The Life of Katie!

Recently, life has been busy but in a good way! If you follow me on Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee), then you have probably seen all of the excitement going in on my life recently. One of my best friends, Bryn, moved to the Washington, DC area for the summer (and has been here for almost TWO months now!), I have gone into the city for a few day visits, and I have enjoyed essentially the dog days of summer before I head off on an almost-month long adventure through 10+ different states.

*Disclaimer: Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through one of my links, then I will receive a small commission. This commission is at no extra cost to you. Additionally, this post is not sponsored, and all opinions are my own.*

  • Visits to the city – Recently, I have been enjoying quite a few visits into the city. If you have been following the blog for quite some time, my local city is Washington, DC! I have LOVED going into the city that I truly love and am proud to call my home. Funny story – I went to a picnic at the gorgeous Glen Echo Park – located just Northwest of Washington, DC in Maryland – and my Mom and one of my family friends who works at my company were joking about how I didn’t want to leave my college state of North Carolina post-graduation to move up to Washington, DC. And, well, here we are – one of the BEST decisions I EVER made was moving to the Washington, DC area and out of North Carolina!! My recent visits have involved going to Dupont Circle, the National Mall, Metro Center, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Here’s to many more memories exploring my gorgeous city!
  • Local walks – One of my goals of the current moment or *I guess* dog days of summer is to go on MORE WALKS! Especially with my recent health and fatigue, I want to be able to enjoy the moments and the little things in life, which I feel a walk allows me to do. I can admire the gorgeous flora, fauna, and the stunning beauty that is around me. I have gotten a lot of walking in on my day trips into Washington, DC along with the near-to-me Heron Pond in Fairfax Station, Virginia. Personally, Heron Pond feels like a fairytale cove – some photos below!
  • Planning for my upcoming trips! – On my Instagram the other day, I shared a bit about the planning process for my upcoming travel over the next 6 weeks. Yes, you heard me right – I will be on the road for the majority of the next 6 weeks! Papa and I are going to visit 10+ states on 2 road trips together and I will be visiting *yet another* state on a third trip on my own with some friends from college, too. Currently, we have been in the process of booking hotels, planning out snacks and other meals, choosing activities to do, mapping out our routes from place-to-place, and listing out what we need to pack. And, for me, I am *ALSO* planning out my content for all things The Pink Chickadee! Some of the states that we are going to include: Maine, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Iowa, Ohio, South Dakota, North Carolina, and Indiana. In addition to 10+ states, we are going to Canada for a few day trips as well. Needless to say, I am SO EXCITED for it all!
  • Healthy eating – Along with walking, I am also making it a dog days of summer goal of mine to focus more on healthy eating. Recently, I have been striving to eat more in and less takeout. While, at the same time, exploring some healthy meal options, such as: baked tilapia with roasted veggies, veggie bowls over rice, egg bowls packed with vegetables, and baked feta pasta with veggie-based noodles and broccoli, onions, and mushrooms. There’s A LOT of great healthy eating options, and I am more than excited to explore what the world of healthy eating has to offer to me!
  • Breaking open my brand-new Lilly Pulitzer agenda – It is July 31 as of the day that this blog post goes live, which, well, means that tomorrow is August 1! August 1 is Day 1 of breaking open my brand-new Lilly Pulitzer agenda (!!!!). I always buy the jumbo-sized agenda, since my handwriting is HUGE. I use my Lilly Pulitzer agenda to map out: what I plan to eat, when I plan to workout, what professional development activities I plan to do, what blogging tasks I plan to accomplish, and what activities I am going to be doing for the week/month. As my best friend Shivani says: ” I get my every penny out of my planner” (she owns an Erin Condren planner!!). And, just like Shivani, I do (and plan to do!) the exact same thing. In the meantime, shop my favorite planner here and my favorite Lilly Pulitzer planners and accessories below: https://rstyle.me/+cJphmW-md5iOOQEFMkMggQ

XOXO – Katie <3

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A Girl’s Weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina!

4 cities, 2 states, 6 ladies, and an unbreakable bond. Well, you are *just PROBABLY* sick of hearing me say an alliteration of this quote on my Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!). Just a few weekends ago, I spent the weekend with some of my best girl friends – Hannah, Alanna, Bryn, Allison, and Sarah – down in the beautiful city of Charlotte, North Carolina. We saw *surprise!!!* Big Time Rush and lived out our childhood dreams aka the main reason for this trip. We also got to get together with a bunch of Hannah’s, Bryn’s, and Allison’s friends from high school, such as Drew, too. Now, let’s get into the nitty gritty of this super duper fun weekend of mine!

Friday

Friday was the start of our trip, which meant that Bryn and I set sail (or through the Virginia/North Carolina mountains!) towards Charlotte, North Carolina from good olde Northern Virginia. Our friends Alanna and Hannah who both live in the Raleigh, North Carolina area left MUCH later than us, since it was a shorter drive. We each in our separate cars arrived to Bryn’s house around the same time (8pm!). SO, that meant for a happy hour with tacos and cocktails courtesy of Bryn’s angels known as her parents! The cocktails we had were gorgeously displayed in all their pretty and pink glory. We enjoyed some great time catching up, as it has been a few months since all 4 of us had been together.

Bryn’s house is GORGEOUS!!! Her mother, like me, is a BIG FAN of bright colors and has the most gorgeous home. The house is decked out with printed chairs, floral prints, AND all things preppy. She *EVEN* has King and Queen-shaped salt & pepper shakers – talk about my kind of place! Trust me, I wanted to move immediately when I set foot in her home and am currently talking about planning a trip back around Christmas time, as I know that it’ll be gorgeous then.

Saturday Afternoon

After breakfast and getting ready at Bryn’s house, we headed for Charlotte’s super fun South End neighborhood. South End is known for its funky, eccentric, and up-and-coming vibes. This neighborhood is home to several murals within the Queen City, including the Confetti Hearts Wall (the one that we visited!!). The Confetti Hearts Wall was designed and painted by Evelyn Henson – a local Charlotte artist – and is hanging up in an alley South End right by the well-known Jeni’s Ice Cream Shop. I am a BIG fan of the Confetti Hearts Wall and visited it back in January 2021 when I was in a long distance relationship and was more than happy to go back and get photos with my besties, instead! So, we *of course* went to both!! While there, a bunch of local businesses had booths set up, including in front of the Confetti Hearts Wall (which made for a bit of an awkward photo opportunity, BUT we made it work well!) and I even got a pair of adorable earrings from one of them. Then, it started raining, SO we took the Light Rail (which is FREE) one stop over to Hannah’s car. We, then, went to the HUGE Target in Midtown that is known for that parking garage top deck with those stunning skyline views. Sadly, I didn’t get any photos at the top of the parking garage (I guess I can save that for next time, though!). It was definitely a fun afternoon: pre-concert!

Saturday Evening

Saturday evening, we all went to the Big Time Rush concert aka the major major major reason for us all having this girl’s weekend in Charlotte. The night started off with us all meeting at Hannah’s place to get ready – we had a mini happy hour and Allison and Sarah showed up then, too. We, then, headed on over to the concert which was held at the Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre: an outdoor venue that plays host to some drop dead gorgeous views of Charlotte’s skyline. For my outfit, I decided to wear my hot pink chiffon Sam Edelman maxi dress that I SCORED for $14 – CHEERS!!! – at Marshall’s back in May. This gorgeous maxi steal of mine was styled with my J Crew Factory statement necklace, Lands’ End strappy wedges, and Lilly Pulitzer x Lele Sadoughi top knot headband.

Besides the AMAZING performance courtesy of Big Time Rush (!!!!), we also had a great time together. The line up was GREAT!!! One of the BEST things about being in North Carolina as compared to Washington, DC is how cheap everything feels. For example, I paid $5 for a big bag of popcorn as opposed to at least $8-$10 in my hometown. The same went for drinks, too. We purchased lawn seats and got there pretty early (about 45 minutes before the concert began) and did not pay extra for the fast lane admission. I will say that we did get in easily without any problems and had a somewhat good view of the concert. Needless to say, I could not be found complaining and neither could anyone else! At the same time, I LOVED getting to see the sun set along the Charlotte skyline. It was beautiful and made even better jamming out to Big Time Rush.

Sunday

Sunday morning rolled around much quicker than anyone of us had anticipated, which meant that we had to head back home. BUT, before heading back home and parting ways to our respective cities, we all enjoyed one last meal together. Hannah was an angel and treated us all to Einstein Bros Bagels and coffee – a bagel breakfast chain that I have seen in at least Virginia and North Carolina – and we headed for the local and gorgeous Freedom Park. Hannah’s, Bryn’s, Allison’s, and Sarah’s high school friend Drew joined us for breakfast, too. Freedom Park plays homage to a stone bridge, ducks, a ton of nature, a pond, and what to me feels like a ton of magic. To me, Freedom Park feels like a magical gateway as if it were in Peter Pan! We, then, took A TON of photos and then parted ways.

My weekend in Charlotte was a special one filled with friendships both old and new, lasting bonds, and several memories. Til next time, Queen City!!!

XOXO – Katie <3

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Life Last Week

You know that phrase “when the going gets tough, the tough get tougher”? This phrase has literally felt like my life these past few weeks. I am a firm believer that good things and not so good things happen to every person. If you follow me on Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!), then you have probably seen a bit into what has been going on in my world last week and even before that. Unfortunately, things have not been going so great in my corner of this world. I have had to postpone blog postings and sharing things here on my sweet sweet corner of the internet (which by the way I am SO grateful that you came here on this very great day!), so I can simply focus and process everything that is going on, which has seemed to be happening simultaneously. As someone who is proud of the platform that she has created, I am here today to share a little bit about what has been going on, in hopes that I can relate to someone else.

***Before I get into the meat of this posting, I want to pre-phase by saying a few things. First, that none of us are EVER alone. It can be super duper hard to reach out to someone when things get tough and we feel that *yes* we have to get tougher than usual. But, at the same time, it is extremely important that you reach out to others when times aren’t easy, we ALL need that support system. So, always feel free to reach out to somebody who you trust – no matter who that may be. One of the biggest reasons that I am sharing what I am sharing today is so that none of us feel alone. I am not asking for anything in return, just that I can share with others that they aren’t alone and that life isn’t as glamorous as it may seem behind the screen. Second, I have kept things very private even with some of my friends. This past week has felt like such a blur to me that I have only really shared that I haven’t been feeling 100% with most people and sometimes nothing more. I am very sorry if I haven’t shared much with you, even if you are one of my dear friends or family members or members of my amazing community here on this platform of mine, as everything has truly felt like it happened in the blink of an eye that I am still trying to process it all and share with others. I still love you all and that hasn’t changed one bit, in fact, my love for y’all has only grown even more.***

So, everything all started about 10 days ago. I went into the office for the first time in MONTHS. I was late getting out the door, since I struggled to find my pass to get into my work building, after getting ready as promptly as I could to get out the door. Luckily, my Dad found my pass for me as I was about to leave and most likely have to borrow a temporary pass. I was already frazzled and the heatwave was JUST beginning here in the Washington, DC area. I, then, drive off in my sweet white Volvo that I named Daisy to long and behold be routed to the WRONG PLACE by Google Maps for the first time since probably 2010 in my Mom’s old van with a printed off sheet of directions from some map website that was hip from those days. After getting lost and even more frazzled than before I left the house, I successfully re-routed myself to my office building. However, just as I am to turn into my parking garage right by my office, I got rear-ended by a much larger-than-Daisy vehicle. In that moment, I had hoped that it wasn’t an accident so I drove off (BIG mistake for this always positive thinking lady) and got into my office parking garage to discover that *yes* Daisy had been rear-ended. In disbelief, I opened my trunk where I had stored my work bags which were *thank goodness* OKAY and good as new. BUT, my trunk could not close after I had opened it. I called my Papa as I do for literally every slight inconvenience in my life even though this was obviously more than a slight inconvenience (which, if you’re someone I talk to on the daily, you probably know this ALL too well – LOL!) and then messaged my coworkers who thankfully came out to help me *knock on wood* close my trunk shut so I could lock my car (which still thankfully locked) and go into the office for some free donuts that my company happened to be sponsoring that day.

If you know me, then you know that I am ALWAYS late for social things. HOWEVER, when it comes to work and professional-related things, I hate with a burning passion being late for things. I always get super stressed and frantic when I know I am going to be late for something work-related, especially when it is out of my control. Luckily, all of my coworkers wanted to make sure I was okay and I got to use some private rooms to submit all of my claims to insurance and get everything that I needed under control. I am super grateful for each of my coworkers, as they were such a great support and rock during this time. Many of them checked in on me throughout the day and even the days that followed, which meant more to me than they will ever know. The same goes for the very few friends that I had talked to throughout the day along with my Papa, parents, and next door neighbor Angela who had brought me some wine and advice when I got home. And, in case you were wondering, I got free coffee and donuts and a chance to socialize with many of my coworkers, including company executives.

That exact day, I ended up going home earlier than usual from work, which some of my coworkers happened to do as well. My hopes were to beat traffic, but my luck wasn’t so good. I got stuck in a bit of traffic along the I-495 beltway along Washington, DC. If you live in the Washington, DC area, THEN you know how horrible traffic is here, especially when rush hour and travel season hits! And, well, poor poor poor Daisy the sweet sweet Volvo’s trunk came unlatched and was FLYING up and down across the beltway and all the way back home. I didn’t notice, to my surprise, that Daisy’s trunk was flying all over the sky until I had gotten off of the beltway and onto the parkway to head home. BUT, I was mortified and panicked calling Papa. Luckily, I made it home safely and somehow my first aid kit that I keep in my trunk at ALL times had stayed, too. For reference, my first aid kit is in a clear plastic bin that slides everywhere and at ALL times of the day and drives of mine. I practically cried when I got home. I finished submitting everything to insurance and enjoyed some wine, as previously mentioned from my angel of a next door neighbor Angela.

So, flash forward to the weekend (the accident happened on a Wednesday), and I am in Charlotte, North Carolina visiting my best friends. We go to a Big Time Rush concert and have a BLAST! But, unfortunately as we get home, I start feeling nauseous. My stomach is bothering me like CRAZY and I spend more time than I would have liked behind closed doors trying to feel better. Without getting into too much personal information about my day to day life and health issues that I deal with regularly, I have some extra things that I have to deal with health-wise that can make it harder on me when I travel or even just go out for a night. It was a struggle when I went to school, too. Needless to say, the things that I deal with health-wise are very invisible to the common eye. The next morning, I am feeling better but still not 100% – some of this is due to my health things and some of it is not. My friends and I went to the ADORABLE Freedom Park in Charlotte, which was super fun, despite the fact that I was struggling with extreme heat sensitivity (I know I’m not the only one who deals with this!!). I couldn’t wait to get home, yet my friend Bryn and I still had a looooong drive ahead of us back to the Washington, DC area.

Bryn and I get on the road. We are in her adorable little car. I fall asleep just 15 minutes after we hit the road, as I am pooped and feel really icky. And, then, all of a sudden I am woken up screaming as we hit a tire in the middle of the highway. Minutes later, we pull over at a gas station minutes south of the Virginia-North Carolina border. And, the car has some damage to it that would make it more challenging for us both to drive. At the same time, Bryn isn’t feeling super great herself both physically and mentally. We wait 4.5 hours for Bryn’s angel of a father to come help fix up her car and for him to drive up to fix it for us. We didn’t know if we would be able to make it home Sunday night, either. I was super nervous as I had had work the next day. And, not to mention, the heat was making me super nauseous and giving me a really bad headache atop of everything else that I was feeling. Luckily, we were able to get home, despite it being at 3am, which my body cannot usually handle (knock on wood – I somehow made it home alive, despite driving 2+ hours starting at 1 in the morning in a car that I’ve never driven before and not much sleep the night before). I honestly feel extremely lucky that I was able to make it home in one piece that Sunday night and the same goes for Bryn, too.

The next day (Monday), I wake up and I work from home. I complete my tasks for the day and attend all meetings. Yet, all I want to do is fall asleep and nap. I feel nauseous, dehydrated, light headed, and dizzy. It is NOT GREAT. I stay in my pajamas all day long. Somehow, I stayed up long enough to watch this past week’s episode of The Bachelorette (if you know you know!!) and to gossip a bit afterwards via text with many of my friends who also watch. Then, Tuesday comes along. I hop onto my first call of the day and I cannot stop feeling lightheaded and dizzy. It is bad. I lay down in between my meetings and, then, sign off after my next meeting of the day. I spend the remainder of the day sleeping on the couch with the news and The Drew Barrymore Show on. I live with my Papa and he regularly hunts deer. He had some venison (deer meat) which I love to enjoy on occasion and it helped a lot. I was REALLY hoping to go into the office the next day (Wednesday) to see some of my coworkers and for the complimentary Kona Shaved Ice truck outside of my office space. Unfortunately, I was still lightheaded and did not want to leave the house. I felt a lot better all day Wednesday, though, and ended up accomplishing a lot of tasks then as well. I felt good knowing that I only needed to lay down once during the working day. I, then, went to Walmart and dinner out with Papa after the work day.

Thursday and Friday were kind of a blur for me. Somehow on Thursday, I make it through all of my meetings and tasks for the day. Yet, at the same time, I somehow make it out alive to go to a happy hour with my friend Bryn in Dupont Circle in Washington, DC. The heat in the Washington, DC area is currently BRUTAL – I, mean, we are currently in a heat wave – and was really hard for me to simply walk around this gorgeous little neighborhood in the nation’s capital, too. We had a GREAT time at the happy hour, but after 10 minutes outside, I needed to head back home via the air conditioned Metro. Friday, I spent most of the day sleeping, besides a few work meetings in the morning. I signed off early that day, too. I was feeling super lightheaded and it only got worse as I got blood drawn that afternoon at the doctor’s office. I cancelled my Friday night plans with Bryn at the National Gallery of Art’s Jazz in the Garden to do nothing else but rest. Luckily, my doctor was able to do some blood work to see if I had some specified health conditions and everything came back normal for the most part. I have purchased a gallon-sized hot pink water bottle and it has helped me stay hydrated. I am uber grateful for the fact that I was able to go to the doctor’s on Friday AND that nothing is seriously off with me health-wise.

Now, to close off this blog post, I am super appreciative of all of those who have reached out to me as I’ve been sharing just snippets of all that’s been happening. So, thank you thank you thank you! This experience has made me realize that none of us can take anything for granted, including our health. I have watched many of my older relatives live their best lives in both the good and the bad times. I have seen some of my relatives’ health decline and knowing that they enjoyed their life when in good health is inspiring to me. I am also grateful to be able to live where I do with the healthcare system and providers that we have (and a doctor that my Mom has gotten me and my brother and the rest of our family to use that is a concierge and pay extra for us all to have great healthcare access). I know that even in the United States many struggle with basic healthcare rights and needs on a regular basis. That all being said, I am eternally grateful to be in good health and safety through it all.

XOXO – Katie <3

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A Thrifted Pink Lace Dress

I’m gonna pop some cash *cues Macklemore!!* is my motto WHENEVER I go to the thrift store. I have recently become OBSESSED with thrifting and have shared a lot of my finds on my Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!). Back in November, I found the most adorable pink lace dress from a boutique brand called Mad For Love at my local 2nd Ave thrift store and have *finally* gotten to sharing it here on the blog!

So, flashback to this past May and I was planning to go to a Jessie James Decker concert in Washington, DC with my best friend Shivani. It was the day of the concert and I had JUST gotten home from a quick weekend getaway to Raleigh, North Carolina for my best friend Hannah’s college graduation. I had gotten home, and, well, my body had other plans: I had gotten a REALLY REALLY bad ear infection when I got back and spent the entire afternoon upon my arrival home from Raleigh in bed. I called Shivani and that was that. I wish I could’ve gone, too, as I was planning to wear this exact pink lace dress. My time to wear it had to wait.

And, flash forward to this month aka July and I *finally* decide to wear my thrifted pink lace dress – for a dinner out celebrating my Aunt Amy’s birthday *AND* with a ride in her pink jeep (follow her Jeep on Instagram @apinkjeep). It was SO MUCH FUN getting to finally wear this adorable thrifted find of mine out and about.

I decided to style it with my pineapple-flamingo mismatched Jack Rogers sandals that I scored on clearance, my J Crew statement necklace, and my glitter Kate Spade wallet. Other ways that I would LOVE to style this thrifted pink lace dress is with a denim jacket or blazer for work and flats, heels and statement earrings for a night out on the town, or even a pair of sandals and pearls and maybe even a trench coat (depending on the weather) for brunch.

There are SO many ways to style this gorgeous pink lace dress of mine and I cannot wait to style it more in the coming months/years!!

XOXO – Katie <3

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Stripes for Summer!

Polka dots, florals, and stripes – OH MY! If you follow me on Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!), then you know that I LOVE LOVE LOVE prints. As a self-proclaimed “colorful preppy girl”, one of my favorite prints is none other than stripes. I have always been a sucker for stripes, as they are a classic preppy staple that can be worn for many many years and even *yes, even* decades to come.

So, a fun fact about me is that one of my top five Clifton Strengths is *drum roll please* Futuristic. I have ALWAYS been a planner. And, being a planner is a BIG part of how I execute everything here on the blog but also in my work life, personal life, and even with my closet. Yes, I usually shop for Spring/Summer clothing in the Fall/Winter and Fall/Winter clothing in the Spring/Summer, respectively.

One of the pieces that I purchased during my Spring/Summer clothing shopping sprees was the pink striped shift from Sail to Sable that I thrifted off of ThredUp. I got it for under $15, if I can recall. This pink striped shift is a PERFECT preppy piece for Spring/Summer months as well as the Fall/Winter months when styled with boots/flats and a blazer/chunky knit cardigan. ALSO, it can be styled nicely with a sweater/pullover on top of it for that Coastal Grandma vibe that I am seeing EVERYWHERE on Instagram and LTK, either for the beach or for some errands to make them much cuter.

With it being Summer currently and wayyyy too hot for even a denim jacket to style with, I opted to style my striped shift with: my Jack Rogers mismatched pineapple and flamingo sandals that I scored during one of their clearance events back in April, my favorite and well-loved customized Barrington Gifts St. Anne unzippered tote, my beaded Cora’s Den monogrammed necklace I got on clearance, and my recently purchased at the Delaware Beaches Lilly Pulitzer top knot pearled headband. This outfit was super fun to wear and I LOVED getting to add a sweet summer twist to my striped shift.

Personally, I own *QUITE* a bit of striped shift dresses, specifically from Sail to Sable each, of which I have thrifted for under $15 each off of ThredUp. I also have a thrifted J. McLaughlin shift that I found at my local 2nd Ave thrift store, a TJ Maxx sale Southern Tide shift, and a Tommy Hilfiger striped shift outlet find from back in 2013 that I STILL own, all of which I LOVE. I find them PERFECT for all seasons when styled accordingly. At the same time, striped shifts can be great for work, too, as they have an element of professionalism within them. All in all, striped shifts make for an excellent wardrobe staple!

Striped shift dresses and stripes in general are great for all seasons. I really enjoyed getting to add a summer twist to my Sail to Sable pink striped shift. It was super comfortable, light, and easy to wear on a hot and humid Washington, DC area day. Here’s to many more summers in stripes!

XOXO – Katie <3

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Fourth of July at The Winery at Bull Run

Just last week on my Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!), I shared me and my best friend Bryn’s experience at The Winery at Bull Run over the Fourth of July! If you know me, then you know that I LOVE The Winery at Bull Run located in Centreville, Virginia. Well, to my surprise, The Winery at Bull Run blew me away *YET AGAIN* when we went – it was my fifth time going!

For more of my experiences at The Winery at Bull Run, look no further than here:

The Winery at Bull Run is located in Centreville, Virginia just about 30-45 minutes outside of Washington, DC. The vineyard is the closest of its kind to the nation’s capital that makes most of its own wine right where the vineyard is (a lot of wineries outsource their wine, including one closer to my home). It also offers historical tours as it is right next to the Manassas Battlefield State Park, too. So, that being said, there is A TON of history here in Virginia, let alone just at and around The Winery at Bull Run!

So, at The Winery at Bull Run, they do guided tastings indoors only. They give out free waters along with each tasting and a complimentary wine glass as a souvenir to take home. Wine tastings includes 6 wines – 3 reds and 3 whites – and cost $18 when you arrive or $10 upon pre-reservation. The guided wine tastings are GREAT in my opinion: it was Bryn’s first time ever at a vineyard and a great way for her to learn more about different wines. I even learned some things, too, and found a few new favorite wines along the way. I plan to take my Dad there sometime, too, as they also offer historical tours and allow you to see where they make the wine in-house!

The best part?! There were practically NO CROWDS there on the Fourth of July! Usually, The Winery at Bull Run is PACKED on the weekends, so I was pleasantly surprised to see it as just the opposite.

XOXO – Katie <3

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A Summer in Lilly Pulitzer Workwear Look

If you’re a big Lilly Pulitzer fan (like myself!!), then you probably know that Lilly Pulitzer has its own unique #SummerInLilly across its social media channels. Many Lilly Pulitzer lovers – like myself! (follow me @_thepinkchickadee on Instagram) – love to show off their #SummerInLilly ALL across social media. Lilly Pulitzer is typically seen as a resort luxury fashion brand. I mean, the fashion house was founded in Palm Beach, Florida! BUT, there is so much more that Lilly Pulitzer can be styled for besides a nice outfit for vacation or a night out in the summer. Here, I am going to be sharing a summer in Lilly Pulitzer workwear look!

For similar content, look no further than these blog posts:

SO, you may be thinking: Lilly Pulitzer AND work do not seem like a worthy combination. BUT, IT IS! Flash back to when I was in college and I was known as “the Lilly [Pulitzer] girl” amongst my classmates and across my college campus. At the same time, many of us were talking about internships and professional events that we went to. I LOVED and still love Lilly Pulitzer and wanted to incorporate it into my everyday wardrobe, including *yes* my workwear wardrobe when I was working 9 to 5 like I do now. Many of my friends would disagree with me on the idea that Lilly Pulitzer can be worn for work and tried to sway me to look elsewhere and to other brands for workwear. While that can be true in some regards for workwear and specific work events and meetings and days, it isn’t the case all the time, especially for my work from home life and the casual more so open-ended dress code that my company has for when we do go in person. However, in my college years, I was fearful that I would have to let go of my love for Lilly Pulitzer in the work space.

Although I was nervous that I would have to dress in any brand BUT Lilly Pulitzer for work, that was ONLY just a fear of mine. It happened to be that many Lilly Pulitzer pieces can be worn in the workplace if styled accordingly. One of my favorite fellow influencers and friends of mine on Instagram for styling Lilly Pulitzer and well in general is Julie of @julies_colorful_life on the gram (definitely go check her out!!). Julie is the QUEEN of styling bright, colorful, and preppy work looks on Instagram, many of which include none other than Lilly Pulitzer. Many of Julie’s work looks with Lilly Pulitzer involve gorgeous cardigans, jackets, Sarah Flint shoes, and classic totes from brands like Louis Vuitton and Longchamp. Julie ALWAYS looks so adorable in her work looks and has inspired me and made me realize that I could do just the same for my work wardrobe, too. The office does not have to be a neutral-only place, like many think!

Funny story: so, I went to a work event back in early April and I was 1/2 folks dressed in bright color out of the ENTIRE conference room. The other one was my fellow work friend Katherine and we were SO proud of our fun, colorful looks and we OWNED it! One of my fellow coworkers who had just met me immediately was obsessed with my look and exclaimed “you look like Elle Woods!!” aka the BEST compliment yet and she was given immediate bestie status – LOL! The bottom line of this story is to BE YOU and wear what YOU WANT – though, within reason – for the office. Usually, most will be happy you did and you will be too!

So, for my outfit, I stuck to some pieces that I either thrifted or purchased during the Lilly Pulitzer Sunshine Sale back in September 2021 aka my Lilly Pulitzer pineapple midi dress. As for the headband aka the exception to where all pieces were purchased along with my tote, I got it from Spartina 449 via a FabFitFun Edit Sale. My tote was customized via my alma mater Meredith College’s Alumnae Marketplace – the Meredith Market – around Christmas time. It is LL Bean! Meanwhile, my thrifted finds include my hot pink Tommy Hilfiger cardigan and my Valentino rock stud flats dupes from the Mix No5 brand sold at DSW currently. I got the flats for a whopping $1 at Philly Aids Thrift – which donates all proceeds to LGBTQ+ nonprofits – in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania while with my best friend Violet last September. The pearl necklace was given to me by my Mom.

So, remember that YOU can wear Lilly Pulitzer for workwear!

XOXO – Katie <3

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The Life of Katie!

Long time, no life of Katie! If you follow me on Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!!), then you probably know that I have had a hectic yet fun summer so far. Recently, I have been busy with work, taking some weekend and day trips, planning upcoming vacations for the rest of the year, and enjoying my summer in Washington, DC.

*Disclaimer: Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through one of my links, then I will receive a small commission. This commission is at no extra cost to you. Additionally, this post is not sponsored, and all opinions are my own.*

Now, into what is going on with me!

  • I Bought my Dream Flats – So, on my Instagram, I shared my recent purchase that I got while on my trip to the Delaware Beaches: the Tory Burch Minnie Ballet Flats in PINK!!!! It has been my DREAM to own a pink pair of Tory Burch flats, and I am excited to officially say that I now do. So far, I have been breaking in my gorgeous brand-new pair of flats, and I am psyched for more opportunities to get to wear and style them in the coming weeks, months, and even years.
  • Starting to get into Reading – Many of my favorite fellow influencer friends are SUPER into reading. They are SO into reading that they are making me want to get into reading some books, too! I have always wanted to for the past few months get into reading some books, yet never made it into a habit. I am excited to be able to change my lack thereof of reading into a new and future habit of mine. I have ALWAYS been into nonfiction books and more specifically memoirs. The first book on my list which I purchased with the help of the oh so sweet staff at the Barnes & Noble in Raleigh, North Carolina: Becoming by Former First Lady Michelle Obama.
  • Planning Upcoming Trips – Currently, I am in the process of planning a few upcoming trips. Next weekend, my best friends and I are having a quick Girl’s Trip weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina to see none other than Big Time Rush. My Papa and I are going up to Northern Maine and Canada for a week in August and I am also going to Asheville, North Carolina for a Birthday Weekend for the FIRST TIME EVER at the end of August, too. I also have some super exciting trips planned for the Fall, including: Iowa, South Dakota, Delaware beaches, the Virginia mountains, the North Carolina mountains, and even Philadelphia. Needless to say, travel is a big part of my love language, as I believe that experiences are intangible, and am super grateful and excited for the many more fun experiences of mine to come this upcoming Summer/Fall season.
  • New Amazon Prime Member – Recently, an Amazon Fresh grocery storefront opened up right by my house. I am OBSESSED with this gorgeous Amazon Fresh grocery store, as they have a GREAT selection of items and at prices that are cheaper than other nearby grocery stores. At the same time, I have been admiring many many many Amazon finds that I have seen others wearing and want to give Amazon Fashion finds a try myself, too. And, third times the charm, I am ALSO a new big big big fan of Liquid IV – an electrolyte drink mix that I picked up in the Lemon and Lime flavor from my local grocery store that wasn’t Amazon Fresh – and, well, Amazon sells Liquid IV for less than retail prices at the grocery store and on their website. SO, that all being said, I am *officially* an excited new Amazon Prime member!
  • MORE Work In-Person Events – Just last week, my company shared that they are hosting many more opportunities in-person to connect with fellow coworkers. As a VERY social being, I am super excited for these opportunities to come and will be taking full advantage of them all. While remote work has its pluses, there are some downsides to being at home super regularly, too, so I’m super happy about the in-person options to connect with others!
  • Thrifting Obsession – Recently, I have been SOOOO obsessed with thrifting. Initially, I planned to shop the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, HOWEVER, I have decided not to since I found a Hugo Boss dress AND a Nordstrom brand dress – both for work – at my local 2nd Ave thrift store. That being said, I am excited to go thrifting this weekend on a few occasions, instead. I am checking out two new-to-me stores and am super psyched about it, too! Read more on some of my favorite items that I have found while thrifting here: https://pinkchickadee.com/2022/07/08/items-i-thrifted/

While hectic, I am excited for what is to come this summer and I hope and KNOW that good is to come for you, too.

XOXO – Katie <3

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3 Days at The Delaware Beaches

At the end of June, I went to the Delaware beaches to visit my Dad who lives there full time and shared ALL about it over on my Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!). I brought my best friend Bryn, too, and my Papa and dog Rosie came along as well. Now, I am going to spill ALL the tea on our weekend at the Delaware beaches!

For more of my recent travels, read here:

So, the Delaware beaches consists of (North to South) Lewes, Rehoboth, Dewey, Bethany, and Fenwick Island. Ocean City, Maryland is just South of Fenwick Island by about 5-10 minutes. My Dad’s home base is Bethany Beach. I usually visit the Delaware beaches about 3 times a year and usually once in the summer time. Each time I go and visit, I see a different part of the Delaware beaches than before. This time around was Bryn’s first time that she can remember even being in the state of Delaware, so we did some things that were new to her yet not so new to me. I am a BIG believer that a fresh perspective on a place previously travelled to is a new visit all in itself. The same concept goes for going to the same place(s) again, too, even with people who have been there before as well. Read more about my adventures in Lewes and Fenwick Island here:

What We Did

We spent both Friday morning and Saturday evening on the Bethany Beach boardwalk. Friday morning, we grabbed coffee at a local cafe on the boardwalk and dipped our toes in the ocean before starting our working remotely day. Surprisingly enough, the Bethany Beach boardwalk was already pretty packed when we got there just after 9am. So, a quick view of the waves and grab and go coffee did the trick! Meanwhile, Saturday evening, we had dinner with my family at Hideaway – an open-air restaurant super close to the beach that is only around during the Summer season. Its super gorgeous on the interiors and the food and cocktails are AMAZING, despite it being pretty packed. Bryn and I, then, went along the boardwalk and checked out ALL of the shops. Bryn really wanted to get a Bethany Beach hoodie, and I found an ADORABLE little local gift shop (whose name I sadly forgot) that sold some Lilly Pulitzer accessories, along with Scout Bags and Spartina, Simply Southern, and Teleties. I *of course* picked up quite a bit of Lilly Pulitzer – haha!

Friday evening was well spent at The Lighthouse Sound Restaurant located along the Chesapeake Bay in nearby-to-Ocean City, Maryland: Bishopville, Maryland. The views there are impeccable and the food is just as good. Read more about my experiences there here: https://pinkchickadee.com/2022/06/30/the-ocean-city-maryland-restaurant-without-the-crowds/#/

Saturday afternoon, we got lunch at the Ocean View Brewing Company. The Ocean View Brewing Company is located just outside of Bethany Beach in Ocean View, Delaware. It is apart of a chain of restaurants, including Thompson Island in Rehoboth Beach, that brew their own beer in-house. When going to the Ocean View Brewing Company, you can see the beer brewing in-house from the windows on the second floor of the restaurant. They have great seafood, burgers, and much more food-wise. The beer is AMAZING, too, and honestly why we decided to come! And then, after enjoying a delicious lunch with some local beer, we went shopping at the Tanger Outlets in Rehoboth Beach. A fun fact about Delaware is that they have tax-free shopping (!!!). Some of the stores that we checked out at the Tanger Outlets were: Simply Southern, J Crew Factory, Francesca’s, Bath & Body Works, Tory Burch (where I bought my dream pair of pink flats!!!!), Vineyard Vines, and Kate Spade. Needless to say, Bryn and I had A BLAST! Some of the other stores that we didn’t check out at the Tanger Outlets are: Crocs, Old Navy, LOFT, Banana Republic, Express, Coach, Levi’s, and Nike. Plan your visit to the Rehoboth Beach Tanger Outlets here: https://www.tangeroutlet.com/rehoboth

And, before we left Sunday evening, Bryn and I had a much-needed beach day at Cape Henelopen State Park in Lewes, Delaware. It was a new-to-me beach, too. It costed us $10 to enter the state park and was $10 well worth it, too. Although it was a bit crowded, we still had a great time at the beach!

The Delaware beaches are a happy place of mine! From the adorable town of Lewes and boardwalks, to the gorgeous beaches at every turn, and the food and shopping all in between, it is definitely worth the visit for me and hopefully for you someday, too.

XOXO – Katie <3

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