December 2021 Month in Review

Finishing off 2021 with this cute + casual outfit that I wore earlier today! Unlike the last couple of months, December was very quiet… filled with a whole lotta nothing aside from squeezing in alllll the holiday activities and spending lots of much-needed time with family. I wish I could say the uneventfulness of the month was relaxing, but the ever-changing Covid-19 precautions have been causing all sorts of extra stress about my study abroad adventure in January. I’m trying my best to accept the things I cannot change and just make it to my departure date! T-minus five days now [insert shocked emoji here].

What’s New?

• I’m finally getting back on track with my thrice-weekly posting schedule this month, which feels so good (although my posts have been going up later and later in the evening… does anyone remember when my blog posts used to be pre-written the night before and scheduled to go live at 6 a.m.? Those were the good ol’ days).
• My bags are all packed and ready for Scotland. People keep asking me if I’m so excited, but the truth is that the biggest emotion I am feeling right now is stress. Do I have all the necessary paperwork to get into the country? Will my Covid test results come back in time to board my plane? Will my flights be cancelled? And most terrifying of all: Will the experience even be worth it? This is not even close to what I imagined my study abroad to be like, but after it was cancelled the first time, I committed to doing everything in my power to make this dream happen… so I have to remind myself to continue that commitment by keeping a positive attitude. I am praying for the best!

Top Blog Posts from December

• Ringing in The New Year with The Thrifty Six
• November 2021 Month in Review
• A Vision in Green

Favorite Outfits from December

• Without a doubt, my favorite outfit from this month was my NYE look with the Thrifty Six. This unique blue dress can do no wrong in my eyes!
• I also thought this wintery outfit was really cute, and I loved the pop of red for the holidays.

What I Watched + Listened To

• “Ted Lasso”—I loved this show. Not only is soccer my favorite sport, but the series is so lighthearted and funny, just what I needed this month. Well, maybe only the first season can be categorized as that… The second season definitely wasn’t as good but I still loved it and all of Ted’s quirky mannerisms.
• Wild Mountain Thyme—This 2020 Irish film starring Emily Blunt and Jamie Dornan was a rom-com/drama that I can only describe as extremely strange… You really have to watch the movie to understand its peculiarity. I didn’t hate it—it was actually kind of cute with beautiful scenery, albeit it was a little slow at times. I picked it for movie night because the song “Wild Mountain Thyme” is one of my favorites (I first heard it while singing Irish drinking songs on St. Patty’s Day in my high school religion class and subsequently taught myself how to play it on the guitar).
• “Orange is the New Black”—I finally finished the series this morning. While I definitely think seven seasons was too long for this show, I found it really interesting to watch as a criminology major, since most of the issues portrayed in the series are topics I talk about daily in my crim classes. I thought the first three seasons and season five were really good, but the rest was just kind of ‘eh’. I also noticed that while the show always involved very serious topics, the series adopted a much darker and more somber tone in the last few seasons.
• “True Detective”—I watched the first season of this show with my parents and it was just as disturbing as everybody told me it was. While I enjoyed the macabre and detective aspects of the show, I thought it was really hard to follow, and I had a hard time hearing/understanding some of the dialogue between Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson.
• The Christmas Chronicles—I mentioned this in my weekly recap the other day, but I thought this was going to be a trash Christmas movie. It turned out to be super cute, and surprisingly, my whole family enjoyed it when we watched it on Christmas Eve!
• “Line Without a Hook” by Ricky Montgomery—I heard this song in the grocery store the day before Thanksgiving and it has been on repeat ever since. The cadence is so unique, and I have absolutely no idea what the lyrics mean, which I find amusing.
• “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” by Celine Dion—I admit that this seems like a super weird song for me to be into at the moment, but I heard it twice on the radio and am now hooked for some inexplicable reason. I guess I just love the drama of Celine’s music.

Quote of the Month

• December’s Quote: “Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.” -Dalai Lama
• January’s Quote: “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” -Saint Augustine

What I’m Looking Forward to in January

When I peal back the thick layer of anxiety coating my thoughts about study abroad, I am still super excited to get to Scotland. I’m looking forward to the gorgeous scenery, meeting the other study abroad students I’ll be living with, exploring the historic University of Glasgow campus, and so much more. I have no idea what the new year and my travels will bring but I know either way it will be an adventure!

This Month in 2020: Fall Quarter in Review | Red-y for the Holidays | December 2020 Month in Review | 2020 Recap: And the Award Goes To…

This Month in 2019: Alternatives to Heels this Holiday Season | Fashionable New Year’s Resolutions | 2019 Recap: And The Award Goes To… | Roaring Into the 20s

This Month in 2018: Wise Words to Inspire Your 2019 | Barbie Girl in a Barbie Ornament World | A Fashionable Christmas Transformation | Strutting Fearlessly Into the New Year

This Month in 2017: All I Want for Christmas is Hue | A Casual (But Not Boring) NYE Outfit | Homecoming Reinvented | And the Award Goes To…

This Month in 2016: How to Transition Palazzo Pants from Summer to Fall | Polka Dots and Lace | Signe

How was your December? Did you finish out the year strong?! Be sure to swing by the blog tomorrow, as I will be sharing an extra post this week doing my usual yearly recap! I always look forward to reminiscing on the year and celebrating my accomplishments (even when the failed goals outweigh the wins, lol).

Miles of smiles,

Grace

Pinstripe Polka Dot Blouse: JCPenney, $20, last worn here | Tuxedo Stripe Jeans: Bohme, $40, last worn here | Blue Suede Booties: White Mountain via DSW, $42, last worn here | Black Sunglasses: Charming Charlie, $7, last worn here | Purse: Envy Boutique in Tacoma, gift, last worn here