Hello!! Today is a fantastic, wonderful day because it is my main squeeze, Johnny’s, birthday!! My beloved’s birthday kick starts our birthaversary extravaganza and I am so excited to celebrate our big days and wedding anniversary together. I truly do not know what I would do without my Johnny and I consider myself to be the luckiest girl in the whole world. We have been together for well over five years and those first date butterflies have remained every day since. I miss him when we’re apart, I think about him all the time, and it is still exciting when he greets me at the door after work. It’s safe to say I am madly, deeply in love!
Whether we are at home binging our favorite shows or on the go, it is never a dull moment with Johnny. We just have fun together and his personality and laugh are infectious. Johnny is never without a kind word to say to anyone and he provides such a bright light to everyone he encounters. He is always, always thinking about others before himself and loves fiercely. It is so beautiful to see him interact with those he holds dear because it simply radiates. It is my absolute favorite to watch him play with our sweet nieces and nephew and he really is joy personified.
Being married to Johnny is a nonstop adventure and waking up next to him is a gift. Since our first date, we have barely been apart from each other and I wouldn’t want it any other way. We have been through so many of life’s ups and downs together and I couldn’t and don’t want to imagine anyone else by my side. Johnny has made my life better in more ways than I could ever count and I fall in love with him more every day. And I don’t even care how cheesy that sounds because it is the truth! ❤
Hello!!! The best thing that lifewithlilred has ever done is, easily, connecting me with my best friend in the world, Kate, of Live In The Nautical. One day, we just started talking and I swear we haven’t stopped since! Despite living in two different states, Kate might as well be right next door to me. We are always texting and I live for our FaceTime dates that turn into hours on end discussions. She is such a bright light in my life – my blogging bestie, my Gemini twin, and a true gift to everyone who is lucky enough to know her. Regardless of where we’re located, we are joined at the hip and that is never going to change. ❤
When I got to work at chez parents this past Tuesday, I was greeted by a goodie box waiting for me on the kitchen table. Then, when I returned after a little shift, I saw more packages that were delivered while I was gone. The contents were none other than an amazing haul from my BFF and she spoiled me rotten this year! Check it out:
Getting gifts from Kate is a straight up “But wait – there’s more!” experience. The first prezzie I opened was the adorable travel cup boasting the fact that I am, indeed, in my Bunny Mom Era!! I just love the funky 70s print and that it is even customized with the names of my sweet buns, Melvin and Penelope. I know that I will be sipping Diet Coke on ice from this perfect sized cup all summer long. I also know that my niece is going to love using this when she visits at my apartment because she forever insists on having a straw to drink from lol. AND I also ALSO know that my bunnies appreciate being thought of too because they are always running around whenever Kate and I FaceTime so they know who their aunt is!
The next gift I tore into was a tiny jewelry box from a brand called Sirius Woods. I clutched my pearls when I saw the gorgeous carved skull earrings nestled inside! As a spooky gal, I love literally anything with skulls on it. However, these are so sentimental because they look exactly like my engagement ring!! My beloved engagement ring features a huge pearl carved into a skull and these earrings make my bling feel like a completed set. They are beautifully crafted and delicate and I couldn’t imagine how Kate was going to top herself on the remaining present. Of course, she totally did!
The final package to tear open was the piece de resistance: A page of music from her, mine, and Johnny’s very special show called Hadestown. Kate introduced me to this astounding musical and Johnny and I were able to see it when it toured at Playhouse Square. We went to Hadestown during one of the worst times of my life and it was one of the few happy moments in literal months of agony. The show transported us and the music moved me so deeply. In fact, the framed song Kate gave me makes me cry every time and that is no exaggeration. Just ask my husband! Trust and believe, tears were shed when this gift revealed itself but, for once, they were the happy kind. Tears of joy to be soul sisters with someone who knows me so well, bonds with me on every level, and provides me with the sunshine of her spirit every day. It was like opening up a hug and I am still blown away. ❤
Since day one, being best friends with Kate has made my life better. And, as much as I treasure all of the treasures she gave me, she will always be my greatest gift! ❤
How did you and your best friend meet? Have you made any friends through your blog or social media? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello!! Johnny and I were absolutely addicted to the show Fear Thy Neighbor and quickly finished the entire series with daily viewings after work and marathons over the weekends. As you can imagine if you haven’t watched the show, it is all about the worst neighbors ever lol. Our running joke as we watched the series was “What are we going to do, get mad at Tony?!”. Tony is our downstairs neighbor and he is the absolute best so every time we watched Fear Thy Neighbor, it was an exercise in “can’t relate” for which we are so thankful!
Tony, Johnny, and I became fast friends when Tony moved in and we would chat away every time our paths crossed when he was out for a smoke. This turned into Dinner Club get togethers, watching movies, going to the shooting range, and just having fun. And, of course, we always come running every time Tony might need a quick favor around the apartment. I’m going to be perfectly honest, our neighbors in our old apartment were not the best. Some were insanely loud and another was feeding the raccoons outside of her apartment door lol. So, when Tony moved in not doing any of that and being someone we actually wanted to hang out with, it was nothing short of a gift.
The other day as we were eating a baked potato dinner and watching an episode of SVU, Johnny got a call from Tony. It was nothing urgent, just asking if he could change the battery in his smoke detector as he wasn’t comfortable going up on the ladder. In a heartbeat, Johnny put down his meal and ran downstairs. In the handful of minutes while Johnny completed the task at hand, I couldn’t stop thinking about how lucky and proud I am. Lucky to have Tony and proud to be those neighbors. And not in the Fear Thy Neighbor way but in the best way possible!
Having a neighbor that we truly consider to be a best friend is something we have never experienced and it feels so good. I love that we are the people that Tony calls when he needs a helping hand and having regular hang outs together. The feeling is mutual across the board and that is a beautiful thing. The moral of the story? Be that neighbor!! Be the neighbor who fixes an extra plate at dinner. Be the neighbor who offers to take the trash out or shovel the walkway. Be the neighbor who is never too busy for a chat. It will do both parties a world of good and the relationship with our beloved neighbor is a testament to that. ❤
Johnny and I love our apartment so much and Tony is part of the reason why. I am so happy to have and be a good neighbor and the smoke detector story was a wonderful reminder!
Do you have a great neighbor? Have you ever had an awful neighbor? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello!! Today is a fantastic, wonderful day because it is my big brother, Andrew’s, birthday!! Andrew is my partner in crime. He is my best friend, my work out buddy, and an absolute gift to all who know him. Whether we are hiking, gaming, or just hanging out it is the best time because we are together. Andrew has an incredible sense of humor, is so caring, and always has a kind word to say. He is the first person who notices when I get my nails done or am wearing something new and you have no idea how much that warms my heart.
Being able to have built in besties with my siblings is such a special thing and Andrew and I are the dream team. Our personalities work so well together and there is nothing we can’t do when we have a plan in mind. Andrew inspires me to no end and is always striving to better himself, which is something that we can all learn from. He’s a hard worker, a loving son, and the most amazing friend I could ever ask for. I am so excited to be able to celebrate my big bro and am thankful for every minute we have together!! ❤
Hello everyone and happy Happy Mother’s Day to all of the wonderful moms, pet moms, moms to be, and every other kind of mom out there! I so hope that you can spend your day exactly the way you want to and feel celebrated and showered with love. There are so many amazing moms in my life that this day is special for and not a day goes by that I am not blown away by their hard work, dedication, and unconditional love that simply radiates. It is such a beautiful thing and should be appreciated constantly – not just one day of the year!
I am lucky enough to have the best mom in the world and she serves as inspiration in every aspect of my life. My mom is so fun, funny, caring, and loves fiercely. She is never without a kind word for any and everyone she encounters and can instantly turn a bad day around from just a phone call. I am my mom’s thirty year old baby lol and it is an absolute gift to be able to have that relationship with her. No matter what the situation is, my mom is always the person I want to talk to first for encouragement, advice, or a laugh. And, believe you me, we are always talking because we miss each other as soon as we part ways! It is the most pure love and I wish I could carry my mom around in my pocket all day every day!! ❤
To all of the moms out there: Thank you and Happy Mother’s Day!!!
Hello!! Johnny and I are incredibly lucky – close to three years ago, we moved into a bigger apartment and it is still nothing short of a gift. Of course, the extra space is nice but one of the best things is, easily, our neighbor. Our downstairs neighbor, Tony, has been a staple in our lives since he moved in shortly after we did. We quickly bonded after our numerous chats while he was outside smoking and these chats turned into full fledged hangouts. We love going to the shooting range, playing pool, and my personal favorite – Friday Night Dinner Club.
Friday Night Dinner Club is exactly what it sounds like lol. One Friday per month, we will go out to eat together and take turns on picking where to eat and picking up the tab. We have hit up all of our favorite spots together and tried new restaurants too and it is always a blast. With the unpredictable winter and early spring weather, our Dinner Club meetings have taken place in Tony’s apartment. I will cook or we will order takeout and watch a movie for our entertainment. We had our March meeting this past Friday and it was a raging success:
For Dinner Club, I decided to cook us a huge dish of baked ziti, garlic bread, and salad. Then, we made the short trek downstairs to our co-founder’s digs to eat, drink, and be merry. Our original plan was to rent the newest Jason Statham vehicle, A Working Man. Unfortunately, that plan was foiled because it isn’t available yet. That was no matter because we watched another Jason Statham vehicle, instead. One of all of our personal favorites – The Beekeeper. We have watched The Beekeeper several times together during Dinner Club and it hits every time. Johnny, Tony, and I will spend the entire duration quoting the movie, hollering, and laughing whenever I react to a particularly “ouch” moment. We live for action and horror movies and this one takes the cake!
Even though Johnny and I have lived in our apartment community for upwards of five years, we have never had a neighbor like Tony. It is so special to have a friend literally right downstairs and it makes all of our lives so much better. I love having a neighbor that I can fix an extra plate for, shoot the breeze with, and shoot – have an entire club based around our friendship. A club that is deserving of jackets at some point in the future because we have definitely discussed it extensively lol. 😀
I cannot wait for our next Dinner Club meeting with the improved weather! Me and my favorite guys will be stepping out on the town and we are all already looking forward to it!
Do you have an amazing neighbor? Do you have any “clubs” with your friends? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello!! Johnny and I are the proud “fun aunt and uncle” to five little darlings. There are four girls and one boy and celebrating the holidays all together was the most wonderful gift. It was so sweet to watch them rip open their presents and play the day away and it also gave me an even deeper respect for all the parents out there. We were exhausted by the time we got home! The kiddos weren’t far from our minds, though, because we spent the rest of the evening talking about how cute they were and laughing about all of the funny things they said and did. And, of course, treasuring the Best Gift Ever that my eldest niece presented me with. Check it out:
Back in my day, my grade school would have a “Santa Shop” during the holiday season to purchase small gifts for loved ones. At our Val Gal’s school, they apparently did the same. On Christmas, she was so proud to hand out gifts that she got all by herself. This included a pretty “Grandma” heart shaped necklace for my mom, a wrench keychain for my dad, and the stuffed mushroom for me lol. I’m honestly not sure why this was my gift – part of me thinks it’s because we watched the Mario Movie together or maybe the colors reminded her of my hair. Whatever the reason is doesn’t matter because the fact remains that she saw it and thought that I would love to have it for Christmas. And she was so right!!
As an extended Christmas gift from Johnny and I, we hosted Val for a slumber party. As soon as she came barrelling through the door, she immediately saw my new stuffie displayed front and center on one of our knick knack shelves. I told her that I put it there as soon as we got home from our holiday dinner and that delighted her because it was further confirmation that TT loved her gift. Although we each got spoiled rotten this Christmas, our catchphrase during the slumber party was saying “you’re my gift” to each other. There is truly no better gift than that… Except for my mushroom. ❤
Our nieces and nephew are literal sunshine and I am so thankful that we were all home for the holidays. It really was one of the best Christmases ever!
Who was your favorite aunt or uncle growing up? What was the best gift you received this year? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Howdy!! Johnny’s family knows how to spoil a girl rotten for the holidays and I am always so thankful to have been thought of. Well, thought of or straight up had my mind read! This year’s Holiday Haul was a particularly excellent one because I received SO. Many. Gifts that I had every intention of purchasing for myself with Christmas gift cards and moolah. Like me, my in laws love to go Christmas crazy and it definitely shows. Check it out:
Johnny’s family is REALLY good at giving gifts that are, without a doubt, going to be used. This just so happens to be my favorite kind of gift because chances are high that I would need to buy something similar anyways so I can use that money as a little treat for me or to save up. The set of cutting boards is a shining example of that. I have NO idea how my mother-in-law knew that I needed new cutting boards because I’ve never mentioned it to her or Johnny. I was elated when I opened the set because 1) Literally all of my cutting boards suck. 2) They are all too small. And 3) I was going to buy a new one for myself during post holiday shopping. Is being absolutely stoked by cutting boards what it means to be an adult?!
Another instance of my mother-in-law “just knowing” was my bag of bath and body care. There’s no way she could have known that I have been especially partial to bar soap recently and I was just about out of the one that I was using. I tried out the Peppermint Candy bar soap she got me today and it was divine! Not only that, but I was ALSO almost out of my Bath & Body Works hand sanitizer and she had that covered too. The candles were a very nice touch as well because I never buy them for myself. As I write this, I am burning the Sweet Orange & Agave and it is the perfect zesty and invigorating scent for an early morning computer sesh.
Finally, from Johnny’s aunt Elaine, I am also sporting the adorable cropped hoodie she got for me as I write this. It is so cute and comfy and I cannot wait to pair it with leggings and the boot socks that were included too. As a practical gift, she gave us a hand vacuum which is really good motivation for me and Johnny to clean out our cars… Eventually, anyways. It is the holidays after all! 🙂
I have already been making great use of the gifts from Johnny’s family as well as buying some extra goodies for myself with gift cards. Check out those hauls soon!!
What is your favorite gift you received this year? What is a practical gift that you love? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello everyone and Merry Christmas!!! I will keep things short and sweet because I know we have places to go and people to see on this big day. I just wanted to let all of you know how thankful I am to be sharing the blogosphere with you. Ten whole years of being in this little corner of the internet is such a gift to me and it feels even more so because of my dear friends and readers. It is a huge bright part of my life and would simply not be possible without each and every one of you. I thank you a million times over and I love you all!! No matter how you spend your day, I hope it is the best one ever.
Hello!! Last week, Johnny and I came down with a little forty-eight hour bug that knocked us out. I have to admit, it was freaking awesome having a few sick days. What sucked was having to cancel my standing nail appointment! You all know my talons are my pride and joys so I had to be feeling pretty awful to not get them back to perfection. I was extremely worried that my tech wouldn’t be able to fit me in her schedule because Elysian Nails is absolutely slammed this time of year. Thankfully, she was able to squeeze me in at a random time to get my nails looking right for the holidays. #blessed Check it out:
I am so not a holiday nail girl and you will never catch me sporting seasonal designs. I think they’re nice for a while, but I can’t commit to a month’s worth of it in between fills. As I pondered what to do about this moral quandary for my color combination, my mind went to gold. I am a huge fan of All Gold Everything (The color AND the Trinidad James song) and knew I could work with that. Gold is ideal for the holidays for my preferences because it’s festive but not in your face about it. For the other color? I had no idea! All I knew was that the magenta glitter polish was calling my name and it was a done deal. Christmasy? Not really. On point with my personal style? Totally.
As per ushie, my amazing nail tech hooked it up and it was so desperately needed considering it had been five weeks since my last fill. Despite how jank they were, my girl breezed through the fill like it was nothing. In fact, she got done so quickly that I actually had time to let my nails dry before running off to my next shift. It. Was. Great. lol. We both agreed that while these are not holiday nails in the slightest, we are legit obsessed with the color combo anyways. That glitter magenta is just fabulous!
My Christmas miracle was my tech being able to fit me into her insane schedule and for that I am thankful. Here’s to no cancelled fills in the New Year!
What color of nail polish are you rocking? Do you like getting seasonal designs? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
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