Tag Archives: fashion

Oct19

New Happily Grey Topper Jacket

Posted on October 19, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Hello!!! This past Tuesday, I had an afternoon off and decided to do a little holiday shopping at TJMaxx. However, I am in the phase of my early Christmas shopping where I need a treat too and it turned into a shopping trip for me! Lol, when I got home with TJs bags in tow I told Johnny that “I did some shopping for XYZ” to which he said “And…?” My reply: “…And a little something for me too”. Haha, he knows me so well! But, obviously, I just couldn’t say no to this gorgeous topper jacket by Happily Grey:

I am a huge fan of topper jackets and I clutched my pearls when I saw this number by Happily Grey. Johnny and I love the 70s era of fashion and this jacket gave me all of those vibes. It was one of those pieces that I just knew was going home with me and I considered it a steal at just thirty dollars! I have a feeling that I will be rocking my find all fall and winter long. I own maybe two or so full on “winter jackets”, but I much prefer a topper instead. I like that it gives you the option of layering and that I’m not sweating bullets as soon as I get into a car with the heat on!

I was drawn to my new Happily Grey topper for many reasons, the first of which being the colors. Burnished gold is one of my favorite hues and the cream filigree detailing looked so rich and lux against it. I also live for a faux fur collar, which just added to the expensive aesthetic that this topper gave. The length was lovely too, hitting at the mid calf and I could already picture wearing it with my knee high winter boots. Pair it with cable knit tights and a knee length skirt or dress? Yes, please. 😀

I am so happy with this TJMaxx purchase and I already put it to great use. You can peep that soon in an upcoming OOTD that I created for seeing The Wiz at Playhouse Square. If you are in need of new cold weather duds, hit up TJs ASAP because it is all there for the taking. PS – their holiday decor is out too!

What is your preferred style of winter coat? Does your winter wardrobe need a refresh? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct17

Wedding Dress Delight OOTD Bloopers

Posted on October 17, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Wedding Dress Delight OOTD! My sis, nieces, and I loved attending a Disney Princess Party together and I invoked the princess vibes from my wedding day by wearing my wedding dress. Yes, I am that extra aunt lol. Although I felt like royalty in my outfit, there are always some pics from an OOTD shoot that don’t make the first cut. I’m pretty sure I have never seen a Disney princess making these faces:

Who, me?

Lol, my fingers look like straight up nubs

The face I make immediately after scratching myself

Just standing here

Gazing forlornly into the distance

Gazing stupidly into the sky

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

Johnny has been my master OOTD photographer for over four years and we have our system running like a fine tuned machine. This shoot was different, however, because my sister was the one who took the pictures. This was my requirement for her because I paid for the tickets to the party – the sibling barter system at its finest! After we rubbed elbows with Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff it was time to head home and I posted up by a brick wall to get my OOTD on. You guys all know how much I love a good brick wall! 😀

In yesterday’s post, I mentioned my awareness that literally every picture from my OOTD shoot featured the same pose. This was purely out of necessity because it was cold out!! Val chattered her little teeth and I knew we had to get the girls back in the car ASAP. So, I stuck with poses that I knew would work and faces that I knew would be flattering so we could go home with the heat blasting. We took pictures for barely two minutes, I saw a few that were winners, a few that were questionable, and called it. Huge shout out to Val for being a trooper for her ol’ TT – she’s such a star. ❤

Although my sister did a stellar job as my OOTD photographer, I’ll be happy to have Johnny back to doing what he does best… Making me look good! It’s nice to know that I have someone else on standby, though!

Do you like to get your picture taken? Who usually takes your pictures? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct16

Wedding Dress Delight OOTD

Posted on October 16, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! Two weekends ago, I attended an adorable Disney Princess Party with my sister and darling nieces. Princess costumes for the little ones were encouraged and I figured that offer would extend to adults too lol. As the most extra auntie on the planet, I decided to get my princess on by rocking my wedding dress to the party. I was definitely the only big person that dressed up, but that’s okay because it made the experience even more fun! Val AKA Elsa and her “death princess” TT (as Johnny described me) looked like royalty during our grand entrance and I know we’ll both look back on it fondly for years to come. ❤ Check it out:

^^^ And, yes, I am SO aware that all of these poses are exactly the same lol. My sister took these pics after the party and the girls were cold so I just had to do what works for maximum success!

Who? What? Wear?

Wedding Dress: EricDress

Vertebrae Heels: Show Story

Pearl Headband: Francesca’s

Flower earrings that aren’t seen in the pictures are from Francesca’s too.

My wedding dress is one of my most favorite things that I own. It was bought for a song online, tailored to perfection, and was everything I hoped for on my wedding day. I always pictured myself in a black wedding dress and it was like this one was made for me. After Johnny and I tied the knot, I felt sad that I would probably never have an occasion to wear my dream dress again. That’s why I jumped at the opportunity to wear it to the Princess Party. I felt like a princess IRL when I got married and I couldn’t think of anything better to wear to a royal celebration.

For heels, I kept with the theme of my wedding and wore the same shoes for the partay. The high low dress screams for a killer pair of pumps and the Show Story pair are, surprisingly, the only ones I own. Even if I had different heels to select from, I still would have chose my wedding heels anyways. The “low” portion of my dress runs dangerously low to the ground and I needed all of the length that I could get to keep it from dragging. Huge shout out to the tailor for my dress because she was able to create a bustle with the super lengthy train!

There wasn’t much to do for the base of this look so it was onto accessories next. I desperately wanted a tiara, but don’t own one and all of my nieces’ toy tiaras are broke lol. So, I improvised and used my pearl headband from Francesca’s. I LOVED how the white pearls created contrast with my hair and the dress and it felt like a grown up take on a plastic tiara. Then, I put on a pair of dangly iridescent flower earrings and was ready to be the belle of the ball. I know I werked it, but Val stole the show in her Elsa costume! 🙂

I am beyond thrilled that I got to break out my wedding dress one time for the one more time. My girls and I had the best afternoon at the Princess Party and it is something that I will always cherish!

What is something that makes you feel like royalty? Have you ever worn something from your wedding again? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct15

Double Dinner Date OOTD Bloopers

Posted on October 15, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Double Dinner Date OOTD! I wore this look to meet my boss and his wife with Johnny at a new restaurant called Akron’s Farm Table. This was an exciting night out for me because I got to meet my virtual boss IRL and conduct an interview with the restaurant owners. Double dates are also always fun and Johnny and I haven’t been on one in forever. Although I was really feeling myself in my outfit, I would be a liar if I said I wasn’t nervous about this outing. More on that later, first let’s take a look at the pics that definitely didn’t make the first cut… Until now!

Somehow always managing to trip during OOTD shoots. Whoopsy daisy!

Gazing off into the distance with this stupid look lol

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

Just having a laugh in this pic and having one now because wtf

Clearly I thought I was really working it

Apparently I was in a perpetual state of shock during this shoot 😮

I like to think that I am a fairly outgoing gal. However, it takes me a while to get warmed up when meeting new people. I admit that I have quite a bit of anxiety in those situations and I find myself thinking if new friends, colleagues, or acquaintances like me or if I said the wrong thing throughout the meeting. I was very nervous to meet my online boss IRL. Of course I wanted to make a great impression, but I also have not had much practice meeting anyone new in a while. Johnny and I already know the people we want to know lol.

I am pleased to report that I didn’t let my nerves get the best of me during our Double Dinner Date and I thought I rocked it. Yes, I was anxious for things to go well, but I kept reminding myself that it’s not like my boss and I don’t have a phone conference almost every day. I know him, I just had not met him. I gave myself positive affirmations like “I’m great at what I do”, “I have a wonderful personality”, and to “just have fun” and it helped put me much more at ease. It must have done the trick because we are planning to check out another restaurant all together sometime soon! 😀

I kind of forgot that I had a hard time meeting new people until this outing because it had been so long. I am really proud of myself for putting my best face forward despite the anxiety and I think this will be a most helpful situation to remember in the future if I am around someone new. I consider this to be excellent progress so hurray for a GREAT SUCCESS!

Do you have an outgoing personality? What is something that you struggle with in social situations? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct14

Double Dinner Date OOTD

Posted on October 14, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! This past Friday was so lovely because I went on a double date with Johnny, my boss, and his wife. Starting in January, I started a position as the in house writer for a local tech entrepreneur. We handle everything virtually and just didn’t have a need or occasion to meet IRL. On Friday, however, we were working with a new restaurant for one of the businesses we manage and thought it would be fun to make a night of it with our partners. I was SO excited to have a night on the town all together and wanted to create a look that showed off my personal style while still looking professional. This is what I came up with and I was loving it:

Who? What? Wear?

Dress: MaxSport LA, TJMaxx

Boots: Formentini, TJMaxx

*** The earrings are Lucky Brand, the bracelet was bought at a vendor fair, and the necklace is from American Eagle Outfitters.

When I began styling this look, I knew I wanted to wear a dress. The only question was “which one?”. I didn’t want a dress that was too tight or too showy because the night wasn’t about my outfit. It was about helping out a small local business and meeting my boss. So, I decided on something that I would wear for a business lunch or coffee and chose my dress by MaxSport LA. This was a ten dollar steal from TJMaxx and I thought it served its purpose very well.

I selected this dress for many reasons. First and foremost, I love it. But it also checked off all of the boxes that I required. It was form fitting without being tight, knee length, and something I could picture myself wearing to an office if I worked in one lol. The colors featured on this frock are gorgeous and it felt so perfectly fall with a fun nod to the 70s. The pattern was another huge plus as it was bold, but didn’t feel like too much.

The weather on Friday night was still nice and warm so a jacket or tights weren’t necessary. So, it was onto shoes and accessories. For shoes, I went with one of my favorite pairs of heeled boots by Formentini. I am as obsessed with these boots now as I was the day I got them and they paired beautifully with the MaxSport LA dress. These little numbers added a classy amount of length and tied into the retro vibe that the dress invoked for cohesion’s sake.

Finally, it was time for accessories. To start, I put on a dangly pair of turquoise earrings by Lucky Brand. These were a gift from my mom and I love them so very much. Turquoise, burnt orange, and burgundy are a match made in fall color heaven. The lower neckline on my dress provided real estate to add on a delicate necklace and I put on a tiny charm one from AEO for some modest bling. The capped bell sleeves of the dress offered room for a bracelet too so I went back into the jewelry box and came out with a bronze chain bracelet with a turquoise bead and feather. The feather was another understated tip of the cap to all things 70s and the bead matched my earrings. Total win/win!

I felt like a class act in my Double Dinner Date OOTD and this is one that I can definitely picture wearing in a work environment or another night on the town. A wonderful time was had by all and we cannot wait to get together again soon. I would say this business/fun dinner out was a GREAT SUCCESS!

How do you rock a business casual look? Have you ever met someone you work with virtually IRL? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct10

Crochet For Days OOTD Bloopers

Posted on October 10, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Crochet For Days OOTD! Every once in a blue moon, the photo gods are not in my favor and this photo shoot was a prime example of that. I wasn’t feeling 100% as I was recovering from COVID, but I was looking 100% and it just didn’t translate. As frustrating as this phenomenon can be, it really does happen to the best of us. On the bright side, at least some of the pictures worked because it was looking pretty bleak lol. This shoot did leave me with a lot of bloopers so let’s take a looksee:

Why does it look like I’m mooing in this pic?

Timber Top say heyyyyy say ohhhhhhh

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

COVID fatigue got me like

LOL wtf is this face?!

Sending a lil smile to all of you xoxo

Lumbering over to see the latest batch of disappointing pictures

Like everything in life, you just have to roll with the punches. When life handed me COVID, I took it upon myself to watch every Saw movie. It was a tough job, but someone has got to do it. 😉 When life handed me a major yikes amount of major yikes pictures, all I can do is laugh. When things go 100% according to plan, that’s awesome. But, that doesn’t always happen and you have to keep on truckin.

These past few weeks have been pretty weird in Lil Red’s world. Being sick sucked, ending up in the ER sucked, and also not having a lot of taste or smell sucks ass haha. However, just because life feels below average sometimes doesn’t mean that it’s not going to get better. And, I know that to be true! I have not been feeling myself and after one single appointment with a new therapist, I feel more like myself than I have in a month. Solutions are often available to something giving you grief so get creative, put a smile on your face, and keep on going. I believe in you! ❤

Fingers crossed for a much more successful OOTD shoot for my next look. Fingers crossed for GREAT SUCCESS for all of you and for me too. I love you all!

How are you today? How do you get creative when life hands you lemons? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct9

Crochet For Days OOTD

Posted on October 9, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! It has been a minute since I shot an outfit because COVID and I am a little late to posting these pics because there was a lot of updates to discuss. But, I’m back at it baby and you can expect more fall looks regularly on my page. While I love my Crochet For Days OOTD, this was a classic case of “looking good, but can’t take a good picture to save my life”. Lol, these were taken the weekend before I went back to work and I still was experiencing fatigue something fierce. I was left with minimal pictures that I actually liked and an endless amount of bloopers SMH. They can’t all be winners, though, and that’s okay! Let’s get to it:

Who? What? Wear?

Crochet Sweater: Debut, TJMaxx

The jeans are Johnny’s and are from Hot Topic

Platform Loafers: ModCloth

The earrings are a hand me down from my sister and are from Francesca’s

Ever since buying my Debut crochet sweater from TJMaxx, I have been really eager to wear it. It was purchased at the end of July, however, and it has just been too hot in my neck of the woods to break it out. With the temperature in Akron shifting into fall mode, I was finally able to style a look based around it. What I love about this sweater other than everything is the shape. It’s baggy without being oversized and it’s perfect for cozying up or stepping out in. And, of course, the mishmash of colors used is nothing short of a delight!

To play off of the shape of the sweater, I decided to wear a pair of Johnny’s jeans instead of my own. I don’t own any boyfriend fit jeans so I went with husband fit lol. While I could have easily worn this sweater with skinny jeans, I wanted to embrace the bagginess of the sweater by wearing looser fitting denim. Not only were Johnny’s jeans insanely comfy, but they emphasized the relaxed vibe that I wanted to invoke. This is not the first time I have worn my husband’s jeans and it definitely won’t be the last. 😀

With the base of the outfit sorted, it was time for shoes and accessories. Since my clothes weren’t form fitting, adding height was essential to keep from being overwhelmed in the fabric. I went with my platform loafers from ModCloth for the assist. They are old as dirt, but they still serve me well and were a laid back option to keep things cohesive. And, with not much real estate available for jewelry, I chose a simple pair of flower dangle earrings and called it a look!

Despite not having much photo evidence of my Crochet For Days OOTD, it still turned out great. It gave me all of the comfy cozy vibes for fall and is a fit that I plan on rocking again. Stay tuned tomorrow for the blooper reel!

What is something that frustrates you about taking pictures? Can you relate to not being able to take a good pic even when you’re looking your best? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep23

Whatever The Weather OOTD Bloopers

Posted on September 23, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Whatever The Weather OOTD! This past year, I have made it my goal to do weekly OOTDs and minus a few misses, I feel like I have been achieving it. I trudged through summer looks even though it’s not my favorite season to style for and now it is officially fall – AKA the best season for fashion ever. Although the weather doesn’t feel fully fall yet, I welcome a crisp morning any day of the week and have been creating outfits for fluctuating temperatures. Whatever The Weather, however, some pictures definitely don’t make the cut… Until they have their day in the sun during the blooper reel! Let’s check it out:

Something STANK

Don’t mind me doing the potty dance

Showing off my dazzling smile 🙂

WERKING that wind in the hair, baby

My signature, adoring “wtf” face to whatever it was that Johnny was saying ❤

To pop the foot or not… that is the question

… The answer is not -_-

Johnny and I had quite the adventure around TimberTop finding a place to take these stunning pictures. We went to the location seen here first and was greeted by a HUGE pile of dog crap because no one in TTop cleans up after their dogs and it’s so foul. So, we began to walk and ended up on a charming path that we didn’t even know existed. It was a wooded area and offered a view of the charming, dirty creek that runs through the apartment community, appropriately named Mud Creek lol. You can’t make this stuff up!!

This location was much more like it, but the lighting sucked butt so we continued on our quest for another OOTD spot. Then, we found a clearing that I thought might work, but it was a Red Herring. You guessed it – the lighting sucked butt there too! On the bright side, we did meet an adorable puppy named Kody – short for Kodiak – short for Kodiak The Maniac according to his owners. This was a huge plus, but we were still struggling to find a good spot to shoot at.

Finally, we went back the way we came and when we exited the woods it was a total “let there be light” moment. There was perfect lighting shining down on the super cool stone base of one of the apartment buildings. I think it looks so neat! We were derailed by dog poop, poor lighting, and a cute pup (which was a most welcome reprieve!) but we ended our trek victorious. The things I do for this blog! 😀

Whatever The Weather during the fall is thankfully always pretty good for a walk and did we ever for this shoot. Johnny was SO ready to go inside afterwards and so was I!!

What are some of the names of bodies of water in your area? Do any of them top MUD CREEK?! I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep21

Whatever The Weather OOTD

Posted on September 21, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! No matter the time of year, everyone in Ohio knows the weather to be temperamental at best. For the past several weeks, we have fluctuated between hot AF, breezy, and rainy days. Most mornings, I am freezing my nads off only to be having a hot flash by mid afternoon! For flip flop weather, the best thing that you can do when you get ready for the day is layer. Then, as the temperature changes, all you have to do is add or remove your layering pieces to your liking.

Last week, my Early Fall OOTD began the saga of the switching weather and we are going to continue on with that theme. At this current juncture, cardigans are my layering BFF. It’s not cold enough for a coat, but you definitely need something to keep you warm until the day heats up. Whatever The Weather, I know that I will be rocking all the fall fashion – my favorite! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Emerald Green Cardigan: Candie’s, Kohl’s

White Tank Top: Rachel Zoe, TJMaxx

Floral Pants: Nicole Miller, TJMaxx

Denim Platforms: Bamboo/Cape Robbin, TJMaxx

The necklace is handmade and was purchased at a vendor fair

The earrings are Lucky Brand and were a gift from my mom 🙂

Whenever I am styling an OOTD, I tend to start with one piece of clothing and build from there. In this case, I began from the bottom up in the pants department. Although I am forever partial to my black skinny jeans, I don’t want to wear them all of the time! I have many a patterned pants that deserve their day in the sort of sun and I decided to go with my floral pair by Nicole Miller. These pants were a strategic choice because they made styling SO easy. All I had to do was pull from colors that were featured in the pattern!

With something as bold as a patterned pant, it is wise to go simple for the rest of the look. Patterns on patterns can work, but they also can make for a haphazard appearance if not done properly. I don’t own anything patterned that would have even remotely gone well with my pants so I opted for a plain white tank by Rachel Zoe. Afterwards, I examined the pattern in the pants and pulled from the green in the leaves which helped me choose my emerald green cardi on top. Remember, the colors don’t have to be a perfect match – as long as they are from the same color family, you are golden.

(A little side note about the cardigan: It is old as dirt lol. I bought it when I was twenty I think? I needed business casual attire for a new job and felt oh so grown up in black slacks and the cardigan!)

Finally, it was time for accessories and shoes to complete the look. Since the top portion of my OOTD was completely plain, I added the gorgeous, feather adorned handmade necklace. It fit in beautifully with the earthy palette that I had established. Then, I put on turquoise Lucky Brand earrings to pull from the blue in the pants pattern. To create cohesion from head to toe, I went with my deep denim hued platforms to compliment the dark green on top and I was ready to go!

To end this Whatever The Weather OOTD, I will leave you with a little tongue twister we would warm up with when I did theater… Whether the weather is cold or whether the weather is hot, whatever the weather we’ll weather the weather, whether we like it or not. Try saying that five times fast!

What is your favorite jewel tone color? How do you rock patterned pants? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep15

Early Fall OOTD Bloopers

Posted on September 15, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Early Fall OOTD! Similarly to the transition from spring to summer, dressing for early fall can be a head scratcher. Is it going to be chilly? Is it going to be blazing hot? Do I need a coat? Do I wear shorts? It can be a big fat question mark and I wanted to create a look that would be comfortable during crisp mornings and a warm afternoon. Let’s take a look at some of the shots that didn’t make my first, second, or third cut and discuss bellies. We all have them! Here we go:

Focused, flourishing, thriving.

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

Definitely was getting distracted by a dog being walked 🙂

Luring you all in with my seductive gaze 😉

Wait…….. what???

Okay, seriously guys. WTF is this lol

Who, me? 😉

A conversation that I have frequently with my girlfriends is our changing bodies. Lol, weird but true and it makes sense. As all of my friends are in their late twenties/thirty somethings, we have noticed little things that we weren’t complaining about fresh out of high school. We feel tired constantly, our metabolism might have slowed, and areas that used to be toned are not the way it used to be. My “problem area” – my belly!

I will be the first to admit that when I wore this crop top, I was thinking a lot about “sucking it in”. Then, I remembered the advice that my girls and I always end our “body talks” with. Bodies change. Damnit, we are all almost or past thirty and our bodies simply aren’t going to look like they did in high school. They just aren’t and that’s okay. I also reminded myself of my golden rule when I briefly second guessed the top… Wear the clothes. Wear it, strut, and rock it. Am I going to have six pack abs? Hard no! That doesn’t mean I’m any less worthy of wearing a crop top than someone else.

As I get older, I feel more and more confident in myself than I ever did in my youth. In my early twenties, if I wasn’t wearing something that looked just so, you could forget about it. Now, I dress for me. I had a minor faltering when I put the crop top on and then I recalled sound advice from my friends and myself. Conclusion? Everyone has bellies. Everyone has butts. Everyone is not going to look the same and that’s a beautiful thing!

This Early Fall OOTD was made to teach everyone about styling a look for changes in weather. I like to think it did, but it also taught me a refresher on my golden rule and self confidence. What a win/win!!

How did your body change as you got older? What is something that you used to feel self conscious about? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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