The Life of Katie – September 2025

Time goes by when you’re having fun!!! Full transparency over here, I have been sooo busy since my last Life of Katie post which I wrote before my end of August week in Rome that we are at the end of September AND I haven’t written another. This past month has been a whirlwind and so much has happened that I forget that it all was in the same month – LOL! Nevertheless, September 2025 has been the gateway of Fall 2025 so far, and I have been enjoying every single minute of 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.*

The Life of Katie – September 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, Currently Eyeing, and On the Blog.

Week Recaps

September 1-7 – After landing back in the United States and enjoying 5 days in Rome to a gorgeous sunrise at Dulles International Airport, I enjoyed a restful few days at home with some running of errands and some beautiful false Fall weather before jumping back into work. I enjoyed kicking off and styling work wear via my daily OOTDs which I share over on my Instagram (let’s be friends @_thepinkchickadee) calling it “Back to Work.” I decorated for Fall and was the first customer according to the staff at my local Giant Food grocery store to buy a pumpkin for the season! Over the weekend, I *finally* received the amazing information that I am officially a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (!!!) and went to my first-ever in-person event as a member in Washington, DC before. I, then, crossed off a major bucket list Washington, DC restaurant item: El Presidente. I also went to a church luncheon with Papa and celebrated the Commanders’ first win and game of the season!

September 8-14 – I baked peanut butter cookies over my lunch break and enjoyed a walk with Papa and Rosie one late afternoon to kick off the week. Mid-week was filled with some networking with The DC Influence’s event with Abigail and Chloe Baldwin – the founders of Buttercrumble who came all the way from England – spoke about branding and their book The Brand Power Manifesto at Friends to Lovers bookstore in Old Town Alexandria. I *of course* did some window shopping and made a purchase at some of my favorite shops in Old Town! Friday evening, my friends Haley and Sarah and I grabbed dinner at La Madeleine in Kingstowne and learned about the cafe’s happy hour. Saturday, I went on a wonderful Daughters of the American Revolution field trip to the National Museum of the United States Army in the morning and a solo tasting at George Washington’s Distillery in the afternoon. Sunday, my Papa and Aunt Amy and I enjoyed our favorite cocktails and salmon at Ozzie’s Good Eats at Fairfax Corner.

September 15-21 – I kicked off the week visiting my Dad and Step Mom who were in Washington, DC for happy hour at Chef Geoff’s West End and dinner at Osteria Mozza and afterwards a Daughters of the American Revolution wine tasting and service project in honor of Constitution Week. I baked manicotti for the first time ever for me and Papa, which was a mega cooking bucket list item of mine! My Labubu which I named Pinky arrived in the mail. Over the weekend, Papa and I visited Nalls Produce and got jam and apple cider donuts, I went on a solo food and cocktail crawl of Old Town Alexandria, and enjoyed a very restful Sunday watching the Commanders game and the Hallmark channel.

September 22-30 – My friend Haley and I enjoyed a nice neighborhood stroll to kick off the first day of Fall. I *finally* shot some content of my Two Grans’s Bar which I will share more on over here soon and have already shared over on Instagram. I hosted my first-ever Harvest Dinner Party (which I write more about here!), and it was such a success!! Haley and I had a wonderful Saturday brunch at Carnegie Diner in Vienna. Sunday, I took a solo date to Advancing the American Dream at The Milken Center (I plan to share more on this incredible exhibit in a future blog post!) and sushi hour + sangria at The Hamilton before dinner with my Mom, Step Dad, and Papa. To end the month, Papa made some beef stew which was delicious (!!) and he picked some pumpkins that he planted over the Summer.

Highs/Lows

Highs

  • Finally becoming a Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) member, which has been YEARS in the making!!! I have LOVED attending some super fun DAR events which I mentioned above. It brings me SO MUCH JOY to finally be an official member!!
  • During the Lilly Pulitzer Sunshine Sale, I reached a mega blogger milestone that I never thought I would achieve. Over the Summer and into September, I can officially say that I’ve started to grow my platform after feeling a bit stagnant for a few years. This is something I am really proud of.
  • In my 9-5, I am helping plan a few happy hours and taking part in some fun in-person networking opportunities with some of my coworkers.
  • My Harvest Dinner Party was such a bucket list tradition I have wanted to host and it *finally* happened. My friends all came together to enjoy a nice meal I cooked for them and it was such a lovely time. The conversations, the food, and the wine were all flowing. Just a joyful time!!

Lows

  • Having a lingering cough (not terrible now) from a sinus infection I picked up in August that stayed due to my travel abroad and the seasonal changes.
  • I have felt more overwhelmed adapting to the busier Fall schedule as compared to the slower dog days of Summer, but aren’t we all?!?!

Currently Eyeing

On The Blog

What’s New

What’s Trending

Wrap-Up

From happy hours to dinners with loved ones to cultivating new friendships and cherishing existing ones and commemorating the beginning of a new season, September 2025 was truly such a gift. Here’s to October 2025!!

XOXO – Katie <3

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The Life of Katie!

Recent Buys!

I’m going to start off by sharing what I recently bought! I have found myself more often than not browsing the Belk website to admire ALLLL of the Crown & Ivy at Belk aka a preppy fashion brand similar to Lilly Pulitzer (which I write more about here) pieces. Andddd, I found these gorgeous Lilly Pulitzer/PrintFresh dupes and immediately added to my cart!

/// Shop it here

Nevertheless, I am moving the meat what I am eyeing to my newsletter on Substack as well as my broadcast channel “Favorite Finds” over on Instagram (let’s be friends @_thepinkchickadee).

In The Kitchen!

Crab & Corn Salad + Caprese Pizza

Beer Battered Fish Snack Wraps with Chick Fila Sauce

Honey Mustard-Marinated Salmon with Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Broccoli

Cherry Tomato Burrata Pasta with Kale Pine Nut Salad and Texas Toast

The Life of Katie!

  • What I’ve been up to – Truly, I have been enjoying the dog days of Summer! Alongside cooking some delicious meals for me and Papa, I have also enjoyed some Summer outings as I rest up before the hustle and bustle of a busy Fall! My best friend Haley and I have enjoyed some walks together in our neighborhood- something I feel SOOO lucky about is that we still live in the same neighborhood. I also went to a company-sponsored Washington Nationals baseball game networking event, which was LOVELY, alongside another team-building in-office day the week before. I also took a relaxing afternoon and headed over to the nearby Paradise Springs Winery to simply read and sip on some wine – it was soooo needed! Over the past few weekends, my Mom and I have been getting back into attending church locally at my childhood church and reconnecting with our church community and debriefing the sermons the next day. And, the last two weekends, I enjoyed two busy Saturdays – one visiting my Aunt Alice and Uncle Charlie in Annapolis to talk all-things family genealogy and catch up over lunch from Graul’s Market and another checking out Lake Anne in Reston, Virginia with my best friend Haley with a delicious brunch, too. All in all, while a lowkey last few weeks for me, it has also been what I have needed as I know Fall 2025 is already shaping up to being a pretty busy one!
  • What I’ve been watching – After a busy in-office day at work, I turned on Netflix to see Amy Bradley Is Missing had been released. I have recently become a true crime fan and had heard of the Amy Bradley case – a 23 year old woman from Virginia who went missing on a cruise ship with no trace in 1998 and what has happened since still remains a mystery to her family and the world despite potential sightings of her and suspicions of human trafficking – and it was that so-called true crime case that really affected me. SO, on that very night that I saw that Amy Bradley’s case was making waves on Netflix screens, I immediately watched and learned so much more about this case. I pray that someday her parents and brother who have never lost hope of being reunited with their Amy get the answers that they need and that hopefully Amy is returned safely to them and can drive her car that they keep in the garage in pristine condition for her to do so. Her family’s perseverance and dedication to never losing hope in finding their Amy is admirable and truly touching to see, despite all that they have been through. At the same time, it was touching to see her friends speak fondly of her and their fondly shared memories together. If you’re a true crime fan, then you must watch Amy Bradley Is Missing on Netflix.
  • Enjoying my favorite espresso martini! – Nevertheless, there is nothing better than enjoying your favorite espresso martini during the dog days of Summer!! My Papa and Aunt Amy and I went to our favorite spot – Ozzie’s Good Eats in Fairfax Corner. Andddd, *of course* our time at Ozzie’s did not disappoint!!! It is always a treat to enjoy my favorite espresso martini that is only $11 (which if you live in the Washington, DC area or any metropolitan city for that matter is a steal!) on the menu.

XOXO – Katie <3

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The Life of Katie!

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

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

What I’m Eyeing

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

Tap to Shop!

Tap to Shop!

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

Tap to Shop!

The Life of Katie!

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

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

XOXO – Katie <3

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The Life of Katie!

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

What I’ve Been Eyeing Recently + Recent Buys

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

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

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

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

The Life of Katie!

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

Katie & Rosie as a Barbie!

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

Andddd, that’s all for now folks!

XOXO – Katie <3

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Some Updates + The Life of Katie!

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

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

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

Why the switch?!

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

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

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

What’s Next?!?!

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

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

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

The Life of Katie

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

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

Thank YOU for being here!!

XOXO – Katie <3

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The Life of Katie!

I have found myself trying to soak up the moods of the holiday season more so than in the past. At the same time though, I have experienced a lot of stress and fatigue with everything going on … being transparent over here. The holiday season can definitely be a difficult one to navigate when it comes to ALLL of the social events atop of the ongoings of day-to-day life. Needless to say, December has been a busy month for sure and I am striving to savor it all! Now, for some life updates!

  • Join me over on Substack! – I am excited to say that I have created a newsletter over on Substack (here)! While I am still navigating the format of my newsletter, I am SO excited to be able to use Substack as another outlet to connect with y’all and others who are like-minded. Substack reminds me a smidge of Tumbler from circa 2015?!?! But, make it 2024! At the same time though, I want to note that I HEAR some of YOU: newsletters can be overwhelming, so I will be sharing my newsletters with y’all over on my Instagram (let’s be friends @_thepinkchickadee) for those of you who still want to follow along with a less full email inbox. But, for now, stay tuned!!!!
  • Exciting trips for 2025!! – I have ALSO shared over on my Instagram that I am in the process of planning not one but TWO trips to Europe for early 2025. One of those trips involves some time in … PARIS! I was SO EXCITED to get so many excited messages from many of YOU who are planning to/are looking to visit Paris in 2025 as well and am SO EXCITED to share ALLL of my tips and pointers and recommendations with YOU once I visit. Honored is seriously an understatement! Thank YOU!
  • Holiday Fun! – Blessed is an understatement this year! While 2024 has been a tough one, I am also SOOOO blessed to be able to have made memories with loved ones this holiday season. Some of my many activities include: wreath making with my Aunts, Mom, and cousins, Sunday evening dinners at my Moms side of the family, an After Hours museum party at Planet Word, hosted my annual Christmas Party for the 2nd year, a trip to the Old Lucketts Store Holiday House (here), a trip to Marshall Pond Christmas Village (which I write about more in-depth via a previous year’s visit here), multiple dinners in Washington, DC with the girls at Sequoia in Georgetown and Cafe Riggs in Penn Quarter, a brand-new tradition participating in Wreaths Across America at Arlington National Cemetery with friends, and a Christmas-y evening to the DAR Holiday Open House, National Christmas Tree, and the iconic historic Willard Intercontinental Hotel. WHEW! It has been a GREAT TIME, despite a busy time!!!
  • A lovely Thanksgiving weekend! – Thanksgiving 2024 was such a blessing. We had a bigger group than usual: 12 people to be exact! The more the merrier provided such beauty this Thanksgiving, too, alongside the delicious food and even more incredible company. That weekend, my friend Haley and I visited the Gaylord National Hotel at National Harbor aka an annual Christmas tradition of mine that I wrote a post on how to avoid the crowds at (here) and I also took a much-needed solo date to Washington, DC to enjoy the National Gallery of Art’s special exhibit: Paris 1874. And, on my way back, I got to catch a glimpse of the lovely sunset over the National Mall (!!!!). Needless to say, I had an incredible weekend and I feel VERRRYYY blessed to have been able to have a great long holiday weekend.
  • Gift Guides! – My first-ever newsletter on Substack is … a round-up of my 2024 Gift Guides (here)!!!!! I LOVE curating gift guides year after year. And, at the same time, I LOVE how excited y’all were at seeing them, too. To those of you who have used my links to shop for gifts for others (or yourself!), thank YOU for your support. Your support has meant the world to me during the holiday season and also in every season!
  • Holiday burnout – Yepppppp you heard me right holiday burnout has hit me a bit harder this year than in years’ past. I wrote a whole blog post (here) about it because what else would I do?! Typical Katie fashion I guess – LOLLL!
Adorable display at the Marshall Pond Christmas Village
Olaf!!!!
Marshall Pond!
The lovely Marshall Pond Christmas Village – Part 2
Rose sipping at my annual Christmas Party
Rose toast at my annual Christmas Party
Dinner with the girls at Cafe Riggs
The Riggs Hotel Christmas Tree 2024
Wreaths Across America at Arlington National Cemetery
The Willard Intercontinental Hotel + a not pictured group of carolers!
The state trees at the National Christmas Tree + the White House
The National Christmas Tree
Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Constitution Hall decked out!
Underneath the tree!
A beautiful Christmas stroll at Nalls Produce
My OOTD to visit the Lucketts Holiday House
Dinner at Sequoia!!
Planet Word’s After Hours Party with Andrea
A midday pick-me-up!
The beautiful Christmas floral display at the National Gallery of Art
A beautiful sunset over the Washington Monument
Thanksgiving OOTD!
My only photo taken at Thanksgiving dinner – haha!!!

Happy Holidays to you and yours! Thank YOU for being here <3

XOXO – Katie <3

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The Life of Katie – June 2024

Overall, June was a fairly quiet month. I enjoyed a nice visit with my college friend Claire who came up for all things Capital Pride, I traveled to visit my Dad for Father’s Day in Bethany Beach, Delaware and then had a celebration with Papa post-beach excursion, and I strolled around some near-to-me Northern Virginia parks with my best friend Haley. Through it all, I enjoyed the peace and quiet (despite more stress than usual) of June 2024.

Favorite Finds:

  • This past month, I had the incredible opportunity to partner with Noshinku – sustainably-made hand sanitizers coming in several luxurious scents at an affordable price point. The packaging of Noshinku’s hand sanitizers are SOOOO pretty and they smell AMAZING! I LOVE Noshinku’s sustainable design and packaging, alongside the high quality of its hand sanitizers. Noshinku gifted me TWO hand sanitizers in Eucalyptus and Lavender.

  • I went on a mega thrifting haul early on in the month and found a BEAUTIFUL custom-made gold bamboo framed needlepoint masterpiece (that I had the perfect place to hang it at!!!!).

  • Back in March, I had the opportunity to work with a plus-sized fashion Amazon seller: Cootry! This time around, I was sent a super comfortable pink tie dye workout tee! On one of my Summer strolls this June with Haley, I had the opportunity to style it for Summer!

June Ongoings:

Highs:

  • My good friend from college Claire came to visit me for Capital Pride in Washington, DC! We enjoyed an evening and afternoon in my favorite Washington, DC hangout spot … Old Town Alexandria! We had dinner and drinks at Vola’s Dockside Grill and brunch at Call Your Mother Deli when in Old Town Alexandria. I ALSO had a chance to snap some photos around town with my recently purchased camera!

  • To kick off the first weekend in June, I took a solo date to the National Museum of Women in the Arts for Community Day aka for free admission the first Sunday of every month. I spent about an hour wondering through this gorgeous and opulent museum that truly honors women artists from across the globe. The pieces in this museum are immaculate and seriously some of the most extraordinary creations I have EVER seen. The National Museum of Women in the Arts reopened to the public back in 2023, and I am SO glad I made a visit there for the first time since 2019!

  • I enjoyed a much-needed weekend getaway to visit my Dad and Step Mom and their dog aka my Sissy Ginger in Bethany Beach, Delaware. I truly feel SO at ease and relaxed when visiting them! This time around, we strolled the boardwalk, had ice cream at the local place to be Bonkey’s every night after dinner, and enjoyed a nice beach day. Truly, my time in Bethany Beach is ALWAYS needed for my soul!

  • I took some puppy portraits of my dog Rosie in *none other than* her natural habitat … our front yard! Rosie is my FAVORITE photography subject so far!!!! Rosie was beyond curious with the sounds of the clicking of my camera AND enthusiastic, too.

  • I enjoyed *just a few* weeknights on the town during the month of June! The first of these nights out was to celebrate my Mom’s Birthday with family at Barca Pier and Wine Bar in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. We ended up dining out on the pier during …. Sunset!!!! And, it was BEAUTIFUL to literally watch the sunset on the water. Another night on the town that I did was to see Funny Girl while it’s performing live at the Kennedy Center (!!!!!!). An AMAZING show! And, last but not least, my best friend Liz and I enjoyed a night on the town watching her cousin’s husband Phil host a comedy show that takes place on Wednesday’s at Hot Bed in Adams Morgan in Washington, DC. Each of my nights on the town were truly incredible for my soul!

  • To close out the month of June, my Mom, Step Dad, and my Mom’s friend Laura, and I all went to go see fireworks at the nearby-to-us Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia. We enjoyed a super nice picnic, took in ALL of the vibes and views *including an incredible fireworks display!!!*, and time with one another. Truly, with such a stressful month especially then, this time at the Workhouse Arts Center with loved ones was needed for my soul.

Lows:

  • June 2024 was probably THE MOST stressful month I have had to date. While I will not get into any details, it has truly been a lot this past month. Above all else, I am proud of myself for what I have accomplished and for being able to handle what was thrown my way.

Here’s to an INCREDIBLE July 2024 to come!

XOXO <3 Katie

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The Life of Katie – December 2023

December 2023 was one of THE BEST months for me throughout 2023! Personally, my favorite season is the holiday season aka October->December of each year. December has truly been such a month filled with love and gratitude from all different avenues of my life. The Christmas cheer was truly just the icing on top of the cake of an amazing December (!!!!!). 

Highs:

  • I’ve mentioned a few times that I am currently apart of the Ignite Young Professionals Class of 2024 cohort via the Leadership Center for Excellence in Arlington, Virginia. Since starting the program, I have been a social chair for my cohort (!!!!). And, I planned my first happy hour at Ireland’s Four Courts in Arlington’s Courthouse neighborhood with my Ignite Young Professionals cohort (a special thanks to my classmates for recommending this spot, too!!). It was A BLAST to get to enjoy *none other than* fries and wine aka my comfort food and connect with my classmates beyond the classroom. Before happy hour, I got to *finally* visit to see the reclining Lady Liberty at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Arlington (MOCAA) for my site visit via Ignite Young Professionals. I have been wanting to see the iconic reclining Lady Liberty while she is here in Arlington, Virginia and SO GLAD I finally got to! All in all, a GREAT class day via my Ignite Young Professionals program and I look forward to future classes in 2024!

Visit to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Arlington

Happy hour at Ireland’s Four Courts

  • November 2023 started off with a bang (here), as I started and completed the courses portion for my first-ever certification through work. I have REALLY enjoyed this certification that I am working towards and am OH SO appreciative of my managers, teammates, and company for supporting me in working towards it. Early in December, I presented my briefing for my certification (the FINAL step!!!!) in achieving this certificate AND it went REALLY well (!!!!!). Next step: being certified!
  • Christmas fun included: dinner with Papa at Ozzie’s Good Eats with a visit to see the sweetest ladies (and champagne!!!) at Becky’s Boutique in Fairfax Corner, admiring aisles and aisles and aisles of wreaths at Nall’s Produce, seeing The Nutcracker with Stephanie at Capital One Hall in Tysons, Virginia, attending the DAR Holiday Open House and meeting SOOO many DAR women from all across the United States and Santa at the DAR Library, a nighttime stroll at *none other than* the National Christmas Tree and The Willard Intercontinental Hotel to listen to some live Christmas caroling, a stroll through Washington, DC’s City Center with Haley, visiting Aunt Amy and her girlfriend Barbara with Papa while they were staying at the magical Gaylord National Hotel in National Harbor during golden hour, advent dinners at my Mom’s house, a holly jolly stroll with Liz at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens Winter Walk of Lights, dinner and Christmas tree admiring at Cafe Riggs with Briana, Christmas wine shopping at Giant, and a family dinner with my Dad’s side of the family at Ferry + Main at The Logan Inn in New Hope, Pennsylvania. And, AHHHHH the list could go on and on and on (!!!!!!). This Christmas season was SUCH A holly and jolly time and an amazing time to get in the holiday cheer, too! 

Fairfax Corner Outing at Ozzie’s and Becky’s Boutique

Nall’s Produce

The Nutcracker

  

DAR Holiday Open House

The National Christmas Tree

The Willard Intercontinental Hotel

City Center

The Gaylord National Hotel

Advent Dinner at Mom’s House

Meadowlark Botanical Garden’s Winter Walk of Lights

Cafe Riggs

Christmas Wine Shopping

Ferry + Main 

  • Happy mail from Black Friday & Cyber Monday shopping started to trickle (here), early this December. Every year, my company is SO kind to give all of us employees a gift of our choice from a list to commemorate the year and holiday season. This year, I chose a Trina Turk candle, which I am SO excited to use (!!!!). And, I also received a quilted black Scout tote, Sprinkled with Pink custom monogrammed pouches, a shimmery J Crew Factory skirt that I plan to style year-round, and Draper James pajamas and sweatpants (which I have been LIVING in recently!!!). One of my biggest and most frequent purchases this Black Friday/Cyber Monday season has been … pajamas!

  • The joys of Christmas have been SUCH A HIGHLIGHT for me this December 2023. Whether it be eating off of Christmas china that I thrifted in November, enjoying Christmas trees both at home and while out and about, hearing Christmas music everywhere, or sipping drinks in Christmas mugs, the simple joys of Christmas have been such a blessing. I truly LOVE getting to enjoy the magic of Christmas and *even* simply saying to someone “Happy Holidays!” Or “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Hanukah” and vice versa. There is SO MUCH to be thankful for and enjoy, whether at home with the Christmas decorations and Hallmark channel via simply being in the moment to seeing a Christmas tree through somebody’s window. Needless to say, people are SO MUCH KINDER to each other this holiday season and there is SO MUCH joy to be enjoyed this December and beyond (!!!!!).

  • Papa’s first-ever trip to TJ Maxx happened on December 2 (!!!!). Surprisingly to all of us in the family, Papa had NEVER EVER been to TJ Maxx before then. Papa needed a new neck scarf for the projected snowy and cold Winter here in the Washington, DC area, so I decided to take him to TJ Maxx. Luckily, Papa successfully found what he was looking for AND made in impulse buy, too! LOL!!! It was a FUN FUN FUN time (!!!!).

  • Every Christmas Eve Eve, my Papa and Aunt Amy and I dine at Mike’s American Grill. We all enjoyed cocktails and taking, took in ALLLL the Christmas decorations and vibes, and savored the special moments together. I am SO grateful for this tradition of ours and excited to continue it into 2024. 

  • My best friend from college Alanna celebrated her Masters in Education graduation weekend from NC State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. SOOOO many of me and Alanna’s college friends got together to celebrate Alanna (!!!!). I hadn’t seen Alanna and everyone else since 2022 and early/Summer 2023, so it was SOOOO nice and needed to be able to visit and see everyone after quite some time for a GREAT occasion. I ended up staying with my best friend Shivani and her amazing family, where we got lunch with my college roommate Sophie and had a much-needed amazing visit with her, too. I ALSO got to dine at SOOOO many new-to-me or haven’t dined at before places in Raleigh on this trip (here). All in all, my weekend to Raleigh was SOOOO needed and an extraordinary blessing. 

  • Being in good health has been a major blessing for me this December 2023. In December 2022, I went to the doctor’s for my annual check-up and ended up with a major lab mix-up and a whopping 3 blood draws within 10 days. It was nerve wracking and my doctor and family and I even suspected that something major was going on with me, which made for A LOT of stress and anxiety during an already stressful, yet joyful time. HOWEVER, this December 2023, I am happy to be in good health via lab results and my check-up at the doctor’s office. Through it all, I feel extremely blessed to have a great doctor and family to support me and ensure that I am in good health (and a MAJOR shoutout to the lady who works in the lab for always being kind and fun to talk to when getting something as daunting as blood drawn whether in 2022 or 2023!)
  • I hosted my first-ever Christmas Party (!!!!) and several of my friends came to enjoy some holiday cheer with me! At my Christmas party, I popped a *very* much-belated bottle of Veuve Cliquot that I had picked up at Target earlier that week to commemorate my promotion at work in October 2023. My Christmas party was such a special time to get together with SO many of my friends that I LOVE so very much. I also LOVE that many of my friends have become friends and want to hang out since meeting one another at my Friendsgiving (here) from November and my Christmas party! 

Lows:

  • As a result of ALLLL the fun activities in December, I experienced major fatigue throughout the month. Unfortunately, that led me to cancel a few outings (including going to National Harbor a second time with Liz and attending a Holiday Party) during the month of December. Personally, as exciting as the month of December is, sometimes our body experiencing lots of fatigue is a message to us to simply slow down. 
  • I late December, I met up with my amazing influencer bestie Emily of @loveemilydarling on Instagram (GO FOLLOW HER!!!) which was AMAZING. Emily is SOOO sweet in real life and so are her parents. However, the circumstances logistically of us meeting up were super tough on me and those circumstances caused me to shut down emotionally due to stress. We sadly did not get a picture this time around meeting up, however, I do look forward to meeting up with Emily in the future and REALLY appreciate how kind, compassionate, and understanding she is in real life. Moreover, I REALLY look forward to getting to grow in my friendship with Emily in 2024 and beyond!!!!! <3 
  • Grief is HARD for me as we approach December 24 and 25. Year after year, I always struggle with grief during this time of year, as much as I enjoy it and find joy in it. 

December 2023 was truly a month to remember. I feel lucky to have ended 2023 on such a high month and look forward to what 2024 will bring!!!! 

XOXO – Katie <3 

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