Tag Archives: pretty

Hello, Hyacinths

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Hello, Hyacinths

Howdy! With a really sporadic spring happening in Ohio, I was worried that none of my favorite flowers were going to come up to say hello. The weather in my neck of the woods has been crazy. We’re talking temperatures in the 70’s one day to a pretty decent snowfall the next and just a downright bitter cold chill in the air.

Despite Mother Nature being bipolar, quite a few of the flowers in our yard have began to bloom, including one of my favorites – hyacinths!

I love hyacinths oh so much. Their gorgeous pastel colors, their distinctive but beautiful smell when you pass them by or cut a few sprigs for a vase on your table. There is nothing better than walking by the patch of hyacinths that have been growing in my yard for every spring that I can remember. They look so sweet in their floral clusters and it’s always a treat to take a deep breath and inhale their aroma which, despite the snow falls, means that spring is here.

What is your favorite spring time flower? Who else has had snow fall in their area even though its late April? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Frugal Flowers

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Frugal Flowers

Hi everyone! One of the things that both my parents and myself love having around the house is fresh flowers. Whether they’re picked from our yard or selected at a farmer’s market or store, there is nothing like a huge bouquet sitting on the kitchen table to make you smile.

We never look to spend too much on satisfying our flower fascination, and my mom seriously took the cake with the last bouquet that she bought when it comes to saving money. She got four bunches of the flowers seen below for ONE DOLLAR at the store. You definitely can’t beat that!

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When it comes to the little odds and ends that make you smile, I always say:

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Whether it’s a dollar bouquet of flowers or that new color of lipstick that you’ve been dying for, a little pick me up certainly goes a long way!

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

New Black & Ruby Nails

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New Black & Ruby Nails

Hiii everyone and happy weekend! It has been over a month since my last fill and I was so happy to finally get my claws prettied up on Wednesday. After what seems like a year of not being in the salon chair, my nails are now back to their normal fierce selves and I am looking forward to another month (And then some!) of wear. Check it out:

rubyyy* Featuring my minion socks!!

I am so in love with the color of my accent nail this time around. So much so that I am even considering getting all of my nails painted that color next time *gasp*. This shade is called Red Carpet and it looks like a freaking blood diamond. I love that the red is so deep that it looks like it is mixed with black. It is so glam in a dark way and I feel so badass I can’t hardly stand it.

As always, my nail tech, Steve, did an amazing job shaping and sharpening my talons and he finished in a record time of an hour and a half, which is most impressive. Steve’s thoroughness and attention to detail is so one of a kind and I always feel completely spoiled after I leave his salon!

What color of nail polish are you wearing right now? How often do you go in between getting your nails done? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jolie In Jaase Top

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Jolie In Jaase Top

Hello hello and happy Monday! On my last trip to TJMaxx, I picked up a new top by Australian brand, Jaase, that I am simply obsessed with. It’s fresh, it’s floral, and it’s fabulous. This new zipped crop is completely perfect for spring and I loved it on the hanger, in the dressing room, and on my person because I had to wear it immediately the next day. Take a look:

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Other than black and green, I’m pretty sure that my favorite color to wear is the grey blue that is featured in this little number. I love how the simple white flowers pop against such a muted background. I also love how my complexion and hair pops, as well! This is probably my fifth or sixth top that features the pigeon color palette that I am so very fond of and, yes, I am sure that I will add more to my collection soon!

I love the shape of this top. The tight cropped torso is a snap to apply thanks to the zippered front, and it looks so chic paired with its bubble sleeves that taper into the cinched in finale. This Jaase top is unique, and that is so important to me. The shape of it is so different than anything in my closet and the fifteen dollar price tag doesn’t hurt, either.

Once it gets warm enough to wear shorts with tights, trust and believe that that is what I’ll be pairing my new find with. This Jaase purchase is going to look darling with A-line skirts and will add some flare to my black skinnies when it’s too chilly for shorts and tights. So fun!

What is your favorite color to wear? How would you style this top? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Furless Eyeshadow Swatch In Sinister

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Furless Eyeshadow Swatch In Sinister

Howdy! My sister, Kristen, has been getting the Ipsy Glam Bag for at least two years now. I have to admit, that even I’m excited when the signature metallic pink envelope arrives in the mail. It’s always fun to test out new products and sometimes, if I’m lucky, Kristen will give me some of her loot that she doesn’t like – like this new Furless eyeshadow. Take a look:

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^^^ The first heart is the eyeshadow dry and the second heart is the product when it’s wet. As you can see, they both pretty much look exactly alike – which is cool.

Of course, the best thing about the Furless brand is that it is cruelty free and vegan, which is so important to me. The second best thing about this eyeshadow is that the color is fabulous, which we will discuss in more detail shortly. And, finally, the third best thing about this eyeshadow is its name, because Sinister is a great word AND it is one of my favorite horror movies. This product was obviously meant to be in my possession.

My sister really does know me all too well, because I love literally any gold toned eyeshadow. Gold is a color that just works well with all of my features – my hazel eyes, pale skin, and red hair always manage to become enhanced when gold is featured in my makeup look and I love that. Sinister is an especially gorgeous color for us gals with hazel eyes that change from brown to yellow or green because it’s gold, but there are green undertones to the pigment that really will make your peepers pop. My eyes are constantly changing to green or yellow so it will be fun to play with Sinister to see what effect it has on them.

Sisterhood is great. It’s a built in best friend and the hand me downs are nothing to sneeze at, either! Thanks, Kristen!! ❤

How do you play up your eye color with makeup? What is your favorite cruelty free brand? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Scarf Series: Knitted With Love Edition

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Scarf Series: Knitted With Love Edition

Hi everyone and happy Hump Day! This is a special edition of my Scarf Series, because the one that I’m discussing today is one of a kind. My newest scarf was handmade by my mom! Despite my mom having no artistic talent in regards to drawing or painting, her creativity shines through in a different manner. She is an expert in her craft of bread baking and always uses the phrase “kneaded with love” so Knitted With Love only seemed like an appropriate title for this post. Take a look:

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Literally no one in my family even knew that my mom knows how to knit until last month when she had a stay in the hospital. The lovely JANE decided that she would like to spend some of her time there knitting, so we took a trip to the absolutely darling Harps & Thistles Yarn Emporium to pick out some materials for her to work with.

At first, I was ambivalent about my mom making me a scarf, because I already have so many and my sister specifically said that she wanted one, so I wanted my mom to focus on that, instead. But then, my mom and I laid eyes on the gorgeous mustard yellow tweed yarn that you can see above. It was the perfect shabby chic, collegiate cool palette and my prior sentiments of “you don’t have to make me a scarf if you don’t want to” instantly turned to “can you PLEASE make me a scarf?!”.

While my mom was away, it was always so exciting to get a text or hear her say on video chat that she was working on my scarf. And when she finally returned home, which was amazing in itself, it was made even more special to see the fruits of her labor for her two girls with a rose pink and mustard yellow scarf. It hasn’t been cold enough in Ohio to wear scarves, any more (Which is great!), but I did get to wear my home made scarf one time and I loved every minute of it. I can’t wait to get more use of it next winter!!

What is your favorite craft to do? Did someone teach you how or were you self taught? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Spring Crocuses

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Spring Crocuses

Hello!! With hopefully the last snow of the season behind us in Ohio (But, who am I kidding, we’ll probs get at least one more!), the temps have been raising to a comfortable fifty degrees. With that increase and some extra sunshine, I found some more crocuses in my yard popping up when I walked the dogs this weekend. Seeing freshly sprouted flowers just makes me happy, and I’m sure that plenty of you are the same, so take a look:

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Instead of just the yellow crocuses that were sprouting up last time, I had the pleasure of seeing white and purple blooms peeking out beneath the winter debris. The white crocuses are happily embracing the sunshine, while the three purples ones are so close to opening up and doing the same. I can’t wait for when they do!

What is your favorite flower? Are there any blooms popping up in your yard? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Highlighter Help!!

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Highlighter Help!!

Helloooo! During a recent Sephora purchase for my sister’s upcoming birthday, I decided to spend some of my rewards points on a Becca highlighter in Opal. The only problem is… I don’t know what to do with it! I liked the idea of trying a highlighter on for size and I love the color so I figured “why not”. Take a looksee:

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(First swatch photo is with no flash, the second one is with the flash on.)

I was hoping that my beauty blogger babes could help me out by directing me to their posts on applying highlighter as well as completed MOTDs featuring a highlighter. I definitely don’t want to overdo it with my new Becca Opal highlighter, but a little extra something something might be nice to try out – especially when it was free!

So, beauty bloggers, now is your time to toot your own horn a little and link me to your best highlighter related makeup posts. Thanks in advance!

What is the best freebie that you have scored from Sephora? Are you a highlighter fan or no? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

New Black & Lavender Nails

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New Black & Lavender Nails

Howdy! One color that I am actually quite fond of but don’t wear on clothing is lavender. However, lavender blush is my favorite and you can’t go wrong with a lavender accent nail every now and then. I went only four weeks in between getting my talons filled this time around, but they were in desperate need of some TLC so I don’t feel too bad about it! Take a look and let’s discuss:

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With spring just around the corner, I felt that a pastel accent nail was the perfect way to go. And, I freaking LERVE the heart glitter top coat which makes the nail look like an Easter jellybean treat. Yum! It felt so good to get pampered after what has been a pretty shitty month in between this fill and the last. There’s really nothing better than some time spent just for you with an outcome that is beautiful afterwards.

Which color of nail polish are you wearing right now? What accent nail color should I get next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Unsung Wardrobe Heroes: Carolina Belle Blazer Edition

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Unsung Wardrobe Heroes: Carolina Belle Blazer Edition

Hellooo! One article of clothing that Lil Red owns in abundance is jackets. From blazers and peacoats to moto and jean jackets – I love them all. One style that I am particularly fond of as far as an amazing transitional piece from work to play goes is the blazer. Whether it’s fitted and constructed or a slouchy boyfriend style, you can never go wrong with a blazer while you’re on the job or on a night on the town. I own a handful of blazers, but my favorite one will always be this Carolina Belle beauty. Check it out:

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This cobalt blue velvet blazer makes me feel so good whenever I wear it. It makes such a statement thanks to the striking color and pale grey pattern and it gives me a huge confidence boost no matter what mood I’m in. This, in itself, covers what I think clothing should do for someone:

  1. Give you confidence.
  2. Make a statement.

I used to shop very haphazardly when I was younger. I would buy things that maybe didn’t look or fit the best just to have something new or because it was a good deal. Now, as the years have gone by, I try to only purchase things that follow my above guidelines. If the article of clothing that you’re trying on doesn’t instantly make you feel amazing, then what’s the point?

As soon as I tried this blazer on – no, as soon as I looked at it, actually, it made me happy. It made me feel like I could walk into a room or a job interview and be taken seriously but still light it up. I never agree with buying things for the sake of buying. But, how can you not buy a blazer that speaks to you on such a spiritual level?!

What is your favorite style of jacket? How would you style this Carolina Belle blazer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah