Tag Archives: tjmaxx

New Rachel Zoe Sweater

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New Rachel Zoe Sweater

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:

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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

New DKNY Sweater

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New DKNY Sweater

Howdy! What was supposed to be some light shopping at TJMaxx turned into a full blown haul because fall clothes are back in stores, baby! While I had fun styling all kinds of summer looks, I am beyond ready for the crisp days of autumn. Oh yeah, and literally all of the sweaters, cardigans, coats, and cold weather accessories too. With the greatest season of all at the forefront of my mind, I just couldn’t say no to this darling DKNY sweater:

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^^^ Originally seventy dollars and I got it for thirty. NICE!

When I first saw this sweater, I literally clutched my pearls because it features what is, apparently, my new favorite trend: Sheer sleeves. This little DKNY number reminded me of my new Zara top that I got last haul and I knew that it would be a winner. As a heavily tattooed lady, it is always sad for all of them to get covered up come cold weather. Sheer sleeves allow for the tattoos on my arms to still be seen and I am so there for it. It’s seriously the perfect fix for the seasonal problem of forgetting what tattoos I even have until it gets warm out again lol.

Of course, my new sweater will look amazing with black super skinny jeans and ankle boots. Throwing on a huge floppy hat with it is also a definite must. I also have visions of pairing this sweater with a sweet skater skirt, cableknit tights, and a fun pair of heels. I think that it will be an awesome look for date night or family holiday gatherings.

I love refreshing my wardrobe with a few new pieces as the seasons change to keep things interesting. I consider this DKNY sweater and the Rachel Zoe one that you will see tomorrow as ideal additions to my fall clothes. I can’t wait to wear them!

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

TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

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TJMaxx Skin Care Haul

Hello!! Last week, I visited TJMaxx strictly to get some more skin care. I was successful in that regard and also wound up leaving with way more than just skin care lol. Funny how that works out! I ended up walking away with some Halloween goodies, Christmas presents for my niece, two adorable sweaters, and all of the following:

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^^^ All of these products are Leaping Bunny certified!

It has been a while since I restocked my cleansers and eye cream so that was the mission I had in mind during my TJs trip. Every morning, I like to wash my face with both a scrub and a cleanser for a deep clean. I was almost completely out of both things and chose a Vitamin C cleanser by Clinical Works and a hyaluronic acid and sugar scrub by SpaScriptions. Each of these products feature two of my favorite ingredients for my skin care as a late twenty something and I can’t wait to try them out!

For my eye cream, I went with a manuka honey cream by Lanoline. And, of course, I had to grab another bottle of the Evoluderm micellar water, which I love. I have only used products with manuka honey in it a handful of times. However, it was a must have ingredient for skin care a year or so ago so I’m more than happy to give it a try in eye cream form. Fingers crossed that it smells as amazing as the Freeman face mask that introduced me to manuka honey. 😀

This Skin Care Haul turned into a major haul in general and it was just what I needed. There’s nothing like a little retail therapy to help soothe the soul!

What ingredients do you look for for your skin care? What are your favorite skin care brands? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

TJMaxx Mini Halloween Haul

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TJMaxx Mini Halloween Haul

Hello! In terms of shopping, I think that right now is the most wonderful time of the year. I love when fall clothing starts making a comeback and, of course, all of the Halloween goodies! This past week, I couldn’t help indulging in the former and the latter during some much needed retail therapy. I went to TJMaxx at just the right time when they started putting out their Halloween decor and walked away with the following:

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Johnny and I keep our spooky decorations up all year round so I was excited to get some new additions for our little slice of Halloween heaven. I freaking LOVE the snow globe featuring a skull and striking snake. The best thing about it, of course, is the little bats floating around in lieu of glitter. It is just so cute and looks great on one of the shelves in our book nook. It was also the only one in the store. 😀

I also just had to get two new plates by Royal Stafford with his and hers skulls on it. When I saw these on display, I literally clutched my pearls because I have several plates from this brand already. I purchased them almost three years ago and have never seen anything like it at TJMaxx since so I felt lucky to find more to add to my collection. They are way too pretty to use for its intended purpose of eating off of but I like having them just to have them lol.

Halloween is in my home all of the time but is officially in the air in stores and I am so there for it. Johnny and I plan on having a Halloween shopping crawl soon for more decor and I can’t wait!

What is your favorite holiday to shop for? Which stores have the best holiday decor? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Date Night OOTD

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Date Night OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! This past Friday, Johnny and I had a date night at Buca Di Beppo and it was an absolute delight. I have never been there before and Johnny promised me a bowl of fettuccine Alfredo as big as my head and I received nothing less. Despite the food coma afterwards, it was a fabulous night and I just had to show out in my dinner date best:

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^^^ Lol, I really like that last picture for some reason!

Who? What? Wear?

I purchased my Zara dress during the last TJMaxx Haul that I had and I have been dying to break it out. Date night is the perfect occasion to wear a pretty little something and I loved how I felt in it. This dress was form fitting without being clingy and also hit slightly above knee length, which eliminated any awkward adjusting throughout the date. We all have that one dress that we adore but is just a hair too short or tight!

Because the pattern of the dress was so bold, it really didn’t need much styling magic so I chose simple things to enhance it. The first order of business was shoes and it took me a minute before settling on my platform loafers. They are actually falling apart but I refuse to part with them!

Regardless of their current state, the loafers were the best option to go with because of the length and style of the dress. The long sleeves and almost knee length cut left a lot of me covered up so it was important to give my legs all of the extension that I could. I did try a few pairs of platforms with ankle straps but, despite the additional height, the strap still broke apart the leg line and made me look short. The platform loafers solved that problem and gave a lovely silhouette without any interruptions.

For accessories, I knew exactly which necklace I wanted to use and went with my grandma’s chunky gold pendant necklace. It hits at just the right length to tuck under the collar of a dress or top and still leave the pendant showing. I love green and gold together and it also complimented the gold hoop embellishments on my purse perfectly!

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With all of the current craziness in my life, a date night with my Johnny was just what I needed for a pick me up. We ate like kings and we looked like royalty!

Where is your favorite date night spot? What do you like to wear for nights out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

A Stroll In The Garden OOTD Pt. 2

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A Stroll In The Garden OOTD Pt. 2

Hello! Despite a crazy couple of weeks, a blogger’s work is never over and I was able to work in a brand new OOTD shoot. Although the backdrop of my dad’s garden is the same as the last, you sometimes just have to roll with it and I’ll get to a different location when things slow down. Regardless of the where, the “wear” was fabulous and I love this little summertime look:

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We interrupt this shoot to feature a bunny in the backyard:

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Who? What? Wear?

I actually wore this outfit for mine and Johnny’s housewarming/birthaversary party at the end of May. I have been meaning to take pictures of it ever since because I think that it’s just the cutest. I am obsessed with my mom’s jean jacket and using it as an add on piece makes this OOTD ideal for a cool spring day or a summer evening. With or without, the outfit is great so if it gets too warm, all you need to do is take it off!

Both the top and bottom in this look were purchased during a recent TJMaxx Haul. You might also recognize the shoes from my White Hot OOTD. My super happy dream world would consist of different clothes and shoes for every day of the year but the Sbicca wedges were a very obvious choice for this outfit and color palette.

While I love the Premise pants, I will be the first to admit that they are a bit tricky to style. It was an instance when I had to utilize one of my TJMaxx Shopping Pro Tips and take a second round through the store to find a top to go with it. In fact, the Love On A Hanger top is still the only top that I own that goes with the pants so this is a look that I can’t bust out too frequently.

I’m sure we all have a piece of clothing that you adore but don’t know what to wear with it and my advice is as follows:

As you can see from this outfit, the LOAH top was not a perfect match to the pants in terms of the base color or embroidery. Neither was the blue in the shoes. However, it worked because the colors still came from the same family.

It’s easy to think that this closes off your options but it opens them up exponentially. It would be rare to find an exact color match to the China dish patterned pants. But, I pulled from the white and added a cream top and from the indigo pattern on the pants I added navy, periwinkle, and denim. According to this rule, I could wear an admiral or steel blue top with the pants and get away with it – Now, the trick is finding one!

Patterned pants are a new thing in my wardrobe simply because it’s hard to find ones I like and styling them is more difficult than a patterned top. Don’t let this scare you, though! Perfect matches for your top and shoes are boring and multiple shades of one color will add visual interest and something special to your OOTD!

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

PS: Tune in tomorrow to peep my new nails and then keep it posted the following day for bonus pics and bloopers from this shoot! ❤

Country Concert OOTD

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Country Concert OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! This past Friday, Johnny and I were supposed to see ZZ Top and Willie Nelson at Blossom Music Center. However, we decided at the last minute that we weren’t comfortable going due to the newest highly contagious COVID variant. My sister is about to have her baby (Yay!!) and we didn’t want to take any risks to prevent us from seeing our new niece.

Even though we didn’t attend the concert, taking pictures was an obvious must because your girl was feeling herself! Check it out:

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Who? What? Wear?

When it came to styling an OOTD for a Country Concert, I had literally no options in my wardrobe lol. Thankfully, Johnny has plenty! The Rock N’ Roll Cowgirl shirt is his and, yes, he is my lil rock n’ roll cowgirl! I love wearing my husband’s clothes and adore his personal style so marrying him was like inheriting another wardrobe – GREAT SUCCESS!! 😀

I have actually been lusting over the silk fringe button down for ages and never had an opportunity to wear it. Although no one but Johnny saw me in it on Friday, it was still really fun to wear and take pictures in! I loved the way the fringe moved and had a blast dancing around and invoking my inner rock n’ roll cowgirl lol. It was seriously the perfect top to wear for a country show and so easy to style an OOTD around.

Little blue jean shorts were a must for a country concert and I’ve said it numerous times and I’ll say it again: The shorts from American Eagle are simply the best. They are so flattering, not too short, and fit well without being really tight. The distressed detailing on these shorts also added a little country flare and I found myself thinking “I feel like Dolly Parton” the entire time we were taking pictures. It. Was. Awesome. 😀

Of course, some cowboy boots would be the way to go for a country inspired OOTD. However, I didn’t go this route and chose my army green Guess wedges, instead. As someone barely over 5’1, it’s important for me to create length in all of my OOTDs. Flat shoes would have made me look squat in this outfit and we can’t have that! Although my wedges aren’t country in the slightest, I loved how the army green complimented the mustard yellow and burgundy flowers on the top.

To complete my Country Concert OOTD, I tied things together with my grandpa’s bolo tie. I have quite a few of his bolo ties from his days of line dancing with my grandma and I’ve never been able to wear any of them. It was SO special to me to have it on and it looked amazing with the rest of my outfit. The burnt orange stone and brown leather against the cream colored button down was stunning!

Even though I was all dressed up with nowhere to go, I am obsessed with this OOTD. I hope you can find inspiration from it if you are attending any country festivals this summer. Keep it posted for more pics from this shoot, bloopers, and an adorable couple’s photo shoot with Johnny!

Have you attended any concerts this summer? Who is your favorite country artist? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

July 2022 Finishes

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July 2022 Finishes

Hello!!! It’s about that time to discuss my beauty finishes for the month of July and it was a good month, indeed. I got to try some new to me products, used up some of the ones that took forever, and revisited some old favorites. It was a GREAT SUCCESS so let’s get to it:

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Would I Use Again?

Why/Why Not?

B&BW Spray: Omg, did this spray take forever to finish lol – at least half a year of almost daily use! This is fine by me, though, because I love anything apple scented and B&BW always delivers. The Country Apple is the perfect mix of sweet and tart and it is the perfect pick me up before leaving for work. I would definitely use it again but am fine with not using it for a while!

SkinLab Cleanser: I love SkinLab products and the Lift & Firm Daily Gel Cleanser was amazing. After about a month and a half of daily use, my skin looked more supple and felt smoother. It was invigorating to use every morning and also removed remnants of makeup really well. Although, I have to admit that it’s a bit sad to be moving onto products that Lift & Firm lol.

B&BW Shower Gel: Normally, the travel size shower gel from B&BW lasts me three weeks of daily use. However, this month I used up two of them because Johnny helped me out after he ran out of his shower gel. We both smelled awesome for the month of July and I adore the Gingham Love scent. It has all of the fresh, crisp feels of the original Gingham with juicy berries thrown in for good measure. Although I think it’s super cute that Johnny used my shower gel, I’m bummed out that I’m all out of Gingham Love!

Tatcha Moisturizer: This moisturizer was a freebie during my last Sephora Haul and it was nice but I wouldn’t use it unless I got it as a free item again. I love a water cream formula, especially during the summer and this one was delightful. It absorbed so quickly while still leaving my skin feeling ultra hydrated. It took me four days of twice daily use to finish the sample jar.

Lanocreme Moisturizer: I purchased this moisturizer during a winter haul at TJMaxx and finally got around to using it towards the end of June. Although it absorbed well, it was a bit too thick for my liking during the summertime. That’s not to say that it wouldn’t be great for fall and winter use, though! This moisturizer was rich, creamy, and left my skin looking and feeling peaches and cream perfect. It took me about five weeks of twice daily use to finish the jar.

Hope Soap Lotion: This is the second lotion that I’ve used from Hope Soap, which is a local shop in my area. I received both of them as a gift and the first one that I finished in June wasn’t my favorite because its texture was so runny. The Vanilla & Fig was the polar opposite, however, and had the consistency of a normal lotion which I liked much better. It also smelled awesome! As nice as it was, I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy it for myself but it made a wonderful gift. It took me a little under two months to finish the jar.

As you can see from all of these empties, July was a month full of pampering. Whether the product was good or bad, I am glad to have used them up and am ready for lots more finishes come August!

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

Date Day (Ish) OOTD

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Date Day (Ish) OOTD

Hello!! This past Saturday, Johnny and I had plans for a date day that went sour because he had a lil belly ache. We were supposed to go out to lunch (Which we did), take OOTD pics (Which we sort of did), and have drinks at our favorite bar (Which we didn’t). For lunch, we went to a brewery down the street called R. Shea’s and it was SO yummy but when a wave of nausea hit Johnny it was pretty much game over from there lol. Peep this glorious grilled cheese, though!

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^^^ Cilantro jalapeño hummus for an appetizer and a beer cheese grilled cheese for the main dish. Still daydreaming about it!

After lunch, we headed home and Johnny rallied enough to take some quick pics in the apartment because I loved the outfit I had on:

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^^^ Lol, I honestly forget what Johnny said to warrant that face in the last picture but it is such a mood!

Who? What? Wear?

  • Persimmon top: Solitaire, TJMaxx
  • Skort: Almost Famous, TJMaxx
  • Heels: Reaction By Kenneth Cole, TJMaxx
  • The belt is from some store in the mall that doesn’t exist anymore
  • The cuff bracelet is from Aerie, which I also got forever ago

Although I didn’t get a full photo series of this Date Day (Ish) OOTD, I still love it all the same. This look is a really good example of a color blocked outfit and is exactly what I pictured when I purchased the Solitaire top during my last TJMaxx haul. There are a few rules of thumb to follow for a successful color blocked OOTD so let’s discuss:

Colors That Compliment:

The best and most obvious rule for optimum success is to choose colors that compliment. As you can see, aside from my black skort that acted as a neutral, I went with a warmer palette for everything else. You want the colors that you use to interact with each other in the most positive way for a cohesive look.

Try looking at the rainbow for inspiration. For example, if I had a yellow skort, it would have worked just as well as the black since red, orange, and yellow work together in tandem. For a more jewel toned look, the base of this OOTD in green, blue, and violet would be ideal. If you want to do some advanced color blocking, take a look at a color wheel to use true complimentary colors like blue and orange or red and green.

Choose Clothing Styles Wisely:

A color blocked outfit is a huge accessory in itself and we all know that too much of a good thing can take away from the overall look. I kept things sleek in my OOTD and used the top as the main piece and then incorporated matching accessories. But maybe you want to do something more bold and we’ll use ruffles and complementary colors as an example…

Let’s say you have a magenta top with ruffled tank sleeves and you want to pair it with a bright green skirt. This alone would be a great choice but you could take it a step further. What if your green skirt has ruffle accents too? Then, it would be a home run because you’re using complimenting colors AND styles.

Different types of styling all demand cohesion and some options, like mixing and matching, allow you to be really creative. Of course, you are being creative with color blocking but it’s also a logical way of styling too. By observing not only colors that complement but styles too, you are going to have a cohesive look no matter what you choose. That’s just brain power, baby!

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^^^ Lil buddy was all tuckered out after his big day!

Despite not having many pictures of this Date Day (Ish) OOTD, I hope you learned a thing or two about color blocking. This is one of the easier styling methods so don’t be afraid to break out the color wheel and have some fun!

Do you prefer to wear warm or cool colors? What is your favorite styling technique? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

 

 

 

A Stroll In The Garden OOTD Bonus Pics

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A Stroll In The Garden OOTD Bonus Pics

Hello everyone and welcome to some bonus pics from my Stroll In The Garden OOTD! This is neither here nor there but, as I type this, there is something stuck in my eye and it’s super uncomfortable/annoying. Happy Monday, am I right? ANYWHO, this little OOTD was shot by my dad and he did a bang up job! And, something very special happened afterwards so let’s get to it:

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My niece, Valerie, was over when we were taking these pictures and was outside with my mom while my dad was snapping pics. Val is my lil BFF and she is always joined at my hip whenever we are together so it was pretty amazing that these pictures could even happen! Now, normally, Val refuses to get her picture taken so we were all shocked when the unthinkable happened… She said she wanted to take pictures too!

After a few more minutes of OOTD pics, I was able to take Val’s pictures and it warmed my cold, bitter heart like no other. We all knew it was because she wanted to be doing what I was doing and it was just so freaking cute. Her and I ran around the backyard finding good patches of grass because, oddly enough, she didn’t want pictures by flowers. She showed off her cool dance moves and took her TT’s directions well when she felt like it. 😀

I couldn’t wait to share the pics that I took with my sister and brother-in-law and they were equally as surprised from Val’s apparent change of heart for getting her picture taken. Val makes me proud all of the time but this moment is definitely in my top five. Maybe we have a future blogger in the family?!

Do you like having your picture taken? Or do you prefer to be the one taking the pictures? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah