Tag Archives: date night

Dinner & A Show OOTD Bloopers

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Dinner & A Show OOTD Bloopers

Howdy everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Dinner & A Show OOTD! Because of this past year being absolutely INSANE, Johnny and I didn’t get the opportunity to go on many dates. Rather, we opted to staying in and having game nights. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good night in playing board and video games but there is something about a night out that just hits different!

With things thankfully slowing down in Lil Red’s world, going out on actual dates with Johnny is finally happening again. It is something that I missed so much and I relish every second of them. And, naturally, I have to look my absolute best as we continue on with our Date Night Revival:

That face you make when your husband lets you know he has to go to the bathroom for the millionth time

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I LOOK GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Everybody in the Applebee’s parking lot say heyyyyyyyy

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Taking pictures in the sunshine got me like

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Serving sass and DELIVERING

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Lol, wtf even?

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I hate to get all sappy, but the past few date nights with Johnny have made me school girl giddy. The last date that I can recall going on before Moulin Rouge and Dinner & A Show was seeing Hadestown way back in February! Saying a night out was long overdue is a huge understatement and now that it’s happening, it feels like our first dates all over again. It’s freaking awesome and made such a simple night out feel like a massive event!

For future date nights, we plan on making the ultimate Middle Class Fancy circuit. We’re talking Olive Garden, we’re talking Red Lobster, O’Charley’s, and oh so much more. Johnny and I are not hard to please whatsoever and dining at a five star restaurant has no appeal to us. We want to go to all of the places that are reasonably priced, dress to the nines, and eat like kings. Our dinner at Applebee’s gave us an insatiable craving for the average things in life and I am eagerly anticipating all of the bread sticks at the OG. 😀

No matter where we go or what we do, Johnny and I always have a blast. When you bring the party just by arriving, it turns going to a chain restaurant into an amazing date. Here’s to Middle Class Fancy because it’s the best way to go!

What is your favorite chain restaurant? How do you get your Middle Class Fancy on? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dinner & A Show OOTD

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Dinner & A Show OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! Today, we are going to take a look at my date night look that I sported this past weekend. Johnny and I had a night on the town on Friday going to Applebee’s and seeing Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. It was a hoot! And, as always, we had to step out in our best to do date night right! Check it out:

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Who? What? Wear?

Aviator Print Button Down: Karl Lagerfeld, TJMaxx

Popsicle Print Scarf: BCBG, TJMaxx

Shorts: American Eagle Outfitters

Lace Up Heels: Juicy Couture, Kohl’s

Sunglasses: Sam Edelman, TJMaxx

The heart dangle earrings were purchased by my aunt at an estate sale!

The last date night Johnny and I went to was seeing Moulin Rouge at Playhouse Square. This was a situation that required actual fancy dress, but our dinner and a movie date night was all about Middle Class Fancy. Because of this, I decided to style a look that was fairly casual because there’s no point in settling in to watch a movie in something uncomfortable! I played around with several different options in my head before I settled on this OOTD and I love how it turned out. 😀

For this look, I was very inspired by my husband who can rock a bold button down like no other. I went with my Aviator print button down by Karl Lagerfeld for a few reasons. 1) It is the loudest button down I own and I still wanted this casual look to be a lot of fun. And 2) Johnny was sporting a black button down and mine was a perfect compliment to his:

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Very nice!!!!!!

Black shorts were the obvious way to go with my white and black top and then it was time for accessories. To start, I tied my BCBG popsicle print scarf around my neck as another ode to my A1. A pattern on top of a pattern can be a tricky styling technique to pull off. However, this worked because 1) The additional pattern came from a smaller accessory. And 2) The base of the scarf was white and that blended well with the shirt. The only thing you’re really seeing is the pop of color with the pale pink trim and blue popsicles.

With the base of my outfit settled, I popped on a pair of small dangly earrings of a red heart. I didn’t want to go overboard with additional accessories because the patterns I had on served as an accessory in themselves. These earrings added the slightest touch of movement to compliment the breezy scarf and gave an adorable color burst when they hit the light just right.

For shoes, I went with my lace up wedges by Juicy Couture. These heels are old as dirt, but I love them so very much and they are one of my favorite pairs. I chose them because their color palette really did tie the look together from head to toe. The black laces, of course, paired with the sunglasses pattern. And, the creamy base was just right with the soft shades of the scarf. With that, I was ready to go!

My Dinner & A Show OOTD was all about being comfortably cute and it was exactly what I needed for our date night. It was also such fun to wear an outfit that meshed with Johnny’s so well. My lil style icon! ❤

What is your favorite date night location? What movie are you looking forward to seeing in theaters? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Dinner & A Movie Date Night

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Dinner & A Movie Date Night

Hello! Last Friday, Johnny and I had a fabulous date night of dinner and a movie. Applebee’s was running a promo for spend X amount of money and get a free ticket to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and we were so there for it! In fact, we got our Middle Class Fancy on so hard that we ended up with three free tickets lol. It was an absolute blast and was so typically us. Whether we’re all dressed up for Taco Bell or a date night at The Bee’s, we treat everything like a special occasion because it is! Check it out:

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Okay, is it just me or did Applebee’s really up their game? Perhaps it was the Margaritas we were enjoying or the thrill of a night out, but our food was so good. We started our meal with Crispy Cheese Bites as an appetizer and they were bomb AF. They were like a mixture of a cheese curd and mozzarella stick and came with Ranch and Firecracker sauce to dip in. If we didn’t have actual dinner ordered too, we easily could have ate the whole plate! Our leftovers were also A1 when we air fried them later that weekend. 😀

For the main course, Johnny got his usual of a bacon cheeseburger and I got the Three-Cheese Chicken Penne minus the chicken. As you can see, Johnny loved his burger and my pasta was awesome. It wasn’t as good as something from Olive Garden, but it was close. My meal also inspired our next Middle Class Fancy outing because I want to hit up the OG. Maybe when I drag Johnny to the Barbie movie with me?!

After we were done eating, we headed to the theater to settle in for the movie. This was the first movie we have seen since we took our niece to see Sing 2 for her third birthday last year! Pre pandemic, Johnny and I used to see movies together pretty frequently and I’m hoping we bring that back. The Regal we went to was so fancy with big reclining chairs that were insanely comfortable. It was the perfect setup to get our Indiana Jones on and I only want to go to that theater from now on. Once you see a movie in a recliner, you can’t go back!

Johnny and I have had a date night two weeks in a row and nothing makes me happier. Even though we are always dead tired by the end of the week, stepping out with my main squeeze is like getting a caffeine IV. I can’t wait for our next date night at the Olive Garden because it’s going to be my turn to pick! ❤

What is your favorite Middle Class Fancy restaurant? What was the last movie you saw in theaters? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Groovy Movies: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Edition

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Groovy Movies: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Edition

Hello everyone! This past weekend, Johnny and I enjoyed a fabulous date night of dinner and a movie. We went to Applebee’s because it was running a promo of spend X amount of money and get a free ticket to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. We truly went all out in a Middle Class Fancy fashion because we ended up getting two free tickets lol. 😀 Tune in tomorrow for more about our night on the town!

After dinner, we hit the theater to see the new Indiana Jones and we were excited! Johnny LOVES the Indiana Jones movies and has never seen any of them in theaters. I like them well enough and only saw them when Johnny and I started dating! Without giving any spoilers away, let’s discuss this popcorn flick more because it was a HOOT:

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We meet an elderly Indiana Jones in New York City and he is ready to retire from his job as a college professor/professional adventurer and live the good life. Of course, we all know he can’t hang up his hat without one final hurrah and that comes from his estranged goddaughter, Helena. Helena is an archaeologist with a great interest in the Dial of Destiny. This Dial is said to reveal time fissures that could allow for time travel. However, if it falls into the wrong hands, the Nazis could go back in time and avoid the mistakes that lead to their demise.

With Helena and her young comrade, Teddy, in tow, Jones and his crew begin the hunt for the two halves of the Dial. Acquiring both won’t be easy and the Nazis are hot on their tail. Their quest takes them all over the world to places and time periods unknown. Jones’ final mission is a lot more than he originally bargained for, but a little help from old friends can go a long way – hopefully. Will Indiana save the day and life as we know it? See The Dial of Destiny to find out!

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was an absolute blast from start to finish. Although Johnny and I live for Harrison Ford in his youth, seeing his eighty-one year old self kick major ass was awesome! The Dial of Destiny featured an all star cast including Mads Mikkelsen as the villain, Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Helena, Antonio Banderas, and the wonderful John Rhys-Davies reprising his role as Sallah. Other than Waller-Bridge, whose work we aren’t familiar with, we love all of these esteemed actors and that made the viewing experience even better.

The Indiana Jones movies are totally far fetched, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t a ton of fun! The action, the adventure, and the nods to previous movies and characters all added to the celebratory vibe that The Dial of Destiny invoked. It was a complete tip of the cap to Harrison Ford and we were so there for it. Sure, this movie would have been great to watch at home, but it just hit different seeing it on the big screen. Johnny and I had to do everything in our power to not whoop and cheer during every scene!

If you are a fan of the Indiana Jones series, RUN don’t walk to the theater. This is one that you are not going to want to miss and I am so happy to have experienced it with Johnny. We have been looking forward to this date night for weeks and it was everything we wanted it to be and so much more!

What is your favorite Indiana Jones movie? Have you seen The Dial of Destiny yet? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

A Night At The Theater OOTD Bloopers

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A Night At The Theater OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Night At The Theater OOTD! Johnny and I had a wonderful date night seeing Moulin Rouge at Playhouse Square and it was a whirlwind event. We had to stop by my parents’ to get the tickets, make the fifty minute trek to the Taco Bell and the Funhouse where we kick started the night, and make it to Playhouse Square by seven when the doors to the theater opened. With so much to do and no time to waste, we had to take OOTD shots in record timing. In fact, it might have been one of my most successful shoots yet because there weren’t too many bloopers to choose from! Check it out:

That look of pre TBell anticipation

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Willing our food to get done faster with my gaze. We were hungry!

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Don’t mind my face, just mind how cool the fringe looks in this shot! 😀

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I LOOK GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Finesse, style, poise. Straight working it.

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I genuinely have no idea what warranted this reaction!! 😮

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When I say we took rapid fire pictures outside of the Funhouse, it was the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. After we got our Taco Bell, we walked over to the bar to eat it there. However, one of my pre OOTD quirks is that I’d really rather not eat before I take pictures. No, this is not because of a weight thing as I could truly care less. This is just pure laziness on my part lol. Once my makeup is on and lipstick is applied, the last thing that I want to do is eat, do touch ups, wipe the remnants of lipstick off, and put it back on again. I mean I could… I just don’t want to! And, at the end of the day, Johnny and I would rather get pictures out of the way at the jump so I can be done working and enjoy the date.

I promised Johnny that our photo shoot would be and I quote “so, so fast” and I delivered results, baby! I think we might have taken two minutes worth of pictures and called it. In that time, I checked on progress once, adjusted a few things, checked on progress again, and was happy with what we had and that was good enough for me. It’s funny because in this speedy session, I was pleased with more pictures than I usually am with an upwards of ten minutes shoot. Hence, the lack of bloopers. What can I say, I guess I thrive when it’s crunch(wrap) time!

The moral of this story? I should start treating every OOTD shoot like Johnny and I are about to dig into Taco Bell. Hey, whatever works right?! 😀

What is a “lazy” quirk about you? What is something that you don’t like to do before taking pictures? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

 

 

Beauty & The Bell

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Beauty & The Bell

Hello! Mine and Johnny’s Moulin Rouge date night came as a surprise to us. We knew we were going, but we thought we were seeing it on the eighth instead of the first! I planned on making us reservations at my favorite restaurant, Pepper’s, but that plan got foiled with the mix up of dates. Lucky for us, I have another favorite eatery – Taco Bell, and that is where we went for our pre Moulin Rouge meal. Lol, check it out:

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^^^ VERY NICE!!!!

Taco Bell is, was, and always will be everything I could ever want and more. We strolled into The Bell in our theater’s best, used the touch screen ordering device like seasoned pros, and naturally took pictures. You’re not going to not when you’re at the Taco Bell in fancy clothes! There was another perk to this particular TBell location, the fact that it is right next to a really awesome bar called the Funhouse.

After we got our food at the happiest place on Earth, we brought it over to the Funhouse to eat there and enjoy a libation. The combination of TBell and the boozy blue raspberry slushie was a match made in heaven! Not only does the Funhouse have great drinks for on the cheap, but it is literally the coolest bar I have ever been to. It is decorated with pictures of carnival side shows, coffins, and skulls everywhere. There is also a nice selection of arcade games. So, obvi it’s right up mine and Johnny’s alley!

Once we were done breaking bread or should I say burritos, we played ski ball which is both of our favorites. We started out pretty rusty because we haven’t played in almost two years. By the time our quarters were gone, we were scoring left and right and that was much more like it! Then, I dragged Johnny into the photo booth to get a commemorative photo strip of our night on the town:

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Lol these pictures sum up our relationship beautifully and I love them so much! I truly can’t think of a better, more fun, more us beginning to our night at the theater than a trip to Taco Bell and the Funhouse. We had such an amazing date night and I can’t wait for more. BTW, we deff got Taco Bell again on the 4th of July lol!

What is your favorite bar in your neck of the woods? What about your favorite fast food eatery? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

A Night At The Theater OOTD

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A Night At The Theater OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred!! Yesterday, you read my review for mine and Johnny’s date night viewing of Moulin Rouge at Playhouse Square. Today, we will be checking out what I wore for our Night At The Theater. Half of the fun of going to a show is getting dressed up! It’s a blast to not only get dolled up yourself, but to see what other people are rocking for their theater’s best. I LOVED the look that I put together so let’s get to it:

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Who? What? Wear?

Floral Dress: ModCloth, Coconinno

Fringe Shawl: TJMaxx, Laundry

Black Heels: Show Story

Gold Earrings: American Eagle Outfitters

When I am styling OOTDs for Playhouse Square, it is important to me to create looks that are glam and unique. As I mentioned, a lot of the fun for me comes from styling and I want fits that make me stand out in the crowd of theatergoers. This particular outfit was a little ditty that I came up with in my head and it turned out exactly how I pictured it. I love when that happens! 😀

Let’s start with the dress. It’s actually kind of funny, I got this dress by Coconinno from ModCloth when my brother got married in 2015. This is the first time I have worn it since then and I am pleased to report that it still fit like a charm lol. Why haven’t I worn it in almost a decade, you might ask? I don’t know, honestly! It’s beautiful, of course, but I just never felt like I had another occasion to wear it for. So, it sat sentinel in my closet for years.

This dress wasn’t my first option, but I realized that I had exhausted all of the pieces that I would normally wear for a Playhouse outing. The remainder of the clothes I had to pick from were too casual for both the setting and a show like Moulin Rouge that examines the finer things in life. This dress was an afterthought and now I don’t know why I didn’t wear it sooner! The fit was divine and the big, gorgeous blooms in a jewel toned palette made me feel like the star of the show.

As I styled this outfit in my head, I knew that the dress itself wasn’t going to be enough. It was too hot for a jacket and my faux fur shawls were a been there done that accessory. The solution? The adorably charming fringe shawl by Laundry! I am obsessed with this piece from the flowery lace to the hanging tassels. Once it was on, it almost looked like it could have been part of the dress and that is what I was hoping for. Something that looked built in rather than simply placed on top.

Next on the agenda was shoes and I chose the heels by Show Story that I wore for mine and Johnny’s wedding. With so much wedding attire in one look, I should have put my veil on too! A dress like the one I was wearing was begging for a killer pair of pumps, which is a style that I don’t own any pairs in other than my wedding heels. These were the obvious and only choice and the vertebrae heel added the edge that is a necessary part of all of my looks.

Finally, it was time to accessorize and all I did was wear a small gold dangly pair of earrings from American Eagle Outfitters. There were several reasons for this minimal approach. 1) Long earrings or a necklace would have taken away from the neckline that was established. 2) The bold dress pattern and the fringe shawl served as accessories in themselves. 3) A lot of my tattoos were visible and I prefer for them to do the talking. With all of that in mind, why would I need anything more than a little touch of bling?

I have styled countless looks for Playhouse Square shows and this one is definitely in my top three. I felt awesome in it and my vision came to life perfectly. Keep it posted for bloopers and pics from the rest of our Moulin Rouge extravaganza coming soon!

What is your favorite occasion to dress for? What is the oldest piece of clothing you have in your closet? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Moulin Rouge At Playhouse Square Review

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Moulin Rouge At Playhouse Square Review

Hello!! This past weekend, Johnny and I had a wonderful date night seeing Moulin Rouge at Playhouse Square. We had an absolute blast and you can read more about the rest of our outing and peep a brand new OOTD later this week! Playhouse Square is my happy place and even though Moulin Rouge wasn’t my favorite, it was still phenomenal as per ushe with the shows put on there. Let’s get to the review:

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Johnny and I went to Moulin Rouge knowing nothing about it. We have never seen the movie and the only songs that I was familiar with going in was Lady Marmalade and Because We Can. Long story short… The Moulin Rouge is a nightclub that is falling on desperate times. If a financial windfall doesn’t happen, it is sure to close. Luckily for the crew at the Moulin Rouge, a wealthy man called The Duke takes an interest in Satine, the “sparkling diamond” of the club. Satine knows what she needs to do to get The Duke’s money and as she awaits him in her boudoir, a mix up happens. *gasp*

Instead of The Duke coming into Satine’s room, Christian who is an aspiring songwriter and hoping to audition for Satine arrives first. It is instant love and a love triangle is born between Satine, The Duke, and Christian. The Duke agrees to fund a new play and as rehearsals are underway, Satine and Christian are sneaking around like teenagers. That’s not the only secret Satine is harboring, as she is in poor health. As opening night at the Moulin Rouge draws nearer, The Duke becomes more controlling, Christian and Satine’s love amplifies, and her condition continues to decline. Will the Moulin Rouge have to shut its doors? Will true love win? Go see the musical to find out! 😉

Before we discuss the good of the show, let’s get a few bugaboos out of the way. My main qualm actually had nothing to do with the performance itself, but the theater it was in. Moulin Rouge was showing at the Keybank State Theatre and the sound quality isn’t the best there. Johnny and I had great seats in the middle of the first row of the balcony and while we could hear the songs perfectly, all of the spoken lines were near impossible to hear. This was frustrating, to say the least, but unsurprising. Every show that I have seen at the Keybank is like that! *face palm*

My next gripe was both a good and a bad thing. More good than bad, it’s just a matter of preference for me. The songs in Moulin Rouge were all popular hits and each number would end in a mashup. You could basically turn on the radio and there is a 95% chance you would hear one of the songs from the show. I much prefer a musical with songs written specifically for it. But, on the other hand, it was fun to hear songs that you know instantly throughout the show. It was hard not to sing along!

Despite my personal preference for songs from musicals, the set list was full of bangers. Banger after banger lol. We’re talking Britney, we’re talking Beyonce, we’re talking Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Adele, Elton, and so much more. My favorite number was to Sia’s Chandelier when Christian goes on an absinthe bender. I also loved the tango set to Roxanne and the adorable love song mashup with songs that included I Will Always Love You, Heroes, and Pride (In the Name of Love) just to name a few.

And, finally, let’s discuss the wonderful performers who graced the stage. Courtney Reed as Satine was phenomenal. That girl could SANG and I was so impressed with her range and ability to capture the essence of each song perfectly. John Cardoza as Christian was a formidable leading man and I liked his sensitivity in contrast to Satine’s strength. Both Reed and Cardoza worked so well together and carried the show beautifully.

Another character that Johnny and I loved was Harold Zidler, the owner of Moulin Rouge, played by Austin Durant. He was hysterical and a really fun addition to every scene. While all of the performers held their own well, I wasn’t overly impressed with Denzel Tsopnang as The Duke. His character is not a good person. The Duke is controlling, menacing, and aggressive and I just didn’t feel that in his portrayal. He definitely fell flat in comparison to the rest of the cast, which was disappointing as it is such a major part.

Moulin Rouge was, overall, an awesome show. It wasn’t the best thing that I have seen, but I’m really happy that I got to see it. In fact, Johnny and I enjoyed it so much that we are going to watch the movie! If Moulin Rouge comes to your neck of the woods, I highly recommend getting tickets!

What is your favorite song from Moulin Rouge? Have you seen a musical recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

 

Summer Sass OOTD

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Summer Sass OOTD

Hello everyone!! After a brief hiatus from my weekly OOTD shoots due to personal reasons, I am finally getting back into the swing of things and it feels great! We are experiencing pure summertime temps here in Ohio and, although summer isn’t my favorite season to dress for, I’m having a blast doing what I do best – styling awesome outfits. Today, we are going to take a look at a sassy little number that I created with drinks on the patio of mine and Johnny’s favorite bar (The Cashmere Cricket) in mind. Check it out:

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Who? What? Wear?

Mesh Crop Top: Gaze, TJMaxx

Skort: Almost Famous, TJMaxx

Floral Sandals: L’Artiste, ModCloth

Blue Flower Earrings: Bella Jack, TJMaxx

Hair Accessory: Hot Topic

Johnny and I live a vampire lifestyle and basically melt in the sun. I am also on medication that makes me more susceptible to overheating so styling outfits in the summertime for me means a 100% focus on keeping cool – even if I am in all black lol. In this regard, summer looks kind of bore me because layering or options other than shorts, skirts, or dresses are eliminated. I don’t have the most expansive summer clothes collection so it requires a bit of creativity to make looks that are fun and still feel like me.

When I started styling this look, I didn’t know where to start because I have been quickly breezing through a majority of my summer clothes on previous OOTDs. Then, my mesh crop by Gaze caught my eye and I decided I could work with that. This top is SO cute and it reminds me of something that one of the characters on Euphoria would wear. And, because it’s mesh, the keeping cool factor was already built in.

The high crop of this top also made it very easy to decide what to wear on my bottom half. Anything mid rise would expose a lot of my stomach and that was going to be a no from me. So, I selected my skort by Almost Famous, which featured a high rise and complimented the shirt perfectly. I also liked how the white floral pattern on the top seemed to pop more with the two black bases on the top and bottom. And, although this skort is of a thicker cloth fabric, it was short enough that I still could keep my cool.

With the base of the outfit settled, it was time to accessorize! For shoes, I chose one of my absolute favorite sandals by L’Artiste. These were a requested by me Christmas gift from my mom a few years ago and I still can’t get over them! I tend to avoid sandals like the plague because they are usually so flat and the kitten heel on these were just right. The floral pattern is absolutely gorgeous too! These sandals added a pop of color, length, and accentuated my leg line just the way I like.

For jewelry, I kept things minimal due to the long sleeved top and fairly deep neckline. I went with one of my favorite pairs of dangly earrings by Bella Jack that feature the softest shade of blue flowers. They are SO adorable and added movement while also complimenting the neckline I was working with. Then, I threw my hair up, stuck in my hair pin from Hot Topic as a final hurrah, and my outfit was complete!

Although summertime clothes and summertime in general aren’t really my thing, it has been a fun challenge to think outside of the box. I love my Summer Sass OOTD and it is one that can be very easily replicated!

What is your favorite season to dress for? How do you stay cool in the summer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Simply Sassy OOTD

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Simply Sassy OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to the second look of my double OOTD week! My weekends have been less than relaxing for a while now and I knew I wouldn’t have had the time to do an OOTD shoot this past Saturday. So, I decided to change things up when I had a light workload last Thursday morning by doing my hair and makeup and taking pictures once I got home. This worked out really well for me and I am going to try to stick to that schedule to give me one less thing to worry about once the weekend rolls around.

The second outfit I shot didn’t come out as accordingly to plan as the first one did, but that’s okay because I ended up loving it! This look was put together on the fly and sometimes that’s the best way to go. Check it out:

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Who? What? Wear?

Snakeskin Tie Back Top: Japna, TJMaxx

Retro Straight Leg Pants: Sincerely Jules, TJMaxx

Speech Bubble Heels: LFL, TJMaxx

Gold Hoop Earrings: Argentino Vivo, TJMaxx

Additional accessories are from Claire’s, American Eagle Outfitters, and Target

My original plan for this outfit was to style something to wear to the Cleveland botanical gardens, which I would love to go to this summer. My bestie, Cliff, let me borrow one of my favorite button down tops of his that featured jewel tone dried flowers for the pattern and I was excited to wear it. However, it just wasn’t happening once it was on. My husband is tall, but Cliff is even taller and I was swimming in his shirt no matter what I did to try and make it better. Since the look I had in mind crumbled to pieces, I ended up winging it!

I still wanted to wear my slacks by Sincerely Jules since they are brand new and began building my outfit from there. These pants are very different than anything I own and I think that’s why I like them so much, despite their simplicity. They fit perfectly and hug my body in all of the right places without being too tight. After surveying myself in the mirror with them on, I decided that they could work for a date night rather than a date day and the rest of the look came easily once I had an occasion in mind.

The Sincerely Jules pants were an ideal neutral and it gave me free reign to pair them with pretty much whatever. To invoke some date night sex appeal, I chose my snakeskin patterned tie back top by Japna. When I tried my pants on in the fitting room, I definitely pictured them more for work and daytime wear. It wasn’t until I put the top on that I realized they could be used for a night out too because I thought I looked slammin! I loved how my tattoos popped against the palette I created and the peek a boo cutouts at the waist and back added that date night flare that I was looking for.

For shoes, I chose an adorable pair of speech bubble heels by LFL for an extra dose of sass. These shoes are just pure fun and further enhanced the night on the town vibe. The pants also covered up the low-ish ankle strap on the heels to give me a seamless leg line and add some length. As much as I love these shoes, I rarely get to wear them because the ankle strap can be problematic so this was a nice bonus for me! They also introduced a new texture among the sheen of the top and cloth pants and we all know that mixing textures appropriately is a great way to make the eyes dance!

After the base of my OOTD was settled, it was time to accessorize. I didn’t want to go overboard with jewelry since a fair amount of my tattoos were visible so I kept things simple. I went with my favorite pair of Argentino Vivo hoops to add some movement as the clothing was more form fitting. Then, I put on a few statement rings and bracelets for a blingy pop without being distracting and called it a day. 😀

Although this is not what I had in mind at all for my second outfit, I am beyond happy with how my Simply Sassy OOTD turned out! I felt so good and confident in this look and I can definitely picture myself wearing it for a night out with Johnny!

Do you plan outfits or wing them? What was something that you thought would look really good and didn’t end up working? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah