Tag Archives: style

Sep28

Summer In Fall OOTD

Posted on September 28, 2022 by lifewithlilred

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred!! In early fall, you never know what kind of weather you are going to get. Is it going to be summer hot or hoodie weather? Who knows?! On this particular day that I took pictures, it was hot AF so I decided to do one final hurrah for summertime. Now, bring on the brisk days of fall, baby! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Mustard Yellow Kimono: Rebellion Again, TJMaxx
Floral Top: Banana Republic, TJMaxx
Distressed Jean Shorts: American Eagle Outfitters
The lace up wedges are old as the hills and I think I got them from Kohl’s?

This past summer, I learned to love warm weather fashion a little more. Although it will never be my favorite season to dress for, I admit that it does have its merits lol. I just love more elaborate fall outfits so the simplicity of clothing to keep you cool in the summertime bores me. That is why fun additional pieces like kimonos, earthy wedges, and quirky jewelry are a must for my summer apparel, as you can see in this OOTD.

I already had the Rebellion Again kimono in mind and I thought that its gauzy fabric in my favorite hue of mustard yellow was an ideal summer piece to welcome the fall. It is such a versatile option and would make a fabulous cover up over a bathing suit or look charming over top of a dress at a summer wedding… Which I definitely wore last year when mine and Johnny’s friends tied the knot!

Pairing my kimono with the Banana Republic cami top was a no brainer as you can see from the colors in its pattern. While the yellow flowers weren’t a perfect match, it was close enough. The blue flowers, however, popped just right against the distressed jean shorts, which you can really see when the kimono is off. I found this top when I was going through my “I have no tops” phase and love its sweet pattern and silky fabric. It was also a total steal at just twelve bucks for a Banana Republic top. Freaking SCORE! 😀

The styling of this outfit really did speak for itself as I prepped in my wardrobe office and it’s always great when a cute fit requires minimal think work. My lace up wedges of unknown origin was just right to tie the outfit together. I’m actually just noticing this now but the earthy tones of the canvas also work in tandem with the olive green flowers in the top. NICE.

Guys, I love these damn shoes so much it’s not even funny. They were one of my first pairs of wedges and my massive shoe collection went haywire after that! Unfortunately, I pushed them too hard in this OOTD. After getting back in the car, I saw a huge tear from the canvas to the woven heel and I was SO sad. Despite their unwearable condition, I refuse to part with them for sentimental purposes. But, what a way to glorify them for forever with one last killer OOTD! But, I digress…

After the shoes (RIP) were selected, it was time to accessorize. I went with my go to bangle bracelets that I adore. They are even more special because all of them were gifted to me from my mom and sister. For earrings, I chose my dangle feather pair that was a hand me down from my sis. Do you remember when feather earrings were all the rage and then they just weren’t? Lol, they, obviously, still are for me and looked so pretty against the creamy base of the cami top.

Let’s be real, it has been fall in my head since late August but I just had to send summer off with a bang with my Summer In Fall OOTD. Keep it posted here on lifewithlilred for lots more fall fun, fits, and fabulousness! ❤

What is a trend that you can think of that was wildly popular then wasn’t? What is fall weather like where you live? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep26

Halloween Treats (No Tricks!)

Posted on September 26, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Last weekend, Johnny and I went to TJMaxx AND got Mexican food after an OOTD shoot (Keep it posted for that!). It was literally all of my favorite activities in one morning and it was a HOOT! Of course, whenever I go to TJs, it is physically impossible for me to leave without a little treat for myself or someone else. My purchases included an amazing houndstooth vest by Sincerely Jules as well as these fun Halloween goodies:

When it comes to my own personal philosophy on fashion, I place style over comfort every single time. If I like something enough, I will make it work even if it is slightly uncomfortable. In fact, other than pajamas, two pairs of leggings, and a couple of hoodies everything I own is runway ready. This is just me but I would rather spend my money on a great pair of jeans over a pair of sweats any day of the week – sue me for it!

The Better/Together cropped Halloween sweater broke this mindset clean in two because it is quite possibly the most comfortable thing that I have ever owned. It is the softest, coziest little number and, oh yeah, it’s cute too! As soon as I saw it, I thought that it would be just perfect for snuggling up in and watching scary movies. It will also be great for a brisk day at the pumpkin patch with Johnny, my nieces, or clients for some Halloween fun.

Once I completed a super quick once over of the clothing department (I knew Johnny wouldn’t approve of my standard two round process), we headed to the home decor section. I couldn’t believe my luck that another Royal Stafford plate pattern was available because I am obsessed with them. I have quite the collection of their spooky themed plates and always have to buy one if they’re there. This new addition might just be my favorite yet and it’s basically me and Johnny! Although they are way too pretty to eat off of, I like having them just to have them lol. I’ll find out some cool way to incorporate my plates into my apartment decor… eventually. 😉

There were no tricks to this mini TJMaxx Haul, just lots of treats! Stay tuned on lifewithlilred for a brand new OOTD and more Halloween happiness! 😀

Do you have any scary movie recommendations? What do you value more, style or comfort? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep22

New Sincerely Jules Vest

Posted on September 22, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! This past Saturday was absolutely FABULOUS. It was seriously the best day that I have had in over a month and it was just wonderful. To start, Johnny took some new OOTD pictures for me (Check it out soon!). Afterwards we went on a crawl of all of my favorite places. We went to my happy place of TJMaxx and then to my other happy place of El Meson for Mexican food. Once lunch was over, we spent a lovely afternoon at my parents’ house and then back to our apartment for an evening of video games. Like I said, it was the best.

Johnny and I went to TJMaxx with the purpose of checking out their Halloween decorations. As always, I couldn’t go to my own personal Disney Land without buying a little something for myself too lol. The store was overflowing with gorgeous fall clothes and they were all speaking to me. Out of hunger and knowing that Johnny wasn’t going to last long during a morning shopping session, I walked away with a darling houndstooth vest by Sincerely Jules. It’s SO cute and was convenient because I didn’t have to try it on in the fitting room lol check it out:

Dressing for fall is such fun for me because I get to layer up with all of my favorite things – sweaters, cardigans, flannels, and jackets. Why stop at just one piece when you can layer?! I was ecstatic when I saw this Sincerely Jules number because I don’t have anything like it in my wardrobe and, yes, it is a perfect layering piece! Of course, it will be great over top of my plethora of black sweaters but can you imagine it over a jewel tone like cobalt blue? Beautiful!

What I like about this vest the most is its shape. Normally, vests for women taper sharply inwards underneath the breasts and that is not flattering for my body type at all. My new Sincerely Jules vest, however, has a more straight fit to it and invokes all of the menswear vibes, which I am so there for. It has some extra wiggle room to it that provides a bit of movement and will be able to be worn comfortably over a thicker top.

I cannot wait to style this vest for a future OOTD post and I already have so many ideas. To keep with a menswear theme, I plan on raiding Johnny’s wardrobe because he has the best button downs. A more masculine fit on top begs for some sexy heels on the bottom so I might just have to break out my wedding heels one time for the one time. Stay tuned on lifewithlilred to see the completed look!

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

Sep18

New Hair, Who Dis? OOTD Bloopers

Posted on September 18, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my New Hair, Who Dis? OOTD! I have had such a blast creating the bloopers for several of my past OOTDs and it is a relatively new segment on lifewithlilred. I have turned into a firm believer of sharing the entire photo taking process of an influencer because for every awesome shot there are probably twenty bad ones! The blooper reel is a true testament to that:

Johnny was cracking me up with an incredibly bad Alex Jones impression

I swear to drunk, I’m not god lol

My face when I see a dog walking by!! It was amazing!

I LOOK GREAT!!!!!!

Not sure what this stank face is for lol

Showing off some Dancing With The Stars worthy moves

Not sure what this stank face is for, either…

I have no idea what is happening…

If you’re new to the OOTD picture world and a majority of your shots look like the above, that is okay! I remember some of my first OOTD shoots and I was like “yikes” when looking through them afterwards. Practice really does make perfect, though, and you will get more comfortable the more you get in front of the camera.

I used to think that practicing my posing and facial expressions in the mirror was something only contestants on America’s Next Top Model did – but it really does work! Before every shoot, I spend some time in front of my full length mirror practicing different angles, movements, and expressions. With my little study session beforehand, I can take everything that is still fresh in my mind and apply it to my pictures. That’s how I end up with something like these and not any of the above lol:

That does it for my New Hair, Who Dis? OOTD and I hope that all of you enjoyed it as much as I did. Tune in tomorrow for my eight year Blogiversary stroll down memory lane. We will also be discussing new recipes and more OOTDs later this week. Year nine of lifewithlilred is starting off with a bang!

How do you practice before getting in front of the camera? What are some of your modeling pro tips? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep17

New Hair, Who Dis? OOTD Pt. 2

Posted on September 17, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to some bonus pics from my New Hair, Who Dis? OOTD! This shoot was just too much fun and turned out exactly how I wanted so, of course, I have to share some extras. You can also keep it posted tomorrow for the blooper reel and then it is on to celebrating lifewithlilred’s eight year Blogiversary. There’s nothing better than ringing in a brand new year of blogging with a brand new me OOTD! Check it out:

Johnny always tells me that I have perfect timing in the most sarcastic way possible. For example, I’ll ask him for something to drink as soon as he sits down or try to change my DoorDash order right before he’s about to send it in. I never mean to but apparently I have a knack for it! In the case of this OOTD coinciding with my blogiversary, I agree with my husband. My timing is perfect lol.

I had, honestly, forgotten about my blogiversary completely with all of the craziness going on in my life. So you can imagine my surprise when I got the WordPress notification before I began yesterday’s post! A reminder of all of my years of dedication to lifewithlilred paired with pictures that I am obsessed with was just the pick me up I needed. It’s so easy to lose sight of accomplishments – especially when it feels like your life is in shambles *face palm*. But another year of posting daily content under my belt is something that I am so proud of and it felt good to remember that.

Starting my new blogging calendar off with a new OOTD is also serendipitous because lots of OOTD posts are my goal for going into year nine of lifewithlilred. Creating new outfits in a variety of styles is such a blast for me and fall outfits are my jam. So, yes, to my husband – sometimes I really do have perfect timing. Keep it locked for more unique and affordable looks coming soon!

What is something that you are proud of? What is your favorite type of post to write on your blog? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep16

New Hair, Who Dis? OOTD

Posted on September 16, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD compliments of my brand new hair! I am loving my new look so much and couldn’t wait to take pictures this past weekend to show it off. Johnny and I visited a covered bridge in the Cuyahoga Valley to take these pics and, it’s safe to say that we got a ton of weird looks when walking the short trail to the bridge lol. I don’t know why, considering I was in my walking shoes! Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Sheer Sleeve Sweater: DKNY, TJMaxx
Snakeskin Pattern Jeans: Seven Jeans, TJMaxx
Flame Platforms: Forever 21
Bejeweled Cheetah Necklace: Natasha, TJMaxx

After my most recent haul from TJMaxx, I knew that I wanted my DKNY sweater featured in my next OOTD. I love it so very much and sheer sleeve sweaters are, easily, my favorite new trend. It is the perfect compromise to not seeing my tattoos pretty much all fall and winter long and it’s unique too. I have never seen anything like it before until late July and I wish I had five hundred more sweaters with the sheer sleeve style!

With the top already pre-selected, putting together the rest of the outfit was a no brainer. For this OOTD, I wanted to play with different textures to add some spice to an almost All Black Everything look. The Seven Jeans were an obvious choice because they are coated and provided some extra shine. It played off so nicely with the knit base of the sweater and the billowy pinstriped sleeves.

Can we also just talk about how amazing Seven Jeans are in general? There is a reason why Fergie mentions them in the timeless classic, “My Humps” by the Black Eyed Peas. These jeans fit just right and hug my curves without being too tight. You also know how much I love anything snakeskin patterned so this was a fabulous TJMaxx find!

Moving on lol, it was time for shoes and accessories. To continue on with the almost all black palette and keeping texture in mind, I went with my Forever 21 platforms. These are one of my favorite pairs of shoes that I have ever owned! After several years of wearing them, they are not as shiny as they were originally. This is fine, though, and the matte base added another texture twist against the coated jeans.

Finally, it was time for some bling, baby! I have a huge collection of chunky gold jewelry and wanted to stay in that realm because it was going to look awesome against my new hair. To play it up even more, I wanted a chain that was shorter in length to make it really pop. After a few no-gos, I tried the cheetah Natasha necklace and knew that it was the one. It also tied together the flames in the shoes to the rest of the outfit.

This OOTD is a great example of a monochrome look done right. When you are working with just one color, it is so important to use texture to your advantage to add visual interest. You are not going to get it, otherwise, with say a green jacket and dress set. You should also try to incorporate some additional detail to the outfit through cleverly placed accessories with a pop of color. This way, the eyes of whomever you see will still be dancing despite a look with a minimal color palette.

Be sure to tune in this week for bonus pics and bloopers from my New Hair, Who Dis? OOTD! We will also be celebrating my eight year blogiversary a few days late so keep it posted for that! ❤

How do you rock a monochrome look? What is your new favorite trend? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep9

Autumn Awesome OOTD Pt. 3

Posted on September 9, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the last set of photos from my Autumn Awesome OOTD before we move on to the blooper reel! I had a ball styling this look and exploring a new to me metro park with Johnny. I definitely want to go back in proper hiking attire to enjoy the trails because this outfit had me sweating bullets in the fifteen minutes it took to take all of my pictures! My OOTD was, admittedly, not the best for hiking but it was the best for a fabulous fall look:

^^^ The mural was painted by Matt Miller @mtmilo .

I have many favorite things about blogging but high in the ranks is doing OOTD posts. The process is just so satisfying to me and I love seeing something that I had in my head come to life. Planning the outfit, finding the perfect location, taking pictures with my husband, and seeing the results is all such a blast. It also makes it difficult to select only a handful of pictures, which is why several of my recent OOTDs have been a series!

I very much enjoy taking pictures of others and, obviously, having my picture taken too. I consider it to be an excellent practice in self confidence and I can tell how much mine has improved in terms of my OOTD shoots over the years. I’d be a liar if I said that I didn’t use to feel silly having pictures taken of me. Now, I feel like a model when I’m being photographed and try to do photo shoots for the blog with Johnny as often as I can. 😀

Blogging can be hard work but nine times out of ten it feels like play. I appreciate everyone who tunes in to share in the fun with me ❤ . Keep it posted for bloopers from my Autumn Awesome OOTD after a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club!

Do you prefer to be behind or in front of the camera? What helps you improve your self confidence? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep8

Autumn Awesome OOTD Pt. 2

Posted on September 8, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Howdy and welcome to some bonus pics from my Autumn Awesome OOTD! There is something about the arrival of fall that just feels exciting. One primary reason for me is that I despise summer weather lol. I love when the shift of hot AF to comfortable AF happens and I can wrap myself up in all of my cozy fall clothes! I think I will be living in my new Rachel Zoe sweater all autumn long:

^^^ Note the Peter Grimm hat worn on my back instead of my head and don’t note my roots too much!!

As I mentioned yesterday, the weather still fell under the category of “hot AF” during this photo shoot despite my fall ready outfit. I was sweating by the time Johnny and I were ready to leave and put on a pair of shorts and T-shirt as soon as we got home lol. The long awaited temperature change, clearly, hadn’t happened yet but I was very much mentally in fall mode!

During the summertime, I could truly care less about what I’m wearing and if my hair and makeup is done. I already know that I’ll be sweating profusely so what’s the point?! Johnny and I are cold weather creatures and would much rather spend our time in the AC than out and about! When fall arrives, however, it’s like a flip switches and all we want is to be outside doing all of the things. It’s when we thrive. 😀

There is nothing better than taking a hike, visiting a craft fair, or the pumpkin patch and being comfortable while doing so. My summer long hibernation ends and that means that I have to show out no matter the activity or occasion. My wardrobe skews heavily towards fall clothing and I need to seize every opportunity I can to break out all of my favorite pieces. Yet another reason why I freaking LOVE fall.

I don’t know about all of you, but this is the time of year for me when I begin thinking about all of the cold weather holidays. I am daydreaming of Halloween, Thanksgiving dinner, and Christmas. In fact, I have already began my shopping! Fall brings about all kinds of amazing changes and I am ready to live my best life all autumn long. And also my best dressed life too!

What is your favorite type of weather? Have you started any holiday shopping already? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep7

Autumn Awesome OOTD

Posted on September 7, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! As far as I’m concerned, it becomes fall as soon as it turns September and it is my favorite time of the year. Crisp weather, all of the autumn activities, Halloween, and, of course, the clothes! Nothing pleases me more than the arrival of cozy sweaters, cardigans, and coats in stores and I have a recent haul from TJMaxx to show for it. This Autumn Awesome OOTD features one of my new purchases:

^^^ The mural was painted by Lizzi Aronhalt.

Who? What? Wear?

Sweater: Rachel Zoe, TJMaxx
Distressed Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters
Hat: Peter Grimm, TJMaxx
Heeled Boots: Olivia Miller, TJMaxx
The rings are from Target

When trying on my new Rachel Zoe sweater at TJMaxx, my mind was swarming with OOTD possibilities and this look is the first one that flashed before my eyes. It just feels like the perfect fall outfit and I love it oh so much. I can definitely picture myself at the pumpkin patch, apple picking, or on a hay ride while wearing this OOTD and that means I accomplished my goal of an ideal fall fit!

It’s easy when we think of fall to associate it with deep burgundy and jewel tone colors and that’s fine. However, I think people often forget about the softer tones that look stunning come autumn too. The dove grey, camel, and periwinkle palette of my sweater is a unique take on fall colors and I like that it’s not your typical oxblood or plum.

When I first purchased my sweater, I thought that the diamond patterned stitching throughout it was black. It’s actually a chocolate brown, which would make it so cute with some brown velvet skinny jeans. But, I didn’t have any so I just went with my favorite AEO black skinnies. You would really have to look closely to notice the small color difference so it was good enough for me.

With the base of the outfit settled, it was time for accessories and I knew exactly what I needed thanks to my fitting room vision. There is nothing better than a cool pair of boots in the fall and I chose my Olivia Millers with the chunky chain embellishment. I love clothes and accessories with a little extra something to it and these boots added some flare to a relatively simple outfit. They were also a steal at only twenty dollars and you can’t beat that!

Of course, no fall outfit is complete without a cute hat and my camel one by Peter Grimm was the winner. It matched perfectly with the sweater and I am obsessed with the toggle strap, allowing you to wear the hat on your head or on your back when you tighten it (You can see pics featuring the latter option tomorrow!). Hats are, easily, one of my favorite accessories and are also the easiest fix when you need your hair done – which I do desperately lol.

I wrapped up my accessorizing with some rings from Target to add some extra bling. They are, honestly, old as dirt but I still love them! I didn’t want to add a necklace as the hat strap acted as a pseudo one. I also didn’t want anything to take away from the pattern on the sweater. Always remember that less is more when it comes to finishing touches on an outfit!

With an Autumn Awesome OOTD ready to go, Johnny and I headed to a nearby metro park to snap some shots. It was a beautiful location and you can see more of it all of this week in some bonus pics and bloopers. I also just want to say that I changed into a shorts and T-shirt immediately after taking these pictures because it was hot AF out lol. Mentally, I was feeling very fall, though! 😀

What is your favorite cold weather accessory? What is fall weather like in your neck of the woods? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep4

New Rachel Zoe Sweater

Posted on September 4, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello and welcome to the last new purchase from my TJMaxx Haul! When I go shopping, I usually know instantly if a piece of clothing is going to work for me just by looking at it. I am a seasoned pro, after all, and I am well versed in the styles, shapes, and colors that work best for my body type, hair color, and complexion. This little number by Rachel Zoe is a prime example of that and I fell in love as soon as I saw it:

Similarly to my new DKNY sweater that you saw yesterday, I gasped when I saw this Rachel Zoe sweater. The shape is almost identical to my favorite chartreuse sweater by Cynthia Rowley and I haven’t found anything like it since buying it three years ago. I am living for the mock turtle neck, form fitting but not too tight fit, and diamond block pattern. The ultra soft material and all of the fun styling potentials are the cherry on top!

Thanks to my sixth sense when it comes to clothing, all I had to do was slip this sweater on and off for a second or two to know that it was a must have. And, within that time, visions of fabulous fall OOTDs began to swirl inside my head. I can’t wait to sport my new sweater with skinny jeans, brown ankle boots, and my Peter Grimm hat. It will be the perfect look for a leisurely autumn hike. I also love the idea of pairing it over top of a maxi dress or skirt for something more dressed up. This sweater screams “fall” and I am so there for it. 😀

Autumn is amazing for many reasons – cooler weather, leaves changing colors, Halloween and, oh yeah – the clothes. Keep it posted here on lifewithlilred for all of the fall OOTDs coming soon!

What is your fall style like? How would you style this sweater? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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