Tag Archives: fun

Aug12

Watercolor Weeping Willow

Posted on August 12, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! Watercolor painting is something my mom and I really enjoy and it has been a minute since our last painting sesh. Flowers are, admittedly, the only thing we have been painting and I decided to try something different when we painted this Tuesday. I wanted to try my hand at a weeping willow! As always when I have just painted something, I am never particularly thrilled with it. However, this was my first go at anything but a flower and I feel pretty good about attempt number one:

To begin, I assembled my palette with different green, brown, and yellow watercolor paint. Then, I sketched a super rough outline with some assistance from Google Images. I started with the grass and I actually love how that turned out, then moved onto the branches. To do this, I painted the branches with water alone and then added color to the wet paper. I do like the trunk and the placement of the branches, but the upper ones got muddled when I painted the leaves. As always, it was because I was impatient!

When I painted the leaves, I started from the top down and painted the top with water then color and brought it down in thinner strokes. I think that the idea was right, but the execution was wrong. Like the branches, the colors got murky at the top. And, yes, it was because I was impatient! I should have allowed for drying time and I didn’t – especially when I was introducing new colors.

I definitely want to give the weeping willow another shot and next time, I will give myself enough time to give the painting drying time. I like the colors I used so I am not going to change that. I also like that there were areas of white within the painting too, which was a recommendation from a watercolor teacher. I’m excited to see my next painting in comparison to this one because I know there will be at least some improvement. I’m proud of myself for trying something new!

Watercolor painting is a nice reminder of try and try again and I can’t wait to paint again with my mom. I branched out with my weeping willow (See what I did there?) and it’s not the best. But, it’s the best one I have painted yet! 🙂

What is your favorite medium of art? What is your favorite plant? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug8

Willie Nelson Chia Pet Epic Fail

Posted on August 8, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Johnny and I are huge Willie Nelson fans and this past Christmas, his mom and dad gifted us with our very own Willie Nelson Chia Pet. After watching the Red Headed Stranger (Which was freaking AWESOME!) this past Saturday, we decided to finally bring our Chia Pet to life. I don’t know why we waited so long to do it, but it just felt right after watching a Willie Nelson movie. I guess we should have waited longer, though, because it was a failure of epic proportions. Check it out:

^^^ Lol at the picture of Willie in the water because you can see Johnny’s reflection in it and it cracks me up!!

The directions for our Chia Pet were very straight forward: Soak the clay for a half hour, put the seeds on, water it, and done. We filled up my spaghetti pot with water and let Willie Nelson soak while we played Diablo IV and, of course, listened to Willie Nelson. Once the clay was prepped, all that was left to do was apply the seeds. But, this is when things went so horribly wrong. I guess we didn’t realize that you should “plant” the seeds using your hands and not just dumping it on top! *Face palm*

So, Chia seeds went everywhere after Johnny so helpfully poured them all out and we were left scrambling to put them back onto the clay. It was an absolute mess and Chia Pet definitely didn’t cover this uh-oh in their commercials! Once we did our due diligence of cleaning up the scattered seeds, we both decided that Chia Pets suck. But that’s okay! We scraped the seeds off of Willie Nelson and now we have a great piece for our knick knack shelf! In fact, we both like it better that way so who’s the real winner in this situation?

Our Chia Pet experience was a total bust, but now we have a bust of Willie Nelson! Maybe Johnny was onto something with his faux pas all along?! 😀

Have you ever grew a Chia Pet? Do you currently have the commercial stuck in your head? (I do!) I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug3

Groovy Movies: Barbie Edition

Posted on August 3, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! This past Friday, I saw the Barbie movie with one of my dear friends from my retail days and it was amazing! It was such fun to get all dolled up and share in the collective excitement that has been revolving around Barbie for so long. I had no idea what the basic plot of Barbie was and, honestly, I didn’t care lol I heard so many fantastic reviews that I just knew it was going to be great. And, it sure was! Without giving any spoilers away, let’s discuss this adorable flick further:

^^^ As always, I have no rights to this video!

In Barbie Land, everything is perfect. Everything was perfect yesterday and everything will be perfect tomorrow too. In Barbie Land, life is dance parties, going to the beach, and amazing fashion. It is also a land of girl power where the girls can do it all and Ken is just… Ken. Then, things take a major turn when Barbie starts thinking about death. Her feet turn flat, she has cellulite, and is being introduced to all kinds of new feelings that she has never experienced before.

After a trip to the “Weird Barbie”, our heroine learns that whoever is playing with her in the real world is putting her own emotions into the doll. To return life back to the perfect status quo, Barbie must go to the land of humans, find her owner, and get the bad vibes to go away. As Barbie takes off in her pink car, she is surprised by Ken joining her for the trip. They travel by boat, spaceship, snowmobile, and roller blades to California and the human world is nothing like they imagined.

In the human world, men rule and women are an afterthought. While Barbie searches for her owner, Ken learns a thing or two about patriarchy and resolves to make some changes in Barbie Land. And, once Barbie finds her owner she decides to make some changes herself. With the help of new friends, it is up to Barbie to return her home back to normal after Kens take over and make a choice. Stay as a doll in her perfect land or stay in the imperfect world of humans. What will she choose? See the movie to find out!

The Barbie movie was just pure fun through and through. The clothes, the sets, humor, music, and actors all worked in tandem to create a movie that was unforgettable. I have never seen anything like it before and it reminded me of the joy that I felt when I would use my imagination to play with dolls in my youth. It was impossible not to smile ear to ear the entire movie and as soon as it was done, I wanted to see it again… and again, and again.

Margot Robbie brought Barbie to life beautifully and her performance never came across as shallow, but endearing. Yes, Barbie can do it all. But, when she began to experience human emotions like depression, it was a reminder that Barbie will always be what you make her. Ryan Gosling as Ken was hysterical and never felt like himself without being by Barbie’s side. He, too, was on a mission of self discovery and even though it went horribly wrong, things always have a way of working out in Barbie Land.

The Barbie movie taught that imperfect is the most perfect thing of all and that you are “Kenough”. I left the theater buzzing with positivity because the movie just makes you feel good. It was silly, sweet, empowering, and something that can be enjoyed by anyone. If you haven’t seen Barbie yet, I can’t recommend it Kenough!

Have you seen Barbie? What did you think about it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: Stay tuned for my All Dolled Up OOTD!! ❤

Jul29

Brick Convention Haul

Posted on July 29, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!!! If you have ever watched Lego Masters, then I am sure you have noticed all of the adorable accessories that the contestants sometimes wear made from Lego. I am extremely partial to the Lego hair bow, myself, and that is what I was hoping that I would find at the Brick Convention. And I did! One of the vendor stands called AbbieDabbles was selling hair bows, earrings, and necklaces made from Lego bricks and I couldn’t say no to the following:

I will be the first to admit, I found my purchases to be insanely overpriced lol. In fact, when Johnny and I took a closer look at them he told me exactly how we could have made them ourselves. Hindsight is 20/20, though, and I love my Brick Convention mementos anyways. When at the Brick Convention, as they say, and I can’t wait to sport all of my new accessories!

The AbbieDabbles booth had hair bows of every color, but I chose black because I pretty much already have every other color in my hair right now. And, as always, black is my favorite color! The earrings were much harder to choose from because they were all so cute! There were so many spooky earrings including ones with little skulls and little bones. The bat ones just had that something extra to them! I also adore the stud leaf earrings with the ladybug on top, which you can see in an upcoming OOTD very soon. 😀

Huge shout out to AbbieDabbles for all of the adorable Lego swag. 12/10 would recommend! We have a jam packed agenda coming up here on lifewithlilred so keep it locked for two new OOTDs, a TJMaxx haul, and my review for the Barbie movie!! ❤

Is there a Brick Convention coming to your neck of the woods? Are you going to go? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul28

Patrick Durham Meet & Greet

Posted on July 28, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone!! The Lego Brick Convention that I attended this past weekend was so great! The displays and shopping with the vendors was fun, but the highlight of the day was meeting a former Lego Masters contestant. Patrick Durham of Team Grandpappies in season three was the piece de resistance of the convention and we couldn’t wait to see him. Johnny and I got a huge kick out of him and his partner, Kerry, during the show and I was on pins and needles to meet a Lego celebrity. Check it out:

After Johnny, my brother, and I made our rounds throughout the first section of the convention, we approached a very long line. We all assumed it was the line to meet Patrick, but it turns out it was formed to get a closer look at the displays. So, we bypassed it completely and went on the prowl to meet the Lego Master. And, we were in luck!! Patrick was literally just standing at his area beyond the line and we only had to wait briefly for our turn at a meet and greet.

Saying Patrick was the nicest person ever is the understatement of the century. He greeted my crew and all of his other fans with such warmth and good humor – it felt like having a chat with your own grandpappy. After exchanging pleasantries and quips, we asked about Kerry and learned sad news. He had passed away from heart complications on June 11th. This was such a disappointing thing to hear and we extended our deepest sympathies. Not only were Patrick and Kerry beloved grandpappies to their own grandchildren, but they were America’s grandpappies too.

We got to spend almost ten minutes with Patrick and after he signed my autograph, we had a photo shoot! Johnny snapped lots of pics and Patrick was SERVING. At one point, he assured Johnny that he wasn’t flirting with me and I let it be known that I was most definitely flirting with him! Lol, we all had a laugh. We were also so flattered when he told me and Johnny we were the coolest looking people he had seen that day. What a guy!

Spending time with Patrick Durham at the Brick Convention was one of my favorite things I have done this year. It was just really cool and it’s always awesome to meet someone on TV and finding out they are exactly how they appear on screen in person. Thanks for the laughs and your time, Patrick. Long live Team Grandpappies! ❤

Have you ever met a celebrity? Who were some of your favorite Lego Master contestants? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul27

Brick Convention 2023

Posted on July 27, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! I had a fantastic weekend! On Friday, Johnny and I went to the shooting range and on Saturday, we attended the Brick Convention with my brother. The Brick Convention was an ode to all things Lego and it was an absolute blast! Johnny and I are avid fans of Lego and this event did not disappoint. There were displays, vendors, and even a contestant from Lego Masters. The only not great thing was that the building the convention was held in wasn’t air conditioned. It was hot as bejeezus and even though we had a lot of fun, we were ready to get the hell out of there lol.

Today, we’re going to take a look at some of the awesome displays from the convention. Keep it posted this week for more because we have an OOTD, my convention haul, and meeting Patrick Durham! Let’s get started:

Talk about WOW, right?! Walking through the Brick Convention was like being a kid on Christmas day. It was Lego as far as the eye could see and it was incredible to take it all in. While it was nice to shop around with the many different vendors, the most fun was looking at all of the displays created by such amazing artists. Every single piece begged the question of “how did they do that?!”. Johnny and I love to build Lego sets together and sometimes I have difficulty with that let alone free building masterpieces. It was like being in our own personal episode of Lego Masters!

It was hard to get a close look at some of the builds because the convention center was very crowded. It was basically get in front of the build, snap a picture if you want, and move on. While all of the creations were excellent, I was extremely partial to the art gallery that was set up. There were Lego pictures of Mario and Luigi that moved, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, The Child, and of course the Lego rendition of the Creation of Adam. That was my favorite and my mind is still blown by it. Seriously, how did they do that?!

Despite the fact that we were sweating bullets the entire Brick Convention, I am so happy to have gone. I have never been to an event like that before and it was an experience I’ll always remember. Tune in tomorrow for more about my meeting with the one and only Patrick Durham of Team Grandpappies!!!

Do you like to build Lego? Have you ever been to a similar event before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul26

Date On The Range

Posted on July 26, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Johnny and I are still going strong with our weekend date nights and we had a literal blast this past Friday. We went to the shooting range with our downstairs neighbor and it was a hoot! Going to the shooting range is something that Johnny and I have always wanted to do together and just never did. He grew up shooting guns with his dad and I have only been to the range once in my life. We are also avid fans of the short lived competitive shooting show, Top Shot, and wanted to feel like our favorite contestants!

After finding out that our new-ish neighbor and new bestie liked to go to the range when he could, we decided to make an evening of it. We hit up Range USA in Canton, then returned back to my apartment where I cooked dinner. It was such a fun and different night out and you just can’t beat the “Friday date night” promo that Range USA runs. It’s buy one lane get one free! Check it out:

Before I went to the shooting range for the first time, I never saw the appeal of guns. After firing off a few rounds, however, I understood it and it was something that I wanted to do again. If you are in a safe and secure setting, why not? And, I hate to brag, but I did really good that first time and was eager to see if I still retained anything I learned from the pro at the range who taught me!

Once our waivers were signed, targets were purchased, and our safety gear was on, we were ready to go to our lanes. The target selection at Range USA was excellent and Johnny and I chose the shooting gallery one. Yes, because it was delightfully reminiscent of Top Shot challenges lol. Every gun I shot was a new experience and it was really cool – even though the rifle kicked like a mule. I was definitely done after four rounds and Johnny had a sore shoulder the next day.

I was really impressed with Johnny’s performance and mine wasn’t so bad, either! Johnny did so well and hit several bullseyes which was awesome to see. I was a bit disappointed with how I did, but then I remembered that this was only my second time shooting with entirely different guns. When I thought about it that way, I was proud of how I did. While I had lots of shots that weren’t on target whatsoever, I had a lot that were and felt great about them!

We had such a good time at the range that we are going to make it a thing. Every other week, we plan on hitting the range and making use of the date night special. We have even recruited two of our other friends to join our club and, of course, have dinner at my place after. Our Date On The Range was the most unique one we have been on yet and we are still chattering away about the good time that was had by all. 😀

Next weekend, it is my turn to select our date and I can’t wait for it. We are going to go shopping at some adorable boutiques in downtown Cuyahoga Falls and get Olive Garden for dinner. Long live Middle Class Fancy!!

What is your favorite competition show? What is the most unique date you have been on? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul22

Dinner & A Movie Date Night

Posted on July 22, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! Last Friday, Johnny and I had a fabulous date night of dinner and a movie. Applebee’s was running a promo for spend X amount of money and get a free ticket to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and we were so there for it! In fact, we got our Middle Class Fancy on so hard that we ended up with three free tickets lol. It was an absolute blast and was so typically us. Whether we’re all dressed up for Taco Bell or a date night at The Bee’s, we treat everything like a special occasion because it is! Check it out:

Okay, is it just me or did Applebee’s really up their game? Perhaps it was the Margaritas we were enjoying or the thrill of a night out, but our food was so good. We started our meal with Crispy Cheese Bites as an appetizer and they were bomb AF. They were like a mixture of a cheese curd and mozzarella stick and came with Ranch and Firecracker sauce to dip in. If we didn’t have actual dinner ordered too, we easily could have ate the whole plate! Our leftovers were also A1 when we air fried them later that weekend. 😀

For the main course, Johnny got his usual of a bacon cheeseburger and I got the Three-Cheese Chicken Penne minus the chicken. As you can see, Johnny loved his burger and my pasta was awesome. It wasn’t as good as something from Olive Garden, but it was close. My meal also inspired our next Middle Class Fancy outing because I want to hit up the OG. Maybe when I drag Johnny to the Barbie movie with me?!

After we were done eating, we headed to the theater to settle in for the movie. This was the first movie we have seen since we took our niece to see Sing 2 for her third birthday last year! Pre pandemic, Johnny and I used to see movies together pretty frequently and I’m hoping we bring that back. The Regal we went to was so fancy with big reclining chairs that were insanely comfortable. It was the perfect setup to get our Indiana Jones on and I only want to go to that theater from now on. Once you see a movie in a recliner, you can’t go back!

Johnny and I have had a date night two weeks in a row and nothing makes me happier. Even though we are always dead tired by the end of the week, stepping out with my main squeeze is like getting a caffeine IV. I can’t wait for our next date night at the Olive Garden because it’s going to be my turn to pick! ❤

What is your favorite Middle Class Fancy restaurant? What was the last movie you saw in theaters? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul20

Groovy Movies: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Edition

Posted on July 20, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Groovy Movies: Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Edition

Hello everyone! This past weekend, Johnny and I enjoyed a fabulous date night of dinner and a movie. We went to Applebee’s because it was running a promo of spend X amount of money and get a free ticket to Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. We truly went all out in a Middle Class Fancy fashion because we ended up getting two free tickets lol. 😀 Tune in tomorrow for more about our night on the town!

After dinner, we hit the theater to see the new Indiana Jones and we were excited! Johnny LOVES the Indiana Jones movies and has never seen any of them in theaters. I like them well enough and only saw them when Johnny and I started dating! Without giving any spoilers away, let’s discuss this popcorn flick more because it was a HOOT:

We meet an elderly Indiana Jones in New York City and he is ready to retire from his job as a college professor/professional adventurer and live the good life. Of course, we all know he can’t hang up his hat without one final hurrah and that comes from his estranged goddaughter, Helena. Helena is an archaeologist with a great interest in the Dial of Destiny. This Dial is said to reveal time fissures that could allow for time travel. However, if it falls into the wrong hands, the Nazis could go back in time and avoid the mistakes that lead to their demise.

With Helena and her young comrade, Teddy, in tow, Jones and his crew begin the hunt for the two halves of the Dial. Acquiring both won’t be easy and the Nazis are hot on their tail. Their quest takes them all over the world to places and time periods unknown. Jones’ final mission is a lot more than he originally bargained for, but a little help from old friends can go a long way – hopefully. Will Indiana save the day and life as we know it? See The Dial of Destiny to find out!

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was an absolute blast from start to finish. Although Johnny and I live for Harrison Ford in his youth, seeing his eighty-one year old self kick major ass was awesome! The Dial of Destiny featured an all star cast including Mads Mikkelsen as the villain, Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Helena, Antonio Banderas, and the wonderful John Rhys-Davies reprising his role as Sallah. Other than Waller-Bridge, whose work we aren’t familiar with, we love all of these esteemed actors and that made the viewing experience even better.

The Indiana Jones movies are totally far fetched, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t a ton of fun! The action, the adventure, and the nods to previous movies and characters all added to the celebratory vibe that The Dial of Destiny invoked. It was a complete tip of the cap to Harrison Ford and we were so there for it. Sure, this movie would have been great to watch at home, but it just hit different seeing it on the big screen. Johnny and I had to do everything in our power to not whoop and cheer during every scene!

If you are a fan of the Indiana Jones series, RUN don’t walk to the theater. This is one that you are not going to want to miss and I am so happy to have experienced it with Johnny. We have been looking forward to this date night for weeks and it was everything we wanted it to be and so much more!

What is your favorite Indiana Jones movie? Have you seen The Dial of Destiny yet? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul12

BFF Garden Party

Posted on July 12, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! My bestie, Lea, recently moved into a beautiful new house and it is awesome! I am so proud of her and want to do everything I can to assist in the projects that she needs help with. That’s what best friends are for, after all. One of the major things that needs done on her property is the gardening. The upkeep from the previous owners had been nonexistent and it all fell on Lea’s shoulders. Luckily, I am a huge fan of gardening and couldn’t wait to get to work! 😀

This past week, Lea and I headed to Meijer’s to buy some plants, Peach White Claw, and sushi for dinner. After our surprisingly good store bought sushi, we set off to our first task of clearing the planter boxes around her porch and filling it with hostas in various colors and sizes. It turned out GREAT! Check it out:

How It Started:

How It’s Going:

Our first order of business was to give ourselves a blank canvas for the hostas. We began pulling out the weeds, rocks, and random plants that peppered the planter boxes. Everything was going swell until I noticed an ant crawling on my arm. Then, I looked down to find that my gardening gloves were covered with them. It. Was. Awful. While pulling out a bushel of dying tall grass, Lea and I discovered that I had unearthed a ginormous ant colony. It. Was. Terrifying. Lol they were literally everywhere! 😮

The Attack Of The Ants happened at the far edge of the planter box and we refused to go anywhere near it. But, we completed the opposite end and stopped about two feet shy of the scene of creepy crawlies. To start, I taught Lea about the merits of cutting the plastic container the hostas were in so we wouldn’t hurt the plant while attempting to pull it out. Then, I showed her how to break apart the roots to make it perfect for their new home. After the demo, we began working separately and she did wonderfully. With the know how to DIY, she planted the remainder herself once the ants cleared out a bit. We were both very happy with the end results. 🙂

Lea and I had a fantastic time during our Garden Party hangout and we already have our next project planned out. I can’t wait to get our hands in the dirt again and get some flowers planted soon!

What projects are you working on around the house? What is your garden like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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