November 2021 Month in Review

Boy, it was an emotional roller coaster of a month! Between the stress of finals, the nostalgia of finishing at the University of Denver, changing relationships, and trying to figure out what the heck I want to do with my life post-graduation, it’s safe to say I had one or two breakdowns throughout the month of November… But they were all the necessary kind, the type that makes you feel so much better afterwards. I’ve been feeling down about all the great things I’m leaving behind in Denver, but I also know there are so many, even better things ahead! Can’t wait for December and everything the new year will have to offer.

What’s New?

• I turned 22! Because Covid put the kibosh on my 21^st plans last year, I decided to have a re-do 21^st b-day this year—and it was everything I imagined the big 2-1 birthday to be. Apparently, I even convinced myself that I turned 21 again… My friend asked me if I was wearing the same green eyeliner I wore for my actual 21^st birthday and I said, “No, I wore gold makeup on my 21^st.” And she goes, “No. Your twenty-first.” And I go, “Yah, I wore rose gold for my 21^st” (seen in this Instagram post). We went back and forth a few times before I finally realized I wore the gold makeup on my 22^nd birthday when I was just pretending to be 21. Lol.
• The other big life update at the moment is that I finished my last quarter at the University of Denver! I moved out of my senior year apartment last week, took my finals, got my last grade back yesterday, and will be spending the bulk of my winter break with extended family in Las Vegas. Come January, I’ll be heading to Scotland for five months to study abroad. I could not be more excited that this dream will finally come true! I spent yesterday morning planning all sorts of fun travel- and Scotland-related blog posts for the next few months.
• In other news, I’ve decided to move my linkup to my Sunday weekly recap blog posts instead of sharing it on Thursdays. My posting has been so sporadic lately, and realistically, it will continue to be sporadic while I’m abroad. I’ve missed so many Thursday blog posts in the last couple of months but never fail to share my weekly recaps. By moving my linkup to Sundays, I will hopefully retain some consistency with it and be able to grow it more.

Top Blog Posts from November

• Weekly Recap #44, 2021
• Weekly Recap #45, 2021
• October 2021 Month in Review

Favorite Outfits from November

Holy cow, I just realized I only shared one true outfit post last month. Talk about slacking! In that case, I guess my favorite outfit has to be the preppy look from November’s Thrifty Six collab. But regardless of the lack of other outfits to choose from, I really did love this Blair Waldorf-inspired look.

What I Watched

Because I was so busy the past month, I hardly consumed any media. But here are the few things I did watch:

• “Orange is the New Black”—I’m still working my way through this show, as there are seven seasons and I’m only on number four. I liked the first two seasons quite a bit, but it’s really getting old now… and I strongly dislike Piper’s character. However, I’m no quitter, so I will see the show through to the end (I hate leaving series unfinished).
• Hot Fuzz—This is a Simon Pegg 2007 action/comedy film featuring two cops trying to solve a string of murders in a small British town. It’s a fun film with dumb humor, similar to Shaun of the Dead.
• Your Name—I LOVED this movie. It’s an anime with Japanese subtitles, which I know is not everyone’s jam… I’m usually not a huge anime fan myself. However, I watched this movie with a friend, and it gave me allll the feels. It’s so romantic with a great story and beautiful imagery. The back of the DVD case says the following about the film: “Mitsuha and Taki are complete strangers living separate lives until they suddenly switch places. Mitsuha wakes up in Taki’s body, and he in hers. This occurrence happens randomly, and they must adjust their lives around each other. Yet, somehow, it works. They build a connection by leaving notes for one another until they wish to finally meet. But something stronger than distance may keep them apart.” Usually I prefer to watch movies without knowing anything about them, but I included that little write-up here because I think the film would be a bit hard to follow with it. Highly recommend if you’re willing to give anime/subtitles a chance!

Quote of the Month

• November’s Quote: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” -Helen Keller.
• December’s Quote: “Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.” -Dalai Lama

Products I’m Loving

• I did an Octoly campaign with Clarins this month and got to try out their lip oil shimmer in one of the red shades. As I said in my review on Instagram, I really love the color it adds to your lips, and it’s super moisturizing. Sometimes lipsticks are too bold for me and lip glosses don’t have enough color, so this product is the perfect in-between. The only downside is that I didn’t realize how expensive it is! I would love to get more colors, like a pretty pink shade, but I wouldn’t pay $26 for it.
• In October, I did a different Octoly campaign with Amika—a new-to-me brand—and I tested their Un.Done Volume and Matte Texture Spray. I have now used it several times over the past two months, and in addition to the amazing smell, I love the texture it adds to my hair. I wasn’t convinced I liked it at first—I didn’t notice that much of a difference in the volume of my hair—but now what I’ve noticed more is the difference when I do not use the spray. My hair is just so flat and saggy without it that the spray does help boost my curls, even if it’s only a subtle change.

What I’m Looking Forward to in December

• Seeing my brothers! I haven’t seen one of my brothers since June and the other brother since September. It will be so fun to be together again for the holidays (including my one bro’s fiancé! So excited to see her).
• Of course, I’m looking forward to all the festive holiday activities—decorating Christmas cookies, seeing the Christmas lights, getting invited to a holiday party (hopefully). My mom and I are going to the National Finals Rodeo tonight and a Barry Manilow show on Friday. Later in the month, when my brothers are in town, we’ll all be going to a play at the Boise Contemporary Theatre. Lots of fun activities planned for December!
• As nerdy as it is, I’m also excited to pack for Scotland—I’ll have to create a true capsule wardrobe because I’m going to do my best to fit everything into a carry-on suitcase and carry-on item… not sure if that’s even possible, but we’ll see. I’ll have to try on tons of outfits to find out which pieces can be worn with the most number of looks! I’ll definitely be sharing a blog post on that process.
• Lastly, I’m ecstatic to sleep in a bedroom that doesn’t make weird clicking noises and has blackout curtains… The old building I lived in this fall made all sorts of loud and annoying noises, which kept me from sleeping well pretty much the entire quarter. Sleeping in late in my own bed is going to feel SO good once I’m back home next week.

This Month in 2020: Vintage Inspired | The Thrifty Six Style Sparkles | The Composition of My Closet | October 2020 Monthly Recap

This Month in 2019: What a Fashion Show is Really Like | El Camino de Santiago: The Lessons Learned | Happy Thanksgiving!

This Month in 2018: How to Beat the Christmas Blues | Trend Tester Series: The Circle Bag | 10 Ways to Style Polka Dots | High Five for High Tea

This Month in 2017: Turkey Attire | Nailed It with Sally Hansen | Fall Color Cravings | Why I Dislike Instagram (But Use It Anyway)

This Month in 2016: Brown Plaid | Plaid Skirt | Not Sweater Weather | Wall Art

How fun are these photos?! I went to the Seven Magic Mountains outside of Las Vegas with my friend last week, but then my mom wanted to go with me as well. Of course, I couldn’t pass up more photos! We went at sunrise so it was just us and a few other people—I love the changing colors of the sky and the beautiful desert backdrop. I wore this black denim jacket and black skirt so that the colors of the stones would be the star of the show, but now I’m thinking I should have been more colorful, too. Ah well. These photos aren’t really about the outfit anyway! I love that last shot to show the scale of the boulders.

As always, thanks for stopping by the blog today. I hope you have a great rest of your Thursday and are looking forward to the month ahead.

 

Miles of smiles,

Grace

 

Light Blue Ribbed Bodysuit: Wayf via Nordstrom, $55, last worn here | Black Denim Jacket: Topshop via Nordstrom, $55, last worn here | Black Corduroy Skirt: Francesca’s, $35, last worn here | Black Booties: DSW, $45, last worn here | Black Fringe Purse: Gift, $50, last worn here