Blog + Dog, In My Own Words, Lifestyle

Merry Christmas 2019

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Santa Beau in the house!!! | Santa Costume | Elf Jammies | Elf Hats |
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How we get dog pictures: BACON!
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Kelsey and I and Santa
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Opening Stockings
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My girl and I!
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Kelfey (Elf Kelsey) and her fur baby, Doodle!
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Jordan and her fur baby, Benny!

Merry Christmas!!! It’s my favorite holiday and the anniversary of this blog!!! 

I’m home in Illinois to celebrate the holidays with my family. They’re not my biological family, but they’re the family who chose me and who I chose. They are my best friend’s family. Kelsey is more than my best friend, she’s my sister. Her little sister [Jordan] is my little sister. Her big brother is my big brother. Her parents are Mom and Dad. I moved in with them five years ago after college. I didn’t [and they definitely did not] think I would live here for almost three years. Woops! Even after moving to Houston, I still go home for Christmas. This is the fifth Christmas I’ve spent at home – well, technically, the sixth holiday season. 

The first Christmas I lived here, I started a tradition, which is still going strong. I bought Kelsey, Jordan, and I matching Christmas pajamas. Every year, I buy us matching Christmas jammies. When we first started, it was just Kelsey, Jordan, and I. Now we each have fur babies of our own. 

This year, Kelsey sent me a text about a month and a half ago asking if Beau could be Santa for Christmas. I said, “ABSOLUTELY!!!” I suggested we be elves. I found us elf jammies and hats. Beau has her Santa costume. We had to take pictures because it’s too adorable not to. Anyways, yay Christmas!!!!

If you don’t celebrate, I hope you’re having an amazing day filled with love anyways! 

Merry Christmas from my family to yours! 

bisous und обьятий,
RaeAnna

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Lifestyle

Merry Month Past Christmas

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There’s just something about a sleigh and a Christmas tree that makes me happy. | Standing in Von Maur at Valley West Mall in Des Moines. | These BCBGeneration Pumps are the literal best!!!

Christmas was one month ago. The holiday season has passed. I’m finally going through all the pictures I took over the holidays and finishing reading my Christmas list. I was so busy traveling, moving, and working during the first three weeks of January, so pretty much nothing else was accomplished. I had planned on writing a post about my favorite holiday traditions before Christmas. I failed. So here it is a month later. Let the spirit live on!

I have spent every holiday season in the Midwest – either Iowa or Chicago – outside of the Christmas of 1999. I’m big on traditions. I like them. They make me happy. Of course traditions have changed and varied over the years along with where and who I spend them with. I’m gonna talk about the traditions I have in my hometown with my family.

Von Maur is the Macy’s of Iowa. At least, I think it is. It’s a high end department store with several locations around Iowa. My favorite location – I have been to many – is at Valley West Mall in Des Moines. It’s two floors full of pretty things. The decor has not changed at all in my life time, but that doesn’t mean it’s not luxurious. Personally, I think their dedication to Christmas decorations is what everyone should aim for. In the center of the ground floor between the two escalators, a tree is set up every Christmas. A black grand piano is always there along with couches and chairs for shoppers to rest their feet. Growing up, my family would always go to Von Maur to sit and listen to the pianists play Christmas tunes. They were almost always elderly and so very kind. More than anything, they were phenomenal pianists. I still love listening to them play. This past year, I was in Iowa for Christmas, so I took myself and Dylan on a mini shopping spree to Von Maur and listened to the Christmas carols.

As Des Moines has changed over the years, I have started going to the East Village more and more. I now love heading there at Christmas time because it looks so beautiful covered in snow. This past year, there was no snow. Not only the was the wind bitter, but so was I.

Christmas Eve in the Rekemeyer family has always been pretty formulaic. I have helped bolster this formula by insisting certain things are traditions after I enjoyed it the year previously. You just can’t mess with tradition guys!!! Growing up we would always head to the 4:30 church service, followed by dinner, then a movie, and on our way home we would drive by Christmas lights. My mom used to make my brother and I Christmas jammies, so we would get to open them on Christmas Eve before heading to bed. As I got older, my mom and I started going to midnight mass at church, which is candle lit. That became a tradition after one year because I liked the singing. This past year, we did all of those things, but everyone was too tired to go to midnight mass, so I took Dylan. I’m not at all religious, but I like going to see the people I grew up loving and see so rarely now I live across the country.

On Christmas morning, my brother and I would wake up before the sun. A rule about not waking Mom and Dad up before 5 (then 6 a few years later) was instituted. William and I slept in the same room until I was eight, so we would play board games and talk about what we wanted. When we got older, we would always share a room on Christmas Eve in his bunk beds for old times’ sake. Although the no waking Mom and Dad up rule went out the window when we were teenagers because they didn’t have to worry about it. We’d have breakfast and hot cocoa in front of a fire while opening presents. We would open them one at a time, William went first because he was the youngest, then me, then Dad, then Mom, and back to William. It was great fun. Christmas lunch always varied in size depending on if people needed people to spend it with, and we’d finish the day with Christmas movies in our jammies by the fire.

This past year, nothing changed much. William and his wife stayed at my parents’ house on Christmas Eve and I teased them I would sleep in between them with their dog Frank. I didn’t, but I thought about it. Beau stole my breakfast, which was the last piece, so I gave her a stern talking to. We opened presents and hung out by the fire. A few people came over for lunch, and we finished the day with Christmas movies.

Things don’t change much on Christmas for me. I like progress and change in every other part of my life, but the consistency and traditions are something I crave at the holiday season. As I get older and have more money in my pocket, things will start to shift, but for now as the poor twenty-something I am, this is good.  

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The BCBGeneration black patent leather pumps are one of the best footwear investments I’ve made. I found them at Saks Fifth Off Fifth for $49, which is a great deal because they’re not that cheap anywhere else. I wear them all the time. So comfortable and durable.

Blog + Dog, Style

Christmas Jammies

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Beau and I are lounging by the Christmas tree in our pajammies. Her Fleece Jammies | My Jammies | Truck Throw PillowPlaid Throw Pillow

I live in jammies. Since I work from home, there is very little motivation for me to put on clothes or makeup.

I look forward to Christmas jammies all year long. Beau even loves her Christmas jammies. I don’t know about other dogs, but this one loves wearing clothes. I think she knows she look pretty. When the temperature dips below 60°, Beau NEEDS to wear a sweater or something. She’s a Houston dog. She also has really thin, white fur. So the layers are necessary, or she’ll shiver herself skinny.

I saw Beau’s jammies at Target one night for $9.99 and had to buy them. I’m not exaggerating, she loves wearing them. This morning when I grabbed them out of the closet, she did an excited hot lap around the house before sitting down at my feet and sticking her head through the head hole. She even picked up her paws for me. I would take the credit and say she’s well trained (she is), but she just loves wearing clothes. She’s kind of a diva that way. Even though they are around her back legs too, she still loves putting these on. They are fleece and fit her perfectly. They are so warm. She wears them outside and inside.

I’m also obsessed with my onesie. I almost never buy any one-piece items of clothing because I’m so tall. They never fit, and it ends up looking like a frontal and traditional wedgie. I’m in love with Old Navy right now because they have clothes in tall sizes. AND they fit. At 5’10” I can actually wear this waffled onesie comfortably with a little extra room. It also comes in a green stripe, but the buffalo plaid works for Christmas jammies and all year round!

Beau actually wears sweaters all year long inside. It helps her anxiety; it’s like a big hug. We have quite the assortment of puppy clothes because of it. I’m always on the lookout for a cute one to add to her collection. Of course, she doesn’t wear her clothes outside 90% of the year in Houston because it’s too damn hot.  

Also the Christmas throw pillows in the background are on clearance! Hurry!!!

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xoxo,
Beau + RaeAnna

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Beau says goodbye til next time!