Tag Archives: maxxinista

Aug27

Date Night OOTD

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Date Night OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! This past Friday, Johnny and I had a date night at Buca Di Beppo and it was an absolute delight. I have never been there before and Johnny promised me a bowl of fettuccine Alfredo as big as my head and I received nothing less. Despite the food coma afterwards, it was a fabulous night and I just had to show out in my dinner date best:

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^^^ Lol, I really like that last picture for some reason!

Who? What? Wear?

I purchased my Zara dress during the last TJMaxx Haul that I had and I have been dying to break it out. Date night is the perfect occasion to wear a pretty little something and I loved how I felt in it. This dress was form fitting without being clingy and also hit slightly above knee length, which eliminated any awkward adjusting throughout the date. We all have that one dress that we adore but is just a hair too short or tight!

Because the pattern of the dress was so bold, it really didn’t need much styling magic so I chose simple things to enhance it. The first order of business was shoes and it took me a minute before settling on my platform loafers. They are actually falling apart but I refuse to part with them!

Regardless of their current state, the loafers were the best option to go with because of the length and style of the dress. The long sleeves and almost knee length cut left a lot of me covered up so it was important to give my legs all of the extension that I could. I did try a few pairs of platforms with ankle straps but, despite the additional height, the strap still broke apart the leg line and made me look short. The platform loafers solved that problem and gave a lovely silhouette without any interruptions.

For accessories, I knew exactly which necklace I wanted to use and went with my grandma’s chunky gold pendant necklace. It hits at just the right length to tuck under the collar of a dress or top and still leave the pendant showing. I love green and gold together and it also complimented the gold hoop embellishments on my purse perfectly!

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With all of the current craziness in my life, a date night with my Johnny was just what I needed for a pick me up. We ate like kings and we looked like royalty!

Where is your favorite date night spot? What do you like to wear for nights out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug20

A Stroll In The Garden OOTD Pt. 2

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A Stroll In The Garden OOTD Pt. 2

Hello! Despite a crazy couple of weeks, a blogger’s work is never over and I was able to work in a brand new OOTD shoot. Although the backdrop of my dad’s garden is the same as the last, you sometimes just have to roll with it and I’ll get to a different location when things slow down. Regardless of the where, the “wear” was fabulous and I love this little summertime look:

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We interrupt this shoot to feature a bunny in the backyard:

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Who? What? Wear?

I actually wore this outfit for mine and Johnny’s housewarming/birthaversary party at the end of May. I have been meaning to take pictures of it ever since because I think that it’s just the cutest. I am obsessed with my mom’s jean jacket and using it as an add on piece makes this OOTD ideal for a cool spring day or a summer evening. With or without, the outfit is great so if it gets too warm, all you need to do is take it off!

Both the top and bottom in this look were purchased during a recent TJMaxx Haul. You might also recognize the shoes from my White Hot OOTD. My super happy dream world would consist of different clothes and shoes for every day of the year but the Sbicca wedges were a very obvious choice for this outfit and color palette.

While I love the Premise pants, I will be the first to admit that they are a bit tricky to style. It was an instance when I had to utilize one of my TJMaxx Shopping Pro Tips and take a second round through the store to find a top to go with it. In fact, the Love On A Hanger top is still the only top that I own that goes with the pants so this is a look that I can’t bust out too frequently.

I’m sure we all have a piece of clothing that you adore but don’t know what to wear with it and my advice is as follows:

As you can see from this outfit, the LOAH top was not a perfect match to the pants in terms of the base color or embroidery. Neither was the blue in the shoes. However, it worked because the colors still came from the same family.

It’s easy to think that this closes off your options but it opens them up exponentially. It would be rare to find an exact color match to the China dish patterned pants. But, I pulled from the white and added a cream top and from the indigo pattern on the pants I added navy, periwinkle, and denim. According to this rule, I could wear an admiral or steel blue top with the pants and get away with it – Now, the trick is finding one!

Patterned pants are a new thing in my wardrobe simply because it’s hard to find ones I like and styling them is more difficult than a patterned top. Don’t let this scare you, though! Perfect matches for your top and shoes are boring and multiple shades of one color will add visual interest and something special to your OOTD!

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

PS: Tune in tomorrow to peep my new nails and then keep it posted the following day for bonus pics and bloopers from this shoot! ❤

Aug2

Country Concert OOTD

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Country Concert OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! This past Friday, Johnny and I were supposed to see ZZ Top and Willie Nelson at Blossom Music Center. However, we decided at the last minute that we weren’t comfortable going due to the newest highly contagious COVID variant. My sister is about to have her baby (Yay!!) and we didn’t want to take any risks to prevent us from seeing our new niece.

Even though we didn’t attend the concert, taking pictures was an obvious must because your girl was feeling herself! Check it out:

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Who? What? Wear?

When it came to styling an OOTD for a Country Concert, I had literally no options in my wardrobe lol. Thankfully, Johnny has plenty! The Rock N’ Roll Cowgirl shirt is his and, yes, he is my lil rock n’ roll cowgirl! I love wearing my husband’s clothes and adore his personal style so marrying him was like inheriting another wardrobe – GREAT SUCCESS!! 😀

I have actually been lusting over the silk fringe button down for ages and never had an opportunity to wear it. Although no one but Johnny saw me in it on Friday, it was still really fun to wear and take pictures in! I loved the way the fringe moved and had a blast dancing around and invoking my inner rock n’ roll cowgirl lol. It was seriously the perfect top to wear for a country show and so easy to style an OOTD around.

Little blue jean shorts were a must for a country concert and I’ve said it numerous times and I’ll say it again: The shorts from American Eagle are simply the best. They are so flattering, not too short, and fit well without being really tight. The distressed detailing on these shorts also added a little country flare and I found myself thinking “I feel like Dolly Parton” the entire time we were taking pictures. It. Was. Awesome. 😀

Of course, some cowboy boots would be the way to go for a country inspired OOTD. However, I didn’t go this route and chose my army green Guess wedges, instead. As someone barely over 5’1, it’s important for me to create length in all of my OOTDs. Flat shoes would have made me look squat in this outfit and we can’t have that! Although my wedges aren’t country in the slightest, I loved how the army green complimented the mustard yellow and burgundy flowers on the top.

To complete my Country Concert OOTD, I tied things together with my grandpa’s bolo tie. I have quite a few of his bolo ties from his days of line dancing with my grandma and I’ve never been able to wear any of them. It was SO special to me to have it on and it looked amazing with the rest of my outfit. The burnt orange stone and brown leather against the cream colored button down was stunning!

Even though I was all dressed up with nowhere to go, I am obsessed with this OOTD. I hope you can find inspiration from it if you are attending any country festivals this summer. Keep it posted for more pics from this shoot, bloopers, and an adorable couple’s photo shoot with Johnny!

Have you attended any concerts this summer? Who is your favorite country artist? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul30

July 2022 Finishes

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July 2022 Finishes

Hello!!! It’s about that time to discuss my beauty finishes for the month of July and it was a good month, indeed. I got to try some new to me products, used up some of the ones that took forever, and revisited some old favorites. It was a GREAT SUCCESS so let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Spray: Omg, did this spray take forever to finish lol – at least half a year of almost daily use! This is fine by me, though, because I love anything apple scented and B&BW always delivers. The Country Apple is the perfect mix of sweet and tart and it is the perfect pick me up before leaving for work. I would definitely use it again but am fine with not using it for a while!

SkinLab Cleanser: I love SkinLab products and the Lift & Firm Daily Gel Cleanser was amazing. After about a month and a half of daily use, my skin looked more supple and felt smoother. It was invigorating to use every morning and also removed remnants of makeup really well. Although, I have to admit that it’s a bit sad to be moving onto products that Lift & Firm lol.

B&BW Shower Gel: Normally, the travel size shower gel from B&BW lasts me three weeks of daily use. However, this month I used up two of them because Johnny helped me out after he ran out of his shower gel. We both smelled awesome for the month of July and I adore the Gingham Love scent. It has all of the fresh, crisp feels of the original Gingham with juicy berries thrown in for good measure. Although I think it’s super cute that Johnny used my shower gel, I’m bummed out that I’m all out of Gingham Love!

Tatcha Moisturizer: This moisturizer was a freebie during my last Sephora Haul and it was nice but I wouldn’t use it unless I got it as a free item again. I love a water cream formula, especially during the summer and this one was delightful. It absorbed so quickly while still leaving my skin feeling ultra hydrated. It took me four days of twice daily use to finish the sample jar.

Lanocreme Moisturizer: I purchased this moisturizer during a winter haul at TJMaxx and finally got around to using it towards the end of June. Although it absorbed well, it was a bit too thick for my liking during the summertime. That’s not to say that it wouldn’t be great for fall and winter use, though! This moisturizer was rich, creamy, and left my skin looking and feeling peaches and cream perfect. It took me about five weeks of twice daily use to finish the jar.

Hope Soap Lotion: This is the second lotion that I’ve used from Hope Soap, which is a local shop in my area. I received both of them as a gift and the first one that I finished in June wasn’t my favorite because its texture was so runny. The Vanilla & Fig was the polar opposite, however, and had the consistency of a normal lotion which I liked much better. It also smelled awesome! As nice as it was, I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy it for myself but it made a wonderful gift. It took me a little under two months to finish the jar.

As you can see from all of these empties, July was a month full of pampering. Whether the product was good or bad, I am glad to have used them up and am ready for lots more finishes come August!

Which products did you use up this month? What are your thoughts on any of the above products if you have used them? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul29

Date Day (Ish) OOTD

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Date Day (Ish) OOTD

Hello!! This past Saturday, Johnny and I had plans for a date day that went sour because he had a lil belly ache. We were supposed to go out to lunch (Which we did), take OOTD pics (Which we sort of did), and have drinks at our favorite bar (Which we didn’t). For lunch, we went to a brewery down the street called R. Shea’s and it was SO yummy but when a wave of nausea hit Johnny it was pretty much game over from there lol. Peep this glorious grilled cheese, though!

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^^^ Cilantro jalapeño hummus for an appetizer and a beer cheese grilled cheese for the main dish. Still daydreaming about it!

After lunch, we headed home and Johnny rallied enough to take some quick pics in the apartment because I loved the outfit I had on:

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^^^ Lol, I honestly forget what Johnny said to warrant that face in the last picture but it is such a mood!

Who? What? Wear?

  • Persimmon top: Solitaire, TJMaxx
  • Skort: Almost Famous, TJMaxx
  • Heels: Reaction By Kenneth Cole, TJMaxx
  • The belt is from some store in the mall that doesn’t exist anymore
  • The cuff bracelet is from Aerie, which I also got forever ago

Although I didn’t get a full photo series of this Date Day (Ish) OOTD, I still love it all the same. This look is a really good example of a color blocked outfit and is exactly what I pictured when I purchased the Solitaire top during my last TJMaxx haul. There are a few rules of thumb to follow for a successful color blocked OOTD so let’s discuss:

Colors That Compliment:

The best and most obvious rule for optimum success is to choose colors that compliment. As you can see, aside from my black skort that acted as a neutral, I went with a warmer palette for everything else. You want the colors that you use to interact with each other in the most positive way for a cohesive look.

Try looking at the rainbow for inspiration. For example, if I had a yellow skort, it would have worked just as well as the black since red, orange, and yellow work together in tandem. For a more jewel toned look, the base of this OOTD in green, blue, and violet would be ideal. If you want to do some advanced color blocking, take a look at a color wheel to use true complimentary colors like blue and orange or red and green.

Choose Clothing Styles Wisely:

A color blocked outfit is a huge accessory in itself and we all know that too much of a good thing can take away from the overall look. I kept things sleek in my OOTD and used the top as the main piece and then incorporated matching accessories. But maybe you want to do something more bold and we’ll use ruffles and complementary colors as an example…

Let’s say you have a magenta top with ruffled tank sleeves and you want to pair it with a bright green skirt. This alone would be a great choice but you could take it a step further. What if your green skirt has ruffle accents too? Then, it would be a home run because you’re using complimenting colors AND styles.

Different types of styling all demand cohesion and some options, like mixing and matching, allow you to be really creative. Of course, you are being creative with color blocking but it’s also a logical way of styling too. By observing not only colors that complement but styles too, you are going to have a cohesive look no matter what you choose. That’s just brain power, baby!

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^^^ Lil buddy was all tuckered out after his big day!

Despite not having many pictures of this Date Day (Ish) OOTD, I hope you learned a thing or two about color blocking. This is one of the easier styling methods so don’t be afraid to break out the color wheel and have some fun!

Do you prefer to wear warm or cool colors? What is your favorite styling technique? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

 

 

Jul28

A Stroll In The Garden OOTD Bonus Pics

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A Stroll In The Garden OOTD Bonus Pics

Hello everyone and welcome to some bonus pics from my Stroll In The Garden OOTD! This is neither here nor there but, as I type this, there is something stuck in my eye and it’s super uncomfortable/annoying. Happy Monday, am I right? ANYWHO, this little OOTD was shot by my dad and he did a bang up job! And, something very special happened afterwards so let’s get to it:

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My niece, Valerie, was over when we were taking these pictures and was outside with my mom while my dad was snapping pics. Val is my lil BFF and she is always joined at my hip whenever we are together so it was pretty amazing that these pictures could even happen! Now, normally, Val refuses to get her picture taken so we were all shocked when the unthinkable happened… She said she wanted to take pictures too!

After a few more minutes of OOTD pics, I was able to take Val’s pictures and it warmed my cold, bitter heart like no other. We all knew it was because she wanted to be doing what I was doing and it was just so freaking cute. Her and I ran around the backyard finding good patches of grass because, oddly enough, she didn’t want pictures by flowers. She showed off her cool dance moves and took her TT’s directions well when she felt like it. 😀

I couldn’t wait to share the pics that I took with my sister and brother-in-law and they were equally as surprised from Val’s apparent change of heart for getting her picture taken. Val makes me proud all of the time but this moment is definitely in my top five. Maybe we have a future blogger in the family?!

Do you like having your picture taken? Or do you prefer to be the one taking the pictures? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul27

A Stroll In The Garden OOTD

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A Stroll In The Garden OOTD

Hello everyone!! After a most fruitful TJMaxx haul, I was so ready to take all of the pictures with my new duds. I also had the perfect setting in mind – my dad’s garden! Come summer, it is absolutely glorious and filled with delicious veggies and stunning blooms. There is nothing better than taking a leisurely stroll and taking in all of the beauty or running around with my niece on the lush lawn…. And taking pictures, of course! Check it out:

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Who? What? Wear?

This is an OOTD that I love very much and I think it is just so fun and unique. I have nothing like the Rebellion Again top or Nicole Miller pants in my vast wardrobe, which made it an exciting look to wear since it’s far from the norm. I felt so lucky during my haul because there was only one pair of the pants in the store and doubly lucky because I found the perfect top to go with it!

What I like about this outfit is that the styling spoke for itself. It was also planned well ahead of time in the TJMaxx dressing room so not a lot of thought went into it the day I took pictures. Each piece felt like an accessory in its own way – the embroidered heels of the platforms, bold floral pattern on the pants, and intricate crochet work on the top. So, it really didn’t need much in terms of actual jewelry and I kept it simple with a few of my favorite bangle bracelets.

Normally, I like to start from the top down when building an outfit. In this case, however, I started from the middle with the pants. While I could have pulled from a color in the floral pattern for the top, I decided that I wanted to go with a neutral to really make it pop. The cream Rebellion Again tank was the ideal choice and it was exactly what I had pictured. I thought it looked fabulous against the grey/blue base of the pants and the floral crochet pattern complimented them so well too.

For shoes, my Bamboo platforms were an obvious choice. The denim color is a neutral too and it meshed seamlessly with the blue undertones in the base of the pants. The floral embroidery on the heel also tied together with the same motif in the other pieces of this outfit. Not to mention that it has cream, pale blue, and yellow flowers featured on the heel so it matched even better than I originally thought.

My Stroll In The Garden OOTD is going to be such a delightful look for a date day exploring downtown Cuyahoga Falls or a botanical garden. Now, the trick is going to be to find more tops to go with the pants lol. I guess I’ll need another shopping trip soon! 😀

What is your favorite flower? What do you love about summertime? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: Tune in tomorrow for bonus pictures from this shoot!

 

Jul25

TJMaxx Haul: Skin Care Edition

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TJMaxx Haul: Skin Care Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to the last of my TJMaxx Haul! Today, we are going to be discussing some brand new skin care and then it’s onto bigger and better things. Keep it posted for a new OOTD and a few watercolor paintings by yours truly. They aren’t museum worthy but I’m pretty proud of them! Now, let’s get to it:

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The main reason for this haul in the first place was to get some skin care with my birthday gift card from my sister. Cut to two hours later and I had a cart full of goodies! As the old saying goes, you don’t go to TJMaxx for what you need… It tells you what you need lol at least that’s what I say, anyways. 😀

Although I was looking for some eye cream and cleansers, I was happy to walk away with a new serum (which I can always use) and two micellar waters by Evoluderm. I have been obsessed with this product since I tried it out over three years ago and just have to grab a bottle or two whenever its available at TJs. It is, hands down, the best micellar water I have ever used and makes everything else pale in comparison.

I am a faithful user of micellar water both morning and night and love the way the Evoluderm makes my skin feel. While the Garnier micellar water is great at removing makeup, it never made my skin feel nourished. The Evoluderm is the polar opposite and not only leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean but hydrated and well protected. I can’t recommend it enough if you are on the hunt for a micellar water or if the Garnier brand just isn’t cutting it anymore!

There you have it, a fabulous haul for the ages at TJMaxx in its completion. Is it bad that I’m already daydreaming about a fall haul?!

What is your favorite skin care brand? Where do you like to shop skin care? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul24

TJMaxx Haul: Zara Top Edition

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TJMaxx Haul: Zara Top Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to my favorite and final piece of clothing from my TJMaxx haul! The past several shopping trips that I’ve been on were not fruitful in my need for more tops in the slightest. This time around, however, I walked away with three different tops that I am so in love with. It was a GREAT SUCCESS and I now feel content with the top department of my wardrobe. Let’s check out this fabulous little number by Zara to wrap things up:

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As I mentioned in my pro tips for shopping at TJMaxx, I utilize a two rounds throughout the store method. There is just too much to see in one go and I often find some of my favorite things the second time around. Like this Zara top, for example. Maybe someone was standing in front of it on round one because I can’t believe I didn’t notice the huge sheer puff sleeves on my first trip! It was also the only one like it in the entire store. 😀

In terms of shirt sizes, I am a solid small or medium and this top was an extra small. Like my new Nicole Miller pants, I was thinking “please fit” when trying it on because I liked it so much! Thanks to a side zipper, button up back, and the fact that Zara clothing runs bigger, I was in luck. This top fit perfectly and I love how the tighter fitting bodice makes the puff sleeves seem even larger than life.

I have grand plans for this newest addition and I cannot wait to shoot some amazing autumn OOTDs with it! Pair it with a little navy skirt? Yes, please! I would also really like to find a good pair of navy or red slacks to go with it. I know, it’s shocking to me too that I’m branching away from my standard black skinny jeans lol. Now, all I’ll need is a killer pair of white platform loafers and we’re in business!

Tomorrow, tune in for the skin care portion of my haul and it will be onto a brand new OOTD and July finishes. See you then!

How would you style this top? What are some pieces that you would like to have in your wardrobe? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul23

TJMaxx Haul: Zara Dress Edition

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TJMaxx Haul: Zara Dress Edition

Hello everyone!! Welcome back to more from my TJMaxx Haul after a brief pause for a Lil Red’s Book Club discussion. Today, we are going to be chatting about a dress from Zara which I am so happy with but just a *smidge* disappointed by. I saw the same dress in a 1970s style pattern during my birthday gift card haul and it was fabulous but too small. I scoured the dress selection this time around hoping to find it in a bigger size and found it in this pattern, instead:

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I don’t shop Zara often because the closest one is at a mall about forty-five minutes away from me. So, I am always excited when I see the brand at TJMaxx! My new dress is a great consolation prize for the one that could have been and, on the bright side, it fits lol. I could have gotten away with the original in a small but it was short enough that I would have had to been adjusting myself the entire time and that’s never a good look!

Although this pattern kind of looks like Saint Patrick’s Day, I am stoked about it because I love to wear green. I used to wear it often when my hair was all red and have fell off of it a bit when I began experimenting with different Pulp Riot colors. However, come September, I am going back to full fireball hair with red, yellow, and orange and this dress will compliment that change perfectly. 😀

This little Zara number is an ideal spring or early fall dress with its long sleeves and lower thigh length. The material is also light enough that you could probably get away with it during a chilly summer night. Since the pattern is so bold, I plan on letting it speak for itself with a pair of simple black heels and some minimal silver jewelry. A pattern is an accessory in itself so this dress doesn’t need much to make a gorgeous OOTD with!

Tune back into lifewithlilred tomorrow for the final (and my favorite) piece from my TJMaxx haul and, afterwards, we will move onto my skin care purchases. See you then! ❤

Do you like to buy the same piece of clothing in multiple patterns or colors? What color compliments you the best? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah