I debated if it was even worth posting this considering February is almost over, but I started these monthly recaps in May 2020 and haven’t missed one yet… I wasn’t about to start now. At this point my website is more of a digital scrapbook than “content” anyway, and I love referring back to these posts to see what I was reading or enjoying at different stages of life.
What’s New?
Normally I spend January planning for the new year and putting an immense amount of pressure on myself for all the things I want to accomplish in the coming months (but inevitably rarely do). This year I finally decided to join the anti-resolutions bandwagon and do nothing for the first several days of the new year. No lists, no planning, no pressure. I thought it would be harder, but I quickly became comfortable with the nothingness… and it felt SO good. In 2025, my motto for the year was “kill two birds with one stone.” This year, my motto is “care less,” aka “chill the f*** out.”
I’m really trying to learn to relax in 2026, and that starts with my blog—which has been an almost constant source of stress since I started it in 2016. I’ve always thought of it like a second job, taking it very seriously and trying to be as consistent as possible, but the fact of the matter is it’s not a job. I don’t make money from it. It’s supposed to be a hobby, so I’m really trying to retrain my mindset to treat it as such. Post when I have the time and creative energy to post, and don’t when I don’t. This includes social media. I’m not exactly sure how it happened, but at some point in 2025 I started posting every day, which was just not sustainable. Since the new year I’ve only posted a few times a week, which has made my to-do lists shorter and my mental health a lot better. And, surprisingly, my views haven’t tanked because of it. So far so good!
Today’s Outfit
I really love today’s outfit, but I fear the photos don’t do it justice. This year I’ve been letting a random number generator choose one thing for me to style every week, and when I took these photos the item of the week was this salmon-colored clutch. I realized I hadn’t worn the jacket yet this year and knew they would pair perfectly together. What I didn’t expect was how well these clay flower earrings would also match! I’m obsessed with the combo and will definitely reach for it again.
One thing I wish I had changed was the sunglasses I paired with this look—I feel like they date the outfit and make me look old. I know my style is not trendy or what a typical 20-something would wear. Sometimes I’m okay with that, and other days I feel more self-conscious about it. I think trendier sunglasses, like a thinner shape (even though those tend to look bad on me), would have really elevated this look.
Top Performing Blog Posts in January
Top Performing Social Media Posts
Favorite Outfits from January
I did a whole Instagram post about my favorite outfits from the month, which I think I want to make a habit now that I’m back to taking daily outfit photos. Speaking of trendy, I love how the outfit on the left turned out because it did make me feel really cool and conventionally fashionable.
The outfit on the right was another new combo for me and a second try for the day. Sometimes when I have to try on multiple things in the morning, I feel like I end up settling for an outfit. Today was a rare occasion where I was glad I changed course from my original idea because I loved how the monochrome blue turned out. You can’t really tell in the pic, but I finished the look with my blue sea glass earrings that I got during my trip to Maine.
Percent Worn Update
If you follow me on Instagram or TikTok, you know that in 2025 I posted a series every Sunday tracking what percent of my closet I’ve worn so far in the year. I realized it was so silly of me not to provide similar updates during my monthly recap blog posts! Since I only made it to 99% last year, I decided to do the challenge again this year—with the random number generator twist. The random number generator only chooses from the items I haven’t worn yet, but other than that there are no exceptions or stipulations. That means it could pick shorts in the middle of winter, a sweater in the middle of summer, or a bridesmaid dress for a week I have no plans. I think that’s what makes it fun and interesting!
So far, since I still have so much of my closet ahead of me, the random number generator hasn’t selected anything too crazy yet. But I’m excited for the day I have to style something completely unhinged! I finished January having worn 22% of my closet, which was eight percentage points higher than I was at the same time last year. I’ve been challenging myself to not repeat any clothing items or shoes for as long as possible into the new year, which has really skyrocketed my percent of closet worn.
What I Watched
- Frankenstein—I honestly can’t believe this movie was nominated for Best Picture! The visuals and costumes were beautiful, but the movie’s take on the classic story was uninteresting and not well done, in my opinion. The fact that the brother straight up says, “No Victor, you are the monster!” is ridiculous dialogue.
- Sinners—I hate vampire movies because they give me nightmares (and this one was no exception), but I did enjoy it. The music really made it.
- No Other Choice—My boyfriend and I preemptively saw this Korean movie in theaters thinking it would be nominated for an Oscar, but it didn’t end up being nominated for anything. We both found it very entertaining, though.
- Pluribus—This is the newest show by “Breaking Bad” creator Vince Gilligan. It’s marketed as sci-fi, which usually isn’t my favorite genre, but after the slow beginning I found the concept of the show really intriguing. I’m interested to see what happens in the second season!
- Stranger Things—My boyfriend and I finally got around to watching the final season, which we were not looking forward to… It wasn’t quite as bad as I expected but still felt more like a chore to finish the show, especially after so much time had passed since last season.
- Marty Supreme—This movie was the kind of film that was extremely stressful to watch—with few redeeming characters—yet I still found it extremely entertaining and unexpected.
What I Read
- Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid—I’m in a new book club with a couple of friends and this was our first book. I found it very… average? I’m not sure. I did like it, particularly for the easy writing style and aunt-niece relationship, but nothing about the story left me “wowed.”
January Spotify Playlist
I’ve been getting a little bored of my monthly playlists, to be honest… I don’t think I listen to enough new music, so it feels like I’m just adding the same songs over and over again. I haven’t decided yet if I’ll stop doing these altogether, so for now here is January’s… But I also made a playlist this month inspired by the book I read, Atmosphere, which was a fun new way to experience media. You can listen to that small, but mighty, playlist here. I don’t think it will make sense to select music for every book I read, but the space and romantic themes of Atmosphere reminded me of a couple of songs, which sparked the idea. Let me know if you’ve read the book and have any other tunes to add!
What I’ve Been Loving Lately
- I go through phases where I make a lot of smoothies in my NutriBullet, and recently I’ve really gotten back into it. A bit of frozen fruit, a handful of spinach, a banana if I have it on hand, and—the newest addition—PB2 powder. I’m sketched out by protein powder and supplements, but PB2 is just a powder version of peanut butter, which adds so much flavor (and some protein) to my smoothies. They feel like such a healthy breakfast and a great way to improve my fiber intake.
- Earrings earrings earrings! I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t sleep in my piercing studs anymore and change into a different dangly pair every morning. I’ve been having so much fun accessorizing my outfits in this way, it makes me question why I waited so long to get my ears pierced in the first place!
This Month on Grace per Wear
- 2025 Closet Wrapped
- Percent Worn: Week 1
- Styling a Randomly Chosen Item for Work
- Percent Worn: Week 2
- Nowhere to Wear Party
- Looking Back on 2016
- Dressing for Afternoon Tea
- Percent Worn: Week 3
- Favorite Outfits of 2026 So Far
- Percent Worn: Week 4
Usually January is the worst month of the year (gloomy, all the fun of the holidays are over), but it’s been so freakishly warm in Denver that I found January to be shockingly pleasant. I don’t have many expectations or plans for 2026, so I’m excited to see how the new year unfolds.
Miles of smiles,
Grace
White Blouse: Thrifted Ann Taylor, $12 ($0.67 per wear), last worn here | Jacket: Secondhand Cabi, $47 ($23.50 per wear) | Jeans: Express, $25 ($0.30 per wear), last worn here | Leopard Flats: Target, $20 ($0.54 per wear), last worn here | Sunglasses: Loft, $30 ($1.43 per wear), last worn here | Belt: Cabi, $76 ($0.64 per wear), last worn here | Purse: Francesca’s, $20 ($3.33 per wear), last worn here