It feels like forever since I’ve written a blog post or taken photos, but really it was just a month ago. I tried using the app Lens Buddy for this photoshoot, which takes burst photos automatically (rather than having to use the timer and walk back and forth a million times). I’ve known about the app for years, but for the longest time they didn’t have an Android version. Even though there are still a few glitches, I think I’m cautiously optimistic about it—it certainly made taking photos easier and more FUN! Plus, I was finally able to capture some cute candid shots, perfect for highlighting the flowiness of this dress.
What’s New?
- June was such a busy month! I was out of town three of the five weekends—backpacking a section of the Colorado Trail for my sister-in-law’s birthday, visiting my friend in Grand Junction, and hanging with fam at a little cousin’s reunion in Utah. Hard to believe so much fun was packed into 30 days. One of the highlights was doing a trolley wine tour in Palisade, Colorado, where we stopped at five different wineries, which I recommend if you’re in the area and looking for something fun to do!
- During last month’s recap I was preparing to take my exam for the Certified Associate in Project Management certification, and I’m very excited to say I passed that exam! I’d been slowly chipping away at the prep course since November, so it feels amazing to have finally completed the process.
- In other exciting news, I finally got a garage at my apartment, for which I’ve been on a waiting list for months. Not only will it make my apartment feel so much bigger (I’ll finally have room for more sewing and craft projects!), but it will also be such a stress-reliever to have a safe place to park my car. We’ve been having a ton of severe thunderstorms in the afternoons, and hail damage is always a concern here in Colorado!
- Lastly, I think June has been Grace per Wear’s best month ever in terms of growth. I’ve been consistently posting and consistently getting thousands of views per video on Instagram. From June 1 to the time of writing this post, I’ve gained 81 followers on Instagram and 110 followers on TikTok! It’s such an exciting feeling to finally see growth, and it’s an extra treat for this to happen right before the nine year anniversary of my blog.
Today’s Outfit
How pretty is this sage green dress?? I’m partnering with AW Bridal for today’s blog post to showcase this dress, which comes in a whopping 35 colors. It was difficult to choose, but I knew I wanted something in a color I didn’t own yet and something a little more summery than my other pieces (my other long dresses are red, black, dark purple, light purple, and dark green). I chose this style because I thought the T-length would make it a little more versatile, and the pleated tiers made it feel less “bridesmaid” to me.
I originally wanted to wear it to that garden party wedding I attended in May, but the first one I ordered was too big. I decided to do their custom sizing instead and—unfortunately—it’s still too big in the bust! I’ve lost some weight the past couple of weeks but I also think I just did a bad job measuring myself… Too big seemed better than too small, but even with a sticky bra you can tell the cups are gapping. Oh well—it’s still a beautiful dress and I love it with the hand-me-down pearl clutch and sparkly jewelry.
Top Performing Blog Posts This Month
Top Performing Social Media Posts
What I Watched
- Misery—My boyfriend read this Stephen King book recently so he insisted we watch the movie, too—which apparently was Kathy Bate’s breakout role? It had a lot of classic Stephen King elements, and I ultimately really enjoyed it, even though my boyfriend said the book was gorier.
- Otherwise I’ve still just been binging Law and Order: SVU. The episode where Kathy is in a car accident and Olivia helps save her has to be one of my new favorites.
What I Read
- The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride—I feel like I’ve been reading nonstop this month! This novel was a pick from my local library’s book club about a Jewish couple and a disabled black boy in the 1930s. I liked the book, but I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily something I would recommend.
- Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds and Alexander Nabaum—My boyfriend and I listened to this as an audiobook on our drive to and from Grand Junction. It’s ten different vignettes of students’ lives as they walk home from middle school—not really a story in the traditional sense, but it was interesting. The authors did an amazing job of capturing the feelings and silliness of adolescence.
- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot—Another book club choice, but this one was for a “young women’s book club” that I’ve been attending through Meetup. My brother had to read this non-fiction book in high school, so I was familiar with the topic. I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did. It was so interesting (and sad) and brought up so many moral quandaries. It also read more like fiction than non-fiction—not boring or too technical at all, in my opinion—so I highly recommend it!
June Spotify Playlist
June’s playlist is a shorty with a couple of very random throwbacks and new pop songs—which, I’m embarrassed to admit, were added after mindlessly scrolling on TikTok. Somebody told me about this idea to, for your birthday, ask everyone you know to submit a song that reminds them of you, and I think that is SUCH a cool idea! I definitely want to do it for a big birthday—maybe 30?
What I’ve Been Loving Lately
- Fruit snacks. My sister-in-law brought a bunch when we went camping and now I’m obsessed. I bought the jumbo box of Motts fruit snacks at King Soopers. They make such a fun snack and I feel like a kid again, ha.
- I’ve also really been loving my denim paperbag shorts. I was hesitant when I bought them last summer but I think they’re so cute now. They’re the perfect length and add a unique detail that my other denim shorts don’t have. I couldn’t find any super similar pairs that were affordable, but here’s an option and another option.
What I’m Looking Forward to in July
- My boyfriend and I will be attending a wedding later this month on a ranch about an hour north of Denver. I won’t really know anyone attending but I’m still really looking forward to it. I think the dress code is “cottage core western”—should be a fun challenge, ha!
- Other than the wedding, I currently have no plans for July, which I’m very excited about. Maybe I’ll finally finish my college scrapbook, which I’ve been talking about for months (well, years at this point). I’d also like to float Clear Creek in Golden, something that’s been on my Colorado bucket list for years. Now that I have a garage I think I can just buy a tube for cheap and make it a yearly tradition!
This Month on Grace per Wear
- Week 22: Percent Worn
- Polka Dot OOTD
- Perhaps a Salad? Trend
- Berlook Swimsuit Collab
- Week 23: Percent Worn
- Over or Under OOTD – Pink Blazer
- Average Cost per Wear of my Closet
- Week 24: Percent Worn
- Wine Tasting OOTD
- Mini Closet Cleanout
- Over or Under OOTD – Beige Jacket
- I Love Following the Women Trend
- What I Track in my Cost Per Wear Spreadsheet
- Week 25: Percent Worn
- Get Dressed with Me – Green Scarf Blouse
- Outfit Plan with Me
- Hot Pink Blazer OOTD
- Get Dressed with Me – Navy Halter Top
- Weekly Outfits
- Week 26: Percent Worn
- Throwing Summer Outfits
Do you have any fun plans for the 4th of July? I’m not doing much but am excited to just relax during the long weekend. As always, thanks for stopping by the blog today!
Miles of smiles,
Grace
Dress: AW Bridal, gifted for collaboration | Heels: Amazon, $46 ($2.71 per wear), last worn here | Pearl Clutch: Hand-me-down, last worn here