Tag Archives: style

Nov15

Mix & Match OOTD

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Mix & Match OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! This past weekend my brother, Johnny, and I attended Akron Comicon and it was so much fun! It is our tradition to go every year together and we always look forward to geeking out in the crowd of fandom fans. At an event like Comicon, anything goes for fashion and I decided I wanted to go quirky cool with my OOTD. One of my favorite ways to make an outfit chic and unique is by mixing and matching patterns that, at a glance, might not necessarily go together. I was actually ambivalent about this look but it came together perfectly and I absolutely love how it turned out! Take a look and let’s discuss:

Who? What? Wear?

Blazer: Scotch & Soda, TJMaxx

Button Down: Karl Lagerfeld, TJMaxx

Coated Skinny Jeans: Seven Jeans, TJMaxx

Platform Boots: Dolls Kill

Purse: Foley + Corinna, TJMaxx

The earrings are from Target I think!

As I went shopping in my wardrobe department store, I had blazers on the mind and began this OOTD by browsing my options. I had been so focused on cold weather jackets that I haven’t been thinking blazers at all and honestly had forgotten about my Scotch & Soda one! Shame on me because this pajama style blazer is SO fabulous. I am totally there for that relaxed fit and the floral pattern with colors that just scream fall. This little number was definitely the move but what to pair it with?

The last thing I wanted for Comicon was a basic look so simply wearing my blazer over top a black sweater just wouldn’t do. As the vast majority of my clothing features some type of pattern or bold color, I knew I would have to get creative with mixing and matching patterns. To get started, I took a closer look at the colors in the blazer which had black as well as some lighter hues that were close enough to white. Remember, if you are mixing and matching patterns that the best way to form cohesion is by using like colors in the two pieces you are pairing.

After my double check of the blazer, I knew black and white would be the best way to go and selected my button down by Karl Lagerfeld. This top features a stark white background with classic Karl aviators in black. Initially, I thought this top was too far a cry from the blazer but put both on with a pair of high waisted skinnies anyway to see the final effect. And you know what? It worked! Between the high rise of the Seven Jeans and the coverage from the blazer, the button down didn’t look out of place as it was being overshadowed. The end result provided this really cool pop of bright white among the burnt fall hues of the blazer and it was just the quirky cool flare I was hoping for.

Finally, it was onto shoes and accessories. I wanted long legs and height to extenuate the high rise skinnies and went for a daring pair of platform boots with a vertebrae heel. They were a hit at Comicon and I liked how the color of the vertebrae accents closely mimicked some of the lighter hues in the blazer. For earrings, I chose a gorgeous pair of dangly turquoise crosses for a surprise color burst. I love turquoise and orange paired together and these looked lovely with the blazer. Last but not least, I swapped out my purse I was using to a fully neutral one by Foley + Corinna with spikes and a chain strap. With that, I was ready to go get my nerd on!

This Mix & Match OOTD was SO fun to style despite initial uncertainty. Fashion is about taking risks and sometimes they work and other times they don’t. This was a fashion risk that definitely paid off!

Is there an event you go to yearly? What is something you are looking forward to? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov13

Pajama Party OOTD Bloopers

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Pajama Party OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Pajama Party OOTD! I don’t know about all of you, but the best part of my day has to be when I get home from work. This is not to say that I don’t love my job but because I love the feeling of putting on pajamas as soon as I barrel through the doorway and set my purse down. There is just nothing better than slipping into something comfy, winding down, and binge watching whatever Johnny and I fancy. It’s heavenly! These pics? Not so much lol. Check it out:

I’m ready for my close up

ExSQUEEZE me?!

I like your personality – Thanks, it’s a disorder 😉

I call this pose “Sleeping Flamingo”

My very best beaver impression

I’m a star, baby

Sundays in my household are strictly Lazy Sundays. Johnny and I hang out downstairs with the bunnies, he’ll go upstairs to nap, I watch whatever I want on TV, then I’ll head up mid afternoon. This past Sunday, I was on a Sandra Bullock kick as I recently read Bird Box and watched the movie. Johnny was still asleep when I got upstairs so I decided to put on one of my favorite chick flicks – The Proposal. It is just SO funny and cute and I put it on whenever I need a laugh or background noise. Due to my laughter, Johnny woke up about ten minutes later and watched the rest of the movie with me. He LOVED it and we have been quoting it all week. 😀

After The Proposal, I couldn’t believe Johnny’s movie choice… One of my OTHER favorite chick flicks: 13 Going On Thirty!! This is a movie that I quote constantly and one that Johnny has declined watching with me until now. The joke is on him because he ended up LOVING it too! Curling up in these cozy pajamas and watching chick flicks together was honestly like having a midday slumber party. We were giggling like schoolgirls at every little thing and delighting in seeing all of my most quotable parts. Next on the agenda? I see The Devil Wears Prada and What A Girl Wants in our future! ❤

Sandra Bullock and Jennifer Garner in one afternoon? Be still my heart! It took over six years for Johnny to hop on the chick flick train and now that he’s onboard, I refuse to let him leave anytime soon! 😀

What is your favorite chick flick? Who is your favorite actor or actress? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov12

New Blu Pepper Dress

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New Blu Pepper Dress

Hello! A few weeks ago I went on a fabulous TJMaxx shopping trip with my mom. Hitting up our favorite store together is one of my favorite things to do. Of course, I love a solo shopping adventure but it’s SO much better with my mom. ❤ We were on the hunt for birthday and Christmas prezzies and, of course, I couldn’t resist taking a look at the clothes too! I’m glad I did because I found the absolute perfect dress to wear for Thanksgiving. I think it’s going to be great for showing out then sitting down and eating lol. Take a look:

This Blu Pepper frock was bought for a song at fifteen dollars and I just can’t get enough of it. That rich caramel color, those sweet as can be polka dots, and a darling A-line skirt to twirl in. This dress looks like it belongs to a doll and, as I am one, it had to come home with me! As an early twenty something, I adored shopping at Urban Outfitters and my new dress reminds me so much of the duds from there. Just way less expensive and even more adorable! In fact, I’m pretty sure UO carried the Blu Pepper brand at one point or another which made both my younger and thirty something year old self swoon!

I cannot wait to play around with styling this dress and my Thanksgiving fit came to me in a vision. I’m thinking cable knit grey tights, a cream colored cardi, and my heeled oxfords. Talk about a collegiate chic OOTD! This dress would also look amazing with a sleek black blazer which I definitely plan on rocking too! As I was scrolling through Facebook, I caught a glimpse of my cousin’s story and was delighted to see that she had on the exact same dress. What can I say, my family has great taste and I think we both wore it best. 😀

I have been fantasizing about Thanksgiving since last Thanksgiving and will be eagerly awaiting filling up my plate while sporting this little beauty!

What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish? Do you have your outfit picked out already? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov10

Pajama Party OOTD

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Pajama Party OOTD

Hello! I am an avid fan of 5 Below and love stopping in for a cheap lil treat for myself. One of my favorite things to purchase from 5B has got to be pajamas. I have always loved the idea of cute and cozy PJs to cuddle up in but much prefer to spend my moolah on regular wear clothing instead. Oh and shoes… Lots of shoes! The spooky pajamas I bought during October from 5 Below costed less than fifteen dollars and ignited a PJ passion. So much so that I absolutely couldn’t resist this holiday pair a few weeks ago. Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Peppermint Stripe Pajamas: 5 Below

I fell in love with these peppermint stripe PJs as soon as I locked eyes on them and they just had to come home with me. An adorable set for just fifteen bucks? I can swing that! These pajamas are SO soft and snuggly and I genuinely don’t want to take them off when I wake up in the morning. They are nice and light which is a huge plus because I sleep with ALL of the blankets in our apartment as the weather cools down. My 5 Below set reminds me so much of Victoria’s Secret PJs and it’s oh so sweet to get them for a fraction of the cost. 😀

If you are on the hunt for some fun holiday PJs, RUN don’t walk to 5 Below… Because I just might buy them all lol. They have countless patterns available including Highland Cows, ornaments, woodland animals, Peanuts, Christmas trees, and classic plaids to name a few. These are the perfect jammie jams to gift to yourself or the people you need to shop for for the holidays. I am completely blown away by the quality of my pajamas despite their budget price and they are definitely something you can feel comfortable gifting with. Highly recommend!

If you, too, love the idea of pajamas more than actually buying them then 5 Below is the place to be. I have a sneaking suspicion that I will be buying at least a few more pairs before the holiday season is out!

What do you like to wear to bed? What is your favorite thing to lounge in? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov6

Cozy Coat OOTD

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Cozy Coat OOTD

Hello! I always enjoy styling OOTDs no matter the season because it’s just pure fun for me. It has been a while since I have had a good clothing haul and that is okay. My funds have been strictly for holiday shopping since September! Regardless of if the clothes are new or not, I love shopping in my wardrobe department store, revisiting old favorites, and freshening them up with new combinations. As we are fully in fall weather here in good ol’ Akron, Ohio there has been one particular item that I have been most excited to break out again. The coat you are about to see is one of my all time favorites and it was like being reunited with an old friend as soon as it was on! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Topper Jacket: Lucky Brand

Navy Sweater: Loft

Coated Skinny Jeans: Seven Jeans, TJMaxx

Smiley Scarf: Nardi & Tagliaferri

Fingerless Gloves: Steve Madden, TJMaxx

Earrings: Sincerely Jules, TJMaxx (These beauties were a birthday gift from my niece!)

Red Heeled Booties: Bamboo, TJMaxx

In my perfect, happy world it would be fall weather all of the time. There is nothing better to me than throwing on a coat and adding on cold weather accessories to beat the chill. With all of the extra add ons, the Lucky Brand topper jacket was the perfect way to go. It is a gorgeous neutral which means that I get to pair it with anything I want and it is going to work out fine. This coat is just so beautiful to me lol. It’s uber soft which makes the creamy color even more luxe, has a mid calf length to keep me cozy, and is the ideal in between of a light and heavy jacket. My lovely little Lucky number can go from casual to dressy depending on how you style it and I love it for a day of errands or a night on the town!

When I am on the go, I tend to keep whatever coat I am wearing on ninety-nine percent of the time. The exception being if the place I’m at is super warm. I don’t know why, it’s just one of my things lol. Because of this quirk, I kept what I had on underneath simple with coated skinnies and a sweater. The Lucky topper jacket radiates in its simplicity and I didn’t want to take away from that with a crazy color beneath it. So I kept things neutral with black and navy and it was onto shoes and accessories where I could have some FUN. 😀

For shoes, I opted for a bright red pair of Bamboo heeled booties. They popped so brightly against the cream hued coat and that is exactly what I wanted. I just love a pop of color against a neutral base and these added a vibrant surprise to the look. In the jewelry department I chose the most stunning pair of earrings that my eldest niece got me for my birthday. It is so special to wear these because she wanted to pick something for me all by herself and she nailed it. These earrings feature teardrop jewels that fall into a diamond shape. I had my pop of color and needed that pop of bling!

Finally, it was onto cold weather accessories – my favorite! As this look was all about revisiting my most beloved fall duds, I knew just what I wanted from my accessories stash. For the scarf, I snagged a heather grey little number by Nardi & Tagliaferri. It blended seamlessly with this fit as it was another neutral and the smiley faces provided a cool touch of whimsy. With that, all that was left to do was slip on my go to pair of fingerless gloves by Steve Madden and I was ready to strut my stuff in fabulous fall fashion. ❤

This Cozy Coat OOTD is oh so fall and oh so cute. Stay tuned for more outfit fun here on lifewithlilred. I can’t wait to see you!

What is one of your most beloved pieces of clothing? Have you updated your wardrobe for fall? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov5

New 5 Below Pajamas

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New 5 Below Pajamas

Hello! Several of my clients absolutely LOVE 5 Below and I am always happy when they request a shopping trip there because I love it too. You can’t beat the prices, they have so many fun things to pick from, and the quality of my purchases has always been excellent. One of my favorite buys from 5 Below has got to be my adorable Halloween pajamas and I wear them frequently. They are just too cute and comfy! 5 Below has recently put out a majority of their holiday collection and I couldn’t help treating myself to a new pair of jammies. They had countless darling matching sets but this peppermint stripe pattern spoke to me. Check it out:

Does anyone remember the pajama set from Victoria’s Secret that was pastel pink and was striped with a deeper pink hue? I had always lusted after that and it was the first thing that came to mind when I saw this set from 5 Below. Rather than paying upwards of fifty bucks, however, I paid fifteen and couldn’t be happier! The material is so soft and I like that it’s on the thinner side as I love to snuggle up in a million blankets as soon as the temperature drops. This set invokes sipping hot chocolate by the fire and unwrapping presents on Christmas day and I can see myself living in them all holiday season long.

As you might have noticed, I am a Halloween kind of gal through and through. My best friend, Kate, is the Christmas Queen and she wears the crown oh so well. This is the first actual Christmas inspired clothing that I own and I couldn’t wait to tell her about it. I knew she would be so proud! I imagine she felt like I did when she told me about the handful of spooky movies and shows she watched during Halloween. It literally made my heart swell. Kate’s love of Christmas is absolutely joyous to see and I think it has been rubbing off on me. I found some SUPER cute Santa dresses for holiday celebrations and they have really been tempting me. The problem is that I can’t pick which one so stay tuned because I will need all of your help!

A Pajama Party OOTD in these sweet jammies is on the horizon so keep it posted here on lifewithlilred!

Do you have a favorite pair of pajamas? What gets you into the holiday spirit? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov3

Simply Fall OOTD

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Simply Fall OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! The first half of October was unseasonably warm and it has finally cooled down to my perfect, happy temperature. I live for a crisp fifty to sixty degree day. I love the chill in the air but primarily, I love the fashion lol. There is nothing better to me than cozying up in a cute coat and feeling the leaves crunch beneath my feet. I have been waiting to break out my lighter fall jackets for so long and have been eagerly anticipating ALL of the OOTD shoots. Like this one! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Houndstooth Jacket: Philosophy, TJMaxx

Sweater: Shrinking Violet, TJMaxx

Coated Skinny Jeans: Seven Jeans, TJMaxx

Heeled Boots: Olivia Miller, TJMaxx

Pinocchio Necklace: This was purchased forever ago from TJMaxx!

I have no idea where the earrings are from!

The beauty of fall OOTDs is that you can turn something basic like jeans and a sweater into something elevated by simply putting on a jacket. It can transform an entire look and it makes dressing for fall oh so fun! Elevated simplicity was the name of the game for this fit and I started with my Shrinking Violet sweater. This sweater is as old as dirt. I actually bought it to wear during my first day of college at Tri-C. I just can’t part with it though because it is so perfect. It is nice and light and just right for pairing underneath a jacket. Remember, when you are layering you want to use a thinner item with a thicker one and it was exactly what I needed for my OOTD.

Next up was the pantaloons department and I wore my sweater tucked into a high waisted pair of coated skinny jeans. These jeans added a pop of texture and sheen while providing shape to my waist as the sweater isn’t the most form fitting. The All Black Everything palette with this combination allowed me to do whatever I wanted with my coat, shoes, and accessories. A monochrome base is never going to be boring when you add a splash of color or a bold pattern to it!

In the overflowing jacket section of my closet, I chose my deep red Philosophy coat with a houndstooth pattern. This little number is so fabulously fall and is one of those coats that you can just throw on and go. I am an avid fan of houndstooth anything and couldn’t believe my good fortune to find this coat at TJMaxx in one of my favorite colors and patterns. That red was popping against the base I had established and livened up this look with a classic fall hue.

Finally, it was onto shoes and accessories. For shoes, I went with one of my favorite pairs of heeled boots by Olivia Miller. These are my go to fall boots – I love the chunky platform shape and that chunky chain across the ankle! For once, I also decided to wear a necklace. In the summer, my tattoos are out in all their glory and no accessories are needed. Fall is a different story and allows me to access my jewelry collection once more. I chose a long necklace with Pinocchio on it and it swayed and moved with every step. To match the brassy hue of the necklace, I popped on a pair of deep gold cross earrings and was ready to go!

This Simply Fall OOTD was the first fully fall look of the season for me and I felt awesome in it. I can’t wait to style more looks for the best season of all!

What is your favorite season? 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

Nov1

Couples Pirate COTD

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Couples Pirate COTD

Avast and ahoy landlubbers! Can you tell that I am still obsessing over my Halloween costume?! Johnny and I revel in dressing up together every Halloween and always opt for matching costumes. We understand that pirates is such a basic ass costume choice but once we decided to go for it, we were all in. In both of our thirty something years of living, neither of us have been pirates before for Halloween and there was no better time than the present. If these pictures didn’t make it obvious – we enjoyed every minute! Check it out:

Johnny and I both take our fashion extremely seriously and that is one of my favorite things about him. I like to think that our personal styles are pretty unique and every time we step out together is an occasion to get dressed up. Halloween is no exception. In fact, we probably take our Halloween costumes more seriously than our regular clothes! We’re not massive party goers and we don’t frequent the bar scene so when we dress up to pass out trick or treat candy is our one night to show off our costume creations. One night to let our inner children go crazy and immerse ourselves in a new character.

I have to say, we might have had more fun than the trick or treaters when we were posted up at our candy station. We had a roaring fire, Johnny was playing guitar, and we couldn’t get over the cuteness of every costume we saw. The entire night was a highlight but there was one moment that really stuck out to me. When I was chatting with a family that visited us, the little daughter timidly asked me if I had pink hair last year. I couldn’t believe that she remembered my Candy Queen costume and it warmed my heart so much. We pride ourselves on being the “cool” house to trick or treat at and this solidified that we are doing Halloween right. Sometimes a pirate’s life isn’t plundering for treasure, but sharing the wealth with candy instead!

I love all of the Halloween costumes Johnny and I have put together but our pirate COTD holds a special place in my heart. I can’t wait to see what we dream up next year!

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

Oct31

A Pirate’s Life For Me COTD

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A Pirate’s Life For Me COTD

Howdy!! Every year Johnny and I look forward to passing out trick or treat candy in my mom and dad’s neighborhood. We set up a bonfire, play music, and delight in all of the costume cuteness. Of course, the trick or treaters aren’t the only ones dressing up and we couldn’t wait to bust out our pirate costumes for the occasion. I seriously couldn’t be happier with how they turned out and am so excited to share ALL of the content with you! Take a look and stay tuned for more swashbuckling good times coming soon:

Who? What? Wear?

Pirate Costume & Accessories: Spirit Halloween

Vertebrae Heels: Show Story

Being pirates was not mine and Johnny’s original plan. We were thinking of doing Alice Cooper and Cold Ethyl this year. However, we just didn’t feel like piecing together a costume via online shopping. This was how I built my Candy Queen costume last year and it was expensive and a bit of a hassle and we were so not trying to deal with that. After vetoing Plan A for this year, for some reason “pirates” popped into my head and I had my heart set on it. 1) It would be so totally cute. And 2) Finding a costume would be as simple as a trip to Spirit Halloween!

After making extensive purchases at Spirit Halloween, the trick was honestly on us. It was crazy expensive and we probs could have done our Plan A at a comparable price. We loved what we picked out so much, though, that it didn’t even matter. At this point, we both had being the baddest pirates across the seven seas on our mind and nothing was going to change that. With our costumes and beaucoup accessories prepped to go, all that was left to do was wait (im)patiently for trick or treat time.

I hate to toot my own horn about this costume because all I did was buy it, pick out accessories, and put it on but: TOOT TOOT! As soon as this COTD was on in all of its glory, you could not tell me NOTHIN. I felt absolutely amazing in it and I know it sounds silly but I really did feel like a pirate. Halloween is such a magical time because it allows you to be anything you want to be. To get into character and just have fun. Trust and believe that every trick or treater was a matey to me and Johnny and they were all greeted with a hearty “ahoy”. We pride ourselves on being the “cool” house to trick or treat at and I think this year was one of our best yet!

This costume was all treats and no tricks about it. Set sail for all Halloween everything here on lifewithlilred!

What did you do for Halloween? What did you dress up as? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct28

Whatever’s Clever COTD Bloopers

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Whatever’s Clever COTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Whatever’s Clever COTD! This makeshift costume was worn for an evening of Halloween frivolity and I felt like a star in it. Was it the most cohesive look? Not exactly. Was it cute AF? Absolutely! I loved wearing it to go to a Halloween event with my nieces and to the Factory Of Terror. I will say, however, it was hilarious rolling into the Red Robin in this fit when Johnny and I grabbed dinner before the haunted house lol! Take a look at these yikes shots and then let me tell you about my stuck in the bathroom experience:

No idea what to do with all this hair!

Crouching tiger hidden devil

The light! It burns!!!

Clearly I have to practice my hair flip in this wig lol

Hanging on for dear life because…

YIKES!!!! Lil Red *almost* down

She sticks the landing!!!

SO. This skeleton bodysuit by Tipsy Elves is fabulous but it is a pain in the fanny to zip up. While I was getting ready at home it was a huge struggle to zip – it looked like it wasn’t getting stuck on fabric, it just straight up wouldn’t zip up. Trust and believe it felt like a major accomplishment when I finally got it! After taking COTD pictures, Johnny and I made our way to the family Halloween outing with our nieces and about halfway through, my worst fear happened. I had to use the bathroom. AHHHHHH!!!!

I went to the loo, did my thing, and sent a silent wish that my bodysuit would zip up once more. Let’s just say that the wish didn’t come true. Try as I might, the zipper wasn’t budging and I was stuck in my bathroom stall wrestling with my costume. I grabbed my phone and proceeded to call my mom and sister and had no service. My series of SOS texts weren’t going through and I was completely stranded. This was not the place to be walking around with my assets on full display.

As I continued to try to zip the bodysuit, I was getting more and more frustrated and even broke a sweat lol it was bad! I figured my best chance of emerging from the facilities was to ask for help from the next person who came in. About ten minutes later, my savior opened the bathroom doors: A kind woman in a yellow Yoshi costume with her little kid dressed as Luigi. With my tail between my legs, I explained the situation and she was ON. It. She told her kiddo “go to the bathroom, I have to help this nice lady” and within ten seconds, my bodysuit was zipped back up. I hugged her so tightly and told her she saved my life!!

This bathroom saga took at least twenty minutes and when I finally rolled back into the arts and crafts area my family was in, they all asked where I was. I told them I was in the bathroom the whole time and asked why no one came looking. They all assumed I was really doing my business and that couldn’t have been further from the truth. I was in there fighting for my life! Regardless of how annoyed I was, freedom was so sweet and I fear I would have been in the can all night if it wasn’t for my Yoshi goddess. Bless this woman and her family!!!! ❤

For the remainder of the night, I made my time in the bathroom work sans unzipping my suit. Note to self: Once the zipper on this bodysuit is up it is staying up!!!!

Have you had any embarrassing situations recently? What happened? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah