Tag Archives: fall

Sep13

New Jessica Simpson Sweater

Posted on September 13, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! Johnny was a real champ during our Labor Day shopping trip at TJMaxx. I, admittedly, spent forever looking for skin care, perused through Halloween goodies, and tried a bunch of clothes on and he only complained a little. What a guy!! It was a glorious sight in the clothing departments at TJs because it was filled to the brim with fall clothing. There were cute cardigans, warm jackets, and snuggly sweaters galore. I was originally shopping for an outfit to wear to an event that Johnny and I will be attending soon. I couldn’t find jack, but ended up walking away with this gorgeous sweater by Jessica Simpson:

I am a highly experienced shopper and with that experience comes knowledge. When I see a piece of clothing, I know almost immediately if it will work well for me or not. Nine times out of ten, I am right and these pieces end up coming home with me. It’s a gift, really. When I saw this lovely, ivory hued sweater, I gasped. I have never seen anything like it with those beautiful raised flowers and could have bought it without even trying it on. Like I said, I just know!

On the off chance that I was wrong about this sweater (obviously I wasn’t lol), I tried it on anyways and loved what I saw. This sweater is perfect. The color is so creamy and rich, it’s soft as can be, and offers endless styling possibilities. It hits right at the top of the waist, which makes it an ideal candidate with high waisted skinnies. It could be worn over top of a sweet dress, paired with a skirt, or even with a jumpsuit to extend those fun summer staples into fall. This sweater can be worn with any color or anything and it’s exciting to find pieces that are so versatile. 😀

I cannot wait to feature this little Jessica Simpson number in an upcoming OOTD so keep your eyes peeled for it. Hurray for fall clothes!!!!

Are you revamping your wardrobe for fall? What are you shopping for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep3

Fabulously Fall OOTD Bloopers

Posted on September 3, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Fabulously Fall OOTD!! These past few days in Ohio have felt so gloriously fall and I have been SO there for it. In fact, I broke out my black skinny jeans for the first time since summer began the other day and it was awesome! All good things can’t last forever, however, because Mother Nature is definitely running her own blooper reel… It will be in the nineties this week. -_- Thankfully, my new hair will keep me in a fall state of mind despite the heat! Let’s take a look at some pics of me looking my absolute best:

Grace. Elegance. Poise.

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

Thinking of growing a mustache and thinking I’ll rock it

Can’t take a good hair shaking picture to save my own life

Whoopsy daisy

Lol that face you make when you almost beef it

All better!!!! 😀

My entire timeline on Facebook right now is people lamenting over summer being almost over. Myself, on the other hand, has been wishing for fall since summer began! With my new do, I feel like a Harvest Goddess and I am ready to take on the pumpkin patches, hiking trails, and eat ALL the soup. And don’t even get me started on Halloween because I have been work shopping costume ideas since last Halloween when I dressed up as Johnny lol.

There is something about fall that just hits different. While I am looking forward to the change in weather and autumnal activities – I’m sure all of you can guess what I am most excited about. If you said the fashion, then you are correct!! Fall fashion is Lil Red’s jam and I cannot wait to wrap myself in cozy sweaters, warm scarves, and jackets on jackets on jackets. Guys, I have been so sick of dressing for summer and I will be giddy when I can officially retire my shorts until next year. My Fabulously Fall OOTD gave me a little taste of my favorite season and I am beyond ready for it. Does it really have to be in the nineties this week or?

It will be fallmageddon soon on lifewithlilred and I can’t wait to share in the happiest time of the year with all of you. Here’s to crisp days, bonfires, and Halloween!

What should I dress up as for Halloween? What is fall weather like in your neck of the woods? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep2

Fabulously Fall OOTD

Posted on September 2, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! Your girl has been feeling her damn self since getting my hair done and I couldn’t wait to show off my new do with a brand new OOTD. My freshly dyed red, yellow, and navy hair is such a lux color palette and feels so Fabulously Fall. I have been waiting for my favorite season since summer began and I wanted to create a look that welcomes fall and perfectly compliments my hair. I hate to toot my own horn, but I think I knocked it out of the park! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Button Down Dress: Forever 21

Heeled Oxfords: Lulu Hun, ModCloth

The accessories are all from Target I think!

As you can see, this was a very simple OOTD to style with such a minimal amount of pieces. Sometimes, simple is best and I felt radiant in this look because it achieved my goal of complimenting my hair so well. It took me quite a while to figure out what I wanted to wear because I had originally eliminated the Forever 21 dress I was wearing as an option. I had a vague memory of washing it and it shrinking in length and after that I never wore it again. I’m glad I decided to try it on anyways because the length was fine and I think I was thinking of a different dress lol. SMH!

The Forever 21 button down dress was everything I needed to make a cohesive look between clothing and hair. With navy as the base and the floral pattern featuring deeper shades of red and yellow, it was like this dress was made for me getting my hair done! I love the way this dress fits because it’s form fitting without being tight. The bow at the waist allows for an hourglass shape and it made me feel SO confident. Some button down dresses can be really boxy and that wasn’t the case with this one in the slightest.

Next on the agenda was shoes and that was an easy choice. To keep with the theme of fall colors, I went with my plum and caramel heeled oxfords by Lulu Hun. These are my sexy librarian heels and I am so there for it! Although the shoes aren’t a perfect match to anything in the dress or my hair, they still worked because they complimented the color palette I established. They are also just right in height because anything taller would have made the dress a bit too short for my liking. Maybe it did shrink a little…

Finally, it was time for accessories to tie everything together. Since the bold floral pattern acted as an accessory in itself, I kept things simple in my selection. For earrings, I went with a pair of burnished gold dangly crosses. I thought they looked lovely against the navy in my hair! Then, I threw on a few statement rings and was ready to go. Also, how cute is that double finger feather? It’s one of my faves!

My Fabulously Fall OOTD is one of my favorite looks that I have styled in a while. I felt like an autumn goddess and I can’t wait to continue exploring rich jewel toned clothing to match my hair. Keep it posted for the blooper reel tomorrow!

What is your favorite jewel tone? Are you as excited for fall as I am? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug2

New Bella Lux Halloween Snow Globe

Posted on August 2, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy! If you are a fan of spooky decor, RUN don’t walk to TJMaxx because I’m about to buy it all lol. During my last shopping trip, I was SO happy to see that their Halloween home decor was on display. It was seriously Halloween heaven and I felt at peace surrounded by all of my favorite things – skulls, ghosts, bats, and vampires! If I could have, I would have bought every single thing because the selection was A1. I exercised self restraint, sadly, and only purchased one thing at this current juncture. Check out my new snow globe by Bella Lux:

Although everything Halloween themed at TJMaxx caught my eye, this snow globe really caught it. It felt like such a perfect nod to everyone’s favorite emo husband and wife and I knew Johnny would love it. There were so many amazing surprises about this Bella Lux decor. You can’t tell in the pictures, but there are glitter bats in the water in addition to the normal glitter. This snow globe also is a musical one and plays “Ding Dong, The Witch Is Dead” from the Wizard of Oz when you wind it up! Peep my Facebook or Instagram for a video of it. 🙂

Mine and Johnny’s apartment is filled to the brim with Halloween gear and our snow globe in the cemetery makes such an awesome addition. In fact, I daresay that I like it even more than the snow globe I purchased at TJs last year. I love the idea of having a Halloween snow globe collection and after buying one two years in a row, I think I will make it a tradition. I am thrilled with this find and I couldn’t believe I only spent fifteen dollars on it. It is heavy and crafted beautifully and I smile every time I see it. It’s actually on one of our shelves to the right of where I’m sitting so I just smiled lol.

With fall clothing and Halloween decor already available at TJMaxx, I am over summer. I was over it a month ago and I am simply itching for cooler temps and lots more spooky purchases throughout the happiest time of the year!

What is your favorite holiday to decorate for? Do you leave holiday decorations up year round? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug1

New Debut Crochet Sweater

Posted on August 1, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! I had a lovely shopping date at TJMaxx with Johnny’s mom last week and it was a very successful trip. Why? Because it is one of my favorite times of the year! Summer clothes are going on clearance and fall clothes are being reintroduced. While the store wasn’t bursting at the seams with jackets, sweaters, and cardigans; I saw a glimmer and I was loving it. As an added treat for yours truly, TJMaxx launched their Halloween home decor collection already! You can peep my purchase from that department tomorrow. Now, let’s take a look at this adorable sweater by Debut:

When I saw this pretty little thing hanging on the rack, I literally gasped. It was just SO cute and one of those pieces that I instantly knew was going home with me. I had never seen anything like it before and I was enamored. The color bursts against the creamy base made me smile and I couldn’t think of anything better to begin my fall shopping with. Although I did find some summer pieces that I liked a lot during previous trips, they could all kick rocks as far as I was concerned. Fall was officially here… At TJMaxx, anyways. 😀

I wasn’t surprised when I tried my Debut sweater on and it was amazing. Like I said, I just knew! Everything about it worked. While it was a cropped sweater, it hit right where a normal rise pair of jeans would begin. This was great because I never understood why anyone would want their stomach bare when it’s chilly out! The crochet style was also just right. Although there were gaps in the fabric, it wasn’t so big that my bra was visible through them. Winning marks all around and all of the outfit ideas began to swarm!

Once this sweater was on, I really didn’t want to take it off. I loved it so much lol and it was comfy as can be. I have been eager to begin styling fall OOTDs for so long and I know exactly what I’m going to feature as soon as the temperature begins to drop!

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

Oct18

Fall Craft Morning

Posted on October 18, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! I work as an Independent Provider for people with special needs and it is the best job ever! This past Friday, I spent a fantastic morning getting crafty with one of my clients and we had a blast. Even better, part of our supplies for the projects we completed came from going on a fall hike. We gathered leaves to do some crayon stenciling and also purchased small pumpkins to paint. These crafts were simple to make but so much fun and will be a great way to spend a chilly fall afternoon with nothing to do:

My neck of the woods boasts so many different Metro Parks that it’s impossible to keep track of them all. I have been looking forward to fall hikes with my client since the summertime and the trail we went on was glorious with all of the leaves changing colors. It also was a unique twist to turn it into a scavenger hunt of sorts while we scoured the ground for perfect leaves to stencil.

After the hike was done and our hoodie pockets were filled with leaves, we bought pumpkins and headed home to get our craft on. The leaf stenciling was a huge hit and, although the directions are self explanatory, here they are:

Acquire leaves
Place the leaf vein side up underneath a piece of paper
Rub over the leaf gently with the side of a crayon
Rinse and repeat

While our leaf craft was very successful, the piece de resistance was definitely painting the pumpkins! I have never carved a pumpkin before and, honestly, don’t trust myself enough to lol so painting a pumpkin is my compromise. This is a craft that I have done with many a client and it’s an ideal way to get into the fall spirit without the messiness of pumpkin carving. I opted for a pumpkin with the lifewithlilred initials and my client painted a super colorful pumpkin that turned out amazing. Now, I have to figure out some more crafts for next week! 😀

Not only is fall my favorite season but it is also my favorite time of year to spend with the people I serve. Enjoying the beautiful nature, cooler temps, and all of the activities and crafts that come with autumn never makes for a dull moment! ❤

Have you made any fall crafts? How did they turn out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct17

Must Have Fall Wardrobe Staples

Posted on October 17, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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For many, myself included, fall is the most beloved season of all. The weather, holidays, activities, and changing leaves make for a beautiful and fun time of the year. And, oh yeah, the fashion isn’t bad either! Fall fashion is a blast and provides an opportunity for a killer OOTD every time you walk out the door. Layering pieces and cold weather accessories are all must haves in a solid fall wardrobe arsenal. Here are a few that will keep you OOTD ready all season long:

Statement Jacket:

When it comes to fall clothing, priority number one should be a fantastic statement jacket. A good coat or jacket can turn the most basic outfit into something blog worthy by simply slipping it on. There is a coat for every style and occasion and it is one of my favorite pieces to indulge in when shopping. Feeling edgy? Try a moto jacket! Classically cute? A topper jacket or trench coat is your new best friend. Comfy cozy? A soft cardigan jacket will be perfect for wrapping yourself in.

For layering purposes, remember to follow this golden rule: You never want to layer two bulky or tight articles of clothing on top of each other. If you have a looser fitting coat, a thick sweater underneath is fine. On the other hand, a tight fitting moto jacket should be paired with a thinner top or sweater underneath to keep the proportions of the outfit in check.

Boots, Baby:

Put your summer sandals and wedges away because boot season is in full swing! Like a good jacket, a bold pair of shoes can instantly transform an outfit. Look for heeled boots to wear during an outing and some cool combat boots to sport during a fall hike. To add some extra visual interest, you can try patterns like snakeskin, cheetah print, or floral. Hardware embellished boots with chains or studs are also sure to be a hit!

Cold Weather Accessories:

There are three must have cold weather accessories to not only keep you nice and warm but oh so fashionable: Scarves, hats, and gloves. These pieces will help tie your fall OOTDs together and are a great way to spice up your wardrobe without breaking the bank. When it comes to these accessories, the possibilities are endless! Do you want mittens or fingerless gloves? An infinity scarf or a pashmina? How about a floppy or cloche hat? Regardless of what you choose, you will be toasty and always ready for a photo op.

Cardigans/Sweaters:

For maximum comfort, warmth, and style, a gorgeous cardigan or sweater is the way to go! You can keep things simple with a plain one in fall hues like burnt orange, mustard yellow, and forest green. Or you can take things to the next level with patterns like polka dots, Halloween themes, or thick stripes. For many a fall OOTD, comfy cozy is the name of the game. Snap a pic in your fall sweater or cardi with a Pumpkin Spice Latte in hand and you just broke Instagram!

It doesn’t take much to revamp your fall wardrobe – just a few of the pieces above will suffice. Now, go werk those fall fits and hit the apple orchard!

What is your favorite piece of fall clothing? How do you upgrade your wardrobe as the seasons change? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct15

Pumpkin Patch Party OOTD Bonus Pics

Posted on October 15, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! We are back to our regularly scheduled programming of some bonus pics from my Pumpkin Patch Party OOTD! Johnny and I had such a blast during our date day at Heritage Farms and I love the baby pumpkins that we picked out so very much. We can’t wait to take our nieces there to share in the fall fun with hay rides and a huge children’s section decked out with games and crafts. Although, I don’t know if I’ll be able to put together an OOTD as good as this one:

This past week, it was like a flip switched in Ohio and my neck of the woods truly began feeling like fall. Seemingly overnight, the leaves began to change colors and the temperatures dropped to the pleasant chill of an autumn day. I can’t even fathom a guess at the amount of times that I have said “look at that tree” already lol. Say what you will about Ohio but, come fall time, my state delivers with postcard worthy beauty.

Heritage Farms is located near Peninsula, Ohio and this area is filled with Metro Parks, bike trails, orchards, and the most delicious ice cream on planet Earth. It was such a lovely drive to get there, as we went through the Cuyahoga Valley and passed many a good tree. I thought that I had been in fall mode since September but this OOTD and an afternoon at the pumpkin patch made me think otherwise!

Although I have a lot of unique clothing in my wardrobe, I try to achieve balance through classic styles so that I can wear everything for forever. Each piece in this Pumpkin Patch Party OOTD is something that I can picture wearing now or when I’m forty. At twenty-eight, I often forget that I am technically a “grown up”. However, this fit made me feel like woman, hear me roar. This is, arguably, the most grown up OOTD that I have ever wore and it definitely took me out of my comfort zone. But, I achieved my goal of a classic fall outfit and what better place to wear it than to a classic fall activity like going to a pumpkin patch?!

There are so many different ways to expand your fashion horizons in the fall and I can’t wait to keep exploring them with all of you. Tune in tomorrow for bloopers from this shoot! We will also be revisiting my A Night At The Theater OOTD series next week after a date night at Playhouse Square this weekend. See you then!

When does it start feeling like fall to you? What is your favorite thing about fall fashion? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct13

Pumpkin Patch Party OOTD

Posted on October 13, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! This past Saturday, Johnny and I visited the Heritage Farms pumpkin patch and had such a wonderful time. For an activity that is so autumn, I wanted to style a really classic fall outfit. I drew lots of inspiration from fashion stories in magazines and clothing catalogues and this is what I came up with:

Who? What? Wear?

The hat was my grandma’s
My mom knitted me the scarf
Topper Jacket: Lucky Brand
Ladybug Print Button Down: Zara
Pinstripe Pants: Free People, TJMaxx
Snakeskin Pattern Heeled Boots: Vince Camuto, TJMaxx
Forest Green Hoop Earrings: Argentino Vivo, TJMaxx

This outfit is, honestly, a far cry from my usual OOTDs and I think that’s why I liked it so much. I was channeling my inner 1940s fall queen and I definitely felt like it too! I had been planning out this look for a while but was waiting for the right outing to wear it to. The pumpkin patch seemed like the perfect place to wear a classic fall fit and Heritage Farms delivered with so many scenic areas to snap some shots.

Figuring out the base of this outfit with the button down and pinstripe pants was easy for several reasons. I adore the ladybug button down from Zara and had been wanting to incorporate it into a fall OOTD. As you all know, I refuse to buy anything but black skinny jeans and we can agree that blue jeans would have been the better option for the top.

However, I did have my navy pinstripe pants and I knew that I had found a match. These Free People slacks feel so vintage and I don’t get to wear them as often as I would like. They embodied the vibe that I was going for and it also teaches a little something about mixing and matching patterns. With the ultra thin vertical striping on both the top and bottom, it created cohesiveness rather than a cluttered appearance. If one of the pieces featured a thicker stripe, it just wouldn’t have worked the same. Pulling from the same color family of shades of blue also made this an ideal pairing.

I had a bit of difficulty choosing shoes for this look but ended up going with my Vince Camuto snakeskin heeled boots. I originally had on a shorter heel but with the breezy pants on my shorter frame, I needed the extra height. These boots added a unique pop to the look without going overboard. Again, had the pinstripe on the pants not been so paper thin, the snakeskin pattern wouldn’t have worked. Happily, that wasn’t the case and because this OOTD featured almost all neutral colors, the rich brown snakeskin pattern was a winner.

For accessories, I decided to keep things simple and added my medium sized forest green hoop earrings by Argentino Vivo. I love all shades of green and thought that these complimented my hair and the rest of the outfit so well. These earrings provided movement when I was wearing my grandma’s gorgeous hat and also gave me an extra non-neutral color once I took my handmade scarf off.

Our date day started out with cooler temps and I knew just what I wanted to wear: My Lucky Brand topper jacket. This is one of my favorite pieces in my wardrobe – it is so pretty AND soft! It also helped add to the vintage inspo because of its classic shape. And, of course, no fall outfit would be complete without some mustard yellow, which my scarf had in spades! It is beautiful and knitted with love. After our first round of pictures, I got warmed up enough to take the jacket and scarf off. It all went together exactly how I wanted it, though, and I got compliments on my outfit the entire time at the pumpkin patch!

This outfit was an absolute blast to style and shoot. It took me out of my comfort zone and I loved it. I can’t wait to figure out what to wear next weekend!

What is your fall style like? Where do you get OOTD inspiration from? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: Tune in tomorrow for bonus pictures from this look!

Oct12

Heritage Farms Date Day

Posted on October 12, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! This past Saturday, Johnny and I had a lovely date day/OOTD shoot at the Heritage Farms pumpkin patch. Because, let’s be real, are you really a fashion blogger if you don’t take pictures at a pumpkin patch during spooky season?! The answer is: NO! We even got surprised by a super sweet woman who insisted on taking our pictures after yelling “POWER COUPLE ALERT” lol. Check it out:

^^^ You can peep this OOTD tomorrow!!

Heritage Farms is a beautiful property that hosts all kinds of different events year round. There are farmers markets in the summer, pumpkin patches in the fall, and a Christmas tree farm come winter. The pumpkin patch was SO perfect and was decked out with something for everyone. There were food trucks, pumpkins of every shape and size, and a children’s area featuring games and hay rides. I can’t wait to take my nieces!! 😀

We couldn’t have asked for better weather for our date day and what started out really chilly turned into a sunny and warm fall afternoon. It felt wonderful to walk around and breathe in that fresh fall air and see all of the other families having such a great time. Nothing warms mine and Johnny’s hearts more than seeing other people basking in the glory of Halloween time. ❤

After selecting two baby pumpkins apiece, we started to get hungry and continued our date at a bar called The Basement. I had never been before even though it’s right down the street from our apartment and the food was, shockingly, insanely good. We returned home with very full bellies and I treated Johnny to some pampering by dyeing his hair. Then, it was time for Magic The Gathering and video games to wrap up a fantastic day.

Ever since Johnny and I began doing our combined date and OOTD shoot on Saturdays, I have been such a happy camper. It gives me something to look forward to every week and it is so much fun to explore all kinds of different places in the greater Akron area with my main squeeze. I can’t wait to figure out where we’ll go next week!

What does your ideal date consist of? What is your favorite fall activity? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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