October 2022 Month in Review

I know everyone says the time is flying by, but really… does it seem like it’s going faster than usual?! Even though I’ve had an insanely busy year (with study abroad, my brother’s wedding, a trip to the East Coast, moving back to Colorado, graduating college, starting my first job, and a handful of weekend trips), it seems like everyone’s year is going by just as quickly as mine. What is the deal?? It makes me sad to think the holiday season will come and go before we even realize it… Please someone make the months slow down. 

What’s New? 

• October didn’t go entirely according to plan, but I still had a great time soaking up all the fun fall activities—a pumpkin carving party, a haunted corn maze, a pumpkin patch, a spooky girls night out, a Halloween party, and passing out candy to trick-or-treaters. I can’t believe Halloween is already over! But at least I feel like I crossed (almost) everything off my fall bucket list. 
• I finally feel like I’m settling in at work. The first couple of months were a little slow as people got to know me and started adding me to projects, but I’ve been getting busier and busier lately—which is just how I like it. So far, I have really been loving what I do as a program evaluator! I’m constantly learning something new, and I get to put my organizational, Excel, and GIS skills to good use. It’s interesting learning how to navigate the social dynamics of the workplace, especially as the youngest team member, but I love my coworkers and have felt so welcome here. Every day is different, which is exactly what I always hoped for in a day job! 

Top Performing Blog Posts 

• Weekly Recap #39, 2022 
• The Thrifty Six Style Autumn Outerwear 
• Weekly Recap #41, 2022 

Favorite Outfits from October 

I absolutely love the outfit on the left with the polka dot sweater and olive green pants. It’s simple… yet somehow feels so put-together. The perfect fall look! As for the outfit on the right, I wasn’t expecting to love the green leopard top with the blazer as much as I did. Such a chic work outfit, and I can imagine swapping out the blouse for any number of tops. I’ve been on such a blazer kick lately!

What I Watched 

• “Yellowstone”—My boyfriend and I finally finished watching this show, just in time for the new season to come out on November 13th. I can’t say I would recommend it (it poses as a cowboy series/modern western, but it’s really just a soap opera with its fair share of plot holes). But with that said, I have found it rather entertaining and am excited for the new season. I think it’s hard to go wrong with Kevin Costner. 
• Old Boy—This is a Korean revenge thriller that is one of the most bizarre movies I have ever seen. I absolutely hated it until around the last half hour because I had no clue what was going on… lol. I would only recommend it to very specific kinds of people, but the film sure left a lasting impression. 
• Decision to Leave—This romance/mystery is by the same director as Old Boy. My friends and I saw it in theaters, but we all decided it was rather lackluster, especially when compared to the director’s previous film.  
• Age of Adaline—I remember when this movie came out several years ago but only just got around to watching it while I was painting my Halloween costume. It was fineee… very typical, predictable romance movie. But the two main characters (Blake Lively and Michiel Huisman) are just gorgeous, so that made it fun to watch. And I loved the fashion! 
• “The Midnight Club”—This is the latest show from the director of “The Haunting of Hill House” and “Midnight Mass”. Compared to his other two series, which I thought were really good, I did not like “The Midnight Club” very much… nor would I recommend it. I thought it was kind of campy (not my taste), and there wasn’t much plot throughout. Such a departure from other Mike Flannigan shows! 

What I Read 

I’ve been slacking on the reading front this month and am still working on my book—What Lies Between Us by John Marrs. I’ll save most of my review for next month’s recap once I finish reading it, but it’s been so full of surprises! Really dark and unpredictable, which I enjoy.  

October Spotify Playlist 

Per usual, this month’s playlist is a random assortment of music… There aren’t any spooky tunes, but of course I have some of Taylor’s Midnights in there! Speaking of which—what do you think of her new album? I think it’s just so-so… but that could change. I usually have to listen to new songs several times before I decide whether I like them or not. You can listen to my October soundtrack here! 

What I’ve Been Loving Lately 

• The fall leaves, obviously. I didn’t end up taking a drive into the mountains like I had wanted, but there have been plenty of gorgeous leaves to see on my drive to work and near my boyfriend’s apartment. I also made a couple of trips to my old campus in October, which is so beautiful this time of year. 
• Styled by McKenz’s vlogs. I’m not a YouTube person at all, but the only channel I watch religiously is that of McKenzie Morgan, a college fashion blogger who attends Kent State University. She is currently studying abroad in Italy, and it has been so fun to follow her adventures! She has taken a very different approach to study abroad than I did, and while there are certain activities she does that I feel would have been cool to do myself, watching her videos also makes me extremely satisfied with the decisions I made abroad. Everyone’s experience is so different, which is something I kind of struggled with when I first went to Scotland. 

Quote of the Month 

• October’s Quote: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” -Maya Angelou 
• November’s Quote: “Growing old is mandatory—growing up is optional.” -Chili Davis 

What I’m Looking Forward to in November 

• My birthday!! I can’t believe it, but the big day is already next week… Since my parents didn’t make it out for a visit in October, they are coming to Denver this weekend instead. I’m very excited to see them and celebrate with some of my extended family in the area! 
• I will also be attending the Bridgerton Ball this Friday with my aunt as part of the birthday celebrations—how cool is that?! If you haven’t heard of this event, which has been traveling across the U.S., it is an evening of activities and costumes inspired by the Netflix show “Bridgerton”. My aunt and I have been brainstorming our outfits for weeks, so I can’t wait to see how they turn out (hopefully I’ll be able to share a whole post about the evening). 
• Unsurprisingly, I’m also looking forward to Thanksgiving. It’ll be the first major holiday I’ve spent away from home, as I will be joining my boyfriend’s family instead. While I can’t wait to experience his family traditions, I know I will miss my own people a lot (and my mom’s food!). 

This Month on Graceful Rags 

• Edinburgh, Scotland Travel Guide 
• Weekly Recap #39, 2022 
• September 2022 Month in Review 
• Weekly Recap #40, 2022 
• 21 Things to Do in Glasgow, Scotland 
• Weekly Recap #41, 2022 
• The Thrifty Six Style Autumn Outerwear 
• Weekly Recap #42, 2022 
• Western-Inspired 
• Starry Night and Van Gogh Couples Halloween Costume 
• Weekly Recap #43, 2022 

 
What are you most proud of in October, and what are you looking forward to in the new month? Let me know in the comments! And have a great rest of your Thursday—it’s supposed to snow tonight, and I am dreading it. I have never felt so put-off by the thought of winter before. Can we please have the holiday season but skip straight to spring weather?? 

 

Miles of smiles,

Grace 

 

Collared Sweater: Gift, last worn here | Straight Leg Jeans: Express, $15 ($5.00 per wear), last worn here | Blue Booties: White Mountain via DSW, $42 ($0.72 per wear), last worn here | Purse: Antique store, $9 ($1.00 per wear), last worn here