Tag Archives: dress

Nov12

New Blu Pepper Dress

Posted on November 12, 2025 by lifewithlilred

Hello! A few weeks ago I went on a fabulous TJMaxx shopping trip with my mom. Hitting up our favorite store together is one of my favorite things to do. Of course, I love a solo shopping adventure but it’s SO much better with my mom. ❤ We were on the hunt for birthday and Christmas prezzies and, of course, I couldn’t resist taking a look at the clothes too! I’m glad I did because I found the absolute perfect dress to wear for Thanksgiving. I think it’s going to be great for showing out then sitting down and eating lol. Take a look:

This Blu Pepper frock was bought for a song at fifteen dollars and I just can’t get enough of it. That rich caramel color, those sweet as can be polka dots, and a darling A-line skirt to twirl in. This dress looks like it belongs to a doll and, as I am one, it had to come home with me! As an early twenty something, I adored shopping at Urban Outfitters and my new dress reminds me so much of the duds from there. Just way less expensive and even more adorable! In fact, I’m pretty sure UO carried the Blu Pepper brand at one point or another which made both my younger and thirty something year old self swoon!

I cannot wait to play around with styling this dress and my Thanksgiving fit came to me in a vision. I’m thinking cable knit grey tights, a cream colored cardi, and my heeled oxfords. Talk about a collegiate chic OOTD! This dress would also look amazing with a sleek black blazer which I definitely plan on rocking too! As I was scrolling through Facebook, I caught a glimpse of my cousin’s story and was delighted to see that she had on the exact same dress. What can I say, my family has great taste and I think we both wore it best. 😀

I have been fantasizing about Thanksgiving since last Thanksgiving and will be eagerly awaiting filling up my plate while sporting this little beauty!

What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish? Do you have your outfit picked out already? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug25

Fruit Salad OOTD

Posted on August 25, 2025 by lifewithlilred

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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

Posted on August 18, 2025 by lifewithlilred

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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

Mar30

Dress + Pants OOTD

Posted on March 30, 2025 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! Dressing for spring in Ohio is truly like a box of chocolates lol. It could be frigid cold in the morning and then the temperature will skyrocket by mid afternoon. It might be freaking freezing all day or feel like a glimpse of summertime weather. In conclusion, it’s basically a big question mark when you’re deciding what to wear. Of course, come springtime, my heart says wear ALL the dresses and my brain says to hold that thought and consider other options. But why can’t I have both? I present to you, the Dress + Pants combo:

Who? What? Wear?

Dress: Zara

Coated Skinny Jeans: Seven Jeans, TJMaxx

Word Bubble Heels: LFL, TJMaxx

I’m pretty sure the cross earrings are from Claire’s!

I have a confession to make… Despite having this dress by Zara for upwards of eight years, this is the first time I ever wore it. Why, you might ask? Believe you me when I say, this dress is see through. The top is fine and I don’t mind a peek a boo of a bra. However, the bottom half has evaded me because you’re screwed either way with the panties or commando route. Typically, I never keep a piece of clothing that I haven’t worn for as long as this dress. But I vowed that at some point eventually, I would figure it out and it turns out all I needed was pants lol.

Before we talk about the build of this OOTD, can we please talk about this dress? I find it to be so striking and it felt SO good to finally be able to wear it! The silky material, the stark white with the black flower sketches, and those corset sides? Forget about it! I also just love the flowy sleeves that taper into a tight cuff at the wrists. This dress is full of surprises everywhere you look and is an ideal option to welcome springtime.

Although there is a lot to look at in regards to the Zara dress, the beauty of it is that it’s still a fully neutral piece. Meaning? I could have some fun with the rest of the outfit, no harm no foul. I decided to play into the sheen of the dress by pairing it with a gorgeous pair of coated skinnies by Seven Jeans. These two like elements flowed seamlessly together and that was most helpful in creating the illusion of length.

For shoes, I chose a funky pair of word bubble heels by LFL which were perfect with the black and white palette established. These heels are the definition of quirky cute and allowed for a surprise pop of red toenail polish. Between all of the different textures and patterns in this look, jewelry wasn’t necessary and would only clutter what I find to be a very sleek and chic fit. So, I popped on a pair of dangly crosses and was ready to take some pictures feeling so sweetly spring – Lil Red’s way!

The mystery of what to wear with my Zara dress was solved with one killer Dress + Pants OOTD. I am obsessed with this combo and cannot wait to bust it out again!

Do you have any clothes that you have no idea what to wear with? Do you have any clothes that go with everything? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar27

The Best Dress OOTD

Posted on March 27, 2025 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! This look is the second one that I shot all by myself on my tripod. I had every intention of doing some shooting outside, then I walked outside, froze my buns off, and promptly returned into my apartment cocoon lol. As I scoured chez moi for a Plan B, I decided to make use of Johnny’s guitar corner to show off one of my favorite dresses. This was a bit of a process because the lighting did not want to behave whatsoever so I was making adjustments here there and everywhere. I did end up with a few good shots, though! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Dress: BCBG, TJMaxx

Word Bubble Heels: LFL, TJMaxx

As you can see, there really wasn’t much to this OOTD but I still think it packs a punch! I fell in love with this dress by BCBG as soon as I saw it during an online shopping stint with TJMaxx. I didn’t think I could possibly love it more until I tried it on! Once I looked in the mirror, this little number skyrocketed to one of my all time favorites because it is so different than anything else I own and the concern I did have went right out the window. As a girl with a bigger chest, I was worried that the black cutout portion of the dress would be “too much” and that’s something that definitely makes me feel uncomfortable. However, the funky 70’s print button down part of the dress balanced it out. Instead of having the key focal point be smack dab on my chest, there was a surprise pattern and it allowed the eyes to dance rather than settle.

In conclusion, this dress is perfect lol. I am genuinely enamored by the button down pattern and would so love to have it in a dress or shirt too. Not to mention how striking of an hourglass silhouette it creates. Can you say va va voom?! This dress makes me feel so confident and when you have something on that makes you feel that good, you really don’t need anything else. So, I popped on a pair of super fun word bubble heels by Lust For Life, a dangly pair of cross earrings, and was ready to model in front of a bunch of instruments that I have no idea how to play!

The Best Dress, indeed! Peep my TikTok (lilred6794) for more from this look and stay tuned for the Blooper Reel too! ❤

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

Jul13

New Heartloom Sweater Dress

Posted on July 13, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! For my thirtieth birthday, my parents gave me the most perfect prezzie – a TJMaxx gift card! It has been burning a hole in my pocket since and I finally got the chance to spend it during a low key afternoon this past week. While I love to shop at TJs at the turn of each season, I also love to shop during the in between too. Who am I kidding? I love to shop there all of the time! But, during this interim period of “still summer but not quite back to school” is when they bring out the more unique pieces that might not have sold well before. You can really find some clearance treasures during these non-peak shopping times and I definitely did! I am obsessed with this new sweater dress by Heartloom that I got marked down for twenty dollars. I can’t wait to wear it to the next Misnyland picnic I’ll be working! Check it out:

During mine and Johnny’s Fourth of July staycation, we had a Date Day and went vintage shopping and antiquing. I walked away with some fabulous new accessories, but no clothes. However, the clothes we saw deeply inspired me and I still find myself thinking about some of the amazing pieces a week later! As I browsed the “anything goes” clearance section, I literally clutched my pearls when I stumbled upon this sweater dress by Heartloom. It was the only one in store, happened to be in my size, and looked like it was straight out of a 1970s fashion magazine. I was totally and completely sold and I hadn’t even tried it on yet.

I simply adore this dress because it is just so different and retro. It turned a classic sweater dress on its head with the short sleeves, huge buttons, and funky raised pattern. And can we please talk about how the color palette looks like every kitchen appliance from the 70s?! SO fun. As soon as this dress was on, it was a certified winner and I was delighted to find something new to wear to the upcoming picnic event. I plan on sporting this dress with a gorgeous pair of pebble grey knee high boots and some statement earrings for a modern take on vintage staples. Crossing an OOTD off my to do list: Check. 😀

A TJMaxx gift card is the way to my heart and all I have to say is – thanks for the new dress mom and dad! You’re the best! ❤

When is your favorite time of the year to shop? What era of fashion inspires you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov13

New 7 For All Mankind Dress

Posted on November 13, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! This past Tuesday, I spent a wonderful afternoon shopping with my mom at TJMaxx. We went with the intention of holiday shopping but, of course, we had to pick out some goodies for ourselves too!! My mom walked away with two adorable new sweaters and I had a fun haul with some new winter accessories and the 7 For All Mankind dress that we are discussing today. I was very happy to have found this dress because I had an upcoming event (on Friday the 10th) with a local celebrity thanks to this OOTD. I wanted to go all out for it fashion-wise and I knew that this dress would wow:

At the end of the day, I could have worn something to my Friday event (Which you will hear more about later!) that I already own. But where is the fun in that?! This was going to be my first time rubbing shoulders with someone famous for more than one minute and I wanted to look my best. Our gracious host is a HUGE deal in Ohio and I wanted the pictures I was going to take to not only speak to that, but my fashion too. After piling my shopping cart full of Christmas prezzies, it was onto browsing the clothing department for anything that spoke to me. I couldn’t believe the stroke of good fortune from the fashion gods themselves when I laid eyes on my new dress! There was only one in my size and it was drop dead gorgeous.

My New 7 For All Mankind Dress is everything that I love when it comes to clothing. Snakeskin is my favorite pattern, I live for faux leather, the shape was flattering, and it was an all around unique piece. I knew for a fact that no one at the event would be wearing something similar and that in itself was good enough for me. But, was it going to look good on me? Thankfully and obviously, the answer was YES lol! As soon as this dress was on, I was sold in a heartbeat. The tea length A-line skirt offered so much playful movement and the pattern was to die for. It looked amazing against my hair – especially with the navy in it. OOTD ideas began swirling through my head at a rapid pace and I always know that I have found a winner if I am being inspired that much in a TJMaxx fitting room!

I will leave my outfit musings out because you will all be seeing the end result very soon and I want it to be a surprise. Keep it locked here on lifewithlilred for all the deets on my celebrity schmooze fest coming this week!

How do you know if a piece of clothing is something you want to buy? Have you ever met a celebrity before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul23

TJMaxx Haul: Zara Dress Edition

Posted on July 23, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone!! Welcome back to more from my TJMaxx Haul after a brief pause for a Lil Red’s Book Club discussion. Today, we are going to be chatting about a dress from Zara which I am so happy with but just a *smidge* disappointed by. I saw the same dress in a 1970s style pattern during my birthday gift card haul and it was fabulous but too small. I scoured the dress selection this time around hoping to find it in a bigger size and found it in this pattern, instead:

I don’t shop Zara often because the closest one is at a mall about forty-five minutes away from me. So, I am always excited when I see the brand at TJMaxx! My new dress is a great consolation prize for the one that could have been and, on the bright side, it fits lol. I could have gotten away with the original in a small but it was short enough that I would have had to been adjusting myself the entire time and that’s never a good look!

Although this pattern kind of looks like Saint Patrick’s Day, I am stoked about it because I love to wear green. I used to wear it often when my hair was all red and have fell off of it a bit when I began experimenting with different Pulp Riot colors. However, come September, I am going back to full fireball hair with red, yellow, and orange and this dress will compliment that change perfectly. 😀

This little Zara number is an ideal spring or early fall dress with its long sleeves and lower thigh length. The material is also light enough that you could probably get away with it during a chilly summer night. Since the pattern is so bold, I plan on letting it speak for itself with a pair of simple black heels and some minimal silver jewelry. A pattern is an accessory in itself so this dress doesn’t need much to make a gorgeous OOTD with!

Tune back into lifewithlilred tomorrow for the final (and my favorite) piece from my TJMaxx haul and, afterwards, we will move onto my skin care purchases. See you then! ❤

Do you like to buy the same piece of clothing in multiple patterns or colors? What color compliments you the best? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb18

A Night At The Theater OOTD

Posted on February 18, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD post here on lifewithlilred! This past Saturday, Johnny and I had an amazing date night to see Jesus Christ Superstar at Playhouse Square. This was our first big outing since the pandemic began so, of course, we had to step out in our very best for A Night At The Theater. For this super special occasion, I had just the dress in mind thanks to my last TJMaxx Haul:

Who? What? Wear?

Dress: Talia Benson, TJMaxx
Platforms: Bamboo, TJMaxx
Earrings: American Eagle Outfitters
The necklace belonged to my grandma

Ever since getting my Talia Benson dress about a month ago, I had been looking forward to mine and Johnny’s night out even more because I couldn’t wait to wear it! For an evening at the theater, it was important for me to wear something with some drama and I can’t think of anything that fits the bill better. My Talia Benson number is daring and sexy while still being perfectly appropriate for a special event.

As you can see, this dress didn’t need much in terms of accessories because of its loud pattern. I didn’t want to take away from its beauty but only enhance so I kept things simple. For a pop of color, I went with my red embroidered platforms by Bamboo. My dress moved so incredibly in the wind or just when walking so it added a great little peek a boo with every step.

For jewelry, gold was the way to go and it tied together with the gold accents on my shoes. I chose a small dangly earring from the multipack that I purchased at American Eagle for my wedding and a statement necklace that belonged to my grandma. Usually, I opt for long dangle earrings but it would have been way too much with such a bold necklace. The necklace that I wore is, easily, one of my favorite pieces of jewelry and is very sentimental to me so I loved being able to wear it with this outfit. I think she would have loved it too. ❤

When it comes to a typical OOTD for me, I jam pack it with accessories until it feels perfectly complete. However, this Night At The Theater ensemble truly spoke for itself with minimal effort and I felt like a starlet stepping out in it with my husband. As we made our way into Playhouse Square, we both had blue surgical masks on and a fabulous employee told us we needed black ones, instead, in outfits like what we were wearing. She handed us two and it made our almost all black everything looks even better!

What is your favorite accessory? How would you style this dress? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb3

TJMaxx Winter Haul: Talia Benson Dress

Posted on February 3, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the fashion part of my TJMaxx winter haul! Today, we are going to be discussing a gorgeous dress by Talia Benson that is delightfully reminiscent of my wedding dress. The best part? I don’t have to get married to wear it! I cannot wait to wear this dress literally all of the time and it is one of my favorite TJs purchases ever. Check it out:

I don’t know about you guys, but any articles of clothing with an attached slip or cami drive me nuts. I kid you not, it took me a solid five minutes to figure out the best way to get this dress on properly and I almost just said “forget it” to save me the frustration. However, once it was on and I showed Johnny he told me how much he liked it and that “beauty is pain”. It was just the pep talk I needed because, damnit, I liked it a lot too!

Now that I know how to get this dress on in the easiest way possible, I can’t believe my weakness almost made me return it. It is beautiful!! The polka dot mesh overlay on top of the slip is stunning and I love the tiered bottom, tied back, and ribbons on the sleeves. It is the perfect amount of extra and I am looking forward to wearing it on a date with Johnny when we step out in our goth best. And, yes, I absolutely plan on carrying my black lace parasol with it.

I have no idea what the original price was for this Talia Benson number but I know that it had to be way more expensive than the forty dollars I paid for it. My new dress is of such high quality. The slip is thick so it doesn’t have the sheerness that sometimes comes with that territory and the mesh overlay is delicate without feeling like it’s going to rip every five seconds.

I plan on wearing my new dress with my red Bamboo platforms, bold gold jewelry, and my parasol for the ultimate Princess Of Darkness OOTD. Be sure to keep it posted for pics because that it going to be my outfit when Johnny and I go see Jesus Christ Superstar later this month! 😀

How would you style this dress? Have you ever returned something because it was too difficult to put on? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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