From two weekends away in North Carolina, two day trips in Virginia, and several moments spent with loved ones, November 2025 was probably my favorite month so far this year! 2025 has been a tough year for me, like it has been sadly for so many of y’all too. However, I feel extremely grateful, thankful, and blessed to have had such a wonderful month in 2025!!

The Life of Katie – November 2025

Moving forward with The Life of Katie content, I plan to share it monthly in a more concise format. The posts will be formatted by Week Recaps, Highs/Lows, and On the Blog.

Week Recaps

• November 1-7 – November 2025 started with a post-Halloween weekend post-a looonggg flight delay to Charlotte, North Carolina. I got to see some of my favorite humans while in the Queen City and had an amazing (but brief!) time catching up with some of my close friends and checking out some new-to-me spots (more to come in my Charlotte, North Carolina Travel Guide). I was SOOOO grateful after a long flight delay to Charlotte that my flight had NO delays coming home! When I got home from the Queen City, I put up my Christmas tree and decorations and went to a book signing where I got to meet Chelsea Fagan of The Financial Diet – a favorite channel of mine!! Red cups debuted at Starbucks and I enjoyed a cosmopolitan after what felt like a looonggg work week.

• November 8-14 – I visited the Old Lucketts Store’s Holiday House 2025 and Casanel Vineyards & Winery to kick off the weekend – both of which were such a wonderful time! I broke out my Christmas Spode champagne flutes, which y’all have LOVED seeing my use over on my Instagram (let’s be friends @_thepinkchickadee). Mid-week, I went to Lowery’s Dial’s Holiday Open House to do some shopping and mingling and *of course* enjoying some champagne as well as visiting Boxwood – an adorable hostess shop on King Street. Friday, I found myself back at Dulles Airport for a spontaneous weekend away to Raleigh, North Carolina to visit some of my closest friends! Upon arrival, my bestie Alanna and I grabbed martinis and dinner at Firebirds in Raleigh’s North Hills!!

• November 15-21 – I enjoyed LOTS of Starbucks, Aperol Spritz, wine, retail therapy (mostly browsing though!!) and friend time in Raleigh!! After a wonderful weekend which was very brief in the City of Oaks primarily in North Hills, my flight was delayed on the tarmac at Raleigh Airport due to winds. However, I am grateful that 40 minutes later, my flight safely made it to Dulles Airport. Papa and I ordered pizza when I got home and I broke out a Pink coaster that my bestie Shivani crocheted for me and gifted me over the weekend. On Tuesday, I dressed up for a night on the town for the Northern Virginia Content Creator Network’s first-ever event: a Happy hour at Inca Social!! It was LOVELY to get to mingle with fellow Northern Virginia based-creators and learn more about all that Inca Social has to offer, including table-side ceviche. Lots of Fall walks to enjoy the last of the Foliage were enjoyed with Rosie! And, Thursday, DC Preppies had a small gathering for our first-ever outing to The Phillips Collection in Washington, DC’s Third Thursdays event with free admission. Afterwards, I strolled through the DC Holiday Market and grabbed an amazing burger + cocktail at Doyle in DuPont. Friday night, I enjoyed a great dinner at Ozzie’s Good Eats – our favorite! – with my Papa, Aunt Amy, and her girlfriend Barbara. Before dinner, I checked out Creative Collective’s Small Business pop-up and was in AWE at all of the adorable finds that support local businesses! At the same time, I also got to style my gorgeous Lucy Jane Zoey bag which was graciously gifted to me by owner Cassie!! Thank YOU Cassie <3

• November 22-30 – Saturday, I did some early Black Friday shopping + received some of my finds in the mail including Rosie’s brand-new monogrammed collar (!!!!) and hosted Friendsgiving 2025 where my two close friends Haley and Sarah and I enjoyed a nice meal together. Sunday afternoon, I went to the Southern Living Idea House 2025 at Keswick Hall in Charlottesville, Virginia and to my Aunt Amy’s Housewarming Party with kitty snuggles from Morty! Monday night, Papa, and Rosie, and I embarked on our annual tradition to Bull Run Regional Park’s Festival of Lights hosted by NOVA Parks. It was ADORABLE when Rosie was looking out the window at all of the lights!! All week long, we enjoyed some delicious slow cooker Ham and Bean soup. Thanksgiving week, my brother Will came to stay with me and Papa, which called for tons of relaxation, family time, and holiday cheer. Thanksgiving dinner was wonderful and held at my Mom’s house!! Over the Thanksgiving weekend, we went to my Aunt Alice’s on Saturday for wreath making and I went on a solo outing to visit the Christmas tree at the St. Regis and the Season’s Greenings Exhibit at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, DC.

Highs/Lows

Highs

• ALL of the holiday cheer!!!! It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas <3 <3 <3
• I LOVED getting to go on more solo day trips across Virginia. I am proud to call this state my home <3
• Rosie’s new Pink + green and monogrammed collar looks ADORABLE on her and (I think!) she loves it too!!
• As previously mentioned, November 2025 has been my favorite month so far this year! 2025, like for many of us, has been a pretty hectic one for me. That all being said, it was so so so amazing to have such a great month to end a rather tough and crazy year for me.
• It was such a treat to see many of my closest friends and family members this past month. Seriously, it was such a huge and unexpected blessing!

Lows

• My allergies have been bugging me around the end of Thanksgiving weekend with the changes in the colder weather.
• I’m already struggling a bit with end of year burnout, so I’m trying to prioritize self care during this time.
• I wish I read more than I did in November.

On The Blog

What’s New

The Life of Katie – October 2025

What I Wore To Work – October 2025

What I Wore Out Of Office – October 2025

The Old Lucketts Store Holiday House 2025

Shopping + Dining at North Hills in North Carolina Guide

Katie’s Gift Guides 2025!

Friendsgiving 2025 Tablescape

When Do The Cherry Blossoms Bloom in Washington, DC?

What’s Trending

I’ve Tried 4 RH Restaurants: Here’s My Take!

Christmas in Washington, DC Travel Guide

Milken Center For Advancing The American Dream Review

ICE! At Gaylord National Harbor Guide

20 Brands Like Lilly Pulitzer

Wrap-Up

Nevertheless, I feel extremely lucky to have had such a wonderful November 2025! Thankful, grateful, and blessed is truly an UNDERSTATEMENT to how I feel about this past month.

XOXO – Katie <3

Whether it be leaf peeping strolls or drives, quality time with loved ones, a handful of day trips, one too many cocktails, or alll of the spooky vibes in between, October 2025 truly had sooooo many special memories! Over on my Instagram (let’s be friends @_thepinkchickadee), I shared a recap of my October fun and continue to share regular peaks into my life and all of the fun to be had into the rest of 2025 and beyond. In the midst of all of the spooky fun, I will also mention that October 2025 was a transformative month for me personally, and while I won’t get into that here, I am very grateful for the lessons I learned and realizations I had. I think it’s important to share that while a lot of what I do share does look like a highlight reel, it is not the reality of anyone’s day-to-day life, including mine. Nevertheless, let’s get into the October 2025 edition of the life of Katie!

The Life of Katie – October 2025

Moving forward with The Life of Katie content, I plan to share it monthly in a more concise format. The posts will be formatted by Week Recaps, Highs/Lows, and On the Blog.

Week Recaps

October 1-7 – I kicked off October 2025 with a happy hour with my Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Chapter via Bingo Night at Problem Child and a vineyard day with my friends Stephanie and Ashley at Three Fox Vineyards & Brewery (see my review here!). I independently hung up my decorative plate wall (and created a guide on how to do so independently, too!) after MONTHS of planning it and curating plates for it via thrift store runs and celebrated with some Fall Chili and *of course* wine. My Papa and I celebrated Taylor Swift’s brand-new album The Life of a Showgirl and my vinyl came in the mail (!!!!!). The week ended with me getting some solo time with Rosie girl while Papa went on his annual hunting trip to Chincoteague. Rosie and I enjoyed several Fall walks, and I enjoyed a night of networking with Arlington, Virginia nonprofits at Volunteer Arlington’s Causes & Cocktails and afterwards enjoyed an incredible cocktail and sea bass at Bar Colline in Arlington’s National Landing.

October 8-14 – I enjoyed a solo evening at the ballet seeing the Stuttgart Ballet at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC with happy hour beforehand at Circa. I hosted my family for a family dinner party and put together a Fall tablescape for it (check out my tablescape here!). My family brought over tons of wine with new corks to add to my ongoing wine cork collection! I also channeled my inner Martha Stewart and gave everyone homemade apple jam to take home. I caught up with my good friend James right before he moved to Mexico at my local Starbucks, which was wonderful! I went in-person to my first DAR meeting as an official member. My seasonal allergies got the best of me for the next few days.

October 15-22 – I went on a solo day trip to Colonial Williamsburg (see my guide here) aka preppy + grand millennial heaven (!!!!) and literally fell in love with this place. I will definitely be back! Two days later, Papa and Rosie and I embarked on our annual Fall day trip to Carlisle, Pennsylvania to visit my Great Uncle Mike. After our visit, I fell in love with the Hallmark town vibes of Carlisle’s Historic District and found heaven at the downtown Carlisle Antique Mall. One our way there, we stopped by Catoctin Mountain Orchard for some Fall vibes and jam. Saturday, I took a solo afternoon to Old Town Alexandria, Virginia for an amazing brunch at Vermillion where I got to see the incredible wine room upstairs aka a dream come true (!!!) and then strolled the town to enjoy all of the spooky fun and indulge in some retail therapy. Tuesday, I went on a lovely leaf peeping walk at Lake Mercer with my best friend Haley.

October 23-31 – Papa and Rosie and I went on our annual Pumpkin Patch visit to Burke Nursery and our annual leaf peeping day trip to Shenandoah National Park’s Skyline Drive (see my travel guide here). Saturday, I walked around the neighborhood and admired all of the spooky decorations close to home alongside hosting some friends for a casual happy hour. Sunday, my family and I as well as my best friend Haley set off for the day to Linden, Virginia to hike the Appalachian Trail and do some leaf peeping where my Uncle James volunteers. While on our hike, we got to see the end of the Rappahanock River – HOW COOL! Back at home, I continued to enjoy some Fall walks with Rosie and Haley as well as participating in my company’s annual Fall trivia event throughout the week leading up to Halloween. Halloween Eve, I went with some members of my DAR Chapter on a Booze and Boos Ghost Tour in Old Town Alexandria with Nightly Spirits and had a wonderful and spooky time! And, on actual Halloween, I spent the evening … at the airport due to continuous flight delays flying out to Charlotte to visit my best friends for the weekend. Through it all though, I was grateful to have made it in Charlotte and at Hannah’s house before midnight (and to indulge in a wine tasting Vino Volo at the terminal while waiting for my flight!).

Highs/Lows

Highs

• All of my day trips and Fall fun around the Washington, DC area (and beyond!) were such a blessing and so memorable.
• Independently hanging my decorative plate wall was a major accomplishment of mine!
• My Dad and brother briefly spent the night and visited me at my apartment after going to the Washington Commanders game and it was lovely to get some time with them (even if brief!).
• On my social media platforms and website, I had my highest performing month as a blogger since I began *cues the confetti*!!!
• Through it all, I feel extremely grateful to have such a supportive network of loved ones <3

Lows

• As a new and avid Washington Commanders fan, I feel sad seeing them continuously loss games this year and top players getting injured and having to be on the sidelines a lot, too 🙁
• The flight delays on the way to Charlotte wasn’t the most fun. Honestly, it was a bit stressful, too.
• So many people I know are going through a tough time right now including myself, government shutdown related or not. It’s tough to see so many people going through it 🙁

On the Blog

What’s New

Milken Center For Advancing The American Dream Guide

The Life of Katie – September 2025

What I Wore Out Of Office – September 2025

What I Wore To Work – September 2025

Hanging a Decorative Plate Wall Guide

My At-Home Two Grans’s Bar Reveal!

Christmas in Washington, DC Travel Guide

Visiting Colonial Williamsburg Travel Guide

Preppy Fashion Lover Gifts Guide

Fall Family Dinner Party 2025 Tablescape

Lucketts Holiday House Guide

Shenandoah National Park Skyline Drive Travel Guide

What’s Trending

When Is Shenandoah Peak Fall Foliage 2025?

Milken Center For Advancing The American Dream Guide

18 Pumpkin Patches in Northern Virginia

Christmas in Washington, DC Travel Guide

Bethany Beach, Delaware Travel Guide

Wrap-Up

October 2025 was truly a transformative month for me as well as a mega blessing filled with so many wonderful memories made. Til next year, October!

XOXO – Katie <3

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

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