Tag Archives: shopping

Aug16

Just Get The Plushie!

Posted on August 16, 2024 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! Right now is one of my favorite times of the year. The weather is cooling down and that means spooky season is basically already here lol finally! A majority of stores already have their Halloween collections out, including TJMaxx. On my break during work, I made a quick visit to TJs to pick up a few Back To School prezzies for my niece. And, of course, I had to peep their Halloween decor too! Unfortunately, their selection wasn’t anything to sneeze at and I was disappointed to have not found a spooky themed snow globe as per my yearly tradition. However, I did find the most adorable plushie so check out my new pal:

^^^ Lol at the close up shot!

Johnny and I are plushie people and have countless stuffies that we like to snuggle up with when we are watching TV or retiring for the night. As soon as I saw the candy corn plush at TJ’s, I knew it was coming home with me because 1) Johnny would love it too. And 2) We have a corn dog plushie that Johnny won for me at the county fair last year and it would be funny to have two corn related stuffed animals. My parents also happened to be at the store running errands and when I showed my dad Mr. Candy Corn, he said something to the likes of “you’re just pissing your money away”. All I have to say to that is…

If you are an adult – just buy the plushie!

Lol, yes you heard me. Buy the damn plushie and enjoy your treat. I feel like people my age (Thirty somethings) are very in touch with their inner child and it is okay to spoil yourself with purchases like a stuffed animal. We are in tune to the “treat yourself” culture and if that treat puts a smile on your face and doesn’t break your bank, then go for it! It’s no secret that the times we are living in are totally whacky and people are stressed and scared. Items like a plushie bring comfort and it’s not surprising that I know so many people in mine and Johnny’s age group that gravitate towards them. It’s not weird and it’s not a stupid purchase. Rather, it’s something little that you can do for yourself and, most importantly, who cares what anyone else has to say about it. I sure don’t!

Johnny and I adore the new addition to our plushie collection and I didn’t put the candy corn stuffie down from the moment I brought it home. It was a twelve dollar investment and worth every penny and then some. Pissing money away? I think not!

What is one of your go to treat yourself purchases? What is something you collect? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug15

If The Shoe Fits: Steve Madden Loafers Edition

Posted on August 15, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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If The Shoe Fits: Steve Madden Loafers Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to the next edition of If The Shoe Fits! Thanks to an ad on Facebook, I learned the joys of shoe shopping online with Walmart. I was so surprised that they had the Olivia Miller platforms that you saw yesterday that I decided to search for shoes from another brand I love too: Steve Madden. Not much caught my eye while I was browsing until I scrolled by the amazing pair of loafers that we are going to take a look at. They are the coolest and were only twenty dollars – talk about a steal! In total, I spent thirty-four dollars for three pairs of shoes and it doesn’t get better than that. Check it out:

I am a huge fan of loafers and used to have two pairs of burgundy and electric blue in high school. Then, I graduated to wedge loafers that I purchased almost a decade ago and haven’t bought another pair since. My wedge loafers are absolutely worse for the wear, but I never found a suitable replacement until this new pair by Steve Madden. The heel might not be as high as my old pair and I wish it was. However, where these loafers lack in height is made up for by that funky pop of green. It is so unique and creates a brand new, punk rock style out of such a classic pair of shoes.

While I have enjoyed parading around in platform heels all summer, fall is never far from my mind. My new Steve Madden loafers definitely made this hankering for crisp autumn days even stronger. I cannot wait to wear them paired with knit dresses and tights and adding that peek a boo green heel to All Black Everything OOTDs with signature fall staples. When I shop, I am always looking for edgy takes on classic pieces. These loafers emulate that to the T, were bought on the cheap, and are a worthy placeholder to my old wedge pair that I can finally throw out. 😀

I am so happy with my shoe haul from Walmart and still can’t believe how little I paid for three brand name pairs of shoes. I will consider this purchase to be my version of Back To School shopping! 🙂

What is your favorite style of shoes? What is your favorite brand to buy shoes from? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug14

If The Shoe Fits: Olivia Miller Platforms Edition

Posted on August 14, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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If The Shoe Fits: Olivia Miller Platforms Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of If The Shoe Fits! I don’t know about all of you, but scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed only makes me want to shop. The vast majority of my ads are, unsurprisingly, clothing, shoes, and accessories. It can be extremely tempting and usually I am able to exercise self control. However, I simply couldn’t pass up the deal of a lifetime when I saw the platforms we are about to take a look at. They are Olivia Miller brand and were purchased online at Walmart for eight bucks a pop. How can you beat that?! Check it out:

I am a shoe girl through and through, but I have not purchased a new pair in literal years. The last edition of If The Shoe Fits was in February of 2022. And, yes, I absolutely justified this online order because of that! I love Olivia Miller shoes and am always excited for fall weather to roll around so I can wear my favorite pair of chunky heeled boots. I was shocked that Walmart had the brand available and for so cheap too. I would have been mad at myself if I didn’t get them! Walmart had these platforms in four different colors – black, white, pastel pink, and pastel purple. Trust and believe I would have bought the lot if the black and white pairs were in my size. The pastel pink and purple will do just fine but I may or may not have been checking back in on Walmart’s website to see if there has been a restock. *Fingers crossed!*

I was really excited for my new shoes to come in the mail because it has been a long time since I got a new pair. Ordering these platforms was the perfect treat for the perfect price and I am pleased to report that they are just as fab IRL as I imagined them to be. They give off such Bratz doll vibes, which I am living for. I’m not going to lie, I wish that one of these pairs was in black, but the sweet pastel hues play into the fashion doll aesthetic even more and I am definitely okay with that. My new Olivia Miller platforms will be such fun to wrap up the summer with but I can’t wait to wear them in the fall. How cute would they be paired with sweet socks and patterned tights? The answer is: Too cute!

I could not be happier with my Olivia Miller purchase from Walmart as well as one additional pair that you can peep tomorrow. I think I might have to start shopping Walmart fashion more often after this highly successful introduction!

What is one of the best deals you have gotten in store? What other stores have shockingly good fashion options? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug9

So 70s OOTD

Posted on August 9, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello darlings and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! After falling off of the OOTD wagon for a bit, I am back in full swing. Johnny and I have had lots of plans for the past several weekends and because he is the best blog husband, he is always willing to take my pictures as we go about the day. This past Saturday, we hit up the Jenks Building so we could shop for new to us records. Then, we visited Johnny’s parents and aunt for his dad’s birthday. A lovely outfit was needed for such a lovely day and I rocked the following:

Who? What? Wear?

Sweater Dress: Heartloom, TJMaxx

Wedge Heel Mules: B.A.I.T., ModCloth

Butterfly Sunglasses: A Signature Antiques

The giraffe cuff is from Target and I’m pretty sure the daisy earrings are from Claire’s?

In July I went on a shopping trip to TJMaxx to spend birthday gift cards that were burning a hole in my pocket. The change of seasons is my favorite time to go to TJ’s because it’s when they bring out all of the… more unique clothing that didn’t sell. By a stroke of good fortune, I ended up with two pieces that were the only ones available in the store. A gorgeous chartreuse top and the sweet as can be sweater dress in this OOTD. My original plan was to save the dress for the next Misnyland Picnic I will be working in September. Obviously, I couldn’t wait because 1) I love it lol and 2) It was partially for practicality’s sake because picnic days are always insanely busy.

This Heartloom sweater dress is straight out of the 70s and oh so much fun. In fact, Johnny told me several times throughout the day that it was like something The Supremes would wear! The colors, pattern, and adorable big buttons work together to make a throwback piece that is truly special. I have never seen anything like it in stores before and I highly doubt I will any time soon. I felt like an absolute star in it and although not a lot of think work went into styling this OOTD, I still had a blast doing so.

Since all I had to do was slip on a dress, it was time for shoes and accessories. For shoes, I went with a fabulous little pair of wedge heel mules by B.A.I.T.. The marigold yellow worked perfectly with the colors in the dress and can we talk about that daisy print?! Yes, it kind of looks like an egg but I’m still going with daisies lol. Accessories were next and I kept with the yellow motif with a giraffe cuff bracelet that I got forever ago from Target. Then, I tied the look together from head to toe with a pair of stud daisy earrings and was ready for my close up!

I am so happy that I broke out my So 70s OOTD in advance and it turned out exactly how I pictured it in my head. I can’t wait to wear it again!

What is your favorite era of fashion? Which celebrity’s style do you admire? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug8

Cute Jumpsuit OOTD

Posted on August 8, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Johnny and I went on some fantastic outings this past weekend and we had the best time. Whenever we can go on a date together is a special occasion and I always want to look the part for it. Amazing company and a great outfit can turn the most ordinary date like a dinner out into something extraordinary. Johnny and I really do revel in a night out and just like me, he dresses to impress too! For date night, I put together a little look with an adorable jumpsuit. Oddly enough, Johnny had a dream the night before that we went on a date to a concert and I wore a jumpsuit. We are so in sync, even in our dreams! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Jumpsuit: Japna, TJMaxx

Floral Platforms: Qupid, TJMaxx

Butterfly Sunglasses: A Signature Antiques

Pink Snake Cuff Bracelet: Betsey Johnson

Blue Snake Cuff Bracelet: I got this at the zoo forever ago lol

The large gold cuff is from Aerie and the stud earrings are from PacSun – both purchased when I was in high school!!

One style of clothing that I absolutely love is the jumpsuit. They are such a simple piece but so effective in creating a stand out outfit. The only problem with jumpsuits are that they are definitely made with people over five foot one in mind! I cannot tell you the amount of jumpsuits I have tried on at TJMaxx that were perfect – minus the fact that about one foot in leg length would have to be removed. It was certainly a stroke of good luck when I found the Japna jumpsuit seen above that I could just make work with an uber tall pair of platforms!

For mine and Johnny’s date night, we were going to do dinner and a movie. I’m not sure why I instantly thought of my jumpsuit (Maybe it was from Johnny’s dream!), but I thought it would be a comfortable option for reclining in a movie theater after a meal. We didn’t end up going to the movie after the fact of the outfit being styled and I stuck with it anyways. The canvas hued linen screams summer and I can’t get enough of the stitch details and bustier button up top. It is truly a summer staple and exactly what I needed for a balmy evening on the town.

Since the top and bottom of this OOTD were accounted for, it was time for shoes and accessories. For shoes, I went with a pair of pink floral print platforms by Qupid. These were a must for the added height and gave a sweet peek-a-boo pop of pink with every step. For accessories, I chose a pair of stud earrings because I didn’t want a dangly pair to overshadow the length of my neck. When you are a petite gal, you always have to think about accentuating your length – especially when you’re in something with a lot of fabric like a jumpsuit. Rather than necklaces or earrings, I accessorized with some funky cuff bracelets and was ready for a date night with my main squeeze!

This Cute Jumpsuit OOTD was a cinch to style and a joy to wear. I was literally in the outfit of Johnny’s dreams and it had him doing a quadruple take. I’ll take it!

What is your favorite summer wardrobe staple? What is your perfect date night outfit? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug7

JC Comics Haul Pt. 2

Posted on August 7, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! During a visit a few weeks ago to the best comic shop in my neck of the woods, JC’s, I was introduced to a horror series called Nailbiter. It is about solving the mystery of why a small town has a double digit amount of serial killers. The owner of the store convinced me to give it a go with the promise that I would love it. So, I went ahead and purchased Volume One and Two. He was so right because I devoured both volumes and couldn’t wait to return to the store to get volumes three through eight that were special ordered for me. I picked them up this past weekend and cannot wait to sink my teeth into them! Check it out:

I consider myself to be a pretty frugal person. Other than the every few months or so trip to TJMaxx and a meal or two out with Johnny in a month, I really don’t spend much on anything but necessities. This massive haul of the completed set of Nailbiter was a major treat yoself purchase for me and it was a thrill because I don’t do something like this very often. I was SO excited to have the entire collection and I was able to justify buying it all in one fell swoop. I’d much rather have the next volumes in the series readily available as opposed to going back to JC’s every time I need a new one. I have a feeling I’ll be back at the store soon enough once I’m done with the series! 😀

Back in my theater days, I used to love going to bookstores and buying new plays to read. It felt like I was spoiling myself and I remember rushing home to crack open my new purchases. This haul brought me back to that wonderful sense of anticipation when you just know you are about to read something good. These past few months have been trying times for yours truly between the stress of work and life in general and getting back into graphic novels has really given me something to look forward to. I considered my Nailbiter haul as a reward to myself for completing three successful months as Tim Misny’s social media manager and all of the hard work I’ve put in to make this job possible. Nothing says “celebrate” to me like a bagful of books… or new clothes… or shoes. 🙂

Johnny and I are definitely in our treat yoself era. Graphic novels for me and records for him. It is a joy to be able to invest in our hobbies and our time off of work is infinitely more pleasurable because of it!

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

Jul28

Flower Child OOTD Bloopers

Posted on July 28, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Flower Child OOTD! These pictures were taken during a charming little date day I had with Johnny and is, hands down, one of my favorite summer OOTDs yet. From head to toe, I felt fabulous in this fit and it had me thinking that maybe dressing for summer isn’t so bad after all. Momentarily, anyways! Although I was feeling my damn self, there were definitely some pics that didn’t match the superstar vibes lol. Let’s take a look:

Feeling AND looking like a pissed off soccer mom

Out here trying my best to work the wind in the hair

This face was absolutely in response to something or other Johnny said!

Staring at you from across the room like

I swear to high I’m not god

Why I oughta

99% of the time wind in the hair results in hair in the mouth

Whenever Johnny and I are out and about, we often get stopped to chat it up with people. We both have very distinctive personal styles and it turns into an instant conversation starter. This is something that we really enjoy because we love meeting new people and it’s always nice to receive compliments too! As we concluded OOTD shots and were making our way back to our car, we were stopped in our tracks by the tiniest voice saying that she likes butterflies too. When we turned around, we saw a little girl with her dad and sisters who took a liking to my sunglasses.

For the better part of fifteen minutes, we made chit chat with the lovely family visiting the area from Columbus. Johnny and the dad were able to talk music while the sister squad and I talked up a storm. We chattered away about animals, birthdays, Taylor Swift, and fun places they might like to see during their trip. By the time our conversation was done, the admirer of my sunglasses invited me to her fifth birthday party and I almost cried lol. It was just SO sweet and if they weren’t in completely different cities I might have had to take her up on it!

The point of this story is to engage with and be kind to everyone you meet. This chat totally made mine and Johnny’s day and it all started with four simple words of “I like butterflies too”! ❤

What makes your day? What are your go to conversation starters? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul27

JC Comics Haul

Posted on July 27, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! There are so many amazing local businesses in my neck of the woods. My favorite one, though, has got to be JC Comics. It has been a staple in Cuyahoga Falls since I was little and I definitely remember going there a lot with my brother, Andrew. To this day, we still love to frequent JC’s and just had a trip there this past week. JC’s isn’t a big shop, by any means. However, it feels like home whenever I walk in and the owner is there behind the counter to greet us warmly and chat it up. He also ended up talking me into a new series during my last visit and gifted me with freebies too! Check it out:

I consider myself to be an avid reader, but have fallen off the path pretty significantly. I have just been super busy and that can get overwhelming. When I get overly stressed out, I don’t have much mental capacity left for anything else – especially reading. This is why I have gotten back into graphic novels because they are more low key and I take a lot of joy in admiring the artwork. When my brother and I visited JC’s, I wanted to scope out some new series to take note of and one called Nailbiter caught my eye.

I spent a lot of time flipping through the pages of the first volume of Nailbiter and when the owner clocked it, he said I would like it without a doubt. I am a huge horror fan and Nailbiter is all about a small town with a double digit population of serial killers. So, yeah, he was totally right lol. Curiosity got the best of me and I walked away with the first and second volume of it. The owner is even ordering the other five volumes just for me so I can have the whole collection! 🙂

Not only did he hook it up for Nailbiter but he also surprised me with some freebies while I was checking out. The first issue of five other horror series that he thought I would enjoy too. When he put them on the counter, I thought I could only pick one so I was ecstatic when I was given the lot! It was such a kind gesture because after so many shopping trips and conversations, he really does know my style when it comes to comics. These might not be in the traditional format for Lil Red’s Book Club but I can’t wait to dive in and share my thoughts with all of you. 😀

JC Comics is a beloved gem where I live and it has withstood the test of time thanks to the wonderful owner and his employees. They truly foster a love for literature and art to everyone who walks in the door and I am looking forward to my next visit so we can discuss Nailbiter!

What is your favorite local business? What is your favorite graphic novel? 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

Posted on July 26, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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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:

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

Jul25

Flower Child OOTD

Posted on July 25, 2024 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! Today, we’re going to take a look at a look that I wore for a date day with Johnny this past Saturday. We enjoyed lunch with our favorite neighbor and then headed to downtown Cuyahoga Falls to do some shopping at the Jenks Building. The Jenks is a hub for local artists and musicians. It is an eclectic location that offers a little bit of everything and I wanted to dress the part. I admit that I had a case of “styler’s block” when I began creating this look. Then, it came to me in a vision and I am obsessed with the end result! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Crochet Top: Rebellion Again, TJMaxx

Trapeze Pants: Patrons Of Peace, TJMaxx

Lace Up Heels: BCBG, TJMaxx

Butterfly Sunglasses: A Signature Antiques

I think the turquoise cross earrings are from Target!

It is very easy for me to fall into the trap of having “nothing to wear” during the summertime because my wardrobe is more curated to cold weather. When dressing for the summer, my main concern is staying cool while looking cute. However, I can only wear so many shorts and tops combos until I grow bored with it. I was definitely hitting a wall so I really needed to take the time and shop in my own personal boutique for inspiration. Saturday was hot but not unbearably so. With that in mind and expanding my horizons a bit further, my eyes landed on my Patrons Of Peace trapeze pants and I knew we were in business.

I think these pants are just the tops. I love the colors, the pattern, and the way the breezy fabric moves. They are incredibly comfortable and so unique in the sense that these pants could be viewed as a maxi skirt depending on how they lay when you look at me. But what to pair them with? Originally, I started out with a white tank top tucked in and that did nothing for me. This was problematic because a majority of my clothes have some type of color or pattern that would clash with the pants. So, back to my boutique I went.

Before browsing my selection, I took the time to really look at the colors in the patterns of the pants to narrow down my options of what I could wear to accommodate them. Everything I had in jewel or burnt shades wasn’t going to work so I focused on the cream hues of the flowers. This brought me to my crochet top by Rebellion Again and I knew I had a winner. It might not have been a perfect match in color but it was close enough. Just like the pants, this top offered movement. The best part? The flower pattern on both the top and bottom worked in tandem and created a look with a lot of visual interest.

Next, it was onto shoes and accessories. For shoes, I went with a pair of lace up heels by BCBG. They are old as dirt, but I will never part with them as they are highly sentimental. They are one of the first pairs of heels I vividly remember buying at TJMaxx! I wanted a simple pair of shoes since this fit featured top to bottom patterns and they were just right. For accessories, I chose a pair of dangly turquoise crosses for a pop of color. And, of course, this was an ideal outfit to break out my new butterfly sunglasses that I got while antiquing with Johnny. They added some super 70s flare, bonus bling, and were exactly what I needed to complete the look!

My Flower Child OOTD is, easily, one of my favorite looks that I have styled this summer. If I had an entire closet full of clothes like this, maybe I would like summertime styling a bit more!

What is something in your closet that you can’t part with? What are your favorite accessories to shop for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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