Tag Archives: fashion

Jun9

Shoes Muse: Follow Your Heart, Not Fads

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Shoes Muse: Follow Your Heart, Not Fads

Hi everyone and welcome to another vacation guest post brought to you by the beautiful Tara over at Tarabells. If there’s one thing that Tara and I know, it’s that girls love shoes. So what better way to pay tribute to every female’s undying love for all things heels, flats, booties, and wedges than discussing some super cute summer footwear trends? Please take a look at Tara’s blog because it’s absolutely fantastic and then enjoy this post that she created special for my lifewithlilred readers:

Shoes Muse: Follow Your Heart, Not Fads

I’ll be the first to admit, when I read a trendy fashion blog post about the hottest thing this season (aka lace-up ballet flats) I turn into Cookie Monster (“me WANT!”). But so often what’s ‘in’ turns out to be uncomfortable, forgettable the next year, incompatible with most of our wardrobe, or worst of all – guilt inducing to wear out (I think this is because deep in our hearts we know shopping should be more of a thoughtful ritual and less of a hasty catharsis).
One thing I have been hasty with is SHOES. So this year I did something different. Instead of vacant online perusing and clicking, I decided to visit stores in person A LOT. I did my research and took mental notes. I read four fashion books, yes, FOUR (I will share at the end of this article). I journaled about my personal style and asked myself what makes me unique.
I’m nowhere near done with this process; even the fashion gurus say finding your own style takes time. But I did gather a nice assortment of summer shoes that I’m happy with so far! Here’s the lineup:
Navy Print Keds: SO unbelievably cute, casual, and COMFORTABLE. These will go with just about anything in your wardrobe. And you don’t even have to wear socks, for crying out loud (as long as you’ve got foot powder)!  I like them so much because I can take the dog for a walk and my feet still feel adorable.

Vintage Cowboy Boots: These warm my heart because they were purchased at a local music store next to a bar that I used to play music at frequently. There’s nothing like a pair of cowboy boots to hold all of those Kentucky memories of summer nights in the dive bar with no A/C, sharing crappy beer and original songs!

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Kitten Heels: Sometimes you find the best things when you’re not looking. These sexy kitten heels peeked out at me from the size 10s and 11 section (I wear a size 7 1/2 or 8!). Somehow they got misplaced and how on earth I was able to spot the tiny size 8 tag I will never know. I guess their magnetism just drew me to them!

 

Green Goddess Sandals: Ha, well that’s what I call them. They represent everything about me that’s ME. They aren’t really trendy at all. They’re well worn (bought from a local used clothing store). They are bright green (one of my favorite colors!). And most of all, my feet feel good in them. I especially love that they add a little pop of color and make a basic outfit chic!

Jewel Encrusted Sandals: I have had my eye on this style for years…it started when I read about them in a Paris Street Style book. Mystical as they were, to wear anything with gems, sparkles, or jewels felt foreign to me. Could I pull it off? Now I realize it’s less about ‘pulling it off’ and more about having fun. Go ahead and feel fancy from time to time – we all deserve that! FYI, you’ll be delighted to know that they did not cost a fortune – these babies were thrifted for six bucks!

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Thanks so much for reading. Click here for a lil’ freebie (it was a grad school project that involves fashion and I now give it away on my site). Cheers!

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^^^ LOVE IT! I can’t thank Tara enough for creating such an amazing post for lifewithlilred. It was so much fun being able to see her gorgeous pics and what she thought about each shoe and I’m very thankful to be able to host such brilliance on my page! Please be sure to check out Tara’s blog if you’re interested in more posts like this one! What is your favorite type of shoe to wear? How about least favorite? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun8

What’s In My Purse?

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What’s In My Purse?

Hello everyone and welcome to a What’s In My Purse? guest blog compliments of Miss Rehma from Glamorous Etoiles. Rehma is one of my regulars here on lifewithlilred and I am always so happy when she joins me on my page. Working with Rehma is such a joy and I just love her blog so please be sure to check it out! Now let’s find out what Rehma keeps in her bag when she’s on the go this summer:

What’s In My Purse?

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  • Pop or water
  • Victoria’s Secret body mist
  • Victoria’s Secret moisturizer
  • Rimmel Stay Matte foundation
  • ABH That Glow palette
  • Baby Lips chapstick
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Powder brush
  • Sunglasses
  • Books

I love that Rehma has books at the ready to toss into her bag and hit the beach. She’s definitely a woman after my own heart! I also think that she’s brilliant for keeping some matte-fying foundation handy to freshen up with in the summer heat. Even though girls don’t sweat, they glisten (duh!) – we all need a little touch up from time to time!

Thanks again to Rehma from Glamorous Etoiles for emptying out her summer tote for my readers! What do you keep at the ready in your purse? What item can you not leave the house without? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May29

DIY Summer Festival Style

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DIY Summer Festival Style

Hello everyone and welcome to an amazing arts and crafts guest blog by my talented friend, Emma, at Randomina. My guest blogger that was originally scheduled for today bailed on me and I was getting antsy as to what I would do since I promised a guest blog for every Sunday of May to my beloved readers. Luckily, an email from Emma shined like a beacon of hope and she was able to create a simply fantastic tie-dye tutorial post.

I am so appreciative to Emma for making this post on a time crunch and am so pleased to be able to house her on lifewithlilred for the day. I encourage all of you to check her blog out – I assure you that you won’t be disappointed! Now, take a look at the post that Miss Emma created special for all of my lifewithlilred readers:

DIY Summer Festival Style

Hello everyone! My name is E from Randomina, I do make up and clothing tutorials along with designing and manufacturing my own textile works while blogging part-time. I thank Sarah of Lil Red very much for having me as her guest blogger today as she is going away on holiday. This gave me the inspiration to teach you four fabric dying styles, three from the Japanese art called Shibouri, to have a fun and creative way to a Coachella Chic wardrobe at your fingertips!

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You Need:
  • 1 bucket/container of water
  • 2 gloves (plastic or rubber will do)
  • Dye packets/tie-dye kits
  • Paint brushes
  • Elastics
  • A bundle of pebbles
  • A finished toilet paper roll
  • The garment you want to customize (in my case fabric samples)
Tutorial 1- Arashi/Pole Wrapping: Wrap the garment around the toilet roll and secure with elastics. Use as many bands as you please but when wrapping, scrunch as you go along to wrinkle it. Whatever dyes you are using PLEASE be careful as some dye packets can be harmful to the skin. And, of course, follow the instructions on how to make your color and how to store it. After you make your color, put a portion of it in your container (small doses makes the color pale) and mix it with your brush and then paint your color on your “pole” and leave to dry.
 
Tutorial 2- Kumo/Pebbles: Take the garment and the pebbles and place the pebbles in any way you like with the garment on top. Pull the pebble through and trap it in place with an elastic until the whole garment is covered in the “pebble pattern”. Get your brush and paint on the pebble silhouette and on the elastic around it. Take your time and when you’re done, leave it to dry.
 
Tutorial 3- Itajime/Folding: Fold your garment like an accordion until it becomes a small square or rectangle. Secure the bundle with elastics. With your container of dye you can (unless you want to have a delicate pattern) put the garment in the container and evenly coat it in dye. Take off the bands and  unfold when dried.
 
Tutorial 4- Twisty Stripes: Hold a corner of the garment and twist tightly and secure with bands as you go. You can submerge the garment in the container or you can paint as many colors as you wish sparingly. Wait until dried.
 
**Note: When washing your creations, rinse after the dying with cold water until it runs clear. Once it’s dried, it will be ready to wear. Wash it individually in a normal machine 2-3 times before mixing it in with the rest of your clothes.
 
Thank you for tuning in today! If you liked that tutorial, I also have a few other crafts that you might enjoy on my blog. See you later! Loads of love and happy crafting!
^^^ So. Much. Fun! I loved Emma’s cool new take on tie-dye and I hope that all of you enjoyed it, too. Again, please venture to Randomina for more from the lovely Emma! What is your favorite summer craft? Who plans on following the steps that Emma provided to create their own hand dyed fabrics? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
May27

If The Shoe Fits – Jennifer Lopez Edition

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If The Shoe Fits – Jennifer Lopez Edition

Hi everyone and TGIF! Last weekend my mom and I had to go to Kohl’s to make some returns. We were going there strictly to make said returns and then leave. But, of course, that never really happens, does it? While my mom was making the returns, I decided to go look at the shoes. I wasn’t interested in any new clothes since I’m pretty well set for the summer and I figured that the shoe department was a safe place to spend five minutes until we had to go…WRONG.

It turns out that Kohl’s was having their last ditch 80% off sale to get rid of all of the out of season shoes to help ring in the warm weather. As soon as I saw this, I crumbled under the concept of such amazing deals and began to scour the aisles for my size. There were so many pairs that were cute but not necessarily cute for me. However, there were two pairs of ankle booties that totally reminded me of my mom so I set them aside for her to try on when she arrived in the shoe department.

As always, I was right and my mom loved the booties. When we decided that those were the pairs we would leave with, we began to head out of the shoe department and to the registers. But that was until we saw that there were shelves of shoes set up in the middle of the main aisles that were marked “Under $10”. We ended up taking a look (shocker) and found a pair of boots for FOUR DOLLARS for my sister. We also saw my latest addition to my shoe collection – a pair of beautiful Jennifer Lopez wedge boots. Take a look:

^^^ ❤ ❤ ❤

I had my eye on these boots ever since they came out in the winter. Unfortunately, they were priced at a cool one hundred and were never marked down enough to make the purchase worth it. So when I saw that these boots were priced at just ten dollars, I knew that I had to try them on. They were as perfect as I had hoped and looked so cool with my black skinnies because the opening of the boot was so big. It created a super edgy contrast and I was smitten.

As if the ten dollar deal wasn’t already amazing, my mom and I had a thirty percent off coupon which brought these originally one hundred dollar pair of boots to SEVEN DOLLARS!!!! My mom and I ended up walking away with four pairs of shoes for forty dollars. I couldn’t believe our luck with all of the shoes we found because I feel like we snagged the best of the pairs that were left. And, of course, nothing is sweeter than a great steal!

So there you have it, the latest issue of If The Shoe Fits – Jennifer Lopez Edition! Has anyone scored any good off season deals recently? What store do you go to that has the best clothes for the right price? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May18

A Short Story

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A Short Story

Hey everyone and happy Hump Day! I hope you all are having a wonderful week so far. As you guys know, I have had an insanely difficult time finding shorts for the summer. It seems like every pair of shorts that I’ve encountered during multiple shopping trips is high waisted and that’s one trend that I just won’t stand for. All I wanted was a few simple pairs of normal rise shorts. After too many shopping excursions to count that ended only in disappointment, I began to think that my simple request would never be fulfilled.

However, a weekend trip to TJMaxx gave my Short Story a happy ending because I left with two pairs of shorts and a beautiful Nine West purse, which you can read about in yesterday’s post. Take a look at the cute new shorties that I added to my wardrobe:

What & Wear?

  • Olive Bermuda Shorts: American Eagle Outfitters, $12.99
  • Black Shorts: Hollister, $12.99
  • Grand Total: Approximately $26
  • In Store Value: Approximately $70-80

I’ll admit that I wasn’t expecting to find shorts during my last TJs trip. Past outings there were unsuccessful during my hunt for the perfect shorts so I didn’t think that my weekend excursion would be any different. But boy, was I wrong! TJMaxx had an abundance of shorts from too many brands to recall, Hollister and AEO included. I scrounged the racks of clothing and went to the fitting room with five pairs of shorts in hand. However, my heart was already dead set on wanting the pairs that I purchased desperately.

I tried on three pairs prior to my favorites and rejected them for reasons in regards to the fit and colors. I have to say, by the time I got to trying on my top two pairs, I was very nervous. I didn’t want them to end up in the reject pile and I didn’t want my high hopes for these pairs to be crushed because they were soaring sky high. I slipped on the Hollister shorts first and right away I knew that they would work perfectly. They were low rise, which I liked and they fit well without being too short or revealing. And, of course, I loved that they were black and the zippers were a nice touch!

I was pleased to have found just one pair and after a little celebration, my nerves began to skyrocket again because I really freakin liked the AEO pair. What made me antsy was that they were hung on a hanger that said size three. When I grabbed the pair from the rack, I didn’t think much of it but then I began to think “Well, shit. What if they don’t fit?” Just in the nick of time, though, I remembered that AEO has even sizes instead of odd and that the bermudas were, indeed, a size four.

Once the mystery of the size was solved, I pulled the pair on in record timing because I knew that they would fit well since I wear a four in AEO jeans. I love saying this…I was right! The shorts fit like a glove and they were like nothing that I’ve had before. I loved that they were a skinny fit which was so flattering and the color was out of this world. It was funny, because I was telling my mom on the car ride to the store that if I can’t find any shorts, I would have to resort to going to the mall and going to AE. I wasn’t exactly thrilled with this idea, though, because I really wasn’t trying to drop forty to fifty dollars on one pair of shorts.

I was so incredibly happy with my findings during this past weekend’s TJs trip because I ended up getting two pairs of shorts and a Nine West purse for under sixty dollars. The shorts were about twenty-six dollars in total which was less than what I would have spent on one pair at the mall. I now have three pairs of shorts to wear this summer and on my upcoming vacation so I can breathe easy for a while about not having any to wear. I wouldn’t mind one more pair but I’m just thankful I was able to find TWO pairs in one evening that were perfect for me. Thanks, TJMaxx!! ❤

So there you have it, A Short Story on my newest editions to my wardrobe! What is one piece of clothing that you hate shopping for? Has anyone had as much trouble as I have for finding shorts that work? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May17

It’s In The Bag – Nine West Edition

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It’s In The Bag – Nine West Edition

Hi everyone and happy Tuesday! First of all, I want to wish a very happy birthday to my older brother, Andrew! I love you! Second of all, I want to talk to all of you about the most gorgeous purse that I added to my collection this weekend. My mom and I had a gift card from TJMaxx (shocker) so we decided to pop into the store and take a look around. I ended up with two pairs of shorts which you can see on Wednesday’s post “A Short Story” and a beautiful Nine West tote bag. Take a look:

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^^^ IT’S SO PRETTY!!!!

I admit that I am not an animal print fan in the slightest. I don’t do leopard, nor cheetah, zebra, or any other print that you can think of. However, I freaking LOVE snakeskin…Fake snakeskin, of course. I think that snakeskin is the most edgy, cool, and rocker chic pattern on the planet. It screams luxury mixed with rebellion and I can’t get enough. So it shouldn’t surprise you when I tell you that as soon as I laid eyes on my new beauty that it was love at first sight.

I took a tentative glance at the price tag and was astounded to see that it was only thirty dollars in contrast to the Nine West tag that was still attached and boasting a ninety dollar original price. Once I saw that the bag was reasonably priced, I plucked it from its hanger and slung it over my arm. Usually I don’t like carrying big bags but this one was different. It was made so narrowly that it didn’t look bulky but rather sleek and slinky. I loved that it fit comfortably between my arm and body and of course, the color palette was pure Lil Red perfection.

Although I was so enamored with the Nine West purse, I had a hard time justifying buying a new one since I had just recently got one from Kohl’s. For the entire shopping trip I debated on if it was worth it to bite the bullet and make the purchase. Despite how much I loved the bag, I decided that it wasn’t something that I absolutely needed. But my beloved mother wasn’t having that.

Because my birthday is right around the corner she offered it as an early birthday gift from her and I just couldn’t say no! It was just so perfect and the fact that the price of it was the exact amount of our gift card made it seem like it was meant to be. I love my new purse so much and I can’t wait to use it for work, school, and my internship. Thank you so much, mom! And happy early birthday to me! 😀

So there you have it, the latest issue of It’s In The Bag – Nine West Edition! Has anyone done some shopping recently? What has been your latest purchase? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May2

Monday Update: Let Me Take A Selfie Edition

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Monday Update: Let Me Take A Selfie Edition

Hi everyone and welcome to another week here on lifewithlilred! I hope all of you had a fabulous weekend. Mine was busy but good, thanks for asking! As you guys know, I recently worked a new pair of specs into my wardrobe so it only seems appropriate to post some actually satisfactory selfies in which I’m donning my new frames. Take a look and don’t mind the dog fur on my jacket too much:

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I absolutely took these pictures while in my mom’s car and I regret nothing. However, I was getting pretty antsy because we were nearing the end of our drive back home from glasses shopping for her and I STILL couldn’t take a “good” picture. 1) I looked a hot mess in most of them and 2) my mom drives like a maniac so the bumpy ride was definitely not ideal for selfie taking! Luckily, we ended up stopped at a pretty lengthy red light so best believe your girl found her lighting Top Model style and posed and snapped away until the light turned green!

These pics definitely beat the duck face featured in one of my previous Monday Updates and I haven’t posted any new shots in a while so I figured this week’s Monday Update would be the perfect time to do so! I post 99% more pictures of me on my personal Facebook page so please don’t be afraid to follow me or shoot me a friend request so you can keep up to date on all of my statuses and picture posts! I’m not the best at updating my page for lifewithlilred but a like on there is always nice, too! ALSO, pretty please click my Twistfire ads so I get paid! 🙂

If you happen to visit my Facebook or blog this week, you’ll be seeing a lot of Influenster related posts because I was lucky enough to be selected to try out their #bloombox for testing purposes! I’m so excited to try out all of the new goodies that I received and I can’t wait to share my reviews on them. Definitely be on the lookout for Influenster posts and do check their website out because it’s a lot of fun – beauty blogger or not!

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Let Me Take A Selfie Edition! Does anyone else use Influenster? What is one of the coolest products that they sent you to test? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May1

Life Is A Beach OOTD

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Life Is A Beach OOTD

Hi everyone and welcome to a special guest blog post compliments of my blogging BFF, Nida, over at Shopaholic Blogs. One of the things that I love the most about Nida is how she isn’t afraid to take initiative. From the first email I received from her back in March to ask about guest blogging until now she’s always one of the first people in my email asking about what post that she can do next and I think that’s just fantastic. It shows great confidence and tenacity and it really is amazing. I’m so happy to have Nida help me kick start the month of May here at lifewithlilred with a post that’s all about fun in the sun. So without further ado, take a look at Nida’s Life Is A Beach OOTD:

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💕Hello Sweets!
✨ I am so thrilled to be back and working with Sarah again! When she told me she was doing a month of summer and beach inspired posts I was totally on board! 🔆 Early summers here are not as intense ️and are perfect for hanging out at the beach and pool. For this look I headed out to the beautiful JBR beach for a day of fun in the sun!
✨ For the beach I like to keep my outfit as minimally fussy and cool as possible. The maxi dress is flowy and gorgeously flattering without overwhelming my petite frame. The top provides some coverage without being heavy like a denim jacket. I kept loose waves in my hair to make it beach appropriate. Since it was incredibly hot and humid I kept the makeup minimal, too!
️ Outfit Details:
☀ ️Dress: Aeropostale
☀️ Top: Bershka
☀️ Sandals: Kenneth Cole
☀️ Accessories: H&M, Fossil
☀ Tote: Aeropostale
  Makeup:
☀ Tinted Cream: Dusty Girl’s in Golden Medium
☀ Blush: IT Cosmetics in Radiant Rose 🌹
☀ Eyeliner: Hashmi in Kohl
☀ Lipgloss: IT Cosmetics Vitality Butter Gloss
💕 I hope you guys enjoyed this OOTD and hopefully it inspired you to hit the beach. I know I went a little camera crazy but it’s not everyday that you get to do a beach OOTD! Many thanks to the lovely Sarah for having me guest blog again. Do let us know how you liked this blog post!
Until next time xoxo 💋
 Get In Touch:
💟 Instagram: shopaholicblogs
💟 Email: shopaholicblogs@gmail.com
So there you have it, Nida’s Life Is A Beach OOTD! Thanks again to the darling Nida and please be sure to check out her page at Shopaholic Blogs! How do you rock a beach ready OOTD? What is your favorite warm weather clothing item? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Apr28

Attention!!!

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Attention!!!

Hi everyone! So my super amazing, talented, gorgeous friend, Sujata has just launched her online store for her beautiful clothing brand. I had the pleasure of creating a wedding look for Sujata a while back ago and we’ve been friends ever since. I loved being able to see her website and brand develop and her newly launched site is a true testament of her flawless designs and talent. Please be sure to check it out by clicking the link of “online store” and help support a fabulous fellow blogger and friend! Much love. -Sarah

Apr26

Monday Update: This Or That Edition Update

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Monday Update: This Or That Edition Update

Hi everyone and happy Tuesday! During a previous Monday Update, I asked for everyone’s opinion on what pair of glasses I should pick out between two equally gorgeous pairs. The choice was between a circular pair of Dolce & Gabbanas or a rectangular pair of Kliik Denmarks. I made my decision and received my new pair of glasses last week and I must say, I’m very happy with them! So what pair did I pick? Take a look and find out:

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THE DOLCE & GABBANAS!!!

Shocking, I know, because the majority of you guys picked the Kliik Denmarks as the pair that I should pick. So why did I go with the polar opposite? I guess I just liked how quirky the circular pair was. I liked that it made me feel professional but still fun and I loved how I could picture myself wearing them to school, my job, and my internship. And yes, I was totally enamored by the fact that they were Dolce & Gabbana. I’m really not a girl that goes gaga over labels but I do have a soft spot in my heart for designer eye-wear. It’s a weakness and a sickness, I tell ya!

All of the above reasons kind of sealed the deal for the D&Cs but one major “aha!” moment made me feel that much more confident in my decision. When I returned to the optometrist’s office after a weekend with both pairs of glasses to help make up my mind, I was wearing my old pair of specs. I’ve had my only pair of glasses since I was fifteen (I’m almost twenty-two, now) and it took trying the Kliik Denmark pair on one more time after I took my old glasses off to know that they were no longer the pair for me.

My pair of old faithfuls just so happens to be the exact same shape as the Kliik Denmarks except that the frames are thicker. I had no intentions of parting with my old pair of glasses so that I could have them as a backup pair and to wear them around the house on a lazy day. Once I saw that I would essentially be having two pairs of the same glasses but in different colors and widths, I knew that I made the right choice by picking the Dolce & Gabbanas.

The D&Cs were the first pair of glasses that I tried on after my eye appointment so it seems fitting that they ended up being the pair that I left with. I’m so happy with my new glasses and all of the compliments that I’ve received about them make me feel even more confident with my quirky cool choice!

So there you have it, an Update on a previous Monday Update: This Or That Edition! Has anyone purchased any new eye or sunglasses recently? How about a new pair of shoes or a purse? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah