Tag Archives: cute

5 Below Finds

Standard
5 Below Finds

Hello! As you all know, I am freaking obsessed with 5 Below and go there fairly frequently. It’s the perfect spot to pick up treats for my nieces, myself, and honestly anyone when I see something that reminds me of them! The prices are just too good to pass up and I’m genuinely amazed by the quality of everything that I have purchased from there. During one of my last trips, I couldn’t resist a new K-Pop Demon Hunters crop top for myself as well as a Britney Spears T-shirt for my sister. Unfortunately, the shirt didn’t work for her but it SO works for me! Check it out:

The K-Pop Demon Hunters crop featuring Rumi is basically the same K-Pop crop I already have from 5 Below with a different pattern. That was A-okay by me because my other crop top is just the best. It fits like a glove, is soft as can be, and shows off my shape without being too tight. I was so excited to find the Rumi one because I already knew that it was going to work and I loved rocking it on a mini golf outing last weekend. I always have to rep my Huntrix girls and 5 Below is the spot to find all of the K-Pop swag. They are constantly releasing new clothing and I am constantly SO there for it! ❤

And, of course, we have Queen B. My beloved Britney Spears. The sweetest angel in all of the land. My sister and I grew up on Britney Spears and she was and always will be our favorite. There is nothing toxic about this T although it features lyrics from her banger! It is just pure pop amazingness! I am so blessed to add another Britney Spears top to my wardrobe as I only have one other one and it was lonely lol. While I am sad that this top didn’t work out for my sis, I am sort of happy that it wound up with me… I was kicking myself in the butt for not buying two of them so all’s well that ends well. 😀

Need a pick me up? 5 Below. Need to find what you didn’t know you needed to begin with? 5 Below. I love that damn store!!

What is your favorite discount store? Who is your favorite pop princess? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Skort & Sweet OOTD

Standard
Skort & Sweet OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! Today we’re going to take a look at the fun little look I created to get some new tattoos with Johnny’s aunt. We had the most fabulous time in the studio with my tattoo artist and had a delicious meal afterwards. I think we are all chomping at the bit to get back into my artist’s chair. Johnny and I are definitely feeling the itch because one tiny tattoo apiece just wasn’t enough! Maybe I’ll have to wear another Skort & Sweet OOTD the next time too. 😀 Check it out:

Sweater: Lush, TJMaxx

Tennis Skort: Kyodan, TJMaxx

Heels: White Mountain, TJMaxx

Necklace: This was purchased from a vendor fair in Atlanta from an artist named John Deveer

I think the earrings are from Target?!

For this OOTD, I started from the bottom in the skort/skirt department of my wardrobe. As the weather has warmed up, I have been so enjoying wearing skirts and dresses sans tights and wanted to take advantage of the warm day we had on our outing. I opted for one of my all time favorites – a pleated tennis skort by Kyodan. I absolutely love it! The sheer pleating over the shapewear shorts adds a pop of sex appeal along with the most charming movement. It is flouncy, oh so fun, and as a bonus – you don’t even have to wear it to play tennis lol! 🙂

While it was nice outside, it can sometimes get chilly in a tattoo shop so I went for a thin sweater by Lush on top. This sweater was just right as it is slightly thicker than a T-shirt material which provided a bit of extra warmth without feeling like I was overheating. Although the palette of this little number looks more like autumn, I like it year round all the same because fall colors are my forever fave. I adored the way that the pleating from the skirt poked out beneath the oversize sweater and it made for a really unique silhouette.

Finally, it was onto shoes and accessories. For shoes, I went with a darling pair of heeled Mary Janes by White Mountain. The chocolate colored heel was ideal with the fall hues of the sweater and those stud details are the cutest. These heels are comfy AF and I could walk for miles in style with them! In the accessories department, I chose a gorgeous handmade necklace by John Deveer and it blended into the outfit seamlessly. I slipped on a pair of amber gemstone earrings and then it was off to get some ink!

Stay tuned for the Blooper Reel from my Skort & Sweet OOTD and lots more fashion fun on lifewithlilred! ❤

Do you have any handmade jewelry? What is the comfiest pair of heels you own? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Labubu Or Lafufu?!

Standard
Labubu Or Lafufu?!

Hello! It’s so amazing how quickly trends come and go. Less than a year ago it was all Labubu everything and I feel like they are nonexistent now! When Labubu came out, I would be a liar if I said I didn’t covet one. They are truly the textbook definition of “ugly cute” and I do love me a collectable. During the Labubu craze, I visited a store that sold them and walked out when I saw the eighty dollar price tag. That was that, I suppose lol. For Christmas, my husband offered to buy me one and I politely declined as I just can’t justify a purchase like that. I had honestly forgotten about them until I returned home from work last Thursday to a surprise:

When I walked in the door, I immediately clocked what I am ninety-nine percent confident is a Lafufu clipped to Johnny’s backpack. I literally gasped! He ceremonially removed it from his bag and proudly handed it to me. As soon as it was in my arms I hugged it to my chest like a kid! One of Johnny’s coworkers bought them in bulk and offered one to him which he gladly accepted as he knew how much I would love it. How right he was because I just can’t get enough of this fuzzy little something. I burst into a smile every time I see it. 🙂 ❤

I’d like to go back and retract my statement of being ninety-nine percent confident that this is a Lafufu to one hundred percent sure. I gave it a quick cuddle in between typing this and one of its little hands fell off lol. I’m SO sure that a real Labubu doesn’t have that problem! You know what I have to say about that? Who cares? Certainly not me! Real or fake, I finally have one of my own. It might not have the official QR code or sturdy hands and feet but it is mine and I think it’s perfect. I know my nieces will want to take my Lafufu home with them when they see it but this lil buddy is staying safe and sound at chez moi! 😀

I was going to ask all of you to chime in on the Labubu/Lafufu status but I answered that question myself. So, in conclusion – YAY because it is the best Lafufu in the world!

Do you have a Labubu or Lafufu? What is your favorite collectable? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

New 5 Below Pajamas

Standard
New 5 Below Pajamas

Hello! Several of my clients absolutely LOVE 5 Below and I am always happy when they request a shopping trip there because I love it too. You can’t beat the prices, they have so many fun things to pick from, and the quality of my purchases has always been excellent. One of my favorite buys from 5 Below has got to be my adorable Halloween pajamas and I wear them frequently. They are just too cute and comfy! 5 Below has recently put out a majority of their holiday collection and I couldn’t help treating myself to a new pair of jammies. They had countless darling matching sets but this peppermint stripe pattern spoke to me. Check it out:

Does anyone remember the pajama set from Victoria’s Secret that was pastel pink and was striped with a deeper pink hue? I had always lusted after that and it was the first thing that came to mind when I saw this set from 5 Below. Rather than paying upwards of fifty bucks, however, I paid fifteen and couldn’t be happier! The material is so soft and I like that it’s on the thinner side as I love to snuggle up in a million blankets as soon as the temperature drops. This set invokes sipping hot chocolate by the fire and unwrapping presents on Christmas day and I can see myself living in them all holiday season long.

As you might have noticed, I am a Halloween kind of gal through and through. My best friend, Kate, is the Christmas Queen and she wears the crown oh so well. This is the first actual Christmas inspired clothing that I own and I couldn’t wait to tell her about it. I knew she would be so proud! I imagine she felt like I did when she told me about the handful of spooky movies and shows she watched during Halloween. It literally made my heart swell. Kate’s love of Christmas is absolutely joyous to see and I think it has been rubbing off on me. I found some SUPER cute Santa dresses for holiday celebrations and they have really been tempting me. The problem is that I can’t pick which one so stay tuned because I will need all of your help!

A Pajama Party OOTD in these sweet jammies is on the horizon so keep it posted here on lifewithlilred!

Do you have a favorite pair of pajamas? What gets you into the holiday spirit? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Pajama Party OOTD

Standard
Pajama Party OOTD

Hello! While I love clothes of all kinds, there is one aspect of dressing that I’m pretty negligent to and that would have to be pajamas. Don’t get me wrong, I adore the idea of cute pajama sets and have seen countless ones at TJMaxx that I would buy happily. I actually bought one cute shorts and cami PJ set that I got for our sweltering summer and that was even a stretch. Regardless of that one time purchase, I would rather spend my money on pretty pieces that everyone can see me in which is why I resort to old sweatpants to sleep in lol. I am pleased to report that my pajama collection has grown to TWO cute pajama sets because I simply couldn’t resist this darling pair that I got at 5 Below for a whole twelve bucks! Check it out:

Bite Me Pajama Set: 5 Below

Halloween was in full swing at 5 Below and it’s safe to say I went a little bit crazy lol. But, hey, Halloween is my time to shine AND shop and it has turned into a yearly tradition. At a store like 5 Below, it’s so easy to just grab whatever and add it to your cart because you are getting it on the cheap. This was how I felt when I snagged my new PJ set. They are perfectly spooky, totes adorbs, and I knew damn well I was not going to find a set like it at a lower price. I couldn’t wait to wear it over the long Labor Day weekend to curl up, watch scary movies, and veg out!

I proudly donned my pajamas on Saturday and felt like a little Halloween star. The fleece shorts and oversized tee were the epitome of comfort and felt so good to snuggle up in. In fact, I was wishing I had bought a few more of the sets at 5 Below for myself! Sadly, I made a major uh-oh when I had my new set on and I suppose I will chalk it up to being too comfortable. Johnny and I ordered Papa John’s and it couldn’t have come a moment too soon because I was verging on hanger.

With a loaded plate of pizza and garlic dipping sauce, I made my way back to my recliner, got myself cuddled up, and dug in. In my awkward sitting state that is great for lounging and not eating, my leg knocked my plate and the garlic sauce got ALL over my PJs that I was so proud of. Blessedly, it came out in the wash but it took a while to get the scent of garlic off of my legs or lingering in my nose. SMH!!!!

Like the true vampire I am, this garlic spill REALLY stung. I’m so glad these pajamas were good as new after a wash!!

What is a type of clothing that you rarely buy? Have you wrecked any of your clothing before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

OOTD Surprise

Standard
OOTD Surprise

Hello! This past weekend was a glorious one because it was a three day weekend, baby! Very rarely do I take a holiday like Labor Day off but I went for it and I am so glad I did. Minus a visit with my sister and sweet nieces and a video chat with my blogging bestie, this was the first weekend Johnny and I had zero plans since our birthaversary at the beginning of June. All of the summer activities and get togethers were so lovely but we were long overdue for a few days of doing nothing. Of course, other than doing an OOTD shoot. A shoot that got cut short from the most adorable surprise! Check it out:

Johnny and I decided to walk through the path that goes behind some of the apartments in my community for this shoot as it features a lot of pretty greenery. It was the perfect place to post up and the picture taking commenced. Everything was going as normal until I heard a rustling behind me. I turned around and was able to see a cat bolt it into the foliage. I figured it was long gone and then it came back seconds later and I realized it wasn’t a cat at all but a KITTEN! Johnny and I named her Tiger and she was as friendly as can be. Stick a fork in that photo shoot because it was SO done lol.

As we were giving Tiger all the love, her darling calico kitten companion watched from the sidelines as well as the mama cat which we didn’t even notice was on the apartment side of the path the whole time. We must have spent a solid half an hour playing with Tiger and it was so hard to tear ourselves away. We were worried that they didn’t have a home and were blessedly able to confirm with someone who was walking to their apartment who the owner was and we confirmed with them too. Had they not had an owner and if we didn’t have bunnies, I think they would have been as good as ours!

This is the first and cutest time an OOTD shoot as ever not gone accordingly to plan and I am so not mad about it. Our little afternoon with Tiger is easily one of mine and Johnny’s favorite OOTD memories!

Have any of your blog posts or pictures not turned out the way you wanted? What happened? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Columbus Zoo Babies

Standard
Columbus Zoo Babies

Howdy! This past weekend was a super great one because I went to the Columbus Zoo with Johnny and my big bro, Andrew. We decided to do an end of summer hurrah with a little road trip and had the most wonderful day exploring the gigantic and beautiful zoo. We also had the perfect weather for it – cloudy and barely eighty degrees. That’s what I’m talking about! We saw so many incredible things during our day trip but perhaps the most exciting was seeing all of the baby animals that have recently been born. A brand new baby elephant, gorilla, orangutan, and mandrill. Baby girl gorilla, Mara, was feeling shy and tucked away with her parents but we had excellent views of the other three! Check it out:

Baby girl elephant has yet to be named!
Baby Clementine!
Baby Link!

Miss Baby Elephant was born about a month ago and weighed in at two hundred and fifteen pounds. Since then, she has gained eighty and is getting bigger by the day! The elephants had a massive exhibit at the Columbus Zoo and a special area for viewing the new baby girl. My crew arrived at the viewing station at just the right time. She was laying down beneath her parents for a few minutes but then got to her feet! She walked a bit with her mom and dad, walked by herself for a while, and was getting used to moving her trunk around. It was SO amazing to see and I seriously could have watched this little big one all day. It was absolutely majestic and I cannot wait to find out her name after the zoo hosts a contest to select it. ❤

The buzz on the baby elephant was so strong that I had no idea we would be seeing other babies too. Three precious baby monkeys, to be exact. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a picture of baby gorilla, Mara, because she was safely tucked away in the shade with her parents. We did get fleeting glimpses of her, though, and oh baby was she a cutie! Miss Mara is a little over one year old and is still tiny as can be. We got to see her roll around and get comfortable away from all of the hubbub and I bet she was ready for a well earned nap after finding that sweet spot!

In the orangutan exhibit was darling little Clementine and I legit can’t get over how adorable her name is. Just thinking about it now has me distracted from cuteness overload! Clementine was born in late November of 2023 and was the first baby of her mom, Khali. Like our viewing of the baby elephant, we got to see Clementine right in the nick of time. She got out of her mom’s embrace for a few moments and explored the grass before Khali scooped her up and took her into the tree house. Had we arrived at the exhibit any later, we wouldn’t have got to see Clementine at all and I am SO happy we did. It was one of my favorite parts!

Finally, was a baby boy mandrill named Link. As avid Legend Of Zelda fans, we were all about that name! Link is a little over a year old and was so totes adorbs. He was having some solo time when we got to his exhibit and was digging about in the dirt, playing with sticks and leaves, and carefully examining tree bark. It was so neat because he was literally right in front of us and I was on pins and needles to see what he did next. After his play time, he sat down and I melted into a puddle when I saw his great big eyes. I think he is going to be a handful for his mom and dad in the best way possible. ❤

A day at the Columbus Zoo is a ball no matter what but these babies made it so much better. Stay tuned for more from this fabulous trip!

What is your favorite animal? Do you have a favorite zoo to go to? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Cute & Comfy OOTD

Standard
Cute & Comfy OOTD

Hello! This past Saturday, my bestie and her beau came over for a dinner party and a wonderful time was had by all. I made my world famous Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo taste alike and we ate like kings! As I was going to be cooking and hosting, I didn’t want a fussy OOTD that I was going to worry about getting dirty. So, I went the Cute & Comfy route so I could run around making preparations while still looking (And cooking!) my best. Check it out:

Color Block Hoodie: Mossimo, Target

Skinny Jeans: 1822 Denim, TJMaxx

Platform Boots: Free People, TJMaxx

Cigarette Earrings: Punk N Junk

The weather in good ol’ Akron, Ohio has been anything but good and it’s getting old lol. It has been rainy and cold and I have been basically living in hoodies to combat the chill and keep my hair dry. The cropped hoodie from Target I picked definitely wouldn’t have kept me toasty outdoors but it was just what I needed to be cooking in a hot kitchen. The material is nice and light, it provides some ventilation in the tummy (lol), and it’s just so darn cute! I absolutely adore the color block palette and it turned a basic staple into something with a bit more pizazz.

Black skinnies were the obvious move, so it was onto shoes and accessories next. Typically, I wear this hoodie with a funky, huge gold necklace that belonged to my grandma. However, I didn’t want the weight of it on me while I cooked so I opted for some funky earrings instead – long, dangly cigarettes! I got these from a local vendor when Johnny and I went to a Punk Rock Flea Market and I think they are the bees knees lol. They also always get a compliment whenever I wear them because they are so unique! For shoes, I picked a pair of platform boots by Free People that I just love, particularly because it reminds me of tying ice skates when I put them on. With that, I was ready to be the hostess with the mostest for out big evening in!

Cute & Comfy was the name of the game and this OOTD had it in spades. I can’t wait to have another dinner party soon!

Do you like to cook for your friends? What is your favorite thing to make? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Super Cute Craft

Standard
Super Cute Craft

Hello!! Whenever Johnny and I watch our nieces, we always like to do some type of craft together. The girls are especially partial to painting. Whether it be on mugs, paper, or wooden or clay figurines – they are all about it and we have many of their masterpieces displayed throughout the apartment. This past weekend, we enjoyed using one of the painting gifts that I got for my eldest niece and it was a huge hit. If you have a little who loves art and unicorns, I cannot recommend this kit by SpringFlower enough. Check it out:

unicornIMG_2330IMG_2331

^^^ Photo by SpringFlower

I purchased the unicorn painting kit by SpringFlower off of Amazon for twenty dollars and was pleasantly surprised by how nice it was. It came with eight felt figurines that were all different from each other (Awesome!), tubes of glitter, paint, and paint brushes. The figurines were sturdy, easy to paint on, and just so darn cute. They were serving MAJOR My Little Pony vibes and, as a total nineties kid, I was living for it! Even my niece appreciated this nod because My Little Pony was her mom’s (my sister’s) all time favorite and they have several of them throughout their house. ❤

As I prepared dinner over the weekend, Johnny and my niece broke out the unicorn figurines to paint together. Before I even had my back turned, they were already laughing and scheming on what colors to use. My heart was bursting, but it simply exploded when I checked back in on them ten or so minutes later. Our niece proudly told me “TT – Uncle Johnny and I are both making rock and roll unicorns!” They created a color palette to use and made matching, concert ready unicorns. Once they were dry, our niece decided Johnny’s unicorn needed to be put by his record player and I couldn’t think of a more perfect spot!

12/10 Highly recommend this painting kit. It is an ideal activity for a day in or even setting it up as a painting station at a birthday party for an adorable keepsake!

What was your favorite childhood toy? Where are all my other nineties kids at? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Super Casual OOTD

Standard
Super Casual OOTD

Hello! This past weekend we celebrated my sweet niece’s second birthday with a party. It was a wonderful event hosted by her uncles with great friends, family, food, and fun. Of course, I had to put together a little look to attend the party that I kept Super Casual to keep up with all of the kiddos running around! The OOTD you are about to see is a simple one but it kept me feeling cute and comfortable as we spent a glorious afternoon in the sun. Check it out:

image_50734849(12)image_50450689(6)image_50461953(9)image_50473217(8)image_50755329(8)image_50452737(5)

Crop Top: This was a hand me down from my sister from forever ago!

Floral Pants: Nicole Miller, TJMaxx

Platform Heels: Olivia Miller, Walmart

BFF Bracelet: TJMaxx

The bangles are from Aerie and the earrings are Lucky Brand!

As I prepared for the party, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to wear. A lot of my clothes aren’t exactly conducive to being around children and I would have hated to see any of them get ruined (In fact, I ended up spilling juice on my shirt almost immediately at the get together SMH!). With that in mind, low key was the way to go. I started building this look from the bottom down with my Nicole Miller floral pants from TJMaxx. They are insanely comfy and light which is just what I needed for a warm day. As most of my fun tops would be difficult to remove a stain from, these joggers were the way to go to still add some pizazz while being far away from the shirt spill zone.

For my top, I also wasn’t sure what to wear lol. I own a handful of non patterned tops and none of them were what I needed to match the color palette of the pants. Then, I decided to dig deeper into my drawer of tops that I don’t wear very often. It was there that I found the heather grey crop top that my sister gave me years ago. I honestly forgot I had it and I’m glad I did because it was just right. The soft grey was the ideal neutral to wear with the more muted hues of the joggers. And it was no harm no foul when I spilled on myself because I didn’t even realize I had this crop top in the first place! 😀

Finally, it was onto shoes and accessories. For shoes, I just had to wear my new pastel pink Olivia Miller platforms. Although they weren’t a perfect match to the pink in the flower pattern, it was close enough and that was good enough for me. I am also a master at walking/running in heels so wearing them to a child’s birthday party was no problem! I went to my jewelry box and added a pretty pair of dangly turquoise gems and a few bangles too. And, of course, my bestie bracelet that the birthday girl’s big sister has the other half to. ❤

For such a casual look, I was getting compliments left and right. This was a much needed confidence boost for me because I was actually out of my comfort zone in this look. You all know how much I love dressing up!

Do you have any hand me down clothing? How often do you clean through your wardrobe? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah