Tag Archives: candyland

Nov4

Johnny’s GREAT SUCCESS!!

Posted on November 4, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! I wouldn’t consider the actual day of Halloween to be anything special to me. Thursdays are a very long, busy day for me at work. Johnny, however, had a banner day at his job! Normally, when I return home for the day, Johnny will greet me at the door looking just as exhausted as I feel. So, you could imagine my surprise when he opened the door bright eyed and bushy tailed! Clearly, he was in a good mood and I found out why when I sat down at my computer. There was a trophy on top of my laptop that he won from the costume contest his job hosted!!

Every year, there is a Halloween costume contest at Johnny’s place of employment and he planned on reprising an oldie but goodie ensemble for the competition: AC/DC’s Angus Young. He was excited to rock that COTD again but a wrench was thrown into the mix when we couldn’t find the signature Angus Young shorts or hat anywhere. We must have turned over the entire apartment trying to find it! Begrudgingly, Johnny settled on being Lord Licorice for the event and got up extra early to get himself dressed to impress. And how he impressed!

Out of the three costume categories of Scariest, Funniest, and Most Creative, my main squeeze won Most Creative on his Lord Licorice look. Along with the trophy, he also received a Yeti tumbler as a prize and he was on cloud nine. I was so tired after work but this excellent news and seeing him so happy perked me right up! As he told me all about his big day, we were both grinning from ear to ear. Johnny and I both put a lot of effort into our costumes and it paid off in a major way. In fact, he ended up saying that he was glad we couldn’t find his Angus Young costume because he didn’t think it would make him a winner after all. It’s funny how things always have a way of getting sorted out. ❤

We are both absolutely elated over this costume contest win. It might not seem like much, but it is a huge deal for us. We thought our costumes were the best and this confirms it! 😀

Do you celebrate holidays at work? What are those events like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov3

Candy Queen COTD Bloopers

Posted on November 3, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Candy Queen COTD! I am so sad that Halloween is officially over, but now we’re onto my next passion: Thanksgiving. Lol, I have been fantasizing about Thanksgiving food since last Thanksgiving and every day that passes is another day closer to all of my favorite foods!! And, to all of you who hate on green bean casserole – you can send it my way!! I do have one final Halloween surprise in store tomorrow that I am absolutely tickled by. But, first, let’s check out the bloopers from my COTD shoot:

Who, me?

The fairest of them all

REALLY not used to the whole having hair thing…

As you can see!

Do I look like a model or what?!

The gaze of a total seductress

Trick or Treat!!!!

I recently got my hair done (Peep that soon!) and finally returned to the darker hues that I love so very much – specifically Nightfall by Pulp Riot. Nightfall is the most stunning shade of deep navy blue and I missed it immediately as soon as I went light for summer. I had kind of forgotten how obsessed with the color I was until I got it back on my hair… and elsewhere for that matter. It appears I had forgotten how much Nightfall stains too!!

For the past several days, it has been unseasonably warm in Ohio. Like almost eighty degree temperatures at the end of October. Although it was kind of unpleasant, Johnny and I were happy because we have had no heat in our apartment and the spike in temps really helped warm it up. So much so that I have been sweating my nads off in my sleep, causing my hair dye to bleed. I have woken up every morning to blue all over my face, lodged into my ears, and a particularly shocking instance of my right hand being completely blue! It is a massive pain to get off and even after a ton of scrubbing, the traces of blue remain. It was the most wonderful treat to get my hair done, but the aftermath has certainly felt like a Halloween trick!

I’m not feeling blue, by any means, but if you see me looking a little blue… Mind your business! 😀

How did you celebrate Halloween? What are you looking forward to in November? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov1

Couples Costume OOTD Bloopers

Posted on November 1, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy!!! Johnny and I absolutely rocked our Halloween costumes this year and he was the perfect Lord Licorice to my Candy Queen. We had so much fun dressing up together and, for once, I didn’t have to beg him to take pictures with me. That was the best treat of all! So, today, we are going to take a peek at a Blooper Reel that doesn’t just feature myself but my main squeeze too. And big ups to Johnny for being the best Blog Husband ever! Let’s get to it:

Johnny’s derpy lil face ❤

MY derpy lil face!

An accurate depiction of our relationship. He LOVE it!

Lmaoo Johnny always makes that face when he’s feeling mischievous

He’s getting a little tuckered out…

Lol WE LOOK GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Striking a pose

Your favorite elder emos!!!!

When I call Johnny my Blog Husband, I mean it in the most affectionate way possible because he truly is. We have been together for over five years and if he were the one typing this he would say it feels like an eternity lol. Regardless, we have been together for more than half a decade and in that time, Johnny has always taken my OOTD pictures without fail. In fact, when we got engaged he used my blog as a ploy…

The day we got engaged, Johnny suggested that we go explore downtown Cuyahoga Falls and we could take pictures of each other and us together with a tripod. I was beyond ecstatic by his idea because I had always wanted to style and photograph him. After our outfits were on point, we went on our adventure and I didn’t even have an inkling about a hidden agenda because we were having an amazing time. I was literally reveling in the experience because I normally have to ask him to help me create content – not the other way around!

After we were done shooting in different locations, Johnny said there was one last place we should take pictures at. He led me to an arch right by the Cuyahoga River and set up our tripod to take a video so we didn’t have to bother with the timer. Then, he told me it would look really nice if I faced the opposite direction. I STILL didn’t have a clue what was going on because of the elation I felt lol Johnny rarely directs me when we take pictures! Once I was turned around, he let me think we were both actively posing. But, really, he was getting down on one knee. You could only imagine my surprise when he told me to turn towards him. It was one of the best, most joyous moments of my life – all thanks to my Blog Husband extraordinaire! ❤

My Johnny is the most wonderful man in the world and I get ALL of the warm fuzzies whenever I think about our engagement. OR just thinking about him in general, which is constantly! ❤

Does your partner help you with your hobbies? What was your engagement like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct31

Candy Queen COTD Pt. 2

Posted on October 31, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy!! It’s safe to say that I am literally obsessed with mine and Johnny’s Candyland Halloween costumes. I just can’t get over how good they turned out and the efforts we both made to make the best costumes paid off big time. The entire time we were dressed up, I really did feel like we were Lord Licorice and a Candy Queen because we looked the part so perfectly. In fact, I had several little trick or treaters say “thank you, candy princess” to me and it melted my heart! I couldn’t resist sharing another set of photos from my costume so let’s take a peek:

All of you already know the story behind my Halloween costume, so let’s talk about some of mine and Johnny’s favorites from our evening of passing out candy. Unfortunately this year, we didn’t have as great of a turnout as the year before. Last year, we ran out of candy within an hour or so of the start of Trick or Treat! Although we didn’t see a ton of costumes, there were a few that really took the cake…

Inflatable T-Rex: Inflatable costumes are so hilarious to me and we had a pair of T-Rexes that we got to witness waddling up and down my parents’ steep driveway. It was a complete hoot and we were in stitches as we watched them make their way to the next house in the neighborhood.

Crime Fighters: There were three little boys dressed up as policemen and their costumes were fine, but the interaction was top tier. As I handed out their candy, I told them that I didn’t do it and one of the kiddos deadpanned answered back “yes, you did”. His comedic timing was on point!

Rick Astley: The best costume of the night was, hands down, a kid dressed up as Rick Astley. As he approached me, I could have sworn I heard music. Then, he got closer and I realized I was right. He had a Bluetooth speaker playing “Never Gonna Give You Up” and was Rick Rolling the entire neighborhood. Johnny and I loved it so much that we gave him the rest of the candy we had and called it a night!

A wonderful Trick or Treat was had by all and it brought me and Johnny an incredible amount of joy. Happy Halloween!

What was the best costume you saw for Trick or Treat? How are you celebrating Halloween? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct30

Candy Queen COTD

Posted on October 30, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD… or should I say COTD on lifewithlilred! Today, we are going to take a closer look at my Candy Queen Halloween costume. When I had the idea several months ago for a Candyland themed couples costume, we immediately fell in love with it. Johnny would, indeed, make a stellar Lord Licorice as you saw in yesterday’s post. My Candy Queen costume was one that was pieced together as there were no costume options for Queen Frostine or Princess Lolly. This hodgepodge costume stressed me out more than it should have, but it was well worth the headache – I felt like a star!

Who? What? Wear?

Candy Hearts Dress: Secret Wishes, Amazon

Candy Button Platforms: An online order by the brand B.A.I.T.

Giant Lollipop and Lollipop Earrings and Headband: Amazon

Wig, Pink Tutu, Thigh Eyes, False Eyelashes: Spirit Halloween

After a lot of struggle, I finally ordered the Candy Hearts Dress and said a prayer to the fashion gods that it would work. This costume was my complete and total last resort. You could imagine the flood of relief I had when it arrived in the mail and I found that it was both cute and it fit! The only problem was that the skirt was insanely short, but I knew that ahead of time as per online reviews. My plan was to pair it with a tutu underneath to keep everything from hanging out lol. As soon as the dress was on was when I started getting excited because I essentially built the rest of the costume in that moment.

While shopping for the dress itself wasn’t ideal, you know your girl had an easy time in the shoe department! This was a cake walk in comparison and I ordered the pair of Candy Button Platforms by B.A.I.T. after five minutes of browsing. There were SO many incredible candy themed shoes, but they were SO incredibly expensive. The platforms I chose were under fifty dollars, can definitely be worn outside of Halloween, and featured an iconic candy print. I was sold and can’t wait to wear them next summer! The colors in the shoes also perfectly matched some of those in the dress, which was a nice touch. 🙂

Finally, it was time to accessorize! The accessories are really what turned the pieces I had into a true costume. I knew that candy themed jewelry was a MUST and I also wanted a gigantic lollypop to hold to drive the point home. I ended up with a set that contained the candy headband and earrings, and everything was aces after I superglued some of the lollipops back on the band. I also got the slightly dented pink lollypop, but what can you do lol. Similarly to the shoes, the jewelry and props went from relatively cheap to very pricey and I went with Option A.

Spirit Halloween is where I purchased the remainder of the accessories which included the wig, tutu, thigh highs, and rainbow false eyelashes. The tutu was just what I needed for underneath the dress and I adored the tiered effect that it gave. The dress should have been made like that all along! And can we PLEASE talk about the wig?! You guys have no idea how weird it felt to actually have long, flowing locks. This wig was everything and I couldn’t imagine anything different for my costume. I was so lucky it was the last one available! I didn’t think this costume could get any sweeter until I put the thigh high socks on. And, of course, the final candy surprise was the rainbow lashes for the ultimate pop of color!

My Candy Queen COTD was everything I wanted and so much more. Stay tuned for some bonus pictures tomorrow because I love this look that much. See you then!

What is your favorite Halloween candy? What is the best Halloween costume you saw this year? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct29

Candyland Costume Reveal

Posted on October 29, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! This past Saturday, Johnny and I got dressed up in our Halloween’s best to pass out Trick or Treat candy in my parents’ neighborhood. Our couples costume this year was Candyland inspired with Johnny as Lord Licorice and myself as his Candy Queen. My costume was an absolute pain in my keister to put together after several trials and tribulations, but it was SO worth it. I am absolutely in love with the end result! Check it out:

After two failed attempts for a Halloween costume, I had to go with a last resort option for my Candy Queen dress. I wasn’t particularly thrilled about it until the look started to come together with the right shoes and accessories. Once I had everything I needed, I was feeling much better but still had that annoying thought that it wasn’t one of the two costumes that I really wanted. Then, I put on the costume in its entirety on Saturday and ate my words – my Candy Queen costume turned out perfectly and I was so glad that what I originally had in mind didn’t work out. If this COTD (Costume Of The Day) doesn’t scream “Candy Queen”, then I truly don’t know what does!

While I spent what felt like an eternity shopping for a costume that was just right, Johnny had no problem with his. Our running joke is that he literally just makes a costume with clothes he already owns and that was very much the case this year. He used his own pants, top, shoes, hat, and the jacket was compliments of my costume from last year. His only purchases were the wig, cape, and supplies from Menard’s to craft his own cane. My handy guy! Johnny looked amazing as Lord Licorice and he turned our old duds into a costume that fit our Candyland aesthetic to the T.

We had SO much fun creating our costumes and I am absolutely obsessed with how they turned out. That evening, we truly were Lord Licorice and a Candy Queen and all I can say is look out for next year. We plan on being Alice Cooper and Cold Ethyl!! (And, yes, chances are Johnny will be wearing a variation of his Lord Licorice costume lol!)

How did you celebrate Halloween? What did you dress up as? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct23

Final Halloween Costume Sneak Peek

Posted on October 23, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Johnny and I are going to be Lord Licorice and a Candy Queen for Halloween. You would think that such a fun costume would be a joy to shop for. That was, unfortunately, far from the case and it proved to be a massive pain in my nads. I ended up having to settle for my last resort costume and it’s cute, just not what I wanted. The candy button platform heels did help perk me up, though! We both needed a few finishing touches on our costumes so we made a trip to Spirit Halloween on Saturday. Thankfully, we managed to find all of our requirements because the store was already pretty picked over. And, thankfully, I am feeling WAY better about my costume now with these additions (Including some Amazon purchases!):

So the candy headband and giant lollipop both came from Amazon and 0/10 do not recommend. The lollipop came with a huge dent, as you can see, and also you just kind of had to shove the stick into the foam lol. The candy headband also came with a really cute lollipop necklace and earrings (Totes forgot to include those!) and the jewelry was okay. The headband, however, came with three popped off lollipops that I had to superglue back on. It all ended up working out, but it definitely added to the annoyance of my top pick costumes NOT working out.

While the accessories were going to help this costume, they weren’t going to make the look. So, I turned to Spirit Halloween to kick it up a notch. First on the agenda was a wig and I scored massively with a gorgeous pastel blue, pink, and lavender in long, curly tresses. It was also the last one in the store. NICE! Next was a tutu to add some volume to the skirt as well as provide some extra coverage to the very mini length! The pink tutu was also the last one available which was DOUBLE NICE and everything was coming up Lil Red.

The last order of business was thigh highs and eyelashes and things went down slightly lol. I was really hoping to find some pastel pink thigh highs but came up with nothing. The white ones will be okay, though, and I love the bows! For eyelashes, I chose a wonderfully rainbow set to pop against all the pastel. I left the store with *almost* exactly what I wanted/needed and it was a much needed great success after the struggle bus ran me over time and time again!

I am honestly so excited to put this whole costume together over the weekend. It was not what I originally had in mind but maybe that’s a good thing because I’m already obsessed!

What was your favorite Halloween costume? What is your favorite Halloween candy? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct18

Halloween Costume Sneak Peek

Posted on October 18, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy! It is no secret that Johnny and I revel in all things Halloween – not just during spooky season but all year round. We simply love it and, normally, something like costume shopping would be a complete joy. This year, however, was a totally different story because it proved to be a nightmare. I thought it would be easy as pie to find a costume inspired by sweet treats for our Candyland themed couples costume dreams. This was far from the case and I ended up striking out HARD twice before snagging my last resort costume. Is it what I really wanted? Not really. But, I think with the right accessories I will still be a Candy Queen yet! Check it out:

Prior to purchasing the Candy Heart costume seen above, I had two options that I wanted badly. The first one was rather expensive but I was willing to pay the top dollar price tag for it until I ran into Issue Number One. The costume was only available in what I guesstimated was my size on a website where all sales were final. Had I been absolutely certain that it would have fit, I would have went for it. Suppose it didn’t, though. Then I would be stuck with a too small costume, no way to return it, and my bank account would be down a pretty penny. So, Option One was a no go.

After having my first plan fall through, I had to pivot and scour through a million costumes I had seen before and hoping something new would pop up. What felt like an endless search resulted in me finding a costume I liked even better than Option One and I eagerly placed my order. Everything was coming up Lil Red for like a day and then… I got an email saying JK because my size wasn’t available after all. I was honestly crushed because the costume was perfect. It was exactly what I wanted, the price was nice, and I had all but forgotten the disappointment of failure for Option One.

With both of my desired costumes officially off the table, I was back where I started – with absolutely nothing. At this point, I was getting straight up pissed lol. In fact, I was ready to just throw in the towel and wear my costume from last year. Had I not made a premature announcement of our couples costume on social media, I would have! So, it was back to the drawing board and fruitless browsing, scrolling, begging, and pleading for something – ANYTHING that would work. You all know I live for online shopping, but this was getting ridiculous.

As I painstakingly searched through every corner of the internet for a candy costume, I came to the realization that I was just going to have to make do. Which brings us to the Candy Heart costume. It is super cute and I love the lace up front with the huge heart smack dab in the middle. While it is cute, it is also pretty basic lol. This is where shoes and accessories come into play. I found a darling pair of candy button platforms to wear with it, which I think will be simply charming. Then, I ordered a candy headband, a giant lollipop to hold, and a pair of lollipop earrings too. When Johnny and I visit Spirit Halloween this weekend, I will buy a pink tutu because the skirt is REALLY short, some sheer pink thigh highs, a pink wig, and pastel hued fake eyelashes. Like I said, I will be a Candy Queen yet!

Shopping for my Halloween costume was legit the worst and I am SO happy to be done with it. Although I had to settle for my last resort option, I still think this costume will offer Candyland vibes once it’s all put together!

What is your favorite thing to shop for? How about your least favorite? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct16

If The Shoe Fits: B.A.I.T. Candy Button Platforms Edition

Posted on October 16, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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If The Shoe Fits: B.A.I.T. Candy Button Platforms Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of If The Shoe Fits! Johnny and I are going to be sporting Candyland themed costumes for Halloween. He will be Lord Licorice and I will be a Candy Queen. I honestly thought finding a candy style costume would be like taking candy from a baby lol. Unfortunately, I was dead wrong and the hunt for the perfect costume was not only insanely difficult but insanely annoying too. However, finding the perfect shoes for the cause was a piece of cake! Check it out:

After several failed attempts for finding a Halloween costume to my liking, it was a gift for the shoe buying process to go without a hitch. I’m not surprised, though, you all know I am a shoe girl through and through! The hardest part of finding heels for my costume was narrowing down my options. There were an abundance of candy inspired shoes to browse through, each one cuter than the next. With great cuteness comes great cost or whatever Uncle Ben said because goodness me were some of them expensive. Then, I came across these adorable platforms by B.A.I.T. for under fifty dollars and I knew we were in business!

I went with this pair of candy dot platforms for a lot of different reasons. The price was nice and I also have a pair of mules by B.A.I.T. in my shoe boutique so the fit wasn’t a concern. The primary factor wasn’t either of these even though they were both important. The main selling point was the fact that I could absolutely wear them with an outfit that isn’t a costume. Yes, the candy dot motif is ideal for what I have picked out for Halloween but it wasn’t limited to one time use and that was very appealing. While I am overjoyed that it’s fall, I am kind of sad that summer is over now that I have these platforms. How fun would they be with a little pair of denim shorts?! 😀

I’m not going to lie, costume shopping was more disappointing than enjoyable this year. These platforms definitely helped perk me up and I’m happy at least one aspect of the process was blessedly simple!

What are you going to be for Halloween? Where do you normally purchase your costumes? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

	lifewithlilred on Spirit Christmas Haul
	oliveunicorn on Spirit Christmas Haul
	Simon on Thxgiving OOTD Bloopers
	lifewithlilred on Thxgiving OOTD Bloopers
	Simon on Thxgiving OOTD Bloopers