I was a fool to think I could keep up with posting while on vacation in Puerto Rico! I brought my laptop with me but didn’t even turn it on the entire week I was there… It was worth it though. I had the best time relaxing on the beach and hanging with family, entirely carefree. This is the first vacation I’ve taken where I feel like I allowed myself to completely check out and not think about any of the items on my to-do list. It was so needed, especially after many hectic weeks at work.

I visited Puerto Rico in March of last year for the first time since I was 12 years old, so I did not expect to be back again less than a year later. While the purpose of last year’s trip was my first real “vacation” since starting my big girl job, the purpose of this trip was to celebrate my great aunt’s 100^th birthday. My grandpa is one of twelve siblings and grew up on a farm in Utuado, a town in the central mountainous region of the island. Tía Edna is his oldest sibling, the first to reach 100 in his generation—but not the first in the family. My great grandma also lived to see 100! I guess you could say I have good genes, but I do wonder how much of their long lives is attributed to the stress-free way of life on the island, as well as the food (much healthier, less processed, etc.).

I can’t describe how special it was to be there to celebrate my great aunt with 80+ family members, most of whom I had never met before, across four generations. When my dad messaged me in December asking if I wanted to go to my great aunt’s birthday party in February, I knew I wanted to attend, but I didn’t quite appreciate how momentous the occasion would be. I was touched to see how many people showed up and how far they were willing to travel for this special lady—so many states and branches of the family tree represented.

The birthday party was held at a gorgeous venue in Santa Isabel—it was essentially a winery, but the rows of grapevines were replaced with rows of banana trees. Really, the event was as grand and well-planned as a wedding, with an open bar, dinner, a photographer, party favors, and even a live band. Tía Edna sat in a giant throne, complete with a balloon arch and a huge illuminated 100 in marquee letters. She was like the queen as family members lined up to kiss her and give her well wishes. Later in the evening, she even got out on the dancefloor and shared a dance with her 101-year-old friend from school (can you believe she wasn’t even the oldest one there?!). She was still rocking heels, lipstick, and the cutest bedazzled jacket. Hardly any wrinkles, perfect posture. She broke her hip a year ago and didn’t have a limp or cane or anything. She is truly a marvel—still physically and mentally sound after 100 trips around the sun.

I was nervous for the party and didn’t know what to expect, especially since I hardly knew anyone there and am not fluent in Spanish. But after getting over the initial intimidation, our gringo sect of the family was met only by love and excitement for our attendance. Everyone kept emphasizing the importance of familia and how we, the next generations, will have to ensure we continue to know each other once the older generation is gone. It was so sweet how much my great aunts and uncles remembered my dad, even though it’s been so long since they last saw each other and they have so many nieces and nephews to remember. Most of my grandpa’s generation only speaks Spanish, so we were grateful to the children and grandchildren who translated for us when necessary.

I took five years of (Spain) Spanish in school but stopped after one college class because I felt I had learned as much as I would in a classroom. I know the grammar, I can read and write it well enough, but what I need now is the ability to speak and listen to it. Puerto Rican Spanish will be particularly difficult to learn because so much of it is slang, and syllables get chopped off left and right. I understood more of what my family members said than I thought I would, which was exciting, but I also felt somewhat ashamed for being one of the only non-Spanish speakers at the party. The experience has really reinvigorated my desire to become fluent. Since I don’t imagine I’ll be moving to Spain anytime soon, I’ve been brainstorming creative ways to start listening and speaking the language more, including looking into conversational Spanish meet-ups in the Denver area. Like everything else, though, the problem is finding the time!

All in all, the party was such a special and memorable experience that I will be thinking about for months to come. Last year when I went to Puerto Rico, I left feeling like I probably didn’t need to visit again. In contrast, this year’s emphasis on family and heritage made me feel certain that I’ll be back at some point.

Anyway, enough of my sappiness and onto today’s outfit. The theme for February’s Thrifty Six collaboration is Winter Whites, which really stumped me. I rarely wear white in general because I find it impractical—I seem to always spill on it, and washing whites can be a pain. (The few white items I own always end up in a pile at the bottom of my laundry basket for months on end.) So secondhand whites? I usually automatically skip over anything white in the thrift store because I just assume it will have a stain somewhere (possibly why the person got rid of it in the first place).

The few white items I own aren’t really suitable for winter (the wrong fabrics) so I lucked out when I realized I could just take something with me to Puerto Rico to photograph in the sunshine and 80 degree weather. Totally cheating for the winter whites theme, but oh well! This blouse was my mom’s that she handed down to me after it shrunk a little in the wash. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep it at first, but I’m so glad I did. It’s really cute for a casual summer day (and looks great with pants, too, like this yellow pair).

Be sure to check out my thrifty friends’ blog posts below! Also, I’m very sad to announce, I’ve decided I can no longer keep up with this monthly thrifted challenge. I’ve participated in this group since September 2020 (!!!) and have come up with so many fun and unique outfits thanks to all the creative style prompts. But I’ve been majorly slacking on my responsibilities and do not want to bring the group down any longer. I will be stepping back from the collaboration as soon as we find a replacement. If you or a blogger you know loves thrifted fashion and wants to join the group in my place, please let me know! I will still be posting secondhand pieces on my blog and social media, but I need to be able to do it on my own schedule. If you discovered my blog because of this group, thank you thank you thank you for your all your support over the years.

Jodie of Jodie’s Touch of Style:

“I’ve been a HUGE fan of wearing white in the winter because it adds the lightness I crave. Yet, I have trouble styling a monochromatic look, so I added in this tan and white sweater, leopard boots AND a light blue purse. The sweater is from a rental service, which I consider preloved since it’s been worn before and will be worn by others again. The best part is I don’t have to find room in my closet to store it, haha.”

Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge:

“I found this white denim jumpsuit by Zara in my local thrift shop for $1. The zipper is broken and I find jumpsuits too tedious to wear but I bought it because it is going into a denim rag project. But before I cut it up, I figured I could make it work for this thrifty winter white theme even with its broken zipper (which I camouflaged with an ivory scarf tied onto my belt). Then I added a preloved motorcycle jacket in ivory, my white cowgirl boots, gray and silver accessories, and my new purple bag for a splash of bright color.”

Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style:

“I have a white T-shirt and a white blouse and that’s all the white I have in my closet. So I had to look for something on Vinted. And I had to do it quickly because delivery can take a while. Then there is washing, ironing, etc. I had seen a very nice white skirt on the Zara site, but yes, it must be second-hand. So I found this substitute. And when I got it it was covered in stains… As good as new, they say… Fortunately I don’t often have bad experiences with Vinted and the stains have all come out. With the addition of half a bottle of Shout!”

Jane of Preloved Vintage Handmade:

“Winter White is February’s T6 theme, a refreshing segue into springtime. I noticed a group of emerging Snowdrops today, a true sign that Winter’s loosening its icy grip. Such a joy to wear this beautiful pale colour, punctuated with botanical print… styled alongside my latest vintage handbag, a 1960s original with an oriental twist.”

Emma of  Style Splash:

“I very rarely wear white, so when Jodie chose that as this month’s theme I had to wrack my brain for any pre-loved white clothes and accessories. As luck would have it, a few months ago I bought this shirt from a charity shop for £1! It was the price that swayed me because I would usually pass by anything white, but I figured if it didn’t fit I could re-donate it. I’m not all that keen on it as it’s a bit small but it has some stretch, which helps. I’ve teamed it with green trousers because I like that colour combination. The bag is pre-loved, from eBay, and while looking for a jacket I found this Dept 19 zebra print coat that I also bought on eBay years ago… I’d forgotten all about it! I’m glad I’ve rediscovered it though!”

. . . . .

Thanks for reading and have a great rest of your day!

 

Miles of smiles,
Grace

 

White Top: Hand-me-down, last worn here | Denim Shorts: Target, $18 ($0.62 per wear), last worn here | White Sandals: DSW, $45 ($0.48 per wear), last worn here | Sunglasses: Loft, $20 ($0.71 per wear), last worn here | Purse: Shop LC, gifted by brand, $24 ($2.00 per wear), last worn here