Tag Archives: treat yoself

Nov16

New Cherry On Top Earrings

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New Cherry On Top Earrings

Hello! Every Tuesday I get an hour and a half break before my last shift of the day. I use that time to write, read, or do blog jobs. And, oh yeah, I go shopping too! There is a TJMaxx right by the job site I am at and I have been frequenting it as I plug away at my holiday shopping. I am pleased to report that I am almost done and can’t wait to finish up, wrap them up, and cozy up for the rest of the holiday season. Of course, it’s extremely hard to visit TJMaxx without looking a little bit for myself too! During my last shopping trip, I ended up with a ten dollar treat and I couldn’t believe my good fortune. I have wanted something like this for forever! Check it out:

When I saw these darling cherry earrings I literally gasped. I have always thought that a pair of dangly cherry earrings would be so retro and fun. They were never a must have but a nice to have and the pair I found at TJMaxx was even better than what I had in mind. These good enough to eat earrings detach at the top of the cherry so you have to put the stem through the ear and then put them back together again. I thought this was way cool and unique and I absolutely love the deep red, shiny cherries. They are the ultimate in fairycore chic!

There was no brand listed on the packaging of my new earrings so I decided to look them up. Once again, I couldn’t believe my good fortune because these are actually from Anthropologie! The price listed on their website is forty-four dollars and I got mine for ten. You just can’t beat that! Anthropologie is a brand that I have always coveted and I got an accessory from there that I have been dreaming of for a song. Lady Luck continued to smile on me because there are three colors of the cherries to pick from at Anthropologie and I found the deep red. The brighter hued options on their website didn’t speak to me whatsoever. This find was as sweet as cherry pie! 😀

As always, huge ups to TJMaxx for providing me with the things I want and the things that I didn’t know I needed. Forever my happy place! ❤

Is there a fashion item you have been coveting? Where is your happy place to shop? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov9

New Grape & Deep Purple Nails

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New Grape & Deep Purple Nails

Hello! I treated myself to a fabulous fill this past Tuesday and it was so nice to spend an hour getting pampered while I was on break. I have to admit that I was a bit sad to say goodbye to my Halloween nails to compliment my pirate costume but I was excited to explore new colors for fall. Come fall time, I feel like I see endless shades of brown and nude nail polishes and that is not me in the slightest. I adore the gem tones when it comes to fall hues and wanted to go that route for a fresh take on a fall fill. One of the colors was actually not what I had in mind but I loved how it turned out anyways. Talk about a happy accident! Check it out:

As I browsed through the nail polish book, I immediately was drawn to the grape color and moved onto my next shade. Nearby was a deep indigo (Or so I thought!) and that was the winner. When I requested the colors to my tech, she came back verifying that I chose two purples and in my head I was like “huh” lol. What I took as indigo was a really deep purple! I didn’t want to bother with swapping it out and just decided to go for it and I’m so glad I did. My tech and I were swooning over this color combo once all was said and done and she thought it looked “Victorian”. I couldn’t agree more and it was just the Lil Red take on fall colors I was hoping for despite the mix up!

My time spent at Elysian Nails can’t be beat and I recommend the salon to any and everyone. This includes my mom, mother in law, friends, and anyone looking for recommendations on Talk Of The Town pages on Facebook. Earlier in the day, I scheduled my next fill for myself in December as well as a manicure for my mom. Literally thirty seconds after I scheduled my mom’s mani, I got a text from the salon owner asking who it was for lol. He knew darn well I will never be without my acrylics and when I arrived at the salon, we shared a laugh and he said “It could never be you”! That just shows the level of service Elysian Nails provides. Everyone from the owner to the techs knows the clients and I really appreciated that he went out of his way to double check. ❤

I am already chomping at the bit for my next fill and can’t wait to take my mom to her mani appointment – not mine!!!

How do you like to treat yourself? What color of nail polish are you rocking? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov5

New 5 Below Pajamas

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New 5 Below Pajamas

Hello! Several of my clients absolutely LOVE 5 Below and I am always happy when they request a shopping trip there because I love it too. You can’t beat the prices, they have so many fun things to pick from, and the quality of my purchases has always been excellent. One of my favorite buys from 5 Below has got to be my adorable Halloween pajamas and I wear them frequently. They are just too cute and comfy! 5 Below has recently put out a majority of their holiday collection and I couldn’t help treating myself to a new pair of jammies. They had countless darling matching sets but this peppermint stripe pattern spoke to me. Check it out:

Does anyone remember the pajama set from Victoria’s Secret that was pastel pink and was striped with a deeper pink hue? I had always lusted after that and it was the first thing that came to mind when I saw this set from 5 Below. Rather than paying upwards of fifty bucks, however, I paid fifteen and couldn’t be happier! The material is so soft and I like that it’s on the thinner side as I love to snuggle up in a million blankets as soon as the temperature drops. This set invokes sipping hot chocolate by the fire and unwrapping presents on Christmas day and I can see myself living in them all holiday season long.

As you might have noticed, I am a Halloween kind of gal through and through. My best friend, Kate, is the Christmas Queen and she wears the crown oh so well. This is the first actual Christmas inspired clothing that I own and I couldn’t wait to tell her about it. I knew she would be so proud! I imagine she felt like I did when she told me about the handful of spooky movies and shows she watched during Halloween. It literally made my heart swell. Kate’s love of Christmas is absolutely joyous to see and I think it has been rubbing off on me. I found some SUPER cute Santa dresses for holiday celebrations and they have really been tempting me. The problem is that I can’t pick which one so stay tuned because I will need all of your help!

A Pajama Party OOTD in these sweet jammies is on the horizon so keep it posted here on lifewithlilred!

Do you have a favorite pair of pajamas? What gets you into the holiday spirit? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct29

Cliganic Chapstick Review

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Cliganic Chapstick Review

Hello! I am a huge chapstick gal and this love was definitely fostered by my obsession with Lip Smackers in my youth. Lol you just couldn’t beat the scent of them even though I’m pretty confident they did absolutely nothing! As a smoker, my lips get dry easily so I always like to have a chapstick on my person. Several, actually. I have one in my purse, one on my bedside table, and one on my table when I’m working on the computer. A while back ago, I purchased a set of chapsticks by Cliganic and I am most impressed by the product. With winter weather approaching and chapped lip season upon us, I thought we’d discuss this lip chap because I think you will love it:

^^^ This is a cruelty free chapstick!

One of the biggest gripes people have with chapstick is the constant reapplication and I totally get it. If I am using a product, I want it to work right off the bat and what’s the point of a chapstick if you have to keep putting it on every ten seconds? This is SO not the case with the Cliganic lip chap! These chapsticks are made with sunflower seed oil, Vitamin E, and beeswax and they really pack a punch. The formula is so nourishing and rich and you can literally feel it working as soon as you apply it and after the fact.

With just a small swipe across your lips, you are on your way to ultimate and long lasting hydration. I can’t stand when a chapstick feels like it’s just sitting on your lips and the Cliganic lip chaps really do absorb and improve. The best part? My lips still feel soft and smooth even when this product is off! I reapply mine three times a day, at most. Part of it is out of habit but it’s honestly not even necessary because of how well it works. I put some on about two hours ago and even though it has all absorbed, my lips legit feel like I used a lip mask instead of a chapstick. If you want a truly effective chapstick without having to reapply throughout the day, this is the one for you!

I cannot recommend the Cliganic chapsticks enough and plan on buying more once I am out. I couldn’t imagine using anything different since I am already using the best!

How do you soothe chapped lips? What is your favorite chapstick scent? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct12

New Black & Red Glitter Nails

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New Black & Red Glitter Nails

Hello! This past Tuesday I was treated to a fabulous break time fill at Elysian Nails. It is always the best little midday pick me up and I was excited to get colors that would match my Halloween costume’s aesthetic. This year, Johnny and I are going to be pirates and recently purchased our costumes. Mine features a heaping dose of sexiness and a red, black, white, and gold motif. I had a general idea in my head for my nails but these colors are FIRE and completely exceeded my expectations! Check it out:

As red and black are my two favorite colors, it’s no surprise that that was the color combo I gravitated towards! The garnet glitter polish for my red selection was everything and reminds me of Dorothy’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz. They shimmer and shine like nobody’s business and I seriously can’t stop looking at them! I wanted to compliment the red with some black glitter polish but there was none to be had. So, my nail tech created her own with a gorgeous sparkle top coat. The shine provided was so intense it made me think of crushed diamonds and this combination is going to be absolutely perfect for my pirate costume!

I got a full set during my last appointment so my acrylics were in really good condition. They just needed shaped, sharpened, and a tiny repair or two and my pampering session was complete in forty-five minutes. It was a new record and it gave me time for my nails to fully dry before heading back to work! During my appointments, my tech and I catch up on all of the latest and greatest and love discussing documentaries, books, and anime. I recently started watching Death Note (It is AMAZING!) and was delighted to learn she did too. What are the odds of that?! I can’t wait to come back next month so we can delve further into the series, which will basically be us just fan girling about how good it is. 😀

Stay tuned for a sneak peek of my pirate costume coming soon. You will definitely agree that these fierce acrylics are the perfect match!

What color of nail polish are you rocking? What is your favorite way to pamper yourself? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct4

New Hair, Who Dis?

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New Hair, Who Dis?

Howdy! Last Friday I enjoyed a wonderful day of pampering at the Shear Shop to put mine and my stylist, Anna’s, hair plans into fruition. We decided on a red, purple, and blue motif and I was SO ready to get a brand new do. Does anyone else feel like their hair looks like garbage in the week or so before they get it done? I was definitely feeling those sentiments and they were all pushed aside as soon as I stepped into the Shear Shop. I knew my hair was in the best hands and all that was left to do was sit and revel in the process! Check out this fabulous new look and peep my TikTok for the transformation video:

Pulp Riot Colors Used:

Top Left: Fireball with a bit of Pyro

Top Right: Pyro

Bottom Left: Asteroid

Bottom Right: Elixir

The first order of business when my hair gets done is always to bleach it so that the beautiful Pulp Riot hues can be seen in their full glory. Normally, we let the bleach sit for about twenty minutes. This time around, however, it was close to thirty-five because we needed to lift a lot of color from the previous style. We didn’t want any hints of green from the last shade of blue and we also wanted to see more purple, which meant pulling out some of the red. By the time my hair was bleached as far as it could go without jeopardizing the hair, the old blue lifted to a shade of mint green and it was actually really cool!

Once my hair was bleached and washed, the painting of the color began and that is the best part. The neat thing about Pulp Riot colors is that what you see in the bowls of hair dye is what you are going to get. Our new shade of denim blue called Asteroid threw us for a loop, though! Anna and I were both surprised to see that it looked purple in the bowl. We proceeded to use it anyways and about five seconds after Anna applied it, the color turned denim blue before our very eyes. It was insane! If you are interested in using that shade, this is your heads up that you’re still going to get the color you want. It just won’t look that way at first.

After my hair was painted, we let it sit for fifty minutes before washing it out in icy cold water. The end result was absolutely gorgeous! We had red, purple, and blue on the mind and it turned out EXACTLY how we were hoping. I am obsessed with the Asteroid dye and it’s a perfect transition shade of blue for fall time before we darken things up in the winter with Nightfall. The red is popping and I am extremely excited for the purple shade of Elixir. I have been in love with Kelly Osbourne’s purple locks since she hosted Lego Masters Junior and Elixir is an almost exact match. Your girl is feeling her damn self!!

As always, my beloved stylist is a genius and true master of her craft. It is such a joy to spend the day with her and I can’t wait to see what we dream up for my next appointment!

What colors should I get next? Are you changing your hair color for fall? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep27

Face Mask Festivities: Trader Joe’s Honey Hydration Edition

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Face Mask Festivities: Trader Joe’s Honey Hydration Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Face Mask Festivities! I love me some skin care from Trader Joe’s and my mom is so sweet to always pick me out a treat when her and my dad make the trip to go shopping there. Unfortunately, the closest Trader Joe’s to us is close to an hour away which is a major bummer. I would do ALL of my grocery shopping there if it wasn’t such a trek! A week or so ago, my mom got me the Honey Hydration Face Mask from Trader Joe’s and it is just as fabulous as it sounds. It has been a while since I used a good face mask and it was so nice to pamper myself! Let’s discuss:

^^^ This product is cruelty free!!

Spoiling myself with pampering is my absolute favorite form of self care. It doesn’t matter if it’s at the nail or hair salon or my own bathroom – I savor every second. After a particularly rough week, I couldn’t wait to test out the Honey Hydration mask and have been using it as often as I can since. It is fantastic! This mask isn’t particularly pungent but it has the faintest scent of honey. It also offers a honey like consistency in a gel texture that isn’t as sticky or goopy as the real thing. However, when the scent and consistency are paired together, I feel like I just rubbed a honeycomb on my face and it’s definitely not a bad thing lol. 😀

As soon as this mask is applied, you can literally feel it working and I live for that sensation. After putting it on, it transforms from gel into a bubbly foam which remains that way until washing it off ten to fifteen minutes later. I knew my skin was going to be soft once it came off but I didn’t expect it to be soft AF. With every use, my skin feels so smooth that I legit can’t stop touching my face. It looks radiant and supple and I swear I can still feel it working even after it has been removed. This is the perfect mask for any skin type but will be particularly nice for those with dry skin or to soothe after combating the winter cold. I just used it again this morning and I seriously can’t wait to use it again and again!

If you have a Trader Joe’s in your neck of the woods, I cannot recommend treating yourself to the Honey Hydration mask enough. Your skin will thank you and you can thank me later! ❤

Where is your favorite place to shop for skin care? What is your favorite face mask? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep15

“New” Vintage Jewelry

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“New” Vintage Jewelry

Howdy! Yesterday you read about a fantastic weekend shopping trip Johnny and I took to one of the coolest stores I have ever been to, The Bomb Shelter. It was my first time going but certainly won’t be my last and I would LOVE to do a content shoot with all of their amazing retro kitchen settings. There were a few that really spoke to me and it would be such fun to put together a vintage chic look. Of course, I would accessorize with one of the pieces of jewelry that I just couldn’t say no to. I got both of these fab “new” necklaces for under twenty bucks which was a total score. Check it out:

After our stroll through the huge property that is The Bomb Shelter, it was time to check out the handful of records and gifts that Johnny selected. As luck would have it, the cash wrap was also where the jewelry was displayed and I obviously had to see what that was all about. As a heavily tattooed gal, I haven’t worn a lot of jewelry as of late because I like to let my ink do the talking in summer OOTDs. However, when fall rolls around is when I can break out my expansive jewelry collection again to add a pop to my looks when my tattoos are fully covered. Nothing transforms a chunky sweater or cardigan better than a statement necklace!

With fall fits on my mind, I wanted to find a little treat for myself to wear and went through the jewelry on display with a fine toothed comb. A lot of the jewelry at The Bomb Shelter was more on the costume side and that is not my style at all. However, a standing display housed more classic necklaces and that is what I gravitated to. The first thing that caught my eye was the simple wooden heart on a collar length chain. Hearts always remind me of my mom and I like to wear them as often as possible. The wood finish made me think of an acorn as well as the retro wooden paneling in my apartment and it was an instant yes. Granted, it was impossible for me to put on with my talons and kind of difficult for Johnny too but that’s show biz, baby, and he got it eventually lol. Great success!

My next purchase was a toss up as there were several necklaces that I liked but I didn’t want to go hog wild on accessories. I exercised self control, gave myself a limit of one more, and decided on the mid length necklace with chain tassels. I loved the burnt gold hue and the overall design but what really spoke to me was the chain. Yes, it was nice to be able to slip it over my head but that is beside the point. The chain of this necklace was delightfully reminiscent of that of a locket from my grandma that was home to a picture of her and my grandpa. It was perfect and I think I ended up with the two best pieces of jewelry on display. ❤

As the weather cools down, I can’t wait to begin fully accessorizing OOTDs again and I have a great place to start with my new old necklaces from The Bomb Shelter!

Do you have any vintage clothing or accessories? Where do you like to shop for retro finds? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep12

New Raspberry & Mauve Nails

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New Raspberry & Mauve Nails

Hello! This past Friday was a wonderful one. After work, I treated myself to a brand new full set at Elysian Nails and then had a delicious dinner with my birthday girl bestie at one of our favorite restaurants. My day concluded by playing Lego 2K Drive with Johnny and it was the perfect way to break in my new nails! It has felt so gloriously fall in good ol’ Akron, Ohio and I wanted to pick some colors to ring in the best season of all. It was bye bye to my neon hues from last month and hello to an updated Strawberry Shortcake palette. Check it out:

I absolutely live for fall fashion. Part of it is because I come alive in a good cardigan or jacket and the other part is loving fall colors. Burnt orange, gem tones, and deep berry hues play an integral part in the many gorgeous shades of fall and I hate to toot my own horn but they all look really nice on me too lol! With fall colors weighing heavily on my mind since last fall, I was so excited to pick out nail polish colors to match the autumn aesthetic. As soon as I opened the nail polish book, my eyes instantly locked in on the deep raspberry sample nail and it was a winner. For my complimentary shade, I went for a mauve polish and the pair had me feeling like a grown up Strawberry Shortcake!

It has been a phat minute since I got a full set and it took around an hour and forty-five minutes in total. The process would have been quicker but I need my nails soaked off no ifs, ands, or buts. I have a pretty high pain tolerance but I simply cannot do popping off acrylics. It makes me hurt just thinking about it! Once the nails were soaked off, my new acrylics couldn’t get placed soon enough. It’s SO weird seeing my hands without my signature claws! Just as soon as they were off, fresh new talons were well on their way and all that was left to do was sit back and relax. When I get a fill, I go during my break at work and the pressure of returning on time is always in the back of my mind. This time around, I had nothing to do but be pampered, chat away with my beloved tech, and anticipate a dinner out with my best girl. ❤

New nails, who dis?! I can’t think of a better way to welcome my happy fall time than with some fresh new acrylics with a color palette to match!

What is your favorite fall color? What color of nail polish are you rocking? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep4

5 Below Haul

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5 Below Haul

Hello! My clients absolutely love shopping at 5 Below and I do too! I am always excited to check out what’s new on the cheap whenever we go and had a fabulous haul this past week. We ended up at good ol’ 5 B after a trip to Spirit Halloween was a total dud. Seriously, everything there was SO expensive and we were hard pressed to find anything cool that was below twenty bucks. So, 5 Below it was and we couldn’t have gone at a better time. They were just putting their Halloween collection out and I kid you not, they had so many of the exact same things that we just saw at Spirit Halloween. Everything at Spirit Halloween feels like a rip off when you know where to shop! I couldn’t resist going a little crazy and ended up with a big haul with treats for my nieces, myself, and Johnny too. Check it out:

This haul costed fifty dollars for ten items and you can’t beat that!

Johnny and I have never decorated for holidays because it is Halloween year round in our apartment and that’s just the way we like it. Whenever our happy time comes around, we are always happy to splurge a little on all of the Halloween goodies our favorite stores have to offer. And, in the case of this 5 Below haul, I actually needed to use a cart for the very first time because there were so many items I couldn’t say no to as soon as I walked in the door! 😀

The first thing that caught my eye was His and Hers skeleton plushies that are just so damn cute I can’t stand it. They reminded me of big versions of adorable Frankenstein and skeleton stuffies we got on vacation in the Poconos and I can’t wait to curl up with our newest additions and watch a scary movie. Whoever says adults can’t get plushies has never bought a plushie as an adult before and Johnny and I adore these comfort items. In comparison to the plushies at Spirit Halloween that were thirty dollars and up, these were a steal at five dollars apiece. BALLIN ON A BUDGET, BABY!

Next in my haul was a few candy treats. A few years ago on social media, I saw the Sour Patch Apple Harvest pack but could never find them anywhere in stores. It was a crying shame because apple candy is my favorite so I couldn’t believe my good fortune when I found them at 5 Below. So much so, that I had to get two bags of them lol. They are so delish and my favorite is the Apple Cider flavor. They are not as sour as I would like but they are still really tasty nonetheless. I also got a pack of Caramel Apple Peelerz which I have seen all over social media too so peep a TikTok on a taste test for those coming soon. 😀

After the first portion of 5 Below was thoroughly shopped through, it was onto the clothing department where I got a set of pajamas for me and a couple of shirts for Johnny. This summer, I purchased an adorable short and cami top PJ set from TJMaxx and have been living in them. They are the only pair of non sweatpants pajamas I have so I was excited to find another pair that costed twelve dollars in total. I’m so excited to slip into the bat adorned fleece shorts and oversized tee that says Bite Me on it lol. I actually have a tattoo of vampire fangs that say Bite Me on my shoulder as well as a robe with the same sentiments so this PJ set really spoke to me. 🙂

For Johnny’s treats, I was so excited to find a wicked cool Halloween shirt. I am a Texas Chainsaw Massacre girl, myself, but Johnny is a Michael Myers fan through and through and the original Halloween is his all time favorite. Also, peep that young Jamie Lee Curtis! Such a doll then and now. ❤ Another one of our favorite movies that has nothing to do with Halloween is School Of Rock and how amazing is that band tee?! Unfortunately, they didn’t have it in Johnny’s size so I got the next size up because I knew he would like it. He loved them both and wore his Halloween shirt to work the next day!

My last purchase in this haul was a fun craft for my nieces. I had plans for a visit over the weekend and wanted something we could do all together. One of their favorite activities is pottery paint kits so I got a darling set of pottery fruit planters for them to create a masterpiece. This set of three costed six dollars making them two bucks a pop and that is a steal. The girls are always so proud of their painted creations and I can’t wait to see their fantastically fruity works or art. ❤

Whether it is at TJMaxx, Marc’s, or 5 Below – your girl loves to discount shop. This haul was so good it’s scary and I am stoked to see what other Halloween goodies 5 Below has as the happiest season of all continues!

What is your favorite discount store? Have you had any great hauls recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah