Tag Archives: fashion

TJMaxx Haul: Lucky Brand Cardigan Edition

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TJMaxx Haul: Lucky Brand Cardigan Edition

Hi! I have always loved Lucky Brand and pretty much died and went to heaven when I got to shop in one of their actual stores during a vacation to North Carolina. I am always on the lookout for their clothing and accessories at TJMaxx and I was thrilled to find the cardigan we’re going to be discussing today. The price was pretty exciting too – I got it for thirty dollars compared to its original price of one hundred and thirty! Check it out:

Many moons ago when I worked at PacSun, I had what seemed like an infinite amount of Aztec patterned oversized cardigans. I am genuinely unsure as to why I got rid of them all but here we are lol. So, when I saw this Lucky cardi during my online shopping, I just had to add it to my cart. It reminded me so much of all of the cardigans that I have loved and lost and it seemed like everything in my life was leading up to this shopping experience… Okay, that might be a little over dramatic but you know what I mean!

Until my new cardi arrived in the mail, I had no idea of its original price so you could have knocked me over with a feather when I found out. I thought that I was getting the steal of the century. Oh yeah, and it’s cute! I absolutely love its length, the drapery, and the colors reminiscent of a fall sunset. This is a cardigan perfect for curling up in front of a bonfire or just lounging about at home and I am so there for it.

Lucky Brand has always spoke to me because of how classic all of their pieces are. Everything that I own by them from clothes to jewelry is something that I can picture myself wearing now or ten years from now. Lucky combines simple and crisp silhouettes with unique touches making them the ultimate brand of wear now and later. Or, when it comes to my favorite buys from them – wear all of the time! 😀

What is one of your favorite brands? What is one of the best buys you have had at a discount store? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

TJMaxx Haul: Moon & Madison Star Bright Cardigan Edition

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TJMaxx Haul: Moon & Madison Star Bright Cardigan Edition

Hello! One of my favorite pieces of clothing in the whole world other than a good jacket or blazer is a nice, comfy cardigan. I love just being able to throw one on and head to work while giving the appearance that I *somewhat* got ready for my day lol. Not to mention that I am usually cold all of the time so an extra layer always comes in handy!

During my online shopping with TJMaxx, I purchased two new cardis that I couldn’t say no to. Did I need them? Not necessarily. But did I want them? REAL BAD. Today, we’ll be discussing an adorable Moon & Madison cardi and tomorrow we’ll take a look at one by Lucky Brand – which happens to be one of my favorite brands! Let’s get to it:

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As soon as I saw this cardigan, I knew that it was going into my shopping cart. The dusty mauve color, star pattern, POCKETS (!!!), and teddy bear soft material made this Moon & Madison number a must have. I absolutely could not wait for it to arrive in the mail because I just wanted to wrap myself in it. It was as cozy, comfy, and soft as I imagined it to be and I have a feeling that I will be wearing it constantly.

When it comes to cardigans, I love oversized ones because you can’t go wrong with pairing it with super skinny jeans and ankle booties and walking out the door. My new Moon & Madison cardi is one that you could wear in spring, fall, and winter and I can also picture myself wearing this over a dress and tights for a special occasion or date night.

Prior to having red, pink, and violet hair, colors in the purple family never looked good on me. However, my new hair opened up a whole new color palette for me to experiment with – purple being one of them! Now, I am always scoping out lavender, mauve, and violet clothing so, of course, my Moon & Madison cardigan spoke to me. The mauve hue looks just right with my funky colored hair and I am already itching for more clothes in a similar color! 😀

As winter drags on, I will be beating the cold weather in the ultimate comfy cozy cardigan! Tune in tomorrow to continue the cardi party with my new Lucky Brand number. ❤

What does your favorite cardigan look like? What are your favorite colors to wear? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

TJMaxx Haul: Scotch & Soda Pajama Style Blazer Edition

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TJMaxx Haul: Scotch & Soda Pajama Style Blazer Edition

Hello! It has been a while since I had a big TJMaxx haul so I decided that it was definitely time to change that. 😀 This past week, my online order finally arrived in the mail and I am obsessed with all of the goodies that I picked out for myself. After So. Much. Holiday. Shopping. I thought that I deserved a treat too!

Today, we will be discussing an amazing pajama style blazer by Scotch & Soda. My only regret? That I didn’t buy the matching pants! Let’s get to it:

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I must admit that when I originally ordered this blazer, I didn’t have high hopes for it and had plans of it being one of the pieces that I returned. But, man, was I wrong because this is one of my favorite purchases from my shopping. What I thought might look like I forgot to get dressed in the morning turned out to be oh so fabulous and I can’t wait to wear it to work/out and about.

This Scotch & Soda blazer was part of a matching set and as soon as I tried it on, I instantly was kicking myself for not ordering the pants too. After my fashion show, I raced to the computer to see if they were still available and, sadly, my size was sold out. I thought that the full set would be a bit much and I genuinely don’t know what I was thinking because “a bit much” isn’t part of Lil Red’s vocabulary.

While I would have liked to see this set in its completion, I still love the blazer as an individual piece just the same. The colors are muted but so rich and they really pop against its black background. I also can’t get enough of the piping throughout the blazer for a touch of pajama party chic!

During my online shopping, I was looking for pieces that could double for work and play and I think that this blazer hit the nail on the head. This is something that I could easily wear to my office or for a date day with Johnny. It’s also light enough that I could sport it during multiple seasons for ultimate versatility.

Whether paired with skinny jeans or a little black skirt, I am dying to style my new blazer so be on the lookout for OOTD pics soon. And, keep it posted for more from my TJMaxx Haul! ❤

How do you feel about clothing sets? How would you style this blazer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Faux Fur Fabulous OOTD Bonus Pictures

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Faux Fur Fabulous OOTD Bonus Pictures

Hello everyone and welcome to some bonus pictures from my Faux Fur Fabulous OOTD! These pictures were taken when Johnny and I celebrated our six month wedding anniversary and it was such a wonderful day. Take a look at my bonus shots including one hilarious blooper and let’s discuss what we did to make our day special:

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Can you guess which one the blooper is lol?! Like any good blog husband, Johnny takes So. Many. Pictures. in rapid fire succession and this includes the dismounts, awkward shots, and pictures that I didn’t even know he was taking!

To start off our day, Johnny and I met up with my parents and our niece in downtown Cuyahoga Falls for a puppy parade. While we got the time wrong on the parade itself (whomp whomp), we still got to see tons of dogs dressed up in their holiday best. We had so much fun pet watching and petting all of these adorable pups and it was truly dog heaven.

In the indoor area set up, the pooches could get their picture taken with Santa and owners could shop with local vendors for stocking stuffers for their pets. Our niece was able to meet Santa and by that I mean she just stood there in stunned silence haha. She eventually warmed up enough to give him a high five, though! 🙂

After the outing with our family, Johnny and I enjoyed a big lunch at Barrio where you can build your own tacos. Barrio is one of my favorite eateries and they have the best margaritas I have ever had. We got tacos for now and tacos for later and I am already itching to go back. 😀

When we were done eating, we checked out Off The Wagon and got a new board game to add to our vast collection. Then, we went to the Zephyr for a drink before heading home. Once we were back at the home front, an evening of video games and music commenced and it was an absolute blast. If our half year wedding anniversary was this good, I can’t imagine what our full year anniversary will be like!

No matter the occasion, Johnny and I always have the best time together and our date day was no exception. He is the best husband ever! ❤

What is your favorite restaurant? How does your community celebrate the holidays? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Faux Fur Fabulous OOTD

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Faux Fur Fabulous OOTD

Hi everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! This past Saturday, Johnny and I celebrated our half year wedding anniversary and had a date day to celebrate. We met with my parents and niece in downtown Cuyahoga Falls for a puppy parade, had lunch at a build your own taco restaurant called Barrio, and a drink at our favorite bar in Kent called the Zephyr. It was the best!

For such an amazing day, I needed an amazing outfit to step out in. Inspired by being told that I looked like a Disney villain twice in one day (best compliment ever!), I came up with the following:

Who? What? Wear?

Saturday was an absolutely glorious day for being the beginning of December and the weather was much warmer than my last OOTD shoot. Because of the mid forty temps, I was able to get away with just a sweater and the faux fur vest and I was so there for it! However, by the time my sweet Johnny took my pictures, the wind had really picked up. And, as any Midwesterner would tell you, it’s not so much the cold as it is the wind lol.

Despite the chilly breeze, Johnny powered through and took what felt like a million rapid fire pictures of my Faux Fur Fabulous OOTD – such a blog husband! ❤ Like many of my OOTDs featured on lifewithlilred, this look combined lots of older pieces in my closet in a new way. While your girl really likes to shop, I also revel in making years old clothes feel brand new again.

For this look, I already planned on wearing the faux fur vest and built the outfit from there. For styling looks with a more unique piece like the vest, this is the best way to go. As per ushie, I feel my best in an All Black Everything OOTD as does my husband lol. So, I incorporated pops of color into the palette through the accessories to brighten things up.

For the shoes, I went with one of my favorite TJMaxx purchases of the baroque heeled boots. I have several pairs of Bamboo brand shoes and they are all so unbelievably comfy and cute. In fact, I usually call them my “walking shoes” and could walk for miles in them. This is no exaggeration because I did when I visited my bestie in New York City! 😀

To continue with the gold embellished theme, I chose my Mia Fiore necklace which boasts a historical coin at the end of the chunky gold chain. I am a huge fan of gaudy gold jewelry and loved how this necklace looked with the outfit. An OOTD is only as good as its accessories, after all, and the necklace made a statement of its own against my statement vest.

Johnny and I had so much fun celebrating a half a year of wedded bliss together and we had a perfect day. Tune in tomorrow for bonus pictures from this shoot as well as more about the adorable PUPPY PARADE!!

What is your favorite statement piece in your closet? How do you incorporate faux fur into your outfits? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Flight Of Fancy OOTD Bonus Pictures

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Flight Of Fancy OOTD Bonus Pictures

Hello everyone and welcome to some bonus pictures from yesterday’s Flight Of Fancy OOTD! That Saturday was such a fun day of playing model with my husband, having a libation at our favorite bar, and enjoying a community holiday activity with my family. It was the perfect day immersed in holiday spirit and I loved every minute of it! Let’s get to it:

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Over the past several years, downtown Cuyahoga Falls has transformed itself into a happening little place. Prior to the renovations, this area had more closed down shops and restaurants than open. Now, every storefront is practically filled with unique eateries, boutiques, and novelty shops. Not to mention all of the amazing holiday activities and festivals that are hosted there throughout the year.

This past Saturday, downtown Cuyahoga Falls opened up its outdoor skating rink and had a Santa parade, fireworks, and tree lighting ceremony to celebrate. Johnny and I met up with my parents and niece for the festivities and had an absolute blast. Our niece got to see her TT skate for the first time and she also got to see Santa riding on a firetruck through the streets.

Not only was the area beautifully decorated for the holidays but it was also snowing which made for a scene fresh out of a Hallmark movie. There was music playing, people dancing in the streets, and an indoor area to warm up, sip hot chocolate, and have the little ones write their letters to Santa. So much fun! 😀

A wonderful time was had by all this past weekend and I am so appreciative to my hometown for hosting such awesome events to bring the community together. ❤

How does your neck of the woods get in the holiday spirit? Is there a similar area to downtown Cuyahoga Falls where you live? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Flight Of Fancy OOTD

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Flight Of Fancy OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD from my Thanksgiving weekend! This past Saturday, Johnny and I visited our favorite bar, the Cashmere Cricket, and then met up with my parents and niece for a Santa parade in downtown Cuyahoga Falls. As always, Johnny was kind enough to take some pics of yours truly – he’s a total blog husband! This is one of my favorite OOTDs that I’ve done in a long time so let’s get to it:

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Who? What? Wear?

I have been waiting for the right occasion to break out my feather collar and I thought that a day date with Johnny was the perfect time to do so. This OOTD is exciting to me because most of the pieces that are in this look are fairly old and just one accessory breathed new life into all of them. In fact, I totally forgot that I even owned the Express blazer that I purchased during a trip to Goodwill!

When I originally was styling this outfit, I had a simple black sweater on but it wasn’t doing anything for me. I decided a pop of color was needed and went with a white button down that I had bought at H&M forever ago. It has seriously been years since I have worn that shirt and it was just what this outfit needed against the all black palette.

Another thing that I struggled a bit with was finding the right coat to wear because it was friggen freezing that day! One of my heavy winter jackets did the feather collar no favors and I knew that I needed something thinner, despite the cold. Anything for fashion! It took a second trip back into my closet to discover the Express blazer and it was perfect for the sleek silhouette that I had envisioned.

Finally, all that was left were pants and shoes and what I went with was an obvious choice for an almost All Black Everything OOTD. With simple pieces and one outrageous accessory, I felt like a model when my husband was taking my pictures. It was also so nice to revisit one of the spots where we had our engagement photo shoot!

Once I was satisfied with the pics that Johnny took, we warmed up in the Cashmere Cricket while we waited for the parade to start. I enjoyed a delicious color changing martini called The Butterfly Effect and I definitely know what I’ll be ordering again the next time we go!

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Be sure to tune in tomorrow for bonus pictures from my Flight Of Fancy OOTD as well as more about the Santa parade!

How would you style my feather collar? Have you done any fun holiday activities? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Thanksgiving Day OOTD

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Thanksgiving Day OOTD

Howdy! I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with good food and good company. I know that Johnny and I did and it was a vast improvement from last year because we had to sit it out due to a potential COVID exposure for yours truly. Rather than spending my day crying and watching Law & Order SVU, I got to enjoy my Thanksgiving with my family and I am very… THANKFUL!

Check out this lil OOTD before your girl got into her PJs and let the food coma take over. Featuring a cameo by Archie the dog:

Who? What? Wear?

For my Thanksgiving OOTD, I wanted to incorporate fall colors as well as maximum comfort because we all know that it’s a bad idea to wear something tight fitting before a big meal! I played around in my head with what I wanted to wear for Turkey Day several days prior to and am very happy with what I came up with – especially my owl knee highs which I forgot that I even owned lol.

My OOTD started with the Luna Moon peasant blouse that I got during a recent TJMaxx haul and I thought that it was perfect for Thanksgiving. I absolutely love the mustard yellow base combined with the colors of the beautiful embroidery and thought that it screamed fall festive. The skirt was actually a hand me down from a client’s friend and it paired wonderfully with the gold button accents.

It was a cold and rainy Thanksgiving day in my neck of the woods and I knew that I needed something to cover up my legs. I was hoping to wear a white pair of tights but realized that I didn’t have any so I had to do some digging in my odds and ends box in my closet. There, I discovered my owl knee highs that I purchased during a brief stint of working at Claire’s and knew that they would do just fine. In fact, I liked it even better than the original idea of tights!

To complete my outfit, I chose my Lulu Hun heeled oxfords for a little touch of student teacher chic. I haven’t worn these shoes in a while, which blows my mind because they are adorable. These shoes also helped tie together the fall palette that I wanted to create with each component of my OOTD.

When it comes to combining cute with comfortable, this look accomplished my mission to the T. I love how the different colors and patterns worked all together, which made for a really fun OOTD out of fairly simple pieces. Although, I’d be a liar if I said that I wasn’t dying to get into my pajamas all day!

How was your Thanksgiving? What did you wear to stunt in your house? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sweet Surprises: C&C California Earrings Edition

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Sweet Surprises: C&C California Earrings Edition

Hi! One thing that I always look forward to during my work week is seeing my sister, Kristen, and her family. If our schedules allow, we try to see each other every week for a hang session and dinner. It’s so much fun to share good food and the best company together with my sis and little niece. It is also a time when we like to swap our no longer wanted clothes, makeup, skin care, and accessories.

This past hang out, Kristen gave me these darling earrings by C&C California and I am genuinely unsure as to why she didn’t want them because I think they are the cutest! Check it out:

I love these earrings but, despite that, they are a pair that I would never buy for myself because I much prefer longer, dangly earrings with my short hair. Although these are not my preferred style, I love the colors of the hanging tassels along with the blingy gold and I think that they will look charming with my red, pink, and violet hair because the colors match perfectly! 😀

I am thinking of breaking these C&C California earrings out for Thanksgiving dinner if they look good with my outfit. However, if it were up to my little niece, she would be the one wearing them even though her ears aren’t pierced lol! She graciously let her TT hold onto them for safe keeping but I told her that as soon as she’s old enough to have her ears pierced she can have them back. ❤

Sweet Surprises or no, hanging out with my favorites is the best gift in itself and I am the luckiest sister and aunt in the whole world!

How old were you when you had your ears pierced? What style of earrings do you prefer to wear? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Polymer Clay Accessories Are Bringing Back A Funky Trend

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Polymer Clay Accessories Are Bringing Back A Funky Trend

The growth of the online shopping industry has encouraged budding entrepreneurs to get creative in making their products as unique as possible. Trends in accessorizing have leaned toward asymmetrical looks, like mismatching earrings to highlight each one as an individual work of art. More than ever, photo editing for jewelry eCommerce shops has become necessary if the entrepreneur wants their campaign to be successful.

Recently, polymer clay came into prominence due to the unlimited designs that accessory makers can shape and bake. Aside from the available colors of the clay, artists have the option of creating new ones similar to how you might form a new color from mixing paint. The shapes can also have iterations without limiting makers due to how easy it is to mold clay.

It is also more durable once baked compared to cheaper materials that are mass produced. The assurance that the accessory will be long-lasting, unique, and personalized encourages the market to prefer it as an addition to their collection. These are just a few of the reasons why these accessories are so special:

Durability Of The Material:

So long as the accessory is baked and shaped properly, it cannot be broken by hand. This curing process allows it to be stronger while imprinting on the mold or the shape formed. If it is not performed according to the curing instructions for your clay, it will become brittle and easy to break. Due to its durability, it is easier for shop owners to ship to their customers without the possibility of them breaking.

These accessories might be a bit more expensive than the normal off the rack accessories, but they allow you to style yourself without the worry of glued on objects falling off. They will also be cheaper than the more luxurious kinds of accessories while allowing you to be more expressive about your personality.

Personalized Accessories:

Polymer accessories are often used to make tourist key chains because they can be easily personalized. The clay acts as a sandbox for the customer, allowing them to request any design they prefer. Names, phrases, and even likeness can be imprinted on the clay depending on the method used by the artist.

This medium is similar to having commissioned artwork, wherein the client can have a say in what is produced. The items can be personalized for a particular event like a wedding, anniversary, or the perfect gift for a friend.

Each Is Unique:

Early in the 2010s, IKEA released vases that would have hand prints on each one from the potter. The argument for this design was to make them unique and to have an imprint of the human touch. Each polymer clay accessory made are likely to be handcrafted and pressed with the artist’s fingers. Although they might avoid leaving unintentional prints on their designs, the uniqueness of each item cannot be avoided because humans cannot perfectly replicate one design.

There will always be a small adjustment or a faint hint of the attempt to duplicate the original. Even though the customer might not notice the difference, the artist can likely identify their experience when presented with an accessory, even if it is one of two in a set of earrings.

Polymer clay is yet another platform for creativity to enter the fashion world. It encourages vibrant and one of a kind designs to entice the public with the chance for a unique addition to their look!

Featured Image By: ArtHouse Studio from Pexels