Tag Archives: haul

TJMaxx Winter Haul: Japna Tie Back Top

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TJMaxx Winter Haul: Japna Tie Back Top

Hello everyone and welcome back to my TJMaxx Winter Haul! Today, we are going to be discussing a top by Japna that is, admittedly, not appropriate for winter at all but I can’t wait to rock it come warm weather. This new top is identical in shape to one of my favorite purchases from Altar’d State so I knew that it would be a winner when I saw it. And, if it wasn’t, it would have been no harm no foul because it was only seven bucks on clearance! Check it out:

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When first trying on a top like my new Japna one during my Altar’d State haul, I wasn’t so sure about it:

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My main fear about this kerchief style top was that it would be too much skin, too much bra strap, and that it wouldn’t be flattering in the slightest. So, imagine my surprise when I was in the Altar’d State fitting room and it worked perfectly. The tie back covered up the back of my bra completely, it wasn’t too revealing in the midriff, and best of all – it showcased all of the tattoos on my back that never get seen.

This top was one of my absolute faves to wear last summer and I have been on the hunt for more like it ever since. I never had any luck finding a similar top until my past TJMaxx haul and I was So. Freaking. Excited. about it. Not only was it the same shape but it was black and snakeskin patterned which made it EVEN BETTER! 😀

As you all know, I love snakeskin anything and everything so I felt like I won the lottery when I found this little Japna number for under ten bucks. As soon as warm weather hits, it is so on and I might just alternate between it and my Altar’d State top all summer long. Not really, but I am pretty stoked about it lol.

Pairing my Japna top with my black shorts from American Eagle Outfitters and my new Barbie pink platforms (Which you will see soon!) will definitely be the move. To accessorize, multiple bracelets, huge sunglasses, and a big tote bag are a must. Can it be summer now or?

What is your favorite animal print? What is your ideal summertime outfit? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

TJMaxx Winter Haul: Fringe Shawl By Laundry

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TJMaxx Winter Haul: Fringe Shawl By Laundry

Hello! I had a wonderful winter haul from TJMaxx and I am so excited to begin incorporating all of my new goodies into my wardrobe. One item that I am particularly thrilled about is a shawl by Laundry By Shelli Segal. This little number was originally forty-eight dollars and I got it for seven bucks on clearance! I have never seen anything like it before and have a feeling that I will be wearing it all of the time to spice up my OOTDs. Check it out:

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When it comes to accessorizing my looks, I am always on the prowl for unique pieces to take things to the next level. I love bold, chunky jewelry, platform boots, scarves, and anything faux fur. I’m not sure what to call my new Laundry shawl because it isn’t, really. But, whatever it is, I’m obsessed and know that it will make amazing appearances in my OOTDs.

If this shawl were just the lace part, I probably would have passed on it. However, the fringe and hanging tassels take this piece over the top into something cool and edgy rather than, dare I say it, a bit old lady. The details on my new shawl are divine and it doesn’t feel flimsy in the slightest, which is something that I was worried about.

I cannot wait to wear this over top of my silk camis and other sleeveless tops and dresses come warm weather. It will also be a clever way to conceal visible bra straps because wearing one is a necessity for me. I am envisioning pairing my new wrap with short shorts, a cami top, gold jewelry, and some funky wedges for a summer date day with my husband!

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

TJMaxx Winter Haul: Talia Benson Dress

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TJMaxx Winter Haul: Talia Benson Dress

Hello everyone and welcome to the fashion part of my TJMaxx winter haul! Today, we are going to be discussing a gorgeous dress by Talia Benson that is delightfully reminiscent of my wedding dress. The best part? I don’t have to get married to wear it! I cannot wait to wear this dress literally all of the time and it is one of my favorite TJs purchases ever. Check it out:

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I don’t know about you guys, but any articles of clothing with an attached slip or cami drive me nuts. I kid you not, it took me a solid five minutes to figure out the best way to get this dress on properly and I almost just said “forget it” to save me the frustration. However, once it was on and I showed Johnny he told me how much he liked it and that “beauty is pain”. It was just the pep talk I needed because, damnit, I liked it a lot too!

Now that I know how to get this dress on in the easiest way possible, I can’t believe my weakness almost made me return it. It is beautiful!! The polka dot mesh overlay on top of the slip is stunning and I love the tiered bottom, tied back, and ribbons on the sleeves. It is the perfect amount of extra and I am looking forward to wearing it on a date with Johnny when we step out in our goth best. And, yes, I absolutely plan on carrying my black lace parasol with it.

I have no idea what the original price was for this Talia Benson number but I know that it had to be way more expensive than the forty dollars I paid for it. My new dress is of such high quality. The slip is thick so it doesn’t have the sheerness that sometimes comes with that territory and the mesh overlay is delicate without feeling like it’s going to rip every five seconds.

I plan on wearing my new dress with my red Bamboo platforms, bold gold jewelry, and my parasol for the ultimate Princess Of Darkness OOTD. Be sure to keep it posted for pics because that it going to be my outfit when Johnny and I go see Jesus Christ Superstar later this month! 😀

How would you style this dress? Have you ever returned something because it was too difficult to put on? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

TJMaxx Winter Haul: So Much Skin Care

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TJMaxx Winter Haul: So Much Skin Care

Hello! If you look at my newly organized beauty hoard, it is very easy to think that I definitely don’t need any more skin or bath and body care. I say FALSE and figured that my TJMaxx gift cards would be perfect to use for fortifying my stock pile and eliminating restock orders for a good long while. When scouring the beauty aisles in TJs, I had my eye open for moisturizer, serum, eye cream, and whatever else tickled my fancy. I ended up walking away with all of the following:

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As I mentioned before, it has been such a long time since I shopped in TJMaxx and I forgot how much fun it was to find new treasures in their beauty section. Prior to the pandemic, I would test out new skin care from TJs every couple of months when I needed a restock. Now, however, I have stuck to using tried and true favorites that I can order easily and have available at home. While this shopping trip would have been much better with my mom or sister there, it was still exciting to browse the aisles by myself!

While I paid full price for several of the products that I purchased, I was happy to find that a few of them were on clearance, which sweetened the deal even more. I am especially thrilled about the Evoluderm micellar water from France. It is, easily, the best micellar water that I have ever used so I had to grab the last two big bottles available.

I am most looking forward to testing out the new serums because I have been using the Tree Of Life ones for a while. They are fine and I have no major complaints but I am always open to trying new products. The same goes for moisturizer and eye cream. The Garnier SkinActive moisturizer and Elf Holy Hydration! eye cream have been staples in my skin care routine for almost a year so I can’t wait to shake things up!

Finally, I just had to buy another St. Ives scrub because they are my absolute favorite as well as one more SkinLab cleanser. I haven’t even used the SkinLab face washes that I have yet but I love that brand so how bad can it be? 😀

When it comes to my beauty stock pile, it never hurts to have extra – obviously! This huge haul will serve me well for many months to come and nothing beats when it was all purchased on a gift card!

Where is your favorite place to shop skin care? What is in your beauty hoard? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

TJMaxx Winter Haul: Go Away Doormat

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TJMaxx Winter Haul: Go Away Doormat

Hello! Thanks to generous Christmas gift cards to TJMaxx, I had an online haul with some darling clothes and shoes which will be discussed later. I did have some returns to make, however, so ended up spending some time shopping in store for the first time in what felt like ages. It was great! I was able to make an exchange for some new skin care, birthday gifts for my niece and mom, a new sweater, and this amazing doormat that I couldn’t pass up on:

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I never go into TJMaxx with set ideas of what I would like to buy, rather, the store tells me what I need. When making my rounds through the home goods section, I wasn’t expecting to find this Fiesta doormat for a whole eight dollars and I just had to have it. I have been looking for something like this since I moved into my apartment and have never seen one in store before. I also didn’t feel like spending twenty plus bucks to order one online.

Not only did I really want this mat, but it was also a necessary purchase. Mine and Johnny’s “Come back with a warrant” doormat has seen better days and basically does nothing to help remove snow from our shoes upon entering the apartment. The nasty slush always ends up making its way into our entryway, which results in a ton of additional cleaning so this was eight dollars well spent. The course bristles and sweet sentiment will go a long way for the rest of winter! 😀

I am so excited about all of my new goodies from TJMaxx so keep it posted for more from my winter haul. Tomorrow, we will be discussing skin care and then all of the fashion afterwards. See you then!

What is one of your favorite TJMaxx purchases? What is your least favorite chore around the house? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Happy Haulidays: Parents Edition

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Happy Haulidays: Parents Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to the last edition of my holiday haul compliments of my parents! The one thing that I asked for for Christmas was a new set of pots and pans and they definitely delivered. I can’t wait to use the beautiful set that they got me and it will be nice to not have to do dishes immediately after cooking dinner as I originally only had a handful of pots and pans before! Check it out:

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Thanks to my husband’s family graciously giving us a new air fryer for Christmas and the new cookware from mine, we have everything that we need in our kitchen now. I am so happy! I try to cook an “actual” dinner instead of air fried foods several times per week so these pots and pans will certainly come in handy. My old cookware is also, admittedly, not the best so using quality cookware for the first time is something that I’m really looking forward to.

While some might consider cooking to be a chore, it is one of my favorite things to do. Serving food for someone is an act of love, and I always enjoy whipping up mine and Johnny’s favorite meals. Our middle class fancy conversation after dinner usually is something along these lines…

Me: I love cooking you dinner.

Johnny: And I love eating it!

Lol, there is nothing more satisfying than that to me!

After a much needed curbside grocery order, I have a feeling that I will be cooking up a storm. Thanks to my parents, I have all of the tools I need to make my time spent cooking an even more joyful experience. ❤

What are some of your favorite vegetarian recipes? How do you show love to someone? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Happy Haulidays: Sister & Family Edition

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Happy Haulidays: Sister & Family Edition

Hello! To celebrate Christmas part two, my entire family went to Oglebay in Wheeling, West Virginia all together. It was such a wonderful long weekend filled with good company, good food, and all of the holiday cheer. To kick start our festivities, we began with a gift exchange for all of the presents that hadn’t been opened yet. My sister, her boyfriend, and my sweet niece gifted me with the following:

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I was so happy to give everyone their presents and receiving some for me was the cherry on top. I am very excited to test out my new makeup from Nars and Anastasia Beverly Hills because I have never used anything by either brand before. Be sure to keep it posted on lifewithlilred for some swatch posts soon!

Not only did I get some new makeup but I also was gifted with some pretty copper mugs to make Moscow Mules with – my favorite. As always, the Chipotle gift card will serve me well because that is also one of my favorites. It isn’t quite Taco Bell but it still holds a special place in my heart. ❤

The crowning jewel of my gifts from my sis and her family is definitely the handmade mustard yellow beanie from Discounted Dreams. It is a small business run by one of our friends who is pretty incredible with some needles and yarn. I have already worn my gift several times and it is nice and warm – not to mention one of my favorite colors too!

My long weekend with my whole family was the best gift in the entire world but I sure love my presents from my big sis. Keep tuning into lifewithlilred for more about Oglebay, a brand new OOTD, makeup swatches, and haulidays!

How did your family celebrate the holiday season? Have you ever been to Oglebay before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Walmart Gift Card Haul

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Walmart Gift Card Haul

Hello! Johnny’s mom and dad were kind enough to gift me with a Walmart gift card for Christmas. And, let me tell you, I have never felt more like an adult than during my online shopping haul to use it. I spent my gift card on apartment essentials and while it wasn’t the most fun thing in the world, all of these things will be handy to have around:

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For home essentials, you can’t go wrong with any of these purchases. Johnny and I are always in need of Drano, trash bags, electric toothbrush heads, and filters for our Brita pitcher. I rarely do shopping at Walmart so I figured that buying these must haves was the way to go to make the most of my gift card. It will also mean less stuff to buy when I do my next curbside pickup at Giant Eagle. Not only did I get all of the above, but I also got some fluorescent lights that have been burnt out in my kitchen for literal months. Whoops!

Was this the most exciting haul in the world? Not necessarily. But, will it be much needed around the apartment? Totally. It was nice to be able to make such good use of the gift from Johnny’s parents. Thanks again! ❤

What are some of your home essentials? What makes you feel like an adult? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Happy Haulidays: Bestie Edition

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Happy Haulidays: Bestie Edition

Hello! This past Wednesday, my best friend of fourteen years, Lea, and I had our holiday gift exchange. It may have been a bit late but it still felt like Christmas magic to me. As soon as she walked in the door, we immediately began opening presents and spent the evening girl talking away. I am so in love with what my best girl gifted me with and my new flower pressed coasters she got me from Etsy already have a very special place on my coffee table:

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Lea and I both know the value of receiving bath and body care during gift exchanges so I was very excited for some eos brand goodies to add to my beauty hoard. I have only ever used their lip balms before, which are fabulous, so I can’t wait to test out the lotion and hand cream. Eos is a brand that I have always been interested in, but would never buy for myself so it was a perfect present.

Of course, the piece de resistance were the handmade coasters that she purchased off of Etsy. We both share an affinity for shopping on Etsy and my gifts from her were actually ordered on there too. I have never owned coasters before so it definitely felt like moving up in the adult world. And, what an amazing place to start because they are beautiful! 😀

For over fourteen years, Lea and I have participated in gift exchanges and it will never get old. It is so special to share holidays and birthdays with her and, oh yeah, half of our lives too. She is the best friend a gal could ask for and I love her so much! ❤

How do you celebrate holidays with your bestie? Do you have a favorite Etsy shop? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Happy Haulidays: Husband’s Family Edition

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Happy Haulidays: Husband’s Family Edition

Hello! Due to the high rates of COVID in Ohio, Johnny and I have had to have late Christmas celebrations with our families. This is why you haven’t seen any OOTDs or Hauliday posts recently but keep your eyes peeled because they are still going to happen! This past week, we celebrated with Johnny’s family and one of his aunts who is just wonderful and it was such a great time.

Living during a pandemic is insanely difficult but especially during the holidays as Johnny and I want to protect our vulnerable populations as much as we can. We haven’t seen his family as much as we would like so it was so nice to be able to share a meal, catch up, and open presents. Johnny’s family so generously gifted me with the following:

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Hanging out with Johnny’s family after so much time apart was the best gift of all, of course, but I am so appreciative of everything that they treated us to. I love my cobweb earrings the best of all and I am tickled by the gift from Johnny’s dad of the flashlight/screw driver/whistle/everything else lol. It is such a dad gift and I am obsessed – even if I don’t quite know how to use it. 😀

I am also very touched by the ornament from his mom made for caregivers, although we all had a laugh about how we couldn’t read the sweet sentiments that were on it. Johnny and I have been diligently working through our holiday chocolate – my favorite being the chocolate covered chips. I have never tried one before and it is the perfect combination of sweet and salty. I could seriously eat twenty bags of them!

The piece de resistance of our holiday haul had to be the new air fryer for the both of us. We meant to buy a new one after we got married as ours was on the fritz but we just never got around to it. It finally went kaput a few months ago so we were thrilled with the new appliance. We have been air frying literally everything and have missed it so much. The novelty of air fried food never wears off. 🙂

Although we didn’t keep up with our Miller family tradition of watching Christmas Vacation together, it was still an amazing celebration. I am so thankful to have two beautiful families to join in the holidays with and have my fingers crossed that we can celebrate next Christmas on time altogether! ❤

How did you celebrate the holidays this year? What is your favorite gift in your holiday haul? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah