Tag Archives: lifewithlilred

It’s In The Bag – British Invasion Edition

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It’s In The Bag – British Invasion Edition

Hey everyone and happy Sunday! It’s time to debut a new segment on http://www.lifewithlilred.com, which is appropriately entitled “It’s In The Bag” for obvious reasons! If there’s one thing that I know every girl loves, it’s a great statement purse, and now I’m here to discuss some of my personal favorites from my wardrobe boutique with all of you! Take another look at my go to handbag and then let’s discuss:

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I’m very particular about all of the pieces in my closet and purses are no exception. All of my purchases have to have just the right touches of edgy rocker chic and nothing does it better than this fab find from Charming Charlie! For those of you who are unfamiliar with CC, it’s a huge accessories store – we’re talking purses, jewelry, hats, scarves, clothing, the whole shebang. I don’t venture into Charming Charlie very often, but when I do, I always manage to find some fun new goodies!

I found my British Invasion purse during a shopping trip to Crocker Park, a gorgeous outdoor mall in Westlake, Ohio. Crocker Park offers a huge Charming Charlie that has so much cuteness it’s almost overwhelming. My (ex)friend and I entered the store and the first thing that caught my eye was my studded bag baby. Usually I’m not one to go completely gaga over a purse but I just couldn’t help myself – this one was special. I plucked the bag from the display and power walked my sweet tookus to the closest mirror possible and it truly was perfect. It felt so right flung over my shoulder or clutched in my protective hands. I remember that I was wearing all black that day (as usual) and the bag simply popped against my blank canvas of an outfit. It had to be mine.

Not only is this purse stylish but it’s also very functional, which is something that’s very important to me. When I’m in need of a new bag, the size has to be just right. I don’t want anything too big, like a hobo bag, and I can’t do anything too small either, like a clutch. My ideal purse has to have enough room to fit my wallet, car keys, cigarettes, lighter, lipstick, and any other odds and ends that I might need. My British Invasion purse fits everything comfortably and still offers additional room if I need to throw anything else in. Despite the Lil Red Approved size, I still manage to have difficulty finding my things in there…Go figure. -_-

In all honesty, I’m not a girl who’s one for designer anything, especially when it comes to purses. I’d prefer to find a unique piece that I know not everyone will have and most importantly, I prefer to find it with a reasonable price tag attached. I scored my Charming Charlie British Invasion purse for thirty dollars and to me, this is such a steal. I like to use the “cost per wear” method and the amount of times that I’ve used my bag baby has paid for itself a hundred times over. This purse is sharp, sleek, and so damn cool! I get compliments on it wherever I go and I feel awesome strutting about with its beautiful little self casually hanging over my shoulder. It’s in the bag. ❤

So there you have it, the first edition of It’s In The Bag – British Invasion Edition. Now I need your help! What purse should I write about next? Your choices are between my Betsey Johnson telephone purse or my Target animal skull satchel. I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

If The Shoe Fits – Vince Camuto Edition

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If The Shoe Fits – Vince Camuto Edition

Heyyy everyone and happy Saturday! Welcome to another edition of If The Shoe Fits – Vince Camuto style! With the fall season upon us, I thought it was the perfect time to write about my favorite cold weather booties! Take a look at some more pics of my pretty babies and then let’s discuss the story behind my Vince Camuto’s:

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^^^ LOVE!

Once upon a time on Valentine’s Day of 2015, Lil Red got dumped by a guy who she liked a whole lot. I was so crushed and my heart was heavy with sadness. So what did I do? I went shopping! My mom and I hit up TJMaxx for a fuck Valentine’s Day shopping spree and I became the proud owner of my fabulous Vince Camuto booties. As I browsed through the shoe department, my eyes locked on the booties and I grabbed them immediately. They had everything that I love so very much – black, buckles, and a pointed toe. What more could a girl ask for?…Other than a date on Valentine’s Day. -___- #FML

It’s not like I’m bitter or anything……Where was I? Oh yes, so I grabbed the booties and hauled ass to the nearest bench so I could give the Vinny C’s a try and they were absolutely stellar. They fit comfortably, they looked sleek, and most importantly they made me feel a little better. Not only was I in sad girl shoe heaven BUT I was also in ballin on a budget heaven as well because I got my shoes on a marked down price of twenty-nine dolla holla. Such a steal! (And in case you weren’t aware, sad girl shoe heaven and ballin on a budget heaven are two distinctively different places.)

A lot of people argue that it’s unhealthy to have a shopping spree when they’re upset…I SAY OTHERWISE! Seriously, the only thing that made me happy during that stupid lousy holiday was buying my Vince Camuto’s. Pathetic? Maybe. Worth it? Totally. My mental health was saved by a gorgeous pair of chic, sharp, and sassy as hell ankle boots. They made me feel like I could take on the world…and the gallon of ice cream waiting for me in the freezer, but that’s neither here nor there. What I’m trying to say, is that this sexy staple shoe provided me with a confidence boost that I so desperately needed that day. They made me want to get dolled up and shoot a big fuck you text to the worst guy ever. So once again, I say: If you’re emotional, shop away!!

As I mentioned earlier, my Vince Camuto’s are my go to fall shoe. I love pairing them with my black skinnies and wearing them with a cute pair of short shorts with tights underneath. These booties scream “woman on the go” to me, so obviously they’re my default shoe to wear around campus at Tri-C. The combination of a pointed toe with edgy gold buckles is cool in such an effortless way, so it’s easy to see why I turn to these babies for all of my fall footwear needs!

So there you have it, the newest issue of If The Shoe Fits – Vince Camuto Edition! Has anyone had a shopping situation similar to the one I described? What fall shoe are you most excited to break out this season? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oh You Crafty, Huh? BFF Canvas Art

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Oh You Crafty, Huh? BFF Canvas Art

Hellooo everyone and TGIF! My laptop is still in the hands of the Geek Squad so this post is being prewritten at the local Cuyahoga Falls library…The things I do for lifewithlilred!! On Wednesday night my darling best friend, Lea, and I had a crafting extravaganza which resulted in the cuteness you see in my featured image photo! We had so much fun getting crafty and now I’m here to share with you guys our how to guide on how to make your own Bird Is The Word canvas art! Take a closer look at both of our creations and then let’s discuss! PS: Brownie points for whoever can guess which canvas is mine and which is Lea’s!

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Like it? Love it? Want more of it? Here’s the play by play on how to recreate it:

What You Need:

  • Canvas board
  • Paint/paint brushes
  • Silhouette image of your choice
  • Old magazines and newspaper
  • Scissors
  • Glue

Step By Step Guide:

  • Step 1) Paint your canvas. Lea and I both liked the idea of black and white stripes so our picture collage birds would really pop – but any color choice will do!! To get our stripes as straight as possible we held a newspaper to the canvas and painted underneath it once we had our stripe width to our liking.
  • Step 2) Find a silhouette image that you want to make your picture collage over. As you can see, Lea and I stuck with the classic white girl staple image of birds but anything will look awesome…Maybe. 😉 If my crafting partner and I ever make a canvas similar to this one again I would like to use a bird cage silhouette!
  • Step 3) Acquire magazines and newspapers to cut your images for your pic collage. Lea and I recommend using fashion magazines so you have lots of fun colors and patterns to choose from. We opted for three year old issues of People magazine and it was a blast cutting Taylor Swift to pieces for the sake of getting a cool pattern! 🙂
  • Step 4) Once you have enough bits and pieces of magazines to cover your silhouette, begin to glue them down. Fair warning, Lea and I both thought that we had more than enough scraps multiple times but had to refer back to our mags to get more collage material – so make sure you keep your magazines handy!
  • Step 5) Glue your silhouette onto your canvas and pat yourself on the back for a job well done!! OH YOU CRAFTY, HUH?!!! #Ihatemyself

So there you have it, the lowdown on Oh You Crafty, Huh? BFF Canvas Art! Lea and I had the best time during our crafting night and we both want to see if anyone can guess who made which bird! Have you made a craft similar to this one? What art project are you currently working on? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

MIA FYI

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MIA FYI

Heyyyy guys! My laptop is currently at the Geek Squad getting debugged and ready to go for my college classes starting next week, so I might be MIA for a few days until I can get it back. I actually wrote the Woman Crush Wednesday: Julia Louis-Dreyfus Edition as well as this post from the local library because I didn’t want to leave you all hanging! I have some really fun articles lined up upon my laptops return so until then, please peruse the archives of http://www.lifewithlilred.com for any posts you might have missed!! I have over three hundred and seventy-five posts to offer now so there is sure to be something for each and every one of you! Also, make sure you check out Lil Red’s Online Boutique for some fabulous finds fresh from my closet! As always, if you have any questions or concerns, leave me a comment and let’s chat OR you can email me at sarah.mush6794@gmail.com! Much love and I’ll talk to you all very soon! -Sarah

^^^ Current blogging soundtrack. I love me some Alt-J! ❤

Lil Red’s Online Boutique

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Lil Red’s Online Boutique

Hey everyone and happy Tuesday! So a lot of people have reached out to me about where they can find items from my wardrobe that I feature on here and now I can finally answer with “on http://www.lifewithlilred.com”! Every once in a while during one of my cleaning sprees, I’ll be posting my unwanted items on here that are up for grabs for a reasonable price. If you see anything that you are interested in, shoot me an email at sarah.mush6794@gmail.com! The descriptions of each item will be listed after all of the photos are posted and the prices will be determined by me and you! Take a look:

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Item Descriptions:

  • Black wedges: Vera Wang, size 8 Med
  • Britney Spears Circus perfume, over 3/4’s of the bottle left
  • Harajuku Lovers Baby perfume, brand new bottle
  • Peace, Love, & Juicy Couture perfume, brand new bottle
  • L.A.M.B. perfume, over half of the bottle left
  • Nollie perfume, barely used
  • Cross locket necklace with the Lord’s Prayer on the inside
  • Beaded necklace from The Market Path, a fair trade store in Akron, Ohio
  • Floral necklace, PacSun
  • Monet umbrella pin, still in packaging
  • Owl coin purse from Thailand, never used
  • Satchel belt from ModCloth, one size fits all
  • Wrap around belt from Hollister, one size fits all
  • Betsey Johnson rolling luggage, there are a few rips in the material so this will be going for a great price!
  • Emerald green skating dress, Petite
  • Open back skating dress, Medium
  • Black dress with extra burnt orange crystals included, Child Large
  • Black sparkle skirt, Child Large
  • Black sparkle leotard, Adult Small

So there you have it, the items currently for sale on Lil Red’s Online Boutique! Once again, if you have any questions or are interested in anything, please email me at sarah.mush6794@gmail.com! What was the best thing you ever bought online? Do you have an Etsy shop that I should check out? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Monday Update: Beat The Heat Edition

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Monday Update: Beat The Heat Edition

Heyy everyone and happy Monday! So last Thursday a very exciting occurrence happened that I can’t wait to share with you guys! The night prior around nine o’clock, I got a Facebook message from an old theatre friend, Zach, who desperately needed a girl to fill in for someone who dropped out of a film he was shooting the following day. I hadn’t heard from this kid in years and I was pretty curious about what he was shooting, so I told him to give me a call. We chatted on the phone for a few minutes about his production called Beat The Heat and after our talk, I was sold. The next day, I showed up at his place for some filming fun with a bunch of very cool new friends. Let’s discuss!

Beat The Heat is a fairly simple plot which revolves around a group of party-goers who are in for an unpleasant surprise when they wake up. According to the morning news, a tiger escaped from the zoo and everyone is recommended to stay inside until the tiger is captured. This is all fine and dandy until everyone realizes that the air conditioning is broken. With the house getting gradually hotter throughout the day tensions rise, relationships are formed, and pancakes are shared. The cast of characters includes:

  • Tucker: The douchebag
  • Stacie: The slutty nerd (my character)
  • Nick: A guy who knows nothing about fixing the air conditioning
  • Glen: Canadian
  • And much more!!

Everyone in the cast was so insanely fun to work with and a lot of the scenes included improv so it was very easy to work off of one another. Because all of us clicked so well, rash and ultimately hilarious decisions were made on things that should be included in the film – like the most ridiculous psuedo-sex scene between Stacie and Tucker. Now rest assured, if this scene were being done for the purpose of passion and lust, I would have never agreed to it. BUT, both Zach and I agreed that a silly sex scene is exactly what the movie needs to spice things up a little bit! Honestly, I’m so glad that I did it because it’s going to be so insanely funny and it was actually pretty liberating!

As soon as the film is done being edited, the final cut will be released in December and best believe it will be posted on here! So if you want to see my clothes removed with the snap of a finger, a Canadian melt into a puddle, and the worst tiger sound effects ever – make sure you keep it posted on http://www.lifewithlilred.com for more on Beat The Heat!

I’m not gonna lie, I was initially going to say no to participating in Beat The Heat. I prefer stage acting to film acting any day and I’ve been on a hiatus from acting for over a year. Needless to say, I was very worried about delivering a stellar performance. Thankfully, the acting bug came back to me as easily as riding a bike and it felt so damn good to be doing a physical manifestation of my creativity. I’m so grateful that my friend, Zach, thought of me to fill in on set because I haven’t been this excited about a project in years and I can’t wait to see the finished result!!

So there you have it, this weeks Monday Update: Beat The Heat Edition! I hope all of you are having a fabulous day so far! What was everyone up to this weekend? Anything fun? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Lil Red’s Orlando Vacation Conclusion

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Lil Red’s Orlando Vacation Conclusion

Hi there everyone and happy Sunday! I hope all of you are having a great weekend! I thought we could take today to wrap up my posts about my vacation to Orlando, Florida with some more fun stories and cool pics! Take a look and let’s discuss:

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Lil Red Vacation Pro Tips:

  • To go mugs of wine for the journey to your destination is always a must! To go further with that, it’s also a wise decision to eat a ton of Taco Bell in the car, take a sleeping pill, and snooze the drive away. Our excursion to Florida was made completely tolerable thanks to sleeping for thirteen of the eighteen hours! Best. Decision. EVER!
  • If you’re nice enough to the Hogwarts Express conductor, he’ll show you his pocket watch with “Hogsmeade” and “Diagon Alley” instead of numbers so he knows when the train is departing from each station.
  • Make sure you spend some extra time after the Minion Mayhem ride to get your picture taken with one of the silly little Despicable Me goofballs! I love them so much, so this was absolutely necessary.
  • Take a boat ride to the Portafino hotel resort and enjoy some pizza at Sal’s! My family and I did this one evening after a day at Universal Studios and it was so awesome. We ate our pizza and drank wine on their patio and we had a perfect view of the nightly fireworks show at the park.
  • When you get your nails done, know that it’s going to be extra money to get rhinestone decorations! WHOOPS. So worth it though! It was really nice to take an hour to get out of the heat and get some pampering done in a cute little salon in Orlando.
  • If you’re like me and don’t like getting your hair wet, it’s a good idea to wear a plastic poncho during the afternoon rain and water rides. My mom found a poncho from The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter crumpled up on the ground near the park lockers and stealthily snagged it. I’m so glad she did because this kept me and my beloved red locks totally dry! Score!
  • Always photograph your parents doing cute things. (See picture above!)
  • Park souvenirs are not always the way to go! My mom and I found minion socks, keychains, and magnets at Marc’s all for under a dollar and they looked exactly like the ones at Universal. Such a steal!
  • There’s nothing wrong with drinking a twenty-four ounce can of Redd’s Apple Ale on the car ride back to good ol’ Akron, Ohio.
  • There’s also nothing wrong with spooning with your mom during said car right. Uhhh…..
  • Most importantly, savor every moment of your vaca and relish in the things that you can’t normally do in your hometown. Last time I checked, Akron doesn’t have anything close to Universal Studios! 😉

So there you have it, some Lil Red Pro Tips to wrap up my Orlando vacation!! I seriously had the most amazing time during my Florida getaway but it sure feels great to be home! Did any of you guys go on vacation this summer? What was the best vaca you’ve ever been on? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Lil Red’s Soap Box Special

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Lil Red’s Soap Box Special

Okayyyy guys, it’s time for one of our little heart to hearts, compliments of my experience at Starbucks this morning. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the view of my ass as I get up on my soap box…Here we go:

In my Sociology class we learned about people acting as bystanders and how if you are in a situation where you need help you are less likely to get it if there’s a lot of people around. I witnessed this first hand as I was waiting to get my coffee at Starbucks. It was mid morning and Sbux was fairly busy, with people seated throughout the store and standing in line for drinks. I was standing by the counter in full on zombie mode because I’m dead tired today and I’m sure that I made all of the employees uncomfortable by how intently I was staring at nothing…but that’s neither here nor there.

ANYWAYS, once I came to my senses I saw from across the store a man in a wheelchair struggling to open the door. Within half a second, I ran the length of the store before he reached the second door to open so I could get it for him. When I opened the door with a huge smile he thanked me so graciously and I noticed that he was an amputee. I waved him off with well wishes and headed back into the store to get my coffee as if nothing happened.

As I walked back to the counter to retrieve my drink, two ladies sitting RIGHT BY THE DOOR told me how sweet I was for helping this man. I had to bite my tongue, because I was very close to telling them that I was just acting on my responsibility to be a good person and to help those who need it. Instead, I smiled, thanked them, got my drink, and went home. This situation has been on my mind all day now and frankly, I’m disturbed by it. What is the world coming to if not one person in a room full of people will get up and hold the door open for someone? I just don’t get it. I mean, I get the whole bystander effect thing, and I was so glad to help this man – but why was it necessary for me to run across the store to get the door for someone who was showing such extreme difficulty?

I’m not writing this post as a way to say “look at me, I’m a good person” because that situation was just me being a person. I’m flattered that those ladies found my act sweet, but the thing is – it wasn’t sweet, it was something that’s ingrained in me to give my service to those who need it. Like I said, it was me being a person. The lack of initiative from everyone in the store to get up and do a simple favor to make someone’s day easier really bothers me. I know I’m kind of rambling at this point, but I don’t know guys, I’m all kinds of shook up by this. How can the world be a better place if no one can step up from their fucking frappachino for thirty seconds to hold open a door? Jesus Christ.

I guess the point of this post is just a friendly reminder to be kind to people, help one another, and don’t be a bystander. Alright, Lil Red’s Soap Box Special is complete. Rant over, but make sure you tune in next time I come across a social issue that irks my nerves. 😉 Until then, how is everyone’s day going so far? Has anyone ever encountered a situation similar to this? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter

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The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter

Hey heyyy everyone and happy Tuesday! As you guys know this week on lifewithlilred will be featuring posts all about my Universal Studios adventure, which started with yesterday’s Monday Update: Orlando Vacation Edition. To continue with this theme, I thought that we could finish our conversation about my favorite part of my vaca – The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter. Take a look at these cool pics and then let’s discuss:

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As I mentioned before, Universal Studios added on to The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter park with Diagon Alley. The pictures that I’ve posted and will continue to post throughout the week does not do the HP replicas justice in the slightest. We’ve already talked about a lot of what the newest HP park has to offer yesterday but we have yet to talk about all of the different rides, so let’s get on that!!

Diagon Alley features two new rides, an interactive train ride on the Hogwarts Express and Escape From Gringotts. The nice thing about boarding the Hogwarts Express is that it takes you to Hogsmeade, which lies in the neighboring park, the Islands of Adventure. And of course you can hop the train and head back to Diagon Alley. To get to the Hogwarts Express you must walk through Kings Cross station, complete with the luggage of Hogwarts students and a hologram which makes you look like you’re walking through the wall to Platform 9 3/4 to onlookers.

Once you’ve boarded the train you enter into a spacious cabin boasting luggage racks, plush seats, and framed photos of London. As the train begins to move you can see scenes of London streets, HP characters like Hagrid, and the approaching Hogwarts castle through your window. Make sure you pay attention to your cabin door as well, where you will see silhouettes of Harry, Ron, Hermoine, and the soul sucking Dementors. Once Harry’s Patronus charm chases the Dementors away, you can exit the train and you will find yourself right in the heart of Hogsmeade.

The second new ride in Diagon Alley is the Escape From Gringotts, a high speed 3D roller coaster. The awesome thing about a lot of the rides at Universal, specifically the HP rides, is that they make the waits in line completely tolerable because you are able to interact with your surroundings. In the line for Escape From Gringotts, you get to experience walking through a perfect replica of the bank, complete with high vaulted ceilings, crystal chandeliers, and talking and moving goblins. And it wouldn’t be a HP ride without talking and moving pictures on the wall!

After your walk through the bank, you board an elevator that’s measured in miles instead of floors to take you deep into the bottommost layers of Gringotts. Before you begin your mine cart ride, you get to see a short hologram interaction between Bill Weasley and a goblin, to tell you a little bit about what you’re in for during your tour of the Gringotts vaults. From there, you enter your mine cart and get down to business. If you are expecting a nice leisurely ride, you will be in for quite a shock…Especially during your run ins with trolls, dragons, Bellatrix, and Voldemort!

There are three rides in Hogsmeade, but I am only going to discuss one of them, as the other two are your standard roller coasters. One of the best rides that Universal Studios has to offer is Harry Potter & The Forbidden Journey. This is another 3D roller coaster which takes you on a grand tour of the Hogwarts castle and grounds. Similar to Escape From Gringotts, a lot of the fun is waiting in line! During your wait you get to walk through the corridors of Hogwarts, where you encounter holograms of Dumbledore, Harry, Ron, and Hermoine. You get a look at the greenhouse, the Gryffindor common room, as well as multiple classrooms. You also get to see the pictures on the walls interacting with each other. The most interesting picture experience comes from watching the founders of each house discuss letting muggle born students practice at Hogwarts. (We all know how Salazar Slytherin feels about this!) And of course, a tour through Hogwarts wouldn’t be complete without hearing the fat lady sing! All of this excitement occurs before even coming close to going on the ride!

You know that you’re in for a wild ride just from getting into your cart because they are moving along a platform at a pretty quick speed, and once you’re on and buckled in the ride begins. Harry Potter & The Forbidden Journey let’s you feel what it’s like to fly as you travel behind Harry and the gang, going everywhere from the Quidditch field to the Forbidden Forest. Be on the lookout though because your journey is filled with dangerous twists and turns, putting you face to face with giant spiders and Dementors. You get up close and personal with the HP trademark, the Whomping Willow, as well as a high speed adventure beneath the Quidditch field rafters a la Harry Potter & The Chamber Of Secrets. The Forbidden Journey is a long ride and by the time you’re done you really feel as though you made the million mile trip throughout the Hogwarts grounds. Shake it off and cool down with a delicious frothy Butterbeer…you earned it!!

So there you have it, the Lil Red inside look at the rides of The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter! Make sure you tune in at the same time and same place tomorrow for more of my Orlando, Florida vacation fun! Until then, have any of you been to Universal Studios before? What was your favorite ride there? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Lil Red’s Vacation Homecoming!!

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Lil Red’s Vacation Homecoming!!

Helloooo everyone and TGIF! This post is going to be the last of my prewritten “away on vaca” articles and it’s just to let you know that I will be returning home soon! I will be back in action for the usual Monday Update and Man Crush Monday posts starting on the tenth! Until my homecoming, please continue to peruse the various archives of http://www.lifewithlilred.com. No matter what your interests are, I’m sure there is a post for you on my page somewhere! 🙂

Wish me save travels on my journey home and I will talk to you all very soon! What is everyone up to this weekend? Any fun plans? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah