Tag Archives: husband

Aug21

Guest Appearance OOTD

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Guest Appearance OOTD

Hello! I attended a work function this past Friday with Johnny to celebrate with his teammates on the completion of a new product. I was really excited because I have never met any of his coworkers before and just had to make a Guest Appearance after my shift at work. It was an absolute blast to sip on drinks and chat it up with everyone who spends part of their day with my better half! Since it was a casual event, I didn’t want to go all out with an outfit but wanted to put together something cute and eye catching. Especially since Johnny did an outfit change to go to the party too! I love how this little look turned out:

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Who? What? Wear?

Houndstooth Vest: Sincerely Jules, TJMaxx

The black crop top is from Target from forever ago!

Skinny Jeans: 1822 Denim, TJMaxx

Color Pop Loafers: Steve Madden, Walmart

Bat Earrings: AbbieDabbles

The necklace is from American Eagle from forever ago!

I am so not a jeans and a T-shirt girl and when it comes to casual dressing, this OOTD is about as casual as it gets for me. A majority of Johnny’s coworkers are aware of my blog and job so I wanted my look to reflect that without being too extra about it. However, that proved to be more difficult than I imagined because all of my clothes are pretty extra lol! As I browsed through my closet to decide what to wear, I locked in on my houndstooth vest by Sincerely Jules and went for it. I am a huge fan of anything in this pattern and knew I could use the vest as the focal point of the outfit while keeping the rest fairly basic. Exactly what I needed for a low key event!

Since I wanted the vest to do the talking, I went the minimal route for the base of the outfit. My ballerina crop top from Target is old as dirt but it served its purpose well for this look. It also provided just the right amount of peek-a-boo skin that wasn’t too revealing. For jeans, I slipped on my pair of skinnies by 1822 Denim. These are one of the newest additions to my black skinny jeans collection and I am all about that distressing at the ankle. It’s a simple touch but it turns basic skinnies into something a little more special.

Finally, it was time for shoes and accessories. The shoe selection was easy peasy because I couldn’t wait to break out my new Steve Madden loafers! I am obsessed with the bright green pop of color and it packed even more of a punch among the neutral palette established. Last on the agenda was jewelry. I filled the blank space on my torso with a canteen style necklace on a thin silver chain and popped on a pair of small dangly bats. With that, I was ready to hit the work party with my main squeeze!

My Guest Appearance OOTD was a hit at the function and I’m confident that everyone knew who I was as soon as I walked in. And, if they didn’t, a smooch hello from Johnny certainly cleared things up!

Do you like attending work parties? Do you hang out with your coworkers outside of work? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug6

Date Night!

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Date Night!

Hello!! Last week was an exhausting one. I spent the entire weekend in bed after coming down with a nasty bug and it made for a work week that seemed never ending as I recovered. By the time this weekend rolled around, I was feeling much better and was ready for some fun. Literally the only thing that kept me going during the week was the reminder that Johnny and I had a Date Night planned for Friday. We were going to do a Middle Class Fancy night on the town of dinner and a movie. Although it didn’t go exactly accordingly to plan, it was still a fabulous outing and just what I needed to shake away the remaining blahs of being sick!

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For our date night, we decided that Outback Steakhouse was the move, then we were going to see Long Legs in theaters. Yes, it does seem weird for a vegetarian to revel in going to a steakhouse lol. What can I say, I love their side dishes and the staff is always most accommodating on letting me know what is truly vegetarian friendly on the menu. While Johnny opted for a steak meal, of course, I went with a salad, mac n’ cheese, mashed potatoes, and a baked potato too. So, basically, just all potatoes and it was divine! We also sipped on tasty cocktails – a margarita for me and the shark themed cocktail seen above for Johnny. It was, admittedly, not that good but we did get a shark souvenir from it which we deemed as the most important thing. 😀

After our dinner, we wanted to go see Long Legs because we are huge horror fans and we haven’t been to a movie in a long time. By a long time, I mean in over a year when we went to see Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny on a Middle Class Fancy date last summer! Unfortunately, it didn’t work out because the movie was playing at the most inconvenient times at every theater we live by. We went to dinner too late for a 5:30 show and we were too tired to kill time until an 8:10 viewing. We are hoping to go see it this upcoming weekend and still had a blast after our dinner date. Once we were home we listened to records, relaxed, and chatted away until an early bedtime to take on the rest of the weekend well rested.

On Saturday we returned to our favorite local spot, the Jenks Building, to check out the new records they got in. Then, we had a lovely visit with Johnny’s family for my father-in-law’s birthday. It was a busy weekend, but a wonderful one. Stay tuned for OOTDs from these outings coming soon!

What was the last movie you saw in theaters? What would you do on a perfect date night? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug5

Fun Date Day Ideas

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Fun Date Day Ideas

Hello!! One of my favorite things in the world is to go on Date Days with Johnny. I think dating your partner is so important no matter how long you’ve been together. Johnny and I have been an item for almost five years and I still get those first date vibes whenever we step out on the town. At least a few times per month, we make it a point to go on a date with each other. It could be for a drink at our favorite bar, going to see a show, or just walking through the outdoor shopping center in Cuyahoga Falls. Whatever we do, it is always the best because we’re together having fun and enjoying each other’s company. Want to pencil in a date day with your significant other? Here are some ideas:

Antiquing/Thrifting:

When Johnny and I first started dating, we would often hit up the thrift store. This was especially entertaining because Johnny was playing in a band at that time and we would try and find the most flashy pieces for him to wear on stage. We also went antiquing on a recent date day and it was a hoot. The beauty of thrift and antique stores is that you literally have no idea what you are going to find. It could be something hilarious or something you didn’t know you needed until now. And, as a bonus, whatever you purchase can serve as a wonderful memento of your time together.

Picnic In The Park:

In Ohio, you have to take advantage of the nice weather because you never know when it’s going to completely change on you lol. One delightful way that we enjoy a beautiful day is a picnic and walk in the park. We will grab some to go sandwiches from Subway or Mr. Zub’s, post up at a park bench, then walk off our meal! Date days can be as lavish or laid back as you want and an outing at the park won’t break your bank but will still be incredibly sweet. It’s always nice to get active with your SO and maybe you will end up making a weekly hike part of your schedule!

New Experiences:

Going on dates is all about trying new things. Be adventurous! Check out that museum you’ve been dying to go to, sign up for a cooking class, take some ballroom dancing lessons. Turn your “I wishes” into “I wills” and see where the day takes you. Perhaps you could each write some ideas down for new locations, eateries, and activities and draw from a hat each date day. There’s a chance that you won’t like whatever was chosen and that’s okay. The most important thing is that you shared a new experience together and that creates lasting memories.

Road Trip:

Maybe you’re bored with the same old, same old in your neck of the woods. So go for a drive! Choose a maximum amount of time you would like to travel for and make stops along the way. Visit quaint diners, quirky shops, and scenic areas for lots of pictures. It’s amazing the places you can find when you venture away from your own backyard. Create a playlist for your drive, get ALL of the snacks from the gas station, and see where you end up. You might just stumble upon your new favorite place.

A Day In:

Sometimes, going out is just as fun as staying in! I absolutely love the nights when Johnny and I play board and video games, listen to music, and chat the evening away. Cook a meal together, indulge in some self care, do a craft, and just chill. You will surely find that this time with no other distractions than each other is even better than dining at a five star restaurant. If you are turning your day into something special, it will be no matter what you do!

Johnny and I had a lovely Date Day this past weekend and I can’t wait to tell you all about it. Stay tuned!!

What was the best date you have ever been on? How about the worst? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul24

Weekend Fun

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Weekend Fun

Hello!!! While I absolutely love a lazy weekend, I like a jam packed one even more and this past one definitely fell under that category. As you saw from yesterday’s post, the Asian Lantern Festival which we attended on Friday was spectacular. It was the perfect evening of family fun with my parents, siblings, and nieces and nephew and I am already dreaming about going back. The good times kept rolling into Saturday because Johnny and I had a lovely little date day too! Check it out:

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We started Saturday out by going to lunch with our downstairs neighbor, Tony. He is simply the best and I view him as my pseudo-grandpa. Johnny, Tony, and myself have an outing at least once or twice a month and it is something we always look forward to. For our lunch date, we went to Pub Bricco which is right down the road from our apartments. It is a charming bar with tasty drink specialties and my all time favorite appetizer – spicy goat cheese marinara with warm pita bread. It is to die for and I have to get it every single time! We were at Bricco for at least two hours sipping on cocktails, chatting it up, and sharing pictures and stories from the past events we spent time at. Tony had a Fourth of July getaway with friends and we couldn’t wait to tell him all about the Asian Lantern Festival. It was a joy. ❤

After lunch, Johnny and I hightailed it out of there to hit up the Jenks Building in Cuyahoga Falls. The Jenks is this amazing staple in downtown CFalls that features handmade goods from local artists, a music venue, bar, and the recently added record room. Johnny went there last weekend on his own and was itching to go back to buy more vinyls for our newly built shelves. We had a blast browsing around and picking out a stack of records that we got for a song. They were only a buck a pop! As we were leaving The Jenks, one of the local photographers with a nearby studio felt inspired enough by us to want to take our pictures (Last two images above). It was so flattering and I felt like a star by my main squeeze in my Date Day best!

To wrap up a wonderful day, I spent four hours gabbing on FaceTime with my blogging bestie. Then, Johnny and I listened to some of our brand new to us records. I got to spend time with some of my favorite people in just one day and I enjoyed every minute of it!

Who is your favorite local artist? What is your favorite restaurant in your neck of the woods? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul22

Lil Red Fun Facts

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Lil Red Fun Facts

Hello! I turned thirty in June and it is so weird to be in a brand new decade. I swear, things that happened literal years ago feel like they just happened yesterday and I know I am technically an adult but I still feel like a teenager! It’s honestly hard to wrap my head around it at times. Despite feeling way younger than I am, my blog is a firm reminder of my age because I started it when I was twenty and will have my ten year blogaversary in September. With that and my new decade in mind, I thought it would be cool to update my fun facts as a freshly turned dirty thirty year old. Let’s get to it:

No Kids For Me:

Johnny and I have been together for over five years now and married for three of them. We get asked ridiculously often if we are ever going to have kids and the answer is still a resounding HARD NO. We are extremely happy with our lives sans children and the desire for parenthood is just not there. However, we are very proud to be the Fun Aunt and Uncle to our nieces and nephew and that is plenty for us. We also love being pet parents to the best bunnies in the whole world, Melvin and Penelope!

The Grind Don’t Stop:

I have been self employed for close to a decade between being an Independent Provider, blog jobs, and social media management. I also recently accepted a job as the social media manager to Tim Misny and it has been amazing! I have an extremely busy schedule, but it is the best kind of busy. I am so lucky to be able to do what I genuinely enjoy every day and it rarely feels like work. I take a lot of pride in the jobs I created for myself and am always excited to see where each work day takes me.

A Few Of My Favorite Things:

My favorite things have really not changed all that much. I am still a horror and true crime aficionado, Mexican and Indian food will always reign supreme, and my days are not complete without a can or two of Diet Coke. The newest addition to my favorites is coffee. It’s not like I didn’t like it before. However, my Keurig perished during the Great Kitchen Flood of 2022 and I never bothered replacing it. For Valentine’s Day this year, Johnny got me a new one and now I don’t know how I survived so long without a morning cup of coffee (or ten lol). My go to KCup is Green Mountain’s French Vanilla and it is my favorite way to kick start the day.

Biggest Wish:

Johnny and I never had a honeymoon and that is definitely my biggest wish. More than anything, we would want a European honeymoon and often talk about all of the adventures we would have. At this point, though, traveling anywhere would be nice! This is easier said than done because Johnny has a normal schedule at his job and limited time off while I make my days up as I go along. Some day we will get to go out and explore the world and I can’t wait!

Guilty Pleasure:

There is nothing better to me than sitting on the couch, putting the TV on, and vegging out. I am obsessed with reality TV and am an avid viewer of basically everything on TLC. Give me ALL of the 90 Day Fiance! My most recent guilty pleasure has got to be Degrassi. I have been rewatching the show from the very beginning and only have two seasons left. Degrassi was mine and my sister’s jam in high school and it is amazing to me how hard the episodes still hit as an adult. I have definitely shed several tears over it and keep going back for more every time I get the chance. This is primarily when Johnny is running errands because he refuses to watch with me lol.

I’m Looking Forward To:

As of now, what I am looking forward to the most is the fall season. I have been over summer since it started and have been manifesting fifty degree days whenever I step foot outside. Fall is my favorite time of year – the fashion, SOUP, weather, and Halloween! Johnny and I already have our costume idea picked out and are planning on Candy Land inspired characters. Lord Licorice for him and a Candy Queen for me. All I need to do is actually find a costume and we are in business. I think it’s going to be adorable!

A new decade yes, but I am still the same old Lil Red as you can see. Some things don’t change all that much!

What are some fun facts about you? What is one of your goals for 2024? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Jul11

Date Day OOTD Bloopers

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Date Day OOTD Bloopers

Hellooo beautiful people and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Date Day OOTD! Johnny and I had some absolutely glorious time off for Fourth of July and it was such a treat. During a normal workweek, we only ever make plans for the weekend. In one week, it was like we squeezed a month’s worth of weekends in and we had a blast! It was so nice to enjoy the summer weather and it was perfect last week. It was never overly hot which is exactly what your favorite vampire couple needs. On Tuesday afternoon we took a stroll through an outdoor shopping center and, of course, I needed to find a brick wall to post in front of for some OOTD shots. And, yes, bloopers too:

JUST STANDING HERE!

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Something STANK

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Lol, just going to leave this one here!

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Foot popping Expectations VS Reality. An expose in four parts:

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^^^ The face of sheer concentration lol.

It is a very rare occasion that I call off of work because, first and foremost, I freaking love my jobs and secondly, I am self employed. The whole no PTO thing can be a massive pain! A lament I’ve had this summer is how awesome life would be if we still got a summer vacation lol. Could you imagine three months of nonstop fun?! It would be a dream! Then, Johnny blessedly had a week and change off for the holiday and I knew that it was my big chance for a summer staycation too. I worked a few shifts as well as online, but a majority of our time was spent with our version of fun in the sun.

We did a little bit of this and a little bit of that during our staycay. There was shopping, mini golf, running around the park like crazy people with our nieces, and catching up with our friends. We had some delicious meals out and I had time to cook a delicious meal myself! When we weren’t out and about, Johnny and I spent a lot of time in our game room that he has been working so hard on. We listened to records, played cards and Scrabble, or just sat and talked. It was a novelty to hang out somewhere other than our living room and we were still able to monitor our mischievous little bunnies for maximum safety! ❤

I loved every minute of my staycay with Johnny and am so glad we had the opportunity to have done so. I was able to turn my summer blahs into boo-yeahs and can’t wait for more adventures!

What is something fun you have done this summer? Where is your dream vacation location? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul6

Date Day!!

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Date Day!!

Hello!! This past week has been so super nice because Johnny and I both had time off from work. We took some time to relax but we mainly jam packed each day with SO many activities. It felt really weird to be having all kinds of adventures when I should have been at work but the good kind of weird! My favorite day of my time off was definitely Tuesday because Johnny and I went on a date day in downtown Cuyahoga Falls AKA the Riverfront. It is such a quaint little area with all kinds of cute boutiques, eateries, and bars. I have wanted to do a shopping day there for so long and it was perfect!

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We began our date at the vintage shops and they are plentiful on the Riverfront. Surprisingly, I have never been to any of them before and now that I have, it is a dangerous combination lol. They were fabulous! My favorite one of all had to be A Signature Antiques and I could have literally spent all day and all my money there. A Signature had clothing, accessories, and decor fresh from the 1930s to the 1990s and it was like shopping in a time capsule. Everywhere I looked offered even more surprises with vintage ware that I have only seen in magazines and movies. It was enchanting, to say the least, and I walked away with two simply amazing accessories. I can’t wait for you to see them soon!

After spending time shopping in the past, we skyrocketed into the present. We visited a coffee shop/bar and got cocktails that we were able to sip as we strolled the Riverfront. There were a few other boutiques I wanted to check out but none of them held a candle to the vintage shops. That was okay, though, because it was just about time for our favorite bar, the Cashmere Cricket, to open. The Cricket is where we had our first date and we also went there to celebrate after getting engaged. It is a very special spot for us and we like to go as often as we can. We enjoyed sharing appetizers and the most divine cocktails. A watermelon mojito for Johnny and a pickle martini for me. It was the perfect way to conclude a perfect day. ❤

I loved my Date Day with my Johnny and being able to spend so much time together having fun this week. It will be hard to go back to work, but I will be looking back on our little staycation most fondly!

What is an ideal date day for you? Do you have any favorite vintage shops in your neck of the woods? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun28

Best Husband Ever

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Best Husband Ever

Hello! In this day and age, it does not take much for me to feel overwhelmed. I have a lot going on and a ton of responsibilities and I am just one Lil Red, after all! This has definitely been effecting my mood and I just feel exhausted and under appreciated. Needless to say, I am SO looking forward to some much needed time off next week. This Tuesday, however, ended up being a banner day because of my Johnny. It’s not often that this happens, but he offered to make dinner for us and it was exactly what I needed. ❤

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I will be perfectly honest – Johnny does not have a ton of recipes in his cooking arsenal lol. He is formidable at using the air fryer, though, and when he asked me if I wanted him to make my favorite of air fried commodities, I was so delighted. For dinner, Johnny made my go to meatless buffalo chicken patties and French fries and it was divine. A simple meal, yes. But it was really nice to be able to chill on the couch and take is easy while Johnny took care of everything. It was incredibly thoughtful and I felt spoiled – he totally clocked that that’s how I needed to feel and accommodated it in the best way he knew how. Taking something off of my plate while also putting something on my plate lol. What can I say, the way to my heart is through my stomach! 😀

Johnny is simply the best and I really am the luckiest gal in the world because of him. He is constantly doing sweet things like this just for me and even on the most stressful days, life is good when I get to come back to our apartment and see him there. He knows that I don’t want or need grand gestures because all of the little things mean so much more to me. It might seem silly, but the most basic meal ever felt like going to a five star restaurant. It was more than enough to make me feel seen and valued. Even more so because I knew that was what he intended and it worked like a charm. What a guy!

Since Johnny was an excellent sport with dinner, I returned the favor by indulging him in watching a WWII documentary together. It was a lovely evening in and I felt way better than I did before. ❤

What is something simple that makes you happy? What do you do when you are in a funk? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun24

Squeezing In Some Fun

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Squeezing In Some Fun

Howdy!! I don’t know about all of you, but I still mourn summer vacations even though it has been years since I was in school. Sometimes adulting can feel cruel and unusual and this is definitely one of those times! With an insanely busy work schedule it can be hard to Squeeze In Some Fun, even if it is sweet summertime. I know that it is often difficult for me to muster the energy to do much over the weekend, but I have been trying. And, although the sleepies never fully leave me, I do feel better when Johnny and I have plans for our time off and we have been putting the effort in!

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The past year and change have been trying times for yours truly and it was almost impossible to pepper joy into limited downtime. This is in stark comparison to when Johnny and I first started dating and we were constantly going here, there, and everywhere. Then, the pandemic hit, crisis in my life happened, and we never got back into the swing of things. Until now, that is. It has felt like we have had plans every weekend for months and it has been really great! Whether it be get togethers with our friends or going out on the town, I feel like I’m on cloud nine afterwards because it’s fun to have fun. 😀

The best thing about this change of pace is planning dates with Johnny. While we enjoy our video game or movie nights, there is nothing better than stepping out in style with my main squeeze. It is also amazing to always have something to look forward to during the work week! I feel like I have been in a bit of a rut lately and this has really helped turn my outlook around. I have loved our dinner dates and meeting up for drinks with our friends at all of our favorite spots. Even returning home afterwards is exciting because we have also shook up our weekend evening activities.

For the last of Johnny’s birthaversary gifts, we picked out a good but budget friendly record player. Johnny has an expansive collection of records but no functioning record player and our purchase was a game changer. My boo spent so much time after we brought the record player home turning our “game room” into an actual game room. He cleaned, he added more artwork to the walls, and he cleared out the closet in the room to house the records in and give us more space. This has given us plenty of room to break out all of the board games we haven’t played in forever. While we play, we take turns picking records at random and listening to one side before swapping it out. We still are all about our video games, but this switch up has made our evenings feel like true quality time and it is a beautiful thing!

Even though we have no plans for a summer vacation, we are making our best efforts to make plans, actually stick to them, and enjoy our weekends more fully. It has definitely helped lift my spirits and I love having a calendar full of activities to motivate me during the work week!

Do you have any big summer plans? What do you do when you feel like you’re in a rut? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun7

Happy Birthday To Me!!!

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Happy Birthday To Me!!!

Hello!!! Johnny’s birthday came and passed, our three year wedding anniversary was next, and now it is time for… DUN DUN DUN… My thirtieth birthday! Oh yes, your girl turns the Dirty Thirty today and I’d be a liar if I said that I’m completely okay with it lol. But hey, another year older another year *hopefully* wiser, right?! As my sweet husband has said, “at least you’re not turning thirty-five” so there’s that. 😀 Despite the slight sense of impending doom I’m feeling, there is so much in life that I am so thankful for. And, a lot of it took into my mid to late twenties to happen. When I remind myself of that, aging doesn’t seem so much as aging but more like an improvement.

While I am sad to be officially done with my roaring twenties, so much good has taken place during my last trip around the sun. The excellent health of one of my loved ones was celebrated, Johnny and I got to spend another year together and watch our nieces and nephew grow, and I even got a new job. And, of course, I can’t forget another year of loving my bunnies and creating daily content for lifewithlilred. Clearly, twenty-nine was pretty good and it makes me feel hopeful that this positive trajectory will continue into a brand new decade.

Although welcoming my thirties is bittersweet, it is the best to be able to celebrate with my Johnny. We have a hot date planned tonight to go to the Olive Garden and rent the new Strangers movie at home and I am thrilled! I have been craving the Olive Garden for months and I have also been looking forward to this new scary movie for months. It is exactly how I want to spend my birthday and I love that we are keeping it simple for maximum quality time. Turning thirty or not, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be so loved by our nearest and dearest for mine and Johnny’s birthaversary week and always! ❤

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Happy Birthday To Me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!