Tag Archives: fashion

Oct18

Halloween Costume Sneak Peek

Posted on October 18, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Howdy! It is no secret that Johnny and I revel in all things Halloween – not just during spooky season but all year round. We simply love it and, normally, something like costume shopping would be a complete joy. This year, however, was a totally different story because it proved to be a nightmare. I thought it would be easy as pie to find a costume inspired by sweet treats for our Candyland themed couples costume dreams. This was far from the case and I ended up striking out HARD twice before snagging my last resort costume. Is it what I really wanted? Not really. But, I think with the right accessories I will still be a Candy Queen yet! Check it out:

Prior to purchasing the Candy Heart costume seen above, I had two options that I wanted badly. The first one was rather expensive but I was willing to pay the top dollar price tag for it until I ran into Issue Number One. The costume was only available in what I guesstimated was my size on a website where all sales were final. Had I been absolutely certain that it would have fit, I would have went for it. Suppose it didn’t, though. Then I would be stuck with a too small costume, no way to return it, and my bank account would be down a pretty penny. So, Option One was a no go.

After having my first plan fall through, I had to pivot and scour through a million costumes I had seen before and hoping something new would pop up. What felt like an endless search resulted in me finding a costume I liked even better than Option One and I eagerly placed my order. Everything was coming up Lil Red for like a day and then… I got an email saying JK because my size wasn’t available after all. I was honestly crushed because the costume was perfect. It was exactly what I wanted, the price was nice, and I had all but forgotten the disappointment of failure for Option One.

With both of my desired costumes officially off the table, I was back where I started – with absolutely nothing. At this point, I was getting straight up pissed lol. In fact, I was ready to just throw in the towel and wear my costume from last year. Had I not made a premature announcement of our couples costume on social media, I would have! So, it was back to the drawing board and fruitless browsing, scrolling, begging, and pleading for something – ANYTHING that would work. You all know I live for online shopping, but this was getting ridiculous.

As I painstakingly searched through every corner of the internet for a candy costume, I came to the realization that I was just going to have to make do. Which brings us to the Candy Heart costume. It is super cute and I love the lace up front with the huge heart smack dab in the middle. While it is cute, it is also pretty basic lol. This is where shoes and accessories come into play. I found a darling pair of candy button platforms to wear with it, which I think will be simply charming. Then, I ordered a candy headband, a giant lollipop to hold, and a pair of lollipop earrings too. When Johnny and I visit Spirit Halloween this weekend, I will buy a pink tutu because the skirt is REALLY short, some sheer pink thigh highs, a pink wig, and pastel hued fake eyelashes. Like I said, I will be a Candy Queen yet!

Shopping for my Halloween costume was legit the worst and I am SO happy to be done with it. Although I had to settle for my last resort option, I still think this costume will offer Candyland vibes once it’s all put together!

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

Oct16

If The Shoe Fits: B.A.I.T. Candy Button Platforms Edition

Posted on October 16, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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If The Shoe Fits: B.A.I.T. Candy Button Platforms Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of If The Shoe Fits! Johnny and I are going to be sporting Candyland themed costumes for Halloween. He will be Lord Licorice and I will be a Candy Queen. I honestly thought finding a candy style costume would be like taking candy from a baby lol. Unfortunately, I was dead wrong and the hunt for the perfect costume was not only insanely difficult but insanely annoying too. However, finding the perfect shoes for the cause was a piece of cake! Check it out:

After several failed attempts for finding a Halloween costume to my liking, it was a gift for the shoe buying process to go without a hitch. I’m not surprised, though, you all know I am a shoe girl through and through! The hardest part of finding heels for my costume was narrowing down my options. There were an abundance of candy inspired shoes to browse through, each one cuter than the next. With great cuteness comes great cost or whatever Uncle Ben said because goodness me were some of them expensive. Then, I came across these adorable platforms by B.A.I.T. for under fifty dollars and I knew we were in business!

I went with this pair of candy dot platforms for a lot of different reasons. The price was nice and I also have a pair of mules by B.A.I.T. in my shoe boutique so the fit wasn’t a concern. The primary factor wasn’t either of these even though they were both important. The main selling point was the fact that I could absolutely wear them with an outfit that isn’t a costume. Yes, the candy dot motif is ideal for what I have picked out for Halloween but it wasn’t limited to one time use and that was very appealing. While I am overjoyed that it’s fall, I am kind of sad that summer is over now that I have these platforms. How fun would they be with a little pair of denim shorts?! 😀

I’m not going to lie, costume shopping was more disappointing than enjoyable this year. These platforms definitely helped perk me up and I’m happy at least one aspect of the process was blessedly simple!

What are you going to be for Halloween? Where do you normally purchase your costumes? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct14

Chilly Day OOTD

Posted on October 14, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! This past Monday was a really exciting day because Johnny was a featured musician on an episode of The World According To Polka on PBS. We took a day trip to Burton, Ohio to film with the Chardon Polka Band and it was an excellent, albeit chilly, time. Unfortunately, the OOTD you are about to see wasn’t quite warm enough for an afternoon of outdoor filming. Fear not, because I dethawed in the car afterwards lol. Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Poncho: Modena New York, TJMaxx

Elbow Patch Sleeve Sweater: Blu Pepper, Dry Goods

Skinny Jeans: 1822 Denim, TJMaxx

Heeled Combat Boots: BCBG, TJMaxx

The stud earrings were purchased forever ago at PacSun!

Other than being at the location and proudly supporting my husband, I had absolutely nothing to do with the PBS filming process. It honestly felt like a mini vacation because I am so used to being the one behind the camera filming content! As all I had to do was literally just stand there for several hours, I wanted to wear something that was comfy, cute, and would keep me some semblance of warm. With that in mind, I knew what needed to be done and began to browse the poncho department of my boutique.

I freaking LOVE a poncho for fall. They are so low key yet still manage to look chic and it’s nice to feel like you’re wrapped in a blanket! I chose a taupe plaid poncho by Modena New York. It is my favorite one because of the clasp on the front and adorable hood. The dusty colors are so autumn and it is a perfect piece to wear while strolling through crunchy fallen leaves. This poncho gives me Disney Princess in the woods vibes and I am so there for it!

For underneath the poncho, I selected a thin sweater by Blu Pepper with darling elbow patched sleeves. I am a sucker for anything with an elbow patch and this sweater is one of my go tos for fall. The color was just right for pairing seamlessly with the muted palette of the poncho. They were made to be worn together! Next, I put on a pair of black skinny jeans by 1822 Denim and it was onto shoes and accessories.

I opted for a no muss no fuss pair of army green heeled combat boots by BCBG (One of my favorite brands!). These boots are old as dirt but are still holding strong and remain a much beloved staple in my fall wardrobe arsenal. Like the Blu Pepper sweater, the boots enhanced my established palette and provided the extra height that I always require. Finally, I popped on a pair of huge stud earrings with giant roses in the middle and I was ready to watch my husband make music magic!

Although this Chilly Day OOTD would have been better if the temps were the slightest bit warmer, I still love how it turned out. Johnny and I had the best day! ❤

What are your favorite fall colors? Have you updated your fall wardrobe this year? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct10

Fall Flannels OOTD Bloopers

Posted on October 10, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Fall Flannels OOTD! Today, we are going to take a look at the bad and the yikes that definitely didn’t make the first cut. Hey, every single picture can’t be a winner. In fact, sometimes I scroll through seemingly endless options that make me audibly say “woof” until I can find that diamond in the rough shot. Let’s see some of these said woof pics and then chat a bit about my most recent obsession…

The most fake ass laugh ever

I swear to stoned I’m not god

A simply electrifying shot

Not half bad! Ba dum chhhhhhh

My special “I’m feeling sexy” face 😉

TFYM when Johnny constantly asks if he can be done taking pictures yet. (The answer is a firm NEVER)

See ya next blooper reel! BYEEEEE!

When it comes to my preferences for TV shows, it’s a mixed bag. Yes, I love me my horror and true crime programs. I enjoy game shows, comedy series, documentaries, and political satire reports. I do, however, have a huge guilty pleasure – that being reality TV. Sometimes, I am just in the mood for something I don’t have to think about and reality TV checks all of those boxes. It’s mindless, can be funny, and always promises to be juicy. I take great pleasure in discussing these types of shows with my best girl, Kate. During our last FaceTime gab session, she told me about a show I just have to watch called The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Right off the bat, I told her that sounded dumb AF but she insisted. Because I trust Kate with my life and TV choices, I decided to give it a go and… I. Was. Obsessed.

Long story short, this show is set up like a Desperate Housewives series and revolves around the Mormon gals of the popular TikTok channel, MomTok. As you can imagine with any close group of girls, things aren’t always what they seem and it was drama central. I was SO there for it and was hooked within minutes. The scandals, the different personalities, and all around different culture piqued my interest. What I liked best of all wasn’t so much the drama as it was delving into social media as I could relate to a lot of it being a professional myself. Before I knew it, I had binged the entire series and Kate and I are eagerly awaiting Season Two. I have ate my words about my initial sentiments on the show and am now recommending it to everyone. And, if you do or did watch it, hit your girl up so we can gossip!!

Just because The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is wrapped up for a while doesn’t mean there’s not still plenty of dirt going around and you already know I’ve been keeping tabs. Bring on Season Two, baby!

What is your guilty pleasure entertainment? What is your favorite reality show? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct8

Fall Flannels OOTD

Posted on October 8, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred!! This past Saturday, I enjoyed a wonderful lunch with one of my girlfriends and ran a few errands with Johnny afterwards. It was a chill day and perfectly matched my laid back mood because it had been a really long week. In fact, “chill” also meant the weather because it has finally started to cool down in my neck of the woods! To accommodate my low key disposition and the shift in the weather, I decided to break out a fall staple: The flannel. No fashion blog is complete without at least one flannel OOTD come autumn and I chose this weekend to partake. Take a look:

Who? What? Wear?

Red Flannel: This was a Christmas gift from my sister and it’s from Express

Skinny Jeans: 1822 Denim, TJMaxx

Heeled Combat Boots: Forever 21

Cheetah Bling Necklace: Natasha, TJMaxx

Stud Earrings: American Eagle Outfitters

The beanie was a gift from a stupid ex-boyfriend lolol

I began building this fit by browsing through the flannel department in my boutique. I have a ton of oversize flannels that I prefer to tie around my waist rather than actually wear. More fitted flannels were what I required and that limited my choices significantly as I only had three. Rather than the black or white options, Lil Red went with red! This gifted Express flannel was just what I needed – a nice, bright color and a fit that I could button up without looking like I was drowning in fabric.

Black skinny jeans were a given to pair with the flannel. I could imagine it would have looked cute with blue jeans but you all know I would never be caught dead in a pair of traditional denim! So, that brings us onto shoes and accessories. I didn’t have any intention of wearing a beanie with this outfit. However, my hair just did not want to behave itself. It was one of those days where no matter what I did, I wasn’t happy with it. Probably because I am itching for my hair appointment at the end of the month! Because of this major annoyance, a beanie it was and I opted for one with the phrase “Bad Hair Day” and truer words have never been printed for the current situation. I received this from an ex for Christmas and, normally, I would never keep anything from someone I hate. This beanie is something I couldn’t toss because I like it so much and it has gotten me out of many bad hair days past lol.

Once my hair problem was solved, it was time to complete the look. For the remainder of my accessories, I put on one of my favorite chunky gold necklaces by Natasha. It features a blinged out big cat of some kind and it made such a statement splash smack dab in the middle of the flannel. I kept things simple with earrings and added a small pair of gold studs so nothing would clash with the focal point necklace. Finally, I put on a pair of stark white heeled combat boots. I loved how the crisp color popped against the red and black of the outfit’s base. With that, I was ready to go!!

Johnny told me this look was very Alanis Morissette and I couldn’t agree more. I certainly felt like a grunge queen while wearing it!

What is your favorite fall wardrobe staple? Which celebrity style do you admire? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct4

On The Move OOTD Bloopers

Posted on October 4, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my On The Move OOTD! On Saturday, we took our darling niece out for Treat Day and the most fun was had by all. I even got all dressed down for the occasion, which is something that rarely happens in a normal OOTD post. Hey, sometimes you’ve got to shake things up – exactly what the blooper reel is all about! Let’s take a lookieloo at some WTF moments from the shoot:

Lumbering around an apartment complex near you

She sticks the landing!!!!! #GOAT

I swear I’m not calling you all losers, I was doing my impression of taking pictures lol

Clearly feeling really swell in this one! 😀

Putting some STANK on it

Easy, breezy, beautiful CoverGirl

Johnny and I are avid fans of scary movies and we watch them all year round. They just hit different during spooky season, though! Every October, Johnny and I attempt to watch a scary movie per day to complete the thirty-one movies in thirty-one days challenge. Have we ever completed it? Absolutely not, but we sure do like to try lol. If nothing else, it gives us something to look forward to when we are both home from work and up for a movie screening.

As per our tradition, we alternate between who is picking the movie. Thank goodness because I think we would spend all evening deciding if we went with the mutual option route. Johnny and I have extremely different tastes in scary movies. He loves a slasher and the dumber the better (Winnie the Pooh Blood & Honey, anyone?). Myself, on the other hand, much prefers dark psychological thrillers. They might not always have a jump scare aspect to it, but I really like that they make you think. We are definitely in for an… interesting array of movies all October long!

Regardless of what we watch, I so enjoy a cozy evening in with my main squeeze. Even if he makes fun of me every time I’m startled (Which is often)! 😀

Which scary movies should we add to our watch list? What is your favorite scary movie? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct3

On The Move OOTD

Posted on October 3, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Johnny and I like to try and have an outing together every weekend. When it is just us we, of course, dress however we want. This past weekend, however, we had company – our five year old niece. The plan was a Treat Day at an indoor amusement center and it was going to be very much on the go. Since our day promised SO many activities, I *gasp* dressed sensibly for the occasion. This On The Move OOTD is pretty much as casual as it gets for yours truly, which is definitely not something I’m used to! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Crop Top: Been Trill, PacSun

Distressed Skinny Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Cheetah Print Boots: Circus By Sam Edelman, TJMaxx

Lego Earrings: AbbieDabbles

To begin this look, I went browsing in an area of Lil Red’s Boutique that I don’t shop in often: The chest of drawers. One of the drawers is home to casual tops including crops, tanks, and T’s. Normally, this is not where I would go to style what is my usual weekend ensembles. But, in the case of Treat Day, I was exactly where I needed to be. The last thing I wanted was to wear one of my “good” tops with the almost certain risk of stains and snags! I was in an All Black Everything mood so I went for a Been Trill crop top. This was purchased literally FOREVER ago when I worked at PacSun so it is a total throwback. Regardless of the fact that the crop is over a decade old, I think it still looks great!

Next on the agenda was jeans and I chose my super distressed skinnies from American Eagle Outfitters. The color is still so crispy (Even after three plus years of wear!) and they are just right for an All Black Everything OOTD. These jeans were the only option I considered because all of the other black skinnies I own are horribly faded. I haven’t bought AEO denim since said purchase of super distressed skinnies so I’m making a mental note to fix that ASAP. 😀

Finally, it was time for shoes and accessories. Rather than my preferred platforms, I opted for an amazing pair of ankle boots by Sam Edelman. The shape, buckles, and cheetah print pop are just so cool and Johnny’s biggest regret is not having the same shoe size as me because these are his fave! And, yes, they do have a baby heel which made me happy. 🙂 If it wasn’t Treat Day, I would have added some huge, chunky gold jewelry to this look – but, alas, it was Treat Day. So, I popped on a small pair of Lego bats and was ready for an afternoon adventure with my two BFFs!

I genuinely can’t wait to get dressed up for real next weekend – fall fits are calling my name. I’ll return the call next Saturday so stay tuned for more fashion fun on lifewithlilred!

Do you usually dress up or down? What is a casual look for you like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct2

Werk At Work OOTD Bloopers

Posted on October 2, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Werk At Work OOTD! Today, we are going to take a look at the bad and the yikes that came from a speedy shoot before I had to be at a content shoot. I like to think that my best face was put forward during my evening of making some media magic. These shots, however, certainly don’t fall under that category in the slightest! Let’s get to it:

A sultry gaze just for you! ❤

When there aren’t any paper towels in the bathroom

A surprise conversation with my neighbor, Tony!! (He’s the best!)

Using the power of my mind to shoot laser beams

I’M SEXY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TFYM when you’re eating an entire lemon

Live. Laugh. Love.

On Saturday, Johnny and I had a delightful treat day with our eldest niece. She recently started kindergarten and we are SO proud of her, so we just had to take her out and celebrate. We visited an indoor amusement center that features arcade games, laser tag, roller skating, trampolines, rides, etc. Her favorite thing is the gigantic playground smack dab in the middle of the facility. It is basically a McDonald’s PlayPlace on steroids and it seriously looks like the funnest thing ever lol. Unfortunately, us big people could only hang on the bottom floor of the playground… Until this weekend, that is!

As Johnny and I watched our niece explore, we both agreed that we really wanted to go down one of the enormous slides. We were the only people in the play area so we figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask the attendant and he said… NO. -_- Of course, we understood but were secretly peeved about it so we activated stealth mode. As we were standing around, Johnny clocked that the attendant had his back turned and told me he was going to go down the slide anyways. Like a thief in the night, he made his way up the towering structure and was simply gleeful when he emerged at the bottom of the slide. And, as the ride or die that he is, he stood guard as I took a trip down the slide too. We felt most cheeky with our small act of rebellion and it was one thousand percent worth it – that slide was amazing!

One of Johnny’s favorite things to do when playing video games is “being sneaky” and it definitely translated in real life. We all had the best day!!

What did you do this past weekend? What is your favorite place to visit with your kiddos? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep28

Werk At Work OOTD

Posted on September 28, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! I took a trip to Misnyland on Tuesday to do some filming for a video series launching on the social media pages I manage this October. It was SO much fun and it is always a nice little treat to get myself done up during the work week. Nine times out of ten, you can catch me in jeans, a T-shirt, and a makeup free face so it was definitely a change of pace! Before heading out, Johnny graciously snapped these shots of my Werk At Work OOTD:

Who? What? Wear?

Cardigan: Jessica Simpson, TJMaxx

Cami Top: mittoshop, French Rooster

Bodycon Skirt: Originality, Dry Goods

Kitten Heels: Nine West, TJMaxx

Turquoise Earrings: Lucky Brand, TJMaxx

Sometimes when I put an outfit together, it is completely off the top of my head. In this instance, however, I had the OOTD planned the day before because I knew I wouldn’t have a lot of time to go shopping in my closet beforehand. Thankfully, it turned out exactly how I hoped it would – something work appropriate while still having that extra dose of Lil Red flare. As a social media manager, it gives me permission to have a lot of fun with what I wear while on the job and I take full advantage of it.

As I built the outfit in my head, I began with the bodycon skirt by Originality. It is one of my absolute favorites and the color palette was perfect for welcoming the first few official days of fall. I liked this skirt for work because it offered some shape without being completely curve hugging. Pairing it with a simple pair of black tights also added a classy and practical touch. My legs sure as hell weren’t shaved!! 😀

Because the pattern on the skirt was so bold, all that was left to do was slip on and tuck in one of my go to cami tops by mittoshop. I am most fond of a combination like this as it gives the illusion of wearing a dress. On a night out, I would leave the outfit at this and roll out. Spaghetti straps for work are a no no, though, so I opted for a gorgeous cream colored cardigan by Jessica Simpson to cover them up. The soft hue and flower embroidery on this cardi are just the sweetest and it helped tone down any sex appeal from the cami’s lace detailing.

With the base of the outfit sorted, it was time to move on to shoes and accessories. The Nine West kitten heels were a given. I live for the sassy pointed toe and that darling band of bling! I know I always pair the bodycon skirt with these heels, but I truly don’t own anything else that would work as well or better. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it! With no open real estate for bracelets or necklaces, I popped on a dangly pair of turquoise teardrop earrings and was ready for my content shoot.

My Werk At Work OOTD came together just as I imagined and thank goodness because I didn’t have a moment to spare!

What is your favorite fall color? How do you add your personal style to work outfits? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep27

Spooky Surprises

Posted on September 27, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Halloween decor reigns supreme in my household all year round and Johnny and I add a few new things every year when the stores shift to spooky season. For the past two years, my contribution were snow globes with a Halloween twist. I really liked the idea of getting one new snow globe per year as a tradition. During our date day, we made a visit to TJMaxx and, unfortunately, their snow globe selection left a lot to be desired. We did, however, find this ultra cool skull that I am obsessed with! Check it out:

As we made our rounds through spooky decor, everything was pretty picked over. There were a few things that we took note of but nothing worth buying. That is, until the red skull with blinged out devil horns caught my eye. It was the very last one on the shelf and as soon as I saw the ten dollar price tag, it was immediately added to our cart. We are seasoned pros when it comes to Halloween decorations but I had never seen anything quite like this before. This skull is so different from anything we have and its brilliant shade of red speaks sweet nothings to my Lil Red heart. It certainly makes a statement on our many spooky shelves!!

One final little treat I purchased for myself was a pair of Betsey Johnson spiderweb tights. They were expertly placed in the catch all aisle as you are waiting to check out and that really is where TJMaxx gets you! I am a huge fan of all things Betsey and these tights are just what I needed for fall. Literally every pair I have is riddled with holes and while these are holey, they are purposeful lol. Patterned tights are an amazing way to shake up sweater dresses and skater skirts. They also look so edgy and cool when worn under shorts. I cannot wait to break my spiderweb pair out to add some spooky flare to any OOTD. 😀

These Spooky Surprises were the perfect, cost effective little somethings to bring home during our date day shopping trip. The best surprise, though, is the fact that Johnny asked me to go to TJMaxx in the first place!! 🙂

Do you and your partner like to shop together? What are your favorite stores to visit? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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