Tag Archives: lilred

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

Oct25

What Is Your Third Love Bra Personality?

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What Is Your Third Love Bra Personality?

One thing that I truly believe in is amazing lingerie. I stand firmly with the statement that under every gorgeous outfit is fabulous lingerie to go with it. Ever since I was out of trainer bras (those were the days!), I have been enamored with the endless possibilities that come with shopping for the perfect bras and panties. If you guys know me, and my “If I like it, I obviously must buy it” attitude, it should come as no surprise that I have two drawers filled with pretty little underthings. I’m talking bras and panties for days. Some are fun and bold, others are pretty and flirty, while a few are totally va va voom sexy.

The lingerie that I house in my dresser can only be described as a magnificent, lacy hodgepodge of styles so I really wouldn’t say that I have a bra “personality”. That’s why I am so totally excited to feature this way fun quiz by ThirdLove here on lifewithlilred. It is going to be such fun to take this quiz together and find out what our fall lingerie look is.

After the quiz, you fabulous people are going to have free range to shop till you drop because I am going to give you a fifteen percent off promo code for any purchase on Third Love. Their lingerie is to die for and nothing is better than getting something pretty for a steal! Is everyone ready? Let’s do this.

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My Answers:

Favorite Fall Activity: Howling through haunted houses, obvs! This weekend my boyfriend and I are going to the Factory Of Terror and I’m SO excited. As a horror buff, haunted houses are a must and I can’t wait to make my way through the five haunted houses that the Factory has to offer.

Best Fall Flick: HORROR MOVIE MARATHONS!! I do this on the daily anyways but it’s even more fun when the spooky chill of Halloween is in the air! Also, is it bad that I’ve never seen Hocus Pocus…?

Go-To Fall Outfit: If by my boyfriend’s flannel you mean my flannel, then YES! I love flannels all the time but they are the best ever in the fall! Whether they are tied around your waist or keeping you nice and warm under a quilted sleeve coat, flannels are a no brainer for an autumn outfit.

Favorite Fall Flavor: All apple everything, please! I’m not a big Pumpkin Spice Latte kind of gal but I’ll take a warm glass of fresh apple cider any day!

The Results:

  • 24/7 Classic T-shirt bra

I can totally see why I ended up with the bra that is perfect for a fall fashionista on the go. Whether it be browsing through pumpkin patches or a night hike through the woods, I’m always down for fall activities. However, I don’t own one single t-shirt bra. Is that bad? In Lil Red’s world, appearance trumps all functionality when it comes to lingerie so I want the drama, the lace, and the perfect push up.

As opposed to the 24/7 Classic T-shirt bra, I can totally see myself sporting the 24/7 Strappy T-shirt bra. I absolutely LOVE it. This bra is too cute to not play peek a boo with so I would style it with a warmer fall afternoon in mind. Here are my steps to creating a totally cool fall look that will make the corn maze your new runway:

  • 24/7 Strappy T-shirt bra: You want a pretty bra with a rocker edge? Say no more. Whether you play peek a boo with this bra or not, knowing that you have a gorgeous bra on with some sass to it is a huge confidence boost. WORK!
  • Muscle tank with oversized arm holes: A muscle tank with the slouchy sleeves and a fun pattern or logo is a must for the Strappy T-shirt bra. The double band is totes adorbs and will be able to make a guest appearance through a tank with some slouch to it.
  • Flannel tied around your waist: All of the flannels that I own are pretty oversized and I really like that when I tie them around my waist, it goes down close to my knees. I recommend a larger flannel but any size will do! When you are getting dressed, don’t just grab any old flannel, though. You never know when it might get a little chilly and wearing it wouldn’t be a bad idea! Make sure the flannel compliments your outfit well because the possibility of a fall chill is real.
  • Black or dark blue skinny jeans: Of course, I only wear black skinnies but a nice, dark wash indigo jean is the perfect hue for fall.
  • BOOTS: Ankle booties, mid rise combat boots, knee high riding boots, or thigh high va va voom boots, boots are a must for this outfit. Take your pick of style (I’m not picky!) and strut your stuff!
  • Oversized sunglasses: To accessorize, make sure to pack some oversized sunnies to fight off the fall glare.
  • Canvas messenger bag: I think messenger bags are so on campus cool and they are perfect for storing apples from the orchard, beautiful fallen autumn leaves, and some extra cash for a PSL for later.

No matter how you style your fall looks, just remember to have fun and that the base of any amazing outfit is some amazing lingerie! What was that? You want the promo code to pick out some super fab ThirdLove bras of your own? But, of course! Happy shopping!

Fifteen Percent Off Promo Code: TLBBOCT16

So there you have it, my Third Love Bra Personality! I hope you guys enjoyed reading this post as much as I did making it! Who is going to do some shopping on Third Love? What was your bra personality? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct24

Monday Update: Lil Red Edition

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Monday Update: Lil Red Edition

Howdy! I feel like I haven’t updated you guys too much lately on what is going on in the world of Lil Red and let me tell you – my life is a doozey! I have eight weeks left until I graduate from Cuyahoga Community College with my Associate of Arts degree. My full time course load is in combination with three jobs, volunteering for Canine Lifeline, coaching figure skating for the Special Olympics, and still having some semblance of a social life. All the while, I am planning my trip to Europe for the spring of 2017. Holy moly!!

To say that I am ready to graduate is an understatement. Without constant homework, I would still be doing a lot but to add it on top of everything else is getting to be a bit much, to say the least! Naturally, during the home stretch, all I can think of is wanting to do anything but school work! And, of course I had to put off my hardest classes until my very last semester because would I even be a college kid if I didn’t? Sigh.

Every single day for the past eight weeks has brought about new challenges and these following eight weeks are really going to be testing me. I just have to keep thinking about the end goal which is a nice little diploma with my name on it! College life is hard. Work life is hard. And you know what? Right now, life in general is just hard. What I could really use is a nice, long vacation. But, for now, that will be limited to this twenty minute blogging break instead!

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^^^ The face of a burnt out college kid. -_-

As you can tell by this Monday Update: Lil Red Edition, I am in the midst of some trying times! So I need all of you to leave me some suggestions on how you deal with your life when everything starts too feel like a bit “too much”. What are some of your best time management tricks? How do you work in time to relax during a jam packed day? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct12

Hair Glitter Trend

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Hair Glitter Trend

Heyyy everyone and happy Hump Day! So a couple of months ago I saw a picture on Facebook of a girl who had the most GORGEOUS hair I had ever seen. It was a deep, rich midnight blue and in her hair was the lightest, most glorious dusting of silver glitter. After seeing that picture and lusting over the beautiful blue color that I will never have because I’ll be Lil Red 4 lyfe, I made a mental note to buy hair glitter if I ever come across it.

The day for my hair glitter purchase took place this past weekend at Target. With Halloween on the horizon, Target has pulled out all the stops with costumes, home decor, and costume makeup. And lucky for me, hair glitter was included in the Target Halloween extravaganza! Take a look:

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This spray is manufactured by Rosie’s Costume Co. and it is literally the best product EVER. So much so, that my very capable and brilliant hair stylist was extremely impressed. The beauty of this spray is that it’s not a spray but I don’t know what word to describe it with. When I think of hair spray, the first word that comes to mind instantly is “sticky” and this hair glitter is far from it. After my hair stylist sprayed a ton in my hair, it still felt touchable and sleek and looked mighty cute to boot!

Target offers this glitter spray in blue, green, silver, and gold and there are also cans of color without glitter like pink, red, green, and yellow. I was debating off and on whether to get just the silver or gold spray but it was too tough of a decision so I just bought both. At two dollars a can, it wasn’t particularly breaking my bank but I was pleased to see that it rung up as buy one get one half off so I got both cans for three bucks. Not bad!

I love how the gold spray compliments my bright red hair and I am looking forward to testing out the silver for a more glam look. My only regret is not buying more cans of the spray so next time I am at Target I will have to stock up for a year round of glitter hair because it’s not just for Halloween anymore! I wish that I had pictures of just how gorgeous this glitter is but unfortunately, my camera couldn’t capture the look very well on film. But, rest assured, that it really is fabulous and I can’t recommend this product enough!

How do you feel about the Hair Glitter Trend? What do you plan on dressing up as for Halloween? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct6

How To Create A Chic And Sleek Home Office

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How To Create A Chic And Sleek Home Office

How To Create A Chic And Sleek Home Office:

If you have an extra room in the house that is used just for junk, clear that clutter now and make way for a chic and sleek home office instead. Whether you work from home or not, an office is a great place to hide away when you have extra weekend work or when you want a quiet spot to go through the bills. But there’s no point in just jamming in a desk and chair and calling it an office. If you’re going to do it, you might as well do it with some panache! Here are some ideas to get you started. For more interior design tips follow this click!

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Link to photo

Style: First of all, consider the style of the office you want. Do you want a more masculine, industrial feel? Or perhaps a monochrome palette? Maybe you want a girlie office of pinks and whites or possibly a more vintage/crafting kind of space. It’s important to know what you want before you start laying the floor, painting walls, and buying storage. Use Pinterest to find lots of ideas and don’t be afraid to shop around on multiple different websites or stores if you are looking for an eclectic aesthetic. If you would prefer a more uniform look, it might be a good idea to stick with an option like Vincent and Barn to find everything you need in one place.

Flooring: Once you’ve cleared the room of clutter, you’ll have a clean slate to work with. The first thing to do is invest in new flooring. Carpet just doesn’t feel right for an office. The floor should lend itself to the sound of your snappy heels crossing the boards in a way that screams authority and control! Laminate floors that look and feel like wood are a great and affordable choice for your home office. Light grey authentic oak laminate looks particularly plush when creating a working environment. You’ll find plenty of options to match your style and budget when you shop laminate flooring for designs that suit your space. Plus, if you want to add some warmth or texture you can also invest in a patterned rug to soften the look.

Walls: If you’re going for an industrial look, you’ll want a darker palette of stylish deep grays or navy for the walls. A monochrome palette will look fresh with black and white striped wallpaper. And for a feminine office why not paint the walls white and use a floral motif wallpaper on a feature wall? Designers Guild offers some great choices of wallpaper in all sorts of styles.

Desk Space: Again, what desk you choose will depend on your style. But no matter what your theme, Ikea does some great tables that work with nearly every style. The Ikea Glasholm/Finvard tempered glass table with wooden legs and extra storage is a pretty good bet for most office spaces. It looks light and airy, and the two bottom leg shelves can be used to store a printer or boxes of documents. Choose a chair that you feel most comfortable working from. Make sure the height is correct and that there is enough room to move around. And don’t forget to choose a desk lamp that gives you enough light for when you are working late. Personalize your space with pretty colored folders or utilitarian style products, if minimalism is more your thing. But add a dash of bright color somewhere along the lines to keep you feeling motivated and energized!

For my home decor fans, keep it posted on lifewithlilred for the latest renovations to Chez Red! Who has done some remodeling of their home as of late? What is your home decor style? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image Provided By: Unsplash

Oct6

Setting Up Shop Online And Not Screwing It Up

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Setting Up Shop Online And Not Screwing It Up

Setting Up Shop Online And Not Screwing It Up:

Hi everyone, this time, we’re looking at something slightly different. Everyone who loves fashion and thinking about it has probably had the same idea at one point or another. How you would like to be in the business. Nowadays, what with the internet, it’s not that hard to set up a business of your own based on what you love. In particular, we’re looking at ecommerce. Here are just a few of the things I’ve learned from great (and not so great) fashion ecommerce sites:

Smarter Sites: Hyper smart site design isn’t something that a lot of people think about regularly – but it’s important. When you’re thinking about customers, you have to think about how well you’re retaining them. Even just a few ‘off’ features can put them off. So look at things like buying without the need to sign in. Consider how smart and well placed your search function is. Breadcrumb navigation is another smart choice, which makes sure the customer knows how far along they are in the purchase process. You might also want to look into setting up a store on an existing eCommerce platform with the help of something like this Amazon Marketplace Management Agency if this is an area you struggle with or are pressed for time. You want the shopping process to be easy for every single one of your customers and even one issue can be a major setback.

Bold Ads: Advertising across different social media platforms and websites can bring in tons of traffic if they’re done right. Dynamic Product Ads can make the difference between a few sales a day to several and provide you with repeat customers. Go bold with your ads and have fun with them. People want to see why your business is different than all the rest and this is your chance to showcase it.

Photography Rules: Photography and fashion go hand in hand. A high-quality picture is going to sell people much more than a low price tag or a few lines of hype. For your site, there are two kinds of photography you should consider. First, mannequin photography, so people can inspect the item from different sides and zoom in. Second, it’s a good idea to have a model and professional photographer show how it looks being worn. You can’t go amateur with this step. Unless you’re a practiced photographer, it will just end up looking off.

Don’t Be Hard To Buy From: A big part of running an online shop is how accessible it is. How many times have you been frustrated and given up on a site because it went all wonky on your mobile? How many times have you been turned away because a site can’t accept your method of payment? That site probably lost you as a customer. So if you’re starting one, avoid that mistake. Make the site responsive in its design. Then research options like the difference between payoneer and paypal, different payment processing solutions, and payment security so you’re able to take money in a whole range of ways.

Speaking of making payments, do you have a model for the prices of your products? Is it a one time purchase or a subscription based service? On the topic of subscriptions, have you considered your payment platform and how this works? Some work on a subscription basis so you pay a specific amount each month to handle all your sales. Others work on a flat markup model basis, a markup model is where your processor takes a small percentage of every sale, so this may be better when you’re getting started out. It does ultimately depend on what you’re dealing with however.

Don’t Be Broken: Don’t launch too early! Whenever you’re making changes to the site, test it and test it again. If you can, hire some QA guys to come browsing and have them try to actively break the site. Discover any broken links and functions and get them fixed before you’re online. You will also want to pay close attention to your IP reputation score as this can be a strong indicator of cyber crimes happening on your site. Your website should be tested as often as possible because once it is compromised it will be very hard to maintain any of your current customers. This is enough to sink your business before it has even got off the ground.

The reliability of the site isn’t the only thing you can test as well. A lot of businesses also test how good their sites are at making customers. Customer rate optimization is something a lot of businesses need to think about and many use A/B testing to do just that.

If you want a successful site, it’s all about the look and the feel of it. You need to make sure it’s accessible and looks amazing. After that, it’s all about finding the right product.

Does anyone own an online business? Feel free to post the links in the comment section below! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image Provided By: Pixabay