Tag Archives: excited

Sep24

Proud Mini Mama

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Proud Mini Mama

Hello!! As you all know, my beloved Little Red Love Machine fell into recent disrepair and the effects were devastating. I just love that car so much and it really threw me for a loop to need to go car shopping immediately after making massive repairs. Time was, indeed, of the essence as I drive a lot for work and I needed a reliable car ASAFP. I dived headfirst into the car hunt with one make in mind: A Mini Cooper AKA my dream car. At first, the results were few and far between and I was coming up blank. In fact, I was ready to start looking for a Honda Fit instead when I found Junior courtesy of MINI Of Pittsburgh!

As soon as I saw Junior, I had to have it and called the Pittsburgh dealership first thing in the morning the day after Labor Day. I let the representatives know that I wanted to put a down payment on it right away and by two that afternoon, Junior was mine all mine! Because my transportation to Pittsburgh would be questionable at best in the LRLM, the kind folks at MINI Of Pittsburgh agreed to meet me and my dad the following week halfway in Youngstown. We made our trip this past Wednesday and I am so proud to present my Junior:

I met with the dealership representatives at a McDonald’s in Youngstown for the pick up and to sign paperwork. Hey, wherever works as long as I got my car! As the golden arches approached closer, my dad and I could see my Mini waiting in the parking lot just for me. She was even more glorious than I could have imagined and it was so amazing to see her in real life as all I had were semi blurry shots from the AutoTrader listing. I got a tutorial on how the car operates, signed my name on the dotted lines, enjoyed a Mickey D’s breakfast with my dad, and then it was time to take her home!

Making the hour drive home from Youngstown was the perfect introduction to Junior because it’s a straight shot on the highway to get back to Akron. As soon as I got behind the wheel I couldn’t stop smiling to save my own life and it felt SO good! It was a mix of excitement, pride, and relief and it was a total and complete thrill to hit the highway in this zippy little Mini. Driving Junior just felt right and I am still not over my good fortune that my dream car seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Right when I was about to give up! My Junior and I are truly a match made in heaven and, although nothing will fully replace the Little Red Love Machine, this is a great place to start. ❤

My life goal of owning a Mini Cooper is officially checked off the list. Thank you a million times over to MINI Of Pittsburgh for their excellent care and making this process as easy as pie. Highly, HIGHLY recommend if you are in the area!!

What is your dream car? What was your first car? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep17

Mini Mama

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Mini Mama

Hi! As you all know, my beloved car: The Little Red Love Machine AKA LRLM has recently taken a rapid downward spiral. My heart is genuinely broken because my sweet Mazda2 hatchback has been my baby for the past thirteen years. The LRLM was my first car, my honey, and my pride and joy and for over a decade, no one could tell me NOTHIN when I was behind the wheel. As sad as it is, all good things must come to an end and after another massive repair, Johnny and I had to make a difficult decision. We chose to get her fixed up one more time so Johnny could take her for his short drive to and from work and I would get a new (used) car.

Although it was a massive buzzkill, it was the right call to make as I drive a lot for work and reliable transportation is a must. It made me happy that the LRLM could stay in the family for a bit longer and even though the wind was knocked fully out of my sails, I had to begin the dreaded task of car shopping. I knew exactly where to start and that was with all things Mini Cooper! The Mini Cooper has always been my dream car and if I needed a new one anyways, that’s what I was going to get. The problem was finding one!

After a week of fruitless searches for a Mini Cooper, I was feeling really defeated. Nothing was noteworthy at nearby dealerships, every option that looked good on Carvana was no longer available, and I was close to scrapping the Mini Cooper idea for another model. Then, in one final attempt, I expanded my search and struck gold. This past Saturday, I found an absolutely perfect orange red 2019 Mini in Pittsburgh with low mileage and a more than reasonable price. I knew that this was the one and if I couldn’t get it, then my Mini Cooper dreams were done for. Blessedly, that was not the case!!! Take a look at my pretty new baby (These pics are from the car’s listing but I’ll have way better ones when I pick her up!):

The day after Labor Day, I called MINI of Pittsburgh as soon as they opened and declared my love for this little car and the process started immediately. Even from a state away, the wonderful staff made this the easiest car buying experience possible and by two in the afternoon, I placed a down payment. The car was mine!!! Not only were the staff accommodating, courteous, and beyond helpful, but they also agreed to meet me and my dad halfway between Akron and Pittsburgh to pick her up. We will be driving to Youngstown for the trade off and I am already chomping at the bit to take her home!

It always sucks having to make a big purchase and I am definitely a little stressed out. On the bright side, my new used car is the best consolation prize I could ever ask for! My blogging bestie has lovingly called my Mini Cooper “Junior” in honor of the LRLM and I just adore that. Junior, your Mini Mama is waiting for you! ❤

What was your first car? What is your dream car? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug17

Hurray For 37K!

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Hurray For 37K!

Howdy! As you all know, I am a word girl through and through and writing on my blog is my favorite form of content creating. I begrudgingly scroll through Facebook and very rarely watch videos because I just don’t want to lol. This sentiment remains even though I have a TikTok now! The only videos I watch are the ones my best friend posts and that is all I need! Although I don’t care to watch videos, I have learned that making them is kind of fun and have enjoyed making daily content for my TikTok for the past year and change. My expectations for my TikTok is negative zero but I do feel pretty proud of it as I am not a video girl whatsoever. Which is why I am pleased to report that I just had a 10K come up!

During my last TikTok check in in February, I had 27K likes and gained 10K more in the past half a year. Is 37K likes an outrageous amount? Not in the slightest. Is my self worth based on the number of likes I get? Only slightly. Lol, I kid!! But, hey, I think it’s cool and that’s all that matters. Yes, my videos get like three hundred views. No, I am not a Spielberg level content creator. However, making TikToks just opens up another pathway to be creative in social media and that it what I like the best! My TikTok is essentially just an extension of my blog and it’s exciting to introduce lifewithlilred to potential new viewers.

Starting my TikTok was such a spur of the moment thing that took me far outside of my comfort zone which is why it’s important to me to celebrate big milestones. I definitely consider this 10K increase to be one! Somewhere out there are three hundred people taking the time to watch my subpar videos and, to me, that’s meaningful. My blog started with the mission of making new friends and I feel the same way about my TikTok page. In the great big void of constant video uploads, there could be a new friend, a new reader, or someone simply just passing by. My videos are a little glimpse into Lil Red’s world just like my blog is and I SO appreciate any and all love for it. ❤

50K TikTok likes is my next goal and I am going to be elated when that happens. Stop by my TikTok to help me reach it!

What is your favorite social media platform? How often do you post on social media? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun7

Happy Birthday To Me!!

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Happy Birthday To Me!!

Oh hey!!! Guess what?! Today is my thirty-second birthday… AHHHH!! As the old saying goes, another year older another year sexier, amiright? As I traverse my way through my thirties, I have truly come to the realization that age is nothing but a number and I am so excited to see what this year has in store for me. I know I have a fun summer and fall coming up! Lots of concerts including The Strokes, Josh Groban, and Billy Idol as well as a family vacation to Italy. Yeah, thirty-two sounds pretty good to me!

As I reflect on this past year, I have found that it was a great one – primarily because I am back in the social media game and I am so happy about that! Thirty-one blessed me with lots of cool opportunities for both work and play like a fabulous trip to New Orleans with my sister and a big wedding celebration for my cousin. My family, friends, and beloved bunnies are in good health, Johnny and I continue to go strong with our fifth wedding anniversary and life has been good. Who could ask for anything more?!

There are so many things that I’m looking forward to this year and I can’t wait to share it with all of you. Especially celebrating my twelve year blogiversary in August! For close to twelve years, lifewithlilred has been such a special part of my life and it brings me so much joy to sit down at the keyboard every morning and tune you all in to the latest and greatest. I am so appreciative to any and everyone who has stopped by in my little corner of the internet. My hope is that my page is just as much of a safe haven for you as it is for me whether you have been a long term reader or a new friend. My readers are what make lifewithlilred shine and I couldn’t do it without all of you. Here’s to thirty-two and sharing in it all together!

Happy Birthday to me!!!!!!!!

Feb23

Hurray For 27K!

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Hurray For 27K!

Howdy! Way back in March of 2025, I saw myself out of a crappy job and had a bit of free time to kill before booking myself up again with clients. I enjoyed some much needed downtime and while I was shooting some content at home, I decided to go ahead and make a TikTok too. As you all know, I am a word girl through and through and pivoting to video content was a big leap for me. Like when I started my blog, my main priority with TikTok was having some fun being creative. And you know what? It has been fun! For almost a year now I have been posting daily content on my TikTok too and I’m really proud of that effort because it still seems like a polar opposite world to writing on the ol’ blog. I am also incredibly pleased with the results as I just crossed the threshold to twenty-seven thousand likes!

If you have ever found yourself thinking “Wow, I wish I had more Lil Red in my life”, then I would so love it if you followed me on TikTok. Even if you have never had that thought, I would so love it if you followed me on TikTok! It’s a goofy little corner of the internet with my daily antics, bonus OOTD content, and delightful cameos that include Johnny, my parents, and Archie the family dog. My bunny babies, Melvin and Penelope, never sit still enough to bask in their cuteness! There’s no rhyme or reason to what I post and I refuse to follow trending content. Rather, I post what I like and the fact that I have 27K likes to show for it is crazy to me! 😀

I am so close to thirty thousand likes that I can taste it. To some, that might not seem like a lot. To me, it is a huge validation. My TikTok really is just a for funsies page and the fact that I am having a blast and have some likes to show for it is a major feather in my cap. Do I expect to be a major TikTok influencer? Absolutely not and that is a-okay! My reward has been far greater. It has given me even more confidence in my content creating ability and it feels good to carve out another space that is just for me. A space to explore a different medium of creating, give exclusive looks that you don’t see on the blog, and hopefully put a smile on someone’s face. This 27K might as well be twenty-seven million and I am so excited to continue with my daily content streak. ❤

When you are sick of doom scrolling, take a breather on my TikTok. I can’t wait to see you there!! 🙂

What if your favorite social media platform? What is your favorite medium of content? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep29

New Hair Sneak Peek

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New Hair Sneak Peek

Hello! One of my absolute favorite things in the world is getting my hair done at the Shear Shop. My amazing stylist, Anna, has been doing my hair for over twenty years and we just have so much fun at all of my appointments. While she works her magic, we are nonstop chattering away about our updates, laughing, and daydreaming about what to do with my hair next. Sometimes Anna and I just freestyle what we are going to do the day of my appointment. More often than not, however, we go into it with a plan and then we’ll see what happens. As Anna and I were messaging about my new do at my upcoming appointment, we were both totally on the same wavelength and will be working with this color palette:

This is the time of the year when I ditch summer colors and start delving into the deeper hues of fall. Anna and I have been experimenting with beaucoup blue by Pulp Riot for the warmer weather and I have been loving it. Blue has become a staple in my hair palette and I have been looking forward to using the gorgeous deep navy Nightfall for fall. Then, Anna sent me a picture of a blue jean shade called Asteroid and I just had to go for it instead! It’s not a huge jump from Nightfall but it’s enough for something different and I am never one to shy away from new Pulp Riot colors. I can’t wait to see it and smell it lol because all of their hair dye smells like Sweet Tarts! 😀

With red always being featured in my hair, we also had to decide on a new color for the middle layer. Currently, we have a pretty peach mixture of Desert Sky and Lava and that won’t do for fall. I told Anna I was thinking purple and coincidentally, she was looking at purple options when I suggested it! We considered it fate and will be using a Kelly Osbourne-esque violet called Elixir. I felt very inspired by her hair when she hosted Lego Masters Junior and repeatedly told Johnny how much I liked her color. Elixir is a perfect match and I adore that we read each other’s minds to pick it out. ❤

Red, purple, blue – oh my! Peep my brand new do soon on lifewithlilred!

How often do you get your hair done? Are you changing your hair for fall? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug23

Skirt Alert OOTD Bloopers

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Skirt Alert OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Skirt Alert OOTD! Despite the fact that I despise dressing for summer, I have been having a lot of fun styling all of the looks that you have seen this season. Having said that, can fall hurry up and get here now or? Your girl has been ready for fall since summer began and I cannot wait to dress for my favorite season of all! I have been gazing hungrily at all of my cardigans, scarves, hats, gloves, and jackets and I will be SO happy when I can bust them out! While I am counting down the days until cooler weather, I still want to enjoy shooting as many summer fits as I can… and laughing at them too! Roll the Blooper Reel, please!

Thinking about what I’m going to order at the restaurant we were on our way to

You’re looking at America’s Next Top Model. Drink it in, it always goes down smooth!

I swear to drunk I’m not god

Did someone say Mexican food?! Your girl was SO hungry lol

I was treated to the coolest lighting and THIS is what I do?!

Taking a pause to listen to the Margaritas that were calling my name

Let’s blow this Popsicle stand!!!

Johnny and I have been to many an amazing concert this summer and our lineup is not complete just yet. In fact, the best has been saved for last. That’s right, we’re seeing Weird Al at Blossom in September!! Weird Al has been a staple in my life for as long as I can remember. My older bros freaking loved him and I can recall listening to his CDs on our way to family vacations or just running errands. He has truly only gotten better and I have been blessed enough to see him live twice already. Whenever he comes to the greater Akron area, it goes without saying that I will be there with bells on!

Johnny loves Weird Al just as much as me and my big bro and we listen to him often. It’s just fun to sing along and get silly and I swear his lyrics are still funny no matter how many times we hear them. He has transformed songs for me to the point that I cannot hear the original on the radio without his lyrics swarming through my head. One of my all time favorite Weird Al parodies has got to be Whatever You Like (Original by T.I.). I also happen to LOVE the original song and have been hearing it on the radio a fair amount recently even though it was released seventeen years ago! You could imagine how happy I was to hear it again but as soon as I started singing along, I was spitting Weird Al lyrics lol. I just know that is exactly what he would want and I will forever be his number one fan. ❤

Weird Al will be the perfect finale to an excellent summer concert series and I cannot wait to tell you all about it!

What is your favorite Weird Al song? Have you ever seen him in concert before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug9

Let’s Get This Bread

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Let’s Get This Bread

Howdy! While I absolutely love my apartment, the one thing I don’t like is the kitchen. It’s pretty small and counter space is incredibly limited. Even more so by the fact that we have several countertop appliances taking up room like our air fryer, ice machine, toaster, and Keurig. As you can imagine, this makes cooking really difficult and it’s frustrating because I love to cook so much! With cooking being a struggle, I rarely even think about baking and that is a shame because my mom and sister are absolutely excellent bakers.

My sister makes a mean sweet treat and I am still daydreaming about a blueberry cheesecake she made several years back. My mom is a genius in general and in terms of baking bread and I have the fondest memories of helping her knead the dough when I was little. I always fancied trying to bake bread myself but it would be basically impossible at chez moi. The only table we have is my work desk and it’s covered in all of my random odds and ends and I don’t think kneading the dough on the floor is a good look lol.

As it just so happens, I might be able to make bread yet. Just not in the way I would want to. I recently acquired a bread machine that a friend had and never used. I figured it couldn’t hurt to at least give it a shot and it’s super cute to boot:

As the daughter of a mom who always poo pooed a bread machine, I felt slightly guilty for taking my friend up on the offer. In fact, when I called my mom to tell her about my newest countertop addition, I prefaced it by saying “don’t be mad” lol! Of course she wasn’t mad in the slightest and encouraged me to give it a go. She also told me a lot of bread recipes she has that I love have an adjoining bread machine recipe for me to use. 😀

Although this bread machine won’t give me the same “kneaded with love” (My mom’s official slogan) effect, it will still provide one of the best things about baking bread… How freaking amazing it smells as it’s baking!! I promised the friend who gave me their bread machine that the first loaf I bake will be for them. The next one I plan on making will be used for grilled cheese sandwiches paired with tomato soup for my mom and I to share. I know it won’t be as good as my mom’s but I’m excited to try something new!

During my next trip to the grocery store, I will be buying all the goods for my first time baking bread with the machine method. I’ll let you know how it goes!

Do you have any pro tips for bread machine usage? What is your favorite bread machine recipe? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul29

Maxi Dress, Max Style OOTD Bloopers

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Maxi Dress, Max Style OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Maxi Dress, Max Style OOTD! I always look forward to taking OOTD pictures and TikTok videos, but was especially excited for this particular look. I had just got my hair done, was sporting a new favorite dress, and was feeling my goddamn self and have been every day since my appointment at the Shear Shop. It’s amazing what a new do can do to crank the ol’ self esteem up to eleven! The shots you are about to see definitely don’t fall under the feeling myself category but let’s take a look anyways:

Major Pale Man from Pan’s Labyrinth vibes and I’m living for it!

The prettiest smile just for you ❤

Hanging on for dear life

Tyra Banks would be proud because I am finding the light SO hard

Lmaooo I’m sexy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Top notch John Cena impression

To blog or not to blog, that is the question

Being self employed is a wonderful, beautiful thing. Not having PTO, however, freaking sucks lol. Because I’m losing money when I take a day off, it is a rarity for me to do so outside of holidays or being sick. This is not a good habit in the slightest because everyone needs a day or two off and one of my goals has been to be more lenient when I need a break. Which is why I am so happy to report that I am on staycation, baby!!!!! Outside of two easy peasy shifts, I have THREE full days off and I am ecstatic.

What am I going to do during my me time? Probs nothing but vegging out and enjoying every minute of it! Since mine and Johnny’s birthaversary, our weekends have been jam packed. We have legit had plans every weekend since June first and while it has been so much fun, it was exhausting and a staycation reprieve on my couch is exactly what the doctor (me) ordered. I plan on binging documentaries, TV shows Johnny has no interest in, and kicking it old school with my Nintendo 3DS. I recently acquired the only game in the Paper Mario series that I don’t have, Sticker Star, and playing it has been a blast. I can’t wait to utilize my couch time to the fullest and beat it! 😀

Staycation all I ever wanted, staycation got to stay home or however that one song goes. I’m stoked!!

What would you do during a staycation? Where would you go for a dream vacation? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun14

New & Improved Concert Lineup

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New & Improved Concert Lineup

Hello!! During the pandemic, Johnny and I had a plethora of concerts that we were going to attend but, sadly, couldn’t. One of the most painful losses was easily not seeing My Chemical Romance for their reunion tour and I am still Not Okay about it! While it was a bummer to forego all of these shows and experiences and basically eat my money, I am so happy that Johnny and I are making up for it this summer. We have already seen AC/DC and will be seeing Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson next weekend and Weird Al in September. But wait! There’s more!!

For my birthday, I was surprised by not one but two sets of tickets. For my gift, Johnny ordered us two tickets to see The Struts for their tenth anniversary tour at the House of Blues. We are avid fans of The Struts and to make it even better, they are playing at my favorite venue! I have seen countless shows at the House of Blues and they have always been some of my favorite concerts. It is a smaller venue and gives you the opportunity to get up close and personal with the stage. It makes for such an exciting evening and being in such close proximity to your favorite musicians is intoxicating. I have been dropping helpful hints that I would love to see The Struts since I learned that they were coming to Cleveland and I am so happy Johnny caught on. 😀

Not only did Johnny gift me with concert tickets, but my beloved big sis did too. We recently learned that Lil Wayne was coming to Blossom Music Center and I let Kristen know but we didn’t do anything with that information. This was okay because I actually saw Lil Wayne at Blossom Music Center when I was a teenager (I definitely sneaked out to see that show!). I had kind of forgotten about his upcoming show because I assumed we weren’t going. Then, Kristen texted me with the most beautiful sentiment I ever read on my birthday: “Do you have tickets to Lil Wayne?” I was on cloud nine and Kristen, my brother-in-law, and I will have a banner night on the town. So nice, I’ll see him twice and I can’t wait for my belated birthday outing!

This was a musical birthday, indeed, and I am so excited to make so many amazing concert memories this summer with all of my favorite people!

Are you going to any concerts this summer? Who would you love to see live? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah