Hello everyone and Happy Thanksgiving!!! I have ALL of my beloved green bean casserole to eat and I am sure all of you have gatherings to get to, so I will be brief. On this day of being thankful before everyone goes buck on Black Friday, I want to extend my gratitude to my wonderful friends and readers throughout the blogosphere. Your interest, likes, comments, and everything in between is what keeps lifewithlilred going strong and I couldn’t do it without each and every one of you! ❤
I am especially grateful this year to be celebrating the good health of one of my loved ones and to be able to share in this day all together. Last year was trying times, indeed, so it can only go up from here, right?! I am thankful for my darling Johnny, my family, friends, clients, and all of the amazing opportunities my jobs have given me over the past year. I feel so excited for everything that’s yet to come and that is a pretty excellent place to be on Thanksgiving. 🙂
No matter how you spend your day today, have the best day ever. I know I will!!
Hello!! This past Friday, I spent a wonderful day getting pampered by my amazing stylist, Anna, at the Shear Shop. Last time I got my hair done by Anna, we introduced a gorgeous new Pulp Riot shade called Nightfall which is a navy blue. We both loved it SO much and decided that we needed to see more of it during my next appointment so I couldn’t wait to make that happen. For this look, we used all Pulp Riot colors of Pyro, Fireball, Satire, and Nightfall and it turned out absolutely divine. Check it out:
^^^ Keep it locked for a brand new OOTD coming soon! 😀
To create my new do, Anna began by bleaching my roots and we let that sit for around twenty-five or thirty minutes. After washing and drying, it was time to mix up the Pulp Riot dye and, as always, take a commemorative whiff of it. Lol, if you have used Pulp Riot products before, then you will know it smells exactly like Sweet Tarts! 😀
The fun truly begins when Anna starts to dye my hair and brings our vision to life. Although we were using the exact same colors from my previous appointment, changes needed to be made. It was already decided that we needed more navy in our lives and we swapped the yellow I originally had in front for navy instead. This choice was made for aesthetics, sure, but it was also strategic. While we both adore the gorgeous yellow shade of Satire, it looked very unflattering when my dark roots came in against such a bright hue. Anna is a master of her craft and she not only thinks about the immediate result, but what it will look like when it grows out too and that is much appreciated.
To achieve this look, Anna started out by painting my roots with a deep red called Pyro. It makes my regrowth virtually undetectable and is a must every time I get my hair done. Then, she painted my bangs and the hair framing my face with Nightfall as well as creating a navy halo underneath the red. She also left a few strands out that we could paint with Satire, but that was easier said than done. The yellow is very close to the navy and the last thing we wanted was for a funky green shade to pop up. Finally, she pulled through the rest of the back portion of my hair with the brighter red of Fireball and we let the color sit for around fifty minutes.
Once the color was ready to be washed out, Anna proceeded with caution because we didn’t want any of the colors to blend. She used a fabulous color locking shampoo that pretty much eliminated any bleed out and we were most impressed. Afterwards, it was onto conditioner and a treatment to soften my hair and add some shine. That is always much needed after we put my hair through the ringer! My hair felt wonderful after and it was as if we never did anything to it in the first place.
The end result of Anna’s hard work blew us both away and it turned out exactly how we wanted it to. I am obsessed with the navy framing my face and I love how it looks against my complexion. My red was back and brighter than ever and there was no green to be found from colors blending. It’s always a coin toss to do something this bold with your hair, but I know that I am in the best hands with Anna. I can’t wait to see what we do next! 😀
Keep it posted here on lifewithlilred for a brand new OOTD, bloopers, and a bit of a surprise because your girl got a new piercing for the first time in years this past weekend!! It is very cute, if I do say so myself! 🙂
Have you changed your look recently? What is your favorite hair care product? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello!!! This past Tuesday, I spent a wonderful afternoon shopping with my mom at TJMaxx. We went with the intention of holiday shopping but, of course, we had to pick out some goodies for ourselves too!! My mom walked away with two adorable new sweaters and I had a fun haul with some new winter accessories and the 7 For All Mankind dress that we are discussing today. I was very happy to have found this dress because I had an upcoming event (on Friday the 10th) with a local celebrity thanks to this OOTD. I wanted to go all out for it fashion-wise and I knew that this dress would wow:
At the end of the day, I could have worn something to my Friday event (Which you will hear more about later!) that I already own. But where is the fun in that?! This was going to be my first time rubbing shoulders with someone famous for more than one minute and I wanted to look my best. Our gracious host is a HUGE deal in Ohio and I wanted the pictures I was going to take to not only speak to that, but my fashion too. After piling my shopping cart full of Christmas prezzies, it was onto browsing the clothing department for anything that spoke to me. I couldn’t believe the stroke of good fortune from the fashion gods themselves when I laid eyes on my new dress! There was only one in my size and it was drop dead gorgeous.
My New 7 For All Mankind Dress is everything that I love when it comes to clothing. Snakeskin is my favorite pattern, I live for faux leather, the shape was flattering, and it was an all around unique piece. I knew for a fact that no one at the event would be wearing something similar and that in itself was good enough for me. But, was it going to look good on me? Thankfully and obviously, the answer was YES lol! As soon as this dress was on, I was sold in a heartbeat. The tea length A-line skirt offered so much playful movement and the pattern was to die for. It looked amazing against my hair – especially with the navy in it. OOTD ideas began swirling through my head at a rapid pace and I always know that I have found a winner if I am being inspired that much in a TJMaxx fitting room!
I will leave my outfit musings out because you will all be seeing the end result very soon and I want it to be a surprise. Keep it locked here on lifewithlilred for all the deets on my celebrity schmooze fest coming this week!
How do you know if a piece of clothing is something you want to buy? Have you ever met a celebrity before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello!!! Johnny and I had so much fun on Halloween and this has been my favorite spooky season celebration we have had yet. I loved my costume, we watched all of the scary movies, and enjoyed a bonfire while we passed out Trick or Treat candy with my family. Normally, it’s like pulling teeth to get Johnny to take a “nice” picture with me. (He has a knack for subtly flipping the bird in most of our pictures lol SMH!) On Trick or Treat night, however, he was ready for his close up and willingly took these shots with me. I think he rocked it!
It is a joy to celebrate any holiday with Johnny, but Halloween just hits different. It’s not a season – it’s a state of mind and while we keep it spooky year round, Halloween weekend is like our Christmas Day. Johnny and I were so excited to get dressed up and jam packed our schedule full of activities. The best part was definitely helping out with Trick or Treat and we were thrilled that my family got involved in it too. We just love to spread that Halloween spirit and our bonfire was awesome. We had a powder to make the flames change colors and it looked amazing! 😀
Trick or Treat night was also great because Johnny finally took pictures with me. In fact, when I asked him if he would take “nice” pictures with me, he replied with “Of course I will. It’s Halloween!” Lol, he is so ridiculous but he was serving LOOKS in these shots. He was working his hodge podge vampire costume like nobody’s business and I was so proud. I have pictures of us together from every Halloween we have celebrated as a couple and I really treasure them. I think the pics we took this year was our best work yet. ❤
I didn’t have one piece of candy all of Halloween weekend because we ran out. But, I have countless happy memories from it and that’s good enough for me! ❤
What is your favorite Halloween candy? Least favorite? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello everyone!!! November first was Melvin and Penelope’s Gotcha Day and I guess I’m a horrible bunny mom because I didn’t realize it until the second lol. I have been thinking about their Gotcha Day for months and naturally it slipped my mind the day of SMH. In my defense, it has felt like Johnny and I have had Mel and P for forever ever since we brought them home over a year ago. They are the best little bunnies that we could ever ask for and it is such a joy to be bunny parents:
^^^ Lol at this picture of Penelope!
Mel and P have grown so much since we have brought them home. Not in size, but in spirit haha. For the first several months of having them, they were pretty skittish and it took a decent amount of time for them to get fully acclimated to their new setting and owners. These first months were a testament to patience being a virtue as we slowly but surely increased our interactions with them. A year ago, they barely wanted to be pet. Now, they love to be picked up and cuddled while Johnny and I hang out in the evenings. It’s great!
The best part about this year of pet parenthood has been watching Mel and Pen’s personalities finally come out. Penelope is not as shy as we originally thought and is such a cuddle bug. Our clothes are proof of this because she sheds like crazy. The way to her heart has always been with her favorite treats and she will literally melt over an apple lol. Melvin, on the other hand, is all about adventure. He loves to explore and is currently zooming around our bunny proofed zone as I type this. Mel is such an adolescent and doesn’t like to be held for too long so he can get back to playing. Thankfully, he is never too old for lots of pets from his old mom and pop. 🙂
Johnny and I took our fur babies home during a very dark place in my life and they made every day better. It was a comfort to have these two little gremlins to wake up to and return home to, knowing that they depended on me for their care. No matter how bad I was feeling, just being around them always helped to lift my spirits. Even though they can’t clean their own litter box (I wish!), they take care of me too. My mental health has improved one hundred fold because of them and they truly came into our lives at just the right time. I love them so much! ❤
Happy (late) Gotcha Day to my sweet Melvin and Penelope. The most wonderful bunnies in all the land! Johnny and I love you both!!!
Do you celebrate your pet’s Gotcha Day? How has your pet helped you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello!! Every day, I am thankful for the beauty of blogging. Of course, I always love to write and it is a joy to express myself on my page. However, the thing that I love best about blogging is the people! I met my best friend through lifewithlilred and so many other members of the blogosphere that I feel lucky to connect with. This Tuesday, I received a beautiful card in the mail that was bought for me by the darling Leenda, the author behind The Bus To Sorry. While she was at a craft fair, she spotted a card and sticker that she thought I would like and she was so right! Check it out:
There is something about a handwritten note from a friend that just hits different. I was SO excited to open the letter from Leenda because I had no idea what it was going to be. All I knew was that it was something that she thought would match my vibe. I ripped into the envelope like a rabid beast and clutched my pearls over what I saw. Guys, I am obsessed with my note card and sticker by Freshly Squeezed Art. As soon as I got home, I immediately put the sticker on my laptop and left the note on my desk. I enjoy looking at it too much for it to go in my letter box!
These lovely little gifts match my aesthetic to the T. It amazed me that someone who only knows me from my blog and comments could pick something that I would have picked for myself. It honestly made me feel really proud of myself that I am so open on my page that it gave one of my beloved reader friends perfect insight into a prezzie I would adore. I feel incredibly touched to be thought of by Leenda and it was a wonderful reminder of why I started my blog in the first place. It was always to make new friends and I am so glad that it is having that effect. ❤
Thank you, thank you, thank you to Leenda for this Sweet Surprise. It made my week and do be sure to check out her page and give it some love!
What is something that you would pick out for me? Have you met any good friends through your blog? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello!!! On November first, it will be one whole year since Johnny and I welcomed our sweet bunnies, Melvin and Penelope, home. We adopted Mel and P from a friend who adopted Penelope from some type of fair I think? Little did she know, Penelope was pregnant and had eight (Yes, eight!) babies. When Johnny and I decided that we were committed to adopting bunnies, I scoured humane societies and posted on Facebook for any leads. My post was answered by the new bunny parent of nine and we took our babies home two weeks later!
It was and still is so exciting to have pets in our apartment. Melvin and Penelope are our little buddies and we are just as obsessed with them now as the day we brought them home. It is such a blast to watch our two gremlins romp around our bunny proofed area, play with their beloved Chewy boxes, and get into mischief. Mel and P’s favorite activities include snack time, chewing literally everything, and getting all of the cuddles from their mom and dad. Although, cuddling definitely wasn’t on their agenda when we first got them… It took a while for them to get warmed up to being held, but now they are always on the couch with us when we watch TV! 🙂
Our almost first year of being bunny parents felt like a lot of trial and error. It took both Mel and P a while to get about 95% litter trained, for starters. The first few months involved a lot of cleaning up accidents and rearranging their litter boxes to find a solution that worked. We had to figure out the best ways to clean their hutch, the best places to shop for their leafy greens, as well as finding supplies that they liked and getting them acclimated to our touch. This process took a while, but we never gave up and it feels like we have had them for so much longer than a year.
Melvin and Penelope are completely different bunnies from when we first brought them home. Pen was SO shy and was not interested in exploring her new digs whatsoever. Melvin, on the other hand, was quite skittish and would rather run away than be near us. Now that they know who mom and dad are and are so used to us, we finally see their real personalities. Pen is sweet as can be and loves to be held – the way to her heart was lots of yummy treats! Mel is our little adventurer and tolerates being held for a while, then he scampers off to play, play, play. He loves toys and thinks it’s hilarious to dump his food dish all over the hutch as soon as I refill it! Their personalities compliment each other so well and I am thrilled that they are comfortable enough with us to show it off. ❤
Since Johnny and I did not have a birthaversary bash this year, we are hoping to combine it into a party for Mel and Pen’s Gotcha Day. Our bunny babies are so loved and in my perfect world, we would have an apartment full of them!
What is your pet’s personality like? When it your pet’s Gotcha Day? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new skin care review on lifewithlilred! Today, we are going to be talking about the Rescue Me Water Jelly Dew Cream by goodhabit. I have been using it for the past month and still have a little ways to go and I have been loving it. Johnny really likes it too and it has treated his forever dry forehead well lol. The only thing we still can’t quite wrap our mind around is the color of this moisturizer! Take a look:
I will never forget when I opened this moisturizer for the first time and my first impression was simply “Smurf blue”. I always open a new moisturizer expecting a white or off white color so you could color me surprised when the Water Jelly Dew Cream just wasn’t haha. After the initial shock of all blue everything, I was able to appreciate the delightful aquatic scent this moisturizer has. It is so crisp and refreshing! This product also fully lives up to the name of a Jelly Dew Cream because it feels exactly like jelly and jiggles like it too. 😀
Applying the goodhabit moisturizer is like giving your skin an instant hydration boost. You barely need any of it to fully cover your face and neck – a little goes a very long way, but just a little packs a huge punch. This moisturizer absorbs really fast, sits well under makeup, and my skin has never looked or felt better. My face feels SO insanely soft and it looks fresh and bright… almost as if I am well rested for once in my life! I am going to be so sad once it is all gone and I think Johnny will be too!
If you are on the market for a new moisturizer, I can’t recommend goodhabit’s Rescue Me Water Jelly Dew Cream (that’s a mouthful!) enough. I am hoping that I find more during my next TJMaxx shopping trip because I could imagine it being most helpful for dry skin during the fall and winter!
What is your favorite skin care brand? Have you used any goodhabit products before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello!!! This past Friday, I saw the Barbie movie with one of my dear friends from my retail days and it was amazing! It was such fun to get all dolled up and share in the collective excitement that has been revolving around Barbie for so long. I had no idea what the basic plot of Barbie was and, honestly, I didn’t care lol I heard so many fantastic reviews that I just knew it was going to be great. And, it sure was! Without giving any spoilers away, let’s discuss this adorable flick further:
^^^ As always, I have no rights to this video!
In Barbie Land, everything is perfect. Everything was perfect yesterday and everything will be perfect tomorrow too. In Barbie Land, life is dance parties, going to the beach, and amazing fashion. It is also a land of girl power where the girls can do it all and Ken is just… Ken. Then, things take a major turn when Barbie starts thinking about death. Her feet turn flat, she has cellulite, and is being introduced to all kinds of new feelings that she has never experienced before.
After a trip to the “Weird Barbie”, our heroine learns that whoever is playing with her in the real world is putting her own emotions into the doll. To return life back to the perfect status quo, Barbie must go to the land of humans, find her owner, and get the bad vibes to go away. As Barbie takes off in her pink car, she is surprised by Ken joining her for the trip. They travel by boat, spaceship, snowmobile, and roller blades to California and the human world is nothing like they imagined.
In the human world, men rule and women are an afterthought. While Barbie searches for her owner, Ken learns a thing or two about patriarchy and resolves to make some changes in Barbie Land. And, once Barbie finds her owner she decides to make some changes herself. With the help of new friends, it is up to Barbie to return her home back to normal after Kens take over and make a choice. Stay as a doll in her perfect land or stay in the imperfect world of humans. What will she choose? See the movie to find out!
The Barbie movie was just pure fun through and through. The clothes, the sets, humor, music, and actors all worked in tandem to create a movie that was unforgettable. I have never seen anything like it before and it reminded me of the joy that I felt when I would use my imagination to play with dolls in my youth. It was impossible not to smile ear to ear the entire movie and as soon as it was done, I wanted to see it again… and again, and again.
Margot Robbie brought Barbie to life beautifully and her performance never came across as shallow, but endearing. Yes, Barbie can do it all. But, when she began to experience human emotions like depression, it was a reminder that Barbie will always be what you make her. Ryan Gosling as Ken was hysterical and never felt like himself without being by Barbie’s side. He, too, was on a mission of self discovery and even though it went horribly wrong, things always have a way of working out in Barbie Land.
The Barbie movie taught that imperfect is the most perfect thing of all and that you are “Kenough”. I left the theater buzzing with positivity because the movie just makes you feel good. It was silly, sweet, empowering, and something that can be enjoyed by anyone. If you haven’t seen Barbie yet, I can’t recommend it Kenough!
Have you seen Barbie? What did you think about it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello!! I had a lovely shopping date at TJMaxx with Johnny’s mom last week and it was a very successful trip. Why? Because it is one of my favorite times of the year! Summer clothes are going on clearance and fall clothes are being reintroduced. While the store wasn’t bursting at the seams with jackets, sweaters, and cardigans; I saw a glimmer and I was loving it. As an added treat for yours truly, TJMaxx launched their Halloween home decor collection already! You can peep my purchase from that department tomorrow. Now, let’s take a look at this adorable sweater by Debut:
When I saw this pretty little thing hanging on the rack, I literally gasped. It was just SO cute and one of those pieces that I instantly knew was going home with me. I had never seen anything like it before and I was enamored. The color bursts against the creamy base made me smile and I couldn’t think of anything better to begin my fall shopping with. Although I did find some summer pieces that I liked a lot during previous trips, they could all kick rocks as far as I was concerned. Fall was officially here… At TJMaxx, anyways. 😀
I wasn’t surprised when I tried my Debut sweater on and it was amazing. Like I said, I just knew! Everything about it worked. While it was a cropped sweater, it hit right where a normal rise pair of jeans would begin. This was great because I never understood why anyone would want their stomach bare when it’s chilly out! The crochet style was also just right. Although there were gaps in the fabric, it wasn’t so big that my bra was visible through them. Winning marks all around and all of the outfit ideas began to swarm!
Once this sweater was on, I really didn’t want to take it off. I loved it so much lol and it was comfy as can be. I have been eager to begin styling fall OOTDs for so long and I know exactly what I’m going to feature as soon as the temperature begins to drop!
What is your favorite season to shop for? What is fall like in your neck of the woods? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
lifewithlilred 