Tag Archives: home decor

Monday Update: MakeSpace Edition

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Monday Update: MakeSpace Edition

Hellooo everyone and happy Monday! Recently, I learned about the super cool storage company, MakeSpace. As we discussed how their service is like one of my favorite movies, Clueless, I knew I just had to write about it. MakeSpace is a service that comes to your place, grabs your stuff, and stores it for you. With the warm spring weather on the horizon, now is the perfect time to store away your winter duds for next year. The best part is, is that when the time comes for you to need your stored away items again, you can consult your virtual closet and MakeSpace will deliver it back to you. Will your virtual closet be as amazing as Cher’s from Clueless? Probably not. But storing with MakeSpace is a great place to start!

Before we begin discussing how I prepare for warm weather as well as my spring time essentials, some music is in order. Take a listen to the late great David Bowie’s “Fashion” featured in Clueless:

^^^ Love it. ❤

When it comes to prepping for spring, keeping an organized closet it a total must for me. That means saying bye bye to cold weather boots, heavy jackets, and thick sweaters to combat frigid Ohio winters. If I stored with MakeSpace, all of these snowy day necessities would be taken away ASAP and replaced with all things spring! We’re talking sweet sun dresses, maxi skirts, light cardigans, and open toed heels – finally!

With my winter clothing stored safely away at MakeSpace, my closet would have ample room to welcome some of my favorite spring time clothing and accessories. I’m really looking forward to putting my knee length gladiator sandals to good use as well as my collection of floral skirts. Shocking, I know, that the girl who boasts about wearing all black constantly has clothes in the most girly pattern ever! BUT, these skirts are special because they were my grandma’s and I love all things vintage!

Despite my tendency to lean towards black clothing, I like to pepper all of my outfits with at least a little splash of color. To keep things relatively springy in my looks, I plan on breaking out one of my favorite purses. A vegan leather turquoise satchel. The Easter bright vibrancy of the bag will be a gorgeous pop of color against my soft tan trench coach and black skinny jeans!

Once all of my spring clothes is runway ready (AKA strutting down the aisles of Target), there are a few final Lil Red spring essentials:

  1. A felt floppy hat in a gauzy color. Maybe mauve, peach, or cream.
  2. Long necklaces for layering. I’m currently obsessed with rosary style necklaces.
  3. A killer pair of shades. I plan on rocking my daisy embellished aviators constantly!

Pair with a sundress, cardi, and kitten heels. Rinse. Repeat. Hello, Spring!

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As we bring this article to a close, I’d like to end with a story which explains just why my family needs MakeSpace in our lives. This past week my beloved mother began readying her spring wardrobe when she realized that she couldn’t find her shorts from last year anywhere. For days I had to hear a litany of “I don’t know where they could be”, “It’s not like they could just walk away”, and of course, “Sarah, can you help me”? It. Was. Torture.

But lucky for my mom, Detective Sarah was on the case. Thanks to my expert snooping work, I found my mom’s shorts crammed in one of the dresser drawers that she never uses. Right in the nick of time, too, considering a few hours later she hopped on a plane to hot and sunny Atlanta, Georgia to visit my brother! Moral of the story: Had we been storing away our clothes according to season with MakeSpace, this incident and future ones to come would never be an issue. Because believe me, this is not the last you’ve heard of my mom and I not being able to find anything!

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: MakeSpace Edition! What is your go to spring staple? What would you store away with MakeSpace? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Big Chill Kitchen Makeover

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Big Chill Kitchen Makeover

Hi everyone and welcome to a fun Kitchen Makeover edition of lifewithlilred, compliments of Big Chill! When I was asked to create my dream kitchen by Big Chill, I just couldn’t refuse. They specialize in vintage appliances that are sure to make an amazing centerpiece to get people talking at your next dinner party. There are so many darling choices to pick from that it was hard to choose a favorite! Shop along at: bigchill and see how I would decorate my dream kitchen:

^^^ The thing about my style, is that it’s very eclectic. There’s no rhyme or reason for why I like certain things and I’m never too concerned about creating the perfect match. Is my dream kitchen worthy of being featured in the top five “world’s most beautiful kitchens”? Probably not, but I sure had a good time making it! Take a peek inside my mind and see why I picked the items featured above:

Cherry Red stove: As I browsed through Big Chill’s website, the first item that really caught my eye was their Cherry Red stove – which shouldn’t be that big of a surprise! As soon as I saw it, countless ideas for a retro 1950’s chic kitchen began to bloom and I knew that I wanted it for my centerpiece. Yes, it’s one of my favorite colors but it’s just so darn fun! I love to cook and thinking about creating meals for my family on this little beauty made me so happy. It’s bright, cool, and the perfect pop of color for a kitchen that wows.

Kitchen cabinets: I like how the cabinets that I found are kind of shabby chic. They scream “1950’s starter home kitchen” to me and I think it’s really charming. Once you have true vintage style appliances line the ones from Big Chill, you just have to ride out the theme and I think these cabinets do it perfectly. I would change the color to a few shades lighter but other than that, I’m a fan!

Black dishwasher: Despite all of the darling colors you can pick from on Big Chill’s site, I didn’t want to go too crazy and stuck with a classic black dishwasher. To me, the color looks matte, which is nice because it lets the vibrant appliances like the refrigerator and stove do the talking. Of course, you may need the help of Ferris Plumbing, Heating & Cooling to get it fitted but that can make your kitchen refit even more convenient. Not all homes from back in the day had a dishwasher but it was a must for me because Lil Red does not do dirty dishes!!

Hand towels & wall art: I wanted some sweet hand towels to lay around the kitchen so I kept with the color red and found some cute checked ones to scatter about. They’ll be perfect for slopping up spills of wine, coffee, and junk food! I also wanted some unique pictures to hang and I really like the black utensil decor. The wall art is simple but it still looks sharp and stands out and I think they’ll make a great addition to my dream kitchen.

Beach Blue refrigerator: Oh yes, I love love LOVE this Big Chill fridge! The Beach Blue color is so vibrant and bright, it’s just delightful. I also really like combining this cheery blue with the Cherry Red stove. This refrigerator is pure fun and I couldn’t imagine how envious my friends would be if I had this appliance in my home.

Kitchen table: A vintage style kitchen needs just the right table and I adore the red and white dinette that I found. It looks like it came straight out of the cutest mom and pop diner and it really ties the retro theme together. All it needs now is a nice big bowl of fresh fruit and a vase full of bright and blooming flowers.

Pink Lemonade Microwave: For Lil Red, a microwave is a must. No one likes to cook all the time! I went with Big Chill’s Pink Lemonade microwave for my kitchen. I didn’t want to repeat any of the colors of the other appliances so I went with the pink, which is a color I don’t normally pick. I like how girly and sweet it is, though, and I think it compliments the other appliance colors really nicely. The Pink Lemonade color is more muted, too, which I think is a plus. A microwave any brighter would probably clash with the other items in my kitchen.

Vanilla walls: To complete my kitchen, I would paint the walls a rich and creamy vanilla. To me, that color is a neutral even though it isn’t your standard black, white, or beige. I think the vanilla walls would make the Big Chill appliances really pop and it has a great quirky and retro feel overall.

Ta da!! My Big Chill Kitchen Makeover! I had so much fun writing this article and giving a go at home decor. Please make sure you check out the other wonderful appliances that Big Chill has to offer at: bigchill. How would you decorate your dream kitchen? What color of appliances would you get from Big Chill? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Best Sister Ever? Best Sister Ever!

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Best Sister Ever? Best Sister Ever!

Heyyy there and a happy Tuesday evening to all of you! So yesterday my sister, Kristen, texted me with an ominous picture of a cardboard box saying that she got me a present. I was so curious about what she gifted me with and as soon as she was home I ripped the box open to find this gorgeous new mirror:

mirror

Kristen told me that when she saw this while out shopping she just “had to” get it for me…She knows me all too well! I have a deep love for all things Egyptian – if you’re familiar with my site then you’ll know I have a big Isis tattoo piece on my side. So needless to say, I was simply thrilled when I saw this unique home decor piece! I decided to hang my mirror above my jewelry department in my closet boutique so I have a perfect view of what necklace and earrings to wear with each outfit. You can see the new home for my mirror in my featured image photo.

I am so thankful for all of the amazing treats and gifts that Kristen surprises me with. I’m thankful for the times when we lay in bed snuggling or are going out and about to run errands. I’m thankful for any time that we spend together because I know that it’s time spent with my best friend. I hate to brag, but I really do have the best sister ever! ❤

I hope all of you are having a wonderful rest of your day and make sure you tune in for Woman Crush Wednesday: Anne Hathaway Edition tomorrow! Who else has a sibling that’s your best friend? Does anyone else have a love for Egyptian everything? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Cool Decorating Ideas

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Cool Decorating Ideas

Heyyy everyone and happy Sunday! So every once in a while my parents and I like to hit up Tuesday Morning, which is a lot like TJMaxx minus the clothing. The store has a lot of cool home decor pieces including everything from furniture, mirrors, artwork, and any knick knack you can imagine in one convenient location. Every time I go to Tuesday Morning I tell myself that when the time comes for me to decorate my own apartment I will most definitely be shopping there. I took some pictures of some pieces that I thought were fun and unique to share with you guys and maybe give you some ideas of your own for decorating! Take a look:

IMG_3553[1]IMG_3555[1]IMG_3556[1]IMG_3557[1]IMG_3558[1]IMG_3559[1]IMG_3560[1]IMG_3561[1]IMG_3563[1]

^^^^ Rad, right??

I’m a really big fan of the antique-y vibe that I get from all of these cool little odds and ends. My absolute favorite thing pictured above is the step ladder shelf. I admire that baby every time I go to Tuesday Morning and I would love to have it in my room to house my beloved shoes on. I also really like all of the floral painted wall hooks – I can picture a plethora of those hanging up on the walls in my room to display all of my hats and scarves. I get happy just thinking about it! One item in particular that I’m not sure that I would put in my apartment would be the bust statue – but I guess it would be a pretty good conversation piece! What I was instantly drawn to today when I entered the store was the mini pedestals with the glass container covers. Those are absolutely gorgeous, and my first thought when I saw them was that I would love to display all of my jewelry in them. I imagined a row of the containers going across my desk with each of them holding a necklace or bracelet. So cute! It’s always so fun going into Tuesday Morning to see what’s new and exciting, and I can’t wait for the day that I can go there and fill up a shopping cart with all of the decorations that my little heart desires! Until the fateful day that I move out, I’ll just be admiring all of these items from afar!

I hope these pictures inspired all of the decorators out there to get to work on a new project! Where is your favorite place to buy home decor at? What is your favorite decorative piece in your living quarters? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Have a great day! -Sarah

Don’t Hate, Redecorate!

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Don’t Hate, Redecorate!

So after my latest shoe haul at Kohl’s which you guys read about in “Monday Update: Shoes, Shoes, Shoes Edition!” I came to the sad realization that I no longer had room on my shoe wall for all of my beauties. I was extremely distressed at this, so I scoured through the house in search of some new shelving to add on with. Luckily, in my dining room we have a white shelf with a bunch of random odds and ends on it that wasn’t really serving much of a purpose, so I emptied it off and hauled it up to my room. (Now the random odds and ends are on the dining room table, which I’ll clear off EVENTUALLY!) Anyways, here’s the finished result of me getting my Martha Stewart on:

omgshoes

^^^ A girl can never have too many shoes, right?

Lugging the shelving on the bottom left side of my shoe tower up the stairs was a pain in my ass, but it was so worth it! Now all of my precious shoesies have a home! And if you notice in the middle green shelf, there’s a picture hanging up….and before you ask, yes, it is a picture of One Direction. Ha! I mentioned before that I got some 1D notebooks for my college classes on sale at Target, and after filling up one of the notebooks I couldn’t resist tearing the cover off and hanging it up. Now the beautiful One Direction boys will forever be guarding my shoe wall, which is fine by me! HUBBA HUBBA. My shoe wall is my happy place, and now that I have a little cubby for all of my children I can rest easy at night. While rearranging all of the random this and thats in my room, I decided to finally hang up my reader map (which you guys know all about) on my wall. Take a look:

mapp

My reader map found its forever home in my room right below my picture of the Seinfeld cast, so now when I look up at my wall I’ll see two of my favorite things! I decided to add some decorations to the map as well, now it has this silly tomahawk craft that me and my boo thang, Tyler made together on one of our Middle Aged Monday hangouts and it’s also donning a paper fan that I got at Disney World when my family went forever and ever ago. I have some very precious memories hanging up on my map now and I love having it hanging on the wall for the world to see, rather than on my floor and pushed up against my closet.

Snazzing up my room was such a fun little project that boasted great results. I love when minor changes make a huge difference. I’ve had my room laid out the same for as long as I can remember, so walking into something fresh and new almost feels like entering an entirely different room! If you’re ever looking for something to do on a boring or rainy day, I totally recommend doing a little bedroom (or any room for that matter!) switch up! New is fun, and there’s nothing better than refreshing something blah with quick and easy changes!

I hope all of you are having a fabulous Hump Day! What was one of your favorite redecorating projects? Did a DIY project ever go severely wrong? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Goodnight! -Sarah

Renovation Station

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Renovation Station

Hi hi hi hi hiiiiii. So tomorrow I planned on showing you guys what the new renovations on our hallway/entry way look like, but then I remembered that I’ll be out of office for most of the day so I figured I’ll just get it out of the way now! I mentioned earlier that we were getting our hallway and whatnot painted and the finished product looks SO fab and shockingly modern considering my dad came up with most of the ideas! Take a look at the before and after pics:

BEFORE:

renovation

AFTER:

renovation2

I know that the lighting in these pictures isn’t the best, but you get the idea. Our faithful handyman who we go to for literally everything did such an amazing job. He spent the better part of this week painting, doing whatever else it is that he does, and making everything look perfect. I know you can’t really tell the color of the hallway in the very first picture on the PicStitch because it didn’t photograph very well, but it’s a sage green and it’s SO pretty. I’m really hoping that we can get some cool artwork to hang on the walls soon, because they’re looking super bare. But yes, being woken up early every morning by the handyman doing his thang was totally worth it, as you can see by the finished results!

^^^This has been my blogging soundtrack and I’m so obsessed it hurts. I love AWOLNATION too much and am so excited to listen to their new album in its entirety later tonight because I finally added it to my iTunes today!

Tomorrow my parents, my best friend Kate, and I are going to see Beauty & The Beast at Playhouse Square in Cleveland and I CANT WAIT!!!! I haven’t seen a musical in ages and shocking as it may be for some – I absolutely love them. It’s going to be so much fun and I’m really looking forward to telling you guys all about it, so make sure you keep it posted at lifewithlilred! I’ll try and get some pictures if I can!! ALSO, I have a really fun photo shoot planned on Sunday for some fresh new pics for the ol’ blog so make sure you come back and check them out! I’m not going to give the idea away completely, but I can tell you that the shoot revolves around my early birthday gift from my mom….a super adorable Betsey Johnson purse!! I live for Betsey Johnson’s quirky/girly/fun clothes and accessories so needless to say I’m beyond happy with my month and a half early gift! :))))

I hope all of you are having a terrific Friday night! I’m actually about to go watch The Theory of Everything again with my parents. They didn’t watch it with me last week and the movie was so nice damn right I’ll watch it twice! Have any of you done any home renovations lately? How did they turn out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Goodnight. -Sarah