Tag Archives: celebrate

What Have We Been Up To?

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What Have We Been Up To?

Hello! Johnny and I have been diligently unpacking away after our big move at the end of April. While that has taken up a majority of our free time, we have still been enjoying ourselves and making time for fun things too. And, yes, part of the fun has shockingly come from the unpacking process itself – which I never thought I would say!

Unpacking:

Actually… Let me rephrase that… It’s not so much the unpacking that’s fun rather than all of the opportunities that come with it. Johnny moved into my apartment so there wasn’t much for us to decide on when it came to furniture placement and decorating together. Now, however, with much more room, it has been nice to come up with our apartment layout as a team.

For example, we have a little nook under our staircase that we decided would be perfect for bookshelves to house our massive collection. When I got home from work, it was a huge surprise because Johnny assembled and filled the new shelves while I was gone. This opened up considerable space having the shelves neatly tucked away and we were able to have a lot more options when it comes to placement of other furniture. It looks so nice!

Another fun part about the unpacking process is that we have a goal in mind: A housewarming/birthaversary party. We can’t wait to welcome friends and family into our new place at the end of the month to celebrate all kinds of big events: Our move, Johnny’s birthday, my birthday, and our one year wedding anniversary. I’m so excited! 😀

Entertainment:

Because of having a functional AC unit in our new apartment, it has become the place to chill both literally and metaphorically. We have been having a blast relaxing in a comfortable climate and watching all kinds of good movies and TV. We are currently binging The Man In The High Castle, which is absolutely EXCELLENT. We have also been enjoying lots of movies including The Imitation Game (One of my faves!), Schindler’s List, Indiana Jones, and Role Models (Both of our faves!).

Of course, this was something that we would have done at our old place regardless of the extreme heat. Actually feeling cold and snuggling up with blankets is a brand new sensation to us, though, and we still can’t get over the novelty of it!

Out & About:

Actual spring weather is finally here with some summer like temps peppered in for good measure. We have been making the most of it with outings in downtown Cuyahoga Falls, at hiking trails with my family, game nights with friends, and meeting our new neighbors. It was easy to stay cuddled up at home with the snowy and rainy days last month. But, there is no excuse now that the weather is nice out and we have been trying to have outings together at least once a week.

It has been an exciting and jam packed few weeks for us and I have been enjoying every minute of it… I’ll enjoy it even more, though, when we are fully unpacked and celebrating at our party!

What have you been up to? What are you currently binge watching? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Polka Dots, Please OOTD

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Polka Dots, Please OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! Today, we’re going to be taking a look at some pics from my look while celebrating Easter with the in laws. And, as always, stay tuned for bonus shots and a plethora of bloopers from the shoot! Johnny and I had a lovely Easter weekend and I hope that all of you did too. 🙂 Now, let’s get to it:

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Who? What? Wear?

Nothing says “celebrate spring” like some polka dots and floral prints! While I would have loved to sport a cute little sundress for Easter, it was frickin freezing and it was gonna be a no from me. Instead, I went with the springiest cold weather option I had, which was my polka dot maxi skirt by Eva Franco. This choice was, obviously, a yes from me!

I remember lusting over my Eva Franco number for months on TJMaxx’s website and snagged it on clearance. It was the steal of a lifetime but I never broke it out as often as I imagined so I’m glad it got its moment in the sun… or lack thereof. This skirt is so festive and fun and the bright dots gave a perfect pop of spring without going the floral route.

As you all know, I am a huge fan of making a skirt and top combo look like a dress. To achieve this and add some extra warmth, I went with my Loft unicorn sweater. This was a Christmas gift from my mom and I love it so much. Also note how the blue stitching matches to the T with the blue polka dots! 😀

Since navy is a neutral and the skirt and sweater paired so well together, this gave me the opportunity to have some fun with the shoes. I will be the first to admit that these Elle pumps are, easily, the least comfortable pair of shoes that I own. I have some crazy pairs in my collection and none of them bother me except for these pumps.

My Elle pumps pinch, they hurt, and are so uncomfortable to walk in but I will do anything in the name of FASHION. In fact, one time I made the grave mistake of wearing these to the mall and I had to stuff them full of loose Taco Bell receipts from my purse to keep the blisters from getting worse. But, that’s neither here nor there and since I literally was just walking into my in law’s home, it was a risk I was willing to take. I think it paid off!

Finally, for accessories, I topped this OOTD off with my absolute favorite necklace – my grandma’s pearls. Although there was a lot happening in my look, it didn’t feel complete until I put my necklace on. Pearls are so elegant and I believe that they are an ideal neutral when it comes to jewelry. They don’t distract from the overall outfit but enhance and I love how they tied this OOTD together.

Other than the wicked uncomfortable heels that I absolutely refuse to get rid of, I felt like Spring Fling Queen in my Polka Dots, Please OOTD! Now, can actual spring weather happen now or…?

How did you celebrate Easter? What is your favorite gemstone? 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, Dad!!!

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Happy Birthday, Dad!!!

Hello everyone! Today is a happy wonderful day because it’s my dad’s birthday!! Although he hates celebrating his big day – I sure don’t and it will always be blog worthy in my world. ❤ My dad is the best, funniest, kindest man on the planet and he sure is handsome too. He deserves to be celebrated every day and I am so lucky to be his daughter!

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My dad is a gardening expert, a friend to all of the little woodland animals, and is a vacation planning extraordinaire. He is always cracking a joke and I am constantly in stitches in his company. One of my favorites has to be before I got married and informed him that I just had one last appointment to get my tattoos touched up before the big day. Without missing a beat, he replied with “How about getting some of them removed?” Lol, what a card!

I love my dad’s relationship with my mom and he is such a doting father and grandpa too. Whenever my parents are out shopping, he is constantly on the lookout for new toys and books for my niece! It is so sweet to watch them together. I truly couldn’t ask for a better dad and even though he’s probably annoyed at this post, I think he’ll secretly like it anyways. ❤ 😀

I love you, Dad!

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!!! ❤

Seventies Chic OOTD Bonus Pictures

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Seventies Chic OOTD Bonus Pictures

Hi everyone and welcome to some bonus pictures from my Seventies Chic OOTD! These pictures were taken at our lodge at Oglebay where my family enjoyed a holiday weekend together. It was the best! In just one short day and a half, we did so many activities around the property and it was absolute Christmas magic – even if it was a few weeks late! Check out some more OOTD pics and let’s discuss:

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For holiday fun, Oglebay is definitely the place to be. The property boasts six miles of holiday light displays to drive through, a laser light show, zoo, and an outdoor light show set to a remixed tune of Christmas music and Led Zeppelin. Not to mention the abundance of deer wandering around that are so friendly that you can feed them out of the palm of your hand. Be sure to tune in tomorrow for pics of that because it was incredible!

From opening presents and experiencing the spectacular light displays, it was a weekend that I will never forget. In fact, my family is already in talks of doing it again next year. My favorite part of our little getaway had to be the outdoor light show that had a rocking soundtrack. The snow was falling and Johnny and I even had an impromptu snowball fight. It might have resulted in me accidentally hitting him in the face when I was aiming for his arm but he walked it off like a champ… Whoops. 🙂

Every Christmas spent with my family is an amazing time but our Oglebay adventure holds a very special place in my heart. Barely two days didn’t feel long enough and I already can’t wait for next Christmas! ❤

How did you celebrate the holidays this year? What are some of your favorite holiday memories? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Faux Fur Fabulous OOTD Bonus Pictures

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Faux Fur Fabulous OOTD Bonus Pictures

Hello everyone and welcome to some bonus pictures from my Faux Fur Fabulous OOTD! These pictures were taken when Johnny and I celebrated our six month wedding anniversary and it was such a wonderful day. Take a look at my bonus shots including one hilarious blooper and let’s discuss what we did to make our day special:

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Can you guess which one the blooper is lol?! Like any good blog husband, Johnny takes So. Many. Pictures. in rapid fire succession and this includes the dismounts, awkward shots, and pictures that I didn’t even know he was taking!

To start off our day, Johnny and I met up with my parents and our niece in downtown Cuyahoga Falls for a puppy parade. While we got the time wrong on the parade itself (whomp whomp), we still got to see tons of dogs dressed up in their holiday best. We had so much fun pet watching and petting all of these adorable pups and it was truly dog heaven.

In the indoor area set up, the pooches could get their picture taken with Santa and owners could shop with local vendors for stocking stuffers for their pets. Our niece was able to meet Santa and by that I mean she just stood there in stunned silence haha. She eventually warmed up enough to give him a high five, though! 🙂

After the outing with our family, Johnny and I enjoyed a big lunch at Barrio where you can build your own tacos. Barrio is one of my favorite eateries and they have the best margaritas I have ever had. We got tacos for now and tacos for later and I am already itching to go back. 😀

When we were done eating, we checked out Off The Wagon and got a new board game to add to our vast collection. Then, we went to the Zephyr for a drink before heading home. Once we were back at the home front, an evening of video games and music commenced and it was an absolute blast. If our half year wedding anniversary was this good, I can’t imagine what our full year anniversary will be like!

No matter the occasion, Johnny and I always have the best time together and our date day was no exception. He is the best husband ever! ❤

What is your favorite restaurant? How does your community celebrate the holidays? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Faux Fur Fabulous OOTD

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Faux Fur Fabulous OOTD

Hi everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! This past Saturday, Johnny and I celebrated our half year wedding anniversary and had a date day to celebrate. We met with my parents and niece in downtown Cuyahoga Falls for a puppy parade, had lunch at a build your own taco restaurant called Barrio, and a drink at our favorite bar in Kent called the Zephyr. It was the best!

For such an amazing day, I needed an amazing outfit to step out in. Inspired by being told that I looked like a Disney villain twice in one day (best compliment ever!), I came up with the following:

Who? What? Wear?

Saturday was an absolutely glorious day for being the beginning of December and the weather was much warmer than my last OOTD shoot. Because of the mid forty temps, I was able to get away with just a sweater and the faux fur vest and I was so there for it! However, by the time my sweet Johnny took my pictures, the wind had really picked up. And, as any Midwesterner would tell you, it’s not so much the cold as it is the wind lol.

Despite the chilly breeze, Johnny powered through and took what felt like a million rapid fire pictures of my Faux Fur Fabulous OOTD – such a blog husband! ❤ Like many of my OOTDs featured on lifewithlilred, this look combined lots of older pieces in my closet in a new way. While your girl really likes to shop, I also revel in making years old clothes feel brand new again.

For this look, I already planned on wearing the faux fur vest and built the outfit from there. For styling looks with a more unique piece like the vest, this is the best way to go. As per ushie, I feel my best in an All Black Everything OOTD as does my husband lol. So, I incorporated pops of color into the palette through the accessories to brighten things up.

For the shoes, I went with one of my favorite TJMaxx purchases of the baroque heeled boots. I have several pairs of Bamboo brand shoes and they are all so unbelievably comfy and cute. In fact, I usually call them my “walking shoes” and could walk for miles in them. This is no exaggeration because I did when I visited my bestie in New York City! 😀

To continue with the gold embellished theme, I chose my Mia Fiore necklace which boasts a historical coin at the end of the chunky gold chain. I am a huge fan of gaudy gold jewelry and loved how this necklace looked with the outfit. An OOTD is only as good as its accessories, after all, and the necklace made a statement of its own against my statement vest.

Johnny and I had so much fun celebrating a half a year of wedded bliss together and we had a perfect day. Tune in tomorrow for bonus pictures from this shoot as well as more about the adorable PUPPY PARADE!!

What is your favorite statement piece in your closet? How do you incorporate faux fur into your outfits? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello everyone and Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!! This has been a year full of exciting things for yours truly including getting married, achieving a 1,000 day writing streak, and being fully vaccinated with a booster shot included. I am so thankful for all of this and, as always, I am so thankful for all of you – my dear readers and friends. ❤

Without your unending support, lifewithlilred would not be going strong for seven plus years and I love being with all of you on my blogging and life journey. While I feel lucky for this every day, days like Thanksgiving make me feel extra sentimental about it and I can’t express my gratitude enough.

I will keep this post short and sweet so you can go back to enjoying your Thanksgiving day. I just wanted to say that I love you all and hope you have the most joyous time with family and friends! ❤

How are you celebrating Thanksgiving? What are you thankful for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Our Two Year Anniversary!

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Our Two Year Anniversary!

Hello!!! Today is a special, happy day because it is mine and Johnny’s two year anniversary of couplehood! We are also fast approaching three months of being married. 🙂 Two years ago today, Johnny and I made our relationship “Facebook official” and we have been together almost every day since. It has been the best adventure of my life and every day I am excited for what is in store for us next. In these next few weeks, I predict it will be lots of LEGO building thanks to our anniversary gifts! 😀

Now, let’s go down memory lane with some of my favorite pictures of us:

^^^ I could go on forever!

Although Johnny and I agree that being married doesn’t feel any different than our relationship felt before, we both freaking love being married! We truly have never left the “honeymoon phase” from when we first started dating and it makes each moment spent with him special. In fact, I still get butterflies whenever I see him and it is the best thing to come home to him every day after work.

While I love our date days more than I can say, my favorite times are spent in our apartment enjoying each other’s company. There is nothing better than sitting down with him after cooking dinner, tuning into our “programs”, and spending the evening talking and laughing. And, believe you me, we never are hurting for things to laugh about because we could bring up a quote from a show that we watched when we first started dating and are instantly in stitches… Much to everyone else’s annoyance! 😀

Being married to Johnny makes every day a good one and I never take that for granted. It always feels like a sunshiney day with him no matter what weather Ohio serves to us in the given hour lol! Here’s to our permanent honeymoon phase and a lifetime of happiness. ❤

Are you celebrating anything special this month? What are you looking forward to? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah