Tag Archives: happy

May1

We Went To Jared’s

Posted on May 1, 2021 by lifewithlilred

Hi! This past Saturday, Johnny and I had a fabulous date day which resulted in picking out my custom wedding band at Jared’s. After getting engaged, I took my ring to Jared’s to get resized and they did an excellent job so I was very excited to go back to see what they could do for my wedding band. I was happy to see all of the wonderful employees who helped me previously at the store that day and Johnny and I left feeling confident and simply ecstatic on our purchase.

Johnny has had his wedding band for a while now and prior to our morning at Jared’s, I spent a decent amount of time coming up with a price point in my head that I was comfortable with. While what I originally had in mind was way over budget, the employees rallied together to help come up with a customized ring that was similar to what I wanted and was within my price point. They were so respectful about not trying to upsell me and I really appreciated that because when it comes to the jewelry business, pushing for a more extravagant purchase is usually the name of the game.

My wedding band will boast rubies and black diamonds which was the most important thing to me and the shape of the rocks are so unique too! I just know it will look perfect with my engagement ring and I cannot wait to pick it up later in May!

After wedding band shopping, Johnny and I headed to my mom and dad’s place to hang out with our little niece, play some games, and watch an episode of the Ken Burns baseball documentary that I got my dad for his birthday. We spent the entire afternoon there and decided to end our day by participating in Dry Ice Saturday at the Cashmere Cricket, our favorite bar.

Unfortunately, The Cricket was jam packed so we went to the Ohio Brewing Company where I had my first Moscow Mule in over a year and a half! I don’t know if it’s because I haven’t had a Mule in so long or the drink I got from the OBC was really that good but it was seriously the best Moscow Mule I’ve ever had. Once we were done at the bar, we returned to our apartment to play Trivial Pursuit and Super Smash Bros and had a blast.

These last few weeks have been extremely stressful for me and my date day with my fiance was just what I needed to help get myself back to baseline. It was a perfect day of ring shopping, family time, and video games and, as always, it’s very exciting to cross one more thing off of our wedding checklist. I cannot wait to get married! ❤

What is your favorite gemstone? What is an ideal date day for you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr23

My Wedding Glam Squad

Posted on April 23, 2021 by lifewithlilred

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Hi! Johnny and I will be having a very small wedding that literally took no planning for accommodations for our ceremony. It will be short, sweet, and simple – exactly how we want it. However, preparing our wedding looks was a totally different story and a lot of thought went into it so we can show out on our big day. I am so thankful to have the ultimate wedding glam squad tending to me and am honored to be able to showcase their talent at my wedding. I have a very specific look in mind and it would not be able to be achieved without the genius of the following:

Anna:

Anna has been my hair stylist since I was eight years old and absolutely no one but her is allowed to touch my hair. She is also one of the few people who has seen part of my top secret wedding look – that’s how much I trust her! I live for my time spent with Anna at the salon and I can’t believe almost twenty years later she will be doing my hair for my wedding. Time and time again, I will use the word “nontraditional” to describe my wedding style and my hair is no exception. In fact, the suggestion Anna made was something that I didn’t even know existed, so we are all in for a treat!

Katie:

My makeup test run with Katie was beyond what I was expecting and I had never felt so beautiful. She took every vague idea I had, ran with it, and came up with the results I had in my head but couldn’t quite put into words. I have never had my makeup done professionally before and it felt like Katie was painting the most gorgeous picture as she airbrushed away. I cannot wait until my wedding so she can do it all over again. 😀

Gabby:

Gabby is my go to girl when it comes to my nails and I already know exactly how I want my claws to look for the big day. It took me a long time to find the right nail tech for me and now that I have found her, I could never imagine anyone else sharpening my talons to perfection. I recommend her to everyone who compliments my nails and I love seeing her work on my friends who go to her now too.

Emily:

Other than four tattoos, all of the rest that I have have been done by Emily and I will most definitely need a touch up session before the wedding. I am so proud to be a walking billboard for my dear friend and her amazing talent and cannot wait for my tattoos to pop in my wedding dress. Emily is, easily, one of the best tattoo artists in my area and her work blows me away – especially her work on myself!

I cannot wait to share in my wedding day with my favorite gals because they truly make up the ultimate wedding glam squad. I know that I am in the best hands with all of them and having my wedding appointments scheduled in their books eliminates any stress for my big day. ❤

Who was a part of your wedding glam squad? Who is your go to person for your hair, makeup, or nails? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr20

Reunited And It Feels So Good

Posted on April 20, 2021 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! After many a video chat dates with my BFF, Lea, we finally were able to reunite in person as she is fully vaccinated and Johnny and I just need our second shot. I had been looking forward to our real life reunion for several months and, needless to say, I was counting down the hours until I was done at work and could see my bestie again.

As always, Lea and I had a fabulous time girl talking, reminiscing, and laughing hysterically for hours on end and I felt so incredibly thankful for that time with her. It also gave me the opportunity to officially ask her if she’d like to attend my family only wedding ceremony! Throughout the pandemic, video chat dates with my friends helped keep me sane but there is nothing like seeing someone who you love so much in person after months of going without.

With so many of my family and friends getting vaccinated, it truly feels like a bright light at the end of such a dark tunnel. Seeing Lea was my first in person hang out with one of my friends since mid December and it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time because I had had a rough couple of days. Taking a break from my stress even for just a little while to go through a litany of all of the dorky things my BFF and I did in high school was the best thing for me.

I always say that every hang out with Lea is my favorite but this reunion definitely tops the charts. I cannot wait to get more real life hang outs scheduled in the books and I am so delighted for my best friend to be able to join Johnny, myself, and our families on my wedding day! ❤

Have you been able to reunite with any of your loved ones recently? What are some of your social distanced summer plans? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr16

Pansy Party

Posted on April 16, 2021 by lifewithlilred

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Hi! My dad is an avid and exceptional gardener but, unfortunately, broke his arm and dislocated his shoulder about a month ago. Needless to say, his injury put a huge damper on his plans for his flower and vegetable garden this spring and summer so everyone in my family has stepped in to help make it happen anyways. This past week, I spent some time outside with my dad planting pansies while he oversaw the process and we are both very pleased with the outcome of our first project! Check it out:

I used to love helping my dad in the garden when I was younger and our afternoon planting flowers brought me back to those happy times in the sunshine with him. He was so sweet to provide gardening gloves for me to protect my talons with and it felt really good to metaphorically get my hands dirty and make something beautiful grow. Our pansy patch was a team effort and my dad and I planned the layout together and I dug the holes while he removed the flowers from their containers.

I absolutely love pansies because I remember helping my dad plant them back in the day and my grandma used to have them growing outside of her funeral home. I feel so proud every time I see our completed project in my parent’s yard and it immediately brings me back to the time I spent with my dad making it happen.

We gardened on the most glorious spring day and it was a blast to enjoy the weather and talk and laugh about anything and everything. In fact, it was so warm out that day that I was wearing shorts and my legs got pretty filthy. Just like in my youth, my dad helped me hose off all of the dirt once the flowers were planted and it was the perfect way to end our Pansy Party. I can’t wait to start our spring veggie garden next!

What is your favorite outdoor activity? What do you plan on growing in your garden this year? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr10

Dresses, Shoes, & Veils – Oh My!

Posted on April 10, 2021 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! When it comes to planning our wedding, Johnny and I are basically all done and will work on preparations for a reception when it is safer to have a party (By the way, Office Anything has awesome reception desks that you can decorate to your liking to welcome guests at your next party!). Like I said in previous posts, we are having a very small ceremony so we really don’t have too much to plan for! That doesn’t mean that we aren’t taking our wardrobe incredibly seriously, though.

While I am still waiting for my dress that I ordered to get here, Johnny’s wedding clothes have already arrived and his look is perfect. Because this is a nontraditional wedding in every sense of the word, Johnny and I both know what each other will be wearing. In fact, we helped each other pick everything out and he was so sweet to always sit by me and give his opinions on the endless pages of veils, shoes, and dresses that I had pulled up. We not only assisted in what we would be wearing but our rings too. For a nontraditional couple, we obviously couldn’t do with basic rings. We went the custom route with each other’s help and you can find a one of a kind ring for you with a simple search of “custom wedding rings melbourne” or for your local area.

Like any bride to be, I’d be a liar if I said that I wasn’t a little worried about what I will be wearing. However, with Johnny’s help, I feel so confident that everything I ordered will look great and I truly believe that because of his reassurance. When it comes to any type of clothing, Johnny and I have very specific tastes and we each know right away whether we like something or not. We are also excellent at shopping for each other so it’s hard to second guess something that I found that we both think would be ideal for our big day.

I loved being able to online wedding shop with my fiance as well as show our findings to my mom for her opinions too! I am really looking forward to all of my pieces arriving so I can see the vision that we came up with come to life and be one step closer to getting married. ❤

Where did you shop for your wedding? What were your wedding colors? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr8

Happy Birthday, Sister!!

Posted on April 8, 2021 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! The birthdays in my family just keep coming because today is my beautiful sister, Kristen’s, big day! My sister is my absolute best friend and I cannot even put into words how proud I am of her. She is a legit wonder woman and I am constantly amazed by her motherhood journey. Her and my brother in law’s daughter, Valerie, is a huge light for me and I have seriously never met a happier, more loved little girl in my life.

Not only is Kristen an incredible mom to her daughter but she is a pet parent and advocate, as well. She has two dogs and two cats and her newest passion is fostering senior dogs from One Of A Kind Pets, the shelter that she works at. Her empathy and love truly knows no bounds and she is so dedicated to giving the best life to the animals who haven’t had it easy. In fact, her most recent senior foster named Baby just got adopted into her Furever Home!

Kristen inspires everyone that she meets – myself especially. As my big sister, I have looked up to her my whole life and that is still the case to this day as twenty-somethings. A sister is a built in best friend and Kristen is always there for me whether I need a laugh, girl time, or to vent. Everything we do together is like an adventure to me – whether it be going to concerts, Taco Bell dates, or taking her daughter to the park to play. I am, honestly, the luckiest girl in the world to be able to not only call her my big sis but my BFF.

Happy Birthday, Kristen!!

I love you!!!!!!!!! ❤

Apr5

A Super Happy Day

Posted on April 5, 2021 by lifewithlilred

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Hi! This is a very exciting time for Lil Red because of my upcoming wedding. Johnny and I are going to be having a very small ceremony with only immediate family but that doesn’t mean that we still don’t have a lot to do. While there are a bunch of odds and ends to tend to, our primary concern was what we were going to wear! Lol, as soon as we announced our engagement, the resounding theme of so many of our friends was how excited they were to see our weddingwear and, judging by what Johnny and I selected, I think we are going to deliver!

This past Monday, my mom went with me to a local tailor to get my measurements for the dress that I planned on ordering. Despite it being a literal less than five minute visit at the shop, I was still very excited to have that time with my mom because there will be no huge wedding to plan. I never really dreamed of a big wedding, rather, I was more looking forward to the time I would spend with my mom during the preparations.

To get my measurements, I was actually wearing one of my mom’s tops because I only had a hoodie on that day and wanted the numbers to be precise. While waiting for her to arrive in the parking lot, I just had to snap a few selfies, even with no makeup, because I was feeling so happy! I can definitely tell in these pictures:

Once I returned home from my outing with my mom and Johnny got home from work, we both ordered our weddingwear and I can’t wait for both of our outfits to arrive. I can’t tell you guys anything about it because the looks are a surprise but, just know, it will be far from traditional! I wouldn’t want it any other way. ❤

What did you wear for your wedding? What was your ceremony/reception like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar31

Everything’s Coming Up Daffodils

Posted on March 31, 2021 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! The last time I went to my mom and dad’s house, I was completely amazed by all of the lovely yellow daffodils lining their driveway. I had been there two days ago and there wasn’t a single bloom – then, out of nowhere, there was color everywhere. Yellow flowers always put a smile on my face because they remind me of my grandma and the daffodil surprise felt like a special hello from her. Check it out:

The Daffodil Day was, indeed, a glorious one with temperatures in the seventies and it put me in a hopeful, happy mood. I have been enjoying my time outside so much after being cooped up all winter and have already been making the most of the nice weather with photo shoots with Johnny, going on walks with my brother, and playing at the park with my niece and sister. All of the beautiful flowers blooming is an added bonus. 🙂

I hope all of you are experiencing mild temps and flowers and here’s to a wonderful and safe spring!

What is spring weather like in your area? What is your favorite outdoor activity? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar30

A Sunshiney Day

Posted on March 30, 2021 by lifewithlilred

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Hi! I had a random day off this past week and it just so happened to be on the most glorious spring day with weather in the seventies. The only thing on my agenda other than writing was dropping off some laundry to my sister and, instead of going to her house, she suggested we meet at the park so my niece, Valerie, could play. This sounded like the perfect plan to me and I was counting down the hours until our meeting because I knew it would be fun!

In the greater Akron area in Ohio, there are countless places to enjoy the weather when it’s nice out like Metro Parks for hiking, lakes for swimming, and playgrounds for the little ones. My sister, Kristen, and I actually ended up taking Val Gal to one of the parks that we used to play at all the time when we were kids and it hit right in the nostalgia. With Valerie and Kristen’s senior foster dog, Baby, in tow we spent over an hour at the park running around, swinging, sliding, and teeter-tottering.

Being an aunt is one of the best things that has ever happened to me and I treasure any time that I get to spend with my lil niece. I love watching my sister be the amazing mom that I knew she would be and we are both constantly in stitches together over Val and her “goofball” ways, as Kristen always says.

Just one hour in the park and sunshine with my sis, Val, and Baby put me in the best mood and it was such an awesome way to welcome the beautiful weather. Whenever I am feeling blue, I always remember that Val can say “Hi, TT” to me now and it instantly makes everything better. My sister and her daughter are my number one BFFs (And my mom, of course!) and I am so lucky to have them and am so thankful for the wonderful time we spent together at the park! ❤

How do you enjoy the outdoors in your area? What was your favorite thing on the playground when you were little? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar20

Our Engagement! Here’s How It Happened

Posted on March 20, 2021 by lifewithlilred

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Hi! On March 13th, Johnny and I got engaged and it was the surprise of a lifetime because I had NO idea. As you all know, Johnny has been helping me photograph my Reimagine Your Wardrobe series and even agreed to be my model every now and again. He suggested that once the weather was nicer, we could go to downtown Cuyahoga Falls AKA the Riverfront and take some pictures together for a day date and I was ecstatic to go on a safe outing – one of our first since October of last year.

It was a beautiful day on Saturday with a clear blue sky and warmer temps so after hanging out in the morning, we got ourselves all done up and stepped out in our OOTDs. We spent an hour or so exploring different areas along the shopping plaza and the Cuyahoga River and were having so much fun taking pictures, pretending to be photographers and models, and enjoying the weather and each other’s company.

You can get all of the details for our outfits tomorrow as well as additional pictures but here is a little preview:

Throughout our photography adventure, we were struggling with the timed setting on the camera and for our last pictures together he said we should just take a video and save our favorite screen grabs from it. That sounded much easier to me than having to run back and forth between the camera and where we were standing under a stone archway so we got ourselves situated and began posing while a video was being taken.

Johnny told me I should face the other way for a few shots so I turned around thinking he was working the camera right along with me. Then, he told me I should turn towards him and he was on one knee! You could have knocked me over with a feather – it was absolutely amazing. And, yes, I have watched the video of our engagement a million times since then. 🙂

After the proposal, we sat on the patio of our favorite bar, The Cashmere Cricket, to have drinks and celebrate. This also just so happens to be where we had our first date. How sweet is that?! On Saturdays, The Cricket makes their drinks with dry ice so our beverages were smoking and bubbling like a science experiment as we sipped on them and grinned from ear to ear every time Johnny delightfully exclaimed that he “got me”!

Once we finished up on the patio, we went back to our place and a few of our friends in our “COVID bubble” stopped by for an hour or so. Then, Johnny and I snuggled up on the couch to listen and sing along to some music together. We ended the night with a dance party while we watched Grease and it was simply perfect. ❤

Be sure to tune in tomorrow for our Engagement OOTDs and keep checking back in for more on my ring, which needs resized!

How did you get engaged? Where did you and your partner have your first date? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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