Tag Archives: love

Happy Birthday To Me Haul: Work Fam Edition

Standard
Happy Birthday To Me Haul: Work Fam Edition

Hello! June seventh was my twenty-sixth birthday and, in true Lil Red fashion, it has been drawn out a few days with individual hang outs with friends and family. I also end up celebrating with the families who I work with and have ended up becoming a part of in the past three years of doing my job. One of my client’s families always ends up super spoiling me and I received the following this past week:

36EAEA8A-E758-4CE6-B5CD-5DC7A8D4C42E6AD0BE3B-311B-48CF-81FA-3A61FB8B175A

As soon as I walked into work on Monday, “Happy Birthday” was sung and gifts were handed to me at an alarming rate. Each one I opened seemed to be more lovely than the next and “this is way too generous” was the catchphrase of the opening session. This was matched by each member of my work family assuring me that “you’re worth it” every single time.

Becoming a member of three different families wasn’t exactly what I was setting out to do when I began providing care for people with special needs. But, sometimes things just happen like that and, now, celebrations seem to happen constantly. Whether it be a holiday or a member of my “pseudo family’s” birthday, I am always a part of it and it feels good!

There is truly nothing better than walking into work Monday through Friday and stepping into a family environment. It has also been such a godsend during all of the craziness of COVID to have so many extra people to talk to! Work families are so important and I am so thankful for all of mine. ❤

Do you consider the people at your job a family? Are you an unofficial member of someone else’s fam? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

My 26th Birthday Celebration

Standard
My 26th Birthday Celebration

Hello! My 26th birthday was this past Sunday and, although quarantine kept me from celebrating a little more heavily, I got to spend such a wonderful time with my family on both days of the weekend. On Saturday night, Johnny and I had a pizza dinner with my mom, dad, and brother. We also returned on Sunday so I could see my sister and her daughter in a safe environment because there are currently beaucoup ant traps set up at my apartment right now… Not very baby friendly!

After a Sunday afternoon at my mom and dad’s, Johnny and I spent the rest of the day watching Public Enemy and Inglorious Bastards. He also humored me by watching an episode of America’s Next Top Model together. What a guy! It was, indeed, a low key birthday but sometimes those are the best kind. And, as much as I would like to turn up, it’s just not safe. So, a pizza night at my parents’ seems like a close second to me. 🙂

How did you celebrate your birthday this year? Do you have anything exciting coming up? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

My First LEGO Set!

Standard
My First LEGO Set!

Hello!! One of my favorite shows that Johnny and I have watched while in quarantine is LEGO Masters. I had never played with LEGO in my youth and Johnny was all about it and he still is. Watching the friendly competition show definitely spiked my interest and Johnny and I resolved to build a LEGO set together… Which he gifted me with for my 26th birthday! Check out my Harry Potter themed masterpiece:

DF782B31-126C-441A-A785-C490CA33BC9D7FC47107-153C-4BED-96B8-528770A5F73290852FAD-9502-4A30-BCE1-9B66EFD3B5260C67CD57-E040-4EE6-81AD-360369202D20357B9A13-6C13-47E7-A0C4-0FAF580AADDC6FC7859C-8555-4E80-82E1-942BE9718DE01B4F6AB1-DCBB-4160-8789-A7AA51E827E3

From the rubble of LEGO bricks scattered all over my coffee table, a replica of Hogwarts Castle during the Yule Bar arose within one evening at chez moi. Johnny and I cleared the clutter, improved the lighting situation with a standing lamp from the bedroom, and began to build along with the assembly instructions. And, I have to say, the first brick was so satisfying!

Very early on in our build, Johnny and I found that with my talon nails, assembling the smaller LEGO pieces was damn near impossible. So, I handled the big pieces while Johnny focused on the details and it made for a perfect pairing. It was so amazing to see our hard work take shape as the castle came alive with such iconic parts of Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire.

A Christmas time ball at Hogwarts does, indeed, sound magical and I think that added to the joyous atmosphere of the entire evening. Johnny and I worked together and made something awesome and it was hands down the best quarantine date night we’ve had. We are looking forward to continuing to extend Hogwarts and plan on getting more sets to add on soon. Keep it posted!

What was your favorite childhood toy? Have you built anything cool with LEGO recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Happy Birthday, Boyfriend!

Standard
Happy Birthday, Boyfriend!

Hello! Today is a very special, happy, wonderful day because it is my boyfriend, Johnny’s, 31st birthday. And, in exactly one week it will be my 26th… Ahhh! Johnny and I have been together for almost a year and it has easily been the best almost year of my life. Before the quarantine began, we were constantly going on adventures and enjoying nights out when his band, The Outside Voices, would play.

Now, we are hunkered down in the apartment with binge watching marathons and video games for our entertainment. But, I wouldn’t want to be stuck at home with any other person. Johnny knows how to turn anything into a good time, even if it is the most boring day on the planet. And, that is because Johnny is a person who is just full of light and a little bit of mischief when he lovingly pokes fun at me!

I have been waiting for a relationship just like this for forever and I wish that we could celebrate Johnny’s big day in the manner that he deserves. Instead, I’ll be picking up a steak dinner for him at Outback and FINALLY give him the presents that I have been begging for him to open since they arrived in the mail.

Is it the most exciting birthday event ever? No. However, Johnny knows how to make anything he does for me special and exciting and if I can take a few notes from his book, I think his birthday celebration will be a hit.

bf2

I love you, babe!

Happy Birthday! ❤

Bath & Body Works Online Haul

Standard
Bath & Body Works Online Haul

Hi! During the coronavirus pandemic, the foaming hand soap from Bath & Body Works has been a godsend. They leave my hands feeling so clean without being stripped of moisture in any way. And, when you’re washing your hands way more frequently than usual, you have no idea how nice it is to have a soap that won’t turn your hands into bright red lobster claws!

I began purchasing B&BW soaps when I moved into my apartment last year and have not looked back since. My boyfriend, Johnny, loves them too and I love being in charge of which scents we pick out! Like all of these ones, when we had to restock online:

C8CB6E18-C22F-4381-9F73-48F54DC13611

Which Scents?

  • Sunwashed Citrus
  • Peach Bellini
  • Shell Yeah (Peach Passionfruit)
  • Stay Pawsitive (Iced Vanilla Cookie)
  • Pineapple Mango
  • Pomegranate Lemonade

Bath & Body Works was running a six for twenty-four dollar promotion on their hand soaps and you just can’t beat that. Of course, shopping online for scents is hard so I just went with what sounded good to me. I had to grab another Peach Bellini because it’s my favorite but I decided to get all new scents for the other five choices.

I absolutely love the adorable marketing on the Shell Yeah and Stay Pawsitive bottles and they both smell awesome. The Iced Vanilla Cookie one smells so much like the real thing that you just want to eat it, lol. I also am a huge fan of tropical/citrus scents, as is my boyfriend, so the Pineapple Mango and Sunwashed Citrus were easy choices to make.

The only scent that I am not thrilled with is the Pomegranate Lemonade. The lemonade part isn’t noticeable and the pomegranate portion is so overpowering and it just smells… Not great. Very old lady-ish, actually, so I definitely won’t be getting it again. But, five out of six ain’t bad and having clean, smooth hands makes one disappointment one hundred and fifty percent worth it!

What is your favorite Bath & Body Works scent? How do you keep your hands from drying out after a lot of washes? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Just Something Nice :)

Standard
Just Something Nice :)

HELLO! So, this quarantine has been lots of fun… I mean not the quarantine itself, everything kind of sucks. But, hanging out with my boyfriend at home when I’m done at work has been a hoot. Johnny and I have binge watched series after series and played countless hours of Animal Crossing to help us pass the time and, although it’s boring, I wouldn’t want to be quarantined with anyone else. :*)

One of my favorite nice Johnny stories that I never shared was from after I attended a wine and paint night with my best friend and some of the bridal party for her upcoming wedding. I came home with my tail between my legs because I thought my painting turned out like BOO BOO:

FC9D4F22-9762-4877-B431-EF25591F33EC

But, the first thing Johnny said when he saw my painting was that he liked it and it looked like a Christmas card. Now, I have the painting proudly displayed in the living room. He always knows how to turn something I see negatively into a positive which I suck at doing and I always feel happy when I look at my masterpiece now.

Another thing that never fails to put a smile on my face is when I notice that Johnny has put my little artist’s wooden body model into a different position:

FD30C5A4-A24E-427E-AA09-6542E5CDD3E9

^^^ It’s the little things, right?! 😅

Although things are far from awesome right now, I get to spend my excess free time safely tucked away in our goofy apartment world and I am so thankful for that. Especially when such fun surprises are scattered about if you know where to look! 🙂

Who has helped make this time in quarantine more tolerable for you? What is a silly tradition between you and someone your close with? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

If The Shoe Fits: Forever 21 Wedge Loafers Edition

Standard
If The Shoe Fits: Forever 21 Wedge Loafers Edition

Hello! One of the last treats I purchased for myself during my recent online shopping extravaganza is a fabulous pair of embellished wedge loafers from Forever 21. The brand: Chase + Chloe. The price: Below thirty bucks. The style: Can’t be beat! Check out my new funky pair of footwear and let’s discuss:

5E1190EE-F169-4312-922F-C1220BD8DA0D9E95EA66-2369-47FC-9768-6B4ED506EB218F6F210C-CE0A-49C4-AF1E-9CE7F3E3F32E5DC6B0CD-8FBF-475A-8F35-779607B4DF36B50C9986-A222-46EA-88F1-6E28EF98CAD1

When I don’t feel like spending a fortune on crazy shoes from Dolls Kill, I usually turn to Forever 21 to satisfy my urge for shoes that have a little more oomph to them. While browsing through F21’s selection this time around, I wasn’t too impressed. But, when my eyes locked on these Chase + Chloe loafers, my heart skipped a beat. It was literally one of those “That’s what I’m talking about!” moments and into the cart it went.

I was really looking forward to my new kicks arriving in the mail and, even though I love them, I was riddled with disappointment as soon as I opened the box. Yes, the shoes are fabulous. However, as soon as I took one of them out of the box, one of the studs fell off immediately. You can actually see where it is in the picture of the back of the shoe.

Of course, things like this are to be expected with embellished shoes no matter how much it sucks and once I got over my initial “whomp whomp” I was able to appreciate how cool these shoes are. Everything about these shoes is a statement from the bold black and white palette to the rock n’ roll studs and stars. I can’t wait to bust these bad boys out and I am sure that they will be a crowd pleaser… Minus a stud or two. 😉

Where do you get your most fun shoes at? How would you style these loafers? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mother’s Day Bouquets

Standard
Mother’s Day Bouquets

Hello and a very happy belated Mother’s Day to all of my lovelies who celebrated! Although I normally love getting creative with gift giving, I always find Mother’s Day to be a bouquet occasion. So, I went to our local grocery story and picked out some beautiful flowers and floral decorated mason jars for them all to go in for my giftees.

Over Mother’s Day weekend, my boyfriend and I made our flower delivery rounds and, although these pictures are admittedly not the best (I was half asleep!), take a look at my handy work:

FD5EADCD-EC6C-4196-99B5-A571DA511B0681E1E21A-EB65-4558-A065-5ED18D9341A339708F47-F438-44E8-A2A8-AFA6C409D920

Once I bought my Mother’s Day flowers, I took them home so that I could begin arranging them into their jars. My dad is an amazing bouquet arranger so I thought back to all of the million times I’ve seen him prepare a bouquet for my mom and gave it my best shot. And, I think they ended up looking great – the recipients definitely thought so!

I am partial to receiving flowers, myself, but there’s nothing like giving them on a special occasion to all of the strong, beautiful women that you love. Again, a very happy belated Mother’s Day to all and I wish I could have given flowers to all of you. ❤

How did you celebrate Mother’s Day? What is your favorite flower? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Bath Bomb Blitz: Bombs & Balms Edition

Standard
Bath Bomb Blitz: Bombs & Balms Edition

Hello! While Ohio’s stay at home order is still in place, I’ve been trying to do a lot of pampering at home until I can get to the salons. This means bubble baths, face masks, and (I can’t believe I’m saying this) but painting my nails with regular old nail polish. Lol, it’s a far cry from acrylics but what can ya do?!

I love a good at home pampering sesh as much as the next but, damn, am I looking forward to leaving it to the professionals! In the meantime, it’s not so bad, especially when bath time involves using wonderful treats from my friend, Annie’s, business of Bombs & Balms. Annie makes amazing bath and body care treats including the Harry Potter themed bath bomb we’re going to discuss today:

2C73B235-C74E-484B-826F-21E10CC3F33E9379C9E9-67FD-4F10-A854-A3CCBFA28505FFBCEB66-5417-4514-8BDF-9A07623492A08F91997F-86CB-4605-A769-710F7510F2C92347D2C9-7D17-46D2-BE95-899161E957BD

Okay, everyone knows I am a Lush snob when it comes to bath bombs. I friggen love them and, I hate to be the one to say it, but some homemade bath bombs just aren’t good. The ones I have used in the past that weren’t from a name brand always ended up being a disappointment, which is why I was so blown away by Annie’s Death Eater inspired bath bomb.

Of course, anything Harry Potter is alright by me so we were already off to a good start. And, as soon as I dropped the bath bomb in the water it was putting in work! Before I knew it, my tub was filled with inky black water but it wasn’t over yet. I kid you not, this bath bomb fizzed for at least seven minutes, and it was still going by the time I just couldn’t wait anymore and had to get in the tub!

Annie’s bath bomb put on a great show and I fancied thinking that I could almost see the Dark Mark from Harry Potter in the water. So cool! I also loved seeing all of the green, gold, and silver glitter twinkling about for a magical touch that felt oh so Slytherin.

Annie’s bath bomb was easily of Lush quality and I would use any of her products again in a heartbeat. In fact, it was one of my favorite bath bombs that I have used in a while! Annie is currently in the process of rebranding her business to now include homemade jewelry and you can shop with her on all of the following platforms:

  • Facebook
  • Etsy: BombsAndBalms
  • Instagram: bombsandbalms

Looking for some high quality bath and body care with the perfect touch of fun? Be sure to check all of Annie’s work out today! 🙂

How have you been pampering yourself at home? Which Harry Potter house do you belong to? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dinner For Two Pt. 2

Standard
Dinner For Two Pt. 2

Hi! On April first, Johnny and I celebrated seven months of PASSIONATE LOVE with each other. Thankfully, neither of us said April Fools and it was easily the best day I’ve had since all of this self-isolation business. If you recall from previous posts, I love cooking for my boyfriend. And if you recall from a very previous post, Johnny surprised me with dinner he made a few weeks ago when I came home from work.

Just when I thought that he couldn’t top himself, he raised the bar as he always does. On our seven month, we both got dressed up and when I got home from work I couldn’t believe my eyes when I opened the door. As I stepped in, I heard music playing on our record player, smelled garlic bread, and saw a fireplace screensaver burning brightly on the TV.

The best sight of all, though? Definitely seeing Johnny standing in the kitchen in a button down top and skinnies stirring a huge pot of spaghetti. We ate a delicious meal that he got stressed out cooking at our coffee table that he cleaned off special for the occasion. Then, we drank champagne and listened to all of our favorite songs. I lied when I said it was one of the best days of self-isolation because it was one of the best days of my life.

This has been a very stressful time for both of us and it was so nice to escape those feelings of unease for the day to celebrate our relationship. Johnny’s theory was that he wanted to make the dinner special because he couldn’t take me out to a restaurant. He succeeded with flying colors and, to me – a night in like that trumps going out on the town any time.

How have you celebrated special occasions in self-isolation? How have you kept your spirits up during this difficult time? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah