The Life of Katie!

Hey y’all! It’s been a while since the most recent sharing of my life of Katie. Essentially, in these blog posts, I provide y’all with a sneak peek into the Life of Katie. I am very excited to be getting back into the groove of sharing this type of post with y’all, especially since I have had a hectic past few weeks. But, before I got into sharing all about my life, I’d LOVE to hear a little bit about yours. That being said, comment below something exciting going on in YOUR life – I want to hear!

What’s Been on my Mind?!

• Fall EVERYTHING! – Recently, I have enjoyed ALL of the Fall merchandise in stores and everywhere I turn – it’s like its its own holiday. A local to me casino that attracts visitors from anywhere and everywhere for much more than gambling even decked out their atrium for Fall. I even visited a local farm and pumpkin patch – Nall’s Produce – where they were ALL decked for Fall, including a pumpkin wall that’s perfect for Instagrammable photos! At the same time, my Papa and I decorated for Fall outside at our house and it was so much fun. Needless to say, all of the Fall things feels like an extraordinary holiday that lasts until the Christmas cheer comes. Let me just say, I am HERE for it all!!!
• Gilmore Girls – The other day, I started watching Gilmore Girls. So many of my fellow influencer friends have been recommending that I watch it. I *finally* hopped on the bandwagon and started watching, and I am HOOKED. Lorelai and Rory have the most adorable, ever-evolving, and fun to watch mother-daughter bond. It, indeed, reminds me a bit of me and my Mom’s bond too. It’s such a sweet and funny show and all of the more awkward moments truly demonstrate how it is OKAY to not be perfect but to simply be YOU and live in the moment. Also, clutter is human and a house needs to look lived in!
• Visit to Philadelphia and Haddonfield, New Jersey – Two weekends ago, I visited Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Haddonfield, New Jersey for the weekend. Not going to lie, I am still on an all-time high from this trip. Fellow influencer and good friend of mine Casey and I preach on how girl time and simply friend time is good for the soul, and it is! My friend Amanda lives in Haddonfield and my friend Violet goes to school in Philadelphia. I was lucky enough to get to see them both on this wonderful trip – I spent a day in Philadelphia with Violet and then the remainder of the weekend in Haddonfield with Amanda. Both experiences were quite amazing and I cannot wait to go back closer to the holidays!
• Jojo Siwa Making History on Dancing with the Stars – About 8 days ago, Jojo Siwa, an openly LGBTQ+ pop star, made history by being the first-ever celebrity to go onto Dancing with the Stars with a same-sex partner. Let me just tell y’all – I am so so so amazed by Jojo Siwa and all that she has done in her short 18-19 years of life. I mean, this girl came out, has a girlfriend and an adorable relationship with her too, and breaks barriers everyday of what it means to be a super well-known LGBTQ+ celebrity in Hollywood. It’s incredible what this young woman has done for the LGBTQ+ community and others not apart of it. I have been cheering her on along with former Bachelor Matt James this season. Seeing her perform a killer dance on Dancing with the Stars was literally just the icing on the cake to all that she has accomplished so far!

These are a Few of my Favorite Things!

• Nall’s Produce – This past weekend, Papa and I visited a local pumpkin patch, farm, and market known as Nall’s Produce. Nall’s Produce has been around since Papa moved to the Washington, DC area in the 1960’s. Their pumpkin wall, pumpkin row, and pumpkins EVERYWHERE was an influencer’s dream! I had a blast getting to stroll the aisles of this absolutely stunning marketplace, and I cannot wait to go again as the seasons evolve.
• Movie Nights! – The other night, I met up virtually with two of my fellow influencer friends Holly of Glitter and Daisies & Lindsay of Sunshine and Stair Climbs and we enjoyed a movie together. We watched Home Again on Netflix featuring the iconic Reese Witherspooon. This was my first-ever hangout with fellow influencer friends, and it was amazing! We definitely plan to have movie nights again very soon. Needless to say, influencer friends are some of the best friends, and I have intentions to meet up with other influencers along with Lindsay and Holly in the near future, too, whether it be virtual or in-person.
• Paradise Springs Winery – Last weekend, Papa and I visited a local vineyard about 15 minutes from our house – Paradise Spring Winery. Let me tell y’all, Papa and I fell in LOVE with this vineyard! Paradise Springs Winery is super down-to-earth and stunning. People of all ages – kids and dogs alike – were enjoying the place with their rolling hills and hills of fields and benches to enjoy live music and fun times together. The facilities were extraordinarily beautiful and so was the exterior. Not to mention, the flights provided each guest with 6 cups of wine for $15!!! Aka a steal! Needless to say, Papa and I were remarkably impressed with this vineyard, and we cannot wait to visit again soon, especially with friends and family and *of course* our dog Rosie!
• Lilly Pulitzer’s Paws for a Cause Print – Each year, Lilly Pulitzer comes out with a Paws for a Cause print in honor of Breast Cancer awareness. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the brand donates a portion of the proceeds to Susan G. Komen. This year’s print name is Purposefully Pink, and, y’all it is GORGEOUS! Breast Cancer runs in my family to some extent and I know several women who have been affected by this disease in their lifetime (whether themselves or a family member), so I always find it important to support where I can. I am so excited at how pretty this year’s print is (they all are!) and even purchased a throw in the print! You can shop it below!

Recent Purchases & My Wish List Items!

• Fall Groceries – My favorite purchases have been from Target and Trader Joe’s. I have a running list in my mind of some of the many things that Trader Joe’s carries that I just *have* to get every year during this Fall season! Not to mention, TJ Maxx and Home Goods have the most adorable Fall finds, too, including Fall-themed coffee grounds and fat free coffee syrup. My favorites have been: Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Soup, Trader Joe’s Zucchette Pasta, Delight’s fat free Pumpkin coffee creamer, and Pumpkin-flavored yogurt.
• Sweater and Winter Jacket for Rosie – Recently, I purchased my dog Rosie a rain jacket from Chewy. This was my first-ever jacket bought for Rosie, and I was a bit nervous about how she would react to it and whether or not she would simply rip it off upon me putting it on her. Thank goodness and to my surprise, she did not! So, since it will be getting cooler in the coming weeks/months, I am now on the lookout for a sweater and winter jacket for Rosie, as she is a Shepherd-Chihuahua mix. The stores that I will be searching at during this time frame will be Chewy, Target, TJ Maxx/Home Goods/Marshall’s, and Lands End.
• Lilly Pulitzer Sunshine Sale – As a Lilly Pulitzer lover, I shopped until I dropped at the Lilly Pulitzer Sunshine Sale (formerly known as the After Party Sale) these past few weeks. Some of my purchases include: a Sophie shift, a Trista shift, a Kristen Flounce dress, a romper, a Midi sleeveless wrap dress, the Tosha shift dress, handprinted wine glasses, a water bottle, and a mug. To me, Lilly Pulitzer sales are my Super Bowl, since I do not watch the Super Bowl beyond the commercials!
• Philadelphia Aids Thrift Store $1 Bucket Sale – When I was in Philadelphia, my friend Violet and I visited the Philadelphia Aids Thrift Store, which donates a portion of its proceeds to AIDS research. Philadelphia Aids Thrift is notorious for its $1 bucket sales, where you can purchase items out of a bucket for $1/each. I was able to score: a Michael Kors black puffer jacket, Gal Meets Glam white pearl jumpsuit, LOFT tank, Banana Republic navy blazer, LOFT navy pants, and much more! Needless to say, I want to go back for sure.

What’s on the Docket?!

• Trips to Raleigh Planning – With October coming up, so do my two trips in October to Raleigh, North Carolina! I went to college at Meredith College down in Raleigh, North Carolina and I loved every minute of it. I will be visiting friends for a college reunion and weekend, respectively on each trip. The planning has started, since I have booked my flight for the first weekend and am still working out the kinks for the next trip. Altogether, I cannot wait to go back to my college town!
• Visiting Arlington – My good friend from Meredith College will be in Arlington soon and I cannot wait to meet up with her and explore the area. Surprisingly so, I have not seen much of Arlington beyond Pentagon City and most specifically the mall there, so I cannot wait to explore as there’s so much to see there!

Now that I shared ALL about what’s going on in my life, I want to hear about YOURS! Comment down below something that you’re looking forward to!

XOXO – Katie <3