know exactly what to gift me with and all of these mugs are special to me. But, I have to admit, that I am most partial to my minion mug from my sister a la my birthday last year! I am completely Despicable Me obsessed, so Kristen really hit the nail on the head with that one. It’s the cutest! :*)

Will I ever get around to using my mug collection? Maybe. Am I mad about it? No way! Whoever said that you have to use items that you collect is a liar! What are some of the things that you collect? Do you get any use out of your collections? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct26

AnkhorRed’s First Annual Bloggers Conference Highlights

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AnkhorRed’s First Annual Bloggers Conference Highlights

Hi everyone and happy Thursday! Today, we are going to discuss three of my favorite things from Lil Red’s trip to the Big City for my bloggers conference with Kate from Ankhor You. Obviously, I could go on for literal days on end about the BC, but I don’t want to give you guys FOMO on what was an amazing trip! I know, I know, I’m far too kind. Anywho, let’s get started:

1) The time spent with Kate:

Honestly, it really didn’t matter where Kate and I had our bloggers conference, because I’m confident that we could make any location fun. Cemeteries, dollar stores, the middle of nowhere – but given these options, I’m glad that we were in NYC! If you think that Kate is the coolest, sweetest, most fashionable girl on the planet based on her blog, just wait until you meet her in real life… BECAUSE SHE IS!!!!!!

Kate was always someone that I was impressed by and admired before I met her, but our BC just solidified that for me even more. Not only is she as genuine and kind as she is via her blog, text, and FaceTime in person but she really is a modern day Renaissance woman, as she describes herself on her page. As a writer/skater/yoga instructor/amazing human/fashionista, she takes Manhattan by storm, and does it all while walking literal miles per day in the fiercest outfits you’ll ever see.

Kate is a person who follows her dreams and achieves them in her own way and I think that everyone can take a note from that. From binging on Harry Potter to walking down Fifth Avenue and eating hella food, being with Kate was everything that I hoped it would be AND MORE. And you better believe I miss her like crazy!

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^^^ SHE’S ALSO SO PRETTY OMGGGGGG!

2) Skating at Rockefeller Center:

As I mentioned yesterday, Kate and I are both former skater girls, which is how we initially bonded. Then, upon talking further, we realized that we are basically the same person, lol good times. Anyways, I knew that after reminiscing with her constantly about skating, that going together during our BC was a necessity. Although the TWENTY-FIVE DOLLAR ADMISSION into Rockefeller was steep and, sadly, it is nowhere near as big as it is on TV and film, we had a blast.

It was so much fun to be able to skate around the rink and (cautiously) make our way into the center to do a few tricks when it was safe for us to do so. I love going skating with my friends and family, and even though I was so far away from Ohio, I felt right at home with Kate on the rink. It was so special to be able to share the ice with someone who genuinely appreciates it as much as I do. I’m looking forward to skating with Kate again hopefully soon, but maybe next time we’ll be in Ohio where admission onto the ice is free or way cheaper!

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3) Eating (literally) all the food:

Sigh. I go to NYC and instead of writing about sightseeing or all of the amazing places that we went to, I choose to write about food. But I like to eat, SUE ME FOR IT. Kate took me to all of her favorite places like Maison Kayser, Le Pain, BareBurger, and Bonjour Crepes & Wine. For four days in a row, we ate like queens and, although my wallet and waistband weren’t thanking me, my heart and stomach definitely were. #fatandhappy

Going to New York and experiencing all of the different options to eat at was incredible, albeit a little overwhelming! In Akron, Ohio, we do have some specialty restaurants, but for the most part, we have a lot of chain dining. Think, Applebee’s, the Olive Garden, TGIFridays, etc. Being in a location where literally every restaurant is a specialty one was insane! I’m so happy that Kate gave me options of places that she knew that I would like, because we probably would have spent a majority of our bloggers conference waiting for me to pick a place to eat!! I miss Kate like crazy, but I would be a liar if I didn’t say that I miss all of the food, too! 😉

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So there you have it, my highlights from AnkhorRed’s First Annual Bloggers Conference! And let it be known that I LOVE YOU, KATE!!!! What is one of your favorite things to do in New York City? What places are on your travel bucket list? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct25

AnkhorRed’s First Annual Bloggers Conference

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AnkhorRed’s First Annual Bloggers Conference

Hi everyone and happy Hump Day! As you all know, Lil Red visited the Big City this month to visit my blogging (and real life) BFF, Kate, from Ankhor You. After literal months of constant texting and FaceTiming, we decided to take the next “big step” in our friendship and finally meet each other!

In case you didn’t know, Kate and I are both former figure skaters, so we planned our get together for October, when the rinks in New York are open. Kate jokingly called our hang out a “bloggers conference” and it was so funny and appropriate that it stuck. After what seemed like months of waiting…because it was quite literally months of waiting…October rolled around and the BC was a go! I Greyhounded myself to Manhattan (A ten hour ride!) and was greeted by Kate at the gate.

Saying that our first “real life” meeting was surreal is a true understatement. Yes, we talk every day and yes, we FaceTime almost weekly but talking via phone is never the same as meeting in real life. Anyone on CatFish can attest to that! But our initial meeting went exactly how I hoped it would go – with a big hug and infinite high pitched “eeeeeeee’s”. Although, I could do without the fact that I needed to go to the Port Authority bathroom immediately after and that I was blind as a bat because I accidentally fell asleep on the bus in my one a day contacts and had to take them out. Smh.

ANYWAYS, spending four days in NY and staying in Kate’s “doll house” apartment was magnificent, to say the least. The days were long and filled with walking, in heels no less! But the company was fantastic, the laughter was nonstop, and, as if things couldn’t get any better, a Harry Potter marathon on TV was there to greet us every evening.

Tomorrow, I will discuss some of my favorite highlights of my trip and some more NYC fun with one of my favorite people on the planet! Where is your favorite place to travel to? What is your preferred method of travel? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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