As you guys well know, one of my all time favorite shopping locations is TJMaxx. I had a particularly good haul of fun new pieces to add to my growing collection when I went with my mom on Sunday night. My mom is my TJ’s partner in crime, and we go at least once a month to shop around and see what’s new. More often than not we always walk away with something super cute for an awesome price. On Sunday I got three new shirts for about forty dollars – and you can’t beat that! Take a look at my latest obsessions:
Here’s a quick breakdown of the brands of each shirt as usual!
Grey maxi shirt: Gaze USA
Taupe maxi shirt: Tresics
Flannel vest: Vanilla Star
I’ve been looking for some cool maxi shirts for forever now. During my last visit to H&M the ones that they had were all knee length or longer, and unfortunately those ones swallowed me whole. Both the taupe and grey shirts that I found were long in the back and short in the front, with the longest part hitting me mid-thigh which is the perfect length for my 5’1 1/4 self. (Because the quarter counts, damnit!) Now I’m not usually a fan of a plain Jane t-shirt, so I had to find something to spruce the look up, and I was really hyped when I found the rocker-cool flannel vest. Pairing both of the maxi shirts with the vest created magic, as the colors compliment each other perfectly. Today I’m wearing the grey shirt and vest layered over a pair of opaque black tights and a black pair of spanx-esque biker shorts. If the maxi shirts were just a smidgen longer I would have no problem wearing them as a shirt-dress with only the tights on- but alas, without the biker shorts I would look like a total hoochie. I’m actually a-okay with the biker shorts though, because it just adds to the grunge look that I was going for today. To complete the look I threw on my pair of Vince Camuto pointed toe booties (also compliments of TJMaxx), my signature dangling black cross earrings (even though I’m not religious in the slightest), and a long bronze necklace with Pinocchio on it (which is a TJMaxx find as well! It’s an oldie but goodie.). My new purchases have lent me a helping hand in achieving the grungy/but still put together look that I love so very much. I felt like such a rock star when I rolled into school this morning in my head to toe TJ’s look – what more could you ask for in an outfit?
I’m on the hunt for more cool maxi shirts, preferably in black because TJMaxx didn’t have any, which is a bummer. So if you know of any stores or websites that are rockin the maxi shirt trend, PLEASE leave me a comment and let’s chat! I hope you’re all having a fabulous Tuesday, and I will talk to you all laterrrrr! Much love. -Sarah
Hello one and all and Happy Easter a bit early to those who celebrate! I won’t be checking in tomorrow, so I thought I’d send you all a quick hello now! I decided that I needed some fun new pics for lifewithlilred today, so my mom took some lovely outdoor pictures of me! Spring has finally sprung in Ohio so it was the perfect weather to rock a little skirt and heels combination! Pardon me while I flood you with photos of myself! 😉 AYYYYYY
Holla atcha girl!! Here’s a break down of what I was wearing in these pictures:
Polka dot blouse: Aerie
Faux suede skirt: H&M
Heels: TJMaxx, BCBGeneration
I absolutely adore this sassy spring outfit! My H&M skirt is one of my newest purchases and I was so excited to break it out today. It matches perfectly with the golden polka dots in my navy blue blouse and the tan heels tie the look together to perfection. I can’t wait to wear this outfit to class because I feel like it’s such a smart and chic look. It’s a fairly preppy outfit, but the faux suede of the skirt and my chunky heels definitely give an edgy twist that I always try to incorporate in all of my looks. If you’re a fan of the skirt, it should be available in stores and online at http://www.hm.com! AND if you sign up for their weekly newsletter you get a twenty percent off of one item coupon! You’re welcome! 🙂
The Easter fun continued into the evening when I went over to my sweet best friend Lea’s house to color Easter eggs. It’s one of our favorite best friend traditions and we always have an absolute blast! Here we are looking fierce:
Our eggs turned out fabulous and vibrant and I had such a lovely time hanging out with her and her family! And FYI, twenty years old is not too old to color Easter eggs! 😉
I hope all of you have a wonderful time celebrating Easter tomorrow if that’s your thing or just hanging out and having a normal day! Don’t miss me too much tomorrow and make sure you check back in with me on Monday for the usual Monday Update segment! What are some of your favorite Easter traditions? If you dyed eggs, how did yours turn out? And if you got super creative with your eggs…how did you do it?!! Lol, Lea and I could barely handle a different color on the top and bottom of ours!! I’d love to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Have a great rest of your weekend. -Sarah
PS: Special thanks to my gorgeous mama for taking my pictures today! Love you! ❤ Even though you were just aimlessly “pressing buttons” the whole time! 😉
Hey guys! So yesterday I had an absolutely lovely day of Valentine’s Day shopping – TJMaxx and Target were very good to me! I had to treat myself like a princess yesterday because no one else did (lol) and no fucks were given…because no one loves Lil Red better than Lil Red! So here’s the purchases that set my bank account back a little farther than I’d like, but it was so worth it!!!
As usual, here’s a list of the brand names of each item. (All of the pieces pictured above are from TJ’s.)
Pointed toe ankle boots: Vince Camuto
Quilted tall boots: Rampage
Lace peasant skirt: Flying Tomato
Harem pants: Japna
I was SO excited when I found my pair of Vince Camuto’s. These beauties were on the clearance rack and I got them for twenty-nine bucks as opposed to the original one hundred and twelve! Such a steal!!! I have a feeling that these are going to be my new go to booties, I seriously plan on wearing them with everything. I’m looking forward to wearing them with my new harem pants, dresses and tights, and of course my black coated skinny jeans (I only wear black coated denim!)! But the beautiful thing about these booties is that they can easily be worn in the summer time as well (which is a nice thing to fantasize about considering it’s a whopping zero degrees in Akron, Ohio -___-). I can’t wait to pair these bad boys with cute little shorts, maxi skirts, and sun dresses all summer long! At Target I found a plain black crop top and a really pretty white lacey one that I tried on but didn’t buy. Naturally, I couldn’t stop thinking about them when I got home, so I went to Target’s website and was so happy to see that the tops were twenty percent off online on top of the extra five percent I get for using my Target Red Card. With all of these deals I got both crop tops for twenty dolla AND I got free shipping. #fabulous I’m pretty hyped about the white crop top because it’s going to match perfectly with my new lace peasant skirt!! It’s gonna look so pretty! :*) I’ve been meaning to get a plain black crop for forever now, so I figured “why not” and bought that too. You can’t beat two for twenty! #treatyoself
^^^ Best shopping themed song EVERRRRR! Jupiter Rising is such a guilty pleasure!
So there you have it, my special Valentine’s Day treat to my favorite gal in the world…ME!!! How did you guys celebrate V-Day yesterday? How did you treat yoself or your significant other? I wanna hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much Love. -Sarah
I’m literally jumping for jumpsuit joy right now! After months of searching for the perfect jumpsuit, I FINALLY found it! I am pleased to present my dream jumpsuit: (compliments of TJMaxx. Brand: Fire Los Angeles)
I came across this beauty out of pure luck today. After school this morning, I decided to drop some clothes off to sell at Plato’s Closet, as there’s a highway exit that leads straight to it on my way home. If you’re not familiar with Plato’s, it’s essentially a thrift store that purchases clothing from teenagers and twenty somethings. It’s so nice to earn some extra cash when cleaning out your closet! Anyways, when I dropped off my clothes, there were quite a few people in line ahead of me and it takes for FREAKING ever for your items to get sorted through, so I figured I’d run some quick errands. I stopped over at Target to pick up a facial scrub that I needed. (I can’t recommend Biore’s cleansers and scrubs enough! So fantastic.) There was so much cute stuff at Target that I had to escape before I blew my bank account. #selfcontrol So I did the logical solution….drove across the street to TJMaxx. As all of you know, I LOVE TJ’s – and believe me I tried my best to not end up there while playing the waiting game at Plato’s Closet….but the magnetic force pulling me to my fashion wonderland was just TOO DAMN STRONG!!! I made my usual rounds through the store, starting at the purses, working my way back to the shoes, and then crossing over to the juniors clothing section. I browsed through a few racks of clothing and finally came across my jumpsuit on display for all to see. When I laid eyes on this gorgeous lacey masterpiece for the first time I felt like I had walked into a brick wall. Could it be? The jumpsuit that I’ve been waiting for? Was this the light at the end of the tragic tunnel of past unflattering jumpsuits left to rot in the fitting rooms? Please GOD, let this be the one. I had no intention to try anything on during my TJ’s browsing session, but as soon as this baby was in my hands I power walked my ass to the fitting rooms in RECORD timing. My hands were trembling as I slipped out of my clothes and into the suit. My breath was held and my eyes were squeezed tight as I zipped myself up. With a long exhale, I opened my eyes to reveal the finished product…..and it was perfect. You guys have to understand that I’ve been on the prowl for a fashionable jumpsuit since May. Every single one that I’ve tried on up until now has been a miserable failure. I’m a tiny girl. 5’1 and a quarter (because the quarter counts, damnit) and 113 pounds. Every suit I’ve tried has just been too long with absolutely no shape to them. I honestly would have looked better wearing a garbage bag. Clearly these suits were designed for the tall gals! I was on the verge of giving up. I thought all hope for being a jumpsuit fashionista was lost. So when I found this jumpsuit I was ecstatic! The way it fits is just divine. It hits me perfectly at my ankles, with a gorgeous cinched in waist, a cleavage bearing V-neck for some va va voom, and some added drama on the back where a little bit of skin is exposed before you tie a ribbon at the nape of your neck. It fit me like a glove and all of the extra skin showing made what could have been an over bearing outfit extremely flattering. Plus, an older lady in the fitting room told me that I looked fabulous – so I had to get it, right? I’m SO excited to pair my new jumpsuit with my black Vera Wang wedges and my signature red lip for family gatherings this holiday season. It’s an unexpected take on a holiday outfit, but that’s what the Lil Red lifestyle is all about – being daring and taking fashion risks.
What will everyone be wearing this holiday season? What was your favorite TJMaxx find? If you are a fellow jumpsuit owner – how do you accessorize it? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! Happy Tuesday! -Sarah
Recommendations one through ten from yours truly ❤ :
1) Read The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. If you read my article about this book, you’ll already know how much I love it. I just finished rereading this novel by Rachel Joyce today and it still made me cry just as much as when I read it the first time. I’m really looking forward to reading Rachel Joyce’s other book, Perfect. So be on the look out for my thoughts on that once I start reading it!
2) Go on a hike by yourself. Seriously this may be one of the best things you ever do for yourself. If you read my article An Ohio Hike, you’ll know that I had an absolutely lovely solo hiking experience this past week. I felt so at peace when I was walking through the forest with just me, myself, and I. Hearing the sounds of nature and being alone with my own thoughts was so calming. Walking through the beautiful Ohio Metroparks is definitely something I’d like to continue doing.
3) Write a letter to yourself. I know, I know, so corny right? Contrary to popular belief – it’s not. One of my first college assignments this past week was to write a letter to my future self. My professor promised all of her students that she wouldn’t be reading our letters, just simply mailing them back to us when she felt the time was right. Our only guideline for the assignment was to be kind to ourselves. With that in mind, I wrote a letter straight from the heart to my future self. I wrote all of the positive affirmations I tell myself and then some and it felt so good. Seeing the words I speak to myself in my head on paper made phrases like “you’re beautiful inside and out” very real to me. If that makes sense? If you’d like to read exactly what I wrote to myself, you can check out my article Letter to Myself. Once you complete your letter, tuck it away somewhere special and whenever you need reassurance or positivity, it will be there for you.
4) Listen to Mika!!!! This lovely gentleman is one of my biggest guilty pleasures. I was playing him on my way home from work yesterday night and had a blast. I completely forgot how much I enjoy his gorgeous vocals and insane falsetto. This is a true story, I discovered Mika years ago when they used his track We Are Golden in a Degrassi commercial on TeenNick. I loved the song so much that I had to hear more. Screaming “we are not what you think we are, we are golden, we are golden” in my car with the windows down last night was exactly what I needed after a day at work! Mika’s talent is so pure and impressive and I can’t get enough of it.
5) Check out the bands Fallen Captive and Below The Tide: Two of the fantastic gentlemen who work at Odd Fellows Tattoos in Akron (where I got my latest tattoo done) are also members of some pretty cool heavy metal bands. Travis Lamont who did my gorgeous Isis piece this weekend plays a mean guitar for Below The Tide while Mitch Pivarski of Fallen Captive lays down some insane vocals. Help support Akron Ohio’s local music scene by showing these guys some love! These gents are two of the best guys you’ll ever meet, and I’m so glad to have the pleasure of knowing them!
6) While you’re at it, give Odd Fellows Tattoos a like: I had the pleasure of getting my latest ink addition done here, and the experience was nothing but positive. You can read all about it in my latest article Body Mods! Part 2. This shop is inhabited by fantastic tattoo artists, piercers, and the all around coolest guys ever. Please show the Akron body art scene some love by giving their Facebook page a like. Make sure you browse through all of the photos of the amazing work that gets done there on the daily. And in case you haven’t seen my newest tattoo yet, here’s a pic of the goddess Isis, done by Travis Lamont, as well as their Facebook page.
7) Pamper yourself: A few nights ago I took the most amazing bubble bath ever. I lit some fall scented candles in the bathroom, played the gorgeous Amy Winehouse on my iPod, and filled up the tub with some floral scented suds. This sounds like such an obvious thing to do, but sometimes we forget to give ourselves a little treat. I didn’t realize how tense I was from the days work until I sunk into the steaming water. Amy Winehouse is one of the best artists to play while taking a bubble bath – she makes everything so much more luxurious! Enya is also a highly recommended bath time artist as well! After I got out of the tub, I wrapped myself in a fluffy new towel to dry off. As an extra treat I lathered on some Satsuma body butter from The Body Shop. My skin was soft as a baby’s bottom after that! BTW, I believe all of The Body Shop’s bath and body care is half off right now on their website, so take a look if you’re interested! http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/
8) Listen to Say Hi (formerly known as Say Hi To Your Mom): I absolute adore Mr. Eric Elbogen of Say Hi. I’ve been a fan of this one man band for quite some time now, but have been listening to him very frequently as of late. I can’t get enough of the quirky lyrics of this Seattle native. From the haunting lullaby like tune of “I Think I’ll be a Good Ghost” to making a morbid lyric like “I’m gonna drink your blood” in “Blah Blah Blah” sound romantic – this guy can do no wrong. I stumbled upon this artist when he was still Say Hi To Your Mom. I was strolling through the CD section of Best Buy with my brother, when I pointed out the funny name of Eric Elbogen’s act and we shared a laugh. Once I got home, I was curious about what the music of Say Hi To Your Mom sounded like, so I looked it up, and the rest is history.
9) Do a Halloween activity: This Friday night my sister, her boyfriend, and myself went to The Haunted Schoolhouse and Laboratory in Akron. We had a blast! We only went through the Laboratory because we didn’t feel like paying for both houses. Both haunted houses boast four floors of fright. There were a lot of really cool rooms in the Laboratory, like an operating room, a room inspired by the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and a dentists office. The timing of the actors in the haunted house was so perfect. They would pop out right when we were more than half way through a room with the thought that we wouldn’t get a scare. It was like they were reading our minds, because as soon as we thought we were smooth sailing, out would come a masked man yielding a chainsaw! It was so fun holding on to each other and laughing every time one of the actors got us! I would love to go to the Haunted Schoolhouse before the Halloween season is over! I would also like to hear about popular haunted houses in your neck of the woods, so please leave me a comment about them!
10) Take a shopping trip: Today my mom and I went to TJMaxx to browse their fall and winter clothing. If you guys follow all of my OOTD’s, then you already know how much I love TJ’s! Unfortunately, there was nothing too impressive on our trip today, but it was still so fun to go with my mom and point out our likes and dislikes. It’s always a hit or miss when we make a TJ’s trip, so hopefully next time we go there will be tons of cute and new stuff! I can’t recommend going to one of your favorite stores for a little pick me up enough. In the words of Donna and Tom from Parks and Recreation: TREAT YOSELF!
So there you have it, my Lil Red Recommends for the week! What’s your favorite Halloween activity to do? I’d really like to get in some more Halloween fun before the week is up! Please leave me a comment if you have any suggestions! Have a great night! -Sarah
Yesterday night, I went shopping at TJMaxx with the intention of getting some hat boxes for my collection of vintage beauties left by my beloved grandma (RIP!!! <3).And I ended up leaving with these gorgeous babies instead:
Wanna guess how much I paid for them? Fifty? Thirty? Try ten! I had a ten dollar gift card from using my TJ’s credit card, so I got these little booties half price, as they were twenty originally – which is still crazy cheap! While browsing through the home goods aisles I began questioning if it was really necessary to buy hat boxes, when I could just store them in plastic containers in my closet to keep them away from the dust, dirt, and sunlight. Problem solved. Besides, they didn’t even have any hat boxes anyways. So naturally, I wander to the shoe section, because you’re not going to NOT look at the shoes when you’re at TJ’s. When I stumbled upon these Wanted brand shoes, I knew they had to be mine. I’m so obsessed. They have the perfect amount of rocker edge with the industrial feel of the buckles and black gemstones paired with the sweet touch of the pointed toe and tiny heel. I’m so excited to rock my new kicks with my black coated leather super skinny jeans for a punk rock feel. I’m also looking forward to completely changing the mood of these shoes by wearing them with a soft and flowy dress paired with tights and a sharp blazer. My sweet grandma loved TJ’s and I truly am her grand daughter because I definitely inherited her love for the store! It’s so much fun to spend an hour or two wandering through all their fabulous purses, shoes, accessories, and clothing for every occasion. It’s also always an added bonus when you can snag a new addition to your shoe collection for a fantastic bargain! Such a successful shopping trip!
Where’s all my TJMaxx shoppers on here? What’s been your favorite thing you purchased from there? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! Happy Sunday. -Sarah
![IMG_1042[1]](https://lifewithlilred.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/img_10421.jpg)
![IMG_0920[1]](https://lifewithlilred.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/img_09201.jpg)
![IMG_0955[1]](https://lifewithlilred.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/img_09551.jpg)
![IMG_0957[1]](https://lifewithlilred.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/img_09571.jpg)
![IMG_0814[1]](https://lifewithlilred.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/img_08141.jpg)
lifewithlilred 