Category Archives: raesdays

rae’s newsletter

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I would like to start a newsletter that goes straight to your inbox not more than once a week. It would be more casual than what’s on here, and mainly on what I’m reading, watching, and stuff I think is cool. More book/TV/life club-y, and less one-topic post-y.

I am still going to be posting regularly on here, and the newsletter will not be the same thing twice because I don’t want to bore you to death. I’d love for you to give it a chance if it sounds like your thing, and you can sign up for Rae’s Newsletter right here. (Like Bob from Bob’s Burgers, I just name everything by putting my name in front of it.)

The first newsletter won’t go out for another week or so, but let’s get this party started by signing up, you know? If there’s anything you particularly want to talk about, let me know!

end of the month review: may

May was such a great month! I continued getting settled in Chicago and entered my apartment in the Small Cool Spaces contest. I started a podcast with Jewels of Oven Lovin’. I had a fantastic vacation over Memorial Day, and I read some great books. The top viewed posts of May are:

living room #smallcoolContinue reading “end of the month review: may”

january

I irrationally feel like this year is already flying by. I’m planning super fun trips and summer vacations and fall weddings (not mine). I am so excited to get to all these things, but I’m afraid that it will go too fast. January is already over!

The top-viewed posts in January were:

  1. 10 goals for 2013. So far, I’ve made progress on at least a few!
  2. company. Some of my favorite details around my apartment.
  3. new year, new polka dot blouse. An outfit post. I love this shirt.
  4. on writing (and editing). I talk about one of my favorite books on the craft.
  5. twin peaks. I’m still watching this show. It’s still weird and still beautiful.

It’s been pretty wintery around here lately, but #fatcat and I are trying to stay cheerful. Like with a good nap, a cup of tea, or stopping to view a brightly colored dinosaur while on a neighborhood walk. Some snapshots from the month (I’m on instagram as raenudson):

fatcat

airport

teapot

screen

dino

It was a good month! Now onto the next.

a birthday goal

Did you guys know my birthday is coming up? I’ll be 25 this Sunday. I know it’s not really old at all but it’s still throwing me for a loop. And it’s got me thinking about life and goals an all that good stuff. So I’m proud to announce that starting on my birthday (which is also father’s day!) 10% of all Rae’s Days proceeds will go to the International Book Project. 

Did that seem like a big jump? Let me explain. Books have inspired the products on Rae’s Days and inspire my life. And I’d like to help others have the opportunity to fall in love with reading. I could go on for days about how much I believe in reading, how much good I think it does for kids and adults, how wonderful it is to leave your own world while you’re still on your couch, but hopefully you’ve heard it all before. 

So I’m hoping to mesh the sewing and crafting and blogging with reading a little bit more because I’d like all of this to be for something bigger. We all know how much I love a good handbag, but a bag that was inspired by a moment in a story and that you can carry around secretly knowing you are representing someone’s favorite book and whose proceeds go to providing reading to others? I can’t beat that.

So on my 25th birthday, I’ll take the first steps. Want to take them with me? 

P.S. Don’t know what to get me for my birthday? Donate a few dollars and let me know about it.

new clutch part two

Yesterday I showed you a look I was trying for vacation. Here’s a look I wore to work. Stripes and polka dots and my new textured clutch. Shirt from Topshop, skirt and shoes from JC Pennys, clutch from Raes Days. I like this looked, I felt put together and ready to start the week. 

In a little less than a week, I’ll be headed south for family vacation in Florida. I’m super excited. I love family vacation, especially when it’s on the beach. Here’s a look I was thinking about for vacation, maybe for a time we go out to eat or go shopping. Dress is T by Alexander Wang, shirt is from Land’s End, shoes from Loft, clutch from Rae’s Days on Etsy.

clutch

I’ve probably worn this outfit a hundred times.

It’s easy, a black button up from H&M with Gap skinny pants and my striped shirt from Topshop. (Sweater from Uniqlo and watch from Target, if you are wondering.) And on the day I went to work after vacation was over, it was an easy thing to grab for because I knew already that it worked. But, this time, I added a fun clutch to tie it all together. I like this clutch. I like the gray and yellow color combination. I like that it tied my sweater and pants together and kind of played with the idea of stripes and texture. But most of all, I like that I made it. 

It’s knitted on the outside, black cotton on the inside. And it’s sturdy, so it will hold and of your things and fit into your hand without getting all droopy. 

I’ve been toying with this idea for a while and I really like the way it came out. I just need to make a few adjustments and then I hope I can share more with you!

Oh, and if you want to take your clutch to happy hour but need more room for work? just toss it in your bag and make the switch later.

hunger games

Remember the new tote bag you voted for?! Here it is!

If you’d like one for your very own, email me at raesdays@gmail.com or check it out on Etsy!

bookstore

I’ve been posting some tidbits here and there, but now I am so excited to announce that my zipper bags can be found at Second Chapter Books in Ligonier! 

My wonderful friend Jewels (you guys know Jewels, right? She runs a cool cooking blog) was using some bags she got from Rae’s Days on Etsy, and a very nice bookstore owner in her town saw them and took an interest. Jewels told her all about me, and, a few weeks later, they are ready for sale at Second Chapter Books. I couldn’t be more thrilled about this opportunity, and it was so fun to work on this order and see them in a brick and mortar store. If you are in town, please stop by and check them out!

If you aren’t in great state of Pennsylvania, you can always check out Rae’s Days on Etsy. 

ampersand

Hey guys hey! How was your weekend? Mine was so, so great and full of friends and fun and a visit from Jewels! We went to see Joy the Baker, and had really great pizza from Paulie Gees and saw a lot of good people. It was a great way to have fun after all the sewing I’ve been doing lately. 

See?

This one is my favorite. An ampersand zipper pouch for all your reading needs! What more could you want than awesome punctuation to hold your Kindle and pens and the like.

See and buy it on Etsy, here!