Tag Archives: rachel zoe

Aug22

Skirt Alert OOTD

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Skirt Alert OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! It is so much fun to have other couple friends and Johnny and I try to do date nights with them as often as we can. A few weekends ago, we had an absolutely fabulous time having a triple date night with two of my best girls from high school and their beaus. We hit up the best Mexican restaurant in our area, El Meson, and ate and drank like kings and queens! Regardless of if we are with other couples or not, it is still a date with Johnny too and I just had to show out in a cute little something. Check it out and peep that funky lighting. It’s starting to look like a triple rainbow!!!

Who? What? Wear?

Tank Top: Rachel Zoe, TJMaxx

Bodycon Skirt: Love On A Hanger, TJMaxx

Platforms: Olivia Miller, Walmart

I honestly have no idea where the daisy earrings are from!

When I was planning this OOTD, I had bodycon skirts on the brain. I have a substantial collection of this style of skirt because I just love them! They are the perfect combination of sassy and sexy and the fit is so flattering. So, I started styling this look by browsing in the skirt department of my wardrobe. There were quite a few of them that I wore fairly recently so I bypassed those and zeroed in on the pastel floral bodycon by Love On A Hanger. The colors and pattern of this skirt are oh so sweet and it also eliminated any think work for the rest of the outfit. It styled itself as soon as I plucked my skirt from the rack!

As it was hot AF out, a tank top or crop was definitely the move and I went for a classic white Rachel Zoe tank. I am not a basic essentials girl in any sense of the words but I will forever be obsessed with the Rachel Zoe tank top set in black and white that I purchased forever ago. They fit SO well and I appreciate the V-neck and ribbing that gives such a plain top a little extra oomph. I have been living in them all summer and the white top was just what I needed to compliment the skirt. It worked well with the pattern and also offered the same formfitting shape to offer a seamless transition.

Last but not least were shoes and accessories before we hit the road to dig into a delicious meal. For shoes, I went with a lilac pair of platforms by Olivia Miller. These were FIVE DOLLA HOLLA from Walmart and I still can’t believe that. I have other shoes by Olivia Miller that were upwards of forty bucks from TJMaxx! They fit the pastel vibe to the T and were just slightly darker than some of the lilac flowers in the skirt. So perfecto! Finally, I popped on a darling pair of daisy stud earrings to keep with the flower power aesthetic and I was ready to go to our triple date in style!

This Skirt Alert OOTD was simple, fun, and can be so easily replicated. I’m just thankful I didn’t spill anything on it! 😀

What is your favorite style of skirt? 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

Apr11

Double Date OOTD

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Double Date OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! This past Friday, Johnny and I enjoyed a fabulous Double Date with my bestie and her boyfriend. We hit up our favorite Mexican restaurant and a wonderful time was had by all. Of course, I had to put together a fun little fit for the occasion. It was simple and nothing major but I loved how it turned out! Take a look:

Who? What? Wear?

Moto Jacket: Silence + Noise, this was a hand me down from my sister!

Tank Top: Rachel Zoe, TJMaxx

Skinny Jeans: 1822 Denim, TJMaxx

Boots: Formentini, TJMaxx

Earrings: Bella Jack, TJMaxx

Sunglasses: Lucky Brand, TJMaxx

As a forever emo kid, I always have All Black Everything OOTDs on my mind and that was what I was in the mood for for our night on the town. It was a fairly nice evening that only required a light jacket and the first thing that came to mind was a hand me down moto jacket from my sister. Funnily enough, Johnny wanted to wear it that night too because he claims it’s “his” but I got to it first! What’s that old saying about the early bird and the moto jacket again?

From there, all that was left to do was complete the base of the look with obvious choices. I put on one of my favorite tank tops by Rachel Zoe that I recently got reunited with during a bout of spring cleaning. I truly thought I lost it and it feels so good to wear it again! Then, I got to break out a fresh new pair of black skinny jeans by 1822 Denim. I have to get at least one new pair per year because I can’t stand when they fade and was ecstatic to find one in my go to brand during a quick trip to TJMaxx. They are crispy AF and you KNOW I was feeling my damn self! 😀

Finally, it was onto shoes and accessories. I popped on a gorgeous pair of translucent blue flower earrings by Bella Jack for some whimsical movement and a bit of color, albeit a muted one! I also couldn’t wait to bust out my new pair of Lucky Brand sunglasses which were perfectly cool with this fit. To complete the look, I went for a pair of statement boots by Formentini. These added such incredible length and the stone hue was no harm no foul with a fully neutral base. Trust and believe I was strutting in these babies because these boots were made to show out!

With that, I was ready for the best night with all of my favorites! Stay tuned for the Blooper Reel and peep more from this look on my TikTok – @lilred6794 !!

Do you and your SO share clothes? Do you get hand me down clothing from anyone? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb27

Spring Cleaning Surprise

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Spring Cleaning Surprise

Howdy! I got home from work way earlier than normal on Monday and had three or so hours to kill before Johnny’s shift was over. I’m not really sure why, but out of nowhere, I got a strong desire to clean. I’ll be perfectly honest with you, it can be very difficult for me to find the motivation to clean outside of necessary chores. Feeling mentally and physically exhausted just seems to be the norm for me as of late and it sucks. It’s not like I don’t want to clean but the energy to do so is nowhere to be found. So, when this overwhelming urge hit me to clean, I went for it!

I decided to tackle one room before clocking in again to work from home and that was mine and Johnny’s bedroom. I cleared up any trash, did several loads of laundry, and organized the closet. I also was able to put Johnny’s clothes in some semblance of order because he needs a freaking dresser lol. As I was doing that, I found an incredible surprise: One of my FAVORITE tank tops that I thought I left in the Poconos when we went on vacation a few years prior. I looked everywhere in my apartment for it and came up empty so leaving it behind seemed like the most reasonable explanation. I guess I didn’t look everywhere, though.

After finally having found my black Rachel Zoe tank top, I was elated. The motivation to clean was there and I was rewarded for it. In fact, after this find, I found myself looking forward to tackling my office next! I genuinely thought that the cherry on top was being reunited with my beloved tank top. However, the cherry on top came after the bedroom was clean as a whistle. I had open access to an outlet again and I was eager to put a new Bath & Body Works wallflower into my Halloween plugin. The room looked so fresh and good that I decided to accentuate it with a Fiji White Sands wallflower. The spotless room combined with the crisp, beachy scent made me so happy!

I guess the moral of the story is, that if you are lacking motivation for a deep cleaning session – it really is okay. However, my first hand experience is that you will start feeling fantastic as you go through the process. Even if it is one room or one task at a time, you are accomplishing something that needs to be done and that is rewarding. There is no need to beat yourself up if you don’t have the energy to clean. Do what you can, revel in your success, and you are on your way to forming a good habit.

I really am proud of myself for getting an early start on my spring cleaning and giving the apartment the love it deserves doesn’t feel nearly as overwhelming. In fact, it is a welcome change of pace!

What is on your spring cleaning agenda? Have you found anything recently that you thought you lost? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul26

On The Loose In Chartreuse OOTD

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On The Loose In Chartreuse OOTD

Hello!! I had the most wonderful time at the Asian Lantern Festival at the Cleveland Zoo this past weekend. It was simply enchanting from start to finish and it was a blast to explore the completely transformed zoo with my entire family. The festival was a celebration and I wanted to wear something bright and fun to match the vibes. I had just the outfit in mind to accommodate and I am loving how this look turned out! Let’s get to it:

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Who? What? Wear?

Handkerchief Top: Rachel Zoe, TJMaxx

Skort: Almost Famous, TJMaxx

Heeled Mules: Betsey Johnson, TJMaxx

The turquoise earrings were a gift from my mom!

I recently purchased my chartreuse handkerchief top by Rachel Zoe during a TJMaxx shopping trip to spend a birthday gift card. I have been so eager to wear it and thought it would be perfect for the Asian Lantern Festival – if this top isn’t bright and fun, then I truly don’t know what is. The color is divine and I am living for those orange and yellow gemstone straps. What an adorable and unique touch! Speaking of the color, Johnny told me how happy he was that I was wearing such a stand out shade while we were on our way home. Every time I wandered off to snap pics, he was able to find me immediately. 🙂

With the top already pre-selected, the rest of this OOTD essentially styled itself. I have been so bored with wearing plain old shorts so I paired the handkerchief top with a skort by Almost Famous, instead. This skort is old AF but it continues to serve me well every time I wear it. They are insanely soft and comfortable and gives that extra dose of visual interest that a pair of jean shorts can’t do. It was also a fantastic pairing with my little chartreuse number because the skort hit on my waist right where the top ended. This gave a sweet midriff peek-a-boo without feeling too exposed and still being appropriate for an outing with my whole family.

Next, it was onto shoes and accessories. Since this OOTD was colorblocked, I could introduce a pattern with the shoes. I went with a darling pair of heeled mules by Betsey Johnson. These are one of my favorite pairs and I adore the black and white striped heels. The embroidered flowers were an almost spot on match to my top and they also have jeweled brooches on them for a bonus pop of bling. For jewelry, I kept things simple with a delicate pair of dangly turquoise teardrops and I was ready to hit the festival!

I have been dying to wear my new handkerchief top and my On The Loose In Chartreuse OOTD did not disappoint. I was getting compliments left and right and felt like a total star! 😀

How do you incorporate quirky colors into your outfits? What is your favorite gemstone? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul14

New Rachel Zoe Handkerchief Top

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New Rachel Zoe Handkerchief Top

Hello! I had a lovely outing with myself during my break on Tuesday doing some shopping at TJMaxx with a birthday gift card. It was definitely hard going back to work after some time off so it was the perfect little treat! During this shopping trip, I lucked out with two new clearance finds that I am loving. You saw the fabulous sweater dress yesterday and, today, we are going to be looking at an adorable little number by Rachel Zoe. It features all of my favorite things – A chartreuse color, fun bling, and a handkerchief cut which is one of my go tos. This top was thirteen dollars and is a small price to pay for a top that truly screams summer in all of its citrusy glory. Check it out:

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Unless I am shopping for something very specific, I let the garments do the talking at TJMaxx. When I am browsing, I am looking simply for what catches my eye. It could be a quirky pattern or color or an interesting cut or material, my only requirement is that it makes me do a double take. As I perused the clearance racks, I noticed something sparkly and realized that the bright orange and yellow gemstones were the “sleeves” to a top. I was instantly intrigued and was even more so when I saw what the bling was holding up – a little chartreuse masterpiece. AND the only one in store, thank you very much. 😀

Literally just looking at this top made me happy because it is the answer to the question “what if sunshine was a shirt?” It is bright, poppy, and as if lemon lime soda became a handkerchief top. I have quite a few different options of this style in my wardrobe, but none quite like this. And, yes, it is all because of the gem spaghetti straps! It adds such a playful touch to a more revealing top and, in my opinion, makes it sweet rather than too sexy. The sheen of the fabric against the bling bling is a dazzling display and I feel SO lucky to have found it. I cannot wait to wear it ASAP with jean shorts or a sassy black and white bodycon skirt (Chunky platforms are a given!)!

Although I am by no means a fan of summer, this new top might help the cause a bit. I don’t think anyone, myself included, could wear it and not want to have some fun in the sun!

What catches your eye when you’re shopping? What is your favorite color to wear? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep21

Whatever The Weather OOTD

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Whatever The Weather OOTD

Hello! No matter the time of year, everyone in Ohio knows the weather to be temperamental at best. For the past several weeks, we have fluctuated between hot AF, breezy, and rainy days. Most mornings, I am freezing my nads off only to be having a hot flash by mid afternoon! For flip flop weather, the best thing that you can do when you get ready for the day is layer. Then, as the temperature changes, all you have to do is add or remove your layering pieces to your liking.

Last week, my Early Fall OOTD began the saga of the switching weather and we are going to continue on with that theme. At this current juncture, cardigans are my layering BFF. It’s not cold enough for a coat, but you definitely need something to keep you warm until the day heats up. Whatever The Weather, I know that I will be rocking all the fall fashion – my favorite! Check it out:

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Who? What? Wear?

Emerald Green Cardigan: Candie’s, Kohl’s

White Tank Top: Rachel Zoe, TJMaxx

Floral Pants: Nicole Miller, TJMaxx

Denim Platforms: Bamboo/Cape Robbin, TJMaxx

The necklace is handmade and was purchased at a vendor fair

The earrings are Lucky Brand and were a gift from my mom 🙂

Whenever I am styling an OOTD, I tend to start with one piece of clothing and build from there. In this case, I began from the bottom up in the pants department. Although I am forever partial to my black skinny jeans, I don’t want to wear them all of the time! I have many a patterned pants that deserve their day in the sort of sun and I decided to go with my floral pair by Nicole Miller. These pants were a strategic choice because they made styling SO easy. All I had to do was pull from colors that were featured in the pattern!

With something as bold as a patterned pant, it is wise to go simple for the rest of the look. Patterns on patterns can work, but they also can make for a haphazard appearance if not done properly. I don’t own anything patterned that would have even remotely gone well with my pants so I opted for a plain white tank by Rachel Zoe. Afterwards, I examined the pattern in the pants and pulled from the green in the leaves which helped me choose my emerald green cardi on top. Remember, the colors don’t have to be a perfect match – as long as they are from the same color family, you are golden.

(A little side note about the cardigan: It is old as dirt lol. I bought it when I was twenty I think? I needed business casual attire for a new job and felt oh so grown up in black slacks and the cardigan!)

Finally, it was time for accessories and shoes to complete the look. Since the top portion of my OOTD was completely plain, I added the gorgeous, feather adorned handmade necklace. It fit in beautifully with the earthy palette that I had established. Then, I put on turquoise Lucky Brand earrings to pull from the blue in the pants pattern. To create cohesion from head to toe, I went with my deep denim hued platforms to compliment the dark green on top and I was ready to go!

To end this Whatever The Weather OOTD, I will leave you with a little tongue twister we would warm up with when I did theater… Whether the weather is cold or whether the weather is hot, whatever the weather we’ll weather the weather, whether we like it or not. Try saying that five times fast!

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

 

Nov29

Cardi Party OOTD

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Cardi Party OOTD

Hey! This past week, Johnny and I celebrated Thanksgiving three times a lady and it was absolutely wonderful. We had the best time enjoying the company of both of our families and are still recovering from the food coma. Because of three Thanksgivings, I had to show out three times with holiday OOTDs and my Lil Red heart is so happy. With the craziness of the past month, it has been hard to find time to create fashion content and it feels great to get back at it again! Without further ado, here is my Cardi Party OOTD that I wore to Thxgiving with Johnny’s family:

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Who? What? Wear?

When it comes to Thanksgiving looks, it’s easy to prioritize comfort over style and why wouldn’t you? This is a holiday that is literally hanging out with your family and eating lol. But, what if I told you that you could have both style and comfort? *Gasp* My Cardi Party OOTD was not only crazy comfortable even after eating a big meal but it captured the cozy style that a Thanksgiving look is all about.

For Thanksgiving at Johnny’s parents, I had a cardigan in mind because the weather allowed it. We had a lovely fifty or so degree day and a cardigan is an ideal option for slipping on if you feel chilly or taking off when you’ve got the food sweats. I decided to go with my Lucky Brand cardigan from TJMaxx for its breezy shape and gorgeous color palette. The burnt shades are so celebratory of fall and I loved the unique pairing of these hues with a soft heather grey.

I wanted the colors of the cardigan to be the main feature of this outfit and it allowed me to make snap decisions to tie the rest of the look together. The Rachel Zoe button down of a coin grey hue was a no brainer to wear underneath the cardigan since it complimented the heather grey. Without being tucked in, this top is quite flowy. However, I always wear it tucked because it looks super cute and it also was what I needed so as not to pair two billowy pieces on top of the other.

As you all know, it is a rarity for both myself and my husband to not be in black skinny jeans so we won’t spend time on that regard lol. So, we will move right onto shoes and jewelry. The great thing about fall colors is that they all tend to compliment each other perfectly and that gives you the option to mix and match. This applies to both the famed jewel tone fall colors and duller shades alike, which made the fern heeled combat boots work so well. The grey undertones of the shoes also tied into the pieces on top for complete cohesion.

Finally, I wrapped up this OOTD with one of my favorite necklaces by SJ Pearl. I have several pieces by the brand but I often find myself reaching for the jade beads. I love the reassuring weight and the cool color. The pretty hue allowed me to fill the negative space on top without taking away from the rest of the outfit because it worked with the color palette that I had created. It also added some funky flare to an OOTD that was fairly simple, which you know I live for!

Tune in tomorrow for the final OOTD from my Thanksgiving look book featuring a very special guest. Then, it will be onto November finishes, a new Lil Red’s Book Club, and the blooper reel from these looks. Keep it posted!

What is your favorite fall color? What are you thankful for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep4

New Rachel Zoe Sweater

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New Rachel Zoe Sweater

Hello and welcome to the last new purchase from my TJMaxx Haul! When I go shopping, I usually know instantly if a piece of clothing is going to work for me just by looking at it. I am a seasoned pro, after all, and I am well versed in the styles, shapes, and colors that work best for my body type, hair color, and complexion. This little number by Rachel Zoe is a prime example of that and I fell in love as soon as I saw it:

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Similarly to my new DKNY sweater that you saw yesterday, I gasped when I saw this Rachel Zoe sweater. The shape is almost identical to my favorite chartreuse sweater by Cynthia Rowley and I haven’t found anything like it since buying it three years ago. I am living for the mock turtle neck, form fitting but not too tight fit, and diamond block pattern. The ultra soft material and all of the fun styling potentials are the cherry on top!

Thanks to my sixth sense when it comes to clothing, all I had to do was slip this sweater on and off for a second or two to know that it was a must have. And, within that time, visions of fabulous fall OOTDs began to swirl inside my head. I can’t wait to sport my new sweater with skinny jeans, brown ankle boots, and my Peter Grimm hat. It will be the perfect look for a leisurely autumn hike. I also love the idea of pairing it over top of a maxi dress or skirt for something more dressed up. This sweater screams “fall” and I am so there for it. 😀

Autumn is amazing for many reasons – cooler weather, leaves changing colors, Halloween and, oh yeah – the clothes. Keep it posted here on lifewithlilred for all of the fall OOTDs coming soon!

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

Jul8

White Hot OOTD

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White Hot OOTD

Hello!! Your girl has been feeling herself with her brand new red and white hair and I just had to have Johnny snap some pics before we went to see his parents this past Monday. Of course, by some pictures I mean like five hundred thousand but who’s counting?! Johnny and I explored lots of different areas near our new apartment and were surprised to find a path that led right down to the creek that runs through the property.

We took pictures at three different spots within a five minute walk of our place. Because there are so many options from each location, I thought that I would share my White Hot OOTD in sections starting with some greenery behind our apartment:

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^^^ Did you notice the cool shadows that the leaves made?!

Who? What? Wear?

As you all know, I am not a huge fan of dressing for summer but I think that I am starting to find my groove with the “less is more” mentality. Although I love layering and implementing different cold weather accessories come fall time, I have accepted that this isn’t the case in the summer and that’s okay. In the summer, as long as the outfit is cute, you feel comfortable in the heat, and are confident, then I think it qualifies as a perfect OOTD. And I felt all three of these things in this look!

While this White Hot OOTD is fairly simple, it still packs a punch and it is something that I would definitely wear again. I had been eager to wear my new Sienna Sky skirt from a recent TJMaxx haul and because of its bold pattern and sweet flounciness, I only wanted to wear things that complimented it as the focal point. To achieve this, I tucked in my Rachel Zoe tank as an obvious choice and kept accessories minimal with a small necklace and a couple of bracelets.

For the shoes, I went with my embroidered Sbicca heels from ModCloth and these worked well for many different reasons. 1) It had a lower strap that buckled at the heel. This gave me a long leg line that would have been cut short with a heel that had an ankle strap. You all know how much of a stickler I am for that!

And 2) Despite a different floral pattern on the shoe than what’s on the skirt, it still looked cohesive because of similar colors. The Sienna Sky skirt features a very light cornflower blue and the blue base of the heels is just a bit darker than the skirt’s flowers. Tomorrow, we will discuss mixing and matching patterns in more detail but always remember to look for the like colors to make this styling technique work.

I am so loving this OOTD and I can’t wait to share more pictures and styling tips with all of you this week. Tune in tomorrow so I can show you the creek and talk mixing and matching! ❤

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

Sep2

Off Ice Work Out OOTD

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Off Ice Work Out OOTD

Hi! In my youth, I figure skated competitively for about ten years and after calling it quits, I still loved going skating just for fun. Prior to the pandemic, I got back into having regular lessons again with my childhood coach and lived for my weekly skate sessions. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to skate for the past year and a half because of my job as I work with such high risk people.

I am so happy to say that this weekend, I will have my first skating lesson since the start of the pandemic and I can’t wait! To keep myself in skating mode, I have been doing off ice work outs so I don’t lose my edge. This past weekend during my exercise routine, I was able to sport the most amazing pair of shorts I have ever owned by Elite Sports and Born Tough. Take a look at some pics from my Off Ice Work Out OOTD and let’s discuss:

Who? What? Wear?

Working out in my small apartment can be pretty difficult because my husband and I don’t have a lot of free space. To remedy this, I cleared out a corner in my home office so I can continue on with my push up regimen and off ice training. Without the luxury of a home gym, it’s all about working with what I have and, let me tell you, moving my chaise lounge and all of my odds and ends in the office was a work out in itself!

When it comes to figure skating, it isn’t just about training on ice but off ice too. Every week, I try to set aside some time to work on my jumps, spins, and foot work on solid ground. I also really enjoy practicing in my friend’s pool or the one in my apartment community for some added resistance. While this is nowhere near as fun as being on the ice, I am proud of myself for keeping up with this routine and I know it will only help to make me an even better skater.

No work out is complete without the right clothes, of course, and that is why I am so in love with my new shorts by Born Tough. Not only do they look super cool with the visible compression layer but they feel it too as they are so lightweight. Breathable clothing for working out is an absolute must and it is especially important in my apartment because my air conditioning unit in the upstairs loft works minimally, at best. I am definitely looking forward to the cooler weather so I am not working out in my own personal sauna!  

Whether you’re working out at home, in the gym, or on the ice give it your all and put your best face forward. And, as always, put your best outfit forward too with the awesome athletic clothing from Born Tough!

Do you play any sports? What is your work out routine like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah