Hello everyone and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my Black & White OOTD! And as a friendly reminder, you can view even more from this look on my TikTok @lilred6794 !! Hey, you just gotta work in a shameless plug sometimes. 😀 Today we are going to take a look at some of the yikes shots that most definitely didn’t make the first cut. While I had a plethora of winning photos to pick from from this shoot, the bloopers were aplenty as well. Allow me to dazzle you lol:
With the shape of an L on her forehead…
A brief moment to take stock of my life
Dripping SASS
I’M SEXY!!!!!!
No idea where this funky lighting came from!
My best “come hither” stare
Lmaoo ta daaaaa!
Getting my Mick Jagger on
This Black & White OOTD was worn to play mini golf at Fun n’ Stuff and their two courses are awesome. One is pirate themed and the other is dinosaurs and they are the perfect amount of fun and challenging. I absolutely love mini golfing but it is safe to say that I am… not the best. The same thing happens Every. Single. Time. we have a mini golf outing: I start out STRONG. Like shockingly good – we’re talking twos and threes across the board. And I’ll tell you what, I am feeling good and no one can tell me NOTHING.
Then, somewhere along the way, my downfall happens and it is swift…
I don’t know what it is lol – maybe it’s me getting too cocky or maybe it’s just beginner’s luck but about halfway through, it’s like I forgot where I even am! Twos and threes turn into can’t making a putt to save my own life and before I know it, I’m racking up sixes on every hole. Going from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows makes the whole process even more frustrating and there is just no coming back from that. I am pleased to report, however, that I didn’t come in dead last during this outing with Johnny, our bestie Cliff, and my brother but THIRD! I genuinely couldn’t believe it once the two courses were tallied up so, despite the mini golf skills all but disappearing, who’s the real winner here?! 😀
Part crazy annoying but always fun – who doesn’t love mini golf? I can’t wait to hit the greens again to defend my third place title!
Are there any mini golf courses in your neck of the woods? What are they like? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Howdy!! I had a big day when I went to see Peter Pan at Playhouse Square. Very shortly after I arrived home from the show, it was time to go on the move again for an evening at Canal Park in Akron. My brother, Johnny, our bestie Cliff, and I all went to see our minor league baseball team, the Akron Rubberducks play against the Altoona Curve. Johnny’s work generously offers free tickets to their employees and we were all so excited to attend a game together. I had no idea what to expect because the last time I went to a game was almost a decade ago. And, let me tell you, all of our expectations were exceeded a million times over because we plan on going to as many games as we can this spring and summer!
Going to a minor league baseball game was truly the most fun I have had in ages. Not for the baseball itself but for the pure spectacle that unfolded before us. At least once per inning between the Ducks and the Curve, some type of audience interaction event was peppered in. The Ducks mascots: Astro, Webster, Rubberta, and Homer would amble through the crowd or run around the field. Children were brought onto the field to tip people dressed in inflatable cow costumes. There was an inflatable pony race and the list goes on. Not to mention the fact that a signature catchphrase was repeated frequently to everyone’s delight: “That’s a Luigi’s foul ball!!” One of the most popular restaurants in our neck of the woods, Luigi’s, has been affiliated with the Rubberducks for forever and their namesake is on the loudspeaker Every. Single. Foul. Ball. It’s hilarious!
As we watched the game, we were literally on the edges of our seats for what would happen next. Was the umpire going to scream at the coaches again? Would someone on the Curve get struck out with the prize being five dollar beers for the crowd? Would the children behind us continue to chant “five dollar beers” all night? This was a fantastical mystery of an experience and I wanted to know everything – Including why in the H-E-double hockey sticks it took us this long to go to a game together? Had I known a Rubberducks game was this ridiculous, we would have been season ticket holders. You live and you learn and I can’t wait for the next game. 😀
This Akron Rubberducks game opened my eyes to all of the fun we can have essentially in our own backyard and all I have to say is: Duck em’ up!!
Does your city have a minor league baseball team? What is your favorite baseball team? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Howdy everyone!! I had an absolutely fabulous weekend and I hope all of you did too. On Friday, I got my hair done and chitchatted all evening long on FaceTime with my blogging bestie. Then, on Saturday, I went to see Peter Pan with my sister and two eldest nieces at Playhouse Square and a minor league baseball game in the evening with Johnny, our bestie Cliff, and my brother. It was a whirlwind of a few days and so much fun! You can peep my new hair as well as all of the minor league baseball hilarity soon but now it’s time for a review of Peter Pan. Let’s get to it:
If you are unfamiliar with the story of Peter Pan, it goes a little something like this: Peter Pan lives in a fantastical place called Neverland where there are adventures at every turn and no one ever grows up. Peter is the captain to a group called the Lost Boys and they love to hear stories. So, Peter shows up at the window of a home where the mother tells stories every night to Wendy, John, and Michael – the Darling residence.
While trying to hear how Cinderella ends, Mrs. Darling ends up catching Peter’s shadow and he and Tinkerbell must get it back. During his heist, he meets the Darling kids and to Neverland they go. Wendy will be the mother to the Lost Boys and they will play, explore, and never grow up. Of course, in a land of adventure comes danger and the dastardly Captain Hook and his band of pirates are ready to get Peter and the Lost Boys once and for all. Newfound friends, fairy magic, and the ingenuity of children will be the key to peace being restored in Neverland for all of the kids who refuse to grow up!
It is always so exciting to go to the beautiful Connor Palace at Playhouse Square for a show. Regardless of if the performance is a home run, there is sure to be plenty about it that I still enjoyed. This was very much the case for Peter Pan because it fell under my “good but not great” category. Let’s dish about what worked. First and foremost, Kruz Maldonado was nothing short of a delight as the titular character. His vocals were spot on and he played the part so well. I was charmed by his air of mischief and the cocky attitude of a kid who is the leader of his pack. And, when he wasn’t puffing his chest, he still showcased the sensitivity of a child when things aren’t going their way. Kruz was cheeky and pure fun to watch and this really helped keep the show moving forward, even when it was getting stale.
I can’t say that I was overly impressed with the rest of the cast but where they lacked was made up for in production value. The dance numbers were a blast – particularly the tap dancing during “I Won’t Grow Up”. I am a huge fan of anything tap dance and this number delivered with something I had never seen before: Tap dancing on tortoise shells! Perhaps the best scene of all, though, was right at the beginning. Peter Pan came out swinging in magical design. Between Peter dancing with his shadow and the sequence of learning how to fly and traveling to Neverland, I was simply dazzled. So much so, in fact, that it made the rest of the show fall short because how can you top something that incredible?
In terms of other key players in the show, they all felt a bit lackluster in comparison to Peter. Aubrie-Mei Rubel as Wendy was… a lot. Her voice was very shrill and loud in delivery and literally no other character matched that energy, making it feel disjointed every time she spoke. I also had a major problem with Cody Garcia as Captain Hook. When I picture a fearsome pirate, he looked the part but didn’t sound it. I wanted classic booming, sneering pirate who still managed to charm and I got a watered down version. Despite this being a show made primarily for an audience of children, Captain Hook is still the villain and I would have liked to see that tapped into.
As I mentioned, the opening scenes of Peter Pan were so strong and so engaging that everything after felt weak in comparison. It was actually funny to watch my nieces react to the show because I could definitely tell every time they were getting bored. They got fidgety, were in the mood for snacks, and having a chat and I can’t say that I disagree with them lol. A majority of the scenes felt drawn out because of the different “crews” in Neverland. Each bunch had five to seven or so members and each song highlighted them individually in some way shape or form. While this is nice for introductory purposes, it made the numbers feel never ending and almost like a roll call. And, although there were several songs I really did like, the formula didn’t change and there came a point when they all blended together to a point where I was ready to go home.
Is Peter Pan the best show to take your kids to if it comes to your neck of the woods? For as much as I loved my time with my girl squad, I would say this is one you could skip on because the chances are very high it won’t keep them engaged the whole way through!
Have you been to the theater recently? What did you see? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello!! One of my New Year’s Resolutions was making more time for friends and fun and I am doing pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. My goal to achieve this was to have one outing per weekend with friends, family, or Johnny. Aside from a handful of lazy weekends, I have been crushing it and it has helped make my life feel fuller – especially considering that I used to have little to no work/life balance. This weekend, I had a girls night with a friend that I knew from high school but started hanging out with this past year thanks to our mutual bestie. We had a glorious night on the town planned until those plans fell through. Plan B was just as glorious, though!
Originally, my girl and I had grand plans of going to the Cashmere Cricket. Like literally everyone in the greater Akron area, this charming martini bar is our favorite. In fact, it’s where Johnny and I had our first date and celebrated our engagement! The Cashmere Cricket has the best food and drinks and the move was to go there for Pickle Martinis and their heavenly Grilled Cheese Dippers. We had been talking about it ALL week and were counting down the minutes until our food fantasies could come into fruition on Saturday. With a pep in my step, I headed to the bar to score us a booth and the joint was jumping. It was packed to the gills and a table wouldn’t be available for several hours later. Talk about a bummer!
Blessedly, there is always Plan B because the best Mexican restaurant ever, El Meson, is right up the street from the Cashmere Cricket. Like the Cricket, El Meson was hopping and it felt like everyone in our neck of the woods had the exact same plans as us! As luck would have it, we got one of the last tables available and were able to eat, drink, and be merry. This was actually a special occasion because my friend just had her second child and this was her first drink after the fact. It made me feel so good that she wanted to share in that with me. ❤
It was an honor to treat her and we did it up with margs and a surprise shot. Our delightful waiter randomly put shots on our table and we weighed our pros and cons. My MAJOR con was that the last time I took a shot at a bar five years ago I threw up immediately SMH. I have never taken a shot since but, hey, when at El Meson. I am pleased to report that it went down smoothly but 5/10 would probably not do again! Sometimes, Plan B just ends up being even better than what you originally had in mind and I don’t think we would have been getting random shots at the Cashmere Cricket! 😀
Cashmere Cricket will definitely be next on our agenda because we now know we should make reservations lol. I cannot wait for another fabulous Girls Night!
What is your favorite local bar or restaurant? What is a perfect night out for you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello! Johnny and I live right down the street from a Circle K and it is a beautiful, beautiful thing. Whether I am in desperate need of a Diet Coke, we’d love a snack, or a refreshing White Claw after work, we frequent our go to gas station several times per week. Because of our high return rate, we have a very friendly relationship with all of the employees and it is always nice to pop in and exchange pleasantries. In fact, sometimes Johnny plays music with one of the guys who works there. What can I say, Circle K is a community!
This past Sunday, we needed a new lighter and, of course, a Diet Coke for me so Johnny made a quick Circle K stop. He told one of our favorite employees who calls him “rock star” every time she sees him (So cute!) to surprise him with whatever lighter she wants – as long as it was a fun one. When he returned home, he showed me her selection and we had to laugh because it was the most random choice ever lol:
I honestly have no idea why this is the lighter our fave employee handed Johnny, but I am SO glad she did. Maybe it reminded her of me and Johnny as a couple if we lived on a farm and weren’t emo AF, maybe she just liked it. Regardless of why, I can’t help but have a chuckle every time I see it sitting on our coffee table. It really is the little things in life and we have vowed to have her pick our lighters since this fateful Circle K run. I genuinely cannot wait to see what we get next!
Whether it’s your favorite store, restaurant, or gas station, I truly believe it’s a special thing to go somewhere where everyone knows you and you know them. Our Circle K is that place for us and we wouldn’t have it any other way! ❤
What store do you frequent regularly? What is your favorite snack to grab from the gas station? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello!! My love for Diet Coke knows no bounds. It is the air that I breathe, the water I drink, and the food that nourishes me. Okay, I guess I wouldn’t go that far. Just kidding I totally would – it’s the best! Whenever Johnny goes to the gas station over the weekend, I always ask him to pick me up a bottle of DC. Normally, he is pretty good about it. However, he completely forgot the past THREE times during his errands. It was nothing short of devastating to see him return home empty handed but he is forever at angel status, albeit a forgetful angel!
This past weekend, Johnny went to the store and as per usual, I asked him for my usual. Honestly, I was fully expecting him to forget my Diet Coke again and that would have been fine. At this point, it had become a running joke. So, you could imagine my surprise when Johnny came rolling into the apartment with not just one bottle of DC but a six pack! He told me he was paying back for his indiscretion with interest and it was seriously so sweet. Not only did he remember, but he surprised me with something even better and I was smiling about it all weekend long. It truly does not take much and he is simply the best. ❤
^^^ My precious!!
What is your favorite beverage? Do you drink it every day? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello!! One of my New Year’s Resolutions was to make more time for fun over the weekend. I am pleased to report that I have been doing great on this goal and the best thing of all has been having lots of hang outs with my three niece girl squad. With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I thought it would be fun to get some craft supplies to make Valentines together. I went to Michael’s for the craft fest and was pleasantly surprised! All of their Valentine’s Day items were already marked down to forty percent off and the whole store was almost entirely Easter. It was a total score and I ended up with plenty of projects to keep my big girls occupied. I even got the fixings for the littlest baby to make a Valentine too with help from her big sisters!
This past Friday, my sister and girl squad joined me at Chez Mom and Dad for our crafting extravaganza. My big girls love to paint so I got them a pottery cake and cupcake to decorate, foam hearts to make cards with, and children’s paint and construction paper so baby sis could make a footprint heart. It was such a blast to get situated at the kitchen table and see what the girls dreamed up! After their pottery was to their liking, the girl squad began making Valentine’s Day cards for everyone and anything lol. Of course, they made Valentines for their parents and grandparents but they also made cards for their pets and our family dog! They also each made one for TT too:
My heart absolutely burst when the girls presented me with their creations and I have them proudly displayed in my apartment. We wrapped up our crafting jamboree with another fantastic surprise. My oldest niece decided she FINALLY wants me to teach her how to figure skate!! It was a joy to teach my big girls some jumps and spins off ice and they kind of got the hang of it lol. I can’t wait to hit the rink together!
Have you made any Valentine’s Day crafts? Do you decorate for V-Day? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello!! Every holiday season, I look forward to celebrating with my besties, Lea and Kate. It has been a regular occurrence each year for longer than we all care to admit but the novelty of it will never wear off! Due to extenuating circumstances, my Christmas get together with Lea had to be postponed to this past weekend. I was missing her something FIERCE so it couldn’t have come a moment too soon! We had a divine meal, girl talked the evening away, and finally were able to exchange presents. Honestly, talk about saving one of the best for last because my A1 knocked it out of the park. Check it out:
When I opened my gift from Lea, I clutched my pearls. I have been the proud bunny mom to Melvin and Penelope for over two years now and I don’t think it’s humanly possible to be more obsessed with them than I already am lol. Mel and Pen have made my life so much better from the infinite amount of joy that I get simply by looking at them. Even on the worst days, it is absolutely impossible not to smile at the pure cuteness overload! In fact, as I type this, Melvin and Penelope are binkying all over the room and it is so distracting in the best way. ❤
While I have bunny home decor galore, I am lacking in any type of clothing that symbolizes my love. This does seem ridiculous as I think about it now because Johnny has a shirt that says Bunny Dad! You know what they say about hindsight lol. This hoodie is so perfect in every way. It is soft, comfortable, my favorite color, and just right for these frigid winter days. Coincidentally, it is actually the same brand that we use for Misny Merch hoodies and I could tell as soon as I tore the package open… I have literally been living in my Misny hoodie for the past month because it’s my favorite for all of the same reasons why I love my gift. Just don’t tell my boss that I like my Bunny Mama swag best! 😀 ❤
With that, my holiday hang outs are now complete and I am so happy to have been able to share that belated celebration with my best girl – the best gift of all!
Do you have any clothes related to your pets? What is your favorite hoodie to warm you up? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Helloooo to you and welcome to the Blooper Reel from my New Hair, Who Dis? OOTD! After a refreshing day off to get my hair done a few Fridays ago, Johnny and I went on a fantastic Date Night. I was really excited because I left the salon, as always, feeling like a billion bucks and I couldn’t wait to show it off. With my hair and makeup already right, all I had to do was slip on the outfit I built in my head and hit the town. And, of course, absolutely SLAY in the following shots before dinner:
Cradling my future food baby:
This new hair sure tastes good!
In my defense, it was REALLY windy out and I was getting blown away mid foot pop!
About to spill ALL the latest tea!!
Remember when I said it was REALLY windy out?
I’M SEXY!!!!
Simultaneously giving “aw shucks” and “whoopsy daisy” vibes
This past week was an incredibly busy one from start to finish. For the first time in a long time on Thursday, I ended up working a sixteen hour day and had to drive home in total white out conditions. As much as I would have loved to take a me day on Friday, the grind don’t stop! By the time my shift ended, I hit a complete wall but, you heard it here first: the grind don’t stop lol. Friday evening was my annual Christmas celebration with my bestie, Lea, and I had to rally. I cooked Cajun pasta for our dinner and it truly was an eat, drink, and be merry hang out. I cannot wait to show all of you my gift from her – it’s perfect!!
Once the festivities ended, I lingered around for a bit to hang out with Johnny and hit the bricks. Then, I woke up feeling like I got hit by a ton of bricks. Lol, I was so unbelievably tired and achy and no matter how much water I drank, I still felt thirsty. I was honestly worried I had Covid or was coming down with some kind of bug, but Johnny was feeling A-okay. As the morning continued, I literally had to go lay down and take a nap and I never, EVER take naps. That was what really made me worried as far as being sick goes because the only time I take naps is when I’m seriously under the weather.
When Johnny came up to check on me, I asked him for the millionth time if he was feeling okay. He was still right as rain and then broke down the activities of my last few days for me… I worked sixteen hours Thursday and had a longer day than intended on Friday because Lea came over later in the evening. He chalked the fatigue and soreness up to being tired and I am pleased to report that he was right on the money. After getting a ton of sleep and plenty of lounge time, I am writing this on Monday morning feeling *almost* as good as new. I say almost because a few extra hours of sleep instead of getting up at three AM wouldn’t hurt! 😀
In conclusion, the grind don’t stop lifestyle caught up to me so let this be a cautionary tale to take some time to recover after a long day. It will come around to bite you if you don’t!
Is your job tiring? How do you relax after a day at work? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello! This past Friday, Johnny and I made a Target Run to spend a Christmas gift card. As soon as we received it, I know for a fact that we both mentally thought that we could buy a new Lego set with it. So we did! The pickings were slim, but that was okay because we ended up with one that we are both very happy with: Malfoy Manor from the Harry Potter collection. Once we returned home with our purchase, we got to work and spent the evening getting our Lego Masters on. We completed half of the set and it looks fantastic so far! Check it out:
Although there were quite a few Lego sets that caught our eye, Malfoy Manor definitely spoke to us the most. Even on the box, it just looked spooky and you know we are both all about that! I admit, it is always slightly overwhelming to start a new Lego set because it feels like there is SO much to do. But, as soon as we ripped the first bag open, we were in the zone and laying down bricks like a fine tuned machine. This is what I love about Lego because, for me, it goes from “how are we going to do this?” to not being able to build fast enough!
As it has been a while since Johnny and I built Lego together, the beginning of this build was already an especially fun one. Then, we really started getting going and found so much delight in all of the neat surprises. We loved the gargoyles, birds, toilet (lol), and copious amounts of snakes. It would not be the Malfoy Manor without them! You might notice that there are tons of NPUs (Nice Parts Usage) scattered throughout the build and it’s such a cool thing to see how these seemingly random pieces take form. We really do revel in it.
We spent a good two hours on the first portion of Malfoy Manor and it couldn’t have ended on a better note (As seen in the very last picture). When we began building the Dark Mark imprinted on the ground, we had no idea what it was going to be. We both assumed it was going to be a snake themed pattern and weren’t thinking about the Dark Mark at all. You could only imagine our surprise when it finally took shape and our minds were blown. Lego is truly just amazing like that and it makes each and every build an absolute joy.
I am so eager to finish our Malfoy Manor build this weekend so I can show all of you the end result. I can’t wait to see what other surprises this set holds!
Do you build Lego often? What is your favorite set? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
lifewithlilred 