I’m posting April’s recap embarrassingly late—almost to the point where it’s not worth sharing anymore. I’ll try to be better next month! I’m writing today’s post from the deck of my childhood house in Boise, surrounded by singing birds and the sweet smell of white tree blossoms. I miss living in Boise for all sorts of reasons, but this weekend I was missing it for all of its cute photo-op locations. There are so many nice spots in our backyard and neighborhood where I used to take blog pictures, and it was easy. Even though I’ve lived in my Denver apartment for years now, I still haven’t found any good go-to photo backdrops. It makes me feel unmotivated and discouraged when I have an outfit I want to share… which is part of why today’s post is coming at ya so late! Try as I might, I just wasn’t able to capture any pics I liked last week. I’m such a procrastinator, but it would do me a lot of good to try photographing my monthly blog post pics at least a week before I want to post… instead of the day-of like I usually do [insert upside down smiley face emoji].
What’s New?
- April was a perfectly uneventful month after a busy March and before an extremely busy May. Highlights included golfing (x3) for the first time this season and going on a 17-mile hike with my brother and sister-in-law along the Boulder Flatirons (well, it was fun for the first three-quarters and then… wasn’t fun anymore).
- I’ve been feeling equally discouraged and excited by my Grace per Wear pursuits lately. Sometimes I feel so sad and frustrated about my slow growth on Instagram, especially when I see others who just started their accounts and have double, triple, quadruple the number of followers. But then I remember the amazing loyal followers I do have, and I get super excited and energized by all these content ideas I have or new strategies I want to try. Somehow I’ve been feeling more inspired now than I have in (what feels like) years. My latest obsession is trying to find more interesting ways to share my OOTD videos, so let me know if there is a particular format or style you like!
Today’s Outfit
Like I mentioned, I tried taking blog photos a couple of times last week and just wasn’t having much success… and then I discovered this batch of photos from May 2023, that I never posted (you can tell from my shorter hair—and it still had a little bleach in it from when I died it purple studying abroad). I’m not sure why I never posted these because I think the western-inspired outfit is super cute! Both the fringe bodysuit and printed pants are from Cavender’s. You may think the bell bottoms aren’t very versatile, but I’ve actually styled them with a lot in the years I’ve had them, including a maroon mock-neck top, a beige turtleneck sweater, and a rust-colored sweater. Since there are so many colors in the pattern there’s actually a lot to play with on top.
Top Performing Blog Posts This Month
I feel that I need something new to share instead of my “top performing blog posts,” considering that I rarely post on my website anymore… If you have any fun ideas for something else you would like to see in these monthly posts instead, please let me know!
Top Performing Social Media Posts
Favorite Outfits from April
- I wore the outfit on the left to tour a bunch of open houses on a lazy Saturday (just for fun!) and got SO many compliments on my beret. I never know if it just looks like a mushroom on top of my head (am I wearing it right?) but I felt so chic in this look.
- For the week of Earth Day I challenged myself to wear only secondhand items. The outfit below on the right was one of the results—hand-me-down top, skirt, and shoes paired with a purse from the antique mall. I thought it turned out so cute and summery, and I was especially tickled that it’s an outfit I never would have come up with otherwise.
What I Watched
- Adolescence—This is a four-part British miniseries where each episode is filmed in a single shot—which is insane to think about. I thought the show was extremely well acted, and an interesting concept (to explore a crime from the perp’s point of view rather than the victim’s), but it was incredibly sad. It was one of those shows that left me feeling in a funk when I finished it. If you do watch though, you have to watch the behind-the-scenes footage at the end to see how they filmed it in one take.
- White Lotus Season 3—I still enjoyed Season 3 but thought it was the worst season so far. I loved the beautiful setting and of course Chelsea (everyone’s favorite character), but I thought the final episode was rushed and unfulfilling. The storyline I think I was most intrigued by was the three friends—I feel like they really captured the bad side of female relationships, in a way that definitely made me uncomfortable. It was (sadly) so realistic!
What I Read
I *finally* finished reading Wicked after months of trying to get through it… I wanted to love it, but I just didn’t! I found it to be so slow. I’m also not sure if I’m being dense or if I didn’t read closely enough or what, but there are still a lot of parts that I don’t fully “get.” I felt the explanations for how Elphaba and Nessarose became wicked were lacking and not as fully developed as I expected from the book. I don’t know, I would love to hear your thoughts if you’ve read it… I’m also so curious what’s going to happen in Part 2 of the movie, since the first part doesn’t follow the book that closely (the book is much more violent and mature in content).
April Spotify Playlist
This month’s playlist has a lot of female pop singers, with a few rando songs thrown in (like Brad Paisley’s “Ticks”—hilarious). I decided this morning that my latest song obsession is “Casual” by Chappell Roan. It’s so naughty but a beautiful song (the emotion and her voice alike).
What I’ve Been Loving Lately
- After-dinner walks. Those Europeans are on to something, I tell you what. I like doing a loop around my apartment complex right after eating but before the sun goes down, now that the weather is warming up and all of the blooming plants smell amazing. It’s making me very excited for summer!
- Being alcohol-free. I gave up alcohol for Lent, except for when I was on my two-week vacation in Spain (cheating, I know) so I made up for it by not drinking at all during the month of April either. It resulted in my pants fitting better and me just feeling better in general (less bloated, more energetic). Don’t get me wrong, I still like to dabble in a cocktail every now and again, especially on special occasions, but I want to try to drink less moving forward.
What I’m Looking Forward to in May
Like I mentioned, May is going to be a busy month! I went to Boise to spend Mother’s Day with my mom, which was a blast. This coming weekend my friend is driving to Denver to stay with me to celebrate her birthday (you may remember we always do over-the-top experiences for each other, like the bar hopping at home I put together for her Covid 21st). This year’s theme is “Around the World in 72 Hours.” I was supposed to go to D.C. for work but thank goodness that was cancelled. And I am finishing the month at one of our longtime family friend’s wedding in California, which all of my family will be attending! I haven’t decided what to wear yet, but of course I have several options already in my closet…
This Month on Grace per Wear
- Spain Transitions
- How Well I Packed for Spain
- Week 14: Percent Worn
- March 2025 Month in Review
- Souvenirs I Bought in Spain
- Two Weeks in Spain: Itinerary and Details
- Two Weeks in Spain: Sevilla
- Two Weeks in Spain: Granada
- Two Weeks in Spain: Málaga and Tenerife
- Week 15: Percent Worn
- Week 16: Percent Worn
- Fashion Isn’t a Formula
- Secondhand Items Only: Day 1
- Secondhand Items Only: Day 2
- Secondhand Items Only: Day 3
- Secondhand Items Only: Day 4
- Week 17: Percent Worn
- 10 Ways to Style a Yellow Top
- 5 Red Outfits I Plan on Wearing this Summer
Thanks for reading today’s (incredibly belated) blog post! What are you looking forward to in May?
Miles of smiles,
Grace
Fringe Bodysuit: Cavender’s, $8.67 per wear, last worn here | Printed Bell Bottoms: Cavender’s, $11.67 per wear | Boots: Ariat via Boot Barn, $6.67 per wear, last worn here | Sunglasses: Sungait, $0.54 per wear, last worn here | Purse: Francesca’s, $10 per wear, last worn here
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