Tag Archives: sweet

Feb22

Post V-Day Sweetness

Posted on February 22, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Hello! Johnny and I went to see Hadestown at Playhouse Square as our main Valentine’s Day event and had the best time! We still listen to the soundtrack basically every day and it has been playing on a constant loop in our heads since the show. Prior to going to the theater, mine and Johnny’s dinner plans got sidetracked and he felt so bad that I barely ate at the restaurant we went to. In my defense, the food wasn’t good at all lol and I told him I didn’t want anything else for Valentine’s Day. Of course, Johnny didn’t listen!

Last week, he ordered a DVD of the NBC live taping of Jesus Christ Superstar just for me. Well, actually it might have been more for him since Alice Cooper played King Herod! But I digress. Jesus Christ Superstar is my all time favorite musical and we saw it last year at Playhouse Square for our Valentine’s Day date. Several years ago, I was so stoked that NBC was going to do a live taping for Easter and very much enjoyed the production. However, I haven’t seen it since it aired on TV. So, needless to say, I flipped my shit when he gave me my part two gift.

This past Saturday, Johnny and I DoorDashed some dinner and watched the DVD together for an at home date night and it was a blast. My heart simply exploded over the fact that Johnny was singing along to the lyrics with me when I had to damn near beg him to watch the original film with me when we first started dating! It was fun to compare and contrast the Playhouse Square show to the live taping and it was the cutest thing to hear Johnny deem production decisions as a “good choice”. Lol, he’s turning into a theater nerd just like his old ball and chain! ❤

The Post V-Day Sweetness didn’t end after our viewing of JCSS because we also had company over that night. Me, Johnny, and our bestie, Cliff, have become obsessed with Saturday night wrestling purely for shits and gigs. It has now become a weekend tradition and we couldn’t wait for the cage match event. When I saw Cliff prior to Valentine’s Day, I jokingly told him and Johnny that I expected chocolate from each of them. I didn’t expect Cliff to take me seriously in the slightest and he presented me with this:

Apparently, Cliff was running errands and saw a Red box of chocolates and couldn’t not get it for me! Cliff is one of the kindest people that I have ever met and he is so thoughtful. Like me, he is constantly storing away gift ideas and when I said I wanted chocolate even as a joke, he took note. Cliff has been Johnny’s best friend since kindergarten and it really touches me whenever he thinks about me for a gift giving occasion too!

I spent Saturday evening being spoiled by my two best guys and I feel so lucky to have had not one but two Valentine’s Day celebrations. Here’s to many more and all of the Saturday night wrestling!

How did you celebrate Valentine’s Day? How do you like to spoil your friends? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb14

Valentine’s Day Chocolate

Posted on February 14, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and Happy Valentine’s Day! Last week, I spent a wonderful free afternoon making chocolate with my mother-in-law. This was the second time I have made chocolate with Johnny’s mom and it was even more fun and satisfying than I remember from our Christmas candy session. Johnny finally brought home the end results of our handiwork this past weekend and our Valentine’s Day chocolate came out perfectly, if I do say so myself! Check it out:

Making your own chocolate can be as easy or intricate as you would like it to be. You can take your time and paint details into the molds or you could simply pour the melted chocolate in and call it a day. Johnny’s mom and I did a healthy combination of both methods and the most time consuming project was definitely the pretzel rods. The molds took forever to paint but they turned out so nice that I wasn’t complaining! They were also freaking delicious and are my favorite creation from the batch. 😀

Johnny’s mom is no stranger to making chocolate and used to have her own small candy business with a friend. And, I’m sure if she wanted to, she could open her own candy shop now with her stockpile of chocolate wafers, molds, and supplies. I was surprised to learn that all of her chocolate making gear comes from Mr. Bulky’s, which is a bulk candy store in our area, as the name suggests lol. I had no idea that her craft was so attainable and affordable and it makes me want to go out and buy my own supplies. However, I would much rather spend more time making chocolates together with Johnny’s mom, instead! ❤

I am insanely proud of how my chocolate came out and I am so looking forward to making Easter chocolate at chez in-laws next month. We will also have a special guest because my niece, Val Gal, is going to join us. I can’t wait for her to take part in the chocolate making fun too!

What is your favorite kind of candy? What kind of chocolate do you prefer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb8

Galentine’s Day OOTD

Posted on February 8, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! This past Saturday was a fairly busy one because I was pet sitting and going back and forth to take care of a sweet pup named Luna. Afterwards, I had plans to take Johnny out for dinner because he did such a good job cleaning the apartment this past week! Since we had a date night, I decided to put together a little look more appropriate for Galentine’s Day to take some pics and go out in. Granted, we ended up just DoorDashing because tired but we did go to a different bathroom brick wall at another local park so it was still a successful day! Lol, check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Navy Peacoat: I got this forever ago from ModCloth
Unicorn Sweater: Loft
Plaid Skinny Jeans: Sound & Style, TJMaxx
Hoop Earrings: SugarFix By BaubleBar, Target
Pink Heels: Plato’s Closet

Although we should be celebrating our lady friends every day, there is something about Galentine’s Day that just hits different! Whether you’re brunching with your besties or hitting up happy hour on G-Day, I wanted to put together some outfit inspiration so you can look your best with your best girls. For this look, I wanted to use pieces in my wardrobe that were both cute, cozy, and would open up the conversation of “where did you get that?” to initiate shopping talk – a very important Galentine’s Day component!

When I first started styling my Galentine’s Day OOTD, I had my plaid skinnies by Sound & Style in mind. Afterwards, everything came into place easily because it just took a little common sense. While I love a patterned pant, they are not the most versatile and all I did was draw from the plaid to build the rest of the outfit. The base of this look pretty much had to be navy because of the base color on the pants. Then, I turned to the pinky mauve hue of the plaid to accessorize.

For the top, I chose my unicorn sweater from Loft. This was a gift from my mom a few Christmases ago and it is one of my favorites. You might notice that the navy on the sweater, pants, and peacoat is not a perfect match and that is okay! When you are styling a more monochromatic look, do not let yourself get bogged down by something like that or you will end up scrapping everything. The variants in the color you are working with will add some interest to a minimal outfit palette. As long as it is close enough, you are all good!

Because there was a pattern on my pants and top, I wanted to keep the accessories to a minimum. I went with my glittery pink hoops from Target, which I love. No Galentine’s Day look is complete without a little sparkle! These earrings added brightness around my face and note how I simply used the colors in the plaid pants to make my selection. The same process was used for the shoes. These heels are god knows how old from Plato’s Closet and were actually one of the first pairs that helped stoke the fires of my shoe addiction! The color of the heels is essentially the shade of the detailing in the pants in its brightest form and it added a poppy touch of fun to the look.

Finally, all that was left was a coat or jacket and I knew just what I wanted to put on – my peacoat from ModCloth. This was one of my first ModCloth purchases and I have had it since I was a teenager. Despite its age, it’s one of my favorite coats because it is just so adorable! The cobalt blue heart patches and piping are the girly sweet details that are a Galentine’s Day essential. While super cute, the cobalt also helped break up the sea of navy and was the perfect way to complete my outfit!

Celebrate your Galentine’s Day in style with the outfit inspo above and have the best time celebrating with your best friends! ❤

Do you celebrate Galentine’s Day? What are you going to wear and do? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov15

Best Bunny Dad Ever!

Posted on November 15, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Johnny and I have had our sweet bunny babies, Penelope and Mel, for two weeks now but it feels like we have had them for forever. They are the most wonderful pets and it is an honor and a privilege to be their parents! The most pleasant surprise of this experience is, easily, Johnny’s transformation into a full on bunny dad. I knew from the jump how much I was going to love them but it is so adorable to see how equally obsessed my husband is with them too:

^^^ Proud papa!

When we brought our mother and son duo home, it was safe to say that Johnny didn’t seem particularly thrilled about it. However, that changed drastically the following day! When I returned home in the evening, Johnny couldn’t wait to tell me about all of the fun him and the bunnies had together. They spent hours on end snuggling and playing and Johnny even treated them to a banjo concert lol. It was also VERY NICE to hear every wife’s favorite words of “you were right”!!

Johnny, Penelope, and Mel have been best buddies ever since and it’s so hilarious to me. The whole situation is such a classic turn around from “I don’t want a pet” to constantly snapping pictures of them and oohing and ahhing over every single thing the bunnies do. Johnny is always calling Mel his “special boy” and Penelope his “favorite girl” and it melts my heart every time. 🙂

Now that we are the proud parents to our furry little children, our evenings our spent watching them explore our apartment. Johnny actually went to Menard’s and got a bunch of baby proofing stuff so Mel and Penelope can safely go on their adventures. I’m sure everyone at the store thought he was preparing for a new baby so I would have loved to see what they had to say if Johnny told them it was for his bunnies lol. He is truly the best bunny dad ever! ❤

Becoming pet owners has been so exciting and every day with our precious babies brings me so much joy. Having Johnny so clearly feel the same sentiments is the cherry on top!

Has anyone else had a similar experience to Johnny over a new pet? What are some of the nicknames you have for your pets? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov10

Sweet Surprises: Husband’s Haul Edition

Posted on November 10, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! This past weekend, Johnny and my brother visited a Comicon event that was happening right down the street from us at a banquet center. Like the last time that they went to a similar event this past summer, both guys walked away with a ton of awesome purchases from the vendors that were set up. By the time I returned home after their outing, Johnny was already out for the evening. But, he told me the amount of goodies he set up throughout the apartment and it was like a scavenger hunt to find them all! Check it out:

As I wandered around the apartment trying to find all of Johnny’s purchases, I couldn’t quite believe it – everything was just so cool! I also loved that he knew exactly what I would have bought for myself if I had been able to come because I would have been all over that Sam Minifig from Trick ‘R Treat. The Link Minifig that Johnny got for himself also looks fantastic next to our collection of Legend Of Zelda amiibos. And, of course, our Funko Pop collection continues to grow with figures from our favorite holiday flick, Jingle All The Way. Now, I just need to get my hands on a Turbo Man Funko! 😀

What really blew my mind from Johnny’s haul was the perler bead art of R2D2 and Duck Hunt. Perler beads were something that I constantly played with when I was little and I hadn’t really thought about them until seeing our new wall art. The Duck Hunt one is so clever and I wish that I came up with the idea myself! In fact, I kind of want to try some perler bead kits in my free time – although it might be kind of difficult with my talon nails lol smh.

The most noticeable change in our apartment’s decor is, obviously, the huge horror movie icon prints that Johnny got from the hosts of Transylvania Tonight. All of these were painted by “Drac” and both him and “Countess Carita” signed the print of one of their advertisement shots. From what Johnny told me, they both definitely seem like our kind of people and I can’t get over how spectacular each print is. As soon as I saw them hanging up thanks to Johnny’s handiwork, I literally clutched my pearls!

I am so proud of my Johnny’s Comicon haul and I wish that I could have joined in the fun with him and my brother. However, it’s probably a good thing that I had other plans because our whole apartment would be overrun with purchases!

Have you ever been to a Comicon before? What is your favorite horror movie? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov2

Sweet Surprises: Sister Gift Edition

Posted on November 2, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! This past week, I paid a visit to my sister and darling nieces at their place. Everything basically sucks and is crazy for yours truly right now but seeing my favorite lil ladies and big sister always puts a smile on my face. It’s hard not to smile when your nieces are literally the cutest people on planet Earth! Hanging out with all of them was a gift enough so I definitely wasn’t expecting this sweet surprise that my sister got for me:

For those of you who don’t know, I am pretty much obsessed with Neil Gaiman and I consider everything that he does a masterpiece. Aside from Sandman, Coraline is one of my all time favorite books and I love the movie and graphic novel adaptation. My sister, Kristen, is well aware of this and when she saw the necklace with the key and seeing stone during some online shopping, she added it to her cart. It’s funny, because I actually just screenshotted something similar on my phone a few weeks ago – talk about sister telepathy!

During such trying times, it was so nice to receive a gift that I knew made my sister immediately think of me. It was such a thoughtful and much needed surprise and I was so flattered by it! I can’t wait to wear my new necklace as well as finally get Johnny to watch the movie with me because he fell asleep during our last viewing lol. Coraline is a perfect spooky season movie and, even though it’s November, Johnny and I are still in the Halloween spirit every day. 😀

If you haven’t seen or read Coraline before, then I can’t recommend it enough. While it’s a great book and flick for teens, I daresay that it’s even better for adults. Thanks again to my big sis for such a sweet gift! ❤

What is your favorite work by Neil Gaiman? Have you received any sweet surprises lately? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

PS: Be sure to tune in tomorrow for an OOTD shoot of my Halloween costume!

Sep6

The Best Grilled Cheese EVER

Posted on September 6, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! I pride myself on my cooking and I LOVE making dinner for my husband and family whenever I can. It feels so good to make something that everyone enjoys and it is a true labor of love. This past week, however, the tables turned and my sweet Johnny ended up making dinner for me. I was craving a grilled cheese something fierce all day and he definitely delivered:

^^^ He was so pleased with himself for “plating it up” for me!

Last week was a whirlwind between work and helping out at my mom and dad’s house. Every day when I got home, I pretty much just sank into the couch and prepared to do it all again the next day. By Friday, I had averaged a solid 11,000 or so steps per day and walking up the stairs to my apartment was a monumental feat on my aching legs. I was also freaking STARVING.

Rather than become one with my couch, I had to make my way to my office to finish some billing and online work. I am one of those people that can’t do anything else until all of my work is completely done but the rumbling in my belly was proving troublesome. So, I decided to ask Johnny to make me a grilled cheese to which he replied “of course” even though he was worried it wouldn’t turn out as good as mine!

By the time I finished my final tasks for the day, my dinner was ready and I couldn’t wait to chow down. It looked AMAZING and it tasted even better. Food always tastes better when someone else makes it for you and this sandwich was a true testament to that! I was so thankful to Johnny for lending me a hand but he was even happier that he could cook for me for a change. He was so proud of himself and, damnit, I was proud of him too. ❤

With so much going on in my life, Johnny told me that he will cook anything that he is capable of for me. AKA eggs and, now, grilled cheese. It was the sweetest thing and I really do have the best husband/grilled cheese chef ever!

What is your favorite simple thing to cook? What is your go to comfort food? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May20

Sweetest Thing Ever!

Posted on May 20, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! The day of Johnny’s show this past weekend, we were just hanging around our apartment when he looked closely at my new nails. Then, he told me that they were the same color I had on during our first date – strawberry lemonade! Needless to say, my heart exploded into a million tiny pieces and I had to pinch myself that I actually have this guy as my husband.

I can remember our first date very well but obviously not as well as Johnny. For example, I was so nervous that when I got to the Cashmere Cricket, I literally walked right by him without even noticing that he was there lol. Over drinks, we talked about anything and everything and had the best time and have been together almost every day since. Johnny, on the other hand, could tell you verbatim conversations that we had on our first date and it never fails to give me the warm fuzzies.

When Johnny told me his revelation about my fresh fill, my first thought was instantly that “I am the luckiest girl in the world”. And, secondly, I thought that no one should settle for anything less than this. And, believe you me, before I met Johnny I did a lot of settling when it came to relationships and I always wondered why I didn’t have the best results.

Every person deserves to be treated like royalty by their significant others and, despite always thinking this, I never let that rule apply to me. I, honestly, didn’t even know my own worth until I started seeing myself through Johnny’s eyes. We often get from our friends and complete strangers that we are “#relationshipgoals” and that is so sweet. However, we are just two people who are basically exactly alike who found each other at just the right time.

Prior to our first date we had both been unlucky in love and I had sworn off of dating until he Facebook messaged me asking if they made a pair of my Union Jack platforms in men’s. Now, there was a guy that I could talk to! We went out to the Cashmere Cricket that night and the rest is history. Every day I am reminded of how lucky I am to be married to such a stand up guy and his comment about my nails is a shining example. ❤

How did you and your SO meet? What makes you feel lucky? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May18

Happy Housewarming Gift

Posted on May 18, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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Hello! My bestie, Lea, came by a couple of weeks ago to check out mine and Johnny’s new place. Even though it isn’t perfect yet, I was so excited for her to see it. I was also excited that Johnny would have his own room to hang out in where he could shut the door so we wouldn’t have to listen to his war documentaries lol. Oh, the perks of our new place!

Lea was so sweet and brought by a little housewarming gift and, I admit, I didn’t really know what to do with it at first:

Lea got us a Turtle Vine for the new place and I have never owned a house plant before! In my old apartment, there wasn’t really a good place to put plants so I just never bothered. The great news, is that I haven’t killed my little Turtle Vine yet… In fact, it’s thriving! When Lea brought it over, the vines didn’t have any length to them at all and I can’t believe how much it has grown in a few short weeks.

My dad is the one with the green thumb in our family and I almost contemplated just having him care for it. But, I think I am doing alright! I love this plant’s soft leaves and the pot that it lives in is so pretty. Whenever Lea comes by, all she needs to do is bring herself and I’m happy so I was tickled by her thoughtfulness. I don’t think I’ll turn into a full on plant mom any time soon but, now, I wouldn’t be opposed to my Turtle Vine having a friend or two. 😀

The best housewarming gift that Johnny and I have is actually being able to host friends comfortably in our bigger apartment. However, this sweet prezzie from my best friend is a very close second! ❤

Do you have a green thumb? How many house plants do you have? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb8

TJMaxx Winter Haul: Marled Reunited Clothing Cardigan

Posted on February 8, 2022 by lifewithlilred

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TJMaxx Winter Haul: Marled Reunited Clothing Cardigan

Hello everyone and welcome to the last piece of clothing from my TJMaxx Winter Haul! Today, we will be discussing a darling heart adorned cardigan by Marled Reunited Clothing – so perfect for Valentine’s Day. Then, we will dive into some brand new editions of If The Shoe Fits so keep it posted here on lifewithlilred! Now, let’s get to it:

My mom loves anything and everything with hearts on it, which makes me especially partial to the same sentiments too. When I saw this cardigan in store when I was making my online returns, I knew that it was going to be coming home with me just in time for Valentine’s Day. I didn’t really plan on making any clothing purchases and was trying to limit my shopping to skin care and birthday prezzies. Well, that’s not entirely true – you know your girl always kind of plans on that and it was just this one cardigan, I swear!

This Marled Reunited Clothing cardi was just too cute to pass up. The oatmeal base paired with the bright pops of red hearts is oh so sweet and is certainly not limited to being only worn on V-Day. My new cardi is nice and soft but it isn’t super warm which opens it up to being a four seasons piece. It will be great for a brisk spring day or a chilly summer night having drinks on the patio of mine and Johnny’s favorite bar.

My cardi will, of course, be so charming paired with a skater skirt and tights but is also ideal for throwing on with my go to black skinny jeans with front pockets. I have already done this several times already and it really helped to spruce up a basic work outfit. Pair with some adorable red booties and everyone will feel love in the air!

What is your favorite pattern? How are you celebrating Valentine’s Day? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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