Tag Archives: besties

Happy Birthday, Best Friend!!

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Happy Birthday, Best Friend!!

Hello everyone!! Today is a special, wonderful day because it is my best friend, Kate’s, birthday! Kate is the fabulous author behind Live In The Nautical and I am thankful every day for how we were connected through the magical blogosphere. Kate and I have been besties since lifewithlilred was created almost eight years ago and a friendship like this is why I started my page in the first place.

The crazy thing about mine and Kate’s best friend status is that we have only met each other in person once several years ago. However, when we are having our five hour long FaceTime dates and textathons, it is like she is right there hanging out in my new apartment. Blogging is so special because it gives you the opportunity to form friendships like this and that novelty has yet to wear off close to a decade later.

Kate is one of the most kind, thoughtful, hilarious, fashion savvy gals that I have ever met. While we both agree that birthdays should be celebrated all month long, she truly deserves to be celebrated every day. Her work ethic inspires me and, despite both of our crazy schedules, we are never too busy for each other and I know that I can go to her for anything. Although my Gemini twin spoiled me for my birthday, she is the best gift in the whole world.

I love you darling best friend and I just know that this will be the best year yet!!

Happy Birthday!!!!! ❤

Blogging Bestie Birthday Gifts

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Blogging Bestie Birthday Gifts

Hello!! When I first began lifewithlilred almost eight (!!!) years ago, it put me in touch with the amazing Kate of Live In The Nautical. We became fast friends and bonded over our Gemini twinhood, figure skating, shopping, and a shared love of Harry Potter. Ever since, it has felt weird to have a day when we are not in touch and I live for our FaceTime dates.

Kate is, truly, the best friend a gal could ever ask for and we love spoiling each other for gift giving occasions. And, spoil me she did with these glorious gifts:

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My love for Taco Bell knows no bounds and if I wouldn’t blow up like a balloon, then I would eat there every day lol. Kate knows this all too well, which is why she went with that theme for my birthday gifts! Her and I both love collecting coffee mugs so I was thrilled to be able to add a new one to my always growing coffee mug shelf. And, yes, my princess name absolutely would be Taco Belle. 😀

I also received an amazingly comfy cute sweater that featured my favorite color and my favorite place on the graphic on the back of it. I can’t believe I’m saying this because it still feels so foreign but it actually gets chilly in my new apartment! This was far from the case in the old one where the heat was suffocating. It feels so good to cozy up in this sweater in the air conditioning. And, of course, I can’t wait to rock it while out and about this fall!

My almost decade long friendship with Kate will always be the best gift that I could ever ask for. She brings me so much joy and I am thankful for her every day – especially since we talk literally all day every day! Her birthday gifts to me are so thoughtful, hilarious, and perfectly showcases everything I hold dear lol. Make sure you check out her page at Live In The Nautical! ❤

Who is your best friend? What do you admire about them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Happy Birthday, Johnny!!!!

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Happy Birthday, Johnny!!!!

Hello everyone!! It is a happy, wonderful day because it is my darling husband’s birthday!! Johnny turns the big 3-3 today and I am so excited to celebrate him even more than usual. My Johnny is the best husband, blog husband, friend, and partner in crime that a gal could ever ask for and I am so lucky to be his ol’ ball and chain. ❤

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Ever since our first date, Johnny and I have basically been joined at the hip and every second is an amazing one. Whether we are out and about or just sitting at home, we always have the best time together because we are in our own bubble of happiness and jokes that only we find funny. Speaking of funny or as Johnny would say “funny looking”, he constantly has me in stitches and there have been times when we are laughing so hard we end up crying!

It is never a dull moment with my husband and even the most mundane things end up being an adventure… Five minute drives that I insist on calling “road trips”, grocery shopping, and even housework turns into us just having fun. A prime example of this is when we were moving and I was getting frustrated and Johnny spent a solid minute dancing behind my car before I could make another trip for more boxes. My annoyance turned into belly laughing and it is the image that I think of when I reflect on our moving day.

Our almost three year relationship has been a whirlwind of big events from Johnny’s concerts, family vacations, moving in together, getting married, and moving again. The little things are always what sticks in my mind, though. OOTD shoots, date nights, movie marathons, and even Johnny hovering in the kitchen when I’m cooking tie together the mosaic of our lives with love and lots of laughter.

I love you so much, darling Johnny!

Happy Birthday!!!! ❤

Double Dose Of OOTDs

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Double Dose Of OOTDs

Hello! The last time that mine and Johnny’s darling friend, Shannon, came to visit, he took some amazing JCPenney style portraits of us. Johnny and I love them so much and can’t wait to get them printed and framed! Shannon also took some gorgeous glamour shots of yours truly that I am very excited to share with all of you:

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Who? What? Wear?

Shannon is one of our dearest friends and is so talented at his craft. He has taken pictures at so many shows that Johnny has played and he always makes time to take some shots of me too! Shannon, unfortunately, lives in Marietta and that is just not close enough for mine and Johnny’s liking so it is always a treat when he comes to stay with us. And, when he did, he essentially brought an entire photo studio in a duffel bag.

Shannon had a plethora of different backgrounds, equipment, and ingenious hacks for us to play with. For example, the foil like back drop that he shot my pictures with is just a table cloth that he got from The Dollar Store! Like I said, ingenious and they are, easily, some of my favorite pictures of me.

For that ultra glam background, we wanted a more mod style look and I thought that my Victoria Beckham dress was the perfect solution. It is so classic and it wouldn’t be competing with the shining lights back drop, which was ideal. I got this dress SO long ago and have only worn it a handful of times and I have no idea why it isn’t in my regular outfit rotation. I love the Alice In Wonderland inspo with the White Rabbit on the collar and it adds such a sweet quirky touch to a basic Little Black Dress.

The next background we tried was a sheath of red suede and we decided to go for a more laid back look to compliment it. For that outfit, I wanted to invoke the vibes that I’d like to look like when I’m blogging away. Although, in all reality, I am definitely always just writing in my pajamas but that’s neither here nor there lol.

Like my Victoria Beckham dress, I wanted to go with a classic outfit along with some cozy touches because these pictures were taken way back in January. I went with my skull sweater by 360 Cashmere that I adore paired with my favorite distressed pair of skinnies. The sweater is oversized and baggy, so it needed the form fitting jeans on bottom to balance things out. Then, I chose my Chase + Chloe loafers, which I thought looked charming against the deep red back drop. Also, peep the hardware on those babies!

These pictures boast two very different looks and I am absolutely loving them. Many thanks again to Shannon for always making me look good and for being the best friend that Johnny and I could have! We love you! ❤

How would you describe your personal style? What is your favorite classic piece of clothing? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Boyz In The Band

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Boyz In The Band

Hi! This past weekend, my darling husband’s band, The Outside Voices, had their final hurrah performance at Musica in Akron. It was a bittersweet showing for everyone involved but it was so nice to be surrounded by such great friends and family the entire night. In fact, tons of Johnny’s family who I haven’t met yet made the trip to see the show and that was awesome to finally be able to meet them! We also had several of our dear friends from Marietta come to the concert, which was also amazing. ❤

All of the guys in The Outside Voices performed so well and that is all that I wanted for them during their last show. But, bigger and better things are calling and Johnny already has lots of musical plans up his sleeve to tend to and that is really exciting! I can’t wait to see what he does next!

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^^^ Interested in hearing Johnny play? He is lead guitar!!

^^^ Kevin’s other band, The Buffalo Ryders, are one of my faves!!

Kevin (bass), Sam (drums), Jimmy (guitar), and Johnny are my sweetest boys and it has been an absolute pleasure to see them perform time and time again. When Johnny and I first started dating almost three years ago, we were with the band boyz constantly and they all feel like older brothers/besties to me now and that is so special to me. I am so proud of everything that they have accomplished together and can’t wait to hear all of their new projects on the horizon!

Who is your favorite local band? Can you play any instruments? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Happy Housewarming Gift

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Happy Housewarming Gift

Hello! My bestie, Lea, came by a couple of weeks ago to check out mine and Johnny’s new place. Even though it isn’t perfect yet, I was so excited for her to see it. I was also excited that Johnny would have his own room to hang out in where he could shut the door so we wouldn’t have to listen to his war documentaries lol. Oh, the perks of our new place!

Lea was so sweet and brought by a little housewarming gift and, I admit, I didn’t really know what to do with it at first:

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Lea got us a Turtle Vine for the new place and I have never owned a house plant before! In my old apartment, there wasn’t really a good place to put plants so I just never bothered. The great news, is that I haven’t killed my little Turtle Vine yet… In fact, it’s thriving! When Lea brought it over, the vines didn’t have any length to them at all and I can’t believe how much it has grown in a few short weeks.

My dad is the one with the green thumb in our family and I almost contemplated just having him care for it. But, I think I am doing alright! I love this plant’s soft leaves and the pot that it lives in is so pretty. Whenever Lea comes by, all she needs to do is bring herself and I’m happy so I was tickled by her thoughtfulness. I don’t think I’ll turn into a full on plant mom any time soon but, now, I wouldn’t be opposed to my Turtle Vine having a friend or two. 😀

The best housewarming gift that Johnny and I have is actually being able to host friends comfortably in our bigger apartment. However, this sweet prezzie from my best friend is a very close second! ❤

Do you have a green thumb? How many house plants do you have? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Here I Am!

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Here I Am!

Hello everyone! It has been a minute since a new OOTD post because your girl needs her hair done! Thankfully, that problem will be solved soon and I can’t wait to show you all some perfectly spring OOTDs ASAP. In the meantime, here are some pics of yours truly and some of my favorite people to tide you over until then:

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^^^ Can you spy one of my new tattoos?! 🙂

This past Sunday, we celebrated our darling niece’s third birthday a bit late because the weather has been wet and cold here. What was originally a party at a park turned into a get together at my sister and her partner’s house and, of course, Johnny and I had to step out in our best. This also meant all of the car selfies as well as pictures of me and Johnny when he refuses to just smile for the camera! *Massive eye roll* lol.

Our Val Gal’s party was a great success and it was so nice to see old friends and meet new ones. Johnny also finally got to meet some of my extended family who I haven’t seen in forever, which was awesome. We were surrounded by good company, good food, and lots of love and it’s safe to say that three year old Val knows how to throw a rager! 😀

Be sure to keep it posted on lifewithlilred for brand new OOTDs, book club reviews, Johnny’s unsmiling face, and all of the usual shenanigans this month. ❤

What do you like to do when your family gets together? Are you a smiling or silly face making selfie taker? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Happy Birthday, Sister!!

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Happy Birthday, Sister!!

Hello everyone! Today is a happy wonderful day because it is my big sister, Kristen’s, birthday! Beginning in March until June, it is a whirlwind of birthdays in my family. It starts with my niece, then my mom, dad, sister, brother, and in June Johnny and I celebrate our birthdays and wedding anniversary, then it wraps up with my blogging bestie. It is such a fun time full of presents, get togethers, and dinners and I can’t wait to celebrate Kristen’s big day together!

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Kristen is the best sister and friend a gal could ever ask for and I am so lucky to be related to her! She is an amazing mom, dog and cat mom, and human being and every time hanging out with her is the best time. I love our trips to Taco Bell, getting ice cream, and adventures at the park with her darling daughter. I can’t wait for summertime so we can all go swimming at my apartment complex again. And, yes, having Johnny pick us up TBell once we’re done at the pool. 🙂

My sister is so kind and it really shows in her parenting and love for caring for rescue animals. Her two cats and three dogs have all been given a second lease on life because of her. As little sis, I’m sure there are plenty of instances of me driving Kristen crazy, especially when I constantly send her Bitmojis but I just can’t help myself lol. I miss her as soon as either of us go home and I am always asking her if Johnny and I can live with her family! 😀

Sisters are built in best friends and I hit the jackpot with mine. ❤

I love you, Kristen!!!

Happy Birthday!!!!!

Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

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Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

Hello everyone! Today is a special, wonderful day because it is my mom’s birthday! JANE is my best friend and is the best mom in the whole world. I love her so much. My dog loving mom is a hilarious little ball of energy and is such a gift to both mankind and four legged friends alike. She is also the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on:

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Any time spent with my mom is the best time and, even though I only live two minutes away from my family home, it just doesn’t feel close enough! I always tell my parents that I want to move into their basement with Johnny and nine times out of ten I usually mean it lol. JANE was promoted to grandma three years ago and it is such a joy to see her with her grandbabies, although, let’s be real: I will forever be her baby no matter how old I get. ❤

Her and my dad’s relationship sets an amazing example for all of us kids and I always look forward to hearing about the shenanigans that they get into together. They are truly #relationshipgoals! I could go on for forever about all of the things that I love about my mom and she deserves to be celebrated every day. She is kind, intelligent beyond belief, adorable, and the literal definition of beauty and brains.

I love you so much, mom, and I hope you have the best birthday ever! See you later! ❤

Happy Birthday!!! ❤

6 Tips For Improving Your Pet’s Life

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6 Tips For Improving Your Pet’s Life

How healthy is your pet? Does your dog or cat have a shiny coat and sparkling eyes? Do they have boundless energy to run in the park or do they seem a little lethargic? If you want to improve the health and well being of your companion, check out some of the top tips below:

High Quality Food:

Many people with pets feed them using the most convenient pet food options in the supermarket. As with their own food, they choose pet food that offers the best value for money, but that isn’t necessarily the best way to buy pet food. Like you, your pet needs quality food.

Much of the pet food on conventional supermarket shelves contain additives and low quality ingredients. This has an effect on your pet’s health and well being. When you switch their food source, you will notice an improvement in their coat, their eyes, and energy levels.

Stimulation:

Animals are similar to humans, some are lazy, others are active, and some are more intelligent than others. If you have a very intelligent pet, such as a Border Collie, you will need to make sure they have plenty of stimulation to keep their minds active and not destructive.

Stimulation can include walking your dog regularly but it can also mean creating small games for them to play, such as hiding biscuits in cogs for your smart cats to find. Stimulation is important because, without it, your pet becomes stressed, unhappy, and destructive.

Regular Vet Appointments:

Having an excellent vet and seeing them as often as needed is so crucial for your pet’s health. Regardless of if you think your pet is feeling fine, your vet will be able to verify that or see indicators that they are unwell that you might not be aware of. With their findings, your vet will be able to recommend the best course of action. This could be a change in diet, treatments for canine osteoarthritis, vaccines, or even physical therapy. Keeping up with your vet is the best way to ensure your pet is living the highest quality of life.

Regular Grooming:

Your pet might not enjoy a trip to the groomer as much as you when visiting the spa but it’s just as important. Some pets require more grooming than others but it’s still recommended to groom your pets regularly to check for any lumps, parasites, or skin irritation.

If you have a dog or a cat that sheds every season, it’s a good idea to help them with their grooming, especially in the spring and especially if they are cats. Cats love to lick their fur and if they are shedding, the hair will become jammed in their throat and cause some discomfort. Some cats shed so much fur that you may feel you need to open a whole Pet Grooming Franchise to cope with it all, but luckily, you can simply visit an established pet groomer with the experience to know how to deal with your never-ending-shedding feline friend.

Vitamin Supplements:

As with humans, your pets need their fill of multivitamins. Multivitamins help to top up the essential vitamins and minerals your pets need to stay healthy and happy. Of course, they will get many of their vitamins from quality pet food, but supplements can improve their well being.

Remember to choose high quality vitamins as well as high quality pet food. High quality vitamins usually contain the most essential elements for your particular pets to make their coat and eyes shine. The vitamins can be added to their food semi-regularly, like once a week. Before making any changes, it is always a good idea to consult with your vet. They will be able to direct you to the best food and vitamin options to maximize pet health.

Socializing:

Ask any professional vet such as Cynthia Maro, and they will tell you that pets love to socialize and need to be around other animals and humans to be happy in their lives. The good news is, no one needs an excuse to spend more quality time with their favorite animals! Try going to the dog park once a week or scheduling a pet play date with your friends to help keep the pep in your pet’s step.

Taking good care of your pet is a lot of work and responsibility but it is always worth it for a beloved member of your family!

Featured Image By: Unsplash