Tag Archives: cynthia rowley

Oct7

Deja Vu OOTD

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Deja Vu OOTD

Hello! I couldn’t wait to take OOTD pictures after getting my hair done and I knew exactly what I wanted to wear. Normally when I shoot outfits, I want to style something brand new every time. However, I had a perfect outfit to show off my new do that had already been worn way back in 2021! Regardless of the deja vu of shooting it again, I didn’t care one bit because I felt like a star. This look is also a really good visual for mixing and matching patterns by pulling from the same color palette and pairing one bold pattern with a minimal one. Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Striped Sweater: Cynthia Rowley, TJMaxx

Plaid High Rise Skinnies: Sound & Style, TJMaxx

Plaid Platforms: Dolls Kill

Sparkle Earrings: SugarFix By BaubleBar, Target

There are some outfits that you just feel SO good in and this is the one for me. In the original post, my sister told me I looked like a Bratz doll when I wore it and that compliment has stayed with me. 1) They were my absolute favorites growing up. And 2) Who doesn’t want to be a Bratz girl?! This look is quirky and demands confidence to pull it off and I found myself not walking but STRUTTING when I wore it this past weekend. As I mentioned above, I felt like a star in this look and received star treatment at my go to gas station…

I always say that if you’re feeling low, get yourself dolled up and hit up your local gas station. You have the Lil Red Guarantee that you will be complimented so much that your spirits will be lifted. That was very much the case when I went to the Mapco up the road to get some of my beloved Diet Coke. I kid you not, every single person complimented me and I even got free Skittles from the cashiers lol. NICE! I was literally on cloud nine for the rest of the day.

It felt amazing to have this look be appreciated because it is loud, bold, and might not be everyone’s cup of tea. The thing is, is that I felt great in it and it showed. As the old saying goes, don’t let the clothes wear you and it’s so true. When your natural confidence shines, you could be wearing the craziest OOTD or a potato sack and it would still work. So wear what you like and wear what you want because when your fabulous self shows out like the king or queen you are, everyone is going to notice. Embrace your inner and outer beauty and don’t apologize for it. It will transform any outfit into a runway moment!

This is my “I’m a star, damnit” OOTD and I loved every minute of wearing it. This is your sign to go for it if you are questioning an outfit choice. I promise that you look fierce AF!

What is an outfit that makes you feel amazing? What makes you feel confident? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug25

Fruit Salad OOTD

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Fruit Salad OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! Johnny and I had the absolute pleasure of attending the wedding of our two dear friends recently and it was the most wonderful time. The groom actually officiated our wedding and the happy couple holds such a special place in our hearts! The wedding was held on an extremely hot summer day at a lovely reception hall at Hale Farm. I was unsure as to if there were outdoor portions of the evening so I wanted to wear a dress that would keep me nice and cool. I am so happy I did because the party gravitated into the great outdoors after a beautiful wedding! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Dress: Cynthia Rowley, TJMaxx

Platforms: Marc Fisher, TJMaxx

I have no idea where the flower stained glass earrings are from!

As the wedding was going to be on a ninety plus degree day, I decided that I would like to try to find a new sundress at TJMaxx. I had other options at home but they were all maxi style, a thicker material, or too casual for the event. I would have made it work but when have I ever turned down a shopping trip? I definitely lucked out because the Cynthia Rowley dress was the last thing I tried on and it was only ten dollars. SCORE!! My only regret is that I didn’t find it earlier into summer because it is just perfect for the season.

This dress is adorned in a fruit salad pattern featuring juicy kiwis, oranges, and pomegranates over an eggshell white background and it looks good enough to eat! The only not so good thing was the tiny buttons going down the center which were a pain in the booty to do with my nails lol. Hey, it was a small price to pay for an otherwise ten out of ten dress! This little number had a belt that cinched into a gorgeous hourglass silhouette and it made me feel like a 1960s housewife. I was so not mad about it!

I know several of the employees at TJMaxx and greet them like old friends. My favorite, however, is the fitting room attendant who is working almost every time I go shopping. I have known her for years and whenever I show her the winners, she will ask what shoes I am going to wear with it. When we talked styling this dress, I told her I was going to wear a pair of baby pink platforms and I earned a high five! The rest of this look was as easy as slipping on my pair of Marc Fisher platforms which matched my 1960s vibe to the T. For earrings, I pulled from the green and yellow hues of the kiwis in the dress and put on a pair of dangly flower shaped earrings that look like stained glass. With that, I was ready for a fabulous time at the wedding!

This Fruit Salad OOTD was oh so yummy and Johnny and I had the most magical time celebrating our friends! ❤

Do you have a favorite employee at the stores you shop at? Do you plan on shopping summer clearance? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug18

New Cynthia Rowley Dress

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New Cynthia Rowley Dress

Hello! Johnny and I are attending an outdoor summer wedding of our dear friends and we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate such a wonderful couple! The wedding will take place on an almost ninety degree day and as you all know, Lil Red does not do well in extreme heat. For this reason, every dress I had in mind to wear went straight out the window because they were thicker in material or a maxi style. While I would have made do, I thought I would try my luck at TJMaxx to see if I could find something that would keep me more comfortable. During my last trip to TJs, everything summer was getting marked down and I was hoping to find a dress on the cheap. The fashion gods truly smiled upon me because the dress I ended up with was the very last one I tried on! Check it out:

As you might remember, I have a method when it comes to shopping at TJMaxx and this trip was a shining example of why it works so well. Step 1) Make my rounds. Step 2) Try clothes on. Step 3) Revisit the departments for anything I might have missed. As I browsed the store for Step 1, I honestly had thought that I had seen it all. The racks of dresses went from jam packed a few weeks ago to barely anything there. And, unfortunately, every dress I did happen to like did nothing for me during my first fitting room session. I was frustrated and I almost bypassed Step 3 of revisiting the dress racks because surely I couldn’t have missed anything when there were such limited options to pick from. WRONG!!

I was SO dead wrong and this is exactly why you never bypass Step 3! Sure enough, as soon as I returned to the dresses, it was like the pretty little Cynthia Rowley number magically appeared. I took a few other dresses to the fitting room and I shouldn’t have even bothered. This dress was last but certainly not least and it was perfect. The price was perfect too – it was only ten dollars!! My new dress is a linen material and it is nice and light and the pattern just screams summer. It is laden with kiwis, pomegranates, and oranges and is basically a fruit salad in a dress. Have I used the word perfect already? Yes, but I don’t care because it also perfectly compliments by orange and pink nails! It was like my trip to Elysian Nails was leading up to this fateful fitting room moment.

Now, this dress might not be dressy enough for a typical wedding. However, an outdoor summer wedding gives you plenty of wiggle room for what’s appropriate to wear. Let’s be honest, is anyone expecting other people to wear full fledged penguin suits and ball gowns? Hard no. It’s all about light fabrics and sundresses and every dress I tried on prior to the Cynthia Rowley one seemed laughable once it was on. They were all long and heavy and I just know I would have been miserable in them even if they looked good. I was genuinely worried about being in the heat for that long and this dress will allow me to celebrate and dance the night away without getting heat stroke. GREAT SUCCESS!

If at first you don’t succeed at TJMaxx, try and try again or however that old saying goes. My only regret is that I didn’t find this dress sooner because I would have been wearing it all summer long!

Have the stores near you put out fall clothing yet? Do you plan on shopping summer clearance? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct25

Autumn Errands OOTD

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Autumn Errands OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! This past weekend was a pretty chill one because I had to work on Sunday at an event. So, Johnny and I opted to take it easy and continued to chip away at our 31 in 31 scary movie challenge for October. Before the movie marathon, we made a trip to Spirit Halloween to complete our Candyland themed costumes. It was a short errand, but one worth dressing up over in a fun lil fall fit! Check it out:

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Who? What? Wear?

Chartreuse Sweater: Cynthia Rowley, TJMaxx

Skinny Jeans: 1822 Denim, TJMaxx

Heeled Boots: Olivia Miller, TJMaxx

The necklace was my mom’s and the floppy hat is Brandy Melville!

I would never, ever call my personal style “basic”. However, I do love me some basic fall fashion trends – flannels, huge knit sweaters, tall boots, and floppy hats too! Hey, when in Rome and the weather in Ohio is finally matching the autumn aesthetic I have been yearning for. In this particular instance, basic is honestly exactly what I was looking for as I built the outfit. I wanted something quick to throw on with minimal think work for what was an in and out shopping trip. So the Autumn Errands OOTD was born.

My first order of business was sweaters because I have countless ones that I have been dying to wear as the temperature continues to cool. The sweater I was most looking forward to breaking out was the chartreuse number seen above by Cynthia Rowley. It is my absolute favorite! I am a huge fan of anything chartreuse as it is so bold and unique and the stark white boxes on the sweater made it even more special. Chartreuse is one of those colors that scream “look at me” and it is such a nice change of pace from the normal burnt and gemstone hues associated with fall.

After pairing the sweater with a black pair of skinnies as the obvious choice, it was onto shoes and accessories to spice things up. I have several floppy hats in a variety of colors, but the mauve one spoke to me. Green and purple are complementary colors and even though the sweater and hat weren’t “true” green and purple, the sentiment remains the same. I then pulled from the muted mauve hue and selected a hand me down necklace from my mom. It is incredibly special to me and the choker fit with delicate purple crystals was just right against the faux turtleneck of the sweater. To complete the outfit, I slipped on a pair of my go to heeled boots by Olivia Miller and I was ready to go!

Despite changing into my pajamas immediately upon our arrival home, my Autumn Errands OOTD served its purpose well – albeit a little basically!

What is one of your cold weather staples? What is your favorite color to wear? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov26

Navy, Baby OOTD

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Navy, Baby OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! It is always so much fun to style a new look after getting my hair done and it was a weekend full of changes, indeed. New hair, new piercing, and a new style because the look you are about to see is quite different from previous OOTD posts. Of course, I wanted to celebrate the navy in my hair that I am obsessed with, but I also wanted to create something chic and sophisticated because that’s how my new do makes me feel. My Navy, Baby OOTD was a step outside of my comfort zone and I am loving how it turned out:

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Who? What? Wear?

Peacoat: Rock Steady, ModCloth

Striped Sweater: Cynthia Rowley, TJMaxx

Slacks: Sincerely Jules, TJMaxx

Snakeskin Pattern Boots: Vince Camuto, TJMaxx

The turquoise cross earrings are Lucky Brand!

I love all of the amazing shades of Pulp Riot hair dye, but there is something about the navy hue called Nightfall that just hits different. It compliments the red beautifully and the darker color against my complexion is probably the most true to my original medium to dark brown hair. It is such a shocking contrast and my new look is one of my most favorite things that I have ever done to my hair. Rather than let the navy hair do all of the talking in this OOTD, I decided to pile it on in my clothing as well.

To style this look, I began from the top down with my Cynthia Rowley striped sweater. It fits like a glove and how cute is that red heart accent?! The crisp stripes of navy and stark white feel so classic and it really is a timeless piece. When I think about sophistication, “timeless” is one of the words that I always associate it with. To continue with that, I chose my Sincerely Jules slacks for the pants portion. They are such a wonderful staple piece and can be worn dressed up or down with ease. I like that the straight leg fit offers some motion without being loose and it created such a cool but effortless silhouette.

Next on the agenda was shoes and accessories and I selected a gorgeous pair of snakeskin pattern heeled boots by Vince Camuto. I am very partial to a grey snakeskin pattern, but the rich brown palette of these boots is just what I needed. Although these boots are patterned, I would still consider them to be a neutral and they offered a unique pop of color against the neutral palette that I had already established. Remember, navy is most definitely a neutral too! Because the pattern of the sweater was so bold, I chose to keep accessories minimal with a pair of dangly turquoise cross earrings. These were a gift from my mom and one of my favorite pairs!

With that, the base of my outfit was settled but it still didn’t feel complete. To tie things together, I knew I needed a great jacket and I found that with my peacoat from ModCloth by Rock Steady. This peacoat is as old as dirt, but it is so beloved by me. It was one of my first purchases from ModCloth and I still get the warm fuzzies when I put it on. The navy peacoat turned the base I was working with into a true OOTD and it made me feel like I accomplished my mission of a timeless outfit. And, once again, how cute are those heart patches on the elbow?!

My Navy, Baby OOTD highlighted my new hair perfectly and I felt like a star in this look. This outfit combined classic pieces and turned it into something fresh and new, which is exactly what I set out to do!

What is a piece of clothing you consider to be timeless? What era of fashion is your favorite? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr11

Sweaters In Spring OOTD

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Sweaters In Spring OOTD

Hello!! Ohio is slowly but surely crossing the threshold from winter to spring and I am so there for it! While I am especially partial to warm spring days, I am okay with the chilly ones too as I live for light jacket weather. This time of the year is also fun to dress for because lighter fall pieces can be incorporated into OOTDs to combat the cold in. For my Sweaters In Spring look, I did just that and mixed a few cold weather staples into the mix for an adorable OOTD that can be easily replicated. Check it out:

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Who? What? Wear?

Striped Sweater: Cynthia Rowley, TJMaxx

Jean Shorts: American Eagle Outfitters

Snakeskin Print Kitten Heels: Splendid, TJMaxx

Knee Highs: Target

Lightning Bolt Earrings: I got these at Universal Studios forever ago on vacation!

Spring weather in Ohio typically follows the pattern of a cold morning and a warmer afternoon and flip flopping temps can make it hard to decide what to wear! The day I took these pictures, I knew that I wouldn’t be outside other than walking to and from my car so I chose to throw caution to the wind and put on shorts even if it was cooler outside. Of course, the outfit needed a few modifications to make it fully weather appropriate and I was very okay with this; I am SO sick of wearing jeans!

For this Sweaters In Spring OOTD, I began building the look with my Cynthia Rowley striped sweater in mind. I absolutely LOVE this simple but sweet sweater and the red heart makes for an eye catching pop. It is so light but cozy and is such an ideal option for a crisp fall or spring day. This sweater is also a great layering piece because it is nice and form fitting; if it’s a bit too cold out, literally any style of jacket will work well on top of it.

Another reason for selecting my navy striped sweater was because I knew how cute it would pair up with denim shorts. This was a no brainer decision and I selected one of my go to pairs from American Eagle. These shorts feature a midrise fit, which I really appreciate because it is SO hard to find bottoms that aren’t high waisted. I also liked that this particular pair wasn’t distressed as I knew that I would have a few different patterns in this look and didn’t want it to be distracting.

Originally, I planned on wearing tights underneath my shorts but that idea fell short. I tried a few different pairs on, but it was doing nothing for me and I set my sights on knee highs instead. Although tights would have kept me slightly warmer, the knee highs were good enough and still covered up a majority of my legs lol. I have had the pair of argyle knee highs I selected for forever and they were a perfect pair with the navy sweater. The green and cobalt blue in the pattern also provided another little pop of color, which is always fun. 😀

For accessories, I chose to keep things minimal because there were three separate patterns in this look and they served as an accessory in themselves. Since I had an open crew neck on top, I put on a pair of dangly lightning bolt earrings to enhance my neck line. The shape added a playful touch of movement, which was needed as all of the other components of this look fit close to the body.

And, finally, I chose my kitten heel, pointed toe, snakeskin patterned booties by Splendid for the shoe department. These are one of my favorite pairs and they work so well for work or on the go. They looked so darling paired with the knee highs and were a unique addition that worked despite a drastic change in pattern and palette. This was okay, though! It is totally fine to stray from the motif of your look for the shoes; as long as the rest of your OOTD is cohesive, it will look like a decision you made rather than just throwing something on. 🙂

I felt ready to take on the day or at least page through a few novels in a bookstore in this scholarly sweet Sweaters In Spring OOTD! Keep it posted tomorrow for the blooper reel from this look! ❤

What is your favorite pattern to wear? Have you done any spring shopping recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Mar30

Accessory Story: Cynthia Rowley Earrings Edition

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Accessory Story: Cynthia Rowley Earrings Edition

Howdy! The last thing I purchased during my final hurrah before my favorite TJMaxx closes was a really cool pair of earrings by Cynthia Rowley. I had actually seen them before at TJs and liked them a lot but didn’t buy them so I figured it was now or never when I saw them again! Check it out:

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When it comes to my jewelry, simple will simply not do and I love accessorizing with quirky pieces. These earrings definitely fall under that category! I love the design of my new Cynthia Rowley earrings and, of course, the bold red lip in the shape of a heart speaks to me. I have a skirt in a pattern that is almost identical and now I have the earrings to match. 😀

I cannot wait to break out my new earrings and the skirt you saw yesterday from my mini haul at TJs and I am so happy with my purchases… Just not the circumstance! Since my youth, the TJMaxx that is closing has provided me with many fond memories and lots of fabulous finds. Parting is, truly, such sweet sorrow and, although I am excited for the opening of a new TJMaxx, nothing will ever beat Old Faithful. ❤

Do you have a favorite store that closed? What is your favorite jewelry to accessorize with? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Oct19

New Hair Selfies

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New Hair Selfies

Hi! A little under two months ago, my hair stylist transformed my hair into a candy apple red and dandelion yellow delight. I am so obsessed with how it turned out and I have never gotten so many compliments on my hair before in my life. I realize that I have not uploaded some decent selfies of my new do and, while my sister and I road tripped to Pittsburgh, I was finally able to snap some because she was driving! Lol, check it out:

^^^ Lol!!! ❤

Now, I realize that two months is a long time to go without taking selfies but, believe you me, I have an explanation: COVID-19. Haha, Johnny and I don’t go anywhere and my clients and I rarely go out when I am working so I haven’t really had the need or desire to get full on “ready” AKA makeup, hair, and a cute outfit.

A road trip with my sister seemed like the perfect opportunity to go all out and, as luck would have it, it was kind of overcast when we were driving which is perfect selfie conditions! Kristen was laughing because she says I always take selfies in her car and it’s true, lol, I never seem to be the passenger in a car so when I am, I have to seize the opportunity!

I think that these new pics show off my hair perfectly and I also am so pleased with the adorable Cynthia Rowley sweater I got during my TJMaxx Fall Haul. Kristen and I had a great day and I can’t wait till we can go back to Pittsburgh in December for our microblading touch ups so I can go “all out” when I get ready again. 😀

Do you do your makeup less now because of COVID? How often do you take selfies? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct8

Fall Haul: Cynthia Rowley Sweater Edition

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Fall Haul: Cynthia Rowley Sweater Edition

Hi! It is no secret that Lil Red loves shopping for the fall. I detest shopping in the summer but ring in the cold weather and my heart begins to soar! Layers, jackets, sweaters, darling accessories, BOOTS?! The best. Despite not really going anywhere or doing anything in COVID times, I just had to treat myself to a spot of TJMaxx fall shopping online. It is the most wonderful time of the year for me, clothes-wise, after all!

Check out this adorable sweater by Cynthia Rowley and let’s get to it:

One of the things that I miss doing the most is my TJMaxx shopping trips with my mom and this sweater reminded me of her so much when I saw it. I could just picture her saying that she loved it when I came across it online because she loves anything with hearts on it. And, just as I suspected, this was one of her favorite things that I purchased when I gave her a fashion show of all my new treats.

I absolutely adore this navy and white striped sweater by Cynthia Rowley. It honestly reminds me of sweaters from Hollister that the “cool girls” would wear back in high school but much more posh, lol! I’ve never owned much with horizontal stripes because, as a girl with a bigger bust, they can make me look wide. However, this sweater just fits so nicely without being too tight or baggy and I love how I look in it.

The best part? The adorable heart, of course! It takes this sweater from something plain Jane into a more unique piece and I think I’m going to be wearing it all of the time this fall. In fact, I’m wearing it right now as I type this! 😀 ❤

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

Sep2

Fall Haul: Cynthia Rowley Sweater

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Fall Haul: Cynthia Rowley Sweater

Greetings! One of my favorite things about fall clothing is getting to break out knitwear again. From cozy cardigans to slouchy sweaters or a hand-knitted scarf, there is nothing better than being wrapped in something warm against the brisk autumn air. I am a huge lover of knitwear because, despite it being so damn comfortable, it always manages looking chic and appropriate for the season. And, the last thing that Lil Red does is dress for comfort, so being enveloped in something so soft and plush is an added bonus.

During my seasonal shopping haul at TJMaxx, I came across the tennis ball green Cynthia Rowley sweater seen below and thought that it was the ugliest thing that I’ve seen in my life. So, obviously, I had to try it on. And, surprising at it was, I fell in love with it as soon as I popped my head out of the turtleneck. Check it out:

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From the color green that looks like it belongs on the walls of a home back in the 60s to the crisp white squares adorning the sweater, this little number screams mod. Give me a Twiggy vibe and I am all in and this sweater definitely does that for me. What draws me to the clothes and accessories that I purchase is if I’ve never seen anything like it before and that is why I was so attracted to this sweater, even if it did look heinous on the rolling rack.

Before even trying my new Cynthia Rowley sweater on, I had a good feeling about it. Fifty shades of green is very flattering on me and I wasn’t expecting anything different from the chartreuse fabric. And, just one look in the fitting room mirror of the color against my red hair had me sold and infinite visions of styling possibilities washed over me.

I am so looking forward to creating a collegiate cool OOTD to shoot in the campus library of one of the nearby universities in my neck of the woods. School is back in session and I plan on schooling everyone in fall style by pairing this sweater with a smart pair of trousers or an A-line skirt with thick tights and a heeled oxford shoe. Mix in some tweed and a silk scarf around your neck and you’re bound to get an A in OOTD 101!

What is an “ugly” piece of clothing or color that you love? How do you style a back to school look? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah