11..., Lifestyle

11… Wonderful Things That Happened in 2020

Finding happiness on the beach in Galveston, Texas. | Swimsuit | Hat | Cover Up |

Like most people in the world, I am happy to wave goodbye to 2020. It was quite the year filled with historic events that we could have all lived without. 

I’m sure that I’m in the minority with this view, but I will look back on 2020 with a certain amount of fondness. Sure it was a shit year, one might even say: It was quite the shituation. Okay, I say that. For me, 2020 brought a host of wonderful things that I am choosing to focus on instead of the globally pervasive catastrophes. 

Doing my best to be cute and not ridiculous… But probably both.
  1. I brought life into this world! Well, not personally. I did enable life to be brought into this world when I rescued a pregnant dog off the street. She had thirteen puppies. She and all the babies are alive and thriving. 
  2. I bought a house. Fuck was that a fiasco. But it happened, and I’m thankful for it. 
  3. The world started paying attention to racial inequity in a meaningful way. That being said, I hate that it’s still a problem and everything that transpired in order to draw attention to the systemic racism existing in this country. A lot of people have definitely lost interest in the issue, but so many people’s eyes were opened to the problem. I’m hoping good will continue to come out of the atrocities of 2020. 
  4. I got a lot of reading done. I was able to really plow through my reading list. Unfortunately, I have even more books on my reading pile now… So hopefully, I can keep up the reading stream. 
  5. Trump did not win the election. Thank fucking God. 
  6. My priorities were evaluated. Being stranded at home with six dogs, I had a lot of time at home with my immediate family to think about life. So many of my life choices, I am very proud of. Going forward in a post-pandemic world, I’m looking forward to continuing to chase my dreams and happiness. 
  7. We elected a woman of color to the Vice Presidency. I am so thrilled about this. 
  8. I made new friends. 
  9. I took a semi-break from writing and fell back in love with it. It wasn’t so much of a conscious break as it was a break due to circumstance. I didn’t have time to write and COVID put a dent in the amount of projects I was receiving. Being forced into taking a break from writing helped me solidify my love of my job. So hopefully, you’ll be seeing more consistent and more interesting writing coming from this lady. 
  10. I worked the election as a poll worker. It was a fascinating experience, and it solidified a lot of opinions I had and opinions I didn’t even know I held. It opened my eyes to so many things, I was never even aware of as a voter. It was exhausting emotionally and physically, but I am so glad I did it. 
  11. I hit ten thousand followers on Instagram. Yay! That number has fluctuated up and down, but I hit it and I have stayed over 10k, which means I can do the swipe up thingy. Woo!!!

bisous und обьятий,
RaeAnna

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Books, Fiction

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

Worth A Read Yes and No
Length 304
Quick Review A predictable love story about a widow and a pro baseball player beginning again. 

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Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes | Swimsuit | Sunglasses

Evvie Drake has lived in small town Maine all her life. She’s married to the beloved doctor. Her porch is the prettiest in town. As she packs her bags to leave him and her life behind, he dies. There are pages one through four. Evvie is forced to figure out what to do next because it’s impossible to leave a dead husband. Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes is a sad and funny look into the after. 

The plot is subpar and not interesting in any way. It’s about as trite and saccharine as a love story can be. Every single character and interaction is overdone and predictable. Nothing is a surprise. The sad girl who’s only ever been seen by one man and is the pity of the town even though the dead husband was *gasp* abusive is finally seen as sexy and alluring in her sweaters by a famous ex-baseball player who is going through his own struggle because he can’t pitch anymore *oh no!!!*. They flirt, boink, go their separate ways because misunderstanding, throw in a dog and some great scenery, cut to the last ten pages, and you know the ending.  

The only redeeming factor to the Evvie Drake Starts Over is Holmes’ dialogue. Though the plot is crap, the dialogue and humor pulled me through. As much as the characters are a bore, I do like them. They’re funny and witty and completely flawed. Evvie resonates with me because I too existential crisis “”lie on the floor in the middle of the night and contemplate my existence.”” Holmes paints the characters as if they are much older than their early thirties. I’m not even in my thirties and I love sweaters, but leading with those factoids makes Evvie seem old and matronly. Add in the widowhood, and I had to keep reminding myself she was basically my age. The conversations between characters is funny in the way I like to think I am with my friends:
Evvie: “”Everything okay?””
Dean: “”Yeah, yeah, sorry about the noise. Knocked a box off the counter. It’s never the box with the sheets in it, you know? It’s always whatever will make it sound the most like you tried to murder a robot by throwing it down a couple of flights of stairs.””

It’s super baseball themed because the love interest is a sports dude, ugh. The book is split into parts: Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer to Opening Day. 

Honestly, the plot in Evvie Drake Starts Over makes me sad. The dialogue is funny and engaging. I was hoping this would be something more… I can’t tell you what, but I was hoping it would be a better version of a rom-com. Although, it is a great read for vacation. I powered through it in one day on the beach. Tough life, I know. 

Memorable Quotes
“Evvie’s Scandinavian grandmother had claimed that young women dream about the husbands they want, old women dream about the husbands they wanted, and only the luckiest women, for a moment in the middle, dream about the husbands they’ve got.”
“She stretched out on the sofa, trying to ignore the do something, do something voice…”
“”Climate-change denial is flat-earth idiocy for people who want us all to drown.””

Buy on Amazon | Buy on Barnes & Noble | Buy on Book Depository
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Title: Evvie Drake Starts Over
Author: Linda Holmes
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Copyright: 2019
ISBN: 9780525619246

Style

Cruise Swimsuits

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1| Rhinestone Sunglasses Amazon |2| Caged, High-Waisted Swim Bottoms Target |3|  Split Front Beach Pants Asos |4| Mini Heart Bikini Top Asos |5| Mini Heart Bikini Bottoms Asos |6| Tropical Print Dress Asos |7| Scoop Back One-Piece Target |8| Straw Hat Madewell |9| Ring Detail Halter Bikini Top Asos |10| Crochet High Waisted Bottoms Asos (Low Rise) |11| Crochet Tie Top |12| Bardot Black One-Piece Asos |13| White Mesh Top |14| Lavender Sunglasses

When I was young, I couldn’t wait to be old enough to wear bikinis. Then, I got old enough and didn’t love them so much. I felt exposed. Then, I got even older, and I just don’t give a fuck anymore. I love swimsuits because they mean I’m at the beach or by the pool. My apartment has a pool, and I don’t spend as much time by it as I should. When I first moved to Texas, I had very few swimsuits. Now, I have a whole bunch. It didn’t stop me from buying a few more for my cruise last month, though.

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Crochet Top | Crochet Bottom | Both from Asos.com

I found several from Asos and JustFab and Target. I love one piece swimsuits; being as tall as I am, they are kind of hard to find. So I have a renewed love in bikinis. I’m a huge fan of high waisted bottoms because I can binge on shitty food and not feel totally exposed. Here are all the swimsuits I brought with me on my cruise. I definitely overbought, but that’s fine. They are all on sale, and I adore all of them. Truly. They look so cute!

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Travel, Travel Guides

My First Cruise

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Birthday coozies.

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This is my current most favorite swimsuit.

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I was ready to sail away in this cute dress!

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I needed this comfy top and shorts with my sunburn!

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I love these pants, but the wind took them!

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Grammy and her oldest brother. Love this top.

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Everyone for the cruise.

I had never been on a cruise before. I lived most of my life in the Midwest, which made cruises a not very cheap option. Now that I live in Houston, I really should start going on cruises more often.

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In love with this bikini and beach pants.

This cruise was put together to celebrate my grandmother’s 80th birthday. There were 18 of us in attendance. There were three over 80 year olds, one turning 80 this year, a bunch of cousins my parents age, my parents, a seven year old, and a fourteen year old. It was a varied bunch. I roomed with my parents because I like saving money…. As great as they are; next time, I will be getting my own room.

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I LOVE this dress that I wore on formal night!

Going into the cruise, I really had no idea what to expect. The only real expectation I had was there would be a lot of water and sky. Those expectations were met. I sailed on the Carnival Triumph for their second to last trip ever before going into dry dock to return under a different name. It was a four day cruise to Cozumel, Mexico. We boarded Thursday morning, I was eating beignets by 10:00 am on Monday morning in the French Quarter. We had a room with a balcony. If you can afford it, have a balcony. They’re great; the view is spectacular. It also helped keep the seasickness to a minimum.

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The sunsets were amazing in this jumpsuit!

Carnival Cruises have amazing guest relations. I kinda fell in love with Larson – the guy who cleaned our room. He was wonderful. I had a tag in my beach pants, he chased me down the hall and helped me cut it off because “Miss RaeAnna, your tag does not look good!” I appreciate that level of kindness and honesty.

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My parental units.

I would call Carnival the Walmart of cruise lines. It is cheap but does the job. It is absolutely excellent for people watching. There are all kinds. I truly, deeply mean that. A whole bunch of fun and laughs, but I think I’m ready for the Target of cruise lines next time.  

Here are some things I learned:

  • Bring your own toilet paper. The toilet paper is awful. One ply. Chaps the butt hole really well, which is unpleasant.
  • Explore on the first day. Take an hour to walk the entire ship. I’m kind of a stickler for knowing where everything is and how to get there. Taking the time saves more time later especially if you happen to be intoxicated.
  • Drinks aren’t free. I don’t drink alcohol, but the non-alcoholic versions are only a dollar cheaper than the alcoholic versions. There are drink packages. If you’re going to have more than five drinks a day, go with the package. It pays off.
  • Super windy. Cruise ships are incredibly windy. Give up on the long hair being down. It won’t work. Also anything that can blow in the wind, will, so dress appropriately.
  • Eat everything. Unlike drinks. Food is free. I ordered two appetizers and two desserts every single meal because I wanted to try them, and they were free. I gained a few pounds, but I have no regrets. I never want to regret food I didn’t eat.
  • Look inside the gym. I didn’t work out because I hate it. I did wander the gym. It was at the very front of the boat, and they view was bonkers.
  • Wifi sucks. It costs money to have any internet. Even after paying the $40, the wifi sucks. It’s good enough to send messages and snapchats to friends on land, but not great for browsing Instagram or uploading videos. Forget streaming. If you don’t need the internet, use the time to digitally detox.
  • Meet people! I am introvert. I have a horrible time putting myself out there to meet people. I spent the entire cruise hanging out with my parents. They’re great, but they don’t have my kind of dancing stamina. Finally on the last night, I met people and went dancing. I should have done it sooner.
  • The cruise is not about the destination. I’ve been to Mexico, but I have not done Mexico. I was there for seven hours. I spent the day on the beach and parasailing. I spoke zero Spanish. It doesn’t count. Cruising is about cruising not about the destination.
  • Bring reading material. Ok. This isn’t a necessity, but I really loved sitting on the deck reading. It was probably my favorite thing. I almost never get to simply enjoy the sun and reading anymore.
  • Go see stuff. There is a bunch to do. Go do it.
  • Gambling. Drinking. Oh my. Carnival cruises are geared more towards the gamblers, drinkers, and bingo players. I don’t do any of those things. Luckily, I have fun just listening to music.

I enjoyed my first cruise. I would really like to go again with a friend or a partner, so I can enjoy the nightlife more fully. I’m currently trying to pressure all my gal pals into going on a cruise with me.

Books, Fiction

American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson

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Reading American Spy on a cruise. | Cute and comfy one-piece swimsuit.

Worth A Read Meh
Length 304
Quick Review I wouldn’t read American Spy for the mystery, but I would read it for the nuance, depth of understanding, and style. Lauren Wilkinson makes an impression in her debut novel.

Lauren Wilkinson sets her novel, American Spy, against the backdrop of the spread of communism during the Cold War. Wilkinson writes a beautiful novel about the ferocity of a mother’s love.

Marie Mitchell is a former FBI operative of Caribbean descent. When her home is broken into late one night, her past compromises the safety of her children. Marie writes about her journey to the FBI and operations with the CIA to explain to her past and decisions to her two young sons. A love story unfolds as Marie, the American Spy, is pulled by country, love, duty, and relationships.

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American Spy | Swimsuit

I really enjoyed reading American Spy, but I would not come for the mystery. It is absolutely predictable and not terribly interesting. Then again, I never have any difficulty predicting love stories or mystery plots. What is interesting is Wilkinson’s ability to weave a story and her ability to delve into the complexities of human nature, feeling, and personal history. She also utilizes French words and sayings to add authenticity to Marie’s Caribbean heritage. Wilkinson doesn’t over simplify the French but makes it accessible to non-francophiles.

American Spy has a really interesting organization. Time is not linear, nor is there any specific organization. It reads the way the diary of a distraught person would. A bit jumpy. Talking about the past, the present, important people, events, and minor tangents. It’s a brilliant way of transporting the reader into Marie’s mental state. The majority of the time, Marie is telling a story but often utilizes “you” referencing her two sons.

Wilkinson explores the complexities of human nature and racial charges. American Spy is charged with the difficulties of being a professional woman and a professional black woman in the white, good-ole boy club. Wilkinson demonstrates so many prevalent issues throughout her novel without ever seeming preachy or condescending.

I enjoyed reading American Spy; it is definitely a great vacation read.

Memorable Quotes
“My parents had nothing but their children in common.”
“I think that conclusion was drawn too neatly – people are too complex for such simple arithmetic – but I understand the purpose it serves.”
““I don’t like to say what I’ve read. That’s how you disclose the most about yourself. I never make notes in a book or underline passages either. That’s even more revealing.””
“But for you, for black American boys, the middle class can’t help guarantee your safety.”

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Title: American Spy
Author: Lauren Wilkinson
Publisher: Random House
Copyright: 2019
ISBN: 9780812998955