Tag Archives: shopping

May29

New Love On A Hanger Top

Posted on May 29, 2022 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! My happy place, AKA the TJMaxx in Cuyahoga Falls, closed down to make room for a new TJs in Stow. Of course, this was very sad for me because I have so many fond memories of shopping at the old one with my grandma, mom, sister, and niece. However, I’d be a liar if I said that I wasn’t eager to check the new one out. A few weeks ago, my mom and I finally went shopping there together and we both had a nice little haul! Let’s get started with this adorable new top by Love On A Hanger:

PS: If the brand name sounds familiar to you – it should! I featured a gorgeous skirt by LOAH in a recent OOTD.

Despite a closet full of beautiful clothes, I always feel like I never have enough tops. My wardrobe definitely leans more towards cold weather clothing and while I have sweaters and flannels for days, my summer selection is severely lacking. I was hoping to remedy this at the new TJs and did pretty good – two tops and two bottoms, which is better than nothing!

My new Love On A Hanger top was one of the first things to catch my eye and I just knew that it would work simply by looking at it. I loved the navy embroidery against the white background and it reminded me of fine China dishes. We also all know that I am a sucker for anything and everything embroidered.

I was so pleased with this purchase and wish that I could find more tops like it in different colors. This top will be darling with a pair of blue jean shorts, summer wedges, and a big sunhat. Not to mention that it is the perfect style and material to beat the heat with. I think wearing this for mine and Johnny’s housewarming party will be the move! 😀

Keep it posted for more from my haul at the new TJMaxx, my May finishes, and a grand tour of the apartment because it’s almost ready for its closeup!

What is your favorite season to shop for? What do you need more of in your wardrobe? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May26

Surprise Sweater

Posted on May 26, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hey! My Johnny is a huge fan of podcasts and loves to listen to them while driving, hanging out at home, and at work. His absolute favorite is the Last Podcast On The Left, which discusses true crime, gruesome history, and all things horrifying in a humorous way. I, personally, don’t have the attention span for podcasts, however, when Johnny and I are taking a road trip or working on unpacking we usually listen to Last Podcast together.

We have a lot of gear from the LPOTL crew including stickers, books, coffee mugs, and my new sweater that Johnny got me from their online store:

^^^ We love the elbow patch pentagrams!

A few weeks ago, Johnny and I were having our game night and he decided he wanted to see what was new at the Last Podcast On The Left shop. During his browsing, he pointed out the Hail Yourself cropped sweater and I instantly fell in love with it. I told him as such and without a second thought, he put it in the cart and ordered it for me. He also picked out a few goodies for himself!

We have been eagerly awaiting for our shipment and I couldn’t wait to get home and check it out when he told me that it had arrived. My new sweater is even better in person and I love the fuzzy lettering and oversized shape. In fact, I am wearing it as I type this and it is SO. Freaking. Comfy. It is also perfect for the weather today because it is pretty chilly out.

My Johnny and I love to spoil each other and it is because we both are really listening to each other when we talk. Just yesterday, for example, we were watching Impractical Jokers and Johnny said he loved one of the shirts that Murr was wearing. I looked it up, found it, and have it ready to order as a little treat. This is a constant thing for us and it is such a sweet pick me up to look forward to when one of us says that we have a surprise for each other.

Speaking of surprises and our active listening, my birthday present from Johnny is a prime example of it and you can peep that on tomorrow’s post. Hail yourself!

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

May24

Double Dose Of OOTDs

Posted on May 24, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! The last time that mine and Johnny’s darling friend, Shannon, came to visit, he took some amazing JCPenney style portraits of us. Johnny and I love them so much and can’t wait to get them printed and framed! Shannon also took some gorgeous glamour shots of yours truly that I am very excited to share with all of you:

Who? What? Wear?

Little Black Dress: Victoria Beckham collection for Target
Skull Sweater: 360 Cashmere, TJMaxx
Distressed Skinny Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters
Loafers: Chase + Chloe, Forever 21

Shannon is one of our dearest friends and is so talented at his craft. He has taken pictures at so many shows that Johnny has played and he always makes time to take some shots of me too! Shannon, unfortunately, lives in Marietta and that is just not close enough for mine and Johnny’s liking so it is always a treat when he comes to stay with us. And, when he did, he essentially brought an entire photo studio in a duffel bag.

Shannon had a plethora of different backgrounds, equipment, and ingenious hacks for us to play with. For example, the foil like back drop that he shot my pictures with is just a table cloth that he got from The Dollar Store! Like I said, ingenious and they are, easily, some of my favorite pictures of me.

For that ultra glam background, we wanted a more mod style look and I thought that my Victoria Beckham dress was the perfect solution. It is so classic and it wouldn’t be competing with the shining lights back drop, which was ideal. I got this dress SO long ago and have only worn it a handful of times and I have no idea why it isn’t in my regular outfit rotation. I love the Alice In Wonderland inspo with the White Rabbit on the collar and it adds such a sweet quirky touch to a basic Little Black Dress.

The next background we tried was a sheath of red suede and we decided to go for a more laid back look to compliment it. For that outfit, I wanted to invoke the vibes that I’d like to look like when I’m blogging away. Although, in all reality, I am definitely always just writing in my pajamas but that’s neither here nor there lol.

Like my Victoria Beckham dress, I wanted to go with a classic outfit along with some cozy touches because these pictures were taken way back in January. I went with my skull sweater by 360 Cashmere that I adore paired with my favorite distressed pair of skinnies. The sweater is oversized and baggy, so it needed the form fitting jeans on bottom to balance things out. Then, I chose my Chase + Chloe loafers, which I thought looked charming against the deep red back drop. Also, peep the hardware on those babies!

These pictures boast two very different looks and I am absolutely loving them. Many thanks again to Shannon for always making me look good and for being the best friend that Johnny and I could have! We love you! ❤

How would you describe your personal style? What is your favorite classic piece of clothing? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May12

A Night At The Theater OOTD Pt. 3

Posted on May 12, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! Today, we are going to be taking a look at my look for an evening at Playhouse Square this past weekend. My mom and I had a night on the town for Mother’s Day and it was so much fun! We stepped out in our Saturday night’s best for a delicious meal at Pepper’s and seeing To Kill A Mockingbird at Playhouse Square. Here’s what I wore:

Who? What? Wear?

Glitter Star Button Down: This is actually Johnny’s and he got it from Phix
Black Cami Top: mittoshop, French Rooster
Snake Print Skinny Jeans: Seven Jeans, TJMaxx
Platform Boots: Forever 21
Snake Print Purse: Nine West, TJMaxx

I’m not going to lie, I struggled a bit with creating this OOTD and it was thrown together about fifteen minutes before I left to pick up my mom. The original dress I had on just wasn’t doing anything for me and while it was pretty, it didn’t blow me away. I had toyed around with the idea of wearing Johnny’s blinged out button down the night before and am so happy that I went for it. The end result is definitely an outfit that I would wear again!

Playhouse Square is, honestly, one of the fanciest locations that I have ever been to and it’s fun to go there and see everyone dressed to the nines. This is actually why I vetoed this look at first because I wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of wearing jeans. With a little styling magic, I ended up with what I thought was a very chic look and apparently everyone else thought so too – I was getting compliments all night. 😀

With Johnny’s shirt in mind that I had been coveting since he got it, I went from there. The button down from Phix felt like an accessory in itself with shining glittery stars so I wanted that to be the main statement of my look. To achieve that, I kept things simple and put on one of my favorite cami tops from French Rooster. Note that I didn’t add a necklace to keep from going overboard with the accessories and it was just right. The button down really didn’t need much!

The Seven Jeans that I wore were an obvious choice because they are coated and provided sheen to help compliment the glitter. And, in just the right lighting, you could see the snakeskin pattern really well and that made my Nine West purse pop even if its an all neutral color palette. The higher rise on the jeans gave a nice long leg line which helped make the look even more sleek.

My Forever 21 platforms were also a no brainer for my OOTD and they are one of my most treasured pairs of shoes. I love them SO. Freaking. Much. The red and gold flames on the heels gave an actual pop of color and the boot platform base blended seamlessly with the rest of the look. This enhanced the leg line and I felt six feet tall instead of barely over five foot one.

I am the queen of overthinking and that is exactly what I was doing before putting this outfit together. When, really, I should have just worn it from the start. This OOTD is very much inspired by my husband’s style with my own personal twist to it and I felt like a rock star all evening. I think that I’ll be raiding Johnny’s wardrobe a lot more often! ❤

What do you like to wear to dress up? Whose style inspires you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May5

Accessory Story: Forgotten Ring Edition

Posted on May 5, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! I love putting on my engagement ring and wedding band every day because I think that they are the most “me” pieces of jewelry that I own. I didn’t think it was possible to love another piece of bling more so I was blindsided when I found this surprise ring while I was packing for mine and Johnny’s big move:

I have a pink dish chair that has held all of my bras, sports bras, and swimsuits for as long as I can remember. I also have not moved anything from that chair for as long as I can remember. Lol, Johnny caught onto this too because while I was boxing up everything from the chair, I found a velvet gift bag. At first, it felt empty and I almost threw it out. Then, I reached into the bag and discovered this gorgeous pearl ring with amber jewels!

I literally clutched my pearls when the ring was revealed because it was just so cute. It looks like a gemstone bow and I have never seen anything like it. I was so curious where this ring had came from because it was in the most random location. I couldn’t wait for Johnny to get home to question him about the ring’s origins because I thought that it might have been an engagement ring he picked out before ordering the one that I have.

Once Johnny got home, he told me that he also had no idea where he acquired the ring and then we started playing detective. It didn’t come from me so it would have had to have been from Johnny. We both thought that the gift bag’s gold motif was similar to my ring box and packaging from the Etsy shop we got my engagement ring from. Then, concluded that it must have been an extra gift for purchasing the engagement ring.

I asked Johnny how he could have forgotten this and I guess with the excitement of getting engaged it just slipped his mind! He also expertly hid it in a place where we both never look so I don’t think I would have ever found it unless we were moving. I love this bonus ring so much and I am thrilled that it is finally in its rightful possession – mine! ❤

Have you ever found anything unexpected while moving? Where is the best hiding spot at your place? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May1

Summer In Spring OOTD Bloopers

Posted on May 1, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Summer In Spring OOTD! Today, we are going to take a look at the “yikes” shots that definitely didn’t make the cut the first time around – and for very good reason! Let’s get started:

That face you make when there’s a river behind you and you chose this as your background:

My costar and I lol

That face you make when you finally choose the river as your background

Check yourself before you wreck yourself

I have absolutely no idea what’s happening here!!

Uppsy daisy!

Heyyyyyyyyy

She said WHAT?!?!

Howdy, ya’ll

All done!

What can I say, guys? If you’ve got it, flaunt it lol. That about does it for my Summer In Spring OOTD but keep it posted on lifewithlilred for lots more fun and OOTD shoots! ❤

What makes you laugh? Where is your favorite place to take pictures? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr29

Summer In Spring OOTD Bonus Pictures

Posted on April 29, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to some bonus pictures from my Summer In Spring OOTD featuring myself AND Johnny! 😀 He is so sweet to always be taking pictures of me and sometimes I just have to return the favor by making him take pictures with me lol. I truly have the best blog husband in the world and my OOTDs wouldn’t be possible without him. Thanks for forever indulging me, babe! Now, let’s get to it:

Of course, I love taking OOTD pictures for the fashion and I very much enjoy being in front of the camera. But, the best part is the time that I get to spend with Johnny who has been my master photographer since we started dating. In fact, when he proposed, he disguised it as him just taking OOTD pictures to surprise me. It was perfect. ❤

lifewithlilred is so special to me and it warms my heart to be able to share it with Johnny. It’s such fun to work together and make my visions happen and I know that no matter how ready he is to be done taking pictures, he will always oblige when I say “just a few more”. What an angel and I am the luckiest gal in the whole world! ❤ ❤ ❤

Does anyone help you with the content on your page? What is your favorite thing to post about? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: Be sure to tune in tomorrow for my April Finishes and then it’s on to some bloopers from my Summer In Spring OOTD!

Apr28

Summer In Spring OOTD

Posted on April 28, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Ohio basically experienced all four seasons this past week but ended on a high note with summer like weather over the weekend. It went from snowing and freezing rain to low eighties and sunny, making for the perfect weather for some OOTD pictures! It felt so good to shed the chilly day layers and step out with Johnny in some shorts and a cute little top! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Tie Back Top: Japna, TJMaxx
Shorts: American Eagle Outfitters
Shawl: This was my grandma’s ❤
Wedges: Charles By Charles David, TJMaxx
Blue Snake Cuff: I got this at the zoo lol
Pink Snake Cuff: Betsey Johnson, TJMaxx
Hair Accessory: Hot Topic
Tooth Necklace: This is from Revival, a store no longer open in Akron
Parasol: PatCatan’s

For these pictures, Johnny and I headed to the Riverfront in Downtown Cuyahoga Falls. We were most economical because we snapped these shots while we were waiting for our takeout order of Mexican food! I probably only wore this outfit for about an hour in total before we went back home, put on comfy clothes, and watched Lord Of The Rings but it was so worth it!

This past week, my mom gave me the shawl that belonged to my grandma that she found while spring cleaning. I love it so much and knew that I wanted to wear it to take some pictures in, so wear it I did. I already had my Japna top in mind that I had been dying to break out since purchasing this winter and the shawl complimented it wonderfully. The two mixed textures provided lots of visual interest which gave this fairly simple outfit something special.

When it comes to shorts, I only wear those from American Eagle Outfitters. They are the absolute best and I was so excited to wear them for the first time since last summer. There’s something about the first warm weather outfit of the year that hits different, ya know? The AEO shorts are so comfortable and fit well without being suction cupped to your legs and they are ideal for a hot day.

With the base of the outfit sorted out, it was time to accessorize! My Charles By Charles David wedges are a favorite of mine come warm weather. I have pretty much worn them into the ground but I don’t care! These wedges go with everything and I could seriously walk all day in them without breaking my stride. I also like the mule shape which helps keep the line of my legs nice and long.

Since this outfit featured a little top and shorts, I wanted to fill out some of the empty spaces with jewelry. You can’t really tell in these pictures but my top has a muted snakeskin print so I kept with that theme by adding my jeweled snake cuffs. I am obsessed with bracelets like this and the blingy gemstones look gorgeous in sunlight! For another pop of color, I chose my tooth necklace from Revival because its length was just right and hits slightly above where my top starts to dip.

And, of course, I am that girl who is extra enough to carry a parasol with me! Part of it is for the fashion but it is also somewhat of a necessity. Everyone jokes that Johnny and I are vampires and it’s very true in the regards that we both burn horribly in the sun. You can almost always find me come summertime with a floppy hat on or a parasol in hand to provide some much needed extra shade!

I will forever be partial to dressing for the fall than to summer but I am loving this Summer In Spring OOTD. A couple of well placed accessories can go a long way in taking a basic outfit into something worth blogging about!

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

Apr25

Polka Dots, Please OOTD Bloopers

Posted on April 25, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Polka Dots, Please OOTD shoot! Today, we are going to be looking at the bad, the yikes, and the “what was she thinking?” that definitely didn’t make the cut… Until now, that is! For every good picture I take, there are probably ten preceding it that just make me shake my head lol. Let’s take a peek at some of these not so muches:

Something apparently really took me by surprise!

Lol, this one is so funny to me! When motion shots just don’t work out!

For obvious reasons, this one didn’t make the cut.

Always putting my best face forward, obviously!

Upsy daisy! The classic dismount shots.

Give me my phoooooone

I love me a blooper reel at the end of a movie and sometimes they are the funniest parts! That’s kind of how I feel about my blooper posts. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy showing off a fabulous OOTD and pictures as much as the next person. However, you can’t have the good without a bit of the bad and ugly too lol.

When I first started doing OOTD shoots, I would have never dreamed of posting the “yikes” shots. But, finally, my self confidence is in an excellent place and I realized that I had content amidst the shots that ended up in the “delete” section of my phone. These pictures that automatically got trashed are all an important part of the OOTD process so why not share them? Johnny and I get a huge kick out of these behind the scenes pics and I hope you do too!

That about does it for my Polka Dots, Please OOTD but keep checking in for more fun looks from yours truly. I feel a lot more OOTD posts happening soon!

What makes you laugh? What makes you feel confident? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr24

Polka Dots, Please OOTD Bonus Pictures

Posted on April 24, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to some bonus pictures from my Polka Dots, Please OOTD! As you will see in tomorrow’s post, there are way more bloopers from this shoot than there were winners. The lighting was wonky, Johnny and I were insanely full from Easter dinner, and it was a bit chilly so we were more concerned about just getting things done!

In true Ohio fashion, it’s going from snowing and freezing rain this past week to summer level hot so be on the lookout for more OOTD shoots soon! But now, let’s look at a few extra shots that didn’t quite make the first cut:

Have you ever had one of those days when you look into a mirror and you look even more fabulous than normal? You then think that it’s the perfect opportunity to take some pictures but can’t take a good one to save your own life? That’s kind of what this shoot was like! Despite a full stomach and cold temps, your girl was feeling herself. Then, I scrolled through the final results and I was just like “oh” lol.

No one ever said a blogger’s job was easy and with each passing shot, my commentary in my head was “blooper, blooper, yikes, DAYUM, blooper, etc”. Haha but I promised bonus shots and bonus shots is what you’re all gonna get! The hardest part of OOTD pictures is not taking the pictures themselves but finding the good in them after it’s all said and done. Kind of like finding the needle in the haystack of one hundred selfies that all look the same!

Were these my favorite pictures of all time? Not in the slightest. But, I didn’t have much to work with from this shoot so what can you do? When my confidence was barely above ground level, I would never post pictures that were nothing short of amazing. I don’t consider these bonus pictures to be my best work but that’s okay!

OOTD pics are not always home runs and, sometimes, you end up with a billion pictures that do nothing for you. That was the case with this shoot and I am posting them anyways. No matter how your pics turn out, I encourage you all to get in front of the camera, try it out, and post away. It will help build your confidence, you’ll have some fun, and see that it is still your best self even if the final result might not reflect it. ❤

How do you build your confidence? What are some of your picture taking pro tips? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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