Tag Archives: shopping

Nov15

Butterfly Babe OOTD Bloopers

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Butterfly Babe OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Butterfly Babe OOTD! This little look was worn to attend Akron Comicon with Johnny and my brother, Andrew. It has been our tradition to go together for the past several years and we always look forward to it! Comicon is hosted at an event center literally right down the street from us and features beaucoup vendors, D list celebrities, cosplays, contests, and more. It is a hoot! I was definitely feeling myself in this outfit as we made our rounds throughout Comicon. I definitely wasn’t feeling myself at all in these pictures, though:

Me trying to see whenever I take my contacts out for the day smh

Stomping towards a Comicon near you!

Lmaooo popping my foot in these boots from Perugia was a bust -_-

Alright, let’s try this again…

Pure concentration and strength

My center of gravity doesn’t exist but I’m still trying to serve looks lol

Lol honestly I’m more impressed by this yikes shot than anything!

Now, as promised, let me tell you a silly little story about when we were in Venice because we had quite the experience. Our beloved tour guide, Savio, told us that the best way to explore Venice was to get lost and always warned us to keep our eyes out for pickpockets. And, wouldn’t you know, our day promptly began with us getting lost lol SMH. It was a treacherous morning as it had rained and the multiple bridges we had to cross were slick AF. This was not ideal for my mom and we ended up getting separated from the group to the point that we couldn’t even see them anymore. We figured if we just kept walking forward we would catch up eventually but that was not the case and ten minutes later, Savio blessedly found us and we rejoined the group. I’ve got to say, it really wasn’t the best way to explore Venice and the trajectory of the day went downhill from there.

After our walking tour, we were allowed to do our own thing in the city and we decided to get lunch and do some shopping. At one of the stores, Johnny opted to stay outside and enjoy the weather which resulted in him *almost* getting pickpocketed! During our trip, Johnny kept the pockets of his jacket empty and put his credit card and ID in the buttoned breast pocket instead. The pickpocket was out of luck when they tried Johnny’s pockets and ran off before he could even get a look at them. It was a no harm no foul situation and Johnny was honestly elated that he had a full Venice experience – getting lost and an attempted pickpocket!

…And while getting attacked by seagulls wasn’t classified as a Venice experience, we can add that to the list too because that also happened to Johnny lol. As we ambled through one of the squares, someone dropped food right by Johnny’s feet and the seagulls swarmed around him like bats out of hell! Our vacation was full of surprises but I think our time in Venice took the cake for craziness!

Although Venice wasn’t our favorite city we visited, I have fond memories of the highlights because all you can do is laugh now!!

Have you ever gotten lost while traveling? What happened? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov13

Butterfly Babe OOTD

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Butterfly Babe OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! We have had a pretty warm fall thus far in good ol’ Akron, Ohio but the temps are finally starting to dip and I am SO there for it. It has been really nice wearing warm clothes like sweaters and jackets without sweating my nads off halfway through the day! The fifties is my ideal fall temperature and I have been enjoying a past week of fifty or so degree days. Perfect for breaking out a cute little jacket like this:

Who? What? Wear?

Butterfly Moto Jacket: Nasty Gal

Black Tank Top: Rachel Zoe, TJMaxx

Pleather Slacks: Max Studio, TJMaxx

Lightening Bolt Earrings: These were purchased during a vacation to Universal Studios!

Pointed Toe Heeled Boots: These were purchased at TipTap when I was in Perugia!

I started styling this look hey diddle diddle right down the middle in the pants department. I had just bought the pleather slacks by Max Studio during a TJs trip with my mom and I couldn’t wait to break them out! These pants are oh so chic and I am obsessed with the sleek straight leg silhouette. They can easily be dressed up or down and I opted for a look that was kind of in the middle. This OOTD was worn to Akron Comicon and I always have to show out for that to wow my friends during my annual visit to their booths! These slacks swished and shimmied with every step and they were so incredibly comfortable as I mozied through the event. I am very happy with this purchase! 🙂

Next on the agenda was tops and because I knew I was wearing a jacket, I kept it simple with a black tank tucked into the slacks to keep with the lean lines they created. Then, I shopped through the jackets section of my wardrobe and decided on an adorable butterfly adorned moto jacket from Nasty Gal. The pleather slacks are, indeed, sassy and this moto jacket is one thousand percent sweet! I loved the contrast this jacket made between the top and bottom half of the outfit and it certainly made the eyes dance, which is exactly what a good OOTD should do. 😀

Finally, it was onto shoes and accessories and I knew exactly what shoes I wanted: My pointed toe heeled boots that I bought in Perugia. How cool are those?! The metal cap on the toe and zipper going up the front makes me swoon and they were just right with the Max Studio pants. They blended together seamlessly and added an edgy pop with the metal details. For accessories, I opted for a funky pair of magenta lightening bolt earrings which was an almost perfect color match to one of the butterflies in the jacket. With that, I was ready to strut my stuff at Comicon!

Stay tuned for the Blooper Reel from this look that will feature a surprise story from my travels in Venice. See you tomorrow!! ❤

Are there any events in your neck of the woods that you go to every year? What is fall like where you live? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov11

New Sanctuary Corduroy Pants

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New Sanctuary Corduroy Pants

Oh hey! It was a good old fashion pants party at TJMaxx! As you saw yesterday, I scored an amazing pair of Max Studio pleather slacks for a song. Another pair of pantaloons, however, caught my eye and they just had to come home with me too. I am usually not one for patterned pants but those sentiments flipped when I saw a gorgeous pair of paisley patterned corduroy pants by Sanctuary on the clothing rack. Like the Max Studio pants, the Sanctuary ones were purchased for twenty-five dollars and their original price was one hundred and twenty. That’s my kind of markdown! Check them out:

When I first saw these pants, the first word that came to mind was “groovy” and they really, really are! The corduroy material and paisley print stepped straight out of 1970s heaven and don’t even get me started on the color palette. The rich creams and burnt oranges pop against the black base and they just feel so perfect for fall. As I mentioned, patterned pants are very hit or miss for me and miss more often that not. I was genuinely surprised by how much I loved them in the fitting room! Not only did they fit like a glove but the pattern inspired rather than annoyed me and visions of OOTDs in my mental wardrobe Rolodex began to swirl and twirl.

The basic way to style these pants would be to pull from the colors in the paisley pattern and pair with a plain sweater. But where’s the fun in that?! I absolutely love the cream hue in the paisley and plan on wearing these pants with a button down blouse in a similar color. While I could wear a burnt orange knit cardigan on top, I think the pants would look even better with a black blazer over the blouse. Pairing these pants with pure neutrals will allow for the pattern to make an even bigger statement and I can’t wait to rock them. I have a vision right now of a new OOTD in lifewithlilred’s future! 😀

With these purchases, I think my fall wardrobe has been refreshed! Now, I just have to remember that Christmas shopping is for other people – not for me!

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

Nov10

New Max Studio Pleather Slacks

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New Max Studio Pleather Slacks

Hi! When I was in Italy, one of the new friends I made on the tour had on the cutest pair of pleather pants that she told me she got at Loft. I was an avid fan of Loft clothing back in the day but I have no idea where the nearest one around me even is anymore lol. The pleather pants have been living rent free in my mind since we returned home and I decided to see if I could find something similar as I got a jump on my Christmas shopping at TJMaxx. The fashion gods smiled upon me because I ended up scoring a pair of Max Studio pleather slacks for twenty-five bucks. The original price was one eighty! Great success!!! Check it out:

When joggers first came on the scene in the 2010s or so, I purchased a pair of pleather ones at Charlotte Russe (Remember that store?!) and was obsessed. They were just so funky and cool and I loved the street wear chic vibe by pairing them with oversized crop tops and Nike sneakers. At some point I gave the joggers away and am genuinely unsure as to why I did. As I tried the Max Studio slacks on at TJMaxx, I couldn’t help thinking about my old joggers but smiled because now I have the grown up version! These pants were a total bargain and I am head over heels about the relaxed fit and pinprick details going down the legs. They can be edgy or dressy depending on styling and I can’t wait to wear them!

I plan on busting these babies out for Akron Comicon (Peep the OOTD pics soon!) paired with a white tank for a colorblocked style and some gorgeous new boots that I purchased in Perugia. I also am excited to feature a collab on my page soon because these slacks are going to be perfect for the OOTD I have in mind! While the pleather material screams punk rock, these pants can definitely be dressed up by pairing them with a pretty blouse and a big statement necklace. They really are versatile and unlike anything I currently have in my wardrobe. I just know I am going to have A LOT of fun styling them in so many different ways!

There is going to be beaucoup fall fashion coming soon on lifewithlilred. Stay tuned!! ❤

Is there a piece of clothing that you regret giving away? What is a store that you used to love to shop at? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov6

Mrs. Lovett COTD

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Mrs. Lovett COTD

Oh hey! Johnny and I had so much fun on Halloween dressing up in our Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett couple’s costumes and passing out Trick Or Treat candy. This was truly a great success of a night because all of the neighborhood kiddos had a blast, so did we, and this is the first year in literal years that we didn’t run out of candy. We did, however, go through eight bags – my neighborhood was popping off! There is nothing better to me than reveling in spooky season with my main squeeze and I am very proud of how both of our costumes turned out. Here is a closer look at mine:

Who? What? Wear?

Costume Dress: AMIClubwear

Platform Heels: Miss Left, Amazon

The brooch style earrings are from PacSun

The thigh highs, fake lashes, wig, and cleaver hair clips were purchased at Spirit Halloween

My first order of business in creating this costume was finding the perfect dress. I originally had one in mind from Unique Vintage that is very similar to the one I bought from AMIClubwear. That idea was a bust as the dress was no longer available and everything on that website was crazy expensive anyways. I then turned to Google to continue my search and ended up finding my AMIClubwear dress for thirty dollars. It was such a steal! While this dress was ideal for Mrs. Lovett and the price was nice, I’m not going to lie: It was very itchy and was honestly driving me crazy all night. I will do anything in the name of Halloween fashion, though, and powered through because this dress is SO sexy Mrs. Lovett!

Next on the agenda was shoes and I was blessed by finding the amazing black and white striped platforms by Miss Left. This blessing turned out to be a major hassle as it took three tries to get the sizing right because I was unfamiliar with Chinese sizes. While this was a pain in the budinski, the employees that assisted me were so helpful and made sure that I would have my platforms in time to complete my costume. Thank goodness because I couldn’t imagine this COTD without them and the darling bat appliques. As you all know, I love a big chunky platform and will definitely be wearing these bad boys in every day life and not just on Halloween!

Finally, it was onto accessories which were all bought from Spirit Halloween for the most part. It was pretty chilly despite our bonfire during Trick Or Treat so I was thankful to have the thigh highs keeping my legs warm. And can we talk about those adorable cleaver clips? I found them in the cash wrap at Spirit Halloween and they were exactly what I needed to add some flare to my hair! Well, my wig but you get the point. With that, I was ready to rock Halloween with my Sweeney Todd honey!

I genuinely wish that we could fast forward to next Halloween because I legit cannot wait to be Team Rocket with Johnny! Jesse and James FTW!!!!

Does your neighborhood do Trick Or Treat? Did you have a good turnout this year? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov5

Sweeney Todd & Mrs. Lovett Costume

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Sweeney Todd & Mrs. Lovett Costume

Hi! Johnny and I take our Halloween costumes very seriously and have had so much fun throughout the years curating the perfect couples ensembles. For this year’s Halloween, I made the executive decision to be Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett and Johnny was all for it. Perhaps we were both feeling inspired by seeing Josh Groban perform some Sweeney songs this summer! Sweeney Todd has been one of my all time favorite musicals for forever and Mrs. Lovett has always been a dream costume of mine. It was so exciting to finally make that happen with my main squeeze right beside me! Take a look:

Johnny and I basically have the same plans every Halloween: Go to a haunted house and pass out Trick Or Treat candy the following day in my parents’ neighborhood. This year, we got to do one of those things lol. The day before Trick Or Treat, we drove to the Factory Of Terror and got there right when they opened only to find that tickets had been sold out. Little did we know, apparently no one purchases tickets at the haunted house itself and online sales are the way to go so we were left in the dust. This was a bit disappointing but at least now we know for next year, I guess. -_-

Although our haunted house plans were a major bust, Trick Or Treat was an absolute joy! Johnny and I arrived at chez parents with an hour to spare before Trick Or Treat started to take pictures, get a fire going, and queue up our playlist of Ghost, Twin Temples, and classic Halloween hits. That hour of prep flew by so quickly and before we knew it, our first Trick Or Treaters were walking up the driveway! Seeing all of the costumes and interacting with everyone is just the best for me and Johnny and there were countless costumes that took the cake. We loved the family of inflatable dinosaurs, a little boy riding on a remote control car, a bitty baby in an axolotl onesie, and Gandalf The White. The little Gandalf was so happy when we knew who he was because no one else had gotten it right! ❤

While haunted houses are fun, it truly doesn’t get better than our Trick Or Treat time and this Halloween was still such a huge win. I am obsessed with how our costumes turned out and Johnny actually won second place at his work costume contest! Also, this is the first year that we haven’t ran out of candy during Trick Or Treat which is another feather in the cap because that hasn’t happened in several years. Most importantly, the kids in our neighborhood had a blast and that really is what Halloween is all about!

Sweeney Todd & Mrs. Lovett at your service! And we already know what we’re going to be next year *Drum roll, please*… Team Rocket!!! I can’t wait!

What did you do for Halloween? What did you dress up as? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct31

Italy OOTDs

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Italy OOTDs

Yoohoo! Literally everything about our tour in Italy through AAA and Collette was fun and, yes, that includes packing for the trip too! As I’m sure you imagined, I was most excited to sport Lil Red looks in Italy and that took a fair bit of planning and self control lol. My suitcase isn’t huge and as much as I would have liked to over pack, I restrained myself to the outfits I dreamed up so I would still have room for souvenirs. I just barely did and I think I will definitely be purchasing a bigger suitcase for my next trip! Take a look at some of my Italy OOTDs and let’s discuss my packing process:

I would never say I am last minute about anything because it keeps my anxiety at bay. However, I did pack the day before leaving for Italy and it was in the name of practicality. I was going to create my outfits based on the activities and weather forecast for each day and wanted the results to be as accurate as possible, which meant leaving it till the last minute. I have to say, this method worked like a charm and it also eliminated the stress of figuring out what to wear every day in Italy! Thanks to my planning, I had a guide of exactly what to wear every day as well as alternate options should the weather call for it.

Prior to our trip, we received a booklet from the travel agency with a plethora of housekeeping information and a description of what we would be doing every day. For each day, I looked up the weather of the city we were in and wrote it down. This served as my North Star as I shopped through my wardrobe for outfits. When you’re traveling, the name of the OOTD game is classic pieces and sets that you can mix and match to create multiple different looks. This is exactly what I did by packing a few pairs of smart slacks, a couple of basic essential tops with a twist, two dresses, and some cool weather options like a jacket and cardigan in case I needed it. Although all of the pieces I packed weren’t a perfect match to each other, I could still use a majority of them together and I honestly think I packed light!

As important as it was to dress for the weather in Italy, it was also just as important to dress for the occasion. This is why I really appreciated the booklet we were mailed because it gave insights into how to dress for visiting a church, for example. At most churches in Italy, you must have a top with sleeves and a skirt down to your knees to enter. We visited several churches during our trip and I was not going to be the one waiting outside due to not knowing the dress code! Our booklet also gave excellent descriptions of the scenery in each city we visited so it was also fun to try and match outfits to that. IE: The orange/red flower patterned maxi dress looked stunning against the blue waters of Lake Como!

With some careful, albeit last minute, planning I created a travel wardrobe that kept me stress free and serving looks for my entire vacation!

Are you an early or last minute packer? What are some must haves in your suitcase? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct28

If The Shoe Fits: Miss Left Platforms Edition

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If The Shoe Fits: Miss Left Platforms Edition

Hi!! Our Italy content has been postponed today because: HURRAY! The platforms I ordered for my Mrs. Lovett Halloween costume finally arrived! AND they fit! This was the third pair I had to exchange to get the sizing right and I couldn’t have been happier when they fit like a glove. These platforms are absolutely perfect for my costume and honestly every day wear too. You all know I love my huge platforms with spooky vibes! Take a look and then we’ll discuss the sizing fiasco that had me genuinely concerned that I would be going shoeless for Halloween:

Shoes are one of my favorite things to purchase because no matter what, I know my size. I am a true size six and if the shoes I am trying on are too, then there is no reason why they shouldn’t fit. Until these Miss Left platforms. Little did I know when I ordered these shoes that they were actually Chinese sizes. When they were delivered and I eagerly tried them on, I was so disappointed because they were HUGE. They fit more like a size eight than a six and it was a hazard even attempting to walk in them. Based on the measurements listed on the size chart, I exchanged the size six for a size five and couldn’t wait for them to get here because surely they would work, right?

WRONG! The smaller size was still way too big and I was at a loss, so I contacted the company and they were wonderful. They let me keep the too big shoes and requested that I send my foot measurements for a new pair. From my measurements, they informed me that they were sending a size four and all that was left to do was cross my fingers and toes and wait. The original shipping information said that my package would arrive on October 26th. However, they were shipping from China and I was concerned that delays might happen. Blessedly, that was not the case and they were delivered on the 22nd, well ahead of time.

I have to admit that I was nervous about these shoes not fitting because I would have had to throw my hands in the air and pivot. That would have been a huge bummer because I couldn’t imagine my costume without these platforms! I am pleased to report that the size four did the trick and now I know what size I am if I ever order shoes from China again. I am so appreciative to the employees at Miss Left for helping me solve the problem of the not fitting shoes because they were incredibly helpful and kind. And, thanks to them, my costume will be exactly what I pictured. I can’t wait for you all to see it!

Costume? Check. Platforms? Check. Accessories? Double check! I am SO amped for mine and Johnny’s Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett costumes!

What are you being for Halloween? What was your favorite Halloween costume you have used recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct25

Perugia Purchases

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Perugia Purchases

Hi! As exciting as the premise of shopping in Italy was, it was quite difficult to find stores with prices that I was comfortable paying. You all know that I am a TJMaxx girl through and through so paying full price for anything is always a shock to the system! It was definitely fun to see the high end stores but it was even more fun to be in stores where I could afford something, like the ones in Perugia. Although there were stores there that sold clothing for the price of a used car, there were also several places that didn’t make me feel like I wanted to die when I swiped my credit card! Two of which were Studded and TipTap (The cutest name for a shoe store!) where I made my purchases from. Check it out:

Studded was a fabulous find in Perugia with Zara prices and a lot of one size fits all clothing in classic shapes, colors, and patterns. As soon as I looked at one of the price tags, I knew I could hang out there for a while and tried on a handful of different clothes. Some of them were pretty but not my style in the slightest. The only thing that really moved me was the button up that you see above. This one size fits all masterpiece was the first item I grabbed off the racks and was the one that came home with me. I just love that rich green and pale pink and it almost looks like watercolor flowers. The material is so soft but it’s thin and lightweight which will make it an ideal layering item under a cozy cardigan this fall.

After Studded, I found a glorious shoe store called TipTap that was right around the corner and, blessedly, their shoes featured what I would consider to be TJMaxx prices. Both of these boots were only thirty euros apiece! My shoe situation coming into Italy had dwindled because I literally had to throw some out after the wear and tear of all of the walking for the day. Little did I know that tossing those items made room for more shoes lol! My two new pairs of heeled boots were both on the markdown shelf and in my exact size. It was a positive sign to buy them both!

I absolutely love a “cuffed” boot like the first pair and actually saw something similar in a shop window that was WAY more expensive. These boots were the perfect substitute for a style I covet but have never had for myself. And, don’t even get me started on that zip up pair with the metal toes because holy WOW! Those pointed toes are everything and the metal embellishment adds such a unique and edgy pop. I have never seen a pair of boots like those before and would have deeply regretted not buying them. You already know that I am a self proclaimed “shoe whore” and I am beyond thrilled to have two new pairs fresh from Perugia!

I cannot wait to style fall OOTDs with these amazing new finds and also I am never going to be over the store name TipTap!

What do you like to buy for yourself on vacation? Which vacation location had the best shopping? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct24

Passing Time In Perugia

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Passing Time In Perugia

Hi there! After parting from Rome on our Italian vacation through AAA and Collette, the next cities we visited were Assisi and Perugia. It was a jam packed day of sightseeing and after we made our rounds in Assisi, we took a forty or so minute bus ride right to our hotel in Perugia. Our evening was ours to spend however we pleased and I think we were all looking forward to an individual night on the town. We spent our time in Perugia riding escalators in a medieval castle, shopping till we dropped (Peep my purchases tomorrow), and having a terrible meal at our hotel lol. Let’s discuss:

Our hotel was located on the outskirts of Perugia and there is only one way to get to the city center: The escalator castle! When our beloved tour guide, Savio, was describing the medieval castle with three or four escalators inside, it was genuinely hard to imagine. All of that technology in a location that has been around for centuries! In fact, it was still hard to believe even when we were climbing the escalators to be deposited in the city center. I must admit that the process to get to the heart of Perugia was a bit treacherous. The floors sloped at insane angles, the brick and cobblestone was uneven, and it kind of felt like a recipe for disaster. The name of the game was to tread carefully and while I enjoyed the experience, I was ready to get out into the open air!

Despite the semi scary mode of transport to get into the city center, I look back on my evening in Perugia most fondly. Any guesses why? The shopping, of course! As to be expected, high end stores in Italy are a dime a dozen. And, while Perugia did have some fancy stores, there were also plenty of reasonable ones to browse. I found a fabulous store called Studded that had Zara prices as well as a shoe store called TipTap where I walked away with two gorgeous new pairs of heeled boots. I was in heaven and can’t wait to show you my wearable souvenirs tomorrow! 😀

By the time we were through with our shopping, we were famished. We had plans for dinner at a restaurant in mind but couldn’t find it and opted for a meal at our hotel, instead. We returned the way we came, through escalator castle, and got back to the Sangallo Palace Hotel with bags in tow and ready to eat! All I can say is, I really wish we would have found the restaurant we originally planned on lol. This hotel meal was one of the worst I had on vacation. There was hair in the bread, my meal was freezing cold, and the waitstaff were all really rude. I was SO hungry that I finished my cold meal but felt like I needed a cup of coffee after to warm up. The glass of Prosecco only helped slightly smh.

Stop by tomorrow for my Perugia purchases! And just an FYI, I will be doing hotel reviews too so keep your eyes peeled!

Is it hard for you to find your way around in a new city? Have you had a restaurant meal recently that left a lot to be desired? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah