Weekly Recap #32, 2023

I had such a great weekend with my dad, brother, and sister-in-law camping in the Midwest! I’m still playing a little bit of catchup (as you can tell since I’m posting my weekly recap on a Wednesday) but it was completely worth it. I can’t think of a better summer weekend than getting dirty with some of my favorite people. This pic is of the newly opened Mill City Museum in Minneapolis, which looks really cool—I hope to visit next time I’m there!

Monday, August 7

It was a chill work-from-home day, and I snuck away to take these blog photos in the afternoon for my July monthly recap blog post. So technically I didn’t really wear this look today but figured I’d reshare it anyway.

Blouse: Clara Sunwoo, gifted by brand, last worn here, use code GRACEG for 10% off | Black Pants: Clara Sunwoo, gifted by brand, last worn here, use code GRACEG for 10% off | Nude Heels: Amazon, $46 ($4.18 per wear), last worn here | Sunglasses: Loft, $30 ($1.67 per wear), last worn here | Purse: Antique store, $9 ($0.90 per wear), last worn here

Tuesday, August 8

It was another light work day followed by a few errands. It was kind of gloomy this morning and I was cold getting out of bed (which always makes it so difficult to get up and moving), so I opted for this striped sweater. I don’t necessarily love it with these windowpane trousers and dark maroon shoes, but it was one of those days where I wasn’t willing to change outfits multiple times. I do love these pants, though, and the shape of them throughout the leg. I don’t wear them very often because they’re too big in the waist, but I noticed today that they’re not quite as loose anymore… lol. So I think I will start wearing them more frequently!

Striped Sweater: Gap, $16 ($0.73 per wear), last worn here | Windowpane Trousers: Thrifted, $5 ($1.67 per wear) | Oxblood Mary Janes: Thrifted, $10 ($2.50 per wear), last worn here

Wednesday, August 9

I wore this outfit a few weeks ago and threw it on again today for something quick and easy. I headed to the airport after work to pick up my dad and we spent the night at my aunt’s house catching up!

Dress: Envy Boutique, $21 ($0.88 per wear), last worn here | Red Flats: Rothy’s, $100 ($10.00 per wear)

Thursday, August 10

I had a busy morning working from home and then took the afternoon off so I could go on a hike with my aunt, cousin, dad, and boyfriend. It was a heftier hike than I was expecting but so much fun! I was hoping to see a bunch of wildflowers like all the Coloradans have been posting on Instagram lately, and while we didn’t see that many so close to the city, I did think these purple ones were really beautiful.

We all had a cocktail hour at my apartment afterwards and then had a delicious dinner at my aunt’s house. So much fun to spend time with everyone, and sitting out pack in the yard gave me the summer feelings I’ve been missing lately.

Friday, August 11

I took the day off work so my dad and I could catch an early morning flight to Minneapolis, where my brother and sister-in-law live. They didn’t take the day off, so my dad and I spent the afternoon wandering around downtown Minneapolis and enjoying a leisurely lunch catching up. Even though I don’t bike that much, I love this Club Ride outfit for travel days and other days where I know I’ll be walking a lot—cute but still functional.

While my dad and I were getting lunch, my mom was trying to get Taylor Swift Eras Tour tickets! She had gotten an access code for one of the newly announced Indianapolis shows, but I was waitlisted. I called my mom a few times during the process as she waited in the queue, and even though she did everything right, tickets sold out before she could buy them (on several occasions she had tickets in her cart that disappeared before she could hit “purchase”). So disappointing! It shouldn’t be this hard to get concert tickets.

After chatting with my mom, my dad and I met up with my brother and SIL in the late afternoon and drove two hours to our campsite in Wisconsin—a location that I chose because I’ve never been to the state before. It was pouring rain during our drive, but thankfully it let up just in time for us to hike in and set up camp!

Purple Collared Shirt: Club Ride, $80 ($10.00 per wear) | Navy Plaid Shorts: Club Ride, $70 ($11.67 per wear)

Saturday, August 12

We had a leisurely morning at our campsite hanging out before driving to a nearby lake to paddle board. It was such a beautiful spot—we had the lake to ourselves, and it was the perfect temperature, free of wind and bugs and leeches (unlike last year). It felt like a dream—I can’t remember the last time I was so relaxed! We stopped at a gas station on our way home to pick up a few snackies and then spent the rest of the day at our campsite, playing cards and hanging by the fire.

After dark we wandered through the spooky forest to a clearing to look at the stars, as it was the Perseids meteor shower this weekend (no matter where I am, I always set an alarm for 2 or 3 am to try and spot some shooting stars!). It was such a clear sky when we set up our chairs, but I kid you not, not one minute after getting settled, clouds rolled in out of nowhere and blocked most of our view. We didn’t spot nearly as many shooting stars as I’ve seen in the past but there were still a few really long, bright ones across the night sky! So magical.

Sunday, August 13

We had a slow morning around the campfire before packing up camp and preparing for the drive back to the Twin Cities. We made one last stop at the ranger station, which was more like a small museum about the flora and fauna in the area, and I got to hold a small painted turtle!! The guy told me to “hold him like a sandwich or else he’ll run right off” my hand. So funny but the little guy was pretty feisty.

We stopped on the drive home in a really cute town outside MSP called Stillwater for our first real meal post-camping (the dehydrated backpacking meals are pretty good, but they do something nasty to your insides haha). We spent the evening back at my brother’s apartment playing cards and eating ice cream for dinner.

. . . . .

It was such a fun weekend and exactly the family time and mini-vacation that I needed. Even though I only took two and a half days off work, it felt like a whole week! I love that camping with my brother and SIL has become a summer tradition, and I can’t wait for our adventure next year.

 

Miles of smiles,

Grace