Tag Archives: lifewithlilred

Jan1

Happy New Year!

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Happy New Year!

Hello everyone and happy happy New Year!! I hope all of you are having a wonderful time ringing in 2017! I, for one, am so excited to push 2016 aside and begin a fresh new year both in my life and here on lifewithlilred. Despite the excitement and anticipation that comes with entering into a new year, I am pretty bad at celebrating it because I NEVER make New Year’s Resolutions!

Lol, I guess I figure that if I want to do something like exercise more or lose a couple of pounds, I will do it when I feel like it as opposed to feeling obligated to doing it for the new year. Instead, I just try to focus my energy on things like *trying* to be a nice, well rounded person while dedicating myself to things like my work, family, pets, volunteer work, and friends.

But, no matter which way you cut it, I think we all can agree that the new year is a perfect time to make improvements. Whether you’re about to hit the gym or stop binge drinking every Friday, Saturday, and Wednesday the new year is the time to bring about healthy changes and a new perspective in your life. For 2017, I encourage my beloved readers and blogging family to practice kindness to everyone that they encounter to do their share in making the world a somewhat more tolerable place! 🙂

Happy 2017, everyone! Enjoy the rest of the holiday season and your new year’s celebrations and also: BYE 2016, ya bish. What is your New Year’s Resolution for 2017? What was your favorite or least favorite part about 2016 (or both!)? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Now, enjoy some new year’s themed music by a few of my faves:

Dec31

Selfie Spam

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Selfie Spam

Hi everyone and happy weekend! Thanks to a fun post Christmas shopping trip to the mall and a shopping spree for my graduation, I wound up with an outfit this week that I was really feeling. This past Tuesday, I unleashed my inner David Bowie with a bright red pompadour (complete with hair glitter), a chic pair of velvet skinnies, and a faux fur jacket that screamed rock n’ roll glam. And, finally, my signature red lip to top it off! Take a look and let’s discuss:

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Excuse the Selfie Spam, but there is something about walking around in an outfit that makes you feel like a million bucks that cost you less than one hundred that feels SO. DAMN. GOOD. I felt like rock royalty while running every day errands and then going out to dinner with my family and it was definitely something that I could get used to! I feel like this look would have made one of my idols, David Bowie, proud and I was able to fall in love with fashion all over again with just one killer outfit.

Not only was I in love with the clothing itself that I was wearing but I was really proud of my pompadour! I stopped attempting fun hair styles on myself long ago but with the outfit that I had in mind, I would be damned if I didn’t at least give a glam updo the old college try. Thanks to beaucoup hair spray and an all over dusting of gold hair glitter, I was left with a look that stood out and totally sparkled. Now that I know that I can actually do some of the hair styles that I would normally leave to my hair dresser, I can’t wait to experiment with my hair more. Score!

Some days you just feel like getting yourself dolled up and taking selfies until you’re literally sick of yourself. I admit that I’ve been lacking on my selfie game both on here and on social media so my dress up day felt like the perfect opportunity to get some fierce new pics onto the interwebs. I am so happy that I took some pictures that I actually like because, I have to say, it was exhausting! I genuinely don’t understand how some people take selfies every day that always look good. Luckily, now that I have a few newbies up, I can take a selfie break so don’t expect any more from your girl Lil Red for a good long while! 😉

So there you have it, some Selfie Spam for you to feast your eyes on! What are some of your selfie taking tips? What is your favorite filter? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec25

Merry Christmas!!

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Merry Christmas!!

Hello everyone and a Merry Merry Christmas to all of you!! I hope that you guys have a wonderful day celebrating or doing whatever it is that you do today. No matter what holiday you celebrate, my wish is that you have a joyous holiday season with your friends and loved ones. I am SO excited to give all of my gifts to their recipients because I have literally been waiting ALL MONTH to do so! I am also really looking forward to ringing in the New Year with all of you here on lifewithlilred.

I am keeping this Christmas post short and sweet so that you can get back to going about your day so I will talk to all of you later. Remember that you are each so special to me and please accept a big, virtual holiday hug from me to you! What was in your holiday haul? How do you celebrate the holiday season? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Dec23

New Hot Pink & Black Nails

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New Hot Pink & Black Nails

Hiii everyone and TGIF! Yesterday, I had a little pampering party to get myself perfect for the holiday weekend. I got my nails filled in the morning and then spent the evening dyeing my hair to get it nice and bright red for Christmas. As always, my nail tech, Vinny, did an amazing job shaping and sharpening my nails. I opted for a color for the accent nail that I rarely pick but am actually loving right now. Hot pink! It is far from your classic, run of the mill highlighter hot pink but more like a bright fuchsia and I think it is so fun! Take a look:

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The color looks admittedly red in this picture because poor camera quality but you get the point! Normally, when I am picking an accent nail color, I go with red or shades like grey, beige, or white. This new accent nail color is definitely out of my comfort zone considering I don’t own one pink item in my wardrobe but I’m glad that I went for it! Small changes to your daily routine are always fun and the little things like a new nail polish color or lipstick can really set yourself up for having an amazing day. Make sure that you find time to TREAT YOSELF this holiday season!

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I hope everyone has a fab Friday and a great Christmas Eve Eve! What accent color should I pick next time I get my nails filled? What is your go to shade of nail polish? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec22

New Graduation Pic!

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New Graduation Pic!

Heyy everyone and happy Thursday! Yesterday evening the professional photographers from my graduation uploaded the shots that they took for purchasing. I was feeling really nervous that there wouldn’t be any pictures that I liked because, unfortunately, I hated all of the pictures of me that my brother took! Luckily, there was one totally perf picture in the bunch that didn’t feature a weird walking across the stage angle or a (Yikes!) double chin!!

Instead of purchasing a photo package of the pic which was super costly, my parents and I decided to buy a digital download of the image so that we could print it out however we want. This picture was taken right before I walked across the stage and I freaking love it! Take a look:

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Aw!! :*)

Even though we had to shell out the moolah to get this picture, it was so worth it, considering there wasn’t a picture taken that I deemed worthy enough to print out and frame. I love how this pic shows off the stole and honor chord so nicely and I really like the background, too! GREAT SUCCESS!!

I hope all of you have a fab day and I will talk to all of you soon! Who is ready for the holidays? Does anyone have any last minute shopping to finish? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec20

Christmas Countdown Questionnaire

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Christmas Countdown Questionnaire

Hi everyone and happy Tuesday! I hope that all of you are having a wonderful start to your week. With Christmas being just around the corner in a whopping five days, I thought that it would be fun if we all answered some holiday season related questions and see how everyone is faring during this super festive time of year. Feel free to reblog this post and find out how your readers would answer these questions! You are also more than welcome to add questions of your own or change any of mine – I promise I won’t be offended! 😉

Holiday Q & A:

  1. What is on your holiday wish list this year?
  2. What is your favorite seasonal food or drink?
  3. Are you an early or late holiday shopper?
  4. On a scale of 1 to 10, how good of a gift wrapper are you?
  5. Best present you’ve ever received?
  6. How about the worst?
  7. Do you prefer shopping in store or online?
  8. What holiday are you celebrating this season?
  9. Who is the hardest person on your list to shop for?
  10. What is a gift that you would like this year but will never in a million years receive?

My Answers:

  1. My holiday wish list is usually the same every year – moolah and makeup! I love when I can get a full restock of my favorite beauty essentials on Christmas. It may seem kind of boring, but my beauty must haves are things that I use daily and run out of quickly so having a few extra on back stock is a godsend!
  2. I LOVE Christmas dinner, which is typically the same as Thanksgiving dinner! So stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams and all of the vegetarian side dishes are my faves. I don’t really have a favorite holiday drink but I do enjoy treating myself to a Peppermint Mocha from Starbucks at least once during the winter.
  3. I am a very early holiday shopper! I was done buying and wrapping presents by early December and I am so happy for it. Shopping any later would give me anxiety!
  4. I would say that I am a 4 when it comes to holiday gift wrapping. I start out strong but then by gift number three, I think that a toddler could wrap better than I can.
  5. Hmm…last year my mom got me a gorgeous new coat from Target that I had my eyes on for forever and I freaking love that thing so much.
  6. I can’t really think of the worst present that I have ever received – that’s what gift receipts are for!
  7. Online holiday shopping is a must for me. I honestly can’t remember the last time that I did a majority of my Christmas shopping at the mall or wherever. Almost all of my shopping was done on Amazon and it made all of my Christmas purchases a breeze.
  8. My family celebrates Christmas but as a nonbeliever, I am only there for the food and the presents!
  9. MY SISTER IS SO HARD TO SHOP FOR. You would think that she would be one of the easiest but that has never been the case. My sister is very specific when it comes to things that she does and doesn’t like. That’s why I usually have to opt for gift cards or booze for her!
  10. An all expenses paid trip to Europe, duh. 🙂

How would you answer some of the questions on my Christmas Countdown Questionnaire? How does your family ring in the holiday season? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec16

Graduation Pictures!

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Graduation Pictures!

Hi everyone and TGIF!! Yesterday was my big day – I graduated from college!! If you don’t already know, I just got my Associate of Arts degree from Cuyahoga Community College. The graduation ceremony was last night and it was great! It was barely over an hour, too, which was especially nice because I much prefer short and sweet over something long and drawn out. My (almost) entire family came out to watch me strut across the stage but unfortunately my dad was really sick and couldn’t make it. Luckily, there are some great pictures and videos to show him, including some of these:

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Walking across the stage to shake hands, kiss some babies, and get my diploma was freaking awesome. AND I was magna cum laude or however you spell it so that’s pretty cool, too! There will definitely be more pictures to come from the ceremony because they had a professional photographer taking pictures and I know he snapped some good ones!

Now, I have my graduation party to look forward to tomorrow! In the afternoon I will have an open house style get together at my home for my family, Special Olympics students, and some former teachers. Then, in the evening my friends and I will go to my favorite bar, the Cashmere Cricket, for some drinks and some good old fashioned white girl wasted tom foolery. I CAN’T WAIT!! I haven’t had a day dedicated just for me in a long time so it is going to be a lot of fun to bask in the glory of being a genius college graduate for the day!

I hope everyone has an amazing weekend and a fabulous day today! How did you celebrate your high school or college graduation? What drink(s) should I get tomorrow night to celebrate? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec15

Graduation Day!

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Graduation Day!

Hi everyone and happy Thursday! Today is my big day! At six o’clock this evening, I will be walking across the stage at Cleveland State University to receive my Associate of Arts degree from Cuyahoga Community College. I AM SO EXCITED!! For exactly two years, I have worked my little ass off to obtain my degree and I am so proud of myself for finally achieving it with a killer grade point average to boot!

I have taken many wonderful classes and I have taken some that were complete shit. I have had some amazing professors but I’ve also had a few that have sucked on ice. However, I would not change my college experience for a thing. I did things my way, accomplished my degree on my time, and gained a plethora of new knowledge and skills that I never dreamed of having before.

Upon completion of school, I plan on dedicating my time from January to June completing my work for my job with the National Core Indicators. Then, I will begin looking for work in a group home or day program setting. I will then look forward to traveling around Summit County in Ohio to continue my work distributing the Adult Consumer Survey for those with mental and physical disabilities for the year 2017.

I have big plans for work but I also want to travel. I want to make time for me, myself, and I – and my family, friends, and boyfriend of course! After a year or so, I plan on going back to Tri-C to obtain my Associate of Science so that I can have a double associates degree. I am so excited and proud about how bright my future looks and I look forward to sharing all of the details with you guys every step of the way!

Hurray for my Graduation Day! Pictures will be up at some point this weekend of me looking snazzy in my cap and gown so please be on the look out! Until then, what was the mascot or nickname for your college or high school? How did you answer the question “what do you want to be when you grow up”? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov24

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

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Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Hello everyone and happy happy Thanksgiving to everyone!! I’ll keep this post short and sweet because I am sure all of you have some driving, cooking, and HELLA eating to do! I just wanted to wish everyone the happiest of Thanksgivings today and a most wonderful holiday season. All of my readers and blogging friends already know how thankful I am for each and every one of you but I will say it again: I’M THANKFUL FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. Thank you for always offering me your support, kind words, and friendship!

Have an amazing day and don’t get too down on yourself if you have to unbutton your pants button or add a few more notches to your belt! As always, I plan on going hard this Thanksgiving and hope everyone does the same! What is your favorite Thanksgiving food? What is your favorite holiday tradition? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov18

Graduation Countdown!!

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Graduation Countdown!!

Hey everyone and TGIF! According to my handy dandy calendar, I only have TWENTY-SEVEN DAYS LEFT until I graduate. But who’s counting? The answer is ME. I have been literally staring down the clock every day just wishing for time to go by faster so I can tick another day off in my mental countdown. Unfortunately for this Lil Red, time seems to be dragging on for forever during this home stretch period.

I guess this is a good and a bad thing, though. With Christmas just around the corner, it is important for me to incorporate some online or real life holiday shopping into my homework and work schedule. When time really seems to be lagging, I just hop on the computer and check out the latest additions to my normal website stomping grounds. That doesn’t always mean that I’m shopping for other people, though! A combination of boredom and stir craziness always brings me back to sites like ModCloth and TJMaxx so that I can ogle at all things pretty!

I’m glad that this vortex of a twenty-seven day eternity is giving me some time to get my holiday shopping taken care of but, my goodness, I cannot wait for it to be over! Asides from the obvious of the excitement of walking across the stage in the ceremony, I am very excited for my graduation party! My family rarely has get togethers so I am thrilled to be able to host a celebration at my home for little old me!

The afternoon portion of my grad party will take place at Chez Red and will include my family, some former teachers, and my students and their parents from the Special Olympics. Then, in the evening I will be meeting up with my friends at my favorite bar, the Cashmere Cricket! It is going to be such fun, I can’t even handle it. The last get together that I had was for my twenty-second birthday this past summer but prior to that I have literally had nothing so an entire day dedicated to me, me, me is just what I need! (And, don’t tell anyone but I can’t even remember my birthday party so consider my evening out a redo!)

The Graduation Countdown is freaking ON and until it strikes zero, your girl will be freaking out! I hope everyone is having a super fab week and enjoys their weekend. Who has finished their holiday shopping already? What is on your holiday wish list? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah