Tag Archives: wedding

May19

Crunch Time!

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Crunch Time!

Hello! The countdown for my wedding is on and I definitely feel like I am in crunch time now. And, mind you, this is just for a super small ceremony – I couldn’t imagine the stress that soon to be married people feel for a big wedding! Thankfully, if there’s one thing that Lil Red loves to do, it’s plan and Johnny and I are constantly checking things off of our wedding to do list. In fact, I was able to cross three things off in just one day.

This past week, I got halfway through with removing all of the horrible and heinous disk sequins from my wedding dress. It is a night and day improvement with just having the top half completely sequin free and it is so worth the painstaking, time consuming effort. Later that afternoon, Johnny and I went to the courthouse to get our marriage license application sorted so that is all good to go which is very exciting!

After going to the courthouse, I treated myself to brand new jewelry for the four studs in my nose at Lucid Body Piercing. I never change the jewelry in my nose so my crystal studs were looking incredibly dingy and that just won’t do for my wedding day. The professionals at Lucid were able to hook me up with slightly bigger studs with a disk backing, which means a little more bling and no more screw posts forever getting tangled. 😀

Once my jewelry was selected, the owner of the studio, Alex, put them all in for free and it was such an amazing experience because he is so skilled and knowledgeable. We had many a laugh while he swapped my studs out and when we weren’t chit chatting, he thoroughly explained what he was doing which made me feel so comfortable. After my wedding, I am playing around with going back to the shop for a potential new nose piercing. Just being in a piercing studio to have jewelry changed out was enough to have the body mod bug come back biting!

Mine and Johnny’s wedding check list is winding down and soon, we will have nothing left to do but wait for our big day. I have really enjoyed doing the wedding preparations with my fiance and I can’t wait to get married! ❤

What helps you stay organized? Are there any new piercings or tattoos in your future? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May16

Wedding Dress Delight

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Wedding Dress Delight

Hello! My nontraditional wedding dress was ordered online and I am in love! The best part about my wedding dress, however, was the time I got to spend with my mom in the process of getting it just right. Because Johnny and I are having such a small ceremony, there really wasn’t much planning involved that our loved ones could participate in. So, it was really important to me to have my mom and sister there for the things that didn’t require Johnny and I just sitting in our apartment talking lol.

My sister came with me for my makeup test run and it was wonderful to have her company and expertise. For my wedding dress, my mom came with me to every appointment at a local dry cleaner who also specializes in alterations. From getting my initial measurements taken to the actual alteration session and a final try on when picking it up, JANE was there for it all. This was incredibly special to me and it was really exciting for us both to see the end results of what we had been imagining for my dress all along.

The alteration aspect of my wedding dress is absolutely perfect in every way and I can’t wait to show all of you what it started from to how it turned out after Johnny and I are married, of course! However, there is still a fair amount of work to do because my dress is covered in completely heinous disk sequins that need removed. Had I realized that the sequins were a thing, I would have requested to not have them in my customization notes but they blended into the dress in the picture and were not visible. -_-

Lucky for me, the sequins can be removed easily but it is a very time consuming task! Over the weekends and on my days where I arrive home early from work, I plan on setting aside at least twenty minutes each evening until my dress is sequin free. In my first go at it, I was able to take off at least fifty sequins and the front bodice is already almost halfway done.

My mom will not see my dress in its sequin free glory until the actual wedding and I cannot wait to see her reaction to it because I know it’s going to be even better than she remembers! And I am always going to remember our time spent together to get my wedding dress prepared for my big day. ❤

What are some special memories from your wedding? What alterations did your wedding apparel need? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May11

Summertime Q & A

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Summertime Q & A

Hi! In Akron, Ohio it has been nonstop rain day after day and I am so over it! The grey, chilly days have left me yearning for summertime weather and fun – especially after my family enjoyed a beautiful preview of what could be when we all went to the zoo together two weekends ago. To put myself into a sunny state of mind as the rain pours down on my apartment skylight, I decided to do a little summertime Q & A so let’s get to it:

What is your ideal weather in the summer? Although I am really looking forward to summertime, I absolutely hate super hot weather. In Lil Red’s perfect world, it would be seventy or so degrees and sunny all season long with a couple of eighty degree days peppered in for swimming.

What are you most looking forward to this summer? My wedding, of course! And Johnny and I share June birthdays exactly one week apart from each other so it’s fun to have combined celebrations for our big days. While there are, obviously, major events that I am looking forward to, I also can’t wait to be more active in the community again now that Johnny and I are both fully vaccinated. His band will begin playing their first outdoor shows in well over a year, which is so exciting!

Where is your dream summer vacation destination? As mentioned before, really hot weather is not my bag at all so a location where it’s a bit cooler would be ideal for me. I would skip the sandy beaches and head for New England. I loved the mild temperatures and the scenic terrain when my family visited Vermont and New Hampshire in my youth.

You won a contest to select three headliners for a music festival. Who are you picking? Well, my whole family was supposed to see the Rolling Stones last year so they would definitely be on the list so Johnny could finally see them live. Then, I would pick Cardi B to keep the party going followed by AFI so we could all have a good cry afterwards.

Do you have a summertime wardrobe staple? Can we all just agree that shaving our legs constantly is such a hassle? Lol, that’s why I love maxi skirts and dresses during the warm weather! They are cute, cool, and cover up my legs when I am too lazy to shave. 😀

Favorite warm weather outdoor activities? Let’s see, I enjoy going for hikes. I like farmers markets and outdoor shopping centers. Zoos and swimming are also always fun. One of the things I love the best during the warm weather is playing outside with my niece with bubbles and sidewalk chalk. There are also a lot of wonderful parks in my area for her to explore too!

Favorite summer memory? One of the best family vacations that we ever took was, easily, Universal Studios in Florida and I often think back to that trip and how much fun we had. I would love to go back!!

How would you answer any of the above questions? Do you have any exciting plans this summer? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May10

Smile!

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Smile!

Hi!! Johnny and I have a lot to smile about and I am so excited for all of our upcoming adventures. We recently got fully vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine and are looking forward to a much more active summer than last year! We also recently got engaged and have really been enjoying planning our nuptials. Our wedding will be short, sweet, and small so the ceremony didn’t need much thought but our outfits most definitely did! We have even begun making plans for our honeymoon, hopefully, next year. 😀

Getting vaccinated has lifted our cloud of constant anxiety significantly and while we will always err on the side of caution, it has felt so good to do things we never would have considered at the start of the pandemic. For example, when my brother and his family came to visit from Georgia, we all went to the zoo and ate at a restaurant. That was mine and Johnny’s first big outing since March nineteenth of last year and it was a blast. Spending time in public with my whole family is what I have been waiting for for so long and not experiencing crippling fear the whole time was the cherry on top!

Returning to some semblance of normal has felt like coming home after a long vacation. What never will be normal, however, is my fiance’s process when it comes to taking selfies with me! Lol, I swear getting a regular, smiling picture with Johnny can be like pulling teeth but it always makes me laugh until we snap just the right pic:

^^^ He loves me! 😀

Every day with Johnny is the best day and I feel so thankful for all of the wonderful things we have to smile about. ❤

What are you looking forward to this summer? What can always make you smile? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May8

The Tiniest T-Shirt

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The Tiniest T-Shirt

Hello! Johnny and I had SO much fun online shopping for our wedding outfits and we cannot wait for our big day! Of course, our shopping wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t find a rock n’ roll inspired outfit for our niece and little flower girl, Valerie, and her TT went all out for it. Thanks to the Etsy shop, Pinehart, I was able to order her the tiniest Rolling Stones T-shirt which I was having a lot of difficulty finding. The Rolling Stones is Johnny’s favorite band and we had to have Miss Val represent! Check it out:

^^^ Is that not the cutest thing you’ve seen in your life?!

Pinehart had an amazing selection of shirts and patterns to pick from in sizes ranging from infants all the way up to men’s and women’s. In fact, Johnny is so jealous of his niece’s new shirt that I’m going to have to order one for him too! I was highly impressed with the quality of this little T-shirt as the material is thick and sturdy and I have no fear of the logo peeling off, either. It is printed on there so well and that was a concern of mine because we all have had an experience where a logo on a shirt seems to be crackly or flimsy enough that you could just take it off yourself.

I paid under twenty dollars for this tiny top and I considered it such a steal. Pinehart even sent me a coupon for ten percent off all of my future purchases which is so generous and much appreciated because I plan on being a repeat customer so Johnny can get another Rolling Stones T-shirt to add to his massive collection. I swear, he could wear a different Rolling Stones T every day of the week!

Prior to being engaged, I have never really shopped on Etsy before and have now made several purchases through the site. I have been blown away by the quality, prices, and fast shipping of all of my orders and am looking forward to finding even more favorite Etsy shops in the future. 😀

What is your favorite Etsy shop? If you have an Etsy shop, feel free to leave your link in the comments too. I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May3

Lil Red Loves… Wedding Online Shopping

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Lil Red Loves… Wedding Online Shopping

Hi everyone! All of my purchases for my wedding OOTD were done online and I have been so impressed with everything. It is also such fun to have gifts from me to me show up in the mail several times a week, lol. While I won’t be giving away any details about my look for my wedding in this post, I will be commending all of the wonderful websites and Etsy shops that I bought through. Let’s get to it:

VermeerJewelry:

My engagement ring was purchased from the Etsy shop, VermeerJewelry, and I am continuously blown away every time I look at my hand! I have never seen a more perfect ring in all of my life and the craftsmanship of the carved pearl and sterling silver band is nothing short of breathtaking. The ring arrived quickly and was affordable while still being drop dead beautiful. I would happily purchase from this Etsy shop again… In fact, there are a few pieces that I have my eye on! Highly recommend.

Momaeker:

My wedding veil from the Etsy shop, Momaeker, arrived recently and it is stunning! I felt like a blushing bride just from slipping it on momentarily while I was in leggings and a T-shirt. The veil is like nothing I have ever seen before and I think the same will go for a lot of people! My purchase was made and shipped promptly, which was much appreciated and I think any bride to be would be lucky to wear one of Momaeker’s fabulous creations.

Wildly Untamed Boutique:

If you have been keeping up to date on my blog, then you will know that I am obsessed with Wildly Untamed Boutique and their AMAZING customer service. Shockingly, it took me a decent amount of time to find the perfect pair of wedding heels but once I saw my incredibly unique purchase on Wildly Untamed Boutique, I knew I had to look no further. Saying that my heels are different is a severe understatement and I definitely plan on shopping with Wildly Untamed Boutique again. You just can’t beat their crazy cool selection and the help from customer service if needed.

EricDress:

The wedding dress that I ordered through EricDress is the first and only wedding dress I have ever tried on and it is so beautiful. As we all know, a traditional wedding dress is just not for Lil Red and my custom order was made quickly according to my measurements and arrived with ample time to make some necessary tweaks. Their selection is also really affordable. I can picture myself shopping with EricDress for my next special occasion and have a feeling that my reception dress will be ordered from there!

When it comes to our wedding apparel, Johnny and I both wanted pieces that make a statement without breaking the bank. I truly believe I found that from each of the sites I bought through and give all four of the above the Lil Red Stamp Of Approval. I cannot wait for my big day so I can finally show everything off. 🙂

What is your favorite Etsy shop? Can you guess what I purchased through any of the above websites? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May2

NiiDor Adhesive Strapless Bra Review

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NiiDor Adhesive Strapless Bra Review

Hi! My wedding dress boasts a beautiful open back and while I am so excited to show off all of my tattoos, I must admit that it was a bit of a struggle finding an adhesive bra that worked for me. In fact, I almost had the dress customized to close up the back so I could wear a bra comfortably because I need the extra support. The back was just too pretty to make that sacrifice, though! After looking over countless “best adhesive bra” lists online, I settled for the well reviewed NiiDor Adhesive Strapless Bra that I purchased on Amazon:

While I am, overall, pretty impressed with this adhesive bra, I feel like it’s important to review it honestly so you don’t run into any of the issues I had if you are on the market for a backless bra. Before placing my NiiDor order, I read through a plethora of Amazon reviews and the resounding theme was that the adhesive bra fit true to size. However, this was simply not the case for me by a long shot.

I ordered the Niidor bra in my actual size and one size up and, to my surprise, both of them were too small and I had to return them and reorder it in two sizes up. The one size up did fit better but it wasn’t big enough to provide the lift that I desired for the “charming cleavage” that the box promises. The two sizes up was a much more comfortable fit but my fear is that the lift will loosen up after a few hours of wear. To help with that issue, I ordered some nipple pasties that not only provide additional coverage but extra lift with transparent tape.

I am sure that there are many occasions when the NiiDor adhesive bra fit someone perfectly but I definitely encourage buying an additional bra in a size up – especially if you need it for an event. I am just glad that I ordered these bras a good amount of time before my wedding so I had the option for trial and error!

What is the best adhesive bra you have tried? What are your experiences with the NiiDor bra if you have used it? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

May1

We Went To Jared’s

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We Went To Jared’s

Hi! This past Saturday, Johnny and I had a fabulous date day which resulted in picking out my custom wedding band at Jared’s. After getting engaged, I took my ring to Jared’s to get resized and they did an excellent job so I was very excited to go back to see what they could do for my wedding band. I was happy to see all of the wonderful employees who helped me previously at the store that day and Johnny and I left feeling confident and simply ecstatic on our purchase.

Johnny has had his wedding band for a while now and prior to our morning at Jared’s, I spent a decent amount of time coming up with a price point in my head that I was comfortable with. While what I originally had in mind was way over budget, the employees rallied together to help come up with a customized ring that was similar to what I wanted and was within my price point. They were so respectful about not trying to upsell me and I really appreciated that because when it comes to the jewelry business, pushing for a more extravagant purchase is usually the name of the game.

My wedding band will boast rubies and black diamonds which was the most important thing to me and the shape of the rocks are so unique too! I just know it will look perfect with my engagement ring and I cannot wait to pick it up later in May!

After wedding band shopping, Johnny and I headed to my mom and dad’s place to hang out with our little niece, play some games, and watch an episode of the Ken Burns baseball documentary that I got my dad for his birthday. We spent the entire afternoon there and decided to end our day by participating in Dry Ice Saturday at the Cashmere Cricket, our favorite bar.

Unfortunately, The Cricket was jam packed so we went to the Ohio Brewing Company where I had my first Moscow Mule in over a year and a half! I don’t know if it’s because I haven’t had a Mule in so long or the drink I got from the OBC was really that good but it was seriously the best Moscow Mule I’ve ever had. Once we were done at the bar, we returned to our apartment to play Trivial Pursuit and Super Smash Bros and had a blast.

These last few weeks have been extremely stressful for me and my date day with my fiance was just what I needed to help get myself back to baseline. It was a perfect day of ring shopping, family time, and video games and, as always, it’s very exciting to cross one more thing off of our wedding checklist. I cannot wait to get married! ❤

What is your favorite gemstone? What is an ideal date day for you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr27

Accessory Story: Little Red Riding Hood Pin Edition

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Accessory Story: Little Red Riding Hood Pin Edition

Hello! Have you ever ordered something online and realized after the fact that you forgot to put in a coupon code? It is the literal worst and as a seasoned online shopper, I am ashamed to say that that is exactly what happened to yours truly when I ordered my wedding heels. While making my purchase on Wildly Untamed Boutique I was so excited that I didn’t even realize the website was running a ten percent off promotion and didn’t find out until a few hours later when I just had to see my shoes again.

I reached out to Wildly Untamed Boutique’s customer service to see if there was anything that they could do since it was so shortly after the order was placed. I wasn’t expecting much because it was my mistake and I would have completely understood. So, imagine my surprise and total appreciation when they offered me a free item because the price couldn’t be adjusted!

I got to choose between a pair of stud earrings or a Little Red Riding Hood inspired pin. While the lipstick kiss studs were adorable, I much prefer dangly earrings and went with this super unique brooch, instead. I’m obsessed!

I am not a stud earring wearer and I’m actually not a pin wearer, either. However, this fairy tale themed brooch was just way too cool to pass up. I have never seen anything like it before and am already picturing all of the different ways to incorporate it into my outfits. This pin definitely makes a statement and is a wonderful tip of the cap to my love of the slightly macabre.

I had never heard of Wildly Untamed Boutique before until their ads began appearing on my Facebook newsfeed. I always remember being tempted by all of the beautiful clothes and shoes and have many a screenshot saved for potential future purchases. After a long time of window shopping, I decided to check their site out while wedding shoe shopping and I am so glad I did!

Not only was Wildly Untamed Boutique’s customer service impeccable but their selection will leave you with a wish list a mile long. I know for a fact that my wedding heels will not be the last purchase I make on their site and, in the meantime, I will be pinning my brooch to all of the button downs and light jackets this spring. 🙂

What is your favorite fairy tale? What is the best or worst customer service you have had? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr23

My Wedding Glam Squad

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My Wedding Glam Squad

Hi! Johnny and I will be having a very small wedding that literally took no planning for accommodations for our ceremony. It will be short, sweet, and simple – exactly how we want it. However, preparing our wedding looks was a totally different story and a lot of thought went into it so we can show out on our big day. I am so thankful to have the ultimate wedding glam squad tending to me and am honored to be able to showcase their talent at my wedding. I have a very specific look in mind and it would not be able to be achieved without the genius of the following:

Anna:

Anna has been my hair stylist since I was eight years old and absolutely no one but her is allowed to touch my hair. She is also one of the few people who has seen part of my top secret wedding look – that’s how much I trust her! I live for my time spent with Anna at the salon and I can’t believe almost twenty years later she will be doing my hair for my wedding. Time and time again, I will use the word “nontraditional” to describe my wedding style and my hair is no exception. In fact, the suggestion Anna made was something that I didn’t even know existed, so we are all in for a treat!

Katie:

My makeup test run with Katie was beyond what I was expecting and I had never felt so beautiful. She took every vague idea I had, ran with it, and came up with the results I had in my head but couldn’t quite put into words. I have never had my makeup done professionally before and it felt like Katie was painting the most gorgeous picture as she airbrushed away. I cannot wait until my wedding so she can do it all over again. 😀

Gabby:

Gabby is my go to girl when it comes to my nails and I already know exactly how I want my claws to look for the big day. It took me a long time to find the right nail tech for me and now that I have found her, I could never imagine anyone else sharpening my talons to perfection. I recommend her to everyone who compliments my nails and I love seeing her work on my friends who go to her now too.

Emily:

Other than four tattoos, all of the rest that I have have been done by Emily and I will most definitely need a touch up session before the wedding. I am so proud to be a walking billboard for my dear friend and her amazing talent and cannot wait for my tattoos to pop in my wedding dress. Emily is, easily, one of the best tattoo artists in my area and her work blows me away – especially her work on myself!

I cannot wait to share in my wedding day with my favorite gals because they truly make up the ultimate wedding glam squad. I know that I am in the best hands with all of them and having my wedding appointments scheduled in their books eliminates any stress for my big day. ❤

Who was a part of your wedding glam squad? Who is your go to person for your hair, makeup, or nails? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah