I’m currently writing this post on my deck, in 87 degree weather, with an iced latte in hand and no work to worry about. It’s summer baby!! I’m using PTO this week to catch up on chores and just relax. I’ve never taken time off work to do nothing before, and while it feels like a waste of vacation days on one hand, it also feels like being a kid on summer vacation, which is oh-so-nice. I’ve been working on a sewing project and am hoping to finally finish my college scrapbook next!

What’s New?

• Life has been busy! I moved in April, which was not in the plan for this year but after a series of serious maintenance issues at my last apartment, I knew I wanted to get out of there. So far it’s been a great change, and I’ve been having a lot of fun decorating my new place (though of course it’s very time consuming!).
• On top of moving I had a somewhat ill-timed business trip at the end of the month to Bethesda, Maryland. It turns out Bethesda is just far enough away from D.C.-proper to make it inconvenient, but thankfully I managed to squeeze in an afternoon in the city to visit Arlington National Cemetery, which I didn’t have time to see the first time I visited D.C. in 2011. I had a long walking route mapped out to check out the National Mall and memorials after, but it started torrentially downpouring—so I bailed after the first handful. As if that trip wasn’t enough, I got back from Bethesda on Thursday evening and left Friday to go camping at Great Sand Dunes National Park with my brother and sister-in-law! The first camping trip of the season was a huge success (as was the photoshoot).
• Finally, I’ve decided to try the curly girl method (ahem, wavy girl method) again after watching a girl’s 20 minute video about her hair transformation (whose “before” hair looked just like mine after washing). She even has fine hair and the same scalp condition as me, so it felt like a sign that I should try the method again (ha). This time I’m being way more scientific about it though and tracking my progress in a spreadsheet (surprise surprise) and by taking photos after every wash. Last time I committed to no shampoo and no brushing, which was a disaster and led me to give up fairly quickly. This time I’m ignoring those steps because with such fine hair I absolutely have to brush it in some capacity. I’m only three washes in so far and haven’t introduced any products yet, but I’m excited to see if it goes anywhere. My boyfriend has very curly hair and he definitely thinks my hair has potential, so that’s all the encouragement I need to give it another shot.

Today’s Outfit

Today’s outfit is all about the backdrop, obviously. I managed to shove this dress into my tiny 38-liter backpacking pack with the vision of recreating one of those flying dress photoshoots at the top of the tallest dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park. Thankfully, my brother and sister-in-law were willing to play along. The dress didn’t flow as well as I had hoped, probably because it wasn’t as windy as I anticipated, but we still managed to get some amazing shots along with the funny outtakes. I thought I could take out my double French braids (mind you, that had already been slept-in in a beanie the night before and covered by a ball cap while hiking) and unleash beautiful flowing locks, but I was sorely mistaken. Thankfully I take the Darwinian approach to photoshoots and overproduce, hoping that at least four or five photos turn out. I was so lucky to get 20 or so!

Favorite Outfits from April

• I didn’t have any real plans for Easter but decided I still wanted to dress up. This white dress is so pretty and old fashioned—I love the t-length. The hot pink lip and green accessories (see better in this video) really pulled the look together!
• My aunt sent me this vintage daisy dress, and it fits like a glove! So stinking cute! I wore it to my friend’s baby shower, and since it was a bit chilly that day I paired it with these boots, which instantly make any outfit look trendy and cool.

Percent Worn Update

As of today (in a hot pink top and pair of shorts that I haven’t worn yet this year), I am at 66% of my closet worn so far in 2026, with only 36% of the year complete. Heck yah! I had wanted to try and double my percentage compared to last year, but I think the time for that has passed since my rate of increase is already starting to decline. The closest I got was in Week 8, when my percent worn was 37% compared to 20% at the same point in 2025.

What I Watched

Is this the first month ever that I didn’t watch anything new?? Wait, no, after checking my ratings in the IMDB app, I remembered that my boyfriend and I watched the second season of Jury Duty this month. It was very silly and entertaining, though I question how they realistically did a second season after the first season got so much attention. Surely Anthony knew something was up??

Otherwise, my boyfriend and I have been watching Season 50 of Survivor, and I’ve be rewatching Glee as my latest background show (which is kind of eerie and sad after knowing the tragedies of so many of the actors).

What I Read

Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane—This was April’s book club pick, and as the name suggests, it was a very deep, philosophical read that follows the author’s experience exploring three different rivers around the world and the people who call the rivers home. It’s not a book I would have picked for myself, but I did really enjoy it—and it was a great choice to stir book club discussions. I loved the poetic writing and will definitely be thinking about this book for a while. It even gave me the idea to start a new video series where I dress for book club in an outfit inspired by the book—check out my first river-like ‘fit!

April Spotify Playlist

I’ve mentioned a couple of times how I’m sick of always listening to the same music, so I made a point this month to branch out, listening almost exclusively to the “New Music Friday” mixes on Spotify. There’s a lot of stuff that’s not my taste, but I also found a handful of songs I liked enough to add to my small but mighty April playlist—and I LOVE Olivia Rodrigo’s new song “Drop Dead.”

What I’ve Been Loving Lately

• I’m sorry to say my boyfriend has gotten me hooked on Coke Zero. It scratches that afternoon itch for something yummy to sip on, without making me feel disgusting like a regular Coke would and without the yucky aftertaste of a diet soda. I don’t know what kind of crap is in it but it’s working for me, unfortunately.
• Soccer!! April was a soccer-filled month—I managed to secure tickets to the FIFA World Cup, saw a Women’s National game, watched Denver’s new women’s team play the week after, and joined my cousin’s weekly co-ed work league. I’ve also been playing pickup indoor soccer on Mondays and Fridays when I can, which has become really fun lately now that the usual crowd all knows each other and knows how each other plays. So fun!! I didn’t realize how much I missed playing soccer until getting back into it (and getting somewhat good again).

What I’m Looking Forward to in May

• My biggest plan for May was the Sand Dunes camping trip, but I’m excited to have relatively open weekends the rest of the month after such a hectic April. And hopefully I’ll feel completely moved-in by the end of the month!
• My friend is having a grown-up sleepover at her house this Friday, which I think will be SO fun. Not sure what the plan is yet but I’m imagining cute PJs, facemasks, pedicures, and maybe even mattress surfing down the stairs a la Princess Diaries 2.

This Month on Grace per Wear

I basically took the month of April off from posting, as you can tell from this teeny tiny list!

• Favorite Outfits from March
• Easter Outfit and Egg Hunt
• Seven Days of Dresses
• Wasted a Good Outfit on a Work-From-Home Day

Do you have any exciting plans for the rest of May or Memorial Day weekend? I can’t believe it’s already summer, but I’m so excited for the nice weather and late sunsets!

 

Miles of smiles,

Grace

 

Dress: TJ Maxx, $20 ($4.00 per wear), last worn here