Tag Archives: shopping

Nov4

Trades Of Hope

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Trades Of Hope

Hellooo everyone and welcome to a very special article here on lifewithlilred about a wonderful company that one of my good friends works for, Trades Of Hope. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Sarah White to discuss her work with the company and some of her favorite accessories that are offered through her Trades Of Hope party to kick start the holiday shopping season. For those of you who don’t know, Trades Of Hope employs women artisans in third world countries so they can earn a fair living wage to help provide for themselves and their families. Take a look at part of our interview conducted by yours truly and then stick around to see some of Sarah’s gorgeous fall favorites:

  • Lil Red: Ever since I’ve known you, you’ve been passionate about volunteering your time for programs that help women world wide. What would you say is the most rewarding part of being involved with Trades Of Hope?
  • Sarah: I’ve always wanted to have a tangible way to help women coming out of poverty but I specifically have a passion for women coming out of trafficking, like many of the Trades Of Hope artisans. I’ve been involved with various programs that help raise money for women, but Trades Of Hope isn’t a charity – these women are hired, paid a fair wage, and are then able to take care of their families in a long term way. Trades Of Hope is an organization that helps women stop their cycle of poverty and betters their lives, I think that’s the best part.
  • LR: If you could say something to the Trades Of Hope artisans, what would it be?
  • S: I think it would just be…Thank you for what you’re doing. Thank you for making these products to support your families. We care about you and we love you…I would keep it pretty simple.
  • LR: You actually introduced Trades Of Hope to me one afternoon over coffee. If someone wanted to get involved with working for the company, what should they do?
  • S: To become a Compassion Entrepreneur, which is what we call ourselves, anyone can reach out to me for additional information! (Sarah’s contact info will be posted below.)
  • LR: Trades Of Hope offers an abundance of beautiful handcrafted accessories through catalog and on their site. It must be hard to pick a favorite!
  • S: It is! Of course I love the Mosaic Clutch and the Mustard Infinity Scarf but out of the jewelry the Julia from Guatemala is one of my favorites. The necklace was made from a young artist aging out of her orphanage and it’s simple but so pretty. If you look closely on the silver pendant the fingerprint of the artist is engraved in it.
  • LR: Are there any items on the site that are considered a fan favorite by the shoppers?
  • S: Definitely. The Eternal Seed necklace is very popular (it’s a Lil Red favorite too) as well as the Haiti Signature Bracelet which is made out of cereal boxes. (The pictures of the accessories mentioned can be seen below, as well as the Kala necklace, which I’m the proud owner of!) Not only does the bracelet help support our artisans but it’s great for the environment as well.

juliahaitieskala

Mosaic Clutch: I got to see this cute clutch in person and it’s even better in real life, if that’s even possible. Sarah is a self proclaimed “bag girl” and the Mosaic Clutch, made by Trades Of Hope artisans in Guatemala is one of her must have staples for fall.

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Mustard Infinity Scarf: This beautiful scarf was made by TOH artisans in Cambodia who have survived acid attacks. Despite such horrific events, the amazing women making these scarves have found joy again in their craft and they truly do it so well. Sarah has also deemed this scarf as one of her must have autumn pieces because of how much she likes the color! My friend has great style and would pair this infinity scarf with a hat of the same color, a sharp dark green jacket, dark wash denim, and a tall pair of boots for a fall OOTD. I’m a fan!

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Sarah will be hosting a party to ring in the holiday shopping season and it promises to be a lot of fun! Anyone who places an order through Sarah’s party has the opportunity to win free or half off items as the “hostess rewards”. The shopping extravaganza will be up and running for at least two weeks, so you’ll have lots of time to make your purchases and maybe get lucky by winning some rewards! Unfortunately, Trades Of Hope only ships in the US, but if you live abroad and are interested in any of the products seen on the site, you can email Sarah who will do the best she can to get you your accessories.

Sarah’s contact info and party links:

I had so much fun chatting about Trades Of Hope with my dear friend and before we parted ways, she gave some terrific ideas on stocking stuffers for the holiday season. Not only does Trades Of Hope offer chic accessories but you can also find items for kids, men, home decor, and beauty. Sarah recommends the soap and chapsticks from the site as a sweet and small gift but she’s partial to the jewelry! “All of the Trades Of Hope jewelry comes in a pretty bag and you can wear it and think of the person who got it for you” she says. I, for one, would love to find the Eternal Seed Necklace under my tree! Sarah can be seen below sporting some Trades Of Hope earrings and a mega watt smile! I see you!!

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Writing about Trades Of Hope was such a blast and I encourage all of you to do some shopping at the links provided above! What is your favorite item on the website? Do you have any questions about the company for Sarah? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov3

Bath & Body Works November Freebie

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Bath & Body Works November Freebie

Hellooo everyone and happy Tuesday! As you guys know, I love receiving my monthly Bath & Body Works freebie coupons in the mail. This month I got a coupon for a free full sized signature item (lotion, cream, or shower gel) so I stopped in this morning to pick up my pay free product. Today I went with a body cream of my favorite fragrance B&BW has to offer: Beautiful Day. My cream was a thirteen dollar value and it was definitely an awesome treat to ring in the holiday shopping season with!

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Unfortunately, this month’s freebie excursion wasn’t as pleasant as it usually is thanks to the rudest employee ever but it was still nice to be able to go in and pick out a full rather than travel sized item. If you have a Bath & Body Works around you, I can’t recommend Beautiful Day enough! I’m a fan of anything apple scented and Beautiful Day is perfectly apple-y with the slightest hints of pear and poppies. It’s a flawless combination of tart green apples and sweet flowers and I just love it.

My hoard of free B&BW products continues to grow, which is great because as I mentioned before, they’re going to make terrific little additions for Christmas gifts. Even though I didn’t have the best experience with one of the employees, I still walked away with a thirteen dollar lotion that I didn’t pay one penny for and that’s good enough for me!

I know I mentioned in my Monday Update yesterday that my Trades Of Hope article would be publishing today but my client pushed it back until tomorrow so make sure you tune in on Hump Day for that! Until then, what is your favorite fragrance from Bath & Body Works? What was the worst customer service experience you’ve ever had? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: Click the following link to shop the scents at B&BW: http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/home/index.jsp

Nov2

Monday Update: Look Out Edition

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Monday Update: Look Out Edition

Howdy everyone and happy Monday! I hope all of you had a fantastic Halloween weekend, I sure did! You know why I had a great weekend? Because for the most part I did absolutely nothing for the first time in weeks and it was AWESOME! Now that I’m all relaxed and ready to go, I’m here to bring you the Monday Update for the week so you guys can be on the Look Out for some exciting posts coming up in the near future!

Trades Of Hope: I had the pleasure of sitting down with one of my dear friends, Sarah White, to chat about the company that she works for, Trades Of Hope. TOH employs female artisans in third world countries and pays them a fair living wage for the creation of their beautiful accessories, home decor, and beauty items. On Tuesday, you can tune into http://www.lifewithlilred.com for the full article and the link to Sarah’s site where she’ll be hosting a TOH party for the next few weeks. When you make purchases through the party you have the opportunity to win free or discounted items and I strongly urge you to take advantage of it because everything is gorgeous! I was gifted with the Kala Necklace from Sarah and I’m obsessed! Take a look:

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My necklace was made by artisans in India and I love it so much! Once again, I’ll be posting the article this Tuesday and the links for the party will be provided in the post!

John Patrick Halling: This past Thursday I was so excited to sit down and chat with an extremely talented musician fresh out of Kent, Ohio, John Patrick Halling. John Patrick is a blues/folk/country hybrid artist and he is simply fantastic. During our meeting we chatted about everything from his most recent tour (the Boy in the Water US tour), his style on stage, and what influences him as an artist and musician. Everything during our get together was just swell, until…..

Until I made the biggest fool of myself of all time!! When I meet with new clients, our talks usually happen interview style and I record everything on a Word document on my laptop. Basically, they talk and I type. John Patrick and I chatted for a solid thirty-five to forty minutes and once I had everything I needed, I told him he was good to go. We packed up our belongings and I said something along the lines of “let me save and exit” the document. Unfortunately, a classic case of “I shouldn’t have clicked that” happened because instead of saving and exiting, I accidentally just clicked exit. It was one of those things where you do what you were saying because you were saying it and since I had “exit” on my mind and tongue, it just kind of happened…It. Was. AWFUL.

Thankfully, John Patrick was SO nice about it and I was able to recall almost everything we talked about from memory. I stayed at the Starbucks we met at after he left and retyped everything and ended up with more than I started with. As soon as I got home, I got a draft of the article ready to go and the only things that needed corrected were the brand name of a hat, the location of a venue that he played a show at, and the name of a city. Since those were the only things that didn’t ring true, I’d say I did pretty well!

I’m so happy that the article is looking good so far but you guys have no idea how embarrassing it was! My best friend, Lea, and I have discussed how difficult it is to think of a moment that was truly cringe worthy but I think I found it with that unfortunate incident. But fear not! The article is almost done and is set to publish mid-November when John Patrick releases his music video for “If I Would’ve Known”. Until then, you can check out his music at: http://johnpatrickhalling.com/#/ and make sure you give his Facebook page a like at: https://www.facebook.com/JPHallingMusic/?fref=ts ! Seriously guys, make sure you give his music a listen because it really is wonderful and stay tuned for the article on Mister Halling which will be coming out soon!

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^^^ My life.

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Look Out Edition! I’m so excited to share these upcoming posts with you and I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did working on them! How was everyone’s Halloween weekend? What did you do to celebrate? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct13

If The Shoe Fits – Apt. 9 Edition

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If The Shoe Fits – Apt. 9 Edition

Helloooo everyone and welcome to a new edition of If The Shoe Fits – Apt. 9 style! I got these beauties for an incredible bargain while shopping at Kohl’s and they have become one of my go to pairs of heels – especially since my beloved Vera Wangs are not what they used to be. Take a look at my shoe babies and then let’s discuss:

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If there’s one thing that you guys should know about me by now, it’s that I love a bargain! Target, Kohl’s, and TJMaxx are my favorite stores to ball on a budget at and my Apt. 9 wedged heels were no exception! These shoesies were purchased with my shopping partner in crime…My mother. We always have such a blast when we go out together and I vividly remember our shopping trip that resulted in my Apt. 9s like it was yesterday.

Kohl’s always has the best end of season sales so my mom and I had a mother daughter rendezvous at the end of April. Usually when we go shopping together we divide and conquer the store and then meet up in a place we can enjoy as a pair…the shoe department. :*) Not gonna lie, the shoe section was looking a hot mess because of overzealous shoppers but we perused the aisles and found multiple winners to try on. I locked eyes on two gorgeous Juicy Couture heels (which I ended up purchasing) and I was so focused on them that I almost left the shoe sanctuary altogether because I thought I had found “the ones”…

Little did I know, one of my favorite pairs of shoes would be found after one last look around of the shoe department before we checked out our goodies. I scanned through the aisles, rejecting the pairs that I deemed “shameful” before and giving a slight nod of approval to the shoes that I thought were cute but not cute enough to try on. That’s when my slight nod at my Apt. 9s turned into a shake of disapproval that I hadn’t plucked them from the shelf earlier. I don’t know what made me shy away from them before – they have everything that I like! A heel, zippers, and most importantly – they’re black! But better yet, the price was only seventeen dollars! Seventeen. Freaking. Dollars. That’s when I knew that they were coming home with me.

I sat my sweet ass down, pulled off my shoes one last time, and gave the Apt. 9s a try…and they were fabulous!! They reminded me SO much of my beloved black lace up Vera Wang wedges but they were still unique and cool in their own right. I only needed about a thirty second inspection in the full length mirror to know that my edgy wedges would be an excellent addition to my collection. I returned to the bench and added the Apt. 9s to the pile which resulted in three pairs of shoes for under one hundred dollars! #SCORE

My pretty babies truly are my Vera Wangs reincarnated because I seriously wear them everywhere now. They were my first day of school shoes this semester as well as my go to-s for running errands, date nights, hang outs, and concerts. You name it, I’ve probably worn them for it! I loveeee wearing my Apt. 9s with my black skinnies from H&M which can be seen in my featured image photo. They have zippers starting at the bottom of the jean that go halfway up my calf and it makes such a rocker effect to have the zippers from the jeans and shoes staggered on each other. When I want to sport an All Black Everything look, pairing my outfit with my Apt. 9s is a no brainer!

So there you have it, the newest issue of If The Shoe Fits – Apt. 9 Edition! What is your favorite pair of shoes that you got for an amazing deal? Who is your favorite person to go shopping with? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct3

If The Shoe Fits – Michael Kors Edition

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If The Shoe Fits – Michael Kors Edition

Helloooooo everyone and welcome to a new issue of If The Shoe Fits – Michael Kors style! In association with my post yesterday entitled “Fall Shopping Fun” these beautiful Michael Kors booties were also purchased with the intention of adding them to my cold weather wardrobe. Take a better look at my pretty new babies and then let’s discuss:

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Alright, first let me just say that I am far from a label whore when it comes to my clothing. I don’t care for designer anything. I live for a good deal at Target, Kohl’s, or TJMaxx so it’s extremely out of the ordinary for me to own anything from what I consider a “high end” designer. BUT I saw these boots while shopping with my mom at TJ’s and I fell in love. So how did these MK buckle adorned beauties end up coming home with me? I’m so glad you asked!

I LOVE going to TJ’s with my mom. I can remember going shopping there with my grandma when I was really young and ever since I’ve been a die hard Maxxinista. Whenever my mom and I hit up our favorite store, we always always start in the shoe department. The past few times we’ve shopped at TJ’s we’ve been unimpressed with what they had to offer but not this time around! As I ambled through the aisles of boots, heels, and flats my eyes locked on the industrial style booties. I hurried over and plucked them off the shelf and immediately turned them over to inspect the price. When I saw the tag was far out of my normal price range, I realized that they were Michael Kors. “Oh, that explains it”, I thought to myself and put them back with a heavy heart.

Once my mom caught up to me she asked me if I saw anything that I liked and I pointed out the booties that I just recently returned to the shelf. “Well are you gonna try them on?” she asked. “No, they’re too expensive and I know that if I try them on I’m going to like them too much.” My mom didn’t argue with my logic and we continued to peruse the shoe department together. As my partner in crime tried on some cute new booties of her own, all I wanted to do was try on the Michael Kors. I voiced my insatiable desire deep in my loins to her and she urged me to give them a try. Well, she didn’t have to tell me twice. I rushed my sweet ass to the MK’s and snatched them so fast I was worried that I was going to break a nail. I brought them back to the benches to try them on for the moment of truth…

I sat my sweet tookus on the bench and slipped off my knee high tan riding boots all while thinking, “Sarah, you really shouldn’t be doing this”. But it was too late, my shoes were already off and the Michael Kors were sitting there, waiting patiently to join forces with my feet. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes tight, and shoved the right boot on. I zipped up the zipper on the side and told myself that “that wasn’t so bad” and pulled on the left shoe to complete the pair. I hoisted my sweet badonk off of the bench and walked slowly to the mirror. “Damnit,” I thought as I saw my reflection, “I love them”.

As soon as I saw them in all of their rocker chic glory I knew that I couldn’t leave the store without them. They. Were. Perfect. These Michael Kors booties have legitimately everything that I love. They’re black, buckled, zippered, and edgy as hell. As I previously mentioned, I don’t care about labels. In fact, I hate them. BUT for my first and only pair of designer shoes, I think that they hit the nail on the head!

I don’t plan on buying any more “high end” heels or boots to add to my collection because I really do think that they’re unnecessary. However, I deemed my purchase “worth it” because it really is a one time splurge and the only harm in that is to my wallet. Yes, I do have a lot of beautiful clothes, shoes, and accessories but 99% of them were purchased with price in mind. I’m a smart shopper, I always wait for the best deals, and I like to think that I ball on a budget – but I don’t know any girl that’s going to turn down a pair of Michael Kors booties that were literally made for you!

So there you have it, my latest purchase documented in If The Shoe Fits – Michael Kors Edition. With my amazing new booties and fun new shirt that you can see in “Fall Shopping Fun”, I think that I’ll take a break from the mall for a while…But I really do love both of my new editions to my wardrobe! What has been your favorite splurge purchase? What are you most looking forward to wearing this fall? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep5

Excited For Fall? Me Too!

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Excited For Fall? Me Too!

Heyyy everyone and happy Saturday! Good news, my bitch ass is feeling better! Bad news, Sunday is Lil Red’s blogging day off, as you all know, so allow me to leave you with a fun post for the weekend until the Monday Update and Man Crush Monday posts commence!

With fall on the horizon, every white girl comes out of her spray tanned summer hibernation in search of all things pumpkin flavored. I promise you guys I’m not that girl…You know I would never tan! BUT, I am very excited for the upcoming autumn season, so let me tell you why!

  • PEACOATS!!! Honestly, this is my number one reason why I love fall. I loves me a good peacoat and I can’t wait to put my navy blue, red and blue plaid, and emerald green coat babies to work this season! #peacoatparty
  • Semi-cold weather AKA my favorite type of weather! Summer weather is too hot for a Lil Red, winter is too cold, and spring is too rainy but fall weather…fall weather is just right!
  • Fall clothing in general! This ties into both of the previously mentioned statements but it must be said. Fall. Clothing. Is. The. Best. Point blank, period. I love nothing more than sweet sweaters, cozy cardigans, booties, flannels, chunky scarves, fingerless gloves, the whole shebang. If it’s an article of clothing you can wear in the fall, you bet your sweet ass that I’m excited for it! #betyourbottomdollar #andyoursweetass
  • The colors!!!! Ugh, the autumn color palette makes my heart so warm. Burnt oranges, mustard yellows, deep reds – fabulous on the changing leaves of trees and on those cozy cardigans I just mentioned! Burnt orange has been my latest obsession, so I’m really excited to feed that addiction even more with a fall shopping trip soon!
  • One – ONLY one Pumpkin Spice Latte. Yeah, yeah, such a white girl, I know. But it’s not fall for a suburban girl without one PSL from Starbucks! I’ll be indulging in my pumpkin treat this morning for a coffee date with my dear friend, Tyler. Yum!
  • Halloween – it’s a given. Except I can’t decide on if being Agnes from Despicable Me is a good idea because she’s not particularly slutty…Does anyone have a naughty nurse costume I can borrow? #please??
  • HAUNTED HOUSES! I love them! I love them! I. Love. Them. Fun fact for ya: my first job was working as an actor at a haunted house and I had the time of my life! I also picked up smoking cigarettes there…But that’s beside the point.
  • Fall weather hang outs AKA the best kind of hang outs! I absolutely adore fall time activities! Hiking through the metro parks, scary movie marathons, crafting, drinking apple cider, drinking hard apple cider – it’s all so much fun! Everything increases in enjoy-ability when the air is crisp, your cheeks are flushed, and you’re with some of your favorite people.
  • White girl watching…it’s like people watching, but better! Fall time is the white girl’s peak season to emerge and prosper. The temperatures have dropped which means so have people’s standards! Thus, yoga pants, leggings, and Ugg boots are somehow acceptable to wear in society. May god help us all…But anyways, I always get a kick out of seeing all of the white girls in their flock of spandex pants and boots that were made out of the skin of sheep who were tortured. Bonus points if there’s a Pumpkin Spice Latte in their hands!! #UGHboots

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^^^ Current blogging soundtrack, judge me for it. #whitegirl 😉

So there you have it! A few Lil Red Reasons of why I’m Excited For Fall! What is everyone most looking forward to this autumn? Who has some fall time traditions that will be taking place? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep1

If The Shoe Fits – Vera Wang Edition

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If The Shoe Fits – Vera Wang Edition

Helloooo everyone and welcome to the newest edition of If The Shoe Fits – Vera Wang style! If you’re familiar with lifewithlilred in the slightest, then you’ll know that I talk about these shoes a lot. My Vera Wang black lace up wedges are the epitome of “old faithful”. As you can see by the following pics, they’ve had a bit of wear and tear to them BUT they’re still fabulous! Let’s discuss:

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Like many of my shoes in my wardrobe boutique, my Vera Wang’s are from Kohl’s. But unlike many of the pieces in my footwear collection, these babies have been with me for years – well over five, I believe. I’ve had a lot of amazing moments in these shoes and some not so good ones, but no matter the mood at least I know that my wedges looked awesome every time! Now let’s talk about the story behind my OFFF (Old Faithful Fabulous Friend):

So if my Vera’s are five-ish years old, then that means that I was sweet sixteen when I got them. I can picture young Lil Red ambling through the Kohl’s shoe department right now. What attracted my sixteen year old self to these shoes? What made my teenage self say “these are the ones that I’m going to love and cherish until the end of time”? Knowing that my attitude about personal style has been the same since I could dress myself, I’m guessing I loved these wedges because they were unique. I know for a fact that I didn’t have any pairs like it in my collection at the time, so I knew that I had to have it. Like everything in my closet, these Vera’s had the edgy rocker vibe that I yearn for in whatever I buy and I knew that I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t purchase them and become their new mother immediately. #motheroftheyear

Once my Vera Wang’s were safely in my possession, they became my go to shoes for everything. School, concerts, hanging out with friends, work, running errands, dates, going grocery shopping, going to auditions – literally anything you could imagine a sixteen year old doing, I was probably doing it in these wedges….Uhhh….Anyways, they were my favorite and they are still my favorite to this day. I feel invincible when I wear these shoes. Depending on what I style them with I can go from feeling sexy and dangerous to feminine and sweet in a matter of seconds. There’s seriously nothing better than having pieces in your wardrobe that give you such versatile emotions and styling options.

I wore my Vera’s every chance I could get and I wore them with every outfit you can imagine. Girly dresses, not so girly dresses, body con skirts, mini skirts, midi skirts, maxi skirts, short shorts, normal shorts, skinny jeans, leggings, slouchy but sexy pants – you name it, I’ve worn my wedges with it. There’s no denying the beauty of the shoes but they are also SO functional as well. The height of them is just right – it gives whatever you’re wearing that little extra oomph, but they’re not so high that you’re tottering around like a baby deer when you’re being a woman on the go. #perfection

What truly breaks my heart about these shoes is that they’re getting old. My darling Vera’s are becoming broken down and flimsy so I wear them very rarely now. These shoes have been my fashion lifeline for five years and counting now and I don’t think that I could ever part with them. Not only do my wedges hold a special place on my feet but they’ve left a permanent foot print on my heart as well. I’ll never forget all of the crazy times I’ve had in my beauties and I know that until the right time comes to wear my worn down wedges again, they will be holding sentinel on my shoe wall with an ever watchful eye on their beloved owner. ❤

So there you have it, the newest issue of If The Shoe Fits – Vera Wang Edition! Does anyone have a relationship to a pair of shoes similar to that of mine and my Vera Wang’s? What is your most loved pair of shoes? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug23

It’s In The Bag – British Invasion Edition

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It’s In The Bag – British Invasion Edition

Hey everyone and happy Sunday! It’s time to debut a new segment on http://www.lifewithlilred.com, which is appropriately entitled “It’s In The Bag” for obvious reasons! If there’s one thing that I know every girl loves, it’s a great statement purse, and now I’m here to discuss some of my personal favorites from my wardrobe boutique with all of you! Take another look at my go to handbag and then let’s discuss:

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I’m very particular about all of the pieces in my closet and purses are no exception. All of my purchases have to have just the right touches of edgy rocker chic and nothing does it better than this fab find from Charming Charlie! For those of you who are unfamiliar with CC, it’s a huge accessories store – we’re talking purses, jewelry, hats, scarves, clothing, the whole shebang. I don’t venture into Charming Charlie very often, but when I do, I always manage to find some fun new goodies!

I found my British Invasion purse during a shopping trip to Crocker Park, a gorgeous outdoor mall in Westlake, Ohio. Crocker Park offers a huge Charming Charlie that has so much cuteness it’s almost overwhelming. My (ex)friend and I entered the store and the first thing that caught my eye was my studded bag baby. Usually I’m not one to go completely gaga over a purse but I just couldn’t help myself – this one was special. I plucked the bag from the display and power walked my sweet tookus to the closest mirror possible and it truly was perfect. It felt so right flung over my shoulder or clutched in my protective hands. I remember that I was wearing all black that day (as usual) and the bag simply popped against my blank canvas of an outfit. It had to be mine.

Not only is this purse stylish but it’s also very functional, which is something that’s very important to me. When I’m in need of a new bag, the size has to be just right. I don’t want anything too big, like a hobo bag, and I can’t do anything too small either, like a clutch. My ideal purse has to have enough room to fit my wallet, car keys, cigarettes, lighter, lipstick, and any other odds and ends that I might need. My British Invasion purse fits everything comfortably and still offers additional room if I need to throw anything else in. Despite the Lil Red Approved size, I still manage to have difficulty finding my things in there…Go figure. -_-

In all honesty, I’m not a girl who’s one for designer anything, especially when it comes to purses. I’d prefer to find a unique piece that I know not everyone will have and most importantly, I prefer to find it with a reasonable price tag attached. I scored my Charming Charlie British Invasion purse for thirty dollars and to me, this is such a steal. I like to use the “cost per wear” method and the amount of times that I’ve used my bag baby has paid for itself a hundred times over. This purse is sharp, sleek, and so damn cool! I get compliments on it wherever I go and I feel awesome strutting about with its beautiful little self casually hanging over my shoulder. It’s in the bag. ❤

So there you have it, the first edition of It’s In The Bag – British Invasion Edition. Now I need your help! What purse should I write about next? Your choices are between my Betsey Johnson telephone purse or my Target animal skull satchel. I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug22

If The Shoe Fits – Vince Camuto Edition

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If The Shoe Fits – Vince Camuto Edition

Heyyy everyone and happy Saturday! Welcome to another edition of If The Shoe Fits – Vince Camuto style! With the fall season upon us, I thought it was the perfect time to write about my favorite cold weather booties! Take a look at some more pics of my pretty babies and then let’s discuss the story behind my Vince Camuto’s:

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^^^ LOVE!

Once upon a time on Valentine’s Day of 2015, Lil Red got dumped by a guy who she liked a whole lot. I was so crushed and my heart was heavy with sadness. So what did I do? I went shopping! My mom and I hit up TJMaxx for a fuck Valentine’s Day shopping spree and I became the proud owner of my fabulous Vince Camuto booties. As I browsed through the shoe department, my eyes locked on the booties and I grabbed them immediately. They had everything that I love so very much – black, buckles, and a pointed toe. What more could a girl ask for?…Other than a date on Valentine’s Day. -___- #FML

It’s not like I’m bitter or anything……Where was I? Oh yes, so I grabbed the booties and hauled ass to the nearest bench so I could give the Vinny C’s a try and they were absolutely stellar. They fit comfortably, they looked sleek, and most importantly they made me feel a little better. Not only was I in sad girl shoe heaven BUT I was also in ballin on a budget heaven as well because I got my shoes on a marked down price of twenty-nine dolla holla. Such a steal! (And in case you weren’t aware, sad girl shoe heaven and ballin on a budget heaven are two distinctively different places.)

A lot of people argue that it’s unhealthy to have a shopping spree when they’re upset…I SAY OTHERWISE! Seriously, the only thing that made me happy during that stupid lousy holiday was buying my Vince Camuto’s. Pathetic? Maybe. Worth it? Totally. My mental health was saved by a gorgeous pair of chic, sharp, and sassy as hell ankle boots. They made me feel like I could take on the world…and the gallon of ice cream waiting for me in the freezer, but that’s neither here nor there. What I’m trying to say, is that this sexy staple shoe provided me with a confidence boost that I so desperately needed that day. They made me want to get dolled up and shoot a big fuck you text to the worst guy ever. So once again, I say: If you’re emotional, shop away!!

As I mentioned earlier, my Vince Camuto’s are my go to fall shoe. I love pairing them with my black skinnies and wearing them with a cute pair of short shorts with tights underneath. These booties scream “woman on the go” to me, so obviously they’re my default shoe to wear around campus at Tri-C. The combination of a pointed toe with edgy gold buckles is cool in such an effortless way, so it’s easy to see why I turn to these babies for all of my fall footwear needs!

So there you have it, the newest issue of If The Shoe Fits – Vince Camuto Edition! Has anyone had a shopping situation similar to the one I described? What fall shoe are you most excited to break out this season? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug18

Back To School TJMaxx Haul

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Back To School TJMaxx Haul

Heyyy everyone and happy Tuesday! This past Sunday I went back to school shopping for a fabulous new outfit for my first day back at Tri-C and I was very successful!! Check out these cute new finds and then let’s discuss:

tjstjs2

  • Sweater, Shrinking Violet
  • Blazer vest, Spacegirlz

TJ’s had tons of adorable fall clothing and I seriously wanted it all! I went shopping with the intention of getting a new pair of black skinnies so I don’t have to wear the same two pairs constantly but I left with two new black tops instead. I’ll have to make a trip to H&M for some skinnies shopping, which I’m so okay with! I’m very happy with both of the items that I got. The Shrinking Violet sweater is going to be perfect as a layering piece or worn alone with some funky jewelry. I plan on wearing it underneath the poncho that I got from Loft (see “Loft Haul” article for more!) and pairing it over a dress with some nice thick tights. I’ve wanted a simple and chic black sweater for ages so I’m really glad I finally found one that’s worthy of being in my closet boutique!

I’ve always loved the idea of blazer vests and my Spacegirlz find couldn’t be better! In the TJ’s fitting room I put the vest over my Shrinking Violet sweater with some black skinnies for good measure. Unfortunately, the jeans fit so weird in the crotch and I just couldn’t deal! Despite the crotch issues, the look was exactly what I wanted for my back to school outfit. It was sharp and edgy but it still looked smart and elegant, so it was the best of both worlds.The way the Spacegirlz vest fit was exquisite as well. It was somewhat loose and hung in a way that was so effortlessly cool and the fact that it’s knee length and sleeveless is an unexpected twist on a classic staple. Needless to say, I’m in love. My All Black Everything back to school outfit will be accessorized with my favorite black Vera Wang lace up wedges, some loud gold jewelry, and a red lip to tie it all together, of course! 😉

So there you have it, my Back To School TJMaxx Haul! What is everyone rocking on their first day of classes? Where is the best place to find some back to school shopping deals? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah