February 2024 Month in Review

By Graceful Rags in Lifestyle, Spring Outfits, Summer Outfits, Travel, Tropical Style on
2 comments

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February was a whirlwind yet feels like it lasted for months at the same time (I guess that extra day really had an effect on me, ha). I’m so grateful to have been able to spend so much quality time with both sides of my family! But I’m also excited to settle back into my routine in March and slow down for the next couple of weeks. I have a lot of things I want to accomplish this month—most importantly, buying a car—so I have my work cut out for me.

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What’s New?

  • I spent a week this month on vacation in Puerto Rico with my dad and several other family members to celebrate my great aunt’s 100th birthday! I’m still working on a comprehensive Puerto Rico travel guide, which will include activities, restaurants, and photos from this trip and my vacation last year. Only a few days after I got back, I left again to spend a week working remotely with my grandpa and mom’s side of the family in Las Vegas. Needless to say, I’m ready to stay put for a few weeks!
  • I’ve decided to leave the Thrifty Six monthly collaboration. This was a hard decision, and I will really miss posting with the group, as I have been participating in it since its inception in September 2020 (!!!). However, I haven’t been a very good partner and I just can’t keep up with the monthly posts, especially now that I’ve decided to scale back my blogging endeavors to make more time for social media. If you love to shop and style secondhand clothing and are interested in participated in the group, let me know!
  • On the topic of making more time for social media, I tried really hard this month to stick to a consistent posting schedule across my platforms. I faltered a little while on vacation but am excited to get back on track in March. I’ve really been enjoying focusing on cost per wear in my TikToks, so be sure to check those out if you missed them.
  • My thrifting Reel went viral—73,000 views and still growing!! This is by FAR my best video ever, and it’s so exciting to get that kind of traction on a post (although with views also comes sassiness from viewers, haha).

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Today’s Outfit

How amazing is this orange maxi dress?? I bought it on a whim during a late-night run to Marshall’s while in Puerto Rico. I absolutely love the color and it fits me perfectly, even though I didn’t try it on in store. I wore it once to dinner on our second-to-last night and then again the next day while exploring Ponce. We stumbled into the cutest boutique hotel with so many great photo-ops! I also snapped some pics in it (with the help of my dad) outside our turquoise Airbnb in Cabo Rojo and along the beach in Humacao. I’m obsessed with it.

Top Performing February Blog Posts

Top Performing Social Media Posts

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What I Watched

  • Me Before You—I’ve seen this movie a few times before and still just love it (even though it wrecks me every time). Sam Claflin and Emilia Clarke make such a cute pair, and her shoes!! Like pieces of art—I want to know where she buys them. The book it’s based off of is also excellent.
  • Priscilla—I watched this movie on the plane ride back from Puerto Rico. I think it was interesting to see the story through her point of view, especially following the Elvis movie from 2022, but I ultimately found it kind of boring.
  • Past Lives—This Oscar-nominated drama was enjoyable enough, but both my boyfriend and I agreed that it wasn’t anything special.
  • Something’s Gotta Give—My mom and I watched this movie with my grandpa while in Vegas. It’s a rom-com for older people, which honestly I thought was kind of cute and refreshing (also, young Keanu Reeves is in it and he looks so good ahaha).
  • Terms of Endearment—Another movie I watched with my grandpa. What a tearjerker! I honestly can’t tell if I liked it or not because it just left me feeling so sad.
  • Apollo 13—I’d seen bits and pieces of this movie before on TV but I’d never seen the whole thing from beginning to end. It’s really good. And even though I knew the outcome, I found myself feeling stressed and on the edge of my seat the entire time. I also love how they incorporated real footage from newscasters in a way that felt natural.

What I Read

I’m in such a reading slump! I thought I would get a ton of reading done in Puerto Rico and during my time in Vegas but only ended up reading 2-3 chapters… The last few books I read were so slow, and I’m having a really hard time getting into my current one (The Passengers by John Marrs). Please share yours recs below—I like thrillers and Andy Weir-type sci-fi but no Colleen Hoover or Taylor Jenkins Reed, please.

February Spotify Playlist

This month’s playlist is mainly my favorite Spanish songs and tunes I heard in Puerto Rico, with a few very random artists thrown in there, like Gordon Lightfoot and Chris Isaak.

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What I’ve Been Loving Lately

  • Nothing Bundt Cakes. I live dangerously close to a Nothing Bundt Cakes so I’ve been known to pick up a buntini or two for a sweet treat. If you haven’t tried their cakes, they’re absolutely delicious and they make the best gluten-free chocolate chip bunt. This month they also had a limited-time white chocolate raspberry GF cake that was also super yummy!
  • My Brighton charm bracelet/necklace. I’ve mentioned it a few times on the blog, but my mom got me some Brighton charms for Christmas that represent the states we visited together in October. It was such a thoughtful gift, and I’ve loved wearing the charms on a chain with my sweaters this winter—it reminds me of all the fun memories we made together!
  • My new curtain bangs! I got my hair cut just before going to Puerto Rico and I’ve really been liking the shorter framing pieces around my face. I still haven’t quite figured out how to style them though, so they haven’t looked nearly as good as that first time I left the salon.

What I’m Looking Forward to in March

  • Honestly, I don’t really have many plans in March and that’s what I’m looking forward to! After literally being out of town for half of February, I’m excited to just stay put and focus on the new-year routines I’ve been trying to establish.

This Month on Graceful Rags

I posted a lot more on Instagram and TikTok this month so be sure to check out the links below to see any content you may have missed! You don’t need a TikTok account to view.

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Thanks for stopping by the blog today, and I hope you’re having a great start to the new month.

 

Miles of smiles,
Grace

 

Orange Dress: Marshall’s, $22 ($11 per wear) | White Espadrilles: DSW, $45 ($0.47 per wear), last worn here | Sunglasses: Loft, $20 ($0.69 per wear), last worn here | Purse: Shop LC, gifted for collaboration, $24 ($1.85 per wear), last worn here | Necklace: Kendra Scott

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2 comments on “February 2024 Month in Review”

  1. You look adorable in that dress (what an awesome find) and the pictures are gorgeous! I love Nothing Bundt cakes and my sis in law worked there for a bit at one time and it was awesome because we could get the “graveyard” ones that didn’t sell or were a little misformed. Yummy! Having a hard time sitting and reading lately too. Nothing that is keeping me glued to a book.
    http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com

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