Tag Archives: shopping

Nov14

New Steve Madden Winter Accessories

Posted on November 14, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Helloooo!!! Yesterday, we took a look at my new favorite dress purchased from my last shopping trip to TJMaxx. That wasn’t the only thing I got, however, and today we’ll be checking out the super fun New Steve Madden Winter Accessories that came home with me too. I have a huge collection of hats, scarves, and gloves for the cold weather and it is safe to say that I am a little bit obsessed with winter accessories. They are such a great way to update your wardrobe without breaking the bank! The selection at TJ’s was excellent and I walked away with an adorable pair of earmuffs and a knit balaclava. Let’s get to it:

^^^ Peep the original price tag for the earmuffs. I purchased them for ten dollars. SCORE!!

This was a rather exciting accessory haul for me because I don’t own earmuffs or a balaclava. That is the beauty of TJMaxx – you never know what you’re going to find to spice up your wardrobe! The first thing that my eyes locked in on at the accessory wall was the smiley face earmuffs. How cute are those?! They were over the top, vibrant, so much fun, and oh my goodness were they comfortable on. They fit just right without being too tight and my ears were so toasty and warm. I knew that these would make a vibrant addition to the grey days of winter and the price I got them for was a total steal. 😀

The next thing that spoke to me was the knit balaclava, which is something that I knew existed but have never seen before in store. My new balaclava was something that was instantly appealing to me. I only own one jacket with a hood on it and it isn’t warm enough for winter wear. This was not only a fashion purchase but a practical one. There are some days when I have to go to work really early to get a client to work and it is always freaking freezing when I get in the car. Now, I have a balaclava to help with that – do you know how much heat we lose through our heads?! Not only will this help in the warmth department, but it is such a bold statement piece. Balaclavas are most chic and my new one will add a touch of sophistication to all of my winter coats!

I have no intention of buying a new coat this year and I love that I will be able to freshen my winter wear up with these fab new Steve Madden accessories. TJMaxx, you always continue to surprise me! ❤

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

Nov13

New 7 For All Mankind Dress

Posted on November 13, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello!!! This past Tuesday, I spent a wonderful afternoon shopping with my mom at TJMaxx. We went with the intention of holiday shopping but, of course, we had to pick out some goodies for ourselves too!! My mom walked away with two adorable new sweaters and I had a fun haul with some new winter accessories and the 7 For All Mankind dress that we are discussing today. I was very happy to have found this dress because I had an upcoming event (on Friday the 10th) with a local celebrity thanks to this OOTD. I wanted to go all out for it fashion-wise and I knew that this dress would wow:

At the end of the day, I could have worn something to my Friday event (Which you will hear more about later!) that I already own. But where is the fun in that?! This was going to be my first time rubbing shoulders with someone famous for more than one minute and I wanted to look my best. Our gracious host is a HUGE deal in Ohio and I wanted the pictures I was going to take to not only speak to that, but my fashion too. After piling my shopping cart full of Christmas prezzies, it was onto browsing the clothing department for anything that spoke to me. I couldn’t believe the stroke of good fortune from the fashion gods themselves when I laid eyes on my new dress! There was only one in my size and it was drop dead gorgeous.

My New 7 For All Mankind Dress is everything that I love when it comes to clothing. Snakeskin is my favorite pattern, I live for faux leather, the shape was flattering, and it was an all around unique piece. I knew for a fact that no one at the event would be wearing something similar and that in itself was good enough for me. But, was it going to look good on me? Thankfully and obviously, the answer was YES lol! As soon as this dress was on, I was sold in a heartbeat. The tea length A-line skirt offered so much playful movement and the pattern was to die for. It looked amazing against my hair – especially with the navy in it. OOTD ideas began swirling through my head at a rapid pace and I always know that I have found a winner if I am being inspired that much in a TJMaxx fitting room!

I will leave my outfit musings out because you will all be seeing the end result very soon and I want it to be a surprise. Keep it locked here on lifewithlilred for all the deets on my celebrity schmooze fest coming this week!

How do you know if a piece of clothing is something you want to buy? Have you ever met a celebrity before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov12

Holiday Shopping – It’s A Wrap!

Posted on November 12, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello!! One thing that I simply pride myself on is getting my holiday shopping done early AF. I have just a handful of prezzies left to buy, but I am pretty much as good as done and I am thrilled about it. To me, there is nothing better than being able to go into December with nothing to do but relax and wrap gifts up in my apartment workshop. And, let’s be honest, who really wants to go into a store as the holidays approach? They’re all madhouses and the selection is always picked over. If you need a bit of inspo to complete your shopping, here are a few of the things I purchased this year:

Art Gifts:

My nieces and nephew have plenty of toys, so I wanted to steer away from that. Other than just a few toys from TT, I bought some sand art and painting kits for the kiddos that are old enough to do them. Both my older niece and nephew love doing crafts and this was a perfect compromise of something fun that isn’t a new toy to add to their collection. Craft kits aren’t just great for children, but for adults too. There are paint by number kits, rhinestone art, or even supplying the goods for a wine and paint night. No matter your age, it’s exciting to make something by yourself so this is an excellent route to go if you’re in need of ideas.

Gift Cards:

To some people, a gift card is considered a “thoughtless” gift and I say FALSE. Gift cards are the bomb and I am totally fine with giving and receiving them. Don’t let the idea of it being a not well thought out gift deter you from using them because I literally don’t know anyone who isn’t happy to get one during the holidays. Gift cards make a wonderful add on or main gift and it is so nice to be able to treat someone to dinner, a movie, or a shopping trip compliments of you.

Ornament Kits:

During my last shopping trip to TJMaxx, I knocked out a lot of the remainder of my shopping. I was most excited to find ornament kits including one for your pet and one for baby’s First Christmas. If you have a proud pet owner in your life, this would be a really sweet gift for someone to be able to commemorate their fur baby with a paw print ornament. The baby’s First Christmas one was also an awesome find because it will be the first Christmas for my new niece. Thoughtful, effective, done and done.

Books:

The world is filled with an infinite number of books so use them! I purchased quite a few books for this holiday season and I know that they will be a hit with my giftees. Even if the person you’re gifting for isn’t a huge reader, coffee table books on one of their favorite things can make for a unique gift. Or maybe your giftee loves to cook? Pick out a new cookbook and a gift card to their local grocery store for ingredients to cook with! Books are a cool gift because you can add another gift that might fit that book’s theme for a really thoughtful surprise.

Food Gifts:

Food gifts always go over well and I was psyched to have found some nice chocolate gift sets at TJs for my clients’ families. A food gift could be a gift set, sure. But, it could also be a home cooked meal, a mason jar with ingredients for soup or cookies, a gift card to a favorite restaurant, or a meal delivery service. Everyone has to eat and I know your giftee would love a gift basket filled with their favorite ingredients, snacks, or candy!

The holidays are fast approaching and it honestly gives me anxiety that a lot of people aren’t done with their shopping yet lol. I hope these tips will better assist you as you continue to check people off of your shopping list!

When do you start holiday shopping? Are you an early or last minute shopper? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov11

Akron Comicon Haul

Posted on November 11, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello!! Akron Comicon this past weekend was a blast and I spent the best afternoon with Johnny and my brother. We came, we saw, we shopped and each walked away with a bagful of goodies featuring all of our favorite things. I wasn’t able to attend the Con last year and Johnny surprised me with all kinds of gifts to decorate our apartment with. It felt so good to be able to participate this time around and I am loving all of our new swag! Check it out:

^^^ The last three posters were made by Vile Consumption and the Wolfman was painted and autographed by Drac of Transylvania Tonight!

It was SO hard to exercise self restraint at the Comicon because there was a ton of merchandise from my favorite fandoms to buy! We’re talking Demon Slayer, Assassination Classroom, horror flicks, Lego, and much more. The first thing I selected was my Funko Pop of The Little Prince. I had no idea that this Funko existed and my brother got it for me in exchange for paying for our tickets. I have countless tattoos from the book and it is a piece of literature (and film) that is very dear to my heart. Best believe it is proudly displayed on our knick knack shelf! ❤

Johnny also treated me to a few little prezzies including the V mini fig from V For Vendetta and the crocheted Plague Doctor. Like The Little Prince, V For Vendetta is another book/movie that is one of my all time favorites. And, also like The Little Prince, I have a buttload of tattoos from V For Vendetta too! The mini fig is perfect and I love that Johnny always knows exactly what I would like without consulting with me. We both fell in love with our tiny Plague Doctor friend and as soon as Johnny saw me give it a cuddle, it was as good as ours lol.

Finally, the Akron Comicon was an amazing place to gather more art for our expansive collection. While visiting with Drac and Countess Carita of Transylvania Tonight, we noticed that Drac had a new piece of his artwork on display: The Wolfman. This was a must buy because we already have all of his other movie monster prints from last year’s Con. Now, we have the Mummy, Dracula, Frankenstein, the Creature From The Black Lagoon, Doctor Jekyll, and the Wolfman all painted and signed by Drac! We also couldn’t say no to the posters by Vile Consumption because they are hilarious lol. I was geeking out over the Sister Act one from The Nun, it wasn’t even a question about the David Pumpkins print, and Trick R’ Treat was an obvious choice because it’s one of our fave Halloween flicks. SAM!!! 😀

The Akron Comicon was a GREAT SUCCESS and I am so happy with all of our fun purchases. I can’t wait to get our new artwork hung up around the apartment! 🙂

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

Nov10

Cute At Comicon OOTD

Posted on November 10, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Helloooo everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! This past Saturday, I attended the Akron Comicon with my big bro, Andrew, and Johnny. We had an absolute blast and I cannot wait for next year’s Con. I have to admit, that I didn’t really know what to wear to this event. I don’t cosplay and I don’t have any clothing pertaining to a fandom except for a hoodie with Michael Scott on it. I also had no idea what the temperature would be like at Comicon – it was boiling at the Brick Convention! So, I just put together something cute and comfy with some help from my brother. The end result? Being told I look like a Pokemon gym leader so I think I won! Check it out:

^^^ It was hard to get lots of pics at Comicon because it was jam packed!

Who? What? Wear?

Black Clover T-shirt: This is my brother’s and it’s from Hot Topic

Distressed Skinny Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Fire Boots: Dolls Kill, Cape Robbin

Comicons are all about repping your favorite fandom and I was SO happy that Andrew let me borrow his Black Clover T-shirt to wear. Black Clover is one of my all time favorite animes and I have been dying for a new season! Although I didn’t see as much memorabilia from it as I would have liked, everyone sill definitely knew the show I was sporting on the T. Andrew pulled through in the clutch because I actually did have on my The Office hoodie at first, but I just wasn’t feeling it.

Knowing while I was at home that I could change into the Black Clover T when we picked up my brother helped me style the rest of the look. Since the T-shirt was going to be big on me, I went with my super distressed skinnies from American Eagle. There’s nothing wrong with a baggy T, but I wanted to be able to show some skin to break up the bulk of it. These jeans helped balance things out and offered a pleasing silhouette between the oversized top and super skinny bottoms.

Since this was my first Comicon, I had no idea about the size of the facility and really wasn’t trying to wear a crazy pair of heels. At the Brick Convention, I made that mistake and it was one I deeply regret because my dogs were barking by the end of the day! For cute and comfort’s sake, I chose my amazing boots from Dolls Kill by Cape Robbin. These boots are absolutely insane and I am SO there for it. They give me Elton John in an anime vibes and I can’t think of anything better than that! My boots are over the top and oversized and their bigger shape gave cohesion with the T-shirt. This outfit would have looked kind of silly with a pair of skinny heeled stilettos. Picture it in your head and you’ll see what I mean!

Akron Comicon was the best and I loved the outfit I put together. It was simple, but effective and I was getting compliments left and right. Here’s to many more years of Cons with my two favorite guys!

What is your favorite fandom? Do you have any merch from your favorite shows or movies? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov9

Akron Comicon

Posted on November 9, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Howdy!!! This past Saturday was super fun because my brother, Johnny, and I went to the Akron Comicon. I have been looking forward to this event since last year as I wasn’t able to attend, but Johnny and Andrew had a blast and I couldn’t wait to join in the fun too. We all walked away with SO many goodies and although my wallet was protesting, my heart was very full lol. You can see my purchases later this week so keep it posted for that! Now, let’s take a look at some pics and have a chat:

The Akron Comicon was full of vendors, fans of fandoms, and minor celebrities both local and from afar. Other than being in TJMaxx, I had never seen so many things that I wanted to buy from my favorite shows, movies, and animes. Also, huge shout out to my big bro for letting me borrow his Black Clover T-shirt because I had no anime gear to wear. Although I like to think my boots with the flames on them more than made up for the fact! During our afternoon, we schmoozed, we shopped, and we enjoyed being in the presence of so many people who shared our interests.

As far as celebrities went at the Con, it was a bit of a mixed bag. There were a few ladies who were in literally one scene from Scream, the guy who played Timmy from Lassie? haha and the voice actors from a few seasons of Charlie Brown who played Lucy and Charlie B. The most exciting people we met was our hometown hero from Akron, the Son of Ghoul who hosted a public access horror show. It was also very exciting to get a peck on the cheek from him! We also got to meet Drac and Countess Carita who host Transylvania Tonight, another horror show. Johnny and I have Drac’s artwork hanging up in our living room so it was SO nice to hang out with them for a bit and buy a new addition to our movie monster portraits. They were all nice as can be and I am thrilled to have spent some time with them!

The Akron Comicon was such a hoot and it was wonderful to finally be able to experience it with Johnny and Andrew. I can’t wait for next year’s Comicon and maybe get another smooch from the Son of Ghoul! ❤

Have you ever met anyone famous before? Have you ever attended a Comicon? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov3

Racy Ringleader OOTD Bloopers

Posted on November 3, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Racy Ringleader OOTD! Last year, Johnny and I began a Halloween tradition of passing out Trick or Treat candy in my parents’ neighborhood. This is what we did on Saturday evening along with a bonfire and it was such fun. We saw a lot of great costumes throughout the evening, but I still say mine was the best lol. Sorry about it, kids!! These shots, however, were anything but the best so naturally let’s take a look:

Starring in a terrifyingly sexy opera

I LOOK GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Loved my fake lashes but they made my eyes look closed in 99% of the pictures…

See what I mean?? Lol SMH

HI YAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Waving up the first round of Trick or Treaters!

In case you haven’t noticed, Johnny and I love Halloween and we were simply thriving over the weekend. We enjoyed ourselves so much for our dinner and movie date with our bestie on Friday, but Trick or Treat night just hits differently. The entire evening was spent sitting around a raging fire with my parents and brother, laughing and listing off all of our favorite costumes that we had seen. It was so nice to see them get into the Halloween spirit with us and share in our joy of the happiest holiday of all.

We had an insane amount of Trick or Treaters visit us and we actually ran out of candy before the event was over. In that time, we saw so many funny and adorable costumes. I think we all agreed on a kiddo specifically dressed as “Rocky III” and carrying a speaker that played “The Eye of The Tiger” as being the winner. Honorable mention goes to a kid dressed up as a “guy in a suit”, a lil baby as a Starbucks Frappachino, and an undead mermaid. All of the kids rocked it, though, and it warmed my cold, bitter heart to see everyone in the neighborhood having a blast!

This has been one of mine and Johnny’s best Halloweens yet and I wish it never ended. I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t stoked about Thanksgiving food, though! 😀

What was your favorite Halloween costume you saw? What is your favorite candy? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov2

Racy Ringleader OOTD

Posted on November 2, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD showing off my Racy Ringleader Halloween costume! I don’t know about all of you, but Johnny and I had a fabulous Halloween weekend. On Friday, our bestie came over for dinner and scary movies. Saturday we had a bonfire and passed out candy at my parents’ house. And on Sunday, we spent all day watching more horror flicks. It was great! I have been itching to wear my new costume since it came in the mail and I don’t think it could have turned out any better. Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Racy Ringleader Costume: Spirit Halloween

Platform Boots: Forever 21

Bejeweled Fishnets: Urban Outfitters

The earrings are from Claire’s, the headband is from Amazon, the fake lashes are from Spirit Halloween, and the cane sword was a gift from Johnny!

My Racy Ringleader costume is literally only the third Halloween costume that I have bought as an adult and I am thrilled about it. Partially because it looks awesome, but also because it came together so well. The base of the costume is all from Spirit Halloween and the accessories came from my own closet. This was aces in my book because the costume was pretty expensive and I didn’t want to buy anything more if I didn’t have to. As soon as I saw my costume online, I knew exactly how I wanted to wear it and it turned out exactly the way I pictured it. I love when that happens. 🙂

Since the base of the outfit required no guesswork, let’s move onto accessories. The first order of business was the top hat because the one that came with my costume sucked on ice. Luckily, Johnny ordered me a new one, but it wasn’t quite what we expected. Instead of a headband, it was held up by an elastic string under the neck and it was so lame lol. My Johnny is a handy guy, though, and he Gorilla Taped it to a headband base of mine. It worked like a charm, despite it being titled as a “mini Leprechaun hat”. Haha, not quite Racy Ringleader – but I’ll take it!

Next on the agenda was shoes and tights. This was a no brainer and I selected my favorite pair of bejeweled fishnets from Urban Outfitters. These tights are the absolute best and it added the sex appeal and touch of bling that this costume needed. And, of course, the Forever 21 platform boots were SO ideal as the colors in its details matched the costume perfectly. It was like they were made to wear with it and I couldn’t imagine anything different. These ones took the cake, for sure.

The final order of business was earrings and my beloved cane sword. For earrings, I went with a large pair of burnished gold crosses. These added a playful touch of movement and complimented all that gold in the costume beautifully. And, finally, the cane sword completed the costume. This was a birthday gift from Johnny and it was the best to be able to break it out for Halloween. While I could have ordered a whip from Spirit Halloween, this was a way more fun option. It still gets me every time that it’s actually a sword and I will never be over that snake head handle!!!

My Racy Ringleader OOTD had me feeling like I won Halloween and I felt amazing in it. It was sexy, sassy, and well worth the price tag. Maybe I’ll buy another new costume next year, but I won’t be mad if I end up wearing this one again!

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

Oct29

Halloween Costume Sneak Peek

Posted on October 29, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hello!!!! Although Halloween is my favorite holiday of all time, I only have two costumes in my entire closet. One being a sexy Raggedy Anne that is old as dirt and a skeleton bodysuit that I wore two years ago. Last year, I created a costume from home and dressed up as Johnny lol! Because my options for a costume this year are pretty much nonexistent, I decided to finally buy a new one. I went with a sexy circus ringleader and I love it. But, damn dude, when did costumes become so expensive?! Then again, Halloween is like Christmas Day for me so why not go all out. 😀 Take a look at my new costume and keep it locked for an OOTD because I cannot wait to take pictures in it:

I ordered this costume from Spirit Halloween online because I could not be bothered to make my way to the store. As soon as Spirit Halloweens start popping up in my neck of the woods, they become picked over within a day and I just didn’t want to deal with the hassle of limited options. I was a bit nervous that my ringleader costume wouldn’t fit but it actually ran very true to the size chart and I am thrilled about it. This will make future online costume shopping so much easier because it eliminates any guess work. The costume I selected only came with the velvet cami top, jacket, and a little top hat so I purchased the pleather booty shorts separately. I also added on some cheetah print false lashes to complete the look.

This was actually not my first choice for my ringleader Halloween costume. Originally, I had selected a jumpsuit for the sake of staying warm. Then, Johnny talked me out of it while we were exploring other ringleader costumes. He insisted that I would look amazing in the one I bought and after a lot of mental back and forth, I ended up agreeing with him. Johnny shot down every “what if it’s too much/too short/too anything” every single time and it made me feel so good and confident. Hey, when he’s right he’s right because this costume looked FIRE on.

I felt so fabulous when I tried this costume on and was surprised by its quality. I adore the cami top and, honestly, will probably end up wearing it beyond Halloween! The maroon jacket was fairly thick, which I liked and it offered such gorgeous detail. Can we talk about that chain attachment between the buttons and the embroidery?! I might have dragged my feet about the price I paid, but I think anything less expensive could look cheap and feel flimsy. I am very happy with my purchase overall!

I am SO excited to break this costume out and wanted to give all of you a sneak peek before the grand OOTD reveal. Now, cue “Circus” by Britney Spears, please!

What are you dressing up as for Halloween? How often do you buy a new Halloween costume? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct26

Flannels For Fall OOTD Bloopers

Posted on October 26, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Standard

Hellooo everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Flannels For Fall OOTD! This outfit was super simple to style, but it felt so fabulously fall and fresh with a black and white color palette. I loved it and it was the perfect outfit to find the perfect tree to pose under. However, that was easier said than done! Let’s take a look at some of the shots that definitely didn’t make the first cut and we’ll discuss that further:

Looking like I’m about to cry but I swear I was having a good time!

What are these… LEAVES?!

When your husband has got you like

I LOOK GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There’s nothing funny about this shot but I think the cigarette earring looks hilarious lol

A surprise cameo by Johnny in the bottom corner

A big surprise cameo by Johnny in the entirety of the picture!

In the good ol A-K-Rowdy, it is peak fall time and it is absolutely splendid. The temperatures are cool, but not unbearable and the trees are spectacular this year. I can’t recall the changing of last year’s leaves to be as pretty even though I’m sure it was. This year, however, it feels like everywhere I turn there are bright red, orange, and yellow leaves adorning every tree. It is gorgeous and are you really a fashion blogger if you don’t take pictures underneath a tree? I think not!

Despite all of the beautiful trees surrounding us, it was actually rather difficult to find just the right one. Most of the trees around Timber Top were almost empty already and smaller, colorful trees in my parents’ neighborhood were all on someone’s property. While I am not above knocking on someone’s door to ask to borrow their tree, I wasn’t in the mood lol. This left minimal options and we decided to use a tall, red leafed tree as our backdrop. The only issue? You could only see the trunk! The tree was tall AF and I was nowhere near close to any of the branches. On the bright side, there were plenty of red leaves on the ground so at least all of you got the point. 😀

When it comes to picture backdrops, I take what I can get. And if it’s not exactly what I want, then who cares? At least my outfit is fire! 🙂

Are the trees changing colors in your neck of the woods? What is your favorite leaf color? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

	lifewithlilred on Makeup Magic OOTD Blooper…
	Chantel Keona on Makeup Magic OOTD Blooper…
	lifewithlilred on Happy Birthday, Dad!!!
	Ranjana on Happy Birthday, Dad!!!
	Adventure Friendship on Uber Safety