Happy Haul: Disney Tanks

I have quite a bit of an obsession with Hot Topic, and the 20th was the last day to cash in the "Hot Cash" I'd "earned" by purchasing way more items than I needed to. I spent about $60 ($120ish without the Hot Cash) and got quite a few things, but the most interesting things, I think, are my new Disney tank tops! I'm literally obsessed with them now! They're so gorgeous, easy to style, and pretty soft fabric/screen prints too! Definitely a 5/5 if I were to review them, which I won't.

1// Aladdin is the softest  "off-the-rack" shirt I've ever owned 2// This frozen one is gorgeous. I also wanted this Frozen dress but I wanted the tanks more 3// I promise Rapunzel has a nose, the wave of the shirt just covered it in the picture 4// Stitch #nuffsaid 5// I wasn't sure about this one, but I really like it the more I look at it and style it. 

Yes, I've worn all of them in the past week #noshame. I'm too obsessed with tanks this year.

What's your favorite summer/hot weather clothing item?

VegHead in Shreveport

HAPPY WEDNESDAY! Look at me, posting on time/on the schedule again!

About 1 week and two days ago I decided to go officially and properly vegetarian. I've always known it would be better for my health and for the environment, but living with my venison loving mother has always made it a little difficult. That's not to mention that I had never done much grocery shopping for myself until Keith came to live with us. But now I've truly dedicated myself to making a tiny impact in myself and in the world with my diet. (This sudden motivation may or may not have come from Kalel Cullen's blog post, video, and suggestion of Paul McCartney's "If Slaughterhouses Had Glass Walls.)

Yes, that's a smoothie bowl. Yes, it was delicious. Yes it's the only picture I've taken of food for the last week. 

So far I've found the diet to be a bit difficult. There are very few places in Shreveport that I've found that have vegetarian friendly meals. I'm finding it very frustrating that everywhere I go I get french fries, mashed potatoes, fried onions, etc. I eat a lot of bean burritos and eggs (I am not vegan, vegetarian who eats only free-range eggs and is lactose intolerant). Mostly I find going out very frustrating now when I once loved it. Italian has so far been the exception as I only ever ate Alfredo before anyway. 

Aside from the frustrations of going out, I really enjoy my new "friendly" foods, as I've begun to call them, at home. I've found so many different ways to make/mix/cook the veggies I've always loved and some I'd never tried. So far, these AMAZING zucchini fries from Yummy Healthy Easy have been my favorite go to.

I haven't made the ranch dip, but with Hidden Valley they're pretty great. Last night I also made this Fruit Salsa from The Thread Affect and it was pretty good. Pasta has also become my best friend again. I can eat pasta with butter or Alfredo or marinara and be perfectly content. 

These fruit quesadillas (by A Cedar Spoon) were also a huge hit with myself and Keith, so they're definitely here to stay. I don't think I've ever enjoyed a homemade desert so much!

As I discover more delicious ideas and undoubtably learn some things about being Vegetarian in Shreveport I will let you all know!

Have you ever been/are you vegetarian? What did/do you find most challenging? If not, what is your favorite veggie?

Friday Apology

Hey guys. This week has been pretty insane, so I don't have an original post so... here's things from recently!

This video is by Emily Diana Ruth (Emilyofnewgloom) on Youtube. It was her film school thesis and it is absolutely beautiful

Guys, guys, guys. These Dark Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts are the best little office sweet treat in the world! I found them at World Market for $4. This may be my 3rd back in two weeks. SO DELICIOUS! 

Lastly, I've taken up origami, sort of. Very simply little things, but I really wanted something interesting to do with my hands when I'm out and about. So far I'm only working on Cranes and Rabbits, but I'm proud of them.

How has your week been? What are some things that you'd like to share about your week?

Mantra Monday: You got this.

Mantra(n.) : a sound, word, or phrase that is repeated by someone who is praying or meditating : a word or phrase that is repeated often or that expresses someone's basic beliefs

On this little Mantra Monday, I've decided to motivate myself with a simple, "You got this!" I'm working on quite a few different projects right now that I'm finding it hard to get the motivation. More than just the Mantra, here's a list to myself.

Things you totes got:

• Getting up better/earlier.
• Camp NaNoWriMo. Even when you're behind, you're going to win!
• Book Club.
• Journaling often.
• Work.
• Other work.
• Saving money for a house.
• Being positive.

What's your Mantra for the week? What things do you "totes got"?

Mantra Monday: Be Present

Mantra(n.) : a sound, word, or phrase that is repeated by someone who is praying or meditating : a word or phrase that is repeated often or that expresses someone's basic beliefs

Last week I decided to stop being "sorry." That went well, but I think it is something I will always have to work on. For this week, my mantra is "Be Present." These last two weeks have been crazy hectic and busy, so this week as things slow down I am going to focus on being present, in the moment, and happy with myself and where I am at this moment.

How did you last week go? What is your Mantra this week? 

Snapshot: Independence

Snapshot posts are short little posts covering a very small topic that mostly consist of ramblings. ENJOY!

Photo Credit: Raelynn Brouwn, 2010

I've been thinking a lot about independence recently. With Keith moving into my house with me, my mom, and step-dad, we've been spending a lot of time together. As we both, basically, live in a single 8'x11'ish room we don't really have much of a chance to be independent. Don't get me wrong, I love to spend time with Keith, however, I've always hated couples that "must" eat at the same time or go to bed at the exact same time. Based on our situation, though, we don't have much of a choice. If one of us stays up later, we chance waking up whoever is sleeping. I love love love living with my love, I just wish we had more time and space to be independent. With the weather as hot as it is in the Louisiana summer, we can't even really go outside and enjoy our time there.

I haven't been reading or writing or filming videos (most because I need more space to film) or even keeping up very well with this blog. I find it all very frustrating. 

This is a very long-winded way of saying... I'm ready to have our own place!

(Also, the photo is a beautiful little stream/river in Germany that was close to my home-stay family's house! I mostly just picked that one to show off how pretty it was!)

How do you maintain your sense of independence while living in close proximity to others?

A New Direction: Rae Goes Away

My name is Raelynn and it has been over 1 year since I've last blogged.

A YEAR! Can you believe it?! Last I was here, I was a Sophomore English major on track to study abroad in Ireland, go into the Peace Corps, and head off to grad school for Linguistics. My how a year changes things. Here are some major points:

• I'm now a Sociology Major, with a focus on Social Work and a minor in Nonprofit Administration.
• While I still hope to go abroad, I'm looking more into internships in global aid.
• Peace Corps is not out of the question, but it seems a little impractical by the time I'll finally finish my undergrad. I have 6 semesters left...
• I hope to go to Grad School for Counseling. I still love linguistics and study it independently, my heart really lies in helping others however I can. I'd love to work the "messy" cases most people don't want to know exist. I want to help the rape victims, the violence victims, those with mental illnesses, and, should I have the opportunity, genocide survivors, political refugees, and the like.
• I'm still writing. I'm beginning my second book next month and another in November. I've not yet approached any agents though, I want to flesh out the entire world to present, not just one novel.
• I have a new boyfriend. See here: Hiatus: Wii Unboxing! "(aka This is Keith)
• AND CHECK IT! NEW BLOG NAME!! LIFEDUCKS = RAE GOES AWAY! (I call that fair warning I will most likely disappear again.)

I guess those are the things that were before and now are changing, but a lot of entirely new things are happening too! Here, have another bulleted list:

• I'M MOVING OUT! As soon as Keith can find a job and we save the money we'll be getting our own place! I'm crazy excited about that, so be prepared for weird posts about moving and decor.
• I'm interning with a local nonprofit called PEP! (The Pet Education Project!).
• Keith and I are opening a nonprofit... in the future. That sounds a little weird and sketchy but it's happening and I will undoubtably say something about it eventually.

So, if you were wondering, life's good. I'm really wanting to get back into blogging and vlogging and everything I really enjoyed doing online. With school and work and interning and life it'll be hard, but I really do love it so hopefully some of you lovely readers will stick around?

That being said, since my life has changed so much my blogging will, inevitably, as well. If you didn't notice, last year, in general, my blogging was less about books I'd read and more just about books in general. I simply don't have the time to read like I used to. And what I do read I don't think anyone will be interested in. So, I think the biggest change to my blogging content will be the lessening of book talk. I still love to read and to buy books for those far off times when I will have time to read, but books take up far less of my life than they once did. Instead, I'll be posting more about my life and things I think about and do. Expect travel pieces, expect rants, expect introspection, expect DIYs and [failed] DIYs, expect recipes, expect anything. 

Basically, what I'm trying to say is I'm really going to try to dedicate myself to blogging again and that this isn't "Lifeducks" as you knew it (or didn't know it). Rae Goes Away is a just another lifestyle blog about random things in the life of a random girl somewhere in the world doing random things like someone cares. I hope you'll stick around.