January 2024 Month in Review

Grace G.

2 years ago

It’s been an unseasonably warm January, but it snowed all day on Saturday—one of the few days this season that actually felt like winter. In true Denver fashion, the weather turned sunny and warm by Sunday, so I snuck out of the apartment to take a few pics. I think these snowy ones turned out so well! It’s been a long time since I’ve been so excited about photos, and that in combination with the warm sun on my face and beautiful blue skies made for a great end to the weekend.

What’s New?

I have a new plan of attack for my blog in 2024. Instead of trying (and failing) to share three blog posts a week, I’m only going to hold myself to my weekly recaps on Sundays. Any other blog posts I manage to publish will be gravy on top. I’d like to focus more on posting on Instagram and TikTok rather than my website because shortform videos are a little easier to make than a full blog post. You can read more about my decision here.
I’ve been keeping up with an exercise routine! Which, if you’ve been following along, you know has been a struggle for me since graduating college. I mostly run (on the treadmill for now, ugh), but every now and again I throw in a Peloton ride or a long, brisk walk if I’m not feeling it that day. I’ve also been good at lifting for the first time in my life. I hate lifting, but not being able to put my suitcase into the overhead compartment on my way back from Palm Springs was a wake-up call, lol. It’s too soon to see a difference in my arms but it feels really good to know I’m getting stronger.
I finally had my first semi-viral moment on Instagram… and it was for a post that has nothing to do with fashion, ha! I got the idea to reenact one of the Nanalan memes that have been everywhere on social media the last few months. If you’re not familiar, Nanalan is a Canadian kids show that features two puppets, Mona (played by me) and her grandma Nana (played by my boyfriend). It’s so close to reaching 20,000 views!

Today’s Outfit

How stinking cute is this winter outfit? My boyfriend said I look like a leprechaun but I don’t care, I felt adorable in it. Pink and green has always been one of my favorite color combos, but it’s rare that I actually get to wear it! I’ve had this green hat since I was six or seven, if you can believe it. I remember when my mom bought it for me at a craft bazaar in the basement of my grade school (when I still lived in Washington). Somehow, even though I’ve had it forever, it has never appeared in a proper blog post. For shame because it’s really cute, and I love decorating it with brooches (today’s are a silver G and a sparkly martini glass I got for my 21^st birthday). The scarf and gloves don’t actually go with the hat but you can’t really tell!

Top Performing January Blog Posts

Top Performing Social Media Posts

Favorite Outfits from January

Both of my favorite outfits this month came from the week where I recreated Pinterest outfits, so maybe I should think about doing that more often. The look on the left makes for such a cute weekend outfit, and the right was so chic and professional for the office!

What I Watched

Saltburn—Of course I had to watch this movie after the internet lost its mind over it. And yep, sure enough, it was very disturbed… but I loved it. I wouldn’t recommend it to very many people, but it is one of those movies you just have to talk about with someone the second the credits roll (it’s like, “WTF just happened?!”). Whatever you feel about Saltburn, you can’t deny that it has a killer soundtrack.
“Succession”—My boyfriend and I finally finished this dark yet satirical series about a media empire, and we both agreed it’s one of the best shows we’ve seen in a long time. It also had a really good ending instead of petering out across the final seasons like most series.
The Holdovers—We’ve been trying to watch a lot of the films nominated for Best Picture this year, which is how The Holdovers ended up on our list. It was cute and a feel-good movie, but a little slow in my opinion.
Poor Things—This was another “WTF?!” movie, but unlike Saltburn, which was just weird and not trying to say anything, Poor Things did have an underlying message… I’m just not entirely sure I understood what it was. The movie was interesting (yet also creepy) in concept, but it ultimately wasn’t my favorite. It also had SO much sex, so choose your movie-watching companions carefully, unless you want to die of embarrassment.
“The Bear”—This TV show was recommended to me by several people, and my boyfriend and I just finished watching it. I really liked it (it’s about a chef—you can’t watch it on an empty stomach), but at the same time it was really stressful to watch. The scenes are so chaotic and get your heart racing as if you’re part of them. I would recommend it, but not if you’re looking for a “let’s rewind before bed” type of show.

What I Read

Dark Paradise by Tami Hoag—Okay, I read The Boy by Tami Hoag a couple of years ago, which is one of my favorite books, so I’ve been reading more of her stuff over the last couple of months. And I think I’ve decided The Boy is an outlier! Dark Paradise was incredibly boring and only got interesting in the last 30 or so pages (out of 500). It also had a lot of smut, which I hate. Why don’t books have ratings like movies or TV shows? I would steer clear of books with sex in them if there was a way to tell beforehand…

What I Listened To

My January Spotify playlist is characterized by lots of songs from the movies/series I watched this month, as well as a weird mix of Beatles songs (I went down a rabbit hole one afternoon).
I’ve never been a podcast person, but my Fitbit broke at the end of December, which in a weird roundabout way that’s not worth explaining meant I had to find something else to listen to while working out. Hence, podcasts. My aunt has told me a lot about Morbid, which is hosted by an aunt-niece duo (the aunt used to be an autopsy tech, just like my aunt!!). Anyway, it’s mostly a true crime podcast with an episode on the paranormal every now and again. They talk about a lot of interesting cases, but they also add a lot of their own opinions, which isn’t necessarily my favorite. Either way, I noticed I’ve been experiencing a huge spike in nightmares since starting to listen to Morbid, so while I like it, I might have to find something a little lighter…

What I’m Looking Forward to in February

There’s so much happening this month, even though it’s a short one! I’m looking forward to this weekend because my boyfriend and I have an early Valentine’s Day dinner on Saturday night at a local steakhouse, and we’re hosting a Super Bowl party on Sunday (I still haven’t solidified the menu yet).
On actual V-Day, I leave for Puerto Rico for a week so I can attend my great aunt’s 100^th birthday party! I’m so excited and did not expect to be going back to the island less than a year later. Unlike last year, where we did a lot of touristy activities, this trip will be a proper island vacation, mostly spent lounging on the beach.
After I get back from P.R. I’ll be heading to Vegas for a week (working remotely) to spend time with my grandpa and parents. I got the tickets months ago when Southwest was having its best sale of the year—not the best timing that it ended up so close to my vacation, but you can’t beat a $100 plane ticket to see family!

This Month on Graceful Rags

What are you looking forward to in February? As always, thanks for stopping by the blog today!

Miles of smiles,
Grace

Pink Sweater: JCPenney, $18 ($0.30 per wear), last worn here | Cropped Flared Jeans: Express, $40 ($0.65 per wear), last worn here | Black Knee Boots: Clarks via DSW, $100 ($0.75 per wear), last worn here | Scarf: Unknown, $25 ($1.92 per wear), last worn here | Mittens: Unknown, $15 ($2.40 per wear), last worn here | Hat: Craft bazaar, gift