11..., Lifestyle, Style

11… Holiday Outfits

Happy Holiday Season and 11… 

I’m behind because the internet has sucked EVERYWHERE!!! I’ve also been disinclined to work. So here are 11… Holiday Outfits I Love. I wore them all this year. They’re cute and festive. 

1. Holly Jolly Pajamas
Okay… This Holly Jolly sweatshirt isn’t technically pajamas, but I love it! It looks so cute with the candy cane striped flannel shorts. Beau loves her jammies. And my socks kept me warm!

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2. Green Turtleneck Sweater Dress & Red Flannel
I love comfy yet festive. I do live in my pajamas, so sweater dresses feel like an extension of that. This cute green turtleneck sweater dress is amazing. I love tying a red flannel shirt at my waist. Over the knee black boots keep my legs warm, and a chunky hat keeps me cute and cozy. A sparkly touch is a cute pear shaped sapphire necklace and earrings.

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3. Vintage Burgundy Off-the-Shoulder Dress
I love this dress!!! It’s so cute and vintage. I’m always shocked when defined waist dresses actually fit me because I’m so tall. The green art deco earrings are gorgeous. Paired with silver heels and a rose gold watch, it’s perfectly simple yet classic and classy.

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4. Casual Green on Green
I am super obsessed with casual jersey dresses, flannel shirts, over the knee boots, and chunky knit hats. Obviously I combined them into a Christmas picture!

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5. Sparkly Candy Cane Dress
I LOVE THIS DRESS!!! Who doesn’t want a ridiculously sparkly candy cane dress for Christmas? Pair it with rose gold sparkle shoes to be extra disco bally. I love my new black glasses. A cute velvet bow and dangly earrings make it perfect.

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6. Backless Velvet Bodysuit & Taffeta Skirt
This was one of my favorite Christmas outfits last year. The burgundy velvet bodysuit is backless with black trim and it’s amazingly Christmassy!!! I also love the green taffeta skirt. Nude heels let the outfit shine. Pair with a cute rose gold watch.

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7. Cozy Statement Outfit
I love this outfit. It’s festive without being blaringly Christmas or New Year’s Evy. This purple satin skirt is so cute and comfy. I love pairing it with a chunky over sized sweater. Sparkly bootie heels are the perfect glam factor. My black glasses are nerd chic. An understated pink scarf and cute snowflake earrings tie it all together.

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8. Classic White
This is probably my favorite outfit ever. This white and black skirt is perfect, and it’s amazing to twirl in. I paired it with a simple white turtleneck. To make it festive and pop, red high heels.

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9. Vintage Green Dress
This is such a fun green, 50s style dress. It’s simple and comfortable. Paired with red high heels it’s very festive. Blue pear shaped earrings and necklace with a rose gold watch is elegant and cute.

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10. Buffalo Plaid
Buffalo plaid flannel shirts are so wintery. I love tying it at the waist with a black jersey dress. Over the knee boots and my smart watch make it a casual look for the winter season, while still being comfy and warm.

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11. Blue Tartan Wool Skirt
Wool skirts might be old fashioned, but they’re beautiful. I love this blue tartan wool skirt; it has pockets!!! A cute blue shirt, silver high heels, basic white earrings, and a silver watch make it wintery and festive without loud and obnoxious.

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bisous und обьятий,
RaeAnna

Style

Easter Outfits

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Wearing my Easter outfit in Little Italy, Chicago. | Lace Romper | Black Patent Pumps

Growing up, Easter was always a huge deal in my house. My brother and I would run to the living room to try and scope out the Easter eggs before Mom and Dad got out of bed. Mom used to put our Easter baskets out on the table, but she learned we would go through them without her. She ended up hiding those as well by the time I was five, so she and Dad could see our faces. We weren’t allowed to hunt them until after church. We would go have breakfast at church with friends before heading to Sunday School and service. After church was over we would go home and run around finding all the eggs, candy, and goodies. As I got older, we started going to sunrise service. At one point, I attended four church services before noon.

I’m not religious in any sense of the word. When I’m in my hometown, I go to church with my mom because it means a lot to her. I try to be home for Easter as often as I can. A few years ago, I drove through the night, so I could walk into church and surprise my mom. She ended up tearing up. I’ve missed a few years, but I’ll be with the parental units this year.

It is my 27th Easter, and I have successfully hunted easter eggs all but two years in college. Last year, my mom sent a bag of Easter eggs, so my boyfriend could hide them for me. My dog thinks it’s good fun because I’m running around like a goof with a bag. I firmly believe there is no age limit on fun. The off chance I have children, they will be competing with me to find eggs. I’ll go easy on them the first couple years. I love it. It brings me joy. I’ll die hunting easter eggs.

Growing up, Easter and Christmas were the two occasions I got to pick out an entire new outfit. I think that tradition continued well into high school. Now, it’s a little less of a thing because I have a fair amount of clothing. I love Easter outfits, though. They’re springy and sweet. I lean towards the pastels and fluffy skirts. I’m including three outfits perfect for Easter. All on sale from Asos. I highly suggest them. Super cute.

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Off-the-shoulder floral dress from Asos.

I love this off-the-shoulder, long-sleeve floral dress. It has whites, pinks, blues, and flowers. I mean it’s the perfect Easter/spring dress. It would be beautiful for upcoming wedding season too or date night. I do love it. It’s under $35 too.

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Backless, lace dress from Asos.

If you want something a little more delicate. This lace cami dress is so cute. I like that it is open back too. It is sold out in this seafoam color. It is available in the pink. I think the pink is better because it pops against fair skin tones better than the green. It’s $26.50.

 

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Lace romper from Asos with black patent leather pumps.

I am loving on jumpsuits. They’re so in, but also they’re different. Everyone goes for a dress on Easter, why not try something unusual. This is the cutest lace, long-sleeve romper. The back is completely open with a bow and high neck. I love the periwinkle color and lace. There are pockets!!!! Who doesn’t love pockets?!? Also it’s an absolute steal at $13.50. I mean come on. You need it! I think black patent leather pumps go with everything, by the way.

If you order now, you can for sure have them by this weekend. Asos has great two day delivery. I’ve even gotten things the next day. Also as someone 5’10”, these are great options. I didn’t have a single problem fitting into them with their defined waists.

Stay tuned on Sunday. I will be posting some pictures from my Easter egg hunt. I don’t know if my parents are tired of hiding the eggs or not, but it’s happening. I for sure think this has gone on much longer than they ever anticipated. I’m great at adulting and kidding!

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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.

Lifestyle

Happy 27th Birthday to Me

Today, is my 27th birthday.

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I decided to celebrate with a Get To Know Me post because I haven’t done one in, well, ever. Since I have over 6,000 followers, I thought it might be time for you to know more about me as the blogger and person.

  • I was born and raised in Ames, Iowa, which is known for being the home of Iowa State University. You’re welcome for peanut butter; George Washington Carver discovered that gem about a mile away from my parents’ house.
  • I’m allergic to peanut butter, but didn’t develop that allergy until I was 17. So I know exactly what I’m missing.
  • I went to Cornell College and  majored in Literature, French, and Russian with an Emphasis in Literary Translation and Analysis. Yup. It’s a mouth full.
  • I speak English, French, and Russian. My Spanish is passible. My German is marginal at best.
  • I am a freelance editor, writer, and translator. I would love to do more writing.
  • I hate wearing pants. I work from home, so I never have to wear pants. My dog starts having mild anxiety attacks whenever I pull pants out of the drawer because she knows that means I’m leaving the house.
  • I lived in Aix-en-Provence, which is in Southern France, for a bit during college. If I could live anywhere, I would live there. I also spent some a summer studying literary translation in London.
  • I travel all the time because I love it. My dream would be to get paid to travel with my dog.
  • My dog is named Beauvoir – for Simone de Beauvoir – but she goes by Beau. She’s a rescue, who I brought home a year and three months ago. She is almost three years old and is the light of my life.
  • My favorite genre to read is literary fiction. Although, I also really love British history.
  • The top five places I want to see: India, Nigeria, Algeria, Ireland, and Bali.
  • I have a passion for advocacy and volunteering. I have spoken and written about my past with sexual and domestic violence because it is really important to me to try and change the world we live in.
  • I trained to be a ballerina for years, but stopped because I was too tall to be a ballerina and I had a bunch of injuries.
  • I am incredibly goofy and weird. I sing and dance around the house constantly. I tell jokes a lot because I love making people laugh.
  • I love fashion and looking good, and I always have. When I was little, my grandma used to make me clothes, and everyone loved them.
  • I love fashion, but shopping is a pain in the ass because I’m 5’10”. Clothes, in my budget, are not made for people this height. UGH!!!
  • I hate working out. With a passion. I like going for walks, but working out is the worst.
  • I LOVE food. I love eating, cooking, baking, and learning about food. I am pretty sure I ate my way through Europe.

There’s a bunch of random information about me.

In my 27th year living, I am focusing on doing. Doing the things I have wanted to do, doing the things I’ve been scared to do, doing the things I should do, and doing more. So that’s my goal! I wrote more about it on my personal blog Unashamed Truths about my Year of Doing.

 

 

 

Bookstores, Houston, On the Town

Kaboom Books

Kaboom Books is an independently owned, used book store in Houston, Texas. This place is heaven. I’m not even joking. I found Kaboom almost a year ago. I don’t make it in as much as I would like… Probably because I would be broke if I frequented their establishment.Screenshot_20180521-172830_Gallery.jpgKaboom is located in the Woodland Heights area of Houston – very close to downtown. It is so beautiful surrounded by cute houses and a few neighboring stores. When you pull up, the entrance is between two large picture windows. The store takes up three more store fronts because who can have enough books? When you enter through the front door, you’re immediately greeted with that familiar book smell and wood from the countless shelves. The big windows let in tons of natural light and are home to a few bright green plants. Right inside the door is a counter and a chair usually occupied by one of the owners and sometimes the store cat.Screenshot_20180521-172853_Gallery.jpgThe first space you’re in is a nonfiction area. The next area holds a lot of their fiction, children’s books, and more. The third space is smaller and holds more nonfiction. The shelves line the walls and create mazes within the middle of the rooms. There is no wasted space here. They have filled it to capacity with books. Around 100,000 books! Holy wow. With 76 different sections ranging from fiction to art to science to poetry to a whole lot more you can find popular contemporary books to books out of print. There are comfy reading chairs and sofas calling you to have a seat, look at the books in your pile, and enjoy the beauty of this bookstore. If it weren’t so warm and cozy, the amount of books would be immense and intimidating. The bookshelves are tall, so there are ladders scattered throughout to help you reach the books even I can’t reach easily. Behind the store is a lovely seating area. They use this area to host events. I haven’t been able to make it to one… yet! One of these days, I will.

The owners of Kaboom are a lovely married couple. I have been able to chat with them on a few occasions, and they are the sweetest and so knowledgeable. They originally owned bookstores in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Eight years ago, they moved to Houston and opened Kaboom.

Other than the absolute Instagram worthy bookshelves, they have so many great books. It’s hard finding books in French, but they have a great selection, which I very much appreciate.

If you’re in the Houston area or will be, you should stop by. Truly!!! You will definitely not regret it. For as huge as Houston is, there is a severe lack of independent bookstores. I am a firm believer in supporting small businesses, and this is one of my favorite to support. Even after eight years, it still feels like a hidden gem.

Kaboom Books
3116 Houston Avenue
Houston, TX 77009
(713) 869-7600

 

Experiences, Travel

Leaving the Book Behind – Lake Ouachita

In the Bookstagram community, we tend to focus on books so much. I’m always seeing people apologize for not posting or being absent or what-not. It’s important that we acknowledge our hugely vibrant lives outside of the screens, which I will be doing a lot more of from now on… So here’s a slice of mine:

I have a best friend with whom I have a long history. He has been my person for damn near a decade. So I’ll round. Due to circumstance, he had never been able to meet my grandparents, who I am incredibly close to. FINALLY, he did. He took leave – he’s a Marine – and we roadtripped to their house in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. Suffice to say, they got along splendidly.

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I have spent a great deal of time visiting my grandparents, so I had a great deal of things and places I wanted to show him. It was like taking him home for the very first time; except better because no parents.

Lake Ouachita is only about twenty minutes from their house. It’s a huge lake with incredible outdoor activities. We went with the intention of kayaking and taking some really beautiful book pictures. But… that didn’t happen. It was too windy, and they wouldn’t let us rent kayaks because we’d get lost on the water or something like that. I was sad. Honestly, it was for the best because I completely lack upper body strength, and would have for sure been lost at lake.

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Since kayaking had been the plan, I dressed accordingly: swimsuit, maxi skirt, and flip flops. Ideal kayaking outfit for cute pictures…. What it’s not ideal for? Hiking.

We walked back to the car. I was sad. Not wanting to waste the trip, we looked at each other and went “walk?” To fill you in. Lake Ouachita is not a podunk lake. It is ginormous. It is located in the Ozarks, so by walk I really mean mountainous hike. While at the car, I had a debate mostly with myself about “should I leave the book in the car?” I went back and forth. Here’s the thing. I love blogging, but it is not just a hobby anymore. I HAVE to create content because it’s becoming a job, which I love. Sometimes, I don’t want to work. After chatting it out with Alex – but mostly myself – I decided to leave the book in the car and enjoy the time I get with my best friend in a beautiful place. I went one further. I left my phone in the car!!! *GASP* (How did the pictures here come to be? Alex brought his phone.)

It was a good thing I left my book and phone in the car because I would have inevitably tripped and fallen all over myself because hiking through a rocky forest with stuff in my hands while wearing flip flops as the clumsy person I am is a bad idea. Very bad idea.

Lake Ouachita is absolutely gorgeous. If you ever a chance to go, you should. Try the kayaking because it’s fun, and you’ll definitely get a work out. We ended up walking almost five miles. I’m glad I wore a swimsuit that gave me good tan lines.

The trail we took was winding. They had recently done a controlled burn to encourage future growth. There was a good amount of breeze as the leaves rustled and the waves rolled in constantly. We were never far from the lake’s shoreline. There were places with sandy shores, forest meets water, and rocks. I love it there. It’s so beautiful and peaceful. It’s an excellent place to get away because you won’t have any cell reception!

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It’s important to enjoy life in the moment and not through a lense. I could have taken some really amazing book photos. Instead, I had an amazing day. I rarely get to see my best friend. He lives on the other side of the country and is at the mercy of the Marines. Our time is very limited. It’s important to recognize moments beautiful moments, so they are not wasted.