Tag Archives: pattern

Sep23

Let’s Get Weird OOTD

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Let’s Get Weird OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! This past weekend I was lucky enough to have seen Weird Al for the third time in concert and it was absolutely fabulous. The show was held as Blossom Music Center which is an outdoor venue and we had lovely warm weather for the show. So warm, in fact, that it felt like summertime so I needed the clothes to match as well as pay an extra special shout out to Weird Al himself. Like my dad, that man loves him an Hawaiian shirt! Huge props to my dad for letting me raid his closet for the perfect Hawaiian shirt to wear to the show, which he actually wore to my wedding lol! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

The shirt is my dad’s and I have no idea where he acquired it from!

Shorts: American Eagle Outfitters

Wedges: Charles By Charles David, TJMaxx

You can’t see the earrings but they were purchased forever ago from Target!

As I was saying, my dad lives for a good Hawaiian shirt and has an impressive collection. When I asked him if I could go shopping in his wardrobe, he was so flattered and I was excited to pick out one to wear to the show. He had several strong contenders, but the shirt he wore to my wedding has always been my favorite. I love the sentiment, bright colors, and pattern and it was like it was made to be worn to compliment my hair! Of course, I had to make some alterations to the shirt so I buttoned the second to the top button and tied the excess to turn it into a cute crop top. It worked out really well, if I do say so myself!

Pairing my borrowed top with shorts was an obvious choice so let’s move onto shoes and accessories. For shoes, I selected a wonderful pair of summer wedges by Charles By Charles David. My dad is named Charles so it was SO. Much. Charles. in this look! These wedges are old AF but they are just right with summer outfits and pretty much go with anything. Sadly, this is the last outfit that I will be wearing them with because they actually broke when we were walking back to my car after the show. This is the second time I have had a pair of shoes break at Blossom but at least these ones broke afterwards as opposed to before like the first time SMH. I didn’t want to be weighed down with accessories for the show so I put on a dangly pair of chain earrings and was ready to get weird! 😀

Wearing my dad’s Hawaiian shirt to the Weird Al concert made the show that much more fun. With a few simple alterations, you can make anything work in a pinch!

What kind of style do your parents have? Have any of your shoes ever broke while you were on the go? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug25

Fruit Salad OOTD

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Fruit Salad OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! Johnny and I had the absolute pleasure of attending the wedding of our two dear friends recently and it was the most wonderful time. The groom actually officiated our wedding and the happy couple holds such a special place in our hearts! The wedding was held on an extremely hot summer day at a lovely reception hall at Hale Farm. I was unsure as to if there were outdoor portions of the evening so I wanted to wear a dress that would keep me nice and cool. I am so happy I did because the party gravitated into the great outdoors after a beautiful wedding! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Dress: Cynthia Rowley, TJMaxx

Platforms: Marc Fisher, TJMaxx

I have no idea where the flower stained glass earrings are from!

As the wedding was going to be on a ninety plus degree day, I decided that I would like to try to find a new sundress at TJMaxx. I had other options at home but they were all maxi style, a thicker material, or too casual for the event. I would have made it work but when have I ever turned down a shopping trip? I definitely lucked out because the Cynthia Rowley dress was the last thing I tried on and it was only ten dollars. SCORE!! My only regret is that I didn’t find it earlier into summer because it is just perfect for the season.

This dress is adorned in a fruit salad pattern featuring juicy kiwis, oranges, and pomegranates over an eggshell white background and it looks good enough to eat! The only not so good thing was the tiny buttons going down the center which were a pain in the booty to do with my nails lol. Hey, it was a small price to pay for an otherwise ten out of ten dress! This little number had a belt that cinched into a gorgeous hourglass silhouette and it made me feel like a 1960s housewife. I was so not mad about it!

I know several of the employees at TJMaxx and greet them like old friends. My favorite, however, is the fitting room attendant who is working almost every time I go shopping. I have known her for years and whenever I show her the winners, she will ask what shoes I am going to wear with it. When we talked styling this dress, I told her I was going to wear a pair of baby pink platforms and I earned a high five! The rest of this look was as easy as slipping on my pair of Marc Fisher platforms which matched my 1960s vibe to the T. For earrings, I pulled from the green and yellow hues of the kiwis in the dress and put on a pair of dangly flower shaped earrings that look like stained glass. With that, I was ready for a fabulous time at the wedding!

This Fruit Salad OOTD was oh so yummy and Johnny and I had the most magical time celebrating our friends! ❤

Do you have a favorite employee at the stores you shop at? Do you plan on shopping summer clearance? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug18

New Cynthia Rowley Dress

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New Cynthia Rowley Dress

Hello! Johnny and I are attending an outdoor summer wedding of our dear friends and we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate such a wonderful couple! The wedding will take place on an almost ninety degree day and as you all know, Lil Red does not do well in extreme heat. For this reason, every dress I had in mind to wear went straight out the window because they were thicker in material or a maxi style. While I would have made do, I thought I would try my luck at TJMaxx to see if I could find something that would keep me more comfortable. During my last trip to TJs, everything summer was getting marked down and I was hoping to find a dress on the cheap. The fashion gods truly smiled upon me because the dress I ended up with was the very last one I tried on! Check it out:

As you might remember, I have a method when it comes to shopping at TJMaxx and this trip was a shining example of why it works so well. Step 1) Make my rounds. Step 2) Try clothes on. Step 3) Revisit the departments for anything I might have missed. As I browsed the store for Step 1, I honestly had thought that I had seen it all. The racks of dresses went from jam packed a few weeks ago to barely anything there. And, unfortunately, every dress I did happen to like did nothing for me during my first fitting room session. I was frustrated and I almost bypassed Step 3 of revisiting the dress racks because surely I couldn’t have missed anything when there were such limited options to pick from. WRONG!!

I was SO dead wrong and this is exactly why you never bypass Step 3! Sure enough, as soon as I returned to the dresses, it was like the pretty little Cynthia Rowley number magically appeared. I took a few other dresses to the fitting room and I shouldn’t have even bothered. This dress was last but certainly not least and it was perfect. The price was perfect too – it was only ten dollars!! My new dress is a linen material and it is nice and light and the pattern just screams summer. It is laden with kiwis, pomegranates, and oranges and is basically a fruit salad in a dress. Have I used the word perfect already? Yes, but I don’t care because it also perfectly compliments by orange and pink nails! It was like my trip to Elysian Nails was leading up to this fateful fitting room moment.

Now, this dress might not be dressy enough for a typical wedding. However, an outdoor summer wedding gives you plenty of wiggle room for what’s appropriate to wear. Let’s be honest, is anyone expecting other people to wear full fledged penguin suits and ball gowns? Hard no. It’s all about light fabrics and sundresses and every dress I tried on prior to the Cynthia Rowley one seemed laughable once it was on. They were all long and heavy and I just know I would have been miserable in them even if they looked good. I was genuinely worried about being in the heat for that long and this dress will allow me to celebrate and dance the night away without getting heat stroke. GREAT SUCCESS!

If at first you don’t succeed at TJMaxx, try and try again or however that old saying goes. My only regret is that I didn’t find this dress sooner because I would have been wearing it all summer long!

Have the stores near you put out fall clothing yet? Do you plan on shopping summer clearance? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug2

Summer Breeze OOTD

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Summer Breeze OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! Today, we are going to take a look at a cute little look that I wore for a cute little date day with my main squeeze. Whenever Johnny and I are stepping out over the weekend, trust and believe we are showing out. Throughout the work week, our uniforms consist of jeans and a T-shirt so we take every opportunity to get dressed up very seriously and I love that for us. I am so lucky to have a partner that enjoys fashion as much as I do! Take a peek at my Summer Breeze OOTD and let’s get to it:

Who? What? Wear?

Crop Top: Bozzolo, TJMaxx

Trapeze Pants: Patrons Of Peace, TJMaxx

Lace Up Heels: BCBG, TJMaxx

Cuff Bracelet: Aerie

Spike Earrings: These were a birthday gift from my Mother-In-Law! ❤

It was an insanely hot day for mine and Johnny’s Date Day and it took a fair bit of browsing in my wardrobe to decide what I wanted to wear. All I knew was that I was sick of wearing shorts, I didn’t feel like shaving my legs to wear a skirt, I don’t have a ton of sun dresses to pick from, and oh yeah – I wanted to be as cool and comfortable as possible too. It was a tall order! Then, my eyes locked in on my pair of tropical patterned trapeze pants by Patrons Of Peace and I knew we were in business.

For as gorgeous as these pantaloons are, I don’t break them out very often because I have like two shirts that would go with it lol. The pattern is so bold and it really does require a basic essential that is close to a perfect match to a color in the pants to pair with. All of my basic essentials are either a stark white or black and that simply wouldn’t do. Then, I remembered one of my newest TJMaxx purchases – a crochet cream colored crop top and I could definitely work with that! These two pieces together were easy breezy and so crazy comfy. It might look it, but these pants are not as heavy as they appear. They are made from the lightest fabric and it barely touches my legs. It’s almost as if I was wearing a maxi skirt and it was a great option to break free from the norm of summer basic staples!

Finally, it was onto shoes and accessories. Honestly, I feel like I could have worn any pair of shoes and it wouldn’t have made much of a difference. These pants totally have maxi skirt length and were mere inches away from the ground after my BCBG lace up heels were on and you could barely see them. #shortgirlproblems ! For jewelry, I put on the prettiest gold cuff bracelet that has a palm leaf etched into it from Aerie. It fit the vibe of this look so well! I kept things simple with my earrings and chose a dangly pair of silver spikes and I was ready to step out on the town with my boo thang! 😀

Listen, I am getting downright fed up with dressing for summer but this Summer Breeze OOTD was such a fun way to shake things up. Can it be fall now, or?!

What is your favorite pattern to wear? What are some of your summer wardrobe essentials? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul28

Maxi Dress, Max Style OOTD

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Maxi Dress, Max Style OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! After getting my hair done, I could not wait to shoot ALL the content and was so excited to break out one of my favorite recent purchases: A gorgeous Max Studio maxi dress that I tried on a whim during an impromptu TJMaxx trip with my mom. As a short queen, maxi dresses are either a hit or a miss. There is no in between whatsoever so the dress you are about to see was a total toss up. You have no idea how happy I was when this pretty little number not only worked but elevated me to feeling myself status! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Maxi Dress: Max Studio, TJMaxx

Platforms: Free People, TJMaxx

Earrings: Sincerely Jules, TJMaxx

Maxi dresses are such a magical summer staple. They provide the most wonderful movement, are lightweight, and incorporate fash-ion into a season when basic essentials reign supreme. This Max Studio dress is, easily, the best maxi dress I have ever owned. The pattern is bold and bright, the ruffle sleeves and tiered ruffle skirt make me want to dance, and that rouched waistline provides an hourglass silhouette to keep me from drowning in fabric. From top to bottom, this dress is IT. The only thing it requires are accessories that enhance because this dress does all of the talking.

With no need for anything else in the wardrobe department, the remainder of this look was simply shoes and accessories. Normally, I like to get funky with my shoe choices but this was not the dress to do so with. With the name of the game being enhancing the maxi dress, there was only one obvious option in my shoe department: My Free People platforms with basically the same color of red as the flowers in the dress for the straps and a buttery caramel heel. These heels gave me extra length to keep the dress from dragging and the colors I needed to prevent this look from feeling cluttered.

Last but not least was accessories. As the pattern of the dress was an accessory in itself, I only wanted to wear earrings. Rather than keep it simple, I went for a pair with some flashy sparkle to extenuate my neck. Outside of my arms, my neck was the only open real estate and it was important to draw attention to it to create the illusion of length. I put on one of my most beloved pairs: A dangly, tier diamond shape with crystal sparkles that my sweet niece got me for my birthday. They have the most delicious movement that danced, just like the dress. With that, I was ready to show off my new duds AND my new do!

This Maxi Dress, Max Style OOTD was so simple in its styling but screamed “look at me”. It is one of my favorite OOTDs of recent memory and I am so in love with my maxi dress! ❤

What is your favorite style of dress to wear? Did you get any wardrobe updates this summer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun27

New Max Studio Maxi Dress

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New Max Studio Maxi Dress

Howdy!! The final item from my TJMaxx summer wardrobe refresh haul is truly the piece de resistance. Other than a couple of new tops, I was really hoping to find a sun dress or two. What I ended up with, however, was a maxi dress that caught the corner of my eye. I walked past it while I was heading to the dressing rooms, did a double take, tossed it into the cart, and knew it was a winner as soon as it was on. This Max Studio maxi dress is serving all of the Midwest Princess vibes and I am a thousand percent there for it! Check it out:

^^^ Peep that original price tag! Talk about a STEAL!!! 😀

During a recent trip to Bath & Body Works, I noticed a new scent called Heirloom Tomato or something or other. It smelled like ass, but the packaging was so pretty. It featured deep reds and greens for the fruit/vegetable and was the first thing I thought of when I saw this dress. The color palette is almost identical! When I put it in the cart, I honestly didn’t think it was going to work out. As a petite gal, maxi dresses can be hit or miss for me. If they are not the perfect length and fit, I will drown in fabric. The maxi dress has to be “just right” and they have been few and far between in my extensive shopaholic tenure. My rule of thumb when shopping has always been to try clothes on anyways. Regardless of fit, style, or assumptions, if I like what I see, I am going to try it on. I am so glad for that because this dress would have been bypassed and I never would have found my new favorite thing!

From top to the flowy tiered bottom, this maxi dress is dynamite and I was so delighted when I fell in love with it in the fitting room. Not only was the length of this dress questionable to me, but the pattern was as well. As a heavily tattooed chick, loud patterns can look cluttered over all of my artwork. The full coverage on the legs and torso that this dress offered put a limit on my own color palette and allowed for the pattern to fully do the talking rather than work against the tattoos. I felt like a country music star in it and couldn’t help but do a twirl in the fitting room! I cannot wait to pair it with a deep blue denim jacket and a pair of heeled cowboy-esque boots. This dress is so different than anything I own and I know I am going to have a total blast styling it!

There’s a new country cutie in town and her name is Lil Red! You already know an OOTD with this Max Studio masterpiece is coming so keep your eyes peeled! ❤

Do you update your wardrobe with the change of the seasons? What are your summer wardrobe staples? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun10

Birthday Partay OOTD

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Birthday Partay OOTD

Hello!! June first was my sweet Johnny’s birthday and we had a little get together at chez nous to celebrate. It was nothing major, just a few friends but it was oh so much fun! It was also delightful to have one of our dear friends who officiated our wedding and his fiance join us. For such a monumental occasion, we just had to show out in our birthday best to get our partay on. Who am I kidding, for every occasion, we always show out! Take a look and let’s discuss:

Who? What? Wear?

Lipstick Kiss Cami: A New Day, Target

Coated Skinny Jeans: Seven Jeans, TJMaxx

Speech Bubble Heels: LFL, TJMaxx

Bracelet: Allsaints, TJMaxx

I think the earrings are from Target!!

It has been getting hot, hot, hot in good ol’ Akron, Ohio and TMI but I had finally shaved my armpits lol. So, I started building this outfit by browsing in the cami department. Hey, I just had to show off those silky smooth pits! My eyes landed on the adorable lipstick kiss cami that I purchased at Target for mine and Johnny’s Valentine’s Day date this year. While this pattern might be traditional for V-Day, that doesn’t mean it can’t be worn literally whenever I want and I love this top. It fits like a glove, has a gorgeous sheen, and is sexy without me feeling like it’s too much. With this little number as the focal point, the rest of the outfit built itself from there.

For jeans, I decided to go for a fantastic pair of coated skinnies by Seven Jeans. These pantaloons are my pride and joy and feature the slightest snakeskin pattern. However, it is so minimal that it can be worn with another pattern no harm no foul. Of course, I chose these jeans because they are the freaking coolest, but it was primarily for the sheen from the coating. Because the cami had a similar motif, they worked in tandem rather than clashed against each other. Remember, you can always pair two shiny pieces together and they are going to work especially well if the base color is the same!

Finally, it was onto shoes and accessories. For a pop of pure fun, I went with my word bubble heels by LFL with the bold statement of “Who Cares!”. And, the answer is: I most certainly don’t! These provided a sassy pop of red toenail polish to tie the look together from head to toe. I had plenty of open real estate for jewelry but I didn’t want to overdo it as I was already working with sheen on sheen on sheen. I put on one of my favorite bracelets by Allsaints as well as a pair of dangly black teardrop gem earrings. With that, I was ready to get my partay on with all of my favorite people!

Johnny and I were looking our best and had the best time for his birthday. If you’re going to celebrate, you have to do it in style! ❤

What have you celebrated recently? Have you done any summer clothes shopping? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr27

Marvelous Maxi Dress OOTD

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Marvelous Maxi Dress OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! Ever since I got my hair done, all I want to do is show it off and have been having so much fun shooting fashion content for the ol’ blog and TikTok (@lilred6794). Better yet, the weather has been behaving (kind of) and that means I can break out ALL of the dresses for spring. Today, we are going to take a look at a look featuring one of my personal favorites – the maxi dress. And, yes, it’s mainly a personal favorite because no leg shaving is required lol lazy girl win! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Maxi Dress: Hayden Los Angeles, EmLeigh’s and Mama B’s

Heeled Boots: Formentini, TJMaxx

The belt was purchased forever ago from some stand in the mall and I’m ninety-nine percent sure the earrings are from Target!

I am, indeed, dress obsessed. And, yes, you guessed it – it’s another lazy girl win lol. Dress OOTDs are the best because there is literally nothing to it. Dress, shoes, accessories, done. I chose the Hayden Los Angeles dress for this look because I have been waiting on pins and needles to break it out. It is the perfect spring time maxi dress! It offers flowy movement, a gorgeous palette of flowers on a deep navy blue background, and I just love that Western inspired piping. This dress is ideal for a garden party, dinner on the patio, or a springtime special occasion. And, while this dress might seem “dressy” – don’t let it fool you. It is comfy as can be so you can show out in style while feeling like you’re wearing a nightgown. There is, truly, nothing better!

Next, it was time for shoes and accessories. This dress is actually too big for me but it was the only one in the store so I bought it anyways. To add some shape, I put on a belt with the most darling apple clasps. It cinched in my waist and provided a fun pop! I also opted for a pair of long, dangly earrings to accentuate my neckline as the open real estate for showing skin was minimal and I wanted to add length wherever I could. Finally, I chose a beautiful pair of stone grey Formentini boots. As they are a neutral, it was no harm no foul and it gave me the height boost I needed. Who says a five foot one gal can’t wear a maxi dress?!

With that, I was ready to strut my stuff in my Marvelous Maxi Dress OOTD feeling like a Spring Fling Queen!

What is your favorite style of dress? What do you look forward to wearing in the warm weather? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr9

Florals For Spring OOTD

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Florals For Spring OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new flowery OOTD here on lifewithlilred! In the eternal words of the great Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada “Florals for spring? … Groundbreaking”. But, hey, it wouldn’t be spring without beautiful flowers blooming outside and on clothing too! I wouldn’t say I’m a huge floral pattern girl, however, I fell immediately in love with the statement trench coat you are about to see and that love has only strengthened since bringing it home lol. Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Floral Trench Coat: Solitaire, TJMaxx

Black Sweater: Shrinking Violet, TJMaxx

Coated Skinny Jeans: Seven Jeans, TJMaxx

Platform Boots: Olivia Miller, TJMaxx

Hoop Earrings: Argentino Vivo, TJMaxx

OOTDs that revolve around a statement piece essentially build themselves. When I think of “statement” clothing, I think of something so bold and eye catching that it really doesn’t need anything else. With clothes like that, the goal isn’t so much building an outfit but simply enhancing your established focal point. In my OOTD’s case, the trench coat by Solitaire was the star and I wanted it to shine fully.

As you can see, there were several colors that I could have pulled from in the trench coat BUT I didn’t want to go the matching route. There were so many pretty shades and I wanted the focus to be on all of them rather than one specific hue. So, I gave the trench coat a fully neutral backdrop with an All Black Everything ensemble underneath. That way, the coat did the talking and the outfit would still make sense if I took the trench off. I definitely don’t think this outfit would have had such a sleek end result if multiple different colors were fighting for attention.

With the base of the OOTD good to go, it was time for shoes and accessories. For shoes, I chose my favorite pair of platform boots by Olivia Miller. I loved that the chains added a blingy surprise as the faux suede coat is quite muted in terms of color and texture. To play into that pop of silver, I added on a long necklace with a thin silver chain. Then, I pulled from the sage green in the trench coat and popped on a pair of dark green hoops by Argentino Vivo and was on my way with a spring in my step!

Florals For Spring might not be groundbreaking but they are a beloved staple and I love my take on it!

What is your favorite piece of statement clothing in your closet? What is a pattern that you like for spring that isn’t floral? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb2

Target Run: A New Day Cami Top

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Target Run: A New Day Cami Top

Hello!! Johnny and I are celebrating Valentine’s Day by seeing our favorite musical, Hadestown, at EJ Thomas Hall in Akron. Saying we are beyond excited is an understatement!! I had no intention of buying a brand new outfit for the occasion – shocking I know. While my intentions were good, I did not hold up on them whatsoever lol. During a recent Target Run, the siren song of darling new clothes was too strong and I ended up purchasing a completed OOTD for our date night. This was actually really surprising to me because I fell out of clothes shopping at Target years ago as I was never impressed with their selection. My V-Day look has me thinking that maybe it wouldn’t hurt to do Target Runs more frequently! Check out Part One for my OOTD – a gorgeous cami top by A New Day:

While I was at Target, I wasn’t even looking at the clothes. I simply walked by the women’s department en route to what I needed to get and stopped short lol. As I strolled along, I locked in on this adorable cami and knew I had to try it on. I absolutely love silky and sweet tops like this for date nights. They are sexy without being too much and has so much potential to style multiple different looks with it. And, of course, Lil Red can’t say no to a print of bright red lipstick kisses! I am dead serious when I say that I was going to buy this top only and then style my outfit with clothes that I already have. Until I saw the perfect thing to pair it with on the same rack, which you will all see tomorrow!

But, I digress – let’s talk about styling options. 😀 With a top like this, you can pair it with just about anything and it’s going to look good as black is a neutral and there isn’t anything special about the way it fits. It isn’t too tight or overly flowy, making it ideal for tucking into skirts, wearing it underneath a blazer, or even with blue jeans and a cozy cardigan. Can you imagine this cami with sassy shorts and platform heels in the summer? Forget about it! Even though the print is traditional for Valentine’s Day, it is really something that can be worn any time of the year and that is so, totally sweet. ❤

My V-Day OOTD Builder is one third complete. Stay tuned for the remaining pieces and a killer OOTD post to show off the end result!

Do you like to shop for clothes at Target? What did you get on your last Target Run? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah