The Life of Katie!

Through simply enjoying the dog days of Summer through a recent trip (2/2) to Bethany Beach, Delaware, hosting some great friends, prepping for the upcoming Fall 2025 season, and *of course* savoring the Summer 2025 season, I have been striving to enjoy every minute I can these days. When this post goes live, I will have officially wrapped up my second getaway to Bethany Beach, Delaware for the Summer 2025 season. I will be updating my Bethany Beach, Delaware Travel Guide soon, too, to reflect all of the wonderful things that I did, places that I ate, and shops that I supported during my time there this Summer 2025. SO, stay tuned!!! In other news, I have been enjoying the Summer 2025 season close to home and at Bethany Beach, Delaware with my amazing best friends Alanna and Amanda. Nevertheless, blessed is an understatement!!

*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.*

What I’m Eyeing!

My favorite things this past June 2025 have had a bit of a theme: lobsters! I’ve LOVED the lobster sweatshirt, dress, and pajamas I purchased on a whim and have worn on REPEAT!! At the same time, I have been excited to get my brand-new Lilly Pulitzer planner for the new calendar year as well as reusing my Barrington Gifts tote that I bought as a graduation gift to myself upon graduating from college in 2021.

Tap to Shop

As a proud Dog Mama, I adore browsing some adorable finds fit for any Dog parent!

Tap to Shop

J Crew Factory is one of my *very* favorite clothing brands to shop and eye finds from! Not only is J Crew Factory an affordable clothing brand to shop, but it also offers ultra-cute and preppy pieces at a fraction of the price that a lot of other preppy fashion brands are sold at. I adore browsing and sometimes purchasing many of the new arrivals that J Crew Factory has to offer, including these from their latest Summer 2025 drop!

Tap to Shop

Over the years, I have adored United Monograms’ customized tees and sweatshirts. Truly, there is something for everybody at United Monograms, whether it be monogrammed or not! I found myself admiring some of their many pieces recently, despite not being a big t-shirt girl myself!!

Tap to Shop

In the Kitchen!

My newest segment of The Life of Katie! Posts – titled – In The Kitchen! – will feature the meals that I have recently cooked and enjoyed in the comfort of my own home. For context, I regularly cook for my Papa whom I live with and I. I curate a weekly menu and have been trying several new recipes (with some previously loved crowd pleasers in between!!) for us with Papa’s approval, and, away I go to our local Giant grocery store to get the groceries for the week! Recently, I went to Trader Joe’s and stocked up on some wine, my go-to white cheddar popcorn snack favorite, candles, body butter, and several seasonal grocery items for us to devour which we did these past few weeks. Now, let’s get cooking!!!

Trader Joe’s Corn + Burrata Ravioli with Roasted Baby Broccoli and Caprese 

Surf & Turf Night: Steak & Old Bay shrimp with baked potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sautéed mushrooms with blue cheese, and Caprese

Trader Joe’s Lemon Butter Salmon (delicious and found in the frozen seafood section and sold by the filet!!) with jasmine rice and roasted multi-color carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower

Shrimp lemon + kale linguine with Caesar salad (plus some fresh lettuce from Papa’s garden at my Mom’s house!!)

Breakfast for dinner!!

Our newest Fourth of July tradition: ice cream sundaes!

The Life of Katie!

  • The rest of Summer 2025 – Nevertheless, Summer 2025 has been an INCREDIBLE (!!!!!) season so far! I feel so so so lucky to have had a great Summer season so far, especially after a family emergency last Summer. So far this Summer, I have enjoyed 2 weekends away in Bethany Beach, Delaware, hosted 2 lovely friends each for a week, took weekly walks with my best friend Haley, enjoyed multiple outings with family and around the Washington, DC area, and several delicious home cooked dinners at home with Papa. Truly, I have been savoring all of the moments before the Summer 2025 season ends and things pick up and get busy in the Fall 2025 season. For the rest of Summer 2025, I have a weeklong trip to Italy and a long weekend trip to North Carolina on the docket – both of which I’m REALLY looking forward to! One of my most recent outings was a morning at the National Gallery of Art with my Uncle James — see more below!!
  • Prep for Fall 2025 – Alongside enjoying the Summer 2025 season, I have also been prepping for the upcoming Fall 2025 season. Things will get busy after I get back from my weeklong trip to Italy at the end of August, so I want to be sure that I have systems in places and schedules already aligned to allow myself to rest post-trip but also jump into the back to school for adults excitement that is Fall. This Fall 2025 season, I am going to be attending church regularly on Sunday’s and weekly church dinner and Bible study on Wednesday’s with my Mom and Papa as well as becoming an active Daughters of the American Revolution member via attending monthly meetings and book clubs. I will also be making time to walk with my best friend Haley after work weekly – something that we started doing this Spring and have LOVED doing – and some workouts with my Mom potentially in the mornings. Through it all, regular dinners with Papa throughout the week WILL continue, as I’m digging into cookbooks from recent times and decades’ past to find recipes that we can enjoy. As for this platform, I have also been planning out some fun content to share with YOU this Fall 2025 and into the holidays, too. Nevertheless, I am excited for the upcoming season but also striving to savor Summer!
  • Enjoying my rent – I have also been focusing on some super fun home projects this Summer 2025 and have gone thrifting wayyyy more than I’d like to admit – LOLLLL! On my Instagram (let’s be friends @_thepinkchickadee), I shared a recent reel (shop it here) of my apartment and am SOOOO excited to share many more soon, too!! I learned how to hang photos on a gallery wall recently – a special thanks to Papa (!!!!) on that one – and have finished hanging up the gallery wall by my bathroom (here). I have also purchased tons of fun new wine glasses from the thrift store that I’ve enjoyed using, alongside some home cooked meals via my brand-new series (up above) called In The Kitchen. Needless to say, stay tuned for more home projects to come!
  • A week with one of my best friends! – My best friend Alanna came to visit for the past week and I LOVED every minute of it! Alanna flew up a day before we hit the road to go stay with my Dad and Step Mom for a long weekend in Bethany Beach, Delaware. While there, we went out for dinner and drinks for an evening in nearby Dewey Beach, Delaware and caught an incredibly beautiful sunset alongside the Indian River. We also enjoyed two outings to the beach, lots of delicious meals, and many good laughs and memories made. We also enjoyed a lovely stroll and brunch with Alanna’s Aunt in nearby and ultra-charming Lewes, Delaware aka “the first town in the first state”! Nevertheless, I will be updating my Bethany Beach, Delaware Travel Guide which I published recently with all that I did this summer while there. Til next year for another bestie beach getaway!!

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

The Life of Katie!

A Summer Solstice weekend getaway to the beach, a bunch of admiring of the hydrangeas bushes in my backyard, tons of browsing with *a bit of* retail therapy, and several runs around the hamster wheel that is known as creative brainstorming and ideation! Not to mention, I experienced my first viral post on the LTK app (!!!!). The Life of Katie these past few weeks has been focused on all-things inspirational, relaxation, and moving forward. There’s lots of excitement to come in the near future and I’m excited to have YOU on the journey with me.

*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.*

My Favorite Sunnies + Going Viral on LTK!

If I put together The Pink Chickadee’s starter pack, the first item I would include would be my go-to sunnies. Every time I put my sunnies on and share a photo with them, I get SO MANY compliments!! These sunnies of mine went viral on the LTK app (connect with me there here!) and have been a FAVORITE of mine for the past few years when I scored them during a Tuckernuck Sample Sale. Since my first purchase of my coveted sunnies, I have snagged several different pairs to always have one in my purse! Shop them here and enjoy the viral LTK post.

The Life of Katie

  • Summer Solstice 2025 weekend in Bethany Beach – Recently, I published a travel guide to my favorite beach getaway spot: Bethany Beach, Delaware! Anddd, I spent 5 beautiful days (some of which were working!) including the Summer Solstice at Bethany Beach, Delaware. While there, I enjoyed dining at some new-to-me places alongside an adorable boardwalk cafe (!!!!) serving iced coffee, browsing and supporting local boardwalk shops and scoring my brand-new 2025-2026 Lilly Pulitzer planner at one of them, and enjoying some sunshine and good reads at the beach. My best friend Amanda who I hadn’t seen in almost a year came down for a day and it was LOVELY to finally see her again and catch up!! I will be traveling to Bethany Beach again with one of my best friends from college in July, and I cannot wait to enjoy part 2 there. I will also be continuously updating my travel guide throughout the Summer, too, to include new-to-me places to check out and support.

  • Hydrangea Girl Summer – Nevertheless, I am enjoying Hydrangea Girl Summer and the few moments each year that they’re in bloom. With the current heatwaves in the Washington, DC area and all across much of the United States, I am praying that my hydrangeas make it through. But, for now, I am going to savor ALL the moments that they’re in bloom!
  • Creative ideation + inspiration! – Recently, I have been focusing on some creative endeavors both on this platform and beyond. I’m excited to share more soon later this summer!!! But for now, I will share that I have been browsing lots of shops, whether it be on downtown Washington, DC, the thrift store, Home Goods/TJ Maxx, and the typical doom scrolling on social media. Yes, sometimes my favorite ideas come from doom scrolling!!

Happy Summer friends!!

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

Happy Belated National Wear Your Lilly Day 2025!

Happy Summer and Happy belated National Wear Your Lilly Day 2025! I am SO SO SO glad that it is *finally* Summer time, and I am excited for what’s to come this Summer 2025. Ringing in the Summer Solstice at my favorite quick Summer getaway spot in Bethany Beach, Delaware (see my travel guide here), I am a bit behind on sharing my annual National Wear Your Lilly Day post, but alas, here we are spilling the juice!!

About National Wear Your Lilly Day

You may be wondering … what exactly IS National Wear Your Lilly Day?! 

National Wear Your Lilly Day is celebrated on every first day of Summer/Summer Solstice aka June 20 as an annual celebration hosted by the beloved Palm Beach-founded brand. Fellow Lilly Pulitzer lovers may also find themselves on this very day in West Palm Beach, Florida for the annual “Lilly Con” known as The Pink Retreat. Furthermore, National Wear Your Lilly Day is a perfect day to celebrate your love for the popular Summer/Resortwear fashion brand!

Reflections

Getting a little bit personal over here, BUTTTTTT … Heading into 2025 after a rough Summer 2024 due to a family emergency, I am extremely grateful, thankful, and blessed to be able to spend this Summer with those that I love and to still have them in my life. This past year brought a lot of chaos and uncertainty within my own family health-wise, and I am grateful that we are all still here. Summer 2024 taught me that life is short and to enjoy our lives while we are here, no matter the year or season or what may be going on in our lives. We only live once and we may as well enjoy it. Hence, I am so blessed to be in calmer waters and to remain so in Summer 2025 and beyond. This Summer 2025, I am also going on a few lovely getaways (mentioned here) including a late-Summer escape to Italy, all of which will include those that I love. I will also be enjoying some time back at the homestead decorating my house and working on some soon to-be-announced things that I CANNOT WAIT to share with YOU. Now, enough of my soap box and cheers to Summer 2025 spent in Lilly Pulitzer!

Wrap-Up

Lilly Pulitzer has been my favorite fashion brand for YEARS now. I am so excited that Summer 2025 is here am so thankful to be able to spend it with loved ones in my favorite Summer styles. Cheers to Summer in Lilly!!

See my previous posts on National Wear Your Lilly Day here:

And, nevertheless, Happy belated National Wear Your Lilly Day 2025!

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

The Life of Katie!

Summer 2025 has clearly entered the chat, and I couldn’t be happier!! Summer is my favorite season alongside *of course* the Fall/Holiday season which starts right after Summer, so I’m happy that we’re officially in the exciting time of the year. Due to some family emergencies, Summer 2024 was a pretty tough one for me and led me to experience extreme burnout throughout the remainder of the 2024 year, so I’m psyched to feel more rested and rejuvenated going into 2025. As mentioned in my most recent Life of Katie post (here), I have been focusing A LOT on self care and have continued to do so while at the same time finding some fun and low-cost local events to attend and enjoy while the warmer months are here. I also have a good college friend of mine, Claire, visiting in early June for a week which gives me the opportunity to be a tourist in my own backyard — something I LOVE to do and has inspired me to do this more so on a regular basis. Nevertheless, continue reading onto hear more about my Summer plans including some of my Summer 2025 travels!

*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.*

What I’m Eyeing

I feel as if *every* time I log onto Instagram nowadays, I spot something that I find myself tempted to add to the cart! One place in particular that I find myself eyeing things is Amazon! Amazon, as we all know, has definitely upped their fashion game, and I’m definitely very tempted over there. Alongside some fun and preppy Amazon finds, I have been eyeing some gorgeous lemon printed dresses from Chicwish and Old Navy. Andddd, I *may or may not have* purchased one of these pieces!!

Tap to Shop!

Tap to Shop!

Sea shells are EVERYWHERE this Summer 2025!!! I am adoring this popular and trendy print, as it feels very Coastal Grandmother and timeless in a way, too. I try to add a beachy, Coastal Grandmother feel to my apartment and have added some sea shell touches to it over the years (which I’m excited to share the updates with y’all, too!) and think doing the same with our wardrobes is super exciting as well.

Tap to Shop!

I have recently gotten into curating recipes and finding some delicious eats from cookbooks, Pinterest, and my family’s recipe archives. Two new cookbooks from B. Dylan Hollis and Meredith Hayden have launched recently and I definitely added both to the cart. I *even* went to B. Dylan Hollis’s cookbook event and chat at Sixth & I in downtown Washington, DC and got to meet him (!!!!) – see photo later on in the post 🙂

Tap to Shop!

Toile is a mega favorite pattern of mine! SO, when I see beautiful bowls, dresses/skirts, and more in these fun patterns and for less at stores like TJ Maxx and Walmart, I am immediately tempted to add to cart!

Tap to Shop!

As shared on my Instagram (let’s be friends @_thepinkchickadee), Summer in Lilly has officially entered the group chat!!! I adore all of the recent new Summer arrivals from Lilly Pulitzer aka my favorite fashion brand. I adore the bright colors and prints and I am excited to purchase some pieces shown below (and more!) later this Summer!

Tap to Shop!

The Life of Katie

  • Strolls + home-cooked meals – Recently, I have been enjoying weekly walks with my good friend Haley that have become almost like therapy sessions! It truly is a blessing to have those weekly moments with such a good friend. Also, I have been enjoying strolls with Papa and Rosie around local parks – Burke Lake Park and Mason Neck State Park. At the same time, I have LOVED getting to cook some meals for my Papa and I at home, which has truly been a mega blessing!
  • Happy Hydrangea Girl Summer!!! – Happy Hydrangea Girl Summer! I am LOVING all of the Hydrangeas blooming just about everywhere recently!!! Throughout my recent strolls in Washington, DC, close to home, and in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, I have literally snapped photos of every hydrangea bush that I’ve seen. The hydrangeas bring me SO MUCH JOY!!!
  • Afternoons/evenings Around Washington, DC – Recently, I have been enjoying some beautiful afternoons and evenings in Washington, DC with friends. Some of the recent sights to see have included the U.S. Botanic Garden, dinner at Trummer’s in Clifton, Orange Crush’s at The Perch Rooftop in Tyson’s, shopping in Old Town Alexandria, watching B. Dylan Hollis speak and meeting him at an event for this new cookbook at Sixth & I, Bluestone Lane Cafe, a Washington Nationals baseball game with a Natasha Bedingfield concert afterwards, The Hamilton, Eastern Market, and Kramer’s Bookstore and Restaurant. I have felt so inspired to get out and explore outside of my own backyard more so!! Above all else, I greatly appreciate my friends that have wanted to do some outings together around the town, as it has been super fun to get out a bit more-than-usual after work!
  • Recent binge-watching – I’ve had *just* a few tags on social media about the brand-new Netflix show Sirens as some of the costumes include some iconic Lilly Pulitzer looks. These past few weeks, I have found myself enjoying the new Netflix show, Sirens, and am looking forward to watching some other newer shows, including Season 3 of the Sex and the City reboot And Just Like That!
  • Summer 2025 travels – Andddd, this Summer 2025, I am striving to spend a lot of time locally, whether it be enjoying family cookouts and home cooked meals, walks locally with or without Rosie, checking out new-to-me or some familiar local restaurants and shops, or hitting up some of the local thrift stores. While I am planning to spend LOTS of time close to home this Summer 2025, I am also going to visit my family/friends in Bethany Beach, Delaware (see my guide here), my friends in different parts of North Carolina, and am taking the last week of Summer for a solo week in … Rome, Italy thanks to some United Miles and flight credits. Nevertheless, I feel very blessed and am beyond excited for Summer 2025!

Happy Summer 2025!!!

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

The Life of Katie!

A lovely Mother’s Day outing to Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley (here), a newfound love and obsession with reading, a few spontaneous solo outings, and lots of self care and home organization, the Life of Katie has been a bit unplugged to kick off the month of May. I cannot tell y’all how many unread messages and DMs I have had over the last few weeks – thanks for understanding, y’all!! I firmly believe that I have been in a self care era to kick off the month of May.

*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.*

What I’m Eyeing

J Crew Factory’s New Arrivals – If you know me, then you know I am a HUGE sucker for J Crew Factory! I have found myself admiring launch after launch of the preppy brand’s new arrivals and their newest arrivals didn’t disappoint!

Tap to Shop!

Tap to Shop!

Midi dresses at Belk – These days, I find myself continuously reaching for my midi dresses within my own closet. Belk’s midi dresses this season have NOT disappointed. Needless to say, my eyes cannot look away from the gorgeous drops of midi dresses that Belk has! While I am striving to embrace the midi dresses I have within my own closet, I cannot help but admire the new drops at Belk *pretty* frequently!!

Tap to Shop!

The Life of Katie!

  • A Newfound love of reading – For my 26th Birthday, my Papa graciously gifted me a Kindle and it has been one of THE BEST gifts I’ve ever received. I have found myself falling *in love* with reading and enjoying so many good reads. And, stay tuned: I plan to share what I’ve read with YOU in future blog posts!
  • Mother’s Day in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley – My Mom is a big gardener and loves visiting local native plant markets across the Northern Virginia region. SO, to make my Mom feel special, we took her out to a native plant market at Blandy Experimental Farm State Arboretum of Virginia in Boyce, Virginia. We ended up checking out the awesome market and purchased *just* a few plants while at it (I also grabbed some coffee at Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee Truck based in Vienna, West Virginia!) before going on a gorgeous hike around the arboretum grounds. My Uncle James knows A LOT about the Blandy Experimental Arboretum of Virginia’s grounds and trails and took us on a lovely adventure to see it all. Stay tuned for an upcoming blog post!
  • Self Care – Recently, I have been feeling *very* burned out and just needed time to devote to simply refilling my cup. I went on a recent solo Saturday excursion to one of my favorite wineries: Three Fox Vineyards (see my full review here). I also spent a lovely afternoon at Washington, DC’s Renwick Gallery with a pit stop at my favorite Washington, DC cafe: Tatte! At the same time, I have enjoyed a lovely weekend with literally no plans and simply slept wayyyy too much and couch surfed. Needless to say, I am grateful, thankful, and blessed for the time to just recharge and relax.

Above all else, I am SOOOOOOO grateful for the time I’ve devoted to simply caring for me and refilling my cup while at the same time allowing for spontaneity via solo dates (as well as a once in a year McDonald’s McFlurry run!!). This Summer 2025 will be a busy one filled with travels, time with friends and family, and simply enjoying my favorite season before the weather gets cooler. Simply stating, I am so excited to take the time to enjoy the moments ahead.

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadee1 Comment

The Life of Katie!

From a road trip to North Carolina to another trip around the sun and some recent collaborations, it has been a whirlwind of a fun past few weeks!

*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.*

What I’ve Been Eyeing Recently

J Crew Factory released some gorgeous new Summer arrivals at the end of April! As a fellow J Crew Factory lover (just like many of y’all!!), I am ALWAYS rounding up some of my favorite finds that I eye the most over on my LTK. That orange printed dress is CALLING my name! Shop it all here!

I found these gorgeous daisy heels from Target and immediately thought of my college years, as my college’s flower is the Daisy! At the same time, I have been LOVING many of Target’s new arrivals accessory wise and feel *very* tempted by a Rifle Paper Company x Target lamp – LOLLL! At the same time, I am always admiring many of the J Crew Factory dresses, including from their new Summer collection. Shop it all here!

In the midst of ALLL of the gorgeous Summer New Arrivals at J Crew Factory, I came across a rattan crossbody and tote that looked almost identical to the ones that I purchased last year from Target. This season, Target is not selling these rattan bags that I love and got last year. I LOVE both of these rattan bags that I own and am SOOOOO excited that J Crew Factory has a similar style of each this season. Shop it all here!

Azalea Season

A HUGE highlight for me throughout the April weeks is Azalea peeping in my *very own* backyard and around town. Needless to say, I snapped several photos of the gorgeous Azaleas that were gorgeously lining my backyard!

The Life of Katie!

  • A recent road trip to North Carolina + Virginia – The last weekend in April, I took a lovely long weekend road trip to Charlotte, North Carolina to visit my best friend Hannah and visit with some of our mutual friends. I had a lovely time visiting with my friends in Charlotte and hang with Hannah’s ultra-sweet dog Pixie! While in Charlotte, I took a day trip to Asheville, North Carolina to tour The Biltmore as well as some pit stops in Natural Bridge State Park, Virginia; Chatham, Virginia; and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. More to come in future blog posts!!
  • Turning 26! – Last Thursday, I celebrated my 26th Birthday. Over the past few days, I have been celebrating turning 26 with loved ones and it has been a wonderful time. I hosted a lowkey Birthday Brunch over the weekend with friends and enjoyed putting together an ultra-fun tablescape that I’m excited to share with y’all *very* soon. It was lovely to be able to celebrate turning 26 with so many loved ones!
  • Summer meals – These past few weeks, my Papa and I have been enjoying switching the calendar and starting the new season off with some delicious Summer season meals. Currently, it is starting to feel like Summer in the Washington, DC area and I am LOVING it! Summer is my FAVORITE season. One of my Summer meals goals is to learn how to grill, as Papa and I have been striving to do some grilling a bit more this Summer season.
  • Event with Sea Suite Cruises, Whitlows on the Water, & The DC Influence! – A few weeks ago, I had a lovely collaboration opportunity to meet other fellow influencers and content creators via an exclusive Potomac River cruise with Sea Suite Cruises, Whitlows on the Water, and The DC Influence. It was a lovely time and such a blast to meet other fellow content creators!
  • & MORE (see below!!!)!
I enjoyed a free guided wine tasting at my local Giant Grocery Store thanks to NOVA Tastings!
For my 26th Birthday, I was gifted a Kindle and I am OBSESSED!
One too many recent Starbucks runs!
Another fun Kentucky Derby Party in the books!
Enjoying my favorite Summertime stroll on Key Bridge in Washington, DC!

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

Chapter 26

Personally, it feels crazy to me that I am entering beyond my early 20’s and am not an extremely recent college graduate anymore. Time has truly flown!! 22-25 felt like a wild ride of figuring out what to do with my life both professionally and personally all while navigating adulthood for the very first time. As it’s been a few years in the world of adulting, I feel I finally have a grip on life in my 20’s and navigating the world and changes that come with it in all aspects of life. 26 feels like I’m entering into some new territory age-wise and I am excited to see what’s to come within this new chapter of life.

I graduated college (see my Senior photos here) in May 2021 in a sea of masks and social distancing. I left college and relocated back to the Washington, DC area feeling fortunate to have a full time offer that I was starting a few months after graduation. Grateful to have a Summer break before entering into the workforce to set up my apartment and settle into my new home and life, I also at the same time had no idea what I was doing. As someone who is super Type A and thrives off of the structure and knowing what was going to happen, I went … NUTS going into adulthood. At the same time that I was navigating purchasing my very own 401k and insurance through my company and car (here), little did I know that I would be navigating the changing friendship dynamics with long distance college friendships – some of which have strengthened and others of which have drifted away and even felt shut out from (here). I went from a world of structure and predictability to one of a lot of new experiences to navigate and confusion about where I was going.

In college, our end goal is to make it to graduation with a degree in-hand and hopefully a job offer, graduate school plans, etc. in tow. In the working world, our end goal is continuously changing and evolving. Anddddd, as someone who is always working towards an end goal and experienced so much stress and confusion over having no end goal in mind, I felt extremely uneasy going into the workforce and to know simply where I was going. However, I am very fortunate to have gotten a job at an incredible and supportive organization that I am still with today that has helped me navigate my career over the last few years. And, while my career goals have changed while at my employer, I finally feel that I have an end goal that I am excited to pursue over the next chapter of my life and career. This end goal of mine will taken quite a few years of accreditation, work experience, and education, however, I am looking forward to what is in store for me in 26 and beyond. In my first months within the workforce, one of the best pieces of advice I got from somebody that I really admire professionally was to simply “trust the process.” While a daunting and much easier said than done piece of advice, I have come to truly embrace and implement this piece of advice into my daily live, both professionally and personally.

Since moving back to the Washington, DC area, I have been lucky enough to rent out and room within my Papa’s basement and be close to him and our dog Rosie. We have gone on several adventures both near and far together whether it be to Maine, Canada, and Shenandoah National Park as well as North Carolina. I have also LOVED getting to make family memories close to home with my Papa and Rosie alongside our extended family. Over the years, I have had several close friends that I’m SOOOO lucky to have in my life come and visit me and get to know Papa and Rosie, too. Truly, living with Papa and Rosie has been a major blessing for me and is something I don’t plan to move out of anytime soon.

In terms of 25, I felt as if I personally entered into a quarter life crisis as the year began and left the year having essentially survived it. 25 was a year that I began to feel the weight of adulthood on me in soooo many ways. While I won’t really get into too many details here, I felt a lot of chaos and stress and uncertainty throughout the past year on the inside. While on the outside, I enjoyed sooooo many lovely moments in terms of experiences and travel. During 25, I visited Hawaii, Canada, Spain and Portugal, and New York City. I also celebrated 5 years as a blogger (here) and announced the group trip of my dreams (!!!!) to Italy next year in April 2026 (reserve your spot here). I also *finally* got to see Taylor Swift perform via The Eras Tour on her final tour leg in Canada. And, I discovered a passion of mine for community building here on this platform and photography. Although a pretty chaotic year, 25 definitely was one of the years that taught me the most moving forward into 26 and beyond.

As for now starting off 26, I honestly feel a lot more at peace and a greater sense of clarity about both where I am going physically and mentally. I feel grateful to have an extremely great support system, consisting of family and friends alongside LOTS of therapy. A support system goes a LOOOONGGG way. During 25, I have also returned to church (here) and have been leaning on my faith more so these days. Going back to the piece of advice that I’ve received when I first started working, I have also truly leaned into the idea that I must “trust the process.” If we don’t “trust the process,” we can’t move forward with peace and clarity. This snippet of advice has been one of the most groundbreaking things that has helped me to move forward aka my word of 2025 (here) from 25 into 26.

Having *finally* putting my trust into the process during 25, I feel grateful and more clear-headed going into 26. I have been through quite a journey since graduating college at 22 in 2021 and am grateful to be opening a new page in my own life’s book. Nevertheless, I am also excited to share Chapter 26 with YOU. Thank YOU for being here. Here’s to Chapter 26!!

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

The Life of Katie!

Hello friends! It has been a whirlwind of a few weeks since my last Life of Katie post (here). Anyhow, my mid-late April 2025 has been nothing short of all the feels. For starters, I launched my group trip to Italy scheduled for April 11-17, 2026 and I’d LOVE to have YOU join me (check it out here!). I celebrated Easter weekend close to home with my family – some of whom traveled to be here with us. To top it all off, I have been working on strategizing and refining my professionals goals within my 9-5, which I am pretty excited (and overwhelmed) about. Nevertheless, I am excited to share what’s been on my mind and what’s to come.

What I’ve Been Eyeing Recently + Recent Buys

J Crew Factory’s Spring/Summer 2025 collection – In recent years, I have ADORED getting to browse and shop J Crew Factory’s collections. Usually, I wait until the pieces that I love go on clearance to purchase them, as the clearance deals are pretty great on their site (be sure to check them out if you haven’t already!). I filmed a styling haul that y’all LOVED and plan to do more of them soon of some of my J Crew Factory clearance finds from the Resort/Spring 2025 collection. As always, I am a pretty big fan of what J Crew Factory has to offer, including their most recent Spring/Summer 2025 collection – shop my favorite pieces here!

Kate Spade x Target collaboration – I adored the affordability and beautiful clothing, accessories, home decor, and hosting pieces that the Kate Spade x Target collaboration has to offer! I ended up getting mostly some home decor and hosting pieces from this notable Target designer collaboration that I am excited to share with you all in an upcoming post *very soon*! Oddly enough, I am also ecstatic that peplum is BAAAACKKK and ended up purchasing this beauty (here) that was still available in sizes 12+ as of about a week ago online. I cannot wait to style this dress *very soon* and share with YOU!

Daisy Canvas – Recently, on my Alma mater’s marketplace, I had been admiring some beautiful originally painted canvases from The Painted Perennial. I opted to self gift myself a gorgeous canvas with my Alma mater’s flower on it: the daisy! Shop similar canvases and paintings here.

Summer dresses + accessories – I don’t know about you, but it’s personally felt as if Pisces and Aries seasons have both FLOWN BY (if you know, you know!). ANDDDDD, Summer is *just* around the corner. Nevertheless, I’ve been eyeing a few fun Summer dresses (via Lands’ End and Kenny Flowers) AND accessories (via Lilly Pulitzer). The Lilly Pulitzer pink and green moments are SOOOOOO tempting!!! Shop it all here.

The Life of Katie!

  • Summer trips (+ one Fall trip!) are booked! – I am feeling so much excitement and relief to say that all of my Summer and one Fall trip have been booked (!!!!). While my trips haven’t been fully planned out in terms of the day-to-day as I want to wait until at least few weeks prior to make any necessary arrangements, I am SO excited to have all lodging and transportation ready to go. This Summer, I will be visiting another new-to-me state via a solo trip that’s been on my bucket list for awhile as well as some much-needed road trips to Delaware, North Carolina, and some new-to-me spots in Virginia. As for this Fall, due to my busy work schedule, I moved my September London and Paris trip to November anddddd I’m going to do ALLL the Christmas things in London and Munich. Tomorrow, I am actually going on a road trip to Charlotte, Asheville, and Winston Salem in North Carolina and I couldn’t be more excited!!!
  • Easter 2025 – My family and I enjoyed a lovely sunrise (well hour after!) service in the beautiful amphitheater via the trails behind our church. I LOVED getting to style my Lilly Pulitzer Pollie dress from a few years’ back. After the service, I spent the entire morning reflecting on the lovely Easter sermon and how it’s impacting my life on a day-to-day basis. Honestly, it was really nice to apply a sermon to my current days.
  • I discovered my horrible allergy to … pollen – I discovered that I am … severely allergic to pollen. Not surprising for many of us. However, every time I wouldn’t shower in the evenings the night before thinking there’s no pollen on me, I would wake up the next day feeling sick ALL DAY LONG. Don’t forget your showers, friends, if you struggle with the pollen too!
  • All the Spring things! – When my body wasn’t struggling with the pollen, I have truly enjoyed getting to take in Spring. The blooms all around us are such a blessing and a reminder to us that every dreary day ends and a new beginning is always around the corner. To enjoy Spring and celebrating my friend Briana’s Birthday, we all enjoyed an afternoon of tea via Tea Around Town in Washington, DC (see my review here). Occasionally, I LOVE getting my camera out and snapping some photos of the stunning blooms that surround us.

Katie & Rosie as a Barbie!

Nevertheless, I hopped on the current Chat-GPT trend of creating myself and my dog Rosie as Barbies. SOOO many of y’all over on Instagram (let’s be friends @_thepinkchickadee) reached out to me asking how I created it. Feel free to reach out via any of my social media channels if you’re curious!

Andddd, that’s all for now folks!

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

Some Updates + The Life of Katie!

Hello friends and hello again, Life of Katie!! Like many of y’all, 2025 has been a literal whirlwind of a year. In recent times, I have been revamping and strategizing allll the things here on this lovely platform for 2025 and beyond. More specifically speaking, I initially moved my Life of Katie posts from here to my Substack newsletter (read more about that temporary change here), however, after careful reflection The Life of Katie is coming back to the blog and will remain here moving forward. And, I couldn’t be happier with this decision that I’ve made.

And, as always, if you stay til the end, I will be sharing some much-needed Life of Katie updates!

*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.*

Why the switch?!

Now, here’s the reason why I am moving my Life of Katie content back over here: simply stating, I have been overwhelmed with Substack in general. I love the Substack platform and the opportunity to connect with other incredible creators, however, it becomes a lot after a while. At the end of the day, I want to create and share content on something that is solely mine and mine only. For the past 5.5 years, I have been working on building my own website and social media platforms (primarily Instagram and Pinterest) with YOU here all along the way. I love connecting with and following along other creators’ journeys and stories, too, over on Instagram and on their respective blogs and newsletters (for those that have them). So, to wrap it all up, adding Substack as another social media platform into the mix was JUST TOO MUCH for me.

I firmly believe that Substack is a beautiful place for creators and those who love to follow along other creators’ journeys. In fact, I LOVE following along other creators on Substack and subscribe to a few that I adore’s newsletters to get their content straight to my inbox. I created a Substack seeing so many incredible creators that I adore and admire transitioning their newsletters over to this lovely platform. I will continue to use my Substack platform for the soul purpose of supporting and cheering on my fellow creators that I have grown to love supporting over the years. However, I will not be using my Substack to create content, myself. Likely, I will be continuing to subscribe via email to creators’ Substack writes and will stay in touch there mostly.

As a creator, it is easy to find it tricky to know which platforms to choose to share content on. One of the hard truths that I’ve learned as a creator who is passionate about creating content is to stay in your own lane and to create content that makes the most sense for YOU, even if that means not being on all social media platforms. I have personally always gotten overwhelmed by being on too many social media platforms at a given time, specifically stating, I have never downloaded nor created a TikTok and nor do I plan to. On other platforms, I simply enjoy just being a user without the strings attached of being a content creator on this platform. Guess what?!?! That is all OKAY!

What’s Next?!?!

With the recent temporary TikTok ban in January (and perhaps another ban by the time you’re reading this), I have been thinking a lot and reflecting on where I want to take The Pink Chickadee next. One of the biggest things that comes to mind is investing in things that are solely mine and my audience only. And, hence, my Substack newsletter will be switching to my own personal newsletter! If you are a subscriber on my website or over on Substack, you will automatically be added to my newsletter subscriber list whenever it launches. Currently, I will launch my newsletter this afternoon. Sign up here!

I am also strategizing some new exciting series to share with you regarding things to do in the Washington, DC area, travel (both near and far!), getting dressed, home decor, and *of course* happy hour and wine. These last few weeks, I had an incredible collaboration with The Winery at Hartland and Reserve Pass (read it here!) that has been super well-received by both the client and my audience. Truly, successful collaborations on all parts is such a proud and joyful moment for me!! In late September, I have an exciting 10-day long trip booked to London and Paris (!!!!!) to celebrate something big that is in the works in the pipeline for some time now. In the meantime, I am sticking to road trips to visit loved ones in Delaware and North Carolina alongside exploring my lovely home base. My content is going to be focused on all things that make me, me. In return, hoping to inspire YOU to create your own confetti and find your own joy, too.

WHEW! It seriously feels sooooo great to be able to be open and transparent with y’all about some of my exciting next steps on my sweet little corner of the internet. Moving forward, my Life of Katie posts will be more of ramblings about my current life ongoings, as opposed to bullet points of what I did in the last few weeks – LOLLL! I find it much more personalized, therapeutic, and fun to share content as if I’m having a cocktail with you all at the bar (with *of course* a few life updates in the mix!).

The Life of Katie

Congrats, friend! You have made it to the end of this post where I will be sharing some much-promised Life of Katie updates. So, let’s get into it!! Spoiler: it’s been *very* PINK!!!

  • Springing Forward + Boundaries – Now that it is Spring, I feel that my schedule is getting much busier than it was just a month ago! I am so happy that the weather is getting warmer, as this past Winter 2025 was a big struggle bus. At the same time, I am so happy that there are much more opportunities to get together and see those that I love and to simply enjoy the lovely weather outside. Given the uptick in my own social calendar, I am establishing my own boundaries to ensure that I am caring for my own self first, both mentally, physically, and financially. That all being said, I’ve set boundaries on doing no activities on Mondays and occasionally on Tuesdays. I try to keep part of my weekends lowkey or block a few hours solely for me during the weekends (schedule-permitting). I am also striving to spend a few Friday nights in cooking a nice home-cooked meal for my Papa and I to enjoy and kick off the weekend.
  • National Cherry Blossom Festival – I am SOOO excited to have been taking part in the incredible National Cherry Blossom Festival this year!! My college best friends Hannah and Alanna came to visit coincidentally when Peak Bloom was occurring and it was such a great time playing tourist in my own city with those that I love. Before Hannah’s and Alanna’s arrivals, I met up with my fellow content creator friend Rubie for a lovely lunch and stroll in Old Town Alexandria. Truly, I have LOVED this cherry blossom season and fall in love with it more year after year. Next Spring (yep — I’m already planning 365 days out!!), I will be sharing some content here exclusively about the National Cherry Blossom Festival! You all also LOVED my dress over on Instagram that I styled for Peak Bloom at the Tidal Basin. You can shop similar styles of this beauty here!

Thank YOU for being here!!

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment

My Return to Church!

Today’s blog post is going to be a bit different in that I will be sharing something very meaningful and personal to me: my journey with the church. While I don’t intend to use this platform to share my religious, political, personal, etc. beliefs moving forward, I do intend to share my journey with the church with YOU in hopes of inspiring and making an impact on someone else. I will pre-phase that the church has become a meaningful part of my life over the course of my lifetime, as it’s a beautiful outlet for community, and, whatever somebody’s beliefs are, I fully support and respect them, as I do the same for myself.

Growing up, I always went to church. I remember sitting in the pews with my parents and brother on a Sunday morning as a young kid and going to Sunday school with my peers as well in the trailers of my local church. I remember performing in church plays surrounding the birth of baby Jesus around Christmas time. I remember the many many many weekdays spent in a jam-packed church worship center getting all hyped up for Vacation Bible School. I remember the countless Wednesday Night Dinners at my local church with my church community and then attending Bible Studies and small groups with my peers afterwards. Many of my best childhood memories happened in the church. Growing up, church was a HUGE part of my childhood.

I was *even* a church kid in high school! I began to get extremely involved in the church throughout my high school years. I went to church services every Sunday, attended 3 summer mission trips in North Carolina and Maryland, and attended Wednesday Night Dinners and small groups at church every Wednesday. I also attended Fall church retreats with my church’s Youth group and made TONS of friends through attending church. I truly loved the community that the church offered to me during my high school years.

However, as I approached adulthood, I began to think differently about the church. When my grandmother whom I was super close to throughout my entire life passed away during my Senior year of high school, I began to lose faith in the church around me. I began to feel angry at everything that was being taught to me by the church and I began to lose faith in everything around me pertaining to the church. Needless to say, I lost my faith during this time. Instead, I grew angry at the church and the community that I learned to love and it continued into my postgraduate years. At the same time, the community around me in college and my mandatory religious studies classes made me question a lot of what the church world was teaching me and whether or not having a church community was something that I wanted moving forward in my life. I also tried several different church groups within college, but not many of them stood out to me as good fits for me (I did have some GREAT connections through church communities in college, though, and I’m grateful to them!) Through those times though, my anger towards the church continued and manifested into my postgraduate years.

When my grandmother passed, my Papa (her husband whom y’all have probably seen on my blog and across my social media channels) started attending our church as I was pulling away from it. Papa began to get plugged into the church, volunteering his time at Sunday services and during the week working on landscaping and painting curbs out in the parking lot. As the church became less of a home for me while I was away at college, the church became more of a home for my Papa.

When I moved back to the Washington, DC area, Papa started attending Wednesday Night Dinners and joined into small groups at our local church which I grew up going to throughout my childhood. Papa’s investment into our church led me to join him on occasions to services and Wednesday Night Dinners. Initially, I was still pretty angry at the church. I was angry at sermons and much more. Yet, over time, that anger diminished. That anger was replaced with gratitude for the people and the community that Papa has created for himself through our church. That same community of his has always welcomed me into their arms as their own. And, I am excited to continue to grow in my Christian faith and get to know the beautiful and welcoming church community that is surrounding me at this very moment. Truly, church has become such a beautiful gift!

While the church community that I knew in high school looks very different almost 10 years later (with many familiar faces still present though!), the one thing that rings true is how welcoming everyone around me is. It means the world to me to see how much people care to come together to serve a greater purpose and most importantly have faith in a greater purpose and in our God.

I would like to thank my Mom, Papa, and best friends Hannah, Alanna, Holly, Lindsay, Haley, and Shivani for helping me to grow in my faith and take this leap in my journey with the church. I love you all!

XOXO – Katie <3

thepinkchickadeeLeave a comment