Tag Archives: girly

Galentine’s Day OOTD

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Galentine’s Day OOTD

Hello!! This past Saturday was a fairly busy one because I was pet sitting and going back and forth to take care of a sweet pup named Luna. Afterwards, I had plans to take Johnny out for dinner because he did such a good job cleaning the apartment this past week! Since we had a date night, I decided to put together a little look more appropriate for Galentine’s Day to take some pics and go out in. Granted, we ended up just DoorDashing because tired but we did go to a different bathroom brick wall at another local park so it was still a successful day! Lol, check it out:

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Who? What? Wear?

Although we should be celebrating our lady friends every day, there is something about Galentine’s Day that just hits different! Whether you’re brunching with your besties or hitting up happy hour on G-Day, I wanted to put together some outfit inspiration so you can look your best with your best girls. For this look, I wanted to use pieces in my wardrobe that were both cute, cozy, and would open up the conversation of “where did you get that?” to initiate shopping talk – a very important Galentine’s Day component!

When I first started styling my Galentine’s Day OOTD, I had my plaid skinnies by Sound & Style in mind. Afterwards, everything came into place easily because it just took a little common sense. While I love a patterned pant, they are not the most versatile and all I did was draw from the plaid to build the rest of the outfit. The base of this look pretty much had to be navy because of the base color on the pants. Then, I turned to the pinky mauve hue of the plaid to accessorize.

For the top, I chose my unicorn sweater from Loft. This was a gift from my mom a few Christmases ago and it is one of my favorites. You might notice that the navy on the sweater, pants, and peacoat is not a perfect match and that is okay! When you are styling a more monochromatic look, do not let yourself get bogged down by something like that or you will end up scrapping everything. The variants in the color you are working with will add some interest to a minimal outfit palette. As long as it is close enough, you are all good!

Because there was a pattern on my pants and top, I wanted to keep the accessories to a minimum. I went with my glittery pink hoops from Target, which I love. No Galentine’s Day look is complete without a little sparkle! These earrings added brightness around my face and note how I simply used the colors in the plaid pants to make my selection. The same process was used for the shoes. These heels are god knows how old from Plato’s Closet and were actually one of the first pairs that helped stoke the fires of my shoe addiction! The color of the heels is essentially the shade of the detailing in the pants in its brightest form and it added a poppy touch of fun to the look.

Finally, all that was left was a coat or jacket and I knew just what I wanted to put on – my peacoat from ModCloth. This was one of my first ModCloth purchases and I have had it since I was a teenager. Despite its age, it’s one of my favorite coats because it is just so adorable! The cobalt blue heart patches and piping are the girly sweet details that are a Galentine’s Day essential. While super cute, the cobalt also helped break up the sea of navy and was the perfect way to complete my outfit!

Celebrate your Galentine’s Day in style with the outfit inspo above and have the best time celebrating with your best friends! ❤

Do you celebrate Galentine’s Day? What are you going to wear and do? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Be My Valentine OOTD

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Be My Valentine OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! Valentine’s Day is right around the corner so I thought that I would put together a little date night inspiration for your viewing pleasure. This year for V-Day, Johnny and I are attending Hadestown at Playhouse Square which will be delightfully reminiscent of last year’s date to Jesus Christ Superstar. I’m very excited and can’t wait to spend a night on the town with my main squeeze! While I plan on heavily showing out for Playhouse Square, here is a sweet and simple V-Day look to help get your outfit planning wheels turning:

From Day:

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To Night:

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Who? What? Wear?

I try to create a new OOTD post every weekend and as I began thinking about what I might like to wear, I remembered that Valentine’s Day is approaching. This was both a shock and great news for me because a V-Day fit drastically narrowed down my wardrobe options, making this outfit a piece of cake (or chocolate!) to style. When I think about Valentine’s Day outfits, the first word that comes to mind is always “sweet”. I’m talking delicate details, silky materials, and frilly touches that make for a perfectly girly OOTD and I tried to incorporate all of that into this look.

For my Be My Valentine OOTD, I already had my Jun & Ivy skirt from Francesca’s on deck. It is one of the few pieces of holiday themed clothing that I have in my wardrobe making it both the obvious and one of the only choices lol. This skirt touches on everything that I want for Valentine’s Day clothing. I love the just above the knee length to show some leg without being too revealing. The way it flutters out on the edges is also one of those “frilly touches” that I was talking about to enhance adorableness. And, of course, you can’t go wrong with the hearts and kisses pattern which truly speaks to my Lil Red heart.

I wanted to give the illusion of wearing a dress with a tucked in top and chose one of my favorite silky camis in a gorgeous oyster shell hue. This mittoshop number is one of my favorites and the lace detailing is to die for. What is a V-Day OOTD without some lace to it, amiright? I also really like the sheen of the material to add some flare and brighten things up on top. I would classify the color of this cami as a neutral, which is why it paired with the skirt without a hitch. Remember, two neutrals together always makes a right – or however that saying goes!

With the base of my outfit sorted, it was time to accessorize. Sometimes, things just click when I’m building an outfit and the remainder came to me quickly. The red Kenneth Cole heels were a must and note the cute detailing around the buckle. So fun! Normally, I wouldn’t pair these heels with socks for fear of breaking up the leg line. But, I was showing a fair amount of skin on top as well so I gave it the go ahead and still felt like I was walking tall. You’re also not going to not wear ruffly socks on Valentine’s Day – it’s all about the frilly touches, after all. 😀

For jewelry, I first tried out a dangly pair of pearl earrings because I think pearls are a classic V-Day staple. The earrings weren’t doing anything for me, though, so I switched them out for a smaller pair. This worked much better as I felt the super dangly ones made things look crowded around my face. Then, I turned my attention to a necklace and chose my grandma’s pearls, instead. This is one of my favorite necklaces and its length was just right. It hit perfectly between the tattoos by my collarbones!

One final note on this look is that you might have noticed my red bra straps were slightly showing and this was intentional! This is me, personally, but I don’t like it when my bra straps are visible. However, I thought the peek a boo of the red worked well and was really cute. With that, my outfit was complete for taking pictures in, at least, because I changed into comfy clothes ASAP afterwards!

What are your Valentine’s Day plans? Do you own any holiday themed clothing? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

The Ultimate Christmas Gift Guide For Her This Christmas

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December is nearly here, which means Christmas is nearly here! Have you got your tree up yet? I know a lot of people that get their decorations out right after Thanksgiving. It is such a fun time of year, full of good food, laughter, family, and gifts. The latter can be a little stressful, though. Buying gifts can be tricky when you’re not sure what on earth they would like. We all know that one person that seems to be impossible to shop for, right? But you don’t need to look any further; I have the ultimate Christmas gift guide for you right here. Whether it is your grandma, mom, sister, daughter, or a friend, I have plenty of ideas for you. So grab a coffee and have a read through these suggestions. I hope that this is really useful for you!

For the Home: There are lots of great gifts that you can get for people to have in their home. It helps if you have been in their home and seen their style, though. But some gifts that work well for everyone are things like scented candles. I don’t think I know of anyone what wouldn’t enjoy getting these as a gift. Choose some seasonal scents and they can fill their home with the lovely scent of cinnamon and clove, for example. If you know that they already have quite a lot of scented candles, you could choose to get them some candle accessories. Candle holders, votive holders, or trays are a great idea. For larger jar candles, you can even get little ‘lampshades’ to put on top of them. It makes them look really cute and cozy, so perfect for a gift at this time of year.

Other things for the home could be throws and pillows. I think little items like this add such a touch of luxury to the home. They are also things that people might not necessarily buy for themselves. Thick, chunky knit throws are stylish at the moment and perfect for winter. If you are on a tight budget, you could even knit one. There are a lot of tutorials online of how to make one. And because they are so chunky, you don’t even need to use knitting needles most of the time. It will be an extra nice gift to give when it is a homemade one!

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 Love!

Storage Accessories: One of my favorite gift giving methods is getting a cute basket and filling it with goodies. You can make it as big or as small as you’d like so it works really well for all budgets. Grab a storage accessory that can be used after the gifts are emptied and get creative. To keep it cheaper, you could make some treats for them. How about some homemade jam or jelly? You could make some cookies to put in there, as well as some truffles or even oil infusions. Just go with what the recipient loves and you can make it specific to them. Another thing that I love about giving a little goodie basket as a gift is that you can make it completely unique for the recipient. If you’re short on time or your budget is a little more elaborate, then you could add in some wine or a bottle of chocolate liquor. Hello, spiked holiday hot chocolate!

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I would love that gift set!

Clothing Accessories: Another gift idea that I utilize often are clothing accessories. They aren’t as full on as a piece of clothing so it is easier to get it right. As long as you know their general style, it can be easy to pick something out for them. It could be a scarf or pashmina, for example. You can buy them in all sorts of colors and patterns these days so you can find something to suit every taste. You could even think about getting them a hat and scarf combo, too. Bobble hats are on trend for this winter so that could be a cute idea. If you are buying a gift for someone that is going through chemotherapy or suffers from hair loss, then a hat could be perfect for them – especially with such frigid weather. You could even look somewhere like Hats with Heart for lots of different styles.

Other accessories that I think work well for gifts are pieces of jewelry like necklaces and bracelets. The reason I haven’t mentioned rings is that you need to know someone’s ring size for that. Necklaces, earrings, and bracelets are generally all a ‘one size fits all’ type of thing so you will never have a problem with them not fitting. You could choose some chunkier style costume jewelry if that is more their thing or go for a classic piece or silver or gold jewelry. Just check on their style and the color of jewelry that they already wear. If they have a lot of gold rings, then they’d most likely want a gold one to match, rather than silver.

Technology: As much as I’m sure a few of us would like to buy our sisters or moms a brand new Macbook, we can’t all afford to do so. There are some options for technology and gadgets, though, for all budgets. A tablet or e-reader will still be on the expensive side, but cheaper than a computer. If you know someone that already has something like a Kindle, then you could get them a gift card to be able to download and read some new books. My boyfriend gifted me with a Kindle for our anniversary and I LOVE it! It is great for playing games, watching Netflix, and browsing the web from the comfort of a plush arm chair.

Otherwise, I think getting some accessories for their existing tech is a fun idea. There are lots of phone covers, laptop skins, or tablet covers that you can buy. So have a look out for what you think might be their style. Your grandma or mom might like a custom cover, with photos of the kids or grandkids on it, for example, which makes that gift a little bit more special and thoughtful. Personalized gifts can take a little longer to make and have them delivered so it is worth looking into something like that now. We are so close to Christmas once December comes around.

Headphones are also always a good idea, especially if you have a family member or friend that commutes or goes to the gym regularly. You can get wireless headphones now too, so they are a funky and modern gift.

Homemade Coupons: This works well if you still live with the person you are giving the gift to so a sister, daughter or mom, for example. You could put together a coupon booklet, full of things specific to them. Then they can redeem them throughout the year. It could be full of things like ‘good for one trip to the mall with me’ or ‘good for one back massage,’ as examples. If it was for your mom or grandma, it could be for a trip out for afternoon tea, or a night off from the kids, for instance. It could even be some more fun things like having breakfast for dinner on their chosen day or having a ‘treat pass’ which they can cash in for something like Starbucks or their favorite candy. The great thing is that you can make it completely personal. It is also an awesome budget gift idea which is perfect for when things are a little bit tight. It is sweet and thoughtful too, so your recipient will love it as it will mean much more than a store-bought gift.

Kitchen Gadgets: We all know a foodie, right? So there are several options that you can get for them to make their life in the kitchen easier. It could be something like a spiralizer or a julienne peeler. Then they can make zoodles or courgetti to their heart’s content. A juicer is also a gift that will be super useful to a foodie friend. That, a blender, mini food processor, or stick blender are all good ideas, too. As a treat, something like a waffle iron or crepe pan would make an awesome gift (hopefully, one that you’d get to reap the rewards of)! Bakeware is also always a fabulous idea. How about some colorful silicone bakeware that is so on trend these days?

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Flickr Image

Bathroom Treats: We all shower or take a bath (I hope!) so we would all make use of things like shower gel, shampoo, and bubble bath soap. You could get a little bathroom set for them, full of all things like lotion, perfume, bath bombs, or bath gel. It isn’t necessarily the most creative gift ever but it is a gift that will definitely be utilized and appreciated. You could choose more luxurious brands than they would choose for themselves, which then makes the gift a little fancier. Another gift idea could be something like an electric toothbrush. This would work well with a niece or daughter, especially if it was one of their favorite characters on the toothbrush.

Who has finished their holiday shopping already? Who is the most difficult person in your family or group of friends to shop for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

There Are Good Ships, There Are Bad Ships…

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There Are Good Ships, There Are Bad Ships…

You know… I think the best ships are Auntships and yes I definitely made that up on the spot, lol. This past weekend, I had the absolute joy of watching my sweet niece Miss Valerie Jane. Val Gal is almost twenty months old and she is my sister, Kristen, and brother in law, Ramon’s, little girl. Valerie is honest to god my best friend and my life has been so much happier since she was born.

Despite having Blue’s Clues on in the background for the entire evening, Val and I had the best time playing, snacking, and enjoying a pajama party while her mom and dad were at work. Between her French lessons from her auntie, reading books, putting puzzles together, working on her flash cards, and cooking in her pretend kitchen we had a jam packed Saturday night!

I love being able to see Val’s happy and silly personality continue to develop every time I see her. I swear, she is always giggling, belly laughing, and on the move and I don’t know how her parents keep up with her. Especially considering that Kristen and Ramon have five pets, as well. Three dogs named Tydus, Winston, and Platinum and two cats called Mary and Gloria (All rescued). 🙂

I know I’m biased because Val is my niece but I am just so proud of her, Kristen, and Ramon because she’s legit the best kid on the planet. In fact, I tend to not like children that much to begin with but I wish I could see Valerie every day.

Being able to go to chez Kristen and Ramon’s for an evening and do nothing but make Val laugh hysterically from the “Where’s Val? I can’t find her anywhere” game was a high point of this entire year, lol. I was so tired after caring for a constantly on the move kiddo but all I have to do is think about our “auntie and me” time together and it never ceases to put a smile on my face.

Being an auntie to lil Valerie Jane is one of the best gifts I’ve ever had and I really do think the best ships are Auntships. ❤

Are you a proud aunt or uncle? Which TV shows are the kiddos in your life obsessed with? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Urban Outfitters Treat Yoself Jewelry

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Urban Outfitters Treat Yoself Jewelry

Hello! We all know that Lil Red loves to shop and this stay at home order has really put a cramp on my style. Lol, especially because the TJMaxx website isn’t shipping any orders out, either! But, that’s okay, and eventually I’ll make my way back to all of my favorite stomping grounds when it’s safe to do so.

In the meantime, though, I definitely needed a treat. So, I turned to the wonderful world of online shopping and made a few purchases from Urban Outfitters and Forever 21. Nothing major, just something to put a smile on my face. How can this darling, delicate jewelry not?! Check it out:

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Despite having a deep fondness for online shopping, I rarely branch out from my favorite sites and don’t end up on Urban or F21 very often. But, I figured that going with safe bets like jewelry and shoes couldn’t hurt and it sure paid off. I absolutely love my gold lock bracelet, which I plan on wearing as an anklet, and it matches my beloved Michael Kors lock necklace perfectly. And, can we please talk about those adorable safety pin earrings? Maybe these will inspire me to finally get some additional ear piercings!

Nothing perks me up more than a little fashion treat and, with all of the stress of the current times, I needed it. It felt so nice to take an evening browsing through different stores on my laptop with a glass of wine. But, it felt even better when all of my goodies showed up at the door! Stay tuned for more this week. 🙂

How have you been treating yourself during the coronavirus panic? What is your favorite pick me up purchase? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Fairy Hair Pt. 2

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Fairy Hair Pt. 2

Hello! During my family vacation to North Carolina this past summer, I noticed a boutique offering “fairy hair” AKA hair tinsel. I was so charmed by the adorable name and the variety of colors of the tinsel that I just had to get some put in. I was absolutely obsessed and they added such a sweet, girly touch of fun to my locks.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and eventually the strands fell out. I simply refused to live without them, however, and ordered a hair tinsel kit off of Amazon identical to the one that the boutique in North Carolina had. I knew my hair stylist could do the fairy hair that I so desperately craved and she worked her magic the last time I got my hair cut.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and eventually the strands fell out. SO I GOT MORE PUT BACK IN LAST WEEK! Check it out:

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As per ushe, my stylist, Anna, knocked it out of the park. In fact, this time it is even better because she worked on her tinsel knotting technique and I have only had two fatalities thus far. Anna expertly layered the different hues of tinsel that showed up the best in my choppy new do and within a half hour or so my fairy hair was complete.

I was so happy with how my hair bling turned out and the compliments literally don’t stop, which is a major ego booster! I remember when fairy hair was a thing several years ago and I loved it then and I am still just as in love now. My next goal, you may ask? Bringing back hair feathers! Hopefully there will be a kit for that on Amazon… 😀

How do you like to spice up your hair style? Do you plan on getting your hair cut for the warm weather? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Planning The Ultimate Girls Night In

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Planning The Ultimate Girls Night In

Hi! The recent drop in temperatures in my neck of the woods has left me feeling like doing anything but heading outside and braving the cold. In fact, I’m perfectly content in my living room bubble! However, you can’t watch America’s Next Top Model alone all of the time… Even though you totally can. 😉 So, today, we’re going to talk about Planning The Ultimate Girls Night In for the next time it’s too frigid in your area to remove even one layer of fleece blankets! Let’s get to it:

Create A Theme:

If you are hosting a girls night in at your place, then activities must be agreed upon before the party shows up. The easiest way to plan activities for the night is to come up with a theme to base them around. Having a wine and paint night? The answer is in the question! How about a chick flick marathon? Mani/pedis, face masks, and chocolate for all!

Planned activities help keep the night moving at a fun pace and will also prevent any of those awkward pauses that come after everyone has caught up with each other. Of course, every waking minute doesn’t have to be accounted for in a Task Journal, so save some time for spontaneity, too. 😀

Food & Drinks:

To some of the girls attending your little shindig, the refreshments are the most important part! I often find ordering in to be the best way to go, especially because I’m sure not every gal will feel like cooking for a potluck style meal (I never do!). Everyone could pop for pizza or just DoorDash whatever sounds the best to them to their heart’s content.

If this will be a boozy event, encourage each girl to bring a bottle of their favorite wine. If your ladies aren’t the biggest drinkers, create some delicious mocktails or ice cream sodas for a sweet treat to enjoy.

Encourage A Rotation:

A girls night in could become a monthly or however frequently you want it event with your besties. Create a rotation of which house you will be posting up in for the night and that girl will become the master of ceremonies for the evening. This will allow for each girl to participate in the favorite activities of all of their friends. It will be a blast seeing what each friend comes up with and how creative they can get for the evening’s entertainment.

Still Pressed For Activity Ideas?

If your turn to host girls night in is fast approaching and you are pressed for activity ideas, feel free to use any of the following:

  • Game night
  • Cake/cookie decorating
  • Arts and crafts (Pinterest party, anyone?!)
  • Clothing swap
  • Pampering party
  • Dinner party

Get ready, get set, and girls night in with the tips above!

How would you spend a girls night in with your BFFs? What is your favorite snack to bring to a party? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Accessory Story: SugarFix By Baublebar Earrings Edition

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Accessory Story: SugarFix By Baublebar Earrings Edition

Hi! I am a firm believer that when you go to stores like Target or TJMaxx, you will be told what you need when you get there. Lol, I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve went to either location for one or two things and left with a cart full of stuff. For example, I needed roughly two things at Target last week: Toilet paper and champagne. An amazing combination, I know! And, yes, I did get both of those but I also ended up with four new pairs of earrings too. It was an accident I swear!

Check out two of the pairs today and be sure to tune in tomorrow for the next set of two. Here we go:

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My grandma was one of those people who would buy a clothing or accessory item that she liked in multiple colors if they were available. And, I certainly inherited that trait from her! If the colors suit me and the piece is to die for, then I say the more the merrier. When I saw these dangle heart earrings by Baublebar, I knew that it was going to be impossible to choose just one pair, as I have a strong drawing to both red and black. So, without shame, I carefully placed them both in the cart.

I love the girly sweet design of my new earrings and am especially excited to wear the cherry red pair on Valentine’s Day. And, of course, I’ll be sporting the black pair the rest of the time! I also really like the idea of wearing one different color in each ear. Nothing sweetens up a more rocker look than some darling hearts and they were a perfect treat that I definitely didn’t need. 😀

What is your favorite type of accessory? Which store do you end up buying more at than you intended? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

My Girl Power Anthem

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My Girl Power Anthem

Hello! Once upon a time when my sister and I were on our way to X-Fest, my ex-boyfriend and I had just broken up and your girl was not really FEELING HERSELF. Even though that day ended up being one of the best days of my life, it initially started out very mopey until things turned around by hearing one song. Kristen decided that I was in desperate need of hearing “Smile” by Lily Allen and, as always, she was totally right. Take a listen:

(I have no rights to this song or video.)

I feel like this song is the perfect Girl Power Anthem. It completely sums up the feelings of a break up all while telling you to just smile instead of wallowing in your own misery for days on end. Being happy and moving on with your life is the best revenge in any relationship or friendship that has turned sour and there is nothing like a totally catchy song encouraging you to do just that to motivate you to do it, too. This has been my go to song whenever I start feeling even a little sad for the past month, and with Lily and her devil may care attitude on my side, nothing can stop me.

What are some of your girl power anthems? Are there any songs that you like to start the day with? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

April Funky Time Jams

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April Funky Time Jams

Hiiii everyone and welcome to another month here on lifewithlilred! With spring officially upon us, it only feels right for my music selection for the month to be upbeat, poppy, and filled with girl power. But, of course, it wouldn’t be a Lil Red music post without some good old horror rock and emo screamo thrown in! Let’s get to it:

(And, as always, I have no rights to the above songs or videos!)

I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been watching The Voice with my mom and Kelly Clarkson is one of the judges or if spring really is in the air, but I have been going pop queen crazy lately. Britney, Christina, Lady Gaga – the works. There’s something about the increase in temperature and being able to drive with the windows semi down that puts me in the best mood. And, nothing puts me in a better than best mood than singing along to my most loved pop divas in the Little Red Love Machine!

Of course, all of the emoness that I can muster is still necessary and so is listening to Rob Zombie, since I’ll be seeing him with Marilyn Manson in July. I can’t say that I’m his number one fan or anything, but so far so good. 😀

Which artists do you like to play when you’re in a good mood? Who is your favorite pop queen? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah