Tag Archives: ohio

Mar5

Winter Wonderland of Awful

Posted on by
Standard
Winter Wonderland of Awful

Hey! Good news, I’M ON SPRING BREAK!! But unfortunately, it doesn’t feel like spring quite yet in good ol’ Akron, Ohio (#represent) because there’s still an ungodly amount of snow on the ground. -___- Luckily, it’s warming up a little bit so fingers crossed that all of the snow blanketing my homeland will melt away pronto! All I want to do is wear a dress without tights, is that too much to ask for?! My sister Kristen and I went on a walk yesterday at one of Ohio’s lovely hiking trails the Beaver Marsh, and it was basically like trekking through the tundra. We were out of breath, tired, and slightly damp from throwing snowballs at each other…but we managed! Here’s a few PicStitch collages that I created of our excursion:

IMG_1955[1]IMG_1956[1]

Now you guys might be thinking “that looks so pretty and picturesque!” But I’m thinking “this snow better fucking melt ASAP before I loose my mind.” I’m experiencing spring fever like no other and the only prescription is green grass and sunshine. Akron is truly a winter wonderland of AWFUL right now and I’m so over it it hurts! I have hella homework to finish up before I can fully enjoy my break of sitting around and doing nothing, so like I mentioned in my last post, I’ll be M.I.A. minus a few short and sweet entries. So this is me checking in and wishing you all a fantastic day! This is also me procrastinating a little bit before I buckle down and do some math homework….at least I’m honest! OH btw, I got the first math test we took back today and I got a B!!!! I’ll take it! YAY SARAH!

Well, I must be off, so I will talk to you all very soon! But before I go, what’s the weather like where you’re at right now? If it’s sunny and warm, I’m jealous of you by default. Do any of you have any wild spring break plans? I’d love to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: My featured image is a lovely view of my sister from behind! Nice ass! 😉

Feb21

An Ohio Weather Update….It Sucks

Posted on by
Standard
An Ohio Weather Update….It Sucks

Hey guys! I don’t know what the weather is like in your neck of the woods, but it absolutely SUCKS in good ol’ Akron, Ohio. It’s snowing like hell out and I had a super truamatizing drive this morning. I was supposed to help out at a therapeutic drama class for kids on the autism spectrum, but unfortunately that didn’t happen, because my car got stuck on the side of the road. -____- STORY TIME: So, I was driving to the theatre and everything was going fine and dandy, the roads were complete shit, but the Little Red Love Machine was pulling through as best as she could. About half way through my drive to the theatre there’s a huge hill that you have to go up, and the car behind me was riding my ass SO HARD. I kid you not, he was at least two feet away from the back of my car and all the while it’s snowing like mad and the roads are barely driveable. About half way up the hill, my car lost all of her power and I was inching along slowly but surely. At this point the car behind me is about one foot away from my rear end and I start to panic. I knew that if this car was behind me for one more minute he would more than likely hit me, so I swerved my car out of the way and ended up getting stuck on the side of the hill. What really pissed me off was that as soon as I made the swerving motion with my car the asshole behind me cut me off, barely missing the Little Red Love Machine. So here I am now, seething and scared on the side of a massive hill. I do the only thing that I can do, I call my mom. She gives me the number for AAA and they told me there would be at least a four hour wait for someone to come help me get my car unstuck and ain’t nobody got time for that! After I got off the phone with AAA I noticed two other cars that had to pull over to the road side because of the driving conditions. About five minutes later, a plow truck spun out on the road about twenty feet in front of me – it was pretty scary! Luckily, a police man drove by shortly after, probably to take care of whatever happened with the plow truck and came to my rescue. I told him what had happened and he told me that he would turn his car around so he could help me out. He drove off, came back, and parked his car. The kind soul got out of his warm vehicle and helped direct the flow of traffic, then once all was clear he gave me directions on how to manuever my car back onto the road. Thanks to this amazing officer, my car was back on the road within minutes, and I made my way back home. It was an extremely terrifying situation to be in, and this is a PSA to everyone: Don’t ride someones bumper in this type of weather! It’s an asshole move no matter what the conditions are outside, but it’s down right dangerous to be ass riding when it’s damn near blizzarding outside. Smh. To give you all a feel for what it’s like in the 330 right now, here’s a few pictures that I took from my window:

snowsnow2

^^^ UGH.

This is Lil Red urging all of you to stay safe, whether that be on the road, at home, whatever. This morning was an absolute nightmare, and I’m so thankful that I’m okay. What’s the weather like where all of you are at right now? I’m curious and I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love and stay warm! -Sarah

Feb4

In A Broken World

Posted on by
Standard
In A Broken World

Whatuppppp guys! Today I have the pleasure of writing for one of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio’s immensely talented upcoming bands In A Broken World. (Cfalls happens to be my hometown! #REPRESENT!!) If you’re into thought provoking lyrics, gorgeous screaming as well as vocals, AND a heavy dose of metal – these guys are the band for you. In A Broken World was formed back in March of 2014 by a great group of dudes, one of which happens to be my dear friend (and vocalist!) CJ. Just saying right now – I know this kids speaking voice like the back of my hand, and the things he can do vocally and screaming wise are so impressive! As you guys well know…mama likes her screamo. I was lucky enough to have a copy of their debut EP “For Those Like You” burned right in front of me by CJ in my beloved Starbucks…it was very legit. 😉 More importantly, I was absolutely blown away by their music while I was playing it on the way to school. Best believe that some head banging occurred in the Little Red Love Machine! “For Those Like You” is only four songs long, but that was long enough to get a great feel for who these guys are as a band and what to expect for albums to come.

The EP game starts out strong, opening with the three minute banger “Charade”, which offers one of my favorite things that a metal song can do, which is provide a break in the screaming and go into some stunning vocalizing. It was very Of Mice & Men-esque. One of the great things about In A Broken World’s Facebook page (which I will provide!) is that they provide all of their lyrics for those of you who can’t understand the screaming, so I really enjoyed reading through everything that these guys had to say. “Charade” boasts some lyrical winners such as: “I want to run from all the lies, and get lost inside my mind.” Very nice. What I was particularly struck by while listening to all of their songs, was how completely solid the band is as a whole. Everything from the insane guitaring, drumming, and vocals were SO in synch with each other. The amount of practice and hard work that went into all of these tracks is beyond evident. There was not one point when I was listening to “For Those Like You” that I detected the slightest hint of sloppiness, whether it be in the music itself or the production of it. That’s definitely saying a lot, because I’ve heard many a local bands EP albums that sound like they were straight up recorded on someones phone. The level of professionalism in the production of “For Those Like You” is very impressive for a fairly new local band.

cj

The following song “For Those Like You” is one that I’m particularly excited for. When I spoke to CJ a few days ago, this was the one track that held the deepest meaning to him and it’s so evident through the emotional content of the song. A major shout out is in order for the guitarists of In A Broken World, Daniel and Cody because they absolutely annihilate this track. And PLEASE don’t even get me going on the drumming by Brad, because this kid holds it down and provides such a solid base for all of the songs. Do yourselves a favor and read the lyrics as you’re listening to this track, because like I said – the emotional content is ALL there. These words invoke the feeling of disappointment (which is something that I hate the most) so perfectly:

You said you were OK
You said you were happy
You’re lying to yourself
You made a big mistake

^I love that one!

2233

I’m not sure if you guys are aware of this, but there’s a celebrity appearance made on “The Unfaithful” by none other than the legend himself….Ron Burgundy. #stayclassy The track opens with a message from the mustached myth which I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at in amusement. Once you’re done having a chuckle, let’s just talk about the vocals on this track – because I find them the strongest on this song. The ranges that are hit on top of the fast pace of the track earns a tip of the cap from Lil Red. “The Unfaithful” offers a lot of really classic metal sounds, particularly in the guitars that I appreciated. I actually got a strong System Of A Down vibe from this track thanks to the high pitched screaming that I love so very much, so that was a nice touch.

44

“For Those Like You” closes with the second longest song “The River of Lies”, which is my personal favorite. Recently I’ve been listening to a lot of Dance Club Massacre and this song definitely reminded me of them. My whole thing with metal music is that there has to be constant change ups in the sound in general for me to appreciate it. I can’t stand when bands stick to one particular sound of screaming or instrumentals, and I also can’t stand when the transition into different sounds isn’t sharp. When it gets to that point, all it sounds like is noise to me. In A Broken World defies all of these pet peeves in a maturity well beyond their not even a year of playing together. Their transitions are SO smooth, like BUTTA! “The River of Lies” ends this short and sweet EP on such a high note and closes the album with the appropriate lyrics of:

Let’s finish out strong together
I’ll help you put the pieces back
This is not the end for you.

^If that’s not motivation to get up and do something…or at least head bang a little – then I don’t know what is.

In A Broken World’s Facebook page provides you with some great photos from previous shows, band updates, and videos and can be seen at: https://www.facebook.com/inabrokenworldofficial I urge all of you to give them a like and send them your support from wherever you are in the world!

ALSO, the link to their bandcamp page is: http://inabrokenworld.bandcamp.com/album/for-those-like-you In A Broken World’s EP “For Those Like You” is available for download and if you wish to purchase it, you can name your price for how much you’re willing to spend. In the words of CJ “you could buy the album for sixty-nine cents.” – What a deal!

band2

In A Broken World’s next show will be happening on February 15th, so make sure you go on their Facebook page and wish them luck! What did you think of “For Those Like You”? What is some constructive criticism you have for the band? We’d love to hear from you, so leave us a comment and let’s chat! Holla atcha girl. -Sarah

Jan2

Fun & Easy Craft!!

Posted on by
Standard
Fun & Easy Craft!!

I had a lovely time this evening getting crafty with my favorite little lady Miss Lea! She’s my go to crafting partner in crime and tonight we created a glitter masterpiece! Here’s the big reveal…*drum roll please*………………………..TA DAAAA! (In case you don’t know, our glitter picture is of Ohio, our home state and the heart on the picture is of our home town of Akron. #REPRESENT)

IMG_1336[1]

Before I give you guys the step by step on how to make this fun craft, here’s some tune-age for you to enjoy. Except you have to change the lyrics of “oh you fancy, huh?” to “oh you crafty, huh?” Instant classic.

Alright!!!! This craft is clearly pretty self explanatory, but here’s the how to guide on how to make it in case you can’t figure it out! First things first, here’s the supplies you’re going to need: (All together this craft cost about ten dollars to make)

  • A canvas board of your choosing. Lea and I opted for an oval shaped canvas.
  • Paint color of your choosing for the background.
  • Glitter color of your choosing for the shape you’ll be covering.
  • Glue
  • Outline of an object, animal, shape, state, continent, or whatever your heart desires to be on your canvas.
  • Scissors

Once all of your supplies are gathered, I’d recommend placing some newspaper down so glitter doesn’t get everywhere. You don’t want your workspace looking like Ke$ha rolled around on it.

dresscode-kesha

Step 1) Paint the background of your canvas.

Step 2) Blow dry the paint to get it dry.

Step 3) Cut out the outline of whatever you’re gluing onto your canvas and glue it on.

Step 4) Cover your outlined picture with glue. For an even coat of the glue and to avoid bumpy glitter, Lea and I applied the glue with a paint brush.

Step 5) Pour the glitter color of your choosing over the freshly glued object. The glitter might not cover everything on the first try, so I would make sure that you’re glittering over a piece of paper so you can continue to pour the excess glitter from that.

Step 6) Apply a glitter heart to your glitter picture if you’d like.

And viola! You now have a super fun, quick, and easy craft. Lea and I had so much fun making this! Here’s a few pictures of us and our handy work!

craftbest friends

If you have any fun crafting suggestions, please let me know! Lea and I would definitely love to try them out! Have you made any cool crafts or projects lately? I’d love to hear all about it, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Have a great night! -Sarah

Nov17

An Ohio Weather Update!

Posted on by
Standard
An Ohio Weather Update!

I woke up this morning to see that we had our first major snowfall in Akron, Ohio last night! These are some photos of my back yard with a fresh blanket of snow on it. It basically looks like a Christmas card! Take a look:

IMG_1036[1]IMG_1038[1]IMG_1037[1]

I was seriously blown away by the beauty that a fresh snow fall can create. I lifted the blinds of my window this morning to see a view of my back yard that should be used in a holiday movie. Waking up to this panoramic view definitely ensured that today is going to be a good day! I have a love hate relationship with the winter weather. As I mentioned before, I figure skated competitively for about ten years, so the cold never really bothered me. But I swear, after I quit skating I turned into the biggest freeze baby of all time! As I write this I’m currently bundled up in sweats, a hoodie, five comforters, and a fleece blanket adorned with the precious minions from the movie Despicable Me. I LOVE THEM!!! 🙂 So other than the obvious joys that the winter months bring, such as the holidays, family time, and oodles of hot chocolate – my favorite thing about the temperatures dropping is that I get to break out some of my favorite cold weather accessories!!!!

cutee

  • Scarf: Wet Seal
  • Fingerless gloves: TJMaxx
  • Beanie: Marshall’s
  • Driving gloves: Target

My winter would be nowhere near complete without breaking out my top four favorite accessories! My mom purchased my TJMaxx fingerless gloves for me as a gift when I was having a rough day two or so years ago. She’s such a doll! :’) They remain one of my favorites to this day. I love that I can still text and scroll through my iPod touch while I’m wearing these babies. My scarf from Wet Seal is another oldie but goodie – I must have gotten that bad boy over four years ago! #throwback. I was never really fond of scarves until I laid eyes on this quirky punk beauty. Not only does it add a fun pop of color to the bleak grays and pure white that’s taking place outside, but it’s super warm!!! Regardless of whether it matches my coat or outfit, this is my go to winter scarf. If you thought that my four year old scarf was worthy of a #throwbackthursday post, wait until you hear the story behind my beanie from Marshall’s! About seven years ago, the Marshall’s that was about ten minutes away from me closed down. My mother and I were devastated. But to give the store one final hurrah, we went to participate in their closing down sale. We walked away with tons of great purchases for a ridiculously low price. This included my hat, which I vividly remember buying for three dollars. About a year ago after purchasing my car (AKA The Little Red Love Machine) I decided that I really wanted to buy a pair of driving gloves. My pair from Target spoke to me and I had to have them. Simple as that. I love wearing these gloves so much when I’m cruising around in the Little Red Love Machine – it makes me feel like the sassy diva queen that I am!

IMG_1041[1]

This past weekend I had the joy of breaking out my winter jacket. This coat from American Eagle Outfitters is about four years old, and I remember purchasing it for a steal of half off the original price! Not only does this baby keep me warm, but I find it immensely stylish as well! It fits me perfectly, it’s bright enough to make a statement amongst all of the boring dark hued winter coats out there, AND my hair is way brighter than the red in the jacket making for a very cool contrast. With all of my cold weather clothes ready to go, I suppose I’m ready to battle the Ohio winter. Who am I kidding? I know that I’ll be able to brave the cold and look fabulous while doing so!

Where are all of my readers located at today? Has it started snowing in your neck of the woods yet? What’s your favorite piece of clothing or accessory that you wear to battle the cold? I’d love to hear from all of you, so please leave me a comment and let’s chat! Stay Warm! -Sarah

Oct31

ATTENTION ALL READERS! HELP!!!

Posted on by
Standard
ATTENTION ALL READERS! HELP!!!

Alright guys, I met the coolest dude at work at Next tonight, and I NEED you guys to give him some love. Dominic Mashorda is the NINETEEN YEAR OLD owner of his own business. A sneaker store in Youngstown, Ohio that is so very originally called Sneakerville. 😉 Best believe I have to represent everyone doing it big in my home state. Dominic came into my store tonight looking to buy some gear to resell in his business. This young man was such a pleasure to talk and hang out with – and a lot of talking and hanging out was done considering he was in Next for over two hours. I’m not going to disclose how much money was spent in the time he was there, but sweet Dominic left with bags full of rad new merch for Sneakerville. His story is seriously one of the most insane tales of motivation and dedication I’ve ever heard, so please read up on him. This awesome article I found basically explains it all:

http://businessjournaldaily.com/company-news/18-year-old-entrepreneur-opens-sneakerville-store-2014-1-20

If you could also make sure to give him the love and likes on Facebook and Twitter it would be greatly appreciated.

Here’s Sneakerville’s Twitter page: https://twitter.com/SNKRVL

And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SNKRVL

Credit is deserved when credit is due, and every ounce of success this kid earns is so well deserved. Dominic was so sweet and humble the entire time he was in the store. There were two young teenage boys who were checking out the new pair of Lebron’s that launched today while Dom was paroosing the store. Dominic had already set aside a size to purchase for Sneakerville, which happened to be the size one of the boys needed. Without a moments hesitation he offered the kicks to the young man and made his day. After he was done with his shopping, Dominic offered to take myself and my coworker out to Chipotle after we closed up for the night – but unfortunately, Chipotle had the same idea because they were closed too! 😦 It was such a kind gesture though!

I have a deep admiration and respect for young men and women out in the world who are making it happen, so it only felt right to give my new friend and young entrepreneur a shout out on here. And let me just repeat…Dominic is NINETEEN. He’s out there making things happen that people twice his age are doing. If that’s not impressive, than I really don’t know what is. I’m older than Dom by a year, but his experience made him seem years above me. Meeting this young man made me want to get my ass in gear and start working even harder for the things I want in life: My college degree, a faithful band of followers on http://www.lifewithlilred.com, and to continue to pursue theater acting work on the side. Seeing this young man reach his dreams at such a young age was the inspiration I needed to keep putting in work for everything I aspire to accomplish. If you have time, give Dominic Mashorda a Google or Yahoo search. Familiarize yourself with his work and the face of a kid who’s going to take the business world by storm.

What makes a great business man or woman to you? What is your definition of success? What’s a dream that you’re working to make a reality? I want to hear from you! Leave me a comment and let’s chat. Have a fantastic Thursday night! -Sarah

Annnnd as always, here’s my shameless promotion of Next and all of the cool shoes, clothes, and accessories that we have to offer!

http://ruleofnext.com/ (Sales pitch: Now is a great time to check out all of our sneakers for our fall sale!!!)

http://instagram.com/ruleofnext (Give us a follow on Instagram!!)

blog

HA! ^^^ Story of my life 😉

OH! PS: In case you were wondering – the featured image on this post is indeed part of the layout of Sneakerville! Cool huh?