Tag Archives: shopping

Sweaters In Spring OOTD Bloopers

Standard
Sweaters In Spring OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Sweaters In Spring OOTD! For last week’s OOTD, I had to resort to using my tripod for pictures because Johnny was feeling under the weather so I was very happy that my master photographer was back for this shoot. It was an alright experience using the tripod and I am glad that I got a feel for it in case I ever have to use it again. However, the convenience of having an in house photographer and OOTD shoots that last all of five minutes definitely outshines independently taking my pics. Plus, only Johnny can capture the outtakes that make for a good blooper reel! Check it out:

Lol, just hoisting up me britches

image_50437377

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

image_50407937(8)

Just out here getting my Vanna White on

image_50404609(6)

Upsy daisy!!

image_50425601(5)

Pausing to contemplate the meaning of life mid shoot

image_50413825(5)

Derek Zoolander has got nothing on me!!!!

image_50442497(5)

Poise, elegance, and grace

image_50430465(5)

You may have noticed in several of the past OOTDs published that I have resorted to taking pictures on the balcony of my apartment. I know, I know – no brick wall in sight! As much as I would love to go out and about with Johnny on Saturday, our designated picture day, we have much more pressing matters to tend to. Every Saturday for the past month and change, Johnny and I or just myself have gone to visit a loved one in the hospital. Then, I do my makeup and put an outfit together when we get home and do a quick photo shoot before becoming one with our couch.

The balcony is, admittedly, not the most exciting place for a shoot but, hey, you work with what you’ve got given the situation and it works for us! If you are wanting to create content, but are too wiped out to go anywhere then it is A-okay. If you have a good imagination, as I’m sure you do since you like to write, content can be found anywhere! Whether it be taking pictures on your porch, writing about your favorite knick knack, or simply writing about your day; you are still creating something and that’s great. Life happens and the blogosphere understands – we are all proud of you simply for writing and being in this wonderful corner of the internet that we have made for ourselves. Write on, no matter the situation – it always helps me feel better and it will help you too. 🙂

For the time being, you can find me posted up on my balcony and it’s all good. I wouldn’t trade my time at the hospital for the world! Keep it posted for more fun on lifewithlilred and I will see you all tomorrow. ❤

What do you do when you get writer’s block? How often do you write for your blog? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Sweaters In Spring OOTD

Standard
Sweaters In Spring OOTD

Hello!! Ohio is slowly but surely crossing the threshold from winter to spring and I am so there for it! While I am especially partial to warm spring days, I am okay with the chilly ones too as I live for light jacket weather. This time of the year is also fun to dress for because lighter fall pieces can be incorporated into OOTDs to combat the cold in. For my Sweaters In Spring look, I did just that and mixed a few cold weather staples into the mix for an adorable OOTD that can be easily replicated. Check it out:

image_50429697(6)image_50418945(6)image_50419969(5)image_50459137(8)image_50387201(4)image_50455297(1)

Who? What? Wear?

Striped Sweater: Cynthia Rowley, TJMaxx

Jean Shorts: American Eagle Outfitters

Snakeskin Print Kitten Heels: Splendid, TJMaxx

Knee Highs: Target

Lightning Bolt Earrings: I got these at Universal Studios forever ago on vacation!

Spring weather in Ohio typically follows the pattern of a cold morning and a warmer afternoon and flip flopping temps can make it hard to decide what to wear! The day I took these pictures, I knew that I wouldn’t be outside other than walking to and from my car so I chose to throw caution to the wind and put on shorts even if it was cooler outside. Of course, the outfit needed a few modifications to make it fully weather appropriate and I was very okay with this; I am SO sick of wearing jeans!

For this Sweaters In Spring OOTD, I began building the look with my Cynthia Rowley striped sweater in mind. I absolutely LOVE this simple but sweet sweater and the red heart makes for an eye catching pop. It is so light but cozy and is such an ideal option for a crisp fall or spring day. This sweater is also a great layering piece because it is nice and form fitting; if it’s a bit too cold out, literally any style of jacket will work well on top of it.

Another reason for selecting my navy striped sweater was because I knew how cute it would pair up with denim shorts. This was a no brainer decision and I selected one of my go to pairs from American Eagle. These shorts feature a midrise fit, which I really appreciate because it is SO hard to find bottoms that aren’t high waisted. I also liked that this particular pair wasn’t distressed as I knew that I would have a few different patterns in this look and didn’t want it to be distracting.

Originally, I planned on wearing tights underneath my shorts but that idea fell short. I tried a few different pairs on, but it was doing nothing for me and I set my sights on knee highs instead. Although tights would have kept me slightly warmer, the knee highs were good enough and still covered up a majority of my legs lol. I have had the pair of argyle knee highs I selected for forever and they were a perfect pair with the navy sweater. The green and cobalt blue in the pattern also provided another little pop of color, which is always fun. 😀

For accessories, I chose to keep things minimal because there were three separate patterns in this look and they served as an accessory in themselves. Since I had an open crew neck on top, I put on a pair of dangly lightning bolt earrings to enhance my neck line. The shape added a playful touch of movement, which was needed as all of the other components of this look fit close to the body.

And, finally, I chose my kitten heel, pointed toe, snakeskin patterned booties by Splendid for the shoe department. These are one of my favorite pairs and they work so well for work or on the go. They looked so darling paired with the knee highs and were a unique addition that worked despite a drastic change in pattern and palette. This was okay, though! It is totally fine to stray from the motif of your look for the shoes; as long as the rest of your OOTD is cohesive, it will look like a decision you made rather than just throwing something on. 🙂

I felt ready to take on the day or at least page through a few novels in a bookstore in this scholarly sweet Sweaters In Spring OOTD! Keep it posted tomorrow for the blooper reel from this look! ❤

What is your favorite pattern to wear? Have you done any spring shopping recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Here (Sort Of) Comes The Sun OOTD Bloopers

Standard
Here (Sort Of) Comes The Sun OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Here (Sort Of) Comes The Sun OOTD! Although, I will correct myself right there because the bloopers from this shoot aren’t all that bad and, no, I’m not just flattering myself lol. For the first time in the almost four years that Johnny and I have been together, I had to take pictures using a tripod because he wasn’t feeling well. There were some definite pros and cons to this method, one of the pros being that I could actually see how I looked when I was taking each picture! Let’s discuss further:

Pro:

I could have a go at new faces that I might not necessarily try during my rapid fire shoots with Johnny. They didn’t turn out picture perfect, but that’s nothing a little practicing in the mirror can’t solve!

image_50434817(6)image_50457089(8)image_50432257(8)image_50423553(6)

Con:

The tripod is not as tall as Johnny so trying to find just the right position for my body in relation to the camera was a bit difficult. Sometimes I had a peahead, other times I looked way bigger than I actually am, and it would take me a minute to find the position again after getting it just right.

image_50387201(3)image_50406145(2)

Pro:

It was somewhat rewarding to take these pictures by myself. I also was able to give myself less work in terms of scrutinizing each pic afterwards because I could see what I was doing! When Johnny takes my pictures, I just hope for the best and see what comes out of it once we’re done.

Con:

One of the HUGE cons of taking pictures with a tripod is the constant back and forth. Set the ten second timer, run back into position, hope I ended up back where I was standing before, figure out a pose and face, take the picture, rinse, repeat. I was seriously sweating by the time I was done and this was a major turn off for me for tripod pictures.

Pro:

If my husband photographer is ever under the weather on photo shoot Saturdays, I’ll still be able to create content by myself and that’s great! I depend on these weekly OOTDs to keep my daily writing streak (almost four years!) on lifewithlilred going and that is always a plus.

Con:

Taking pictures with Johnny is so familiar to me. I know how he holds the camera, I know where to stand in relation to him, and I like the way my body looks in the pictures he takes. Tripod shooting will definitely require a lot of practice for optimum success as well as investing in a new one with a bit more height. Honestly, I’d really rather not do either!

Con:

Tripod shooting was time consuming! When I shoot with Johnny, it takes about five minutes. Shooting with the tripod took at least twenty and I didn’t love that.

Will I try using the tripod again in the future? If it calls for it, then yes. However, I much prefer photo shoot Saturdays with my darling blog husband and will continue to call on his point and shoot expertise whenever I can! ❤

Do you like taking pictures with a tripod? Who takes the best pictures of you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Here (Sort Of) Comes The Sun OOTD

Standard
Here (Sort Of) Comes The Sun OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! This past Saturday was an interesting one; Johnny wasn’t feeling well with a stomach bug so I was left to my own devices when it came time for OOTD pictures. The weather was gorgeous in the morning and was going to change drastically by noon so I knew that I would have to take advantage of the warmth and sun while I could. So, I set up my tripod on our apartment balcony and got to work. I’m glad I did, because a half hour or so after I was done, our power went out for the second weekend in a row due to a massive wind storm. SMH.

While I am pleased with how my tripod shots turned out, I can’t wait for next weekend when Johnny can take my pictures again! Check it out:

image_50383617(2)image_50413057(7)image_50457345(3)image_50398209(6)image_50445825(6)image_50444801(5)

^^^ BTW that is not a “Don’t tread on me” flag we have hanging up – ours says “Don’t tread on my uterus”!!

Who? What? Wear?

Crochet Top: Rebellion Again, TJMaxx

Black Shorts: American Eagle Outfitters

Dove Detail Heels: ModCloth

Blue Flower Earrings: Bella Jack, TJMaxx

Ruler Bracelet: Big Blue Moma, Jenks Building

The giraffe cuff is from Target and the gold bracelets are both from American Eagle Outfitters

As always, wintertime in Ohio dragged ass and we still aren’t experiencing true springtime weather yet. I have desperately missed wearing shorts, skirts, and dresses so when the temperature was close to sixty degrees, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to wear warm weather clothes even for a little bit. This OOTD is one that I have been thinking about for a while to welcome the spring with and was super easy to style and can be very easily replicated.

I really enjoy styling fall and winter outfits because I love all of the possibilities that come with it and layering to my heart’s content. Spring and summer outfits definitely requires less think work on my part because you can pretty much just throw on a cute top, shorts, and go. I began styling this outfit with my Rebellion Again crochet top already chosen because I think it is such a perfect spring top. The creamy color, pretty pattern, fit, and scalloping all morph together beautifully to create a top that is great with shorts, patterned pants, or a skirt. I am also very fond of the peek a boo pop you can get with a brightly colored bra for a touch of sex appeal thrown into the mix with such a sweet top.

For shorts, I went with one of my favorite pairs from American Eagle Outfitters. AEO has never steered me wrong in the jeans and shorts department and I will die on the hill that they are the absolute best. My favorite thing about the shorts and jeans from AEO is that they fit so well without ever feeling too tight. I liked how these form fitting shorts paired with the breezy top. Although the top does offer movement, it is quite boxy and the shorts were able to create a defined shape that made me feel so confident!

I’m not going to lie, my toes were in dire need of some nail polish when I took these pictures so an open toed shoe was out of the question. This was fine, though, because I had my pair of ModCloth heels in mind and would have chosen them regardless of painted toes or not. These heels were one of the first things I bought from ModCloth over a decade ago and they are very beloved. While I would never pair a stiletto heel with shorts, these ones were just right with their rounded toe and thick mini heel. They are so comfortable and I feel like I could walk for miles in them! The bold blue on the heel and details also added some visual interest in a fairly minimal palette.

With the base of my OOTD settled, it was time to accessorize. To start, I put on one of my favorite pairs of earrings by Bella Jack. The dangly bluebell flowers are so darling and the color also matched perfectly with the pale base of the heels. Bare arms and legs left lots of open real estate for jewelry so I added a few statement bracelets and called it a day. My favorite one is the ruler bracelet that I got from the Jenks Building in Cuyahoga Falls. I had wanted something similar for forever so that was an awesome find!

Even if it was only momentarily, it felt so good to be in warm weather clothes for my Here (Sort Of) Comes The Sun OOTD! Keep it posted tomorrow for some bloopers and what I did and didn’t like about shooting with a tripod for the first time. See you then!

What is your favorite season to dress for? Are you going to do any spring shopping to update your wardrobe? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

On The 6th Day, She Rested OOTD Bloopers

Standard
On The 6th Day, She Rested OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my On The 6th Day, She Rested OOTD!! It has been an insanely awful few days in Lil Red’s world and by the time Johnny and I returned home this past Saturday, I just wanted to go to bed. Content called, however, and I would have been a monkey’s uncle before I ruined my streak of Saturday OOTD shoots. So, I decided to show the world a makeup free, lounge clothes Lil Red. We also had a power outage at that point so I just had to roll with the punches because applying makeup wasn’t in the cards. Not surprisingly, there weren’t a lot of winners from this shoot. There were a fair amount of bloopers, though, so let’s check them out:

Smiling for my kindergarten school picture like:

image_50422785(4)

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

image_50436353(3)

Lol, not so much a blooper; I just thought that the plushies looked hysterical

image_50390017

Johnny beautifully captured a photo sequence, which I call “Makar & Me”. We begin by gingerly placing the plushie to the side…

image_50457089(7)

About to start freaking WERKING it as much as I possibly can

image_50442753(6)

My “seriously?” face when Makar fell in a matter of two seconds

image_50445313(3)

Alright, let’s get back on the horse and try again

image_50429441(4)

And down he goes! This is also when I decided that we had enough pictures haha

image_50433281(3)

You might notice a cooler propped up to the left of me in these pictures and there is a method to the madness. The room behind the couch is our bunny proofed area for Mel and Penelope and we have had to get creative with ways to keep them away from the areas that aren’t safe for them to be at. One example of this is the cooler! Mr. Melvin used to LOVE running behind our curio cabinet to get to the non bunny proofed living room. So, Johnny placed “bunny blockers”, which included cardboard behind the cabinets and the cooler on top of a box to keep him from hopping over it. As unsightly as it looks, it serves its purpose well!

You might also have noticed an array of Chewy boxes and cardboard behind me too and that is all Mel and Pen lol. I absolutely adore buying new toys for them when I restock their supplies on Chewy and most of them go over pretty well. However, nothing will ever beat boxes for them. Melvin is my tiny wanderer and he is always running in and out of the boxes and jumping on top of them from the stairs. Penelope, on the other hand, is my shy girl and has spent hours burrowing in the boxes and shredding to her heart’s content. When things get less crazy, Johnny and I have grand dreams of creating a cardboard castle for them and solidifying our ranks that I personally gave of “best bunny parents ever”. 😀

Every home is different and, in this case, you got to take a peek into our bunny room as well as a lazy day at chez nous. The backdrop from this shoot might look a bit haphazard, but I suppose that’s what happens when you have two furry little gremlins running about for hours on end!

Do you have a special place for your pets at your place? How have you gotten creative with pet or baby proofing? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

On The 6th Day, She Rested OOTD

Standard
On The 6th Day, She Rested OOTD

Hello! Normally, Johnny and I spend some time on Saturdays taking OOTD pictures during one of our outings. This past Saturday, however, was an incredibly shitty one and by the time we got home around four o’clock, I wanted nothing more than to sink into the couch, watch TV, and play the demo of Diablo IV with my main squeeze. To add salt to the wounds, we came home to no power that didn’t get restored until later the following day. It sucked! On the bright side, it was still bright enough in the apartment to snap some pictures of my too tired to care, makeup free OOTD lol. Check it out:

image_50438401(4)image_50739713(6)image_50727169(6)image_50433537(3)

Who? What? Wear?

The Office Hoodie: TJMaxx

Leggings: Express

Makar Plushie: Best Buy

Sam Plushie: Ordered from Amazon

Obviously, this OOTD required no thought in the slightest so we don’t really have to go into further detail about that! But, we can talk about the evening where Johnny and I time traveled back to the good old days when TV and video games didn’t exist. Wind storms blew trees down in good old Timber Top, which resulted in the power outage that left us to our own devices; all while not even being able to use any of our own devices! See what I did there? 😉

After we took these pictures, we had about two or so hours until the sun started to go down. During that time, we stayed downstairs and called upon Melvin and Penelope to provide us with some evening entertainment. We must have sat there for over an hour just watching them explore and frolic around our bunny proofed area. Honestly, it was great lol. Melvin and Penelope are our babies and it’s hilarious to see what kind of mischief they find themselves in. They have so many toys, but they both prefer Chewy boxes the best and Johnny and I cheered them on as they shredded, climbed, and zoomed around during their “box time”. Johnny even treated us to his charming rendition of a song about leafy greens set to the tune of “Here Comes The Sun”. So cute!

Once the bunnies had tuckered themselves out and went back into their hutch, there wasn’t much left to do. It was getting dark, the power was nowhere close to coming back on, and our options became limited. We toyed with the idea of a board game, then vetoed it since we lacked flashlights and candles. So, we just went upstairs and listened to what I jokingly referred to as our “Fireside Chats”.

Johnny had the ingenious idea to play some stand up comedy shows on our Bluetooth speaker. After about twenty minutes of the first guy we listened to, I expressed my distaste so Johnny put on someone we can always agree on; Patton Oswald. We love him! Despite laughing our heads off, I knew that it would be short lived because Johnny falls asleep as soon as he gets comfortable. Within forty-five minutes, he was fast asleep and since I wasn’t trying to sit alone in the dark, I joined him. I got ready in the bathroom by the light of my phone and thus concludes the tale of how we were both asleep by nine o’clock on a Saturday night!

On The 6th Day, She Rested; mainly because I didn’t have a choice in the matter! I guess going to bed early on a weekend isn’t always so bad, but I’ll be looking forward to an evening set in 2023 next Saturday. Keep it posted for the blooper reel from this mini shoot tomorrow!

How do you entertain yourself during a power outage? Who is your favorite comedian? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oh So Cozy OOTD Bloopers

Standard
Oh So Cozy OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Oh So Cozy OOTD! Yesterday, we took a look at what went right from this OOTD shoot and, today, we will take a gander at what went horribly wrong. This blooper reel features plenty of weird faces, rogue hair sticking up, and taking a moment out of the picture taking process to think about life. Let’s get to it:

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

image_50391041(1)

Going to church on my apartment’s balcony

image_50438145(5)

Not so much a blooper as a complaint that every time I take pictures, without fail, a piece of my hair ends up sticking up like this:

image_50429697(5)

Lol I swear to stoned I’m not god… I really wasn’t stoned in this picture, but it sure looks like it

image_50427137(5)

My “whomp whomp” face, ravishing as always

image_50424833(2)

I couldn’t tell you the amount of times I make this face a day when Johnny says something funny!

image_50428161(12)

Lol, lost my balance a little bit here so let’s take a moment and regain my composure…

image_50413057(6)

By making this face and thinking about every instance in my life that lead up to this moment

image_50388481(3)

A very vibey edition of GIVE ME BACK MY PHOOOOOOOOOONE

image_50419457(7)

Every morning when I sit down to write, I let Melvin and Penelope come out to explore the bunny proofed area until I leave for work. It is my current situation at this very moment and this process is such a blooper in itself. Bunnies are very active in the morning and as I write, I constantly have one eye on the computer and one eye scanning the room to keep track of my pets. I swear, I blink and they are onto a new area before I even have time to open my eyes!

As the bunnies are zooming about the room (Yes, they most definitely get the zoomies too!), I stay on high alert to put out the fires of their adorable mischief. Penelope, for example, freaking loves chewing on our windowsill so I get up to divert her attention every time I hear her munching. Nine times out of ten, however, I will turn around to get back to the computer and she’ll just start chewing again lol SMH. Pen also has a tendency to get stuck on the few stairs that I let them climb so her old mama comes in for the rescue whenever she alerts me of her distress. *Face palm*

Melvin is my tiny wanderer and he is always zipping around the room looking for an adventure. One second he’s on top of a Chewy box, next thing I know he’s on the stairs, and before I realize it he’ll be halfway across the room trying to get under the couch. I can tell that he is especially pleased with himself when he evades me or Johnny by playing hide and go seek under our sofa or wandering into the kitchen through the holes in the baby gate. One morning when we first got them, I seriously spent forty-five minutes trying to get him from under the couch into his hutch!

As the bunnies go about their blooper filled morning of cuteness, I have bloopers of my own that are just unfortunate. I am constantly tripping over my computer cord, slipping on the dip in our flooring, and hoisting myself over baby gates because I’m too lazy to open them. As long as they’re having fun, I guess! Haha, now if you’ll excuse me, Penelope has just started chewing again! ❤

What are some blooper things that your pets do? What are some of the nicknames you have for your pets? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

Oh So Cozy OOTD

Standard
Oh So Cozy OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred!! Although the weather has warmed up significantly this week, spring was still nowhere to be found over the weekend. It was SO cold with lots of snow flurries so I knew that I would have to dress warmly, despite shorts weather being on my mind heavily. For hopefully one of the last times until fall, I went shopping in the cold weather department of my wardrobe and this is what I came up with:

image_50429697(4)image_50421249(8)image_50380801(1)image_50438913(4)image_50380801(2)image_50444545(2)image_50385665(2)

Who? What? Wear?

Knit Poncho: Loft

Chartreuse Sweater: For The Republic, TJMaxx

Coated Skinny Jeans: Seven Jeans, TJMaxx

Platform Boots: Forever 21

Pendant Necklace: Urban Outfitters

Creating weekly OOTDs for lifewithlilred was my goal for 2023 and I have been crushing it so far. At first, selecting outfits was a simple feat because I have so many clothes that haven’t been featured on OOTD posts before. However, it definitely got more challenging as time went on and new to all of you pieces dwindled. This meant that I had to begin getting even more creative with my choices to breathe new life into older clothes and things that you have seen before. Thankfully, Lil Red never shies away from a challenge and I have been having a blast with it. I love what I came up with this past weekend!

Due to the weather, I was limited to fall and winter clothes and that really narrowed down the outfit building process. I played around with different sweaters, wraps, and button downs but was left feeling bored. So, I decided to clear my tunnel vision and explore options that I might have vetoed in the past for OOTD posts by deeming them “too old”. Afterwards, the inspiration came and I knew I was on the right track as soon as my eyes landed on my knit poncho from Loft.

This poncho is an oldie but goodie and is about seven years old. I got it on a family vacation while outlet shopping with my mom, but never wore it as much as I originally thought. Now, I am kicking myself in the butt for it because it’s so great! The shape is, honestly, perfect and is more form fitting than any poncho I have ever seen in stores since. I like this because something cozy doesn’t always have to mean oversized and the thick cable knit still left me plenty warm.

Because the Loft poncho fits more snugly, I had to be careful about what I chose to wear underneath it. Anything too bulky would make me look like a marshmallow and I really didn’t want to lose the poncho’s close to my body shape. My solution was to pair it with one of my favorite sweaters by For The Republic. It is super light with not too much wiggle room in the torso and bell sleeves. It was an ideal combination because the poncho laid so nicely over top of it but the flowy sleeves were exposed and added lots of movement. Also, I can’t get enough of the striking chartreuse shade – one of my favorite colors to wear.

For the jeans, I went with my pair by Seven Jeans to add some variety in the texture department. With cozy knitwear featured on top, I wanted the coated snakeskin patterned skinnies to liven things up. I loved the way that the sheen in the pants played against the more matte hues on top and it added much more visual interest than a regular old pair of jeans. One of my goals when styling outfits is to create looks that makes the eyes dance; incorporating different textures is one of the best ways to do this.

With the base of my outfit settled, it was time for shoes and accessories. For shoes, I wore my Forever 21 platforms to create a long leg line with the skinny jeans. The flame detailing on the back of the heel also added a fun pop of color to a minimal palette. For accessories, I didn’t want to wear dangly earrings as I wanted my neck exposed since almost all of me was covered up. The blank canvas of the poncho, however, was begging for a necklace! To complete the look, I put on a long gold pendant by Urban Outfitters and I was out the door!

My Oh So Cozy OOTD kept me snug as a bug and totally feeling myself all day. It was also a fantastic reminder to explore every single option in my wardrobe because, apparently, that’s where the magic happens. Keep it posted for the blooper reel tomorrow!

How old is the oldest thing in your closet? At what temperature do you start wearing spring clothes? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Peek A Boo Pop OOTD

Standard
Peek A Boo Pop OOTD

Hello everyone!! Ohio went from a really mild winter with fairly high temps to freaking freezing these past two weeks. I thought spring was just around the corner and I’m beyond over it! Because the weather has been less than amazing, fall and winter clothes are still the move. However, I want warm weather so badly that I styled an outfit with a peek a boo pop for some summer fun. Remind me of this statement in a few months when I start complaining about how hot it is! Lol, check it out:

image_50415617(7)image_50447617(4)image_50449665(5)image_50738945(5)image_50435329(4)image_50435585(5)

Who? What? Wear?

Army Green Button Down: Beautiful Stories, TJMaxx

Embroidered Crop Top: Target

Skinny Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters

Heeled Boots: Free People, TJMaxx

Hoop Earrings: Argentino Vivo, TJMaxx

With summer on the mind but nowhere to be found, I wanted to create a look that would be appropriate for cold or warm weather with a few modifications. When the Beautiful Stories button down is buttoned up, you still get an adorable pop of the red violet crop. But could you imagine this outfit styled for the heat? All you need to do is keep the button down open and trade the jeans for shorts and BOOM – you have a perfectly summer OOTD. 😀

I have several army green button downs and decided to start building my outfit from there. I chose the Beautiful Stories one primarily for its shape. It is a standard cut and style whereas the other ones I have are either too long or or too bulky. Not only is the one I selected ideal for what I needed, but it really is gorgeous. The pattern on the back is so striking and the colors used closely mimic the orange and yellow on the crop top underneath.

When I picked out the Beautiful Stories button down, I instantly thought about my Bollywood inspired crop from Target. Everything about this combination worked in my favor. Purple and green are complementary colors so pairing them together was no issue and, of course, the colors in the patterns helped too. The crop top also had the wow factor I wanted once the button down was open. Sure, I could have worn a simple black crop underneath but where is the fun in that?!

Since I refuse to wear anything but black skinny jeans, we will move right onto accessories. For this look, I wanted to keep these to a minimum because the bold patterns on top served as an accessory in themselves. My Free People heeled boots spoke to me immediately as the winner in the shoe department. These are one of my faves and the cream base and tan heel paired beautifully with the color palette I was working with.

To complete the look, I put on my huge gold earrings by Argentino Vivo. These were such an amazing TJMaxx find and I love them so very much. The oversized style brought attention back to my face, which was needed as the tops were both fairly loud. And, obviously, the gold color was just right to enhance the patterns and jewel tones featured in this OOTD!

My Peek A Boo Pop OOTD is a look that is very easy to recreate, whether in the snow or sunshine. I can’t wait to rewear this outfit with summer modifications as soon as winter finally decides to be over!

What is the weather like where you live? What are you looking forward to as the seasons change? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Husband’s Shirt Alert OOTD Bloopers

Standard
Husband’s Shirt Alert OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Husband’s Shirt Alert OOTD! When Johnny takes my pictures, he shoots in rapid succession and leaves me with hundreds of pictures to sort through. This is both a blessing and a curse because god knows I love having twenty of one picture that all look the same, but my memory on my phone fills up rather quickly! This is exactly what happened while taking these pictures and there is nothing worse than hearing Johnny say that I am out of memory.

My sweet angel husband assumed we were done with pictures after this mishap and headed inside. Meanwhile, I stayed out and did a quick mass delete session. Once memory was available, my darling Johnny came back out and took up his role as photographer again. These bloopers of me looking my absolute best go out to him, as they wouldn’t be possible without the most wonderful blog husband on planet Earth!

Lol, this is the very first picture that Johnny took so obviously this photo shoot was gonna be full of winners

image_50456577(8)

This was the second picture that was taken and it is me silently willing myself to get it together!

image_50447361(1)(1)

Johnny always is making me laugh! ❤

image_50447617(3)

This next segment is called “attempting to stand on my toes”. We begin with trying to hoist myself up into position…

image_50749441(2)

Not ready to be free of the training wheels just yet

image_50731265

I’m doing it!! I’m doing it!!!

image_50740737(3)

This is the face of a champion! GREAT SUCCESS!

image_50451713(3)

GIVE ME BACK MY PHOOOOOOONE

image_50430977(3)

My intention with the blooper posts from OOTD shoots is for people to gain insight into the process and, of course, have some fun. It’s so easy to think that influencers and content creators snap one picture and BOOM it’s absolutely perfect. However, that’s just not true lol and the very first picture that Johnny took is a testament to that. Not every pose is going to work, either, and that’s fine. Chances were slim that we were going to get an amazing toe standing shot, but at least I tried – and that’s what’s important!

I love being in front of the camera and having my picture taken in outfits that make me feel good makes me feel good. I am lucky because my husband takes my pictures and he gives me the confidence to try different poses or expressions and not take it too seriously. This is also my best piece of advice for when you’re taking pictures of your own. Getting your picture taken is only as fun as you make it so throw caution to the wind and go for it. Attempting to get a perfect shot with every frame is only going to make you look stiff and stressed. Don’t be afraid of the bloopers – embrace them! The magic happens when you are in the moment and fully enjoying yourself. That is when you will find the sweet spot where all of the pictures are uniquely and beautifully you. ❤

Huge shout out to my blog husband, Johnny, for making me laugh, taking my pictures, and letting me wear his clothes! lifewithlilred would be nothing without you!

Would you consider yourself to be camera shy? What do and don’t you like about having your picture taken? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah