Tag Archives: love

Sweet Birthday Surprises

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Sweet Birthday Surprises

Hi everyone! My 24th birthday was exactly one week ago as of today. I still have yet to write a birthday haul post because of late arriving gifts from my siblings, but I did receive some really sweet surprises from my parents on my big day. Take a look:

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When I woke up on my big day, I was surprised with a freshly picked bouquet from my dad’s garden. I don’t know what the vibrant purple flowers are, but they sure are pretty! And then, even though I told my mom no birthday cake, she brought home a vanilla torte with a layer of strawberry filling that was to die for. I’m really not a huge fan of any type of cake, but this one with the white chocolate shavings and buttercream frosting was the exception! So delicious!

Flowers and cake might be the norm on one’s birthday, but being treated to such beautiful surprises never gets old! I had a wonderful birthday filled with my favorite people, food, and PRESENTS!! 😀

How do you like to celebrate a loved one’s birthday? What is your favorite thing to gift someone with? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

BFF Birthday Haul

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BFF Birthday Haul

Hiii everyone and TGIF! My best friend, Lea, and I have been gifting birthday and Christmas presents to each other since our Freshman year of high school in 2008. So, of course, this year was no exception! We always seem to know exactly what to get each other, so it was no surprise that I loved her birthday presents to me seen below:

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The Haul:

  • A bottle of moscato (My favorite!)
  • A bag of vanilla Starbucks coffee grounds (Also my favorite!)
  • A darling new coffee mug (My other favorite!)
  • A Starbucks gift card (My most favorite!)

The best part about Lea’s gifts, is that they are always things that I wouldn’t buy for myself. And, in my opinion, that makes for the perfect present. I have so many amazingly cute mugs and knick knacks from Lea throughout the years of our friendship and I cherish all of them and have them displayed proudly in my room. I am obsessed with the stonewear “Hello Gorgeous” mug that will be perfect to hold my morning coffee in. The bronze pineapples add an amazing touch of summer fun, which is great for my early summer birthday!

And, of course, who doesn’t love wine?! 😉

What kind of prezzies do you love to gift your BFF with? How long have you been friends with your bestie? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

It’s In The Bag: Foley + Corinna Pt. 2 Edition

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It’s In The Bag: Foley + Corinna Pt. 2 Edition

As I was saying yesterday, my beautiful off white Foley + Corinna purse was so perfect that… I had to get it in black, too. *Face palm*

BUT LET ME EXPLAIN!!

As I admired myself with my white purse in the mirror at TJMaxx, I thought to myself “Boy, I sure hope that they don’t have this in another color”. I was so enamored with this bag, that if presented with it in a rainbow of colors, I would have bought every single one of them. But, luckily, TJs only had it in one other color, and it just so happened to be my favorite:

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Yeah… I bought it in black, too.

Finding this purse in black was like a kick in the gut and a complete brain blast all in one. I loved both of the colors so much and now I had to pick between the two?! I must have spent a solid half an hour at TJMaxx weighing in the pros and cons of each purse and each time I thought that I was making progress, something about the color that I was about to eliminate made me fall in love with it all over again. I was torn.

So, I guess it’s a good thing that my twenty-fourth birthday is coming up in five days because my mom pulled through in the clutch and offered to get me one of them for my b-day! How could I pass that up?! Was it necessary to get both colors of this bag? Absolutely not. But did I really, really want both? You have no idea. So, thanks to some birthday magic and a cool mom, I got to bring the only two of these purses in the store back home with me. HURRAY! 😀

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Have you ever bought anything in multiple colors? How has retail therapy helped you out during a tough time? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

It’s In The Bag: Foley + Corinna Edition

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It’s In The Bag: Foley + Corinna Edition

Hey! So as I mentioned earlier this week, your girl was in desperate need of some retail therapy. And retail therapy I did. Oh yes, retail therapy I did. Although I love all accessories equally, I can’t say that I am a huge purse girl. I’d much rather buy a new pair of shoes. But, that doesn’t mean that I don’t love purses and I definitely have a collection in my own right. I’m very particular when it comes to my bags, so when the right one (Or two!) come along at TJMaxx, it’s very hard to say no! Take a look:

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When I saw this GORGEOUS Foley + Corinna bag, it was really love at first sight. I loved the chain straps, the contrast between the off white color and the black spikes, and I am a sucker for all things studs and spikes in general. This purse is just the right size to hold all of my necessities and will be nice to carry around during the summer thanks to its small size. It really is just perfect. So perfect that I…

Find out tomorrow!!

What do you think I did next? What is your favorite style of purse? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Accessory Story: Bella Jack Earrings Edition

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Accessory Story: Bella Jack Earrings Edition

Hello everyone and happy Hump Day! Lil Red has been in desperate need of some retail therapy these past few weeks, so TJMaxx was the move both in store and online. And, as always, ol’ TJs was very very good to me. For example, if it wasn’t for TJMaxx, I wouldn’t have these insanely gorgeous, THIRTEEN DOLLAR Bella Jack earrings that I am SO in love with. Check it out:

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Now, normally I’m not too keen on buying new earrings, because I usually just wear my signature black crosses. But, I’ve had my eye on these periwinkle flower bells for a long time. And, did I mention that I was in desperate need of retail therapy? I think that these Bella Jack beauties are so charming, and all I needed to do was briefly hold them up to my face in the mirror to know that they were coming home with me.

I love the glassy but matte shading over the pale blue coloring of these earrings, and I think that they look lovely with my hair, eyes, and complexion – if I do say so, myself. I also adore how if you make the earrings move, you can hear the tiny chime of bells ringing in your ears. This Bella Jack jewelry is pure fairy tale fun, and I can’t wait to wear them throughout the summer!

Where do you love to shop for jewelry at? What is your go to summer accessory? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Two Sleepy Doggies

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Two Sleepy Doggies

Howdy and TGIF! Monday is my long day at work, and by the time that I get home, all I want to do is get in my jammies, put my dogs up, and watch The Voice with my mom. Normally, my two rescue pups, Gem and Ollie, just want to play all day until everyone else goes to bed, but they must have been just as tired (Or bored with The Voice!) as I was, because they ended up falling fast asleep on the bed with my mom and I. It was so cute I could hardly stand it and I just have to share these Two Sleepy Doggies with all of you:

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Lol, so the first picture of Gem is more for me because I think it’s hilarious. But, the other one of her and my little Ollie is just cuteness overload. My dogs are honestly the most perfect creatures on the planet and I love them oh so much. To have them curled up and snoozing away while my mom and I watched a crappy singing contest was the best way to end a long, hard day and it was just what I needed before I went to bed, myself.

How do your pets greet you after a long day? Who are you rooting for on The Voice? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mother’s Day Bouquets

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Mother’s Day Bouquets

Hi everyone and happy late Mother’s Day to all of the wonderful moms, pet moms, and soon to be moms out there! You are all amazing and thank you for everything that you do – especially my mom! 😉 As a flower loving family, beautiful bouquets were the only way to go this Mother’s Day. Check out these gorgeous blooms and let’s discuss:

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The lavender bouquet seen first is compliments of my dad. He created his gift fresh from the lavender bush (Or tree?!) that he planted in our backyard. They smell divine and the pale purple color is spectacular. My dad planted his lavender when it was just a tiny sprig and now it is a huge, blossoming tree. It looks awesome and will definitely supply us with more bouquets all summer long.

The day lilies and vase are compliments of yours truly. My mom loves lilies and so I thought that they were the perfect flower for her gift from me. I love the dazzling orange and it looks striking against the Air Force blue vase. The butterfly and dragonfly adorned vessel was the last of its kind at the store and I can see why! I think that it is so pretty and I knew that it was something that my mom would love because the simple country style decor is her favorite. And, of course I was right!

We had a wonderful Mother’s Day celebration at my place and I hope that all of you did, too! How did you celebrate Mother’s Day? What is your favorite thing about your mom? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May Funky Time Jams

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May Funky Time Jams

Hiii everyone and TGIF! With May finally here (And hopefully warmer weather, too!), it is time to share what I’ve been playing in the Little Red Love Machine as I make my way throughout my day. And, yes, a little Jesus Christ Superstar is definitely thrown in there for good measure. Take a look:

In June, I am lucky enough to be able to see Jack White, AWOLNATION, and Cold War Kids at X Fest in Pennsylvania and I am so excited that I can’t even begin to describe it. So, of course I had to give them a little shout out on this month’s Funky Time Jams. Oh yeah, and Jesus Christ Superstar, lol. Ever since the wonderful live performance of the musical on Easter, I have been OBSESSED. JCSS has always been one of my favorite musicals and my love for it was completely rekindled after that stellar Easter show. So, yes, having one of my favorite songs on here from that musical was a must for this month, too!

What have you been rocking out to recently? What is your favorite musical? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Bouquet Beauty

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Bouquet Beauty

Heyyy everyone and happy Mayday! With another lovely month of spring upon us, it only seems right to plaster lifewithlilred’s walls with a floral frenzy. It’s hard not to see a huge field of flowers, a lone rose, or a freshly picked bouquet and not smile. That’s basically how I’ve been feeling for the last few days since my hopeless romantic dad gifted my mom with this here bunch of flowers:

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Seeing this bright pink delight every time I walk into the kitchen is always a treat. Seeing the blooms of daffodils, crocuses, and hyacinths all over the neighborhood is always a treat. And, spending another month with my beloved readers here on lifewithlilred is the best treat of all!

Happy May! ❤

What is your favorite month of the year? Are you doing anything special in the month of May? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dandelion Days

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Dandelion Days

Hi everyone and happy Monday! From as early as I can remember, I have always loved dandelions. Apparently, I used to spend countless hours in my youth squatted in the yard and plucking dandelion bouquets for my parents and grandparents. I also had many a temper tantrum when my parents wouldn’t stop the car at random fields to let me go dandelion crazy. But, that’s neither here nor there. And now, twenty years later, I still take delight in seeing the yellow blooms sprouting up in my neighborhood.

A weed and an inconvenience to some has always been viewed as a treasure to me. As soon as the dandelions begin invading the yards and fields in my neck of the woods, I know that spring is here. And, when the tiny yellow petals fall away, a puff of new seeds will come back that are perfect for making a wish on.

While walking through the neighborhood, I saw the perfect little lineup of dandies poking out of one of the driveways, and it brought me so much pleasure that I had to stop and snap a picture.

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It doesn’t take much to make me happy, but it sure is hard not to smile at the yellow pops of color scattered throughout the grass. 🙂

What was one of your favorite activities to do as a child? Who else was a fellow dandelion picker? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah