Tag Archives: style

Jul7

Feeling Lucky

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Feeling Lucky

Hello! At the beginning of April, I was in need of some new sunglasses and bought two new pairs at TJMaxx. I was especially partial to the pair by Lucky Brand because it is one of my favorite brands and the sunglasses fit me to the T. In fact, I loved them so much that I almost considered buying two pairs of them. I wore those babies everywhere and I just felt so cool in them! Because I wore them everywhere, it’s no surprise that they accompanied me to the Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson concert. It was one of the craziest nights of my life and I ended up losing my beloved pair of Lucky Brand sunnies in the mix. I was absolutely devastated. I went from wearing them every day to not having them at all and I was kicking myself in the butt for not buying that back up pair.

I was feeling fairly confident that if I went to TJMaxx, they would not have another pair of my beloved Luckies. It had been well over two months since the initial purchase so why would they? However, I just had to see for myself so I made a pit stop to the happiest place on Earth. Rather than browse through the store, I made a beeline to the sunglasses department and began scouring the shelves. I started at the left hand side, looked through the rows from top to bottom, and was seeing nothing. I continued the hunt to be one thousand percent sure and, as luck would have it, one pair of Lucky frames remained at the very end of the display. I couldn’t believe my good fortune and snatched them up!

Had there been more pairs of these sunglasses, I would have bought the lot of them. Sunglasses can get broken or lost so easily and I have experienced both firsthand. So the moral of the story is: There is no shame in buying back ups of anything you really love. It could be a great pair of ballet flats, your favorite T-shirt in different colors, and yes – sunglasses too. I learned my lesson when my favorite pair of sunglasses I have ever owned almost got away from me and I am not making that same mistake twice!

The fashion gods were truly smiling upon me when they returned my Lucky frames to their rightful owner. I was feeling so lucky I should have played the lottery! 😀

Do you buy back ups of anything in your wardrobe? Have you ever lost a favorite fashion item? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul5

Country Cutie OOTD Bloopers

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Country Cutie OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Country Cutie OOTD! This look was worn to Outlaw Fest to see Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson at Blossom Music Center. Honestly, the whole night was a blooper reel in itself and Johnny and I are still laughing about the antics we got into. I haven’t had a night that wild since the after party at our wedding lol. The bloopers didn’t begin at the concert but during the photo shoot beforehand so take a look at some yikes pics that really helped set the tone for the festivities:

Tinkerbell just hanging out on my nose

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

Getting ready to practice my hoedown

So sick of constantly wiping away upper lip sweat SMH

This hoe was almost down lolol

A measurement of how lit I got at the concert

As you can imagine, Johnny and I were definitely feeling the hangover blues the day after the concert. Luckily for us, we have concocted the perfect cure – AKA: A Day of Lay. Lay days are exactly what they sound like: Staying in bed, watching TV, and moving as little as possible lol. And, luckily for us, we have discovered a new “warm blanket” show (Johnny’s definition of a comfort show) to enjoy. A few weeks ago, we started watching Fresh Off The Boat and have been plowing through it at a speed of light pace. It is absolutely hilarious!

Fresh Off The Boat is based off of a book of the same name by Eddie Huang (I can’t wait to read it!). Eddie’s family is Chinese American and the book and show documents their move from Washington D.C. to Orlando, Florida to open a steakhouse in the nineties and get their own slice of the American Dream. The Huang family is comprised of proud parents, Louis and Jessica and their three boys named Eddie, Emery, and Evan. Louis’s mom, Jenny, also lives with them. She speaks no English but lives for Garfield comics and cruising in her electric wheelchair. 😀

From start to finish, every single episode has Johnny and me in stitches. The Huang brothers are all cute as can be and the littlest, Evan, is our favorite. He is just a doll! We also revel in the pure “Louis and Jessica” of our own relationship. Johnny is a Louis for sure. He is spontaneous, silly, and always has a new big idea. I am one thousand percent Jessica and I own it – strategic, thinks in black and white, never backs down from a challenge, and tears it up in a game of Scrabble. Fresh Off The Boat is the most delightful mix of funny and downright heartwarming and when we aren’t in hysterics, we are going “aww” at how sweet it is lol. It was easy to forget how hungover we were during our marathon when we were laughing the entire time!

Our daily viewings of Fresh Off The Boat are something I really look forward to and it came through in the clutch the day after the concert. We finished a full season in one day! 😀

What is your favorite comfort show? How many times have you seen it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul3

Country Cutie OOTD

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Country Cutie OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! Johnny and I have a spectacular summer concert series lined up and this look was for Outlaw Fest to see Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan at Blossom Music Center. We went to this show in the middle of a full fledged heat wave here in Ohio so I had to make some changes to my original plan which was to wear a Western button down of Johnny’s. Instead, I went with an itty bitty brand new top and shorts to keep me cool and rockin’ all night long. Take a look:

Who? What? Wear?

Crochet Crop Top: Bozzolo, TJMaxx

Jean Shorts: American Eagle Outfitters

Heeled Boots: These were purchased forever ago from Target

Sunglasses and Cross Earrings: Lucky Brand, TJMaxx

The bracelet ring was purchased forever ago from Claire’s

Although I had to swap out shirts to accommodate the weather, this was no problem because I had a back up in mind: My new crochet crop top by Bozzolo. I got this cute crop a few days before the concert during an impromptu TJs trip with my mom and it truly couldn’t have happened at a better time! This crop is oh so sweet and I love the creamy color and the buttons down the front. It also provided beaucoup ventilation which was especially appreciated while being in a sea of people in ninety degree weather. Not only did this top keep me comfortable weather wise but I just feel so comfortable in it in general. The thick tank straps are exactly what I like to keep my bra straps concealed so I didn’t have to worry about them playing peek a boo all night!

Next on the agenda was shorts and I went with a darling pair of blue jean shorts from American Eagle Outfitters. As always, their shorts are the best and I live in them all summer. I couldn’t imagine wearing anything other than classic blue jean shorts to a country show. This pair is pure Americana, Girl Next Door perfection. I like that they are short but not too short and they provided the leg length I needed to make the tall boots I wanted to wear work.

Shoes and accessories were all that was needed to wrap up this look and that was easy peasy. When we got tickets to Outlaw Fest, I already knew I wanted to wear my heeled boots from Target. They are as old as dirt but they still look great! They are a fun twist on a classic cowboy boot and I love being able to put a Lil Red spin on staple items. How fabulous is that sunset coloring and big ol’ buckles?! For accessories, I wanted to drive the Western aesthetic home with turquoise. I put on a pair of turquoise dangly cross earrings as well as a huge turquoise cross ring that connects to a bracelet and I was ready to go!

Outlaw Fest was such an amazing time from start to finish. I adored this OOTD and felt like a boot scootin’ star all night!

What are some of your summer wardrobe staples? Are you going to any concerts this summer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun28

B-Day OOTD Bloopers

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B-Day OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my B-Day OOTD! Johnny and I have been celebrating our birthaversary big time all month long and this lil look was worn to lunch at the Olive Garden with my family. It was the best gift! We still have beaucoup plans lined up in our roster and it is honestly kind of overwhelming lol. We went from never doing anything on the weekends to nonstop plans and I am exhausted! But, hey, the birthaversary is a monumental occasion so let the good times roll because when I can relax with a new season of my guilty pleasure show, it is going to be oh so sweet. 😀 Take a look at these yikes shots and let’s discuss:

Style, grace, poise

Your girl really knows how to stick the landing!

Perfecting my flamingo impression

Taking a minute to think about the Olive Garden. It’s never far from my mind!

When you think someone is waving at you but they weren’t

Preparing to speak some truth to Johnny

Straight up barrelling to my phone

Am I the only one who feels overwhelmed by streaming services? Lol, every single day there are a million brand new things. Some might be good, a majority is crap, and it is just a pain in the keister to figure out what to watch. I am one of those people that will spend a solid twenty minutes trying to find a show or documentary and then just end up turning on Superbad! For once, however, I know exactly what I am going to watch whenever I have time to spare. That’s right… A new season of America’s Sweethearts on Netflix just dropped and I am SO there for it! 😀

America’s Sweethearts is all about the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, the audition process, prepping for games, and all that good stuff. I remember when the first season came out vividly because I was sick and I watched it all in one day! I was hooked and you have no idea how happy I was for season two to be released – reality TV is my guilty pleasure and America’s Sweethearts serves on every level. Pretty ladies for your favorite bisexual, insane dancing, hardass coaches, drama, and sisterhood. What could be better?! Do I care about football? The hardest NO ever. Do I care deeply about the cheerleaders? You’re damn right! This new season is a bonus birthaversary gift and I cannot wait to revel in it. Go team!

A new season of a favorite show really is a treat and during my binge-a-thon of America’s Sweethearts, I plan on treating myself even more. I got a Taco Bell gift card for my birthday and am going to have a one person fiesta. Let those birthaversary good times roll on, baby!

What is one of your guilty pleasure shows? Have you watched America’s Sweethearts? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun27

New Max Studio Maxi Dress

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New Max Studio Maxi Dress

Howdy!! The final item from my TJMaxx summer wardrobe refresh haul is truly the piece de resistance. Other than a couple of new tops, I was really hoping to find a sun dress or two. What I ended up with, however, was a maxi dress that caught the corner of my eye. I walked past it while I was heading to the dressing rooms, did a double take, tossed it into the cart, and knew it was a winner as soon as it was on. This Max Studio maxi dress is serving all of the Midwest Princess vibes and I am a thousand percent there for it! Check it out:

^^^ Peep that original price tag! Talk about a STEAL!!! 😀

During a recent trip to Bath & Body Works, I noticed a new scent called Heirloom Tomato or something or other. It smelled like ass, but the packaging was so pretty. It featured deep reds and greens for the fruit/vegetable and was the first thing I thought of when I saw this dress. The color palette is almost identical! When I put it in the cart, I honestly didn’t think it was going to work out. As a petite gal, maxi dresses can be hit or miss for me. If they are not the perfect length and fit, I will drown in fabric. The maxi dress has to be “just right” and they have been few and far between in my extensive shopaholic tenure. My rule of thumb when shopping has always been to try clothes on anyways. Regardless of fit, style, or assumptions, if I like what I see, I am going to try it on. I am so glad for that because this dress would have been bypassed and I never would have found my new favorite thing!

From top to the flowy tiered bottom, this maxi dress is dynamite and I was so delighted when I fell in love with it in the fitting room. Not only was the length of this dress questionable to me, but the pattern was as well. As a heavily tattooed chick, loud patterns can look cluttered over all of my artwork. The full coverage on the legs and torso that this dress offered put a limit on my own color palette and allowed for the pattern to fully do the talking rather than work against the tattoos. I felt like a country music star in it and couldn’t help but do a twirl in the fitting room! I cannot wait to pair it with a deep blue denim jacket and a pair of heeled cowboy-esque boots. This dress is so different than anything I own and I know I am going to have a total blast styling it!

There’s a new country cutie in town and her name is Lil Red! You already know an OOTD with this Max Studio masterpiece is coming so keep your eyes peeled! ❤

Do you update your wardrobe with the change of the seasons? What are your summer wardrobe staples? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun26

New Bozzolo Crop Top

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New Bozzolo Crop Top

Howdy!! As you all know, I am not a summer girl whatsoever. I do not handle the heat well, I detest dressing for summer, and it is an all around miserable time for your favorite vampire. Although I am not happy in the slightest about the hot weather, I am extremely happy about the new clothes I got during my last TJMaxx adventure. That is always going to be a surefire way to perk me up! Cool and cute clothes were the name of the game and this eight dollar crop by Bozzolo certainly checks those boxes. Check it out:

Black will forever be my favorite color and a majority of the clothes in my wardrobe feature it. In stark contrast, I also adore white clothing – especially cream hues. These shades make my tattoos pop and I love being able to enhance my artwork accessories. I already have several cream crochet style crops in my closet so, unsurprisingly, this little number by Bozzolo caught my eye. It was an instance where I knew immediately that it would work, the price was nice at under ten bucks, and into the cart it went.

As expected, this cute crop was perfect when I tried it on. The material was soft and light, the thick straps were ideal for covering bra straps, and it looked like it was made to wear with the high waisted shorts I had on. Although this top is fairly simple, it has more to it than my typical tank tops and is a great option to just throw on and go about the day. It also provides the opportunity to dress up or down. It was already fabulous with shorts but would be oh so sweet with a flowing maxi skirt. This is definitely going to be one of my summer go tos and I won’t be giving it up as we transition to fall. It will be totes adorbs under a chunky cardigan too!

There is nothing better than finding clothes that are just right and this top was exactly what I needed for my summer wardrobe. It also might make a cameo in a concert OOTD soon so stay tuned!

What is your favorite color to wear? 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

Jun25

New Caroline Constas Flower Power Top

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New Caroline Constas Flower Power Top

Hello! My mom and I have had TJMaxx gift cards burning a hole in our pockets and decided to have an impromptu shopping trip during my break this past Tuesday. It was just the little pick me up I needed and we had so much fun. I absolutely love going shopping with my mom, I always have and I always will and she is my partner in crime. Normally, I like to stock up on skin care when I have gift cards to spend. This time, however, I was on the hunt for new summer clothes. As a gal who loves dressing for the fall, my warm weather clothes are lacking and I have recently been lamenting over having “nothing” to wear. Happily, I found three amazing new pieces to update my summer wardrobe and I can’t wait to show all of you! Let’s get started with this gorgeous top by Caroline Constas:

When I am at TJMaxx, I browse in the junior and women’s department alike and tend to have good luck across the board. Other than a super cute crop that you will see soon, the junior’s department was doing nothing for me during this trip. Everything was so small, so short, plain ugly, or featured a tie in the front of the tops which I freaking hate lol. The women’s department was much more like it and I literally GASPED when I saw the flower power top by Caroline Constas. Once upon a time, there was a beautiful top at Urban Outfitters that I was obsessed with. It was very expensive and it didn’t come home with me. I honestly couldn’t even tell you what it looked like now, but for some reason the idea of it came to my head when I saw my new top. It was like getting a second chance at the one that got away and I was not letting it slip through my fingers again.

This cropped number is everything and it is so unique and adorable. The poppy embroidered flowers and red border over a stark white base remind me of an artist’s smock in the best way possible. And, of course, I loves me anything with balloon sleeves! This top screams fun in the sun and I cannot wait to pair it with sweet denim shorts and wedge sandals. It was a bit more expensive than I usually will spend for a top at thirty-five dollars, but it was worth every penny. There was no original price tag to compare to so I looked it up online and saw it for sale on Poshmark for one hundred and twenty-five smackers. Whatever it originally costed, I got it for a fraction of the price and you can’t beat that!

I have a feeling I will be wearing this top all summer long and it is officially one of my new favorites. Stay tuned for a brand new OOTD soon!

What is your favorite designer brand? Which stores or websites can you get the best bargains on? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun23

B-Day OOTD

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B-Day OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred!! And, as always, check out the videos from this look on my TikTok! 🙂 For mine and Johnny’s birthaversary gift, we requested a big family lunch at Olive Garden this past weekend. We wanted to celebrate with my family all together, eat delicious food, and enjoy each other’s company. We did just that and it was the perfect gift! Of course, I had to show out for the b-day outing and put together this fun little fit:

Who? What? Wear?

Crochet Crop Top: Rebellion Again, TJMaxx

Tennis Skirt: Kyodan, TJMaxx

Wedges: Charles By Charles David, TJMaxx

The earrings are by Sincerely Jules and were a birthday gift from my niece! ❤

It has been hot, hot, hot here in good ol’ Akron, Ohio and keeping it cool, cute, and comfy has been the name of the game. To achieve that, I began styling this outfit by browsing in the skirt department of my wardrobe. Skirts are great because they’re basically shorts but dressier and that is exactly what I needed to be cool and cute for my birthday lunch! In some cases, however, skirts are both a skirt and a short like the adorable tennis skirt by Kyodan. This gauzy pleated skort is everything and is perfect for some fun in the sun. It is so light, the shorts provide coverage for any wardrobe malfunctions, and I love that you can see the shorts through the skirt’s fabric. We had a winner and the rest of the outfit built itself from there.

For my top, I decided to go with a darling little crochet number by Rebellion Again. I am a huge fan of pairing black with white or a close enough shade of white and this top was ideal for adding contrasting colorblocks. Not only did this top provide a color palette that pleases me but its crop was just right in length. It hit right at the waistline of the skirt so only a minimal peek a boo of tummy was visible. For my own personal rule of thumb, I usually don’t like pairing two revealing items together and this top allowed my legs to still be the main attraction.

Finally, it was onto shoes and accessories. I went with one of my go to pairs of summer wedges by Charles By Charles David. These wedges are such a classic summer staple and their black and woven palette tied the look together from head to toe. Jewelry was a no brainer because I knew exactly what earrings I was going to wear: The gorgeous pair by Sincerely Jules that my niece gifted me. She was just as proud to see me in them at lunch as I was to wear them! ❤

I had the best birthday celebration and felt like a star rolling into the Olive Garden in my B-Day OOTD!

How do you like to celebrate your birthday? What is one of your summer wardrobe staples? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun11

Birthday Partay OOTD Bloopers

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Birthday Partay OOTD Bloopers

Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Birthday Partay OOTD! Johnny and I had a banner birthaversary week and the good times are going to keep rolling. We recently went to see AC/DC in Cleveland which was phenomenal and we have another concert on the horizon in the next few weeks: Outlaw Fest where Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan will be headlining! We had so many amazing concerts lined up during the pandemic that we had to forego and we are certainly making up for it this summer. Let’s take a look at some yikes shots and discuss a lil funny from my last nail appointment:

Oh mylanta am I looking GOOD

What invoked this reaction is unknown but I sure look thrilled

Always ready for my closeup

A sultry gaze just for you

I swear to high I’m not god

How to pose 101

Don’t mind me getting electrocuted

In my head, all of the adults who I interact with are my age. However, there are instances when it becomes glaringly obvious that that is, in fact, not accurate lol. Take my nail techs, for example. Both of my go to girls are at least five or six years younger than me and you could have knocked me over with a feather when I made that revelation. As per ushe, I forgot immediately until my last appointment when we were discussing summer concerts. I was telling my gals about mine and Johnny’s lineup and mentioned that we were seeing Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan in a few weeks. I kid you not both of them replied “who?” at the exact same time and my worldview was shattered.

As a forever young thirty-one year old, I kind of assumed that everyone knew of Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan. A movie about the latter just came out this past year! I rarely feel old but, in that moment, I felt ancient! Honestly, this concert is more for Johnny. I love me some Willie but do not get down with Bob Dylan in the slightest. So, I just tried to explain them the best as I could to my techs. My response was “Willie Nelson is a super old country artist and Bob Dylan is just folksy BS” lol. Despite my excellent description, it still didn’t ring any bells!

It was seriously the cutest thing and humored me so much because I find myself asking the same questions when they tell me about the musicians they love or concerts they are going to. Hey, we all learn something new every appointment! It’s never not going to be fun or funny to try and describe artists to each other that we have no idea about. I get to teach them about what’s old and they get to teach me about what’s hip (Omg do I sound old lol). It’s a beautiful win/win scenario and I can’t wait to fill them in on my old timers concert at my next appointment! ❤

This new generation is A-okay in my book and no matter what your age is, you can always ALWAYS learn something new!

What is your summer concert lineup? Who is a beloved artist that you can’t stand? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jun10

Birthday Partay OOTD

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Birthday Partay OOTD

Hello!! June first was my sweet Johnny’s birthday and we had a little get together at chez nous to celebrate. It was nothing major, just a few friends but it was oh so much fun! It was also delightful to have one of our dear friends who officiated our wedding and his fiance join us. For such a monumental occasion, we just had to show out in our birthday best to get our partay on. Who am I kidding, for every occasion, we always show out! Take a look and let’s discuss:

Who? What? Wear?

Lipstick Kiss Cami: A New Day, Target

Coated Skinny Jeans: Seven Jeans, TJMaxx

Speech Bubble Heels: LFL, TJMaxx

Bracelet: Allsaints, TJMaxx

I think the earrings are from Target!!

It has been getting hot, hot, hot in good ol’ Akron, Ohio and TMI but I had finally shaved my armpits lol. So, I started building this outfit by browsing in the cami department. Hey, I just had to show off those silky smooth pits! My eyes landed on the adorable lipstick kiss cami that I purchased at Target for mine and Johnny’s Valentine’s Day date this year. While this pattern might be traditional for V-Day, that doesn’t mean it can’t be worn literally whenever I want and I love this top. It fits like a glove, has a gorgeous sheen, and is sexy without me feeling like it’s too much. With this little number as the focal point, the rest of the outfit built itself from there.

For jeans, I decided to go for a fantastic pair of coated skinnies by Seven Jeans. These pantaloons are my pride and joy and feature the slightest snakeskin pattern. However, it is so minimal that it can be worn with another pattern no harm no foul. Of course, I chose these jeans because they are the freaking coolest, but it was primarily for the sheen from the coating. Because the cami had a similar motif, they worked in tandem rather than clashed against each other. Remember, you can always pair two shiny pieces together and they are going to work especially well if the base color is the same!

Finally, it was onto shoes and accessories. For a pop of pure fun, I went with my word bubble heels by LFL with the bold statement of “Who Cares!”. And, the answer is: I most certainly don’t! These provided a sassy pop of red toenail polish to tie the look together from head to toe. I had plenty of open real estate for jewelry but I didn’t want to overdo it as I was already working with sheen on sheen on sheen. I put on one of my favorite bracelets by Allsaints as well as a pair of dangly black teardrop gem earrings. With that, I was ready to get my partay on with all of my favorite people!

Johnny and I were looking our best and had the best time for his birthday. If you’re going to celebrate, you have to do it in style! ❤

What have you celebrated recently? Have you done any summer clothes shopping? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah