Tag Archives: jewelry

Feb14

Get Ready With Me: Valentine’s Day Style

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Get Ready With Me: Valentine’s Day Style

Hello everyone and happy happy Valentine’s Day! Shout out to the couples celebrating today and also shout out to the single ladies (like me) who will be enjoying wine, chocolate, and chick flicks solo dolo! But hey, whether you’re in a relationship or not, there is one thing that I’m sure we can all agree on: Valentine’s Day is a day to get cute. It’s no matter if it’s just for yourself or for your significant other, V-Day is the day to pull out all of the girly fun stops that might not fly for you on the regular. We’re talking florals, lace, darling dresses, and accessories for days.

“But Sarah, you’re the farthest thing from girly when it comes to your style”, you might say? Yeah, I know but watch me put together the best of both worlds of rocker chic and totally sweet with this look:

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My Outfit:

  • Butterfly Moto Jacket: Nasty Gal, Signature Eight
  • Floral Dress: One Love Yoga & Boutique, Millibon
  • Dove Detailed Heels: ModCloth
  • Heart Shaped Sunnies: PacSun
  • Pearl Necklace: My grandma’s! ❤

When styling this look, I knew that I wanted to create something very feminine and pretty but I also wanted to give myself a bit of edge so that I would still feel like myself. I started the process with my burgundy floral Millibon dress and began to piece together a cohesive outfit from there. The butterfly moto jacket from Nasty Gal was a no brainer to throw over the dress. The olive hue of the jacket matched those in the dress perfectly but what sold me on it was the shape. To toughen up a sweet as pie dress, all you need to do is throw on your favorite motorcycle jacket and you’re off!

My dove detailed heels are from ModCloth and they are actually so worn that I can’t even tell what brand it is anymore! Anyways, I was toying with putting on one of my many pairs of black heels but my ModCloth pair just looked too cute to pass up on wearing them. How can you go wrong with something so darling on Valentine’s Day? My heart shaped sunnies seemed like the perfect way to go to add some cheeky fun to the look, but the accessory that I’m the most excited about is the pearls that you can see peeking out in the pictures. This strand of pearls belonged to my beloved grandma and it is my favorite piece of jewelry to wear with basically everything. Not only are the pearls timeless and beautiful, but I love knowing that my grandma is with me, especially when they’re fastened around my neck.

After assembling an outfit that I was pleased with, it was time for hair and makeup. As you can see, I went with a rocker chic pompadour to add that little extra something something to the look. Nothing makes me feel more glam rock than a hair to the heavens pompadour a la David Bowie and this is what kept me feeling like me while sporting such a pretty look. And, of course, there is no better time than Valentine’s Day for a set of ruby red lips to pucker up with. I’m sure all of you already know that I went with my favorite shade of Pure Red by NYX considering that’s literally all I wear!

Now, I realize that Valentine’s Day is the day for us accessorizers to get some new jewelry to add to our collection. Whether your new jewelry is a gift from your special someone or a total TREAT YOSELF splurge, I am sure that all of my darling readers will go gaga over the gorgeous jewelry from AUrate. This company specializes in the most fantastic gold accessories to add a touch of glam to your look and I just had to share two of my favorite pieces with you from their gold necklace collection. Take a look and proceed to drool:

^^^ SO. PRETTY!!

If you guys haven’t gathered by now, I love, love, LOVE pearls. The glamour, the elegance, the pure beauty – pearls just speak to me. That’s why I simply adore the Simple Pearl Necklace that AUrate offers. The single drop of a perfectly shaped pearl on a glistening gold chain? Woof! I’m sold.

And this wouldn’t be a signature lifewithlilred post if I didn’t go all heart eyes over a piece of clothing or accessory with my favorite color: black. Say hello to AUrate’s Black Diamond Choker. This piece is so totally in right now and nothing screams Lil Red more than an expertly crafted black diamond accessory. SO gorgeous! *insert heart eyes emoji*

Do check out the rest of the stunning gold necklace collection from AUrate and be sure to leave the page up on your computer as a little hint to your honey! 😉

So there you have it, a look perfect for date night, girls night, or a TREAT YOSELF day as seen in my Get Ready With Me: Valentine’s Day Style post! How do you sport the perfect Valentine’s Day look? What are you and your significant other doing to celebrate? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov4

Trades Of Hope

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Trades Of Hope

Hellooo everyone and welcome to a very special article here on lifewithlilred about a wonderful company that one of my good friends works for, Trades Of Hope. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Sarah White to discuss her work with the company and some of her favorite accessories that are offered through her Trades Of Hope party to kick start the holiday shopping season. For those of you who don’t know, Trades Of Hope employs women artisans in third world countries so they can earn a fair living wage to help provide for themselves and their families. Take a look at part of our interview conducted by yours truly and then stick around to see some of Sarah’s gorgeous fall favorites:

  • Lil Red: Ever since I’ve known you, you’ve been passionate about volunteering your time for programs that help women world wide. What would you say is the most rewarding part of being involved with Trades Of Hope?
  • Sarah: I’ve always wanted to have a tangible way to help women coming out of poverty but I specifically have a passion for women coming out of trafficking, like many of the Trades Of Hope artisans. I’ve been involved with various programs that help raise money for women, but Trades Of Hope isn’t a charity – these women are hired, paid a fair wage, and are then able to take care of their families in a long term way. Trades Of Hope is an organization that helps women stop their cycle of poverty and betters their lives, I think that’s the best part.
  • LR: If you could say something to the Trades Of Hope artisans, what would it be?
  • S: I think it would just be…Thank you for what you’re doing. Thank you for making these products to support your families. We care about you and we love you…I would keep it pretty simple.
  • LR: You actually introduced Trades Of Hope to me one afternoon over coffee. If someone wanted to get involved with working for the company, what should they do?
  • S: To become a Compassion Entrepreneur, which is what we call ourselves, anyone can reach out to me for additional information! (Sarah’s contact info will be posted below.)
  • LR: Trades Of Hope offers an abundance of beautiful handcrafted accessories through catalog and on their site. It must be hard to pick a favorite!
  • S: It is! Of course I love the Mosaic Clutch and the Mustard Infinity Scarf but out of the jewelry the Julia from Guatemala is one of my favorites. The necklace was made from a young artist aging out of her orphanage and it’s simple but so pretty. If you look closely on the silver pendant the fingerprint of the artist is engraved in it.
  • LR: Are there any items on the site that are considered a fan favorite by the shoppers?
  • S: Definitely. The Eternal Seed necklace is very popular (it’s a Lil Red favorite too) as well as the Haiti Signature Bracelet which is made out of cereal boxes. (The pictures of the accessories mentioned can be seen below, as well as the Kala necklace, which I’m the proud owner of!) Not only does the bracelet help support our artisans but it’s great for the environment as well.

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Mosaic Clutch: I got to see this cute clutch in person and it’s even better in real life, if that’s even possible. Sarah is a self proclaimed “bag girl” and the Mosaic Clutch, made by Trades Of Hope artisans in Guatemala is one of her must have staples for fall.

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Mustard Infinity Scarf: This beautiful scarf was made by TOH artisans in Cambodia who have survived acid attacks. Despite such horrific events, the amazing women making these scarves have found joy again in their craft and they truly do it so well. Sarah has also deemed this scarf as one of her must have autumn pieces because of how much she likes the color! My friend has great style and would pair this infinity scarf with a hat of the same color, a sharp dark green jacket, dark wash denim, and a tall pair of boots for a fall OOTD. I’m a fan!

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Sarah will be hosting a party to ring in the holiday shopping season and it promises to be a lot of fun! Anyone who places an order through Sarah’s party has the opportunity to win free or half off items as the “hostess rewards”. The shopping extravaganza will be up and running for at least two weeks, so you’ll have lots of time to make your purchases and maybe get lucky by winning some rewards! Unfortunately, Trades Of Hope only ships in the US, but if you live abroad and are interested in any of the products seen on the site, you can email Sarah who will do the best she can to get you your accessories.

Sarah’s contact info and party links:

I had so much fun chatting about Trades Of Hope with my dear friend and before we parted ways, she gave some terrific ideas on stocking stuffers for the holiday season. Not only does Trades Of Hope offer chic accessories but you can also find items for kids, men, home decor, and beauty. Sarah recommends the soap and chapsticks from the site as a sweet and small gift but she’s partial to the jewelry! “All of the Trades Of Hope jewelry comes in a pretty bag and you can wear it and think of the person who got it for you” she says. I, for one, would love to find the Eternal Seed Necklace under my tree! Sarah can be seen below sporting some Trades Of Hope earrings and a mega watt smile! I see you!!

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Writing about Trades Of Hope was such a blast and I encourage all of you to do some shopping at the links provided above! What is your favorite item on the website? Do you have any questions about the company for Sarah? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May11

Monday Update: Online Shopping, Lil Red Style!

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Monday Update: Online Shopping, Lil Red Style!

Hello, hello everyone and Happy Monday!! I hope all of you had a terrific weekend and a lovely Mother’s Day! I did some cleaning out of my vast closet this weekend and hit up Plato’s Closet this morning to get rid of some of my clutter. Before I drop off the items that they didn’t want to purchase at the Goodwill, I wanted to give all of you gorgeous readers the opportunity to get to them first! (And speaking of Goodwill, make sure you take a look at my article “Thrift Shop Fun At Blue” to read all about my amazing thrifting experience this past weekend!) So pull up a chair, get comfy, and check out this cute dress and jewelry that I have up for grabs. And while you’re at it, make sure you check out my articles “Look Like Lil Red” and “Just So You Know” for some other fabulous finds! Here we go, some online shopping Lil Red style!

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And as usual, here’s the breakdown of each item and where they’re from!

  • Sheer dress: Lux, size Small (Forgive me for forgetting where I purchased this bad boy!)
  • Beaded pendant choker: I got this beauty in a fair trade store in Chicago. If memory serves me correctly it was made in Africa.
  • Beaded floral choker: This fun little piece was purchased from The Market Path in Akron, which is another fair trade store. Once again, if memory serves me correctly, this necklace was made in India.
  • Knick knack necklace: American Eagle

The Lux sheer dress is seriously so cute. It looks darling under a black slip and paired with some funky wedges. The gap backed detailing is especially fun and the eyelet button on the back neckline is another sweet little add on. I love fair trade shopping too much, particularly fair trade jewelry shopping as you can see! Nothing is better than buying some great pieces that go to an even better cause. While cleaning my closet this weekend, I went through my jewelry collection so I could try to dwindle it down because it was getting out of control. Despite how cute all three of the necklaces I have up for grabs are, I rarely wear them and they’re just taking up space. All of these pieces are in great condition, and if you’re interested in any or all of them, you can email me at sarah.mush6794@gmail.com so we can discuss prices and I can send you more detailed pictures! For more exclusive peaks into my wardrobe, make sure you check out “Look Like Lil Red”, “Just So You Know”, and all of my other fashion articles! Happy shopping!

Once again, if you’re interested in any of these pieces, make sure you email me at sarah.mush6794@gmail.com! And as always, keep it tuned in at http://www.lifewithlilred.com for all of the latest and greatest! Where’s all of my fans of The Following at? Are you super hyped for the two hour long episode tonight?! I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr22

Forgetful Me!

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Forgetful Me!

Guyyyyyyys, seriously? You let me forget some of the stuff that I was gonna talk about in my Lil Red’s Spring Obsessions post?! Thanks a lot! -___- Kidding of course, but for real I’m so annoyed at myself for forgetting to mention my latest jewelry obsession! *Drum roll pleeeease* ……………

…..BODY CHAINS! Yes, yes, yes I love them! I found my new beauties when I went with my sister to get her ears repierced at Claire’s. Kristen is the queen of piercing her own ears, it’s actually really amazing. I remember walking in the bathroom and seeing her stick a needle through her ears like it was nothing. Unfortunately, miss thang came to the realization that almost every hole she poked was totally uneven so she decided to let them close up and get them redone by someone who actually knows what they’re doing. I really don’t know how she does it. I’ve gotten countless extreme piercings – hips, collarbones, four nose piercings at once – but I can’t for the life of me pierce my own ears! As you can see from all of my pictures and posts of my body mods, I can clearly handle pain but I apparently can’t handle shoving a needle through my lobe…go figure. ANYWAYS, I’ve been looking for some cool body chains for forever, and I was soooo excited when I saw that Claire’s had a wide selection to choose from! Kristen and I got 20% off of our purchase since she got her ears pierced and the jewelry was buy two get one free on top of that, so it was quite the deal! Take a look at my new swagg (and remind me to never say that again):

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^^^^ So fun, right?!

I love these sassy and edgy new additions to my jewelry collection so much, but my one complaint is that they get tangled like NO OTHER. Seriously, one wrong move with these bad boys when you’re putting them on, taking them off, or putting them away for the day can result in a big, frustrating, knotty mess. Believe me, it’s happened to me too many times to count already. Luckily, my dad is amazing at unknotting jewelry, but in all honesty the chains are quite flimsy so a few more untangling sessions will probably result in one of them breaking – sad but true. Despite the chain challenges, these are such a cool add on to any outfit. I love wearing them with crop tops and I’m also very excited to wear them with my bikini in the summer time!! I’ve seen so many body chains online that I like, but they’re all quite expensive. The ones I purchased at Claire’s were $11.99 each, which was a steal as far as I’m concerned. So if you’re looking for some cute body chains but aren’t interested in shelling out an arm and a leg, definitely check out Claire’s in stores and online at http://www.claires.com/us/!

^^^ I had to!!!

So there you have it, a quick little add on to my Lil Red’s Spring Obsession’s post! I hope all of you are having a fabulous Hump Day evening! What are your favorite new jewelry trends? Where is your favorite place to purchase jewelry? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Goodnight! -Sarah