Yes, We Need to Party More in 2025!

Freshly baked cookies on platters, beautifully made table settings with name cards at every seat for every guest, and an array of cocktails and beautiful food displays were my holiday norms. My family and friends all came together, sometimes 25+ people for one holiday or gathering all sitting around laughing, eating, drinking, and just being together. Truly, it was a magical time for me! Growing up, I always felt the magic of a house party thanks to my Mom and late Grandma. Over on my Instagram (let’s be friends @_thepinkchickadee) during the December/January timeframe, I came across an Instagram Story that essentially had a headline saying “Americans need to party more.” And, simply put, I think we do too.

And, before I get into the meat of this post, I want to share my thoughts on the definition of the word “party”. To me, a party or house party is a get together at someone’s house, whatever it may look like.

Many of us over the years are less likely to be invited to a house party or social gathering of any kind at someone’s house in 2024 and into 2025. Less and less people are hosting house parties and gatherings of any kinds at their homes. Over on YouTube, I have found myself coming across several video essays on my feed about how lonely Gen Z is and how Gen Z prefers to spend more of their spare time resting at home than past generations. At the same time, the so-called “third place” is gone, e.g. the cafes, hangout spots, etc. where people would frequent and regularly interact with others beyond the home and school/the workplace. In our current state of the world, a lot of chaos is happening and we are also in the post-COVID years where the world essentially shut down and went fully remote. Nevertheless, a lot of what we are experiencing is a result of the rapid adaptation of technology, current state of our world, and the post-effects of the pandemic. Anddddd, ALL of us are feeling the effects of loneliness into the early months of 2025.

2025 has been a year of chaos and change in the world of current events. I feel like EVERY time I turn on the news, something new and pretty chaotic is happening in our world and I know I’m not alone in feeling this way. The same concept goes for social media platforms, too. There’s a lot of change and stress and uncertainty during this time for many people. Given ALL the chaos and stress and uncertainty in our world right now, a lot of us need that time to be alone to just process it all mentally. A lot of people simply want that time that they have after work to be peaceful and quiet. And guess what?!?! I truly understand the need to simply decompress and be chaos-free in a world currently full of lots of chaos. There’s SO MUCH going on in our world right now which can leave people feeling extremely overwhelmed and less likely to want to put themselves in situations where their peacefulness which can be rather limited is in jeopardy.

Humans are social beings at the end of the day. And, while we need the time to rest, rejuvenate, and recharge, we also need time with others (no matter HOW introverted you may be!). While a pretty chaotic year 2025 has been so far, I think that we need to come together now more than ever before. I am SO excited and honored to be invited to a social gathering at a friend’s house on the upcoming weekend – something that feels far and few in between since my childhood days but does happen on occasion. I think planning more house parties and social gatherings is truly a way that we can make a positive change in 2025. Not only do house parties bring people together and facilitate community, but they also bring a positive boast to our mental and physical wellbeing. And, at the end of the day, it reduces loneliness, depression, anxiety, and so much more. We need to be together more often than not, and put on a good party.

Truly, I miss the days when social gatherings that my late Grandma put on were the norm. I feel very fortunate that my Mom and Step Dad still host lovely dinners and social gatherings for our family from time to time. There is something truly so magical about a lovely table display full of delicious food and drinks to enjoy together. The time together is truly special and makes it the party of a lifetime that we can have again and again and again!

Nevertheless, I am excited to be apart of the change in bringing parties back, alongside some of my dear friends who have hosted me in the past and will continue to. It only takes one person to make a difference in somebody’s life and in these days that difference can be an invitation to a house party to meet others. The magical moments that my Mom and late Grandma gave me during my childhood are things that I am looking forward to bringing to others in my life and to the future generations. I thank them everyday for the love and magic that they showed me through their house parties and I’m excited to bring them back in 2025 (and beyond!).

XOXO – Katie <3

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5 Ways I Make My Home Cozy Year-Round

Although I LOVE to take adventures both close to home and far away, my favorite place to be is in the comfort of my own home. At the end of the day whether after a long work day or day adventuring or of travel, I LOVE getting to come home and cozy up in front of the television with a nice glass of wine. Truly, there is no place like home, whatever time of year it may be. One of the ways I have made my home a place that I adore is by making it cozy. SO, I am going to focus on 5 ways I make my home cozy year-round!

While I have shared plenty of content about my own home decor over the years (including here, here, and here), I won’t be focusing on advice when it comes to decorating your own home. At the end of the day, I’m a firm believer that your home is your sanctuary and that you should make it none other than yours. A home is perfectly your and becomes a comfortable and cozy home when you make it yours and decorate it to your own taste and standards. Rather, I will be focusing here on strategies to make your home cozy year-round. No one else’s home is yours. SO, why not make it uniquely YOU?!

*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.*

For more preppy style & grand millennial home content, check out my Preppy Fashion & Grand Millennial Home page.

5 Ways I Make My Home Cozy

1 – A Never-Ending Stock Pile of Candles

Candles truly make my own home that much more cozy!! I am a MAJOR candle sniffer at Home Goods, Target, and any other store that sells them! One of the best ways that I select candles for my own home to make it cozy is to pick candles with scents that I LOVE and can envision myself enjoying on a cozy time at home. Some of my favorite candles include Red Leaf Candles at Home Goods and Amazon (here) and the Peony and Cherry Blossom scented candles at Target (here). There is truly something so great about walking into a room and feeling the yummy candle scents that I LOVE.

2 – A Collection of Colorful Throw Blankets

One of my favorite ways to stay cozy year-round is to cozy up with a nice colorful and warm throw blanket! If you know me in real life, then you probably know that I have a HUGE collection of colorful and warm throw blankets, with my favorites from brands such as Rifle Paper Company (here), Chappy Wrap (here), and Lilly Pulitzer (here). Each of my throw blankets embodies my colorful preppy and grand millennial style, which adds an extra cozy appeal to my own home!

3 – An Essential Oil Diffuser

Alongside having a HUGE stock pile of candles at my fingertips, I also love having a nice essential oil diffuser on-hand. I use the Sparoom Essential Oil Diffuser (similar here) and it has been such a GREAT and affordable investment to my cozy home. Usually, I use my essential oil diffuser in the evenings and when guests are over alongside my candle collection to add an extra cozy appeal!

4 – *Just* A Few Go-To Slippers

Slippers are such a GREAT WAY to feel comfortable and cozy at home year-round. I have a few go-to pairs of slippers including my favorite that I’ve purchased and re-purchased over the last decade from J Crew Factory (here). Nevertheless, I feel so much more cozy on an elevated level whenever I put on a pair of my favorite slippers!

5 – Several Fun Throw Pillows

The final way that I LOVE to make my home cozy year-round is by adding in several fun throw pillows that match my vibe and personality! Personally, I have experience back pain which can be alleviated with a throw pillow on the couch or at my desk chair. One of my biggest tips for throw pillows is that if you have an older or a bit beat up throw pillow from years’ past is to find a pillow cover that matches your style online – Amazon has several great affordable options including those I purchased (here). At the same time, I adore my Furbish pillow (here) and Lilly Pulitzer floor pillow (here). Needless to say, fun throw pillows truly make a home a happy and cozy place!

Wrap-Up

Indeed, a home is a happy place when it is made to be cozy year-round! These 5 ways I make my home cozy year-round bring me SO MUCH JOY and truly make my home my favorite place to be. At the end of the day, I am indeed a homebody despite my love for adventuring. Home is my happy and cozy place and I hope to inspire YOU to make your home a cozy and happy place for YOU, too!

XOXO – Katie <3

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My Living Room!

Long time, NO home decor! I have been living in the Washington, DC area for almost four years now and have *finally* gotten around to sharing the details on my living room. In the past few years, I have shared with y’all my bedroom, kitchen, bar cart, office space, and most recently my rattan bookshelf and welcome console. Throughout the years, my interior design style has evolved for the better: from a college student to a young professional. Indeed, my living room is a true testament to that evolving style of mine!

*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.*

For more preppy style & grand millennial home content, check out my Preppy Fashion & Grand Millennial Home page.

Needless to say, I used to rarely use my living room. Mainly, it was a place to sit and lounge a smidge but mainly whenever my Papa came downstairs to hang or somebody visited. Being transparent over here, I used to be a mega workaholic and spent ALL of my time at my desk in my office space (I highly don’t recommend this!). I spent my 1.5 years of my college experience Zooming into classes from a desk in my bedroom and it unfortunately felt natural to me at the time to continue this into my postgraduate life. So, during my initial postgraduate years, my living room was truly left as a bit of a dump until I decided two years ago to start using it as a place to rest and started setting more boundaries when it came to work and relaxation. As a recovering workaholic, I highly suggest setting boundaries when it comes to your working life and personal life and am happy to talk more about this in another blog post. In 2023, I began to transition after work during from my desk to my couch and truly it has been a wonderful way to wrap up the working day and for my mental health. My living room is a true blessing and reflection of my mental growth and truly allowing myself to slow down and recharge and reflect.

My living room is my happy place during many points of my home life. Believe it or not, I can be a bit of a homebody despite my grand love for travel! And, my living room is one of my *very* favorite spots to be in my entire apartment. It reflects my since evolved style as a preppy college student to a preppy grand millennial young professional with many pops of Katie! I adore spending LOTS of time here in my living room and enjoy hanging here whether solo or with others. Truly, it is a great gathering place!

Additionally, I have linked a few of my living room home decor items that I could find:

Thank YOU so much for being here along for the journey! Perhaps, my living room gives you some inspiration for yourself in some way, shape, or form. Here’s to making more memories in this beautiful space that I’m so grateful to call mine.

XOXO – Katie <3

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My Antique Artisan Welcome Console!

Ever since my Mom bought my Great Uncle Charlie’s home, my family and I have been spending lots of time going through his antique furniture and collection that he and his late wife, my Great Aunt Mary, curated over the decades of their marriage. Some of the pieces that were in his house have since become antique artisan welcome console!!! This antique artisan welcome console is actually 1/3 of my welcome center within my apartment and holds treasures from both my Mom’s and Dad’s side of the family that were likely in storage for years before being repurposed (see another 1/3 of my welcome center here). Needless to say, I am SO excited to bring these incredible pieces (including this antique artisan welcome console!) back to life.

Flashback to May of this year and I was looking at antique pieces that my Mom and Step Dad were putting up for sale at my neighborhood’s garage sale from Uncle Charlie’s. And, all of a sudden, I stumble upon a set of gorgeously artisan-made consoles. While I ONLY took one of the consoles, which is on display now and the main character of this blog post, I think it’s important to note that there were multiples of this beautiful set. I *of course* rescued this welcome console and got to work setting it up! 

For more preppy style & grand millennial home content, check out my Preppy Fashion & Grand Millennial Home page.

Alongside the welcome console, I ALSO found this GORGEOUS marble (and brass?!?!) lamp whose ancient lamp shade I need to replace (we’ll save that for another day though!) within a box filled with many other things. Truly, this lamp is a treasure to me and I am SOOOO excited to give it SO MUCH LOVE for decades to come. I am STILL obsessed with this lamp, and I *of course* rescued it, too! When I grabbed this lamp out of the box, it did not have an updated light bulb, which personally is something that nerves me to attempt to look into. I had a leadership conference the day after I rescued this beautiful lamp that Papa heard me gush about ALLL evening long the night before, so when I got home from the conference, he surprised me upon arrival with a freshly lit lamp which was SOOO sweet of him! I am still so grateful to Papa for surprising me with updating the light bulbs of my newly treasured lamp. Now, this lamp of mine sits on my welcome console that it was rescued alongside!

Recently, I have started collecting matchboxes from restaurants and bars that I dine at. So far, I only have matchboxes from TWO local Washington, DC area restaurants: Water Bar and Le Diplomate! I store my growing matchbox collection on a family crystal piece from my Dad’s side of the family, which sits next to a Paris-themed glass/wooden tray from my Step Mom’s parents. As a HUGE fan of the city of Paris overall, it’s fun to present that to others as they feel welcomed into my own pad, alongside some of the many memories that I’ve made dining out at some iconic restaurants. And, who doesn’t love a collectible matchbox?!?!

My Papa and Grandma collected colored-glass lamps and had many of them on display in their house. Since my Grandma passed away a few years ago, Papa has been giving these beautiful lamps to my Mom, Aunts, and I to add to our own antique collections. I took three of those beautiful colored-glass lamps as additions to my own antique collection, which are on my welcome console.

Atop of my antique artisan welcome console is a wooden canvas with a felted pineapple on it. It truly is a canvas that I feel adds a daily dose of confidence and empowerment to my days. And, I hope it adds that daily boost to my fellow guests’ (and Papa and dog Rosie, too!) days, too! I thrifted this beautiful canvas at my local 2nd Avenue thrift store that I LOVE for home decor pieces.

Overall, my welcome console provides me with SO MUCH JOY. I love that I have been able to repurpose the majority of it from family-owned pieces and bring love to them for generations to come.

XOXO – Katie <3

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My Dream Rattan Bookshelf!

Sharing treasures both old and new, everything has a story to it and I am proud to have a mini rattan bookshelf in my apartment that does just that! Back in Fall of 2022, I updated my furniture including getting this beautiful mini rattan bookshelf from Home Goods (when they were also available for online shopping!). Today, I have styled that mini rattan bookshelf to share pieces that share meaningful stories from my family, travels, and *just* a few newly purchased items! Overall, I hope this provides you with some rattan bookshelf styling inspiration, in the case that you’re interested in purchasing your own someday (or already have!).

*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.*

Let’s stop from the top of the rattan bookshelf styling inspiration! Atop of the bookshelf hangs a beautiful woodworker’s cross painted pink saying “Amazing Grace”. My best friend from high school and church’s Dad has a beautiful gift for woodworking and made this beautiful cross for me as a graduation gift. Her Dad is an extremely thoughtful human being and, to this day, I always felt cherished by my friend and her family for thinking of me to make and gift me such a beautifully handmade design. It is something I’ll LOVE for years to come, too!

Below the cross is a floral canvas designed by Carrie Schmitt. In our college apartment, my roommate Sophie got us a canvas designed by Carrie Schmitt that hung in our living room throughout our Junior and Senior years of college. That canvas brought me SO MUCH JOY that I knew when I got my own place I needed to get a Carrie Schmitt canvas of my own!

For more preppy style & grand millennial home content, check out my Preppy Fashion & Grand Millennial Home page.

The top shelf of my rattan bookshelf styling has SOOOO many treasures on it. Starting on the left side, some of the many treasures are including: a mini mannequin that my Mom and Step Dad found at a vintage shop in San Antonio, Texas, a flamingo candle holder (that *still* remains candle-less!), a floral candle holder that once belonged to my Great-Grandparents on my Dad’s side, a copy of the book Notorious RBG which documents the life and story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg whom I got to watch speak live during my Junior year of college, and a decades-old copy of Vogue Sewing that I likely thrifted or picked up for free alongside someone’s curbside. And, ending on the right side, the bookshelf’s top row includes: a stainless silver duck ice bucket that my Aunt Kim gifted my Papa and Grandma years prior and has since become mine, an Eiffel Tower figurine that my Dad’s parents got as a souvenir during one of their many trips including one to Paris, France, a plate that presents a replica of the signing of the United States Constitution, and a Rifle Paper Company x Target memento box.

And, the second and third rattan bookshelves styling also contains several other treasures, too! Most notably, on the second shelf, I have a Seaton family buffet dish from my Dad’s Mom’s side of the family’s family china set and teapots which I have since inherited. Another memorable piece is the painted seashell that I found in Isle of Palms, South Carolina and painted on my beautiful trip there last summer with my best friends Hannah and Alanna and Bryn. I also added several books to the shelf, including some beach reads, cocktail recipe books, a travel guide to my mainly ancestral homeland of Great Britain and a childhood Christmas gift favorite of mine …. A book on New York Fashion Week! But, last but not least, I have two gorgeous boxes on display that are considered shabby chic and Parisian inspired that my late Grandma got for me to store cards/mementos from loved ones for years to come.

Right next to the bookshelf, I have a gorgeous fake Lilly pad-looking plant that has been in my family for decades. I switched out its original planter for a gorgeous rattan bucket that I thrifted back in the Fall of 2021, yet, remained without a true place and purpose in my apartment up until recently. Today, I am glad to re-home both that fake plant and that rattan bucket.

My mini rattan bookshelf is a treasure to me! And, it is a treasure of a bookshelf that holds SOOOOO many of my *very own* treasures, too!! I love that I have been able to style this gorgeous bookshelf of mine and make it meaningful to me and filled with several amazing memories of mine! I hope it inspires YOU with your own rattan bookshelf styling, too!!!

XOXO – Katie <3

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My Fall 2023 Tablescape + My New Favorite Piece of Advice

September is SUCH A FUN MONTH (!!!!) – it is essentially the gateway to Fall y’all. From kicking off soup season to regularly drinking pumpkin spice lattes to the fashion to visits to the pumpkin patch to the leaves changing, Fall is such an exciting change of pace. The change of seasons and in climate is such a freeing feeling for me (just like the Winter -> Spring transition!). The change in seasons allows me to refresh my mindset for what’s to come. Not to mention, who DOESN’T love the ‘ber months (if you know, you know!!!)?!

One of my favorite parts of Fall (alongside all of those things previously mentioned!) is decorating for Fall in my own pad. And, more specifically speaking, I have recently gotten into doing seasonal tablescapes which I have done for Spring/Summer as well. One of my fellow Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee) friends @meganeuliss.art has been generous enough to gift me a set of her hand-painted mini pumpkin trios for Fall (she also sent me some goodies for Easter, too, some of which I keep up year-round!). Megan is a North Carolina-based Mom who hand-paints all of her merchandise with so much love. Megan customized my mini pumpkin trio to be pink, aqua, gold, white, and navy aka my favorite colors within my apartment! And, I LOVED getting to put Megan’s hand-painted pumpkin trio within my Fall 2023 tablescape, which I paired them with my Lilly Pulitzer-inspired hand-painted vase that I *surprise* thrifted at my local Goodwill for $3 in the Spring, mini straw pumpkins from *none other than* Target’s Dollar Spot aka the best place to find affordable and trendy seasonal decorations, and my Papa’s antique tiled tray that gives ALLL the Grand Millennial vibes. I LOVE how my Fall tablescape gives me such bright, bubbly, and very Katie vibes and my mini pumpkin trio made with love by Megan perfectly ties it all together!

With the changes in the seasons comes changes in thoughts when it comes to reflection and intentionally dating. Now, a DISCLAIMER is that I am very content currently as a single and FABULOUS woman. BUT, at the same time, I have chosen to reflect on what I do want in a partner (which feels *as if* it is an ever-evolving process) whenever I do decide to date somebody wherever we may meet. But, the other night, I was reading an article brought to you by Oprah Magazine (here) on love types. And, while reading this article and taking the interactive quiz, I found my new favorite piece of advice: think of the traits that you see in yourself as traits that YOU want in your future partner. For example, are you driven and goal-oriented in your corporate career? You may want to find someone who is also driven and goal-oriented in their own career. Similarly speaking with goals, does your date also want children, adventurous travel goals, or pets? The same goes for how they treat others, including people who work in customer service, their family, and their friends. And, do your values line up with your date’s? A mismatch in values can lead to relationship issues over time. Whatever the case may be, Oprah’s advice about looking within ourselves and our own desires will help us to better narrow our mindsets into whom we may want to date and eventually marry.

Personally, I have been thinking a lot about the type of partner I need in a long-term relationship, as opposed to the partner that I may want. As I’m writing this blog post, I am also listening to the Girls Gotta Eat podcast which I LOVE having on in the background while I am being productive, and, one of the things that was coincidentally just stated was that someone may look perfect on paper as to what we want, BUT be nothing close to what we need in a partner. Sometimes, what we need in a partner is anything BUT what we want in a partner. Personally, I can get very focused on little things and characteristics that I want in somebody and then miss the mark of what I need in a future long-term partner. Going back to Oprah’s advice, looking into myself and the traits and values that I want in life and see in myself on a regular basis is such a great way to find someone who has what I need in a partner.

Anyhow, this Fall 2023, I am focusing on falling in love more and more and more with myself and my Fall tablescape courtesy of Megan Euliss Art! The best part?! You can use my discount code KATIE10 for 10% off any set of mini pumpkin trios on Megan Euliss Art’s Etsy Shop (!!!): https://www.etsy.com/shop/MEulissArt

XOXO – Katie <3

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My Washington, DC Gallery Wall!

Someday, I’ll be living in a big old city *cues Taylor Swift!*, well, today is that someday. If you follow me on Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee), then you likely know that I am Washington, DC area-based. It has been a dream of mine since my early college years to move back to the Washington, DC area post-college graduation. Even though the college-to-real world transition wasn’t exactly smooth sailing for me (or at least it didn’t feel that way all the time), I am proud to be a Washingtonian and am glad that I call the nation’s capital my home.

Today, I am sharing my Washington, DC gallery wall – aka something that I have been working on for *over* a year now. Putting together my Washington, DC gallery wall has been very meaningful for me. I started purchasing pieces for it (via accumulation over time) when I was still adjusting to the post-graduation life. Life in a brand-new city isn’t always easy, either, as glamorous as it may look on the outside. When I first moved back to the big city from college in North Carolina, the majority of my friends were still in North Carolina and I had yet to fully establish a network of friends. I soon came to realize yet had to take time to accept that most of my coworkers were best kept in a professional networking light, which wasn’t easy for me yet is the best decision I made given my career goals and later-established personal boundaries. I ALSO had a really uncomfortable situation with someone in my network alongside some of my friends on two occasions that should not have happened that took a major mental toll on me. While I currently, have found closure when it comes to both cases and wish everyone the best, it still was tough and almost made me want to move back down to North Carolina. BUT, through it all, I am so so so glad that I chose to stick it out and remain in the Washington, DC area. I have since found a great network of friends and supports alongside my family who happens to reside here. I feel beyond lucky. SO, putting together my Washington, DC gallery wall is like a culmination of overcoming challenges yet sticking it out beyond it all.

Washington, DC is an INCREDIBLE city! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the fact that within a 30 minute drive, I can go from my neighborhood in the Northern Virginia suburbs to the monuments of Washington, DC. I feel BEYOND lucky to have such neat monuments, including the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and US Capitol Building, in my own backyard. People DREAM of simply visiting Washington, DC, yet I have the amazing blessing of living there. When I was in North Carolina for college, I remember being so so so excited to move back to the Washington, DC area and being soooo close to such incredible historic and monumental places. Now, that I am living in a big old city, I am enjoying savoring every moment of it!

As for my Washington, DC gallery wall, I slowly accumulated items over the course of a 1 year period. I got items from: Home Goods, Shop Made in DC, Evelyn Henson, Etsy, and local Washington, DC-area thrift stores. Slowly gathering items for my Washington, DC gallery wall allowed me to spend less over time instead of all at once.

Washington, DC is TRULY my happy place! I feel incredibly grateful to call the nation’s capital my home and to have SOOO many great national landmarks that people dream of seeing at least once in their lifetime within my own backyard. To *hopefully* many many many more years of living in the Washington, DC area!

XOXO – Katie <3

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All in the Details: Coffee Table Edition

The other Friday, I had extra time in my schedule in the afternoon. SO, I *finally*A redid my coffee table in my living area – something that I had been meaning to do! I get extremely inspired by Pinterest for ideas on how to decorate my own coffee table as well as some of my favorite fellow influencers and figured: why not give these design ideas that I’ve LOVED a whirl?!

I have recently been watching A LOT of Chelsea Fagan’s The Financial Diet (TFD) and it has become a FAVORITE of mine (!!) on YouTube and one of the quotes that really stood out to me when she interviewed a well-known interior designer was on the lines of the fact that designers get inspired by those around them – they don’t just whip things up on a whim. As someone who LOVES interior design and prefers to design my own space herself, this interior designer’s quote REALLY stood out to me and rang true to myself. At the same time, I find SO MUCH inspiration from simply ordinary, everyday people on my social media feeds, rather than my favorite celebrities (but, yes, there is something VERY inspiring about the interior design done by Martha Stewart, Rae Drummond aka The Pioneer Woman, and a Washington, DC classic The White House done by United States First Ladies). Not to mention, there is ALWAYS inspiration to be found in stunning hotels such as The Greenbrier in Sulphur Springs, West Virginia (which I aspire to stay at/visit someday!); The Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington, DC; The Colony in West Palm Beach, Florida (which I also aspire to stay at/visit someday!); and many other iconically designed hotels/resorts. BUT, I find everyday lifestyle and home decor to be the most aspirational and attainable both financially and practically speaking to myself and most other people, which is why I find it to be super inspirational and applicable to my lifestyle and home. For example, I dog sit for my Mom’s friend Ms. Gwyn who has a beautiful preppy and coastal, New England-inspired style home nearby my own. Ms. Gwyn has DIY-ed a lot of her home’s aspects and discovered many charming thrifted antique pieces and/or pieces from her own travels, including many summers to Cape Cod in Massachusetts. Ms. Gwyn’s home interiors are super inspirational to me and fits the mold of what makes her her in a gorgeous, unique way beautifully. At the same time, Ms. Gwyn’s home’s interior design is much more attainable and affordable to others.

One of the key things to do when redecorating your home is to simply use what you have, as opposed to buying brand-new things. At the same time, shopping secondhand is ALSO a unique way to find some charming, high-quality pieces that can be used in your home for years to come. I chose to do both of these things when redoing my coffee table. Monthly, I go on a thrift store run, as thrifting is one of my newfound favorite hobbies. I mean, who doesn’t LOVE finding Lilly Pulitzer or J Crew or practically any other name brand item for under $15?! And, on my June thrift store run, I came across two gorgeous petal platters for $7 each from Arhaus – a name brand home store – along with some new books that I found of interest for under $10 when combined. I ended up falling in love with these two bowls, and, $14 later, I had a basis for a fresh and new coffee table redo! So, books and platters in-hand, using the basket tray and wooden-inspired balls that were originally on the tray, I grabbed a few pieces that I had laying around my home without a place to calls its own for more memories to be made.

Besides the books and platters from my most recent thrift store haul, the items that I used in my coffee table were all already at my home. They include: a woven round tray with handles and the wooden/beaded decoration balls that were in the tray, a woven turkey that I had thrifted earlier this year, Thompson family crystal from my Dad’s side, a coaster that I was gifted from my Aunt Bell from her family’s trip to Israel when they went in 2010, a Kate Spade Home deco-dotted tea plate, a Dollar Tray heart platter, and *of course* A LOT of books! Needless to say, it only costed me $20 to put together a redo of my coffee table, making it unique, accessible, and welcoming to others and myself.

While I am only sharing the up and close details of this coffee table update of mine, I did have a lot of fun taking 30 minutes to make it happen. I don’t know about y’all, but I LOVE and always feel more fresh and ready to conquer the world or sleep while watching Jeopardy when I have an updated space!

XOXO – Katie <3

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I Hosted my First-Ever Galentine’s Party!

Just about 2 years ago, I moved back to the Washington, DC area to start my post-college life. I had a GREAT job at an incredible company working with some pretty incredible people on some pretty incredible things, a GREAT place to live with my Papa and dog Rosie, and a GREAT city to live in. The months leading up to my move, I was SO excited to move back to the big city filled with so much excitement yet reside in the suburbs where it’s peaceful and I can hear the peace of birds chirping in the morning. However, my move to the Washington, DC area was anything like what I thought it’d be when I first moved. I was starting all over in a brand-new place. And, well, ALL I wanted to do was host a gathering with others.

Flash forward to Winter 2023 aka now and I have plenty of great friends to invite for a gathering based in the Washington, DC area. Though this wasn’t my very first social gathering inside my apartment, as I had a few high school friends whom I invited over during Summer 2021 for a Housewarming Party after I moved in and am lucky to still have to this day. Nowadays, I feel beyond lucky. The best part?! I got to host my first-ever social gathering in my apartment since 2021 (which is constantly being redecorated with what I have LOL!): my Galentine’s Party!!!

In the meantime, read more about my Housewarming Party back in Summer 2021 here: https://pinkchickadee.com/2021/07/20/my-housewarming-party/#/

Now, onto the fun stuff …. the details of my Galentine’s Party!!

I sent out my invitations through my favorite site for YEARS to invite others: Evite. Via Evite, I can get a free account, and I use the option to enter in my guest’s phone numbers, so they get a little text to brighten their day with something to look forward to. Your guests do not have to have an Evite account themselves, either in order to receive your invite. Since adulthood requires lots of advanced planning, I usually send out my invitations through Evite at least 4-6 weeks in advance. At the same time, I always ask a few of my friends that I plan to invite whether or not certain dates I have in mind work for them. It helps to have a few sets of eyes looking over my proposed gathering dates when it comes to date selection. My calendar always fills up fast at least 2-4 months in advance, so it is nice to have something sent out to give others a heads up, too.

For my party, I decided to invite ALL of my best gals in the Washington, DC area. I asked that everyone bring a dish (or two!) if they wanted to for a potluck and a friend. At the same time, I provided some La Marca prosecco, lemonade (which goes AMAZINGLY with prosecco!), popcorn, Crumbl Cookies *of course*, and frosted animal crackers. My Kate Spade green and blue tumbler sets of 2 (got 3 of them!) from FabFitFun were PERFECT for my guests to enjoy a drink of their choosing. My Rae Dunn “Heart” plate and antique stainless steel tray both served as the perfect platters for my gathering. I also used my pink flamingo pitcher to serve some delicious butter popcorn (courtesy of Wegman’s!) for my guests. And, as for my plates, napkins, and cups, they all came from *none other than* …. Target! Last but not least, my balloons came from Target and were purchased and saved in previous years. Everything that came together, whether it be the decorations on my end or the time together or the food from everyone including myself, was all done so so so perfectly.

The BEST part of my Galentine’s Party?! Getting to hang out with each of my friends and watch them interact and become acquainted with one another!! It is such a blessing to be able to have each of these incredible women as friends and some of my many Galentine’s this year in my life. I LOVED watching my friends connect with one another. I have a few other gatherings that I plan to host this Spring and I’m excited that many of my friends are looking forward to hanging out with others again (including those who weren’t able to come over the weekend to my Galentine’s gathering) soon, too. It is nothing short of a blessing!

Here’s to many more gatherings in 2023 and beyond!

XOXO – Katie <3

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How I Save on Coffee Table Books!

A quick search on Amazon will show that most coffee table books cost around $20 upwards of $100 or even more. While pretty and excellent for decoration, coffee table books come at a hefty price tag. On my Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!), I recently shared photos of my coffee table, which includes several gorgeous books. The best part?! It did not cost me even a mere $50 to top off my coffee table!

*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.*

Back in October, I purchased a few new furniture items, including my gorgeous gold and clear glass coffee table. As a recent college graduate, it is hard to buy new furniture when initially starting out. SO, it was finally about time that I get a new and gorgeous coffee table which I can have for years to come. I knew that when I purchased my coffee table that I wanted to add some beautiful coffee table books to deck it out. Pinterest has inspired me to deck it out gorgeously, too!! Shop my coffee table here: https://rstyle.me/+6UqQUnBia1u2H_Ax-E29mg

Thrift stores – This is the NUMBER 1 place that I have looked for coffee table books! While it is hit or miss as to what you will find on any given day (I like to see it as a treasure hunt!!), the prices of any given book at a thrift store can be as cheap as a couple of coins. There are so many unique finds and gems, too. In addition to a few books, I also got a gorgeous straw weave lidded basket and a rattan tray (both for under $5 each!) to add some more gorgeous decorations to my coffee table. My biggest piece of advice with thrifting is to be as open as possible when going, as you NEVER KNOW what you will find.

Use old books and magazines – We ALL probably have a few books or magazines that we saved from year’s past. Whether it be in storage, a childhood bedroom, or just sitting on a book shelf, some of those old books and magazines can look gorgeous on a coffee table whatever the vibe of it may be that you’re going for. Case in point: I had an old book on late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld that is currently on my coffee table, the same goes for an old copy of Vogue magazine. Additionally, I used a scrapbook of mine from Kate Spade that looks like a book to top my coffee table off, too!

Travel souvenirs – Surprisingly so, I had found that little books on big places that I have visited come at a rather tiny price tag and bring special memories to any coffee table. I have a magazine which I purchased for 1 Euro at the Gucci Garden in Florence sitting on mine. The same exact stack as the Gucci Garden magazine also contains a program from when I saw Wicked at London’s West End. I also have a mini book from my trip Paris sitting on my rattan shelf in my living area. Needless to say, books, programs, and magazines from our travels can bring SO MUCH memories and an even more special meaning to a coffee table at no cost to you.

The Dollar Tree – Surprisingly so, I have seen some pretty great books for only $1.25 at *none other than* The Dollar Tree! The books that The Dollar Tree sells, just like the thrift store are hit or miss, but it’s the luck of the draw. I have found SO MANY cute books at The Dollar Tree and ALWAYS strive to check out the book section when I go. One of my coffee table books on New York Fashion Week is from there! While some books may not be super well-known or mainstream, they can also be super cute and make for a great coffee table addition (or two!).

Browse sites like Target, Amazon, and Walmart or go to Home Goods for deals! – Although Amazon and Target and Walmart carry coffee table books at a rather hefty cost when you add it all up, they can sometimes mark down some adorable books! I usually recommend that purchases be made on these sites ONLY when looking for specific books or when seeing a cute book of interest at a great price. One day, I looked up Reese Witherspoon’s Whiskey in a Teacup *ONLY* to find it on clearance on Target’s website. I’ve also found some super cute Kate Spade books at Home Goods, too, and *just maybe* added one to my coffee table!

I’ve linked some of my coffee table items (that I could find!) below to both give you some inspiration to thrift/search your stash of old books, magazines, and souvenirs and for your shopping pleasure!

XOXO – Katie <3

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