Tag Archives: flowers

Jul28

Maxi Dress, Max Style OOTD

Posted on by
Standard
Maxi Dress, Max Style OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! After getting my hair done, I could not wait to shoot ALL the content and was so excited to break out one of my favorite recent purchases: A gorgeous Max Studio maxi dress that I tried on a whim during an impromptu TJMaxx trip with my mom. As a short queen, maxi dresses are either a hit or a miss. There is no in between whatsoever so the dress you are about to see was a total toss up. You have no idea how happy I was when this pretty little number not only worked but elevated me to feeling myself status! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Maxi Dress: Max Studio, TJMaxx

Platforms: Free People, TJMaxx

Earrings: Sincerely Jules, TJMaxx

Maxi dresses are such a magical summer staple. They provide the most wonderful movement, are lightweight, and incorporate fash-ion into a season when basic essentials reign supreme. This Max Studio dress is, easily, the best maxi dress I have ever owned. The pattern is bold and bright, the ruffle sleeves and tiered ruffle skirt make me want to dance, and that rouched waistline provides an hourglass silhouette to keep me from drowning in fabric. From top to bottom, this dress is IT. The only thing it requires are accessories that enhance because this dress does all of the talking.

With no need for anything else in the wardrobe department, the remainder of this look was simply shoes and accessories. Normally, I like to get funky with my shoe choices but this was not the dress to do so with. With the name of the game being enhancing the maxi dress, there was only one obvious option in my shoe department: My Free People platforms with basically the same color of red as the flowers in the dress for the straps and a buttery caramel heel. These heels gave me extra length to keep the dress from dragging and the colors I needed to prevent this look from feeling cluttered.

Last but not least was accessories. As the pattern of the dress was an accessory in itself, I only wanted to wear earrings. Rather than keep it simple, I went for a pair with some flashy sparkle to extenuate my neck. Outside of my arms, my neck was the only open real estate and it was important to draw attention to it to create the illusion of length. I put on one of my most beloved pairs: A dangly, tier diamond shape with crystal sparkles that my sweet niece got me for my birthday. They have the most delicious movement that danced, just like the dress. With that, I was ready to show off my new duds AND my new do!

This Maxi Dress, Max Style OOTD was so simple in its styling but screamed “look at me”. It is one of my favorite OOTDs of recent memory and I am so in love with my maxi dress! ❤

What is your favorite style of dress to wear? Did you get any wardrobe updates this summer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul10

Brunch Babe OOTD

Posted on by
Standard
Brunch Babe OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! I had a highly successful shopping trip at TJMaxx this past month with my mom and have been so excited to break out all of my new clothes! I had just the occasion to do so this past weekend because Johnny and I enjoyed a lovely birthaversary celebration brunch with my aunt and uncle. We went to First Watch and ate like kings and I did so VERY carefully to avoid a spill on this fabulous, flowery, flowy number. Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Embroidered Top: Caroline Constas, TJMaxx

Bubble Skirt: A New Day, Target

Kitten Heels: A New Day, Target

Skull Earrings: Sirius Woods, these were a birthday gift from my BFF!

The piece de resistance of my TJs haul was truly the flower embroidered top by Caroline Constas. I literally clutched my pearls when I saw it and knew in an instant that it was coming home with me. I had been dying to wear it and thought it was just perfect for the weekend brunch we had planned. It’s bright, quirky, and fun and it sounds weird but it just felt like the top to wear to sip mimosas in a trendy restaurant. This top offers so much delightful movement with the huge bell sleeves and I knew I needed a skirt to match that energy. Luckily, I had exactly what I needed compliments of my Valentine’s Day date with Johnny!

In the skirt department, I chose my beloved bubble skirt from Target. I have wanted one for forever and was so happy to have finally found one! This skirt provided the volume and movement that I required to form a cohesive silhouette with the top. I wanted a bold shape and I got it in spades! The high waist meshed well with the fairly close fit of the top’s bodice and then both pieces branched out into flouncy fabulousness. It was so hard not to twirl my way through the streets with this combination!

Last but not least, was shoes and accessories. I went for a darling pair of kitten heels that were also a part of my V-Day ensemble and feature an adorable heart on the toe. These were ideal for the outfit as the slingback strap gave an unbroken leg line. This helped add length to the look by accentuating my legs as the base was quite fabric heavy. I didn’t want to go overboard with jewelry because the shapes of the clothing were eye catching enough. To keep things simple, I chose the gorgeous pair of dangly pearl skull earrings from my bestie and was ready to get my brunch on!

I absolutely love my Brunch Babe OOTD and wearing my Caroline Constas top for the first time was everything I wanted it to be and SO much more! ❤

What is your favorite brunch spot? Who is your go to brunch date? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun27

New Max Studio Maxi Dress

Posted on by
Standard
New Max Studio Maxi Dress

Howdy!! The final item from my TJMaxx summer wardrobe refresh haul is truly the piece de resistance. Other than a couple of new tops, I was really hoping to find a sun dress or two. What I ended up with, however, was a maxi dress that caught the corner of my eye. I walked past it while I was heading to the dressing rooms, did a double take, tossed it into the cart, and knew it was a winner as soon as it was on. This Max Studio maxi dress is serving all of the Midwest Princess vibes and I am a thousand percent there for it! Check it out:

^^^ Peep that original price tag! Talk about a STEAL!!! 😀

During a recent trip to Bath & Body Works, I noticed a new scent called Heirloom Tomato or something or other. It smelled like ass, but the packaging was so pretty. It featured deep reds and greens for the fruit/vegetable and was the first thing I thought of when I saw this dress. The color palette is almost identical! When I put it in the cart, I honestly didn’t think it was going to work out. As a petite gal, maxi dresses can be hit or miss for me. If they are not the perfect length and fit, I will drown in fabric. The maxi dress has to be “just right” and they have been few and far between in my extensive shopaholic tenure. My rule of thumb when shopping has always been to try clothes on anyways. Regardless of fit, style, or assumptions, if I like what I see, I am going to try it on. I am so glad for that because this dress would have been bypassed and I never would have found my new favorite thing!

From top to the flowy tiered bottom, this maxi dress is dynamite and I was so delighted when I fell in love with it in the fitting room. Not only was the length of this dress questionable to me, but the pattern was as well. As a heavily tattooed chick, loud patterns can look cluttered over all of my artwork. The full coverage on the legs and torso that this dress offered put a limit on my own color palette and allowed for the pattern to fully do the talking rather than work against the tattoos. I felt like a country music star in it and couldn’t help but do a twirl in the fitting room! I cannot wait to pair it with a deep blue denim jacket and a pair of heeled cowboy-esque boots. This dress is so different than anything I own and I know I am going to have a total blast styling it!

There’s a new country cutie in town and her name is Lil Red! You already know an OOTD with this Max Studio masterpiece is coming so keep your eyes peeled! ❤

Do you update your wardrobe with the change of the seasons? What are your summer wardrobe staples? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun25

New Caroline Constas Flower Power Top

Posted on by
Standard
New Caroline Constas Flower Power Top

Hello! My mom and I have had TJMaxx gift cards burning a hole in our pockets and decided to have an impromptu shopping trip during my break this past Tuesday. It was just the little pick me up I needed and we had so much fun. I absolutely love going shopping with my mom, I always have and I always will and she is my partner in crime. Normally, I like to stock up on skin care when I have gift cards to spend. This time, however, I was on the hunt for new summer clothes. As a gal who loves dressing for the fall, my warm weather clothes are lacking and I have recently been lamenting over having “nothing” to wear. Happily, I found three amazing new pieces to update my summer wardrobe and I can’t wait to show all of you! Let’s get started with this gorgeous top by Caroline Constas:

When I am at TJMaxx, I browse in the junior and women’s department alike and tend to have good luck across the board. Other than a super cute crop that you will see soon, the junior’s department was doing nothing for me during this trip. Everything was so small, so short, plain ugly, or featured a tie in the front of the tops which I freaking hate lol. The women’s department was much more like it and I literally GASPED when I saw the flower power top by Caroline Constas. Once upon a time, there was a beautiful top at Urban Outfitters that I was obsessed with. It was very expensive and it didn’t come home with me. I honestly couldn’t even tell you what it looked like now, but for some reason the idea of it came to my head when I saw my new top. It was like getting a second chance at the one that got away and I was not letting it slip through my fingers again.

This cropped number is everything and it is so unique and adorable. The poppy embroidered flowers and red border over a stark white base remind me of an artist’s smock in the best way possible. And, of course, I loves me anything with balloon sleeves! This top screams fun in the sun and I cannot wait to pair it with sweet denim shorts and wedge sandals. It was a bit more expensive than I usually will spend for a top at thirty-five dollars, but it was worth every penny. There was no original price tag to compare to so I looked it up online and saw it for sale on Poshmark for one hundred and twenty-five smackers. Whatever it originally costed, I got it for a fraction of the price and you can’t beat that!

I have a feeling I will be wearing this top all summer long and it is officially one of my new favorites. Stay tuned for a brand new OOTD soon!

What is your favorite designer brand? Which stores or websites can you get the best bargains on? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun24

New Manna Tumbler

Posted on by
Standard
New Manna Tumbler

Howdy!! Once upon a time, I had a Stanley mug that my niece used for strawberry milk during one of our slumber parties. Johnny never washed said mug, it became riddled with mold, he threw it out, and that was the end of my Stanley experience. Since then, I have used many a different random tumblers I have to sip on water throughout the day and began using a Halloween mug exclusively. Whether at home or out and about, I had my mug in hand… Until I dropped it and it broke lol. I had been using the broken mug despite its cap no longer screwing on and it has been pretty annoying. Thankfully, I had a surprise TJMaxx shopping trip this past week and was able to replace my broken tumbler with this pretty little number:

On Tuesday, my mom and I decided to go on an impromptu TJs adventure during my break to spend some gift cards. Unfortunately, my sweet mom struck out but, as per ushe, I ended up with a haul. Lol, no surprise there! As we made our way throughout the store, we ended up in the home goods department and I thought that now would be a perfect time to snag a new tumbler. There were so many options to choose from and they even had Stanley mugs there. Of course, they were significantly more expensive than the other tumblers on the shelf and I wanted something on the cheaper end as my shopping cart was bursting at the seams!

A couple of tumblers caught my eye, but my new pastel pink and blue mug by Manna was the winner. It was huge, on clearance for twelve bucks, looked similar to a Stanley, and was just so cute! I love the colors and those little flowers at the bottom added a unique and adorable pop. As darling as the appearance of this mug is, the size was also a deciding factor. In the case of travel mugs, bigger is always better and I feel like I was refilling my old one constantly. This mug will also keep my water ice cold and that is exactly what I need. The temperatures here have skyrocketed into the nineties and your girl is dying lol. -_- This will definitely help keep me cool and hydrated this summer!

My fallen Stanley and broken Halloween mug have finally been replaced and it couldn’t have happened a moment too soon. Stay tuned for more from my haul and a surprise gift for the bunnies!

Do you have a favorite tumbler? What is your favorite thing to drink throughout the day? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun19

Sweet Surprises: Birthday Bouquet Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Sweet Surprises: Birthday Bouquet Edition

Hello!! Johnny and I have had such an awesome birthaversary celebration so far and the good times are going to continue rolling all month long. We still have plans for a concert, a baseball game, and hang outs with all of our nearest and dearest and it is such fun to take over the entire month of June with Johnny! I have been surprised with so many wonderful messages and gifts already and had a “but wait – there’s more!” moment when Johnny brought home this gorgeous bouquet that his aunt sent for my birthday:

When Johnny walked through the door, I could barely see him over the huge bouquet bursting with the most beautiful blooms. Of course, I was surprised by the sheer enormity of it, but what really blew me away were the colors! Burnt orange, pale peach, purple, and pink flowers worked in tandem to create a display that is truly stunning. I can’t help but to smile every time I look at it because it’s just so pretty and thoughtful. Johnny’s aunt doesn’t live in Ohio so it’s like getting a great big hug from her!

I absolutely love being gifted with flowers because bouquets are something that I don’t buy for myself and they always remind me of my dad. Whether it’s a bouquet he picks up from the store or one he created on his own from the garden, he frequently surprises my mom with flowers. I think it is the sweetest thing and look forward to seeing his masterpieces front and center on the kitchen table. A bouquet is like a little ray of sunshine just for you and I am so appreciative for the flowers in both mine and my parents’ home. ❤

My birthday and apartment got so much brighter from this Sweet Surprise. I am in awe of this bouquet and it was the most lovely gift!

What is your favorite flower? Do you have fresh flowers in your home? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May2

Garden Party OOTD

Posted on by
Standard
Garden Party OOTD

Howdy everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred!! Whenever I shoot OOTDs, the amount of time I wear each outfit varies. I might wear the look out, I might be shooting the look before work and will change afterwards, or I shoot the look at home and get back into comfy clothes immediately. The latter was very much the case for the fit you are about to see because I actually had it on on Easter prior to going to chez Johnny. We both agreed that we didn’t want to dress up for the low key gathering so I got into a less showy outfit after taking pictures. While this look didn’t see the light of Easter day, it would still be perfect for a Garden Party on a gorgeous spring afternoon! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Flower Embroidered Sweater: Jessica Simpson, TJMaxx

Cami Top: mittoshop, French Rooster

Faux Leather Pleated Skirt: BB Dakota, TJMaxx

Kitten Heels: Nine West, TJMaxx

As I began building this outfit, I had skirts on the mind. But, which one? When dressing for spring, I always err on the side of the weather being a bit chilly so anything mini was an instant no go. My options for longer skirts were doing nothing for me and then my eyes locked in on the pretty little number by BB Dakota and I knew we were in business. This fantastic faux leather skirt is everything!! The pleats are playful and provide the most delicious movement and the tea length is simply charming. Despite the jet black background, the floral pattern in soft shades of pink felt oh so spring and the rest of the outfit built itself from there.

First, I paired the skirt with a tucked in cami top. However, this was not appropriate for the weather in the slightest as there was a brisk breeze in the air. Although I think this look would be great with a sharp blazer, that was more of a date night vibe than Garden Party. With that aesthetic fully in mind, I selected a darling cream cardigan by Jessica Simpson with raised flower embroidery. It might not have been a perfect match to the cream highlighting shades in the skirt, but it was close enough. And, as always, that’s good enough! This cardi provided such a dreamy pop and I loved the differing textures between the cozy fabric and faux leather skirt.

Finally, it was onto shoes and accessories. Given the tea length of the skirt, I didn’t want to wear any shoes with a strap as it would break up the leg line. Luckily, I had just the pair for the occasion and broke out the cutest kitten heels by Nine West. They kept the outfit flowing and added a touch of shine and bling. With minimal real estate for jewelry, I put on a pair of super dangly black cross earrings to accentuate my neckline and with that, I was ready for my photo op… Only to change immediately after! 😀

This look is incredibly easy to replicate and is ideal for any spring special occasion. How sweet would this OOTD be for afternoon tea?!

Do you have any events or gatherings coming up? What do you wear for a special event? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr9

Florals For Spring OOTD

Posted on by
Standard
Florals For Spring OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new flowery OOTD here on lifewithlilred! In the eternal words of the great Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada “Florals for spring? … Groundbreaking”. But, hey, it wouldn’t be spring without beautiful flowers blooming outside and on clothing too! I wouldn’t say I’m a huge floral pattern girl, however, I fell immediately in love with the statement trench coat you are about to see and that love has only strengthened since bringing it home lol. Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Floral Trench Coat: Solitaire, TJMaxx

Black Sweater: Shrinking Violet, TJMaxx

Coated Skinny Jeans: Seven Jeans, TJMaxx

Platform Boots: Olivia Miller, TJMaxx

Hoop Earrings: Argentino Vivo, TJMaxx

OOTDs that revolve around a statement piece essentially build themselves. When I think of “statement” clothing, I think of something so bold and eye catching that it really doesn’t need anything else. With clothes like that, the goal isn’t so much building an outfit but simply enhancing your established focal point. In my OOTD’s case, the trench coat by Solitaire was the star and I wanted it to shine fully.

As you can see, there were several colors that I could have pulled from in the trench coat BUT I didn’t want to go the matching route. There were so many pretty shades and I wanted the focus to be on all of them rather than one specific hue. So, I gave the trench coat a fully neutral backdrop with an All Black Everything ensemble underneath. That way, the coat did the talking and the outfit would still make sense if I took the trench off. I definitely don’t think this outfit would have had such a sleek end result if multiple different colors were fighting for attention.

With the base of the OOTD good to go, it was time for shoes and accessories. For shoes, I chose my favorite pair of platform boots by Olivia Miller. I loved that the chains added a blingy surprise as the faux suede coat is quite muted in terms of color and texture. To play into that pop of silver, I added on a long necklace with a thin silver chain. Then, I pulled from the sage green in the trench coat and popped on a pair of dark green hoops by Argentino Vivo and was on my way with a spring in my step!

Florals For Spring might not be groundbreaking but they are a beloved staple and I love my take on it!

What is your favorite piece of statement clothing in your closet? What is a pattern that you like for spring that isn’t floral? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar30

Dress + Pants OOTD

Posted on by
Standard
Dress + Pants OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! Dressing for spring in Ohio is truly like a box of chocolates lol. It could be frigid cold in the morning and then the temperature will skyrocket by mid afternoon. It might be freaking freezing all day or feel like a glimpse of summertime weather. In conclusion, it’s basically a big question mark when you’re deciding what to wear. Of course, come springtime, my heart says wear ALL the dresses and my brain says to hold that thought and consider other options. But why can’t I have both? I present to you, the Dress + Pants combo:

Who? What? Wear?

Dress: Zara

Coated Skinny Jeans: Seven Jeans, TJMaxx

Word Bubble Heels: LFL, TJMaxx

I’m pretty sure the cross earrings are from Claire’s!

I have a confession to make… Despite having this dress by Zara for upwards of eight years, this is the first time I ever wore it. Why, you might ask? Believe you me when I say, this dress is see through. The top is fine and I don’t mind a peek a boo of a bra. However, the bottom half has evaded me because you’re screwed either way with the panties or commando route. Typically, I never keep a piece of clothing that I haven’t worn for as long as this dress. But I vowed that at some point eventually, I would figure it out and it turns out all I needed was pants lol.

Before we talk about the build of this OOTD, can we please talk about this dress? I find it to be so striking and it felt SO good to finally be able to wear it! The silky material, the stark white with the black flower sketches, and those corset sides? Forget about it! I also just love the flowy sleeves that taper into a tight cuff at the wrists. This dress is full of surprises everywhere you look and is an ideal option to welcome springtime.

Although there is a lot to look at in regards to the Zara dress, the beauty of it is that it’s still a fully neutral piece. Meaning? I could have some fun with the rest of the outfit, no harm no foul. I decided to play into the sheen of the dress by pairing it with a gorgeous pair of coated skinnies by Seven Jeans. These two like elements flowed seamlessly together and that was most helpful in creating the illusion of length.

For shoes, I chose a funky pair of word bubble heels by LFL which were perfect with the black and white palette established. These heels are the definition of quirky cute and allowed for a surprise pop of red toenail polish. Between all of the different textures and patterns in this look, jewelry wasn’t necessary and would only clutter what I find to be a very sleek and chic fit. So, I popped on a pair of dangly crosses and was ready to take some pictures feeling so sweetly spring – Lil Red’s way!

The mystery of what to wear with my Zara dress was solved with one killer Dress + Pants OOTD. I am obsessed with this combo and cannot wait to bust it out again!

Do you have any clothes that you have no idea what to wear with? Do you have any clothes that go with everything? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar14

Spring Flower Surprise

Posted on by
Standard
Spring Flower Surprise

Hello! The weather in Ohio these past few weeks has been crazy. It went from single digit temperatures and snow to a full fledged heat wave this entire week. Since Sunday, we have been experiencing blessedly warm temperatures in the high fifties and low sixties. It might even get up to seventy degrees this weekend! I have been loving it and it feels so weird to not be bundling up in a million layers every time I step foot outside. The sunshine alone has put a huge pep back in my step because my seasonal depression has kicked rocks and left me with plain old depression lol. But, hey, that’s manageable! 😀

Because the weather did a complete one eighty, spring flowers weren’t anywhere on my mind because it just seemed too early. However, I had an amazing surprise when I worked at chez mom and dad on Tuesday. My dad let me know that a patch of pretty yellow flowers had bloomed! Check it out:

When I visited the backyard before heading home, I was expecting to see a couple of flowers bravely peeking out of the ground. I was so shocked to see a huge patch of yellow flowers, instead! It took my breath away to see the petals dancing in the wind and was just what I needed after having a lot of recent stress. It felt so good to see these beautiful blooms, gulp down the fresh air, and have a big smile on my face. I think I could have stood out there all day. I always look forward to the first flowers of spring and these ones were there when I needed it most – I am so appreciative for that. ❤

I hope these flowers brightened your day as much as it did mine. Here’s to warm weather and all the spring flowers!

What is your favorite flower? What do you look forward to in the spring? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah