My Flamingo Bar Cart Reveal!

For a LONGGGGGGG time, I had yet to get around to setting up and decorating my flamingo bar cart. So, just a year after my Washington, DC move, I *FINALLY* shared on Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!!!) a Reels revealing my flamingo bar cart!!!! After purchasing a hot pink bar cart from Home Goods to use to store all of my snacks in my college apartment back in 2019, I knew one day I wanted to make it into a flamingo bar cart. And, today, I am sharing ALL of the details behind it!

*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.*

A fun fact about my bar cart is that A LOT of the items either came from a FabFitFun seasonal box (ranging from Summer 2021 to Summer 2022) aka my Draper James straw tray, Kate Spade gold scalloped ice bucket, and Kate Spade tumblers. At the same time, I LOVE using items from my first-ever friend from college AND small business owner and one woman show Cassie of Cassie’s Designs, including my monogram pair of champagne flutes and my flamingo wreath. My flamingo wreath made by Cassie was one of my favorite items that I purchased for my college apartment and a memorable part of entering (and exiting) my college apartment on a regular basis, so I’m glad I could repurpose it for my flamingo bar cart!! Speaking of champagne flutes, my other set of wine glasses were handprinted and purchased during the Lilly Pulitzer Sunshine Sale back in September 2021. And, *of course* my decorative flamingo and pink wine bottle came from none other than The Dollar Tree. But, last but not least, my straw flamingo two-tiered decorative shelve came from Home Goods. I shared this style on the Styling My Lilly Facebook Group and got SEVERAL comments about it, as this straw flamingo style comes in several different variations (a basket version of which I bought, too!!). So, above all else, check out your local Dollar Tree, go visit your local Home Goods/Marshall’s/TJ Maxx, and subscribe to FabFitFun (haha – I’m biased) which I talk more about here: https://pinkchickadee.com/2022/06/02/why-i-switched-to-an-annual-fabfitfun-membership/#/

Unfortunately my hot pink bar cart has never been spotted by me at Home Goods since I bought it, but I have linked a few similar styles below just like many of the other bar cart finds of mine. Shop all the finds here:

XOXO – Katie <3

The Book Shelf that Honors my Alma Mater

If you know me, then you know that I LOVE making my home a happy place! Recently, on my Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!), I shared my Lilly Pulitzer Gallery Wall – my most recent home decoration endeavor to be shared before today. My Freshmen and Sophomore college dorms were so bright and such a happy place of mine that it brought joy to others, too. A fun fact about my Freshmen year college dorm was that it became one of the big stops of my classmates’ tours when trying to find the cutest dorms in our class. It was, indeed, a fun time! And, well, my happy place home has extended well into my post-graduation years.

Recently, when I redid my Lilly Pulitzer Gallery Wall, I ALSO redid a sweet corner of my office space/end of the Lilly Pulitzer Gallery Wall that honors none other than my college alma mater of Meredith College. Before my Lilly Pulitzer Gallery Wall took shape, I had a HUGE gallery filled with photos of my alma mater Meredith College. Ranging from paintings and prints of Meredith College to awards that I received while in school, EVERYTHING seemed to be ALL-things related to Meredith College. However, it was a bit to much for what I wanted the gallery wall to be moving forward (hence, why I switched it up!). Read more about my Lilly Pulitzer Gallery Wall here: https://pinkchickadee.com/2022/05/22/my-lilly-pulitzer-gallery-wall/

One of my favorite memories and blogger collaborations back when I was in college was with Mapiful, where I got to create and customize my own map. Mapiful is a poster and map poster customization shop that creates GORGEOUS maps to commemorate special places to each of us. That map to me *HAD* to be of Meredith College! It was a super special collaboration of mine, as I got to honor my sweet Meredith College and the friendships, community, and relationships all established while I was in school there. So, my Mapiful framed poster had to be apart of this sweet sweet corner! Shop Mapiful designs and customizations here: https://www.mapiful.com/us/

Another special memory made in college was during my study abroad adventures in San Ignacio, Belize. San Ignacio is located within the rainforest region of Cayo, Belize. One of the most unique things about Belize is the several local and ultra-talented artisans in the area. One of these artisans hand-designs metal Meredith College Lux’s (Meredith College’s logo you can say!) that are absolutely STUNNING. It is a one of a kind piece which sits on a wooden maroon easel in that sweet sweet corner.

A favorite part of this sweet sweet corner of mine is my clear glass clock. That clear glass clock is engraved with my name, as its my award given to me by Meredith College’s Math & Computer Science Department known as the Charles A. Davis Award for Outstanding Seniors in Math & Computer Science. I have so many memories from my Math & Computer Science department at Meredith College, from both my classmates who became friends, professors who became strong connections in my professional network and friends too, and my community. Essentially, the Math & Computer Science department became my academic home at Meredith College. So, to be awarded for my dedication to the Math & Computer Science department by my fellow professors was an extreme honor and is super special to me.

This sweet sweet sweet corner of my apartment is a place to honor my college memories, achievements, and community. It’s a place that I look over at and smile from ear to ear. Because, wherever I go in life, I always have my sweet memories made at Meredith College to take with me!

XOXO – Katie <3

My Lilly Pulitzer Gallery Wall

Be the sunshine is one of Lilly Pulitzer’s BEST mottos. And, now my gallery wall feels like sunshine 24/7! I posted on my Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!) my Lilly Pulitzer Gallery Wall reveal a few weeks back. Well, I *finally* thought that I would share ALLL of the details about my Lilly Pulitzer Gallery Wall!! The best part?! I spent $0 on it and used only things that I already had on hand.

Lilly Pulitzer has been my favorite fashion brand for YEARS now *surprise!!!*. I have been purchasing and growing my Lilly Pulitzer collection for over 5 years now. My Lilly Pulitzer collection has gone with me since graduating from both high school and college, a move to North Carolina, a move to the Washington, DC area, and employment. Needless to say, I have had many great memories in the items within my ever-growing Lilly Pulitzer collection that has become super special to me. Many of my Lilly Pulitzer pieces still fit me from over the years and many also do not. Part of me could not part with getting rid of or even selling these Lilly Pulitzer pieces of mine that mean so much to me. So, I thought, why not put them on display and show them off?!

Flashback to last year when I first moved into my apartment and I decided to create a gallery wall with old photos from my college apartment down in North Carolina. Well, after about 10 months later, seeing the same prints on display from my college apartment got a bit old *confession*. However, I knew I didn’t want to spend a ton of money on so something new. On the flip side, my prints from my college apartment are apart of many memories from my college experience, including my Class of 2021 Top 10 Outstanding Seniors Award, Class of 2021 Freshmen Service & Dedication Award, Gold Star Student Leader of the Year Award, Top Student Advisor Award, Big Sis/Lil Sis painting that I made with my Big Sis at my first-ever college event that I helped host, and many many many paintings of sweet Meredith College. Don’t worry: I saved ALL of my sweet prints to have for years to come. But, I knew it was time for a change.

One of my fellow Lilly Pulitzer lovers and influencer friends Rachel (follow her @livingcolorfulilly on Instagram!) has a Lilly Pulitzer lounge in her home, which she has a gallery wall ALLL decked out in some of her many gorgeous Lilly Pulitzer collection pieces. Needless to say, Rachel’s Lilly Pulitzer lounge inspired me to deck out my own gallery wall with my Lilly Pulitzer pieces. Some of my Lilly Pulitzer pieces include: my holy grail Let’s Cha Cha shift dress, my dog printed shift dress, my flamingo printed shift dress, and my holy grail Hotty Pink First Impressions mini skirt. Most of my Lilly Pulitzer collection was bought either during one of the brand’s well-known bi-annual After Party Sales (now known as Sunshine Sales) Not to mention, I *HAD* to put my Glitter & Daisies pink bow glitter Disney ears made by my good friend Holly on display as well. At the same time, I couldn’t resist not putting my flamingo painting made by my super sweet college friend Miranda in storage. Overall, I am OH SO excited about my brand-new Lilly Pulitzer Gallery Wall, as it goes PERFECTLY with my couch all decked out in Lilly Pulitzer pillows, too!

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

XOXO – Katie <3

My Preppy Home Office

Flashback to a few months ago and I had a brand-new desk at my company’s headquarters. At the time, I asked y’all on my Instagram page (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!) for some office desk essentials and y’all had some pretty great inputs, too! Ranging from buying snacks in bulk off of Amazon to cute pictures on a cork board to ALLL the adorable stationary and mousepads, y’all prepped me well. Well, flash forward to a couple of weeks ago and my company decided to fully convert its headquarters to a full-time hoteling space. SO, off I went to my newly decorated desk to bring everything home, and, well, create my own preppy home office!

Fun fact: my office space used to look very different when I moved into my apartment at-first. I only had my one large white desk from Ikea with an older neon pink plastic chair (which *surprise* soon enough broke the more I used it – haha!!). At the same time, I only had one monitor and I didn’t have an adorable wall calendar on display either. Not to mention, not super cute hot pink rolling cart either. Needless to say, my office space got super messy SUPER fast, especially when I started my job back in late July. See how my office space previously looked here: https://pinkchickadee.com/2021/07/25/my-office-space-reveal/

*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.*

Most of my office decorations were from my college years that I got out of storage or from my desk at my office. I purchased my second, connecting desk from a yard sale for only $10 that my neighborhood had back in October (and, yes, it actually sat there for MONTHS before getting a makeover and being put to good use – cringe!!!) and was initially the color black. Papa recently painted the desk white to match my white Ikea desk that I love oh so much. As for my other preppy home office decorations that I had purchased, I got them either from Walmart (mainly the Packed Party collection sold there or The Pioneer Woman collection), Target (aka The Rifle Paper Company or just stationary like the iconic Post-It notes), Rae Dunn items sold via either Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, or Home Goods, or none other than The Dollar Tree!

As for ALLL of the items that I didn’t purchase within the past few months, I got many of them from my college years. Many of these items were gifted from friends, freebies via events on my college’s campus, or simply a beautiful photo to remember the moments from both my high school and college years and even into my postgraduate years.

XOXO – Katie <3

Throwing My Best Friend a Lilly Pulitzer-Themed Birthday Party!

This past weekend, I went to my college town of Raleigh, North Carolina to celebrate my good friend Alanna’s 25th Birthday – YAY!! Alanna has been one of my best friends made via my college experience and she is ALSO a fellow Lilly Pulitzer lover. One of Alanna’s dreams was to have someone throw her a Lilly Pulitzer-themed Birthday Party, so our mutual best friend Hannah and I decided to make just that happen. Today, I am going to be sharing ALLL the tea on Alanna’s Lilly Pulitzer-themed Birthday Party!!

So, for Alanna’s Birthday party, I wanted to start by planning out my outfit. I asked Alanna what her favorite Lilly Pulitzer prints were and discovered that we share one of the same favorites – Seaing Things! Y’ALL, I own 6-7 (I lost track haha!) things in this specific print. So, I decided to wear my maxi dress that I purchased during the Lilly Pulitzer Sunshine Sale back in January 2022 along with my Lilly Pulitzer x Lele Saudoughi headband in that exact print, too.

NOW, onto the decorations!! Personally, I ALWAYS choose a few base colors based off of a print and/or theme. Fun fact: for my college dorm room Freshmen year, I based it off of Lilly Pulitzer’s Peel N’ Eat print and chose the colors: aqua, gold, coral/hot pink, white, and gold. SO, I *had* to do the same base color planning for Alanna which happened to be: hot pink, white, and aqua with pops of gold. I went to The Dollar Tree *surprise* for pretty much all of it. I made out a list via my vision for Alanna’s Birthday Party, in order to make it ALLLL happen. I made a list and checked it twice while at The Dollar Tree. Some of the items on that list included: pink and white balloons, B-DAY balloon, pink tablecloths, pink utensils, ribbon, and a Birthday banner. I also allowed some room for myself to simply be creative and see what I could find via my creative soul that could go with the theme. The items that I picked up included: a “Happy Birthday” banner, a gold foil garland, ribbon, gold glittered hand lettered cake topper, a white “Birthday Girl” sash, hot pink utensils, pink and white balloons, and a gold “B-DAY” balloon. As for the Lilly Pulitzer prints, unfortunately, my printer was not working to print out images of Alanna’s favorite prints, so I went through my crafting supply bin and luckily found some old Lilly Pulitzer planner sheets. All in all, my mind was EVERYWHERE when planning Alanna’s Birthday Party decorations, but in the end, it definitely all came together beautifully.

ONTO the execution!! We hosted Alanna’s 25th Birthday Party at Hannah’s place. Hannah and I started decorating a few hours before Alanna arrived and essentially went through ALL of the decorations (which, by the way, fit beautifully into my carry-on luggage) and put them all up together before Alanna arrived. Alanna is a holy grail Chick Fil-A fan and she brought over a heart-shaped tray of 30-count nuggets. Once Alanna arrived to Hannah’s place, we all went to Publix (it was actually my first time there – yay me!!) and we picked out two cakes, cotton candy-flavored wine courtesy of Alanna’s choosing, actual cotton candy, and some chips. It was such a fun memory with some of my best friends and simply catching up with all of ours’s mutual friend Jasmine.

Through it all, I felt oh so blessed to be able to give Alanna the Lilly Pulitzer Birthday Party of her dreams. It was the first time ever that I planned a Birthday Party and it all was such a blast!

XOXO – Katie <3

Affordable Pantry Organization

New year, same pantry just with a FEW updates! LOL – yep I changed up my pantry after a few months in my new apartment. As it goes for most folks, the more groceries I accumulated, the more cluttered it all got. So, I added in a few new little updates to my pantry to make it much more functional for myself and my day to day needs. However, I did NOT take any before photos because CRINGE – LOL!!

*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.*

SO, my pantry pretty much looks the same since first got it – the same Dollar Tree and Amazon cubbies are present. BUT, I added in some plastic rolling drawers to fill my ever-growing wine glass collection and mug collection – brought to you by my Dollar Tree and thrifting obsessions and my several friends and family members who know how much I enjoy a *very very very* occasional glass of wine (I rarely drink nowadays) and of course my ever-evolving daily addiction to coffee -, a rolling white cart (yes, this is the white version of the hot pink cart that was on my Christmas list – written here!) to store my snacks (which, by the way had NO where else to go!), and a gorgeous grip-friendly Rae Dunn area rug fit for a kitchen. Luckily, I was able to add in some Dollar Tree platters that I bought back in the summer as great organization pieces for both my rolling drawers set and my rolling white cart. The floral bucket atop of the rolling plastic drawers is a thrifted find and one of my favorite pantry assets!

Overall, while a simple pantry update that was mostly brought to you by extra things laying around in my pantry, a thrift store/Home Goods run on a budget, and Christmas 2021 (shoutout to Dad on that one!!), it was still super fun to do and spruce up a bit, especially with several things that I already had on hand.

My Christmas Wishlist 2021

Over the years, what matters most to me during the holiday season is simply being together with friends and family. Especially after the lack of togetherness in person that 2020 brought to us all, it will be so nice and needed to see everyone in real life. Despite my lack of excitement towards Christmas presents as compared to other holiday festivities, it is still super fun to be able to make a Christmas Wishlist! This year’s Christmas wishlist consists of several items that I could use, especially within my kitchen and work life.

*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.*

So, personally, I have been needing some serving bowls and platters since I am coming out of college. Within my Fall FabFitFun box, I selected the Golden Rabbit Dutch oven in the Cobalt colored print. Little did I know, I would find the serving platter and serving bowl in this beautiful print via Pottery Barn’s site. Although they are a bit pricey, I think they will be a good investment moving forward and I am also excited that they will match my dutch oven. When it comes to my kitchen needs, I have also been in dire need of an electric can opener and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to put this gorgeous The Pioneer Woman (a kitchenware and home collection that I have been eyeing for a while now!) X Hamilton Beach can opener! At the same time, I have also been looking for a super fun cutting board to use as a serving platter for guests and have LOVED Mark & Graham’s products – especially this wood marbled round cheese board that I can also personalize.

When it comes to work, I know that my work life will transition to be more in-person a few days a week as the months progress. It’s currently looking like Spring 2022 will be the golden ticket to a more consistent in-person yet still hybrid work life. So, when I saw these Lilly Pulitzer insulated snack bags in this pink print that I am obsessed with, I could not not add them to the list!

For working from home and my kitchen pantry, I found this affordable and adorable 3-tier rolling cart at Michael’s. Currently, I am hoping to get this cart in both bright pink and white and have one to store snacks in my pantry and the other to store pens and notebooks in my home office which is flooding with papers and laptops!

Last but not least, I have LOVED doing at-home blowouts for special occasions and want to do them more and more and more. I did them for both of my college graduation photo sessions and they turned out super nicely. That being said, when I saw this Revlon hair dryer and volumizer, I knew I needed to add it to my list.

While there isn’t truly anything I want for Christmas besides ringing in some Christmas cheer for all to hear with friends and family, I do hope that my Christmas Wishlist provides you with some inspiration, especially if you’re stuck yourself – I know I was when my family asked me!

XOXO – Katie <3

My New Favorite Iced Coffee Machine + My At-Home Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe!

If I told you that you could save hundred’s and even up to one thousand dollars or more on coffee/a year?! A way that you can forgo your go-to Starbucks or Dunkin’ order for something just as good and even more affordable?! It may sound too good to be true. But, you heard me right – there is, indeed a way that you can do just that! The Mr. Coffee Iced Coffee Machine saves its customers $800 on average per year on iced coffee, according to its box. I recently purchased the Mr. Coffee Iced Coffee Machine, and many of y’all have been asking me about it wanting to buy it yourselves, too. Well, y’all asked and today I will deliver: I am sharing my own experiences with the Mr. Coffee Iced Machine.

*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.*

The Mr. Coffee Iced Coffee Machine Review

The Mr. Coffee Iced Coffee Machine retails for $30 at its full retail price; however, recently, I have seen it retail on sale at Target for $25 (where I purchased) and Walmart for $15. This coffee machine comes in 4 different colors to meet your coffee station’s decorative coloring and needs. Along with the coffee machine, your purchase of up to $30 comes with a high quality clear branded tumbler with a lid and straw as well as a measuring cup to measure out your coffee grounds. Personally, you get A LOT of bang for your buck!

So far, my experiences with the Mr. Coffee Iced Coffee Machine have been pretty great. It is easy to use, with the instructions on how to use it taped right to the top of it upon unboxing it, and even pours coffee quicker than *drumroll please* the Keurig. In order to use, you add 1/2 cup of water to the base, a measuring cup (provided with the machine) full of coffee grounds to the coffee ground container, place a tumbler with ice underneath, and press the button to allow it to work some magic for less than a minute. It’s easy as eating a slice of pumpkin pie!!!

As for the taste of the coffee, I find it to be pretty great. Personally, I see great benefits to buying your own coffee grounds and/or K-Cups and brewing your own at-home coffee. As a self-proclaimed caffeine queen and an actual caffeine addict (hey, at least I own up to that part!), I find a lot of benefits in saving my own money and enjoying some coffee straight from the comfort of my own home. At the same time, I do enjoy some Starbucks here and there, but in moderation (and, yes, I am Team Starbucks over Team Dunkin’!). When using the Mr. Coffee Iced Coffee Machine, you get to choose which coffee grounds you use and you can use your favorite, too. As for adding in an additional taste, I always add creamer to my hot coffee and use the same one with my iced coffee and add in a bit of flavored syrup too, and no, not maple syrup. You can even add in whipped cream, some sweet spices such as cinnamon and pumpkin spice, or sugar – the possibilities are unlimited! I find it pretty great that one can choose what they put on their own iced coffee to their liking, especially when made at home.

Overall, the Mr. Coffee Iced Coffee Machine is a 10/10. Not only is this coffee machine super easy to use and convenient, it is also super affordable. I can customize my coffee the way I like it and be my own barista (see my at-home Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe using this machine below!). Personally, I felt like I robbed the store because the price and everything included was too good to be true!

My At-Home Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe!

***Please note that this recipe is made using the Mr. Coffee Iced Coffee Machine.***

Ingredients:

  • Pumpkin-flavored coffee grounds (I got mine at TJ Maxx)
  • SkinnyGirl Pumpkin-flavored fat free/sugar free syrup (I got mine at TJ Maxx)
  • Pumpkin-flavored coffee creamer (I use Delight’s fat free creamer)
  • Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Spice

Steps:

  1. Use the Mr. Coffee Iced Coffee Machine as usual (add in coffee grounds to the machine, water to the machine base, ice to tumbler, and start the coffee brewing!)
  2. Add in the coffee creamer and syrup
  3. Sprinkle the pumpkin spices on top
  4. Stir it all together
  5. Enjoy!

If you are interested in purchasing your own Mr. Coffee Iced Coffee Machine, then you can purchase your own in store at Target or Walmart or using this link: https://rstyle.me/+qRo5tDvuyPCTStDva8jw-Q

Happy coffee day!!!

XOXO – Katie <3

Pantry Organization for Under $25

In my college apartment, the best version of a pantry that I had was my bar cart right beside the ledge at the end of my kitchen space. Now, in my post-grad apartment, I have been lucky enough to get a tiny pantry of my own! Starting out, I knew that I did not want to spend a lot of money on organizing my pantry. But, Pinterest would have told me otherwise – haha! Influencers such as loyal Dollar Tree lover Kathryn of Do It On a Dime have presented ways to organize and still have a gorgeous pantry while keeping it on a budget. So, taking inspiration from others and channeling my own personal home decor style, I uncovered my own pantry organization and did it affordably, too!

As always, I will share where I purchased each product used in my own pantry to organize it and links if applicable. I will not be sharing the grocery items that are in my pantry. If I do not share the exact product, then I will share a similar one or where to buy it for yourself.

*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 Pantry

Where I Shopped

  • Over the door rack: The Dollar Tree
  • Polka Dotted Apron: Kate Spade Home
  • Navy & White Apron: My Grandma’s
  • White Apron: A Childhood Design
  • Pink Wired Can: Family Piece
  • White Plastic Milk Bin: Walmart
  • Pink Plastic Milk Bin: Target
  • Teal Tray: The Dollar Tree
  • Teal Ice Bucket: The Dollar Tree
  • Seashell Jars (3): Family Piece
  • Hot Pink Locker Bins (4): The Dollar Tree
  • Aqua & White Chevron Cubbies: Amazon (different style here!)
  • Clear White Storage Containers: Family Piece (similar 4-set here!)
  • “Crunchy” Canister: Rae Dunn
  • “Treats” Canister: Rae Dunn
  • Pig Bag Clippers: The Christmas Tree Shops

I am oh so excited about my pantry AND how little money I spent on it! Hopefully, y’all can find some affordable ways to stay organized in your own home and pantry, too.

XOXO – Katie <3

Bright & Preppy Office Space

After over 2 months of having this place not fully set up, I can *finally* say that my Office Space is fully set up and ready to go! But, as they say on The Bachelor, wait … there’s more! My Office Space is not only my Office Space, but it is also a lounge area, closet space, makeup space, and, most importantly, it’s practically a Lady Cave. Here we go!!!

As in the past, I would link items where I could. However, this time I will not be since there are A TON of things. Most though have been purchased in the past at places like Ikea, antique stores, Target, Walmart, Home Goods, Lilly Pulitzer, Hobby Lobby, Kate Spade, Rae Dunn, and much more!

Happy Lady Cave is a Happy Lady!!!

XOXO – Katie <3