Tag Archives: tjmaxx

May10

Summer Elder Emo OOTD

Posted on May 10, 2023 by lifewithlilred

Hello!! Although Johnny and I have countless clothes between the two of us in a rainbow of colors, we both definitely feel at our most comfortable in all black everything. My husband and I are what the kids would call “elder emos” and, honestly, that sounds about right considering that at almost 29 and 34 we haven’t outgrown it yet. Told you it wasn’t just a phase, mom and dad! 😀 While black might not be the coolest color to wear during warm spring days and summer, I still felt cool AF in this OOTD:

Who? What? Wear?

I am actually not sure what to call the top I have on lol, but it is from Forever 21!

Shorts: American Eagle Outfitters

Snakeskin Heeled Mules: Dolce Vita, TJMaxx

Cross Earrings: Target

Necklace: I bought this from a craft fair in Atlanta and it was made by John Deveer

All of the bracelets are from American Eagle Outfitters except for the turquoise one, which is from New Mexico

For the past week and change, it has been rainy and cold in Akron and I was SO over it. I felt like I was asleep all week with the constantly grey skies! There were a few days when the nonstop rain halted for a bit with moderate temps and seeing that sliver of sun felt like a heat wave. Is 28 too young to be having hot flashes? Haha, with a break in the BS weather, I wanted to feel like summer so I put together a look that I like to break out when it heats up. I’m surprised I haven’t shot this OOTD before but, hey, better late than never!

To begin my Summer Elder Emo OOTD, I went with my black top/dress thing from Forever 21. This top is almost eight years old and it remains one of my favorites to this day. I have never seen a top even remotely similar to this in close to a decade of being a shopaholic. It is so unique and a great top for summer because of how light and breezy it is. I love the solid crop top that begins going gauzy at just the right spot. When I bought this top, I wrote that I felt like a supermodel in it and I felt that way when I was taking pictures. This is why I try to take really good care of my clothes because I want to hold onto that runway ready feel for forever!

While this top is very cute with skinny jeans, I think it shines the most when paired with shorts. I chose my pair from American Eagle Outfitters and, as always, shout out to them for having the absolute BEST shorts and jeans selection. I am very partial to a midrise short and those are so hard to find in this day and age so it pleases me greatly that AEO still offers this option. Does anyone remember that award show when Angelina Jolie had that really high slit in her dress and she kept popping her leg out? Lol, that’s how I felt in this top and shorts combo and it was awesome! It was also a bonus to see a majority of my tattoos and letting all of the colors pop against the neutral palette.

When I think of an all black everything look, the first words that come to mind are sleek and sexy. Coincidentally, those words also come to mind when I think of snakeskin patterns so my Dolce Vita heeled mules were the obvious choice for shoes. I have a lot of snakeskin patterned shoes in a variety of palettes, but these will always be my A1s. I love the pointed toe, the heel length is just right, and grey snakeskin is my favorite. These heels created gorgeous length and I felt it from the top of my head to the tip of my pointed toes. 😀

With the base of the outfit settled, all that was left to do was accessorize. I didn’t want to go overboard with jewelry even though I could have with the palette that I had created. I wanted sleek and a hodgepodge of accessories would overcrowd the vibe I was going for. I added a pair of dangly gold cross earrings from Target for some movement and went very simple with the necklace. I adore the hand carved necklace I got at a craft fair and it enhanced the outfit without taking away from it. To wrap things up, I put on a few statement bracelets, including a beautiful turquoise one for a color pop and my OOTD was ready to go!

My Summer Elder Emo OOTD is a staple in my warm weather look book and I felt amazing in it. This is angsty girl summer to the T and I am so there for it!

Who is your favorite emo band? What is your go to summer color? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May4

Simply Sassy OOTD

Posted on May 4, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the second look of my double OOTD week! My weekends have been less than relaxing for a while now and I knew I wouldn’t have had the time to do an OOTD shoot this past Saturday. So, I decided to change things up when I had a light workload last Thursday morning by doing my hair and makeup and taking pictures once I got home. This worked out really well for me and I am going to try to stick to that schedule to give me one less thing to worry about once the weekend rolls around.

The second outfit I shot didn’t come out as accordingly to plan as the first one did, but that’s okay because I ended up loving it! This look was put together on the fly and sometimes that’s the best way to go. Check it out:

Who? What? Wear?

Snakeskin Tie Back Top: Japna, TJMaxx

Retro Straight Leg Pants: Sincerely Jules, TJMaxx

Speech Bubble Heels: LFL, TJMaxx

Gold Hoop Earrings: Argentino Vivo, TJMaxx

Additional accessories are from Claire’s, American Eagle Outfitters, and Target

My original plan for this outfit was to style something to wear to the Cleveland botanical gardens, which I would love to go to this summer. My bestie, Cliff, let me borrow one of my favorite button down tops of his that featured jewel tone dried flowers for the pattern and I was excited to wear it. However, it just wasn’t happening once it was on. My husband is tall, but Cliff is even taller and I was swimming in his shirt no matter what I did to try and make it better. Since the look I had in mind crumbled to pieces, I ended up winging it!

I still wanted to wear my slacks by Sincerely Jules since they are brand new and began building my outfit from there. These pants are very different than anything I own and I think that’s why I like them so much, despite their simplicity. They fit perfectly and hug my body in all of the right places without being too tight. After surveying myself in the mirror with them on, I decided that they could work for a date night rather than a date day and the rest of the look came easily once I had an occasion in mind.

The Sincerely Jules pants were an ideal neutral and it gave me free reign to pair them with pretty much whatever. To invoke some date night sex appeal, I chose my snakeskin patterned tie back top by Japna. When I tried my pants on in the fitting room, I definitely pictured them more for work and daytime wear. It wasn’t until I put the top on that I realized they could be used for a night out too because I thought I looked slammin! I loved how my tattoos popped against the palette I created and the peek a boo cutouts at the waist and back added that date night flare that I was looking for.

For shoes, I chose an adorable pair of speech bubble heels by LFL for an extra dose of sass. These shoes are just pure fun and further enhanced the night on the town vibe. The pants also covered up the low-ish ankle strap on the heels to give me a seamless leg line and add some length. As much as I love these shoes, I rarely get to wear them because the ankle strap can be problematic so this was a nice bonus for me! They also introduced a new texture among the sheen of the top and cloth pants and we all know that mixing textures appropriately is a great way to make the eyes dance!

After the base of my OOTD was settled, it was time to accessorize. I didn’t want to go overboard with jewelry since a fair amount of my tattoos were visible so I kept things simple. I went with my favorite pair of Argentino Vivo hoops to add some movement as the clothing was more form fitting. Then, I put on a few statement rings and bracelets for a blingy pop without being distracting and called it a day. 😀

Although this is not what I had in mind at all for my second outfit, I am beyond happy with how my Simply Sassy OOTD turned out! I felt so good and confident in this look and I can definitely picture myself wearing it for a night out with Johnny!

Do you plan outfits or wing them? What was something that you thought would look really good and didn’t end up working? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr28

April 2023 Finishes

Posted on April 28, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Another month of 2023 is about to draw to a close and that means it’s time to discuss my beauty finishes! I was able to use up four new to me products in April and I liked them all a lot. It also depleted my reserves in my beauty stockpile considerably so thank goodness for this past TJMaxx skin care haul! I would definitely recommend all of the following so let’s find out why:

Would I Buy Again?

Sea-el Miracle Kelp Eye Cream: YES!!

Bellyssima Vitamin C Moisturizer: YES

Kopari Coconut Water Moisturizer: YES

Spa Cosmetics Vitamin C Serum: YES

Why/Why Not?

Sea-el Eye Cream: The Miracle Kelp Eye Cream by Sea-el is easily one of the best that I have ever used. I noticed a huge improvement in my under eye circles and the delicate skin around the eyes felt so much stronger and hydrated. I started using this eye cream at the beginning of January and just finished the small jar yesterday, which is an amazing value! A little bit of this eye cream went such a long way and I was so disappointed that I didn’t find another one during my last TJs shopping excursion.

Bellyssima Moisturizer: I was a huge fan of the Vitamin C moisturizer by Bellyssima and so was my mom because I got her one too. I loved the whipped texture of this moisturizer and it absorbed so quickly, but left my skin feeling insanely nourished. It also sat so well under makeup and made my skin look simply radiant. This moisturizer smelled really good too! It had the lightest scent of oranges and I enjoyed using it very much. It took me one month to finish the jar.

Kopari Moisturizer: I couldn’t wait to try the Kopari Coconut Water Moisturizer because it just sounded nice lol. And it was! This moisturizer was delightful with the faintest hint of coconuts and cream. It featured a whipped gel texture and I was astounded by how little I needed to cover my entire face and neck. My skin felt so hydrated after each use and it felt SO soft too even when using the tiniest dollop. It took me about three and a half weeks to finish the jar, which isn’t the best value, but I would happily treat myself to another if I found it again. I feel like it would be the perfect summer moisturizer!

Spa Cosmetics Serum: The Vitamin C Serum by Spa Cosmetics was great! It took me close to two months to finish the big bottle and I loved that for value’s sake. Like all of these products, you only needed a little bit to cover the face and neck and I saw a noticeable difference in my skin with only the serum on. It looked a lot brighter and it always helped perk me up in the morning with its moderate orange scent. After using a product for a few months, I usually feel ready to try something new, but I was wishing I had another bottle of this serum as soon as I used it up. 😦

If you come across any of these products, you have the Lil Red Guarantee that you will like them too! All of these skin care staples were so lightweight and absorbed quickly, making them ideal for the hot days of summer. I promise they won’t melt off of your face as soon as you step outside! 😀

Which products did you use up this month? What are your thoughts on any of the above empties if you have used them before? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr27

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Posted on April 27, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hey! Whenever I am gifted with TJMaxx gift cards, I always like to do a full restock on my skin care. While new clothes and shoes are fun, skin care is something that I’m always going to need and buy and I’d rather get it for free! I take my beauty hoard in my bathroom cupboard very seriously and consider myself stocked up when I have: Three moisturizers, three eye creams, three serums, three cleansers, and three micellar waters. Noticing a theme? I have found that a three to four month supply works well for me so I don’t have to shop for skin care monthly. To get myself back in the comfort zone of my hoard because I was running dangerously low on everything, I bought all of the following with the glory of gift cards:

I have loved skin and bath and body care since I was a teenager. It has always been my favorite form of self care and I have had a solid skin care routine since I was about fifteen. After all of this time, I can still count on my morning routine to invigorate me and my nighttime routine to help soothe myself before bed. Lil Red is, first and foremost, a creature of habit and with that in mind, it only makes sense that I keep a constant supply of products handy!

To begin my restock, I started with moisturizers. I have used the Vitamin C one before but I have never tried any products by Honest or Happy Dance so I decided to add both to my cart. I can’t wait to try the Honest Dew You melting balm because the name itself had me sold – it just felt lux to me and I had to have it! The CBD infused moisturizer was a bit pricey at ten dollars, but it sounded so nice that I couldn’t resist! I wasn’t particularly fond of the CBD serum that I tried a year or so ago, but I have high hopes for this cream by Happy Dance… See what I did there? 😉

Next, it was onto serum and eye cream. I only needed one more serum to get me back to a full supply and chose another Honest product for that. I am excited to try the moisturizer and serum by Honest as I have always been interested in the brand and this is the first time I ever saw it at TJMaxx! In the eye cream department, I went with two brightening formulas by Simple and 40 Carrots. Like Honest, these were both brands that I was familiar with and never tried because they were not available at TJs. This was my lucky day of shopping because I had been using the same handful of brands for a while and was ready to switch things up!

Finally, I needed a few cleansers and wanted something light and invigorating for warm weather. I couldn’t say no to the adorable, poppy packaging of the My Beauty Spot and Clinical Works face wash and I also selected the Hydro Boost cleanser by Neutrogena. I am eager to try out the pink coconut cleanser first because it looks like summertime and I am hoping it feels that way too! However, this will be the last time I use any Neutrogena products as I was disappointed and surprised to learn that they aren’t entirely cruelty free. Every other product in this post is Leaping Bunny certified!

My beauty haul at TJMaxx concluded with more of my favorite micellar water and those stretchy gelly hair ties that I have been dying to try! I have more shoes than I can count and one hair tie to my name so that was a definite must lol. Keep it posted for brand new OOTDs coming soon this week!

What is your favorite cruelty free brand? Which brands have you stopped using that aren’t Leaping Bunny certified? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr26

New Sincerely Jules Pants

Posted on April 26, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone!! During my Christmas gift card extravaganza jubilee jamboree at TJMaxx, I didn’t have too much luck in the clothing department. This is, admittedly, a weird time to shop for because you never know if you’re going to get hot or cold in late April and May. It definitely reflected on the racks of clothing with tons of winter items on clearance and random warm weather pieces interspersed throughout. In this mixed bag, I ended up with an amazing new jumpsuit by Japna as well as some pantaloons by Sincerely Jules. They are very simple, but I am obsessed:

Does anyone remember the paper bag pants trend that was super popular a few years ago? You know, the high waisted pants with a gathered waist, slim cut leg and made from really rigid material? I do! I loved those freaking pants and ended up trying a pair on every time I went shopping, but never made the purchase. They looked like garbage on me lol. The shape of them did not compliment my body at all and the gathered waist always made me look ten pounds heavier no matter how many pairs I tried on.

What I needed was something similar, but with tons of modifications haha so different? Basically, whatever I was looking for, I found it in the Sincerely Jules slacks. At first glance, these pants are kind of boring. However, the retro straight leg fit paired with a more defined waist had the possibility of working so I tried them on and am so glad I did! These pants fit perfectly and felt so good as soon as they were on. The material was soft, they hit right below the ankle, and as a bonus – I looked my actual size and finally got the ultra long leg line I was imagining with the paper bag pants. Also, how cute are those cuffs?!

Once I had these pantaloons on, I realized that they were not boring at all because there are so many exciting styling options that come with it, be it for work or play. These slacks would be darling with a tucked in button down and loafers for a day at the office. My work wardrobe consists of lounge clothes, though, so I will be styling them with play, play, play in mind! One of the things that I want to do this summer is visit the botanical gardens in Cleveland and I have just the outfit in mind for it. You will see it soon enough, but spoiler alert these pants will definitely be featured!

Although both of my clothing purchases from TJs were fifty shades of beige, that’s okay! I can’t wait to wear them and just thinking about the outfits that I can build makes me feel very colorful! 😀

What is your favorite neutral color to wear? Do you like to buy pieces that can double for work and play? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr25

New Japna Jumpsuit

Posted on April 25, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Last Tuesday, I enjoyed some much needed retail therapy and had a blast finally spending my Christmas gift cards from TJMaxx. I mainly needed odds and ends like birthday gifts and skin care, but I did manage to find two new pieces of spring clothing that I am loving. Today, we are going to take a closer look at an amazing jumpsuit I found by Japna – the last one on the rack! 😀 Let’s get to it:

I have been a huge fan of the jumpsuit theory for forever. However, in practice as a shorter gal, it has always left me disappointed. At barely over 5’1, ninety-nine percent of the jumpsuits that I have tried left me swimming in them. The other one percent featured other no go’s like random cutouts or a plunging neckline, which does nothing for me either. I had all but given up on finding a jumpsuit that would suit me best, but patience is virtue because this one by Japna is perfect.

What first drew me to this jumpsuit when I saw it was the color. While I often rock bold shades, this piece was bold enough in its shape alone and the crisp linen hue wouldn’t battle against all of my tattoos but enhance them. I also was liking the bustier style top with the gathered back because that style tends to agree with me. On the rack, this jumpsuit had everything that I was looking for, but the true test would come in the fitting room. This could be the best jumpsuit in the world and that would mean nothing if the length was dragging a foot below my feet!

As you probably already guessed because I purchased this jumpsuit, the length was not an issue whatsoever. In bare feet, it fell right at the ground and that is nothing that a killer pair of platforms can’t fix! The shape on my body was also exactly what I was hoping for. The more form fitting top against the breezy pants still offered definition, which is very important because it established a silhouette without having to resort to a belt at the waist.

Another major bonus of this jumpsuit is the extra slip of fabric falling from the waist to the lower thigh, respectively. This was great because I have tried on several jumpsuits that didn’t offer that and the visible panty lines were out of control. I was actually pretty worried about this before I tried it on because you could potentially see undies under the light colored fabric. Happily, this was not a problem and my new jumpsuit checked off every single one of my requirements. It’s like it was made for me!

I cannot wait to wear this fun little number ASAP and I think that it will be one of my staples this spring and summer. I love the ease of this jumpsuit because you basically just have to slip it on and go. Pair with platforms and a huge floppy hat and you have yourself an OOTD, baby! Keep it posted for more from my TJMaxx Haul tomorrow! 🙂

How do you feel about jumpsuits? What is a style of clothing that you love but haven’t had any luck finding? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr23

So Bright I Need Shades

Posted on April 23, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello!! Last Tuesday, I had the morning to myself after working from home and all I wanted to do was shop, shop, shop! Before my afternoon shift, I hit up TJMaxx and Bath & Body Works for some much needed retail therapy and had an absolute blast. At TJMaxx, I spent my Christmas gift cards on a few new things for me, skin care, birthday gifts for my bestie, a new shirt for Johnny, and sunglasses! I have been so sick of wearing Johnny’s plain frames and chose two new pairs; one by Sam Edelman and the other, surprisingly, was by America’s number one baddie, Martha Stewart lol. Check them out:

There was a point in my early twenties when I had sunglasses galore as they were a cheap and fun way for a little pick me up. I had quite the collection of sunnies in various shapes, sizes, and colors and would change out which one I was using often. Of course, sunglasses don’t last forever and all of them had definitely seen better days. Scratches, loose screws, and cracks began to form and one by one my collection ended up in the trash. And, eventually, I had to resort to square black frames a la Johnny when driving and out and about.

The sunglasses that I had been using were probably the most boring thing that Johnny and I own and I decided to check out the sunglasses wall at TJs during my excursion. I was pretty unimpressed with a majority of the options and was drowning in a sea of tortoiseshell! However, I did have luck with two pairs and that’s great because literally anything was better than what I had! I was shocked to see so many Martha Stewart pairs on the shelf, but it all worked out because they were arguably the most fun frames available. I still can’t quite wrap my mind around that. 🙂

The pair of Martha, Martha, Marthas that I selected are really cool and I love the shape; they are huge! One problem that I have found with gigantic frames are how heavy they are and that was not the case with my new pair at all. These are so light but still feel sturdy and that is a major plus. I feel so perfectly posh in these shades and ten dollars isn’t a bad price to pay for a pair by America’s sweetheart! 😀

The other pair I chose was by Sam Edelman, whose accessories I am obsessed with. In fact, I used to have a pair of sunglasses from that designer until they broke! I am all about sunnies with a unique shape and these octagonal frames were an instant must. In fact, I used to have a very similar pair until they broke lol. Noticing a theme here? I have been wearing these sunnies every day since I got them and they are awesome! Like the Marthas, they are nice and light and the protection they offer from the sun without drastically changing the colors of everything makes for an ideal pair for driving. And for also looking fresh to death!

For so long, I focused on clothing and shoes while shopping that I didn’t even think about getting new sunglasses, which I really needed. These new pairs will come in very handy during the sunny days of spring and summer and I might just have to start rebuilding my sunglasses collection again! Keep it posted for more from my TJMaxx Haul coming soon!

Do you have a collection of any accessories? What is your favorite accessory to shop for? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr21

Spring Green OOTD Bloopers

Posted on April 21, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to the blooper reel from my Spring Green OOTD! Today, we will take a look at all of the yikes from this shoot that definitely didn’t make the first cut. Then, keep it locked on lifewithlilred for a TJMaxx haul! After months of Christmas gift cards burning a hole in my pocket, I finally got to spend time in my happy place this past week and it was freaking awesome. Not as awesome as how I look in these pictures though. 😉 Let’s get started:

I’ve got my eyes on all of you

Hi, neighbors! Just call me the mayor of Timber Top!

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

Losing my balance in three parts: Part 1 – Whoopsie daisy

Part 2: Regain my composure like a pro

Part 3: She sticks the landing!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The blogosphere goes wild.

Short and pale nearing thirty and fairly decent, the girl from Akron, Ohio goes walking

Did anyone go through that phase where they would never be caught dead without a full face of makeup and amazing outfit? This was definitely me from sixteen to twenty or so when I started college. After I was away from constantly working retail and needing to look good as part of the job, I found no problem with jeans and hoodies as I made my way around campus. I then learned that maybe applying my normal makeup just to run to Target wasn’t a necessity after all.

lifewithlilred was just in its early days when I started school and more frequent OOTD posts wouldn’t come until later. And, if you would have told me when I started featuring myself in more posts that I would eventually post bad pictures of myself too, I would have laughed in your face. Why would I publish pictures where I looked anything but my absolute best? Literally no one else does that!

I guess in my young and mid twenties, I couldn’t fathom the idea of showing imperfections online in the little world I had built. But, I had been building up to bloopers all of this time and I hadn’t even realized it. As I would go about my work week in standard lounge clothes and a fresh face, I was always fine with being seen around town – even if it was by people I hadn’t seen since high school. I came to realize that the difference between that dreaded situation and publishing crappy pictures on my blog was nonexistent. When I looked at it that way and was seemingly sitting on a goldmine of content, I said “why not?” and it is now one of my favorite segments on my page.

At almost twenty-nine, I have finally been able to capture the “who cares” frame of mind that I always wanted and the blooper reels helped me achieve that. And, if they help you feel more confident to post a picture, good or bad, then I have done my job!

What makes you feel less than your best? How do you give yourself a confidence boost? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr20

Spring Green OOTD

Posted on April 20, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred!! This past week, it was absolutely glorious in Ohio and it finally felt like spring. However, this has since been redacted because the pictures taken on Saturday was the last of the heat wave. It is now cold, rainy, and a little bit snowy here in the 330 and it feels cruel and unusual after days in the sun soaking up that Vitamin D! Let’s reminisce on the spring flowers and warmth by checking out some pics and discussing this look further while I freeze in my apartment:

Who? What? Wear?

Wrap Sweater: Caution To The Wind, TJMaxx

Lace Cami Top: mittoshop, French Rooster

Blue Jean Shorts: American Eagle Outfitters

Hoop Earrings: Argentino Vivo, TJMaxx

Cage Wedges: Juicy Couture, Kohl’s

Rings: PacSun, Target

The first few weeks of spring can be really awkward to dress for because you never know what kind of weather you’re going to get! Chilly mornings can either turn into hot afternoons or just more cold. It was about seventy degrees on OOTD day with crisp winds blowing occasionally, but I still figured that I could get away with shorts. To achieve a bit of balance in the warmth department, I wanted a light, long sleeved top and began building my outfit under those parameters.

I have been creating OOTDs almost weekly since the new year as per my 2023 blogging goals and, I’ll admit, I was feeling fairly uninspired while shopping in my closet. Although I have a decent amount of clothing for any type of weather, my wardrobe favors the fall and winter. The heat wave we experienced was awesome, but my tunnel vision for winter cold still wasn’t lifted quite yet and I needed to clear the fog before proceeding. Once I began thinking spring after a work week in jeans and hoodies, I was ready to see my warmer weather clothing with new eyes.

Most of the long sleeved tops that I have feature a fall palette so I was very happy to have rediscovered my wrap sweater by Caution To The Wind. I had all but forgotten it because this top was meant to be worn with a sports bra while ice skating, then I stopped skating. It was just what I needed, though, so I made some adjustments. I love how light and form fitting this top is and it is an ideal one for spring. The fern green and cream makes for such a rich palette and I paired it with my lace oyster shell cami underneath. Not a perfect match, but the cami was in a similar color family to the cream stripes and it worked while adding a sweet feminine pop.

For shorts, I went with an undistressed pair of midrises from American Eagle Outfitters. I love my distressed shorties, but the pattern on my top was somewhat busy and I didn’t want that conflict of visual interest between the two. A no muss no fuss option was better and I thought the simple blue jean shorts looked adorable with such a cutesy top. Remember, less is nine times out of ten more when building outfits so if you ever feel like any pieces are clashing against each other; you’re probably right. 🙂

In the accessory department, I chose one of my favorite pairs of hoop earrings by Argentino Vivo. The size of these medium hoops was exactly what I wanted. They enhanced the cleavage and long neckline I was working with as they matched up with the length of my hair. As a shorter gal, I am always looking to add length to my looks and, other than killer heels, one of the best ways to do this is through expertly placed jewelry. Accessories are just as important as the top or pants you have on! Once again, to keep my neck uncovered, I went necklace free and chose several statement rings to add some bling. I love the double ring with the rhinestone fern!

Finally, for shoes, I put on my army green cage wedges by Juicy Couture. These shoes are old as dirt, but I just can’t part with them! I had a few other pairs of army green heels in mind, however, all of them hit further up the leg and that wasn’t going to work with short shorts. The Juicy Coutures hit slightly above the ankle, which was much more like it! And, of course, they played to the color palette that I had established.

This Spring Green OOTD got me in the spring state of mind a little too late in the game before the cold hit, but that’s alright; it was nice while it lasted lol. Keep it posted for the blooper reel from this shoot tomorrow!

Which seasons does your wardrobe favor? Do you switch out and store clothing as the seasons change? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr17

A Night On The Town OOTD

Posted on April 17, 2023 by lifewithlilred

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Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! During a normal work week, it is a very rare occasion that I get dolled up. Almost ten times out of ten, you can catch me with a fresh face, leggings, and a hoodie. This past Tuesday, however, was different because I went to see Jesus Christ Superstar at EJ Thomas Hall with my mother-in-law! By the time I got home to prepare for our night out, I was exhausted. But, you’re not going to not get dressed up for a trip to the theater! I put this outfit together in my head the night before and it turned out great, if I do say so myself:

Who? What? Wear?

Black sweater: Shrinking Violet, TJMaxx

Floral pleather skirt: BB Dakota, TJMaxx

Kitten heels: Nine West, TJMaxx

Earrings: American Eagle Outfitters

Flower necklace: This was a Sweet 16 gift from my grandma that is from Talbots

When I am styling OOTDs, I plan ahead to an extent but I usually make things up on the fly. I’m sure we have all had those moments when we think an outfit is going to look so good only for it to turn out awful; which is why I was very pleased that this fit looked exactly how it did in my head on the first go. For this particular night at the theater, I wanted to invoke elegance. Once I had that keyword in mind, I built the look from there and I like to think that I hit the nail on the head!

I began styling this look with my pleather BB Dakota skirt in mind. This is one of my favorite pieces because it is not only gorgeous but so fun to wear! The pleats and pretty pattern are all well and good, but this skirt truly shines in the movement department. It swishes and swings with every step and I felt like a princess when I was twirling around in it. This skirt is a one hundred percent staple piece and with it as my focal point, it was very easy to style the rest of this OOTD around it.

For the top, I chose my Shrinking Violet sweater from TJMaxx. This sweater is almost nine years old – I got it when I first started college at Tri-C! While it may be old as dirt, it still looks good and came in very handy for my outfit. I wanted to give the illusion of wearing a dress with a tucked in sweater and this one was perfect. The material is so light and it is form fitting, which is exactly what I wanted since the skirt was so playful in its movement.

Once the base of the outfit was sorted, it was time for accessories! I selected my kitten heels by Nine West specifically for their shape. As I was pretty much covered up in this outfit, I didn’t want to shorten the minimal leg I was showing with an ankle strap. The slip on style was just what I needed and the itty bitty heel still offered some much needed length. Kitten heels are so sweet and charming and the pointed toe and blinged out strap added a cool pop of visual interest.

In the jewelry department, I went with a tiny pair of dangly earrings so it wouldn’t distract from my neck. Remember, when you are showing little skin in an outfit, you want to enhance the parts that are visible and that often means keeping things minimal. With that in mind, I completed the outfit with my flower necklace from my grandma. I think that this necklace is so beautiful and it was an awesome match to the pink in the skirt. It also cradled the collar of the sweater just right which, in turn, drew attention to my exposed neck. Finally, for some additional length, I threw my hair in a top knot and was ready for my night out!

I felt so effortlessly elegant in my Night On The Town OOTD and had the best time seeing my favorite musical with my favorite mother-in-law. Keep it posted tomorrow for the blooper reel from this shoot!

What is your favorite musical? What makes you feel elegant? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

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