Preppy Girl Budget-Friendly Graduation Gift Guide

Graduation is approaching us for the Class of 2021 which means that graduation gift shopping is in full swing! As a fellow member of the Class of 2021, I have been looking around and creating wishlists for my own graduation gifts. As a preppy fashion lover, I decided to share a list of all things preppy for the graduating preppy fashion lover in your 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.*

$15 & Under

The Redheaded Camel Personalized Name Sheets

Image courtesy of The Redheaded Camel

Link to shop: https://www.theredheadedcamel.com/collections/gifts-under-20/products/personalized-decal-name-sheets?variant=32314916798499

All She Wrote Notes Car Magnet – Kindness Like Confetti

Image courtesy of All She Wrote Notes

Link to shop: https://www.allshewrotenotes.com/collections/all/products/kindness-like-confetti-car-magnet

Cassie’s Designs Novelty Champagne Flutes

Image courtesy of Cassie’s Designs Co

Link to shop: https://rstyle.me/+kgZ5WhgVJLjtsONHHnQAsg

The Redheaded Camel State Home Sweet Home 8×10 Handlettered Printable

Image courtesy of The Redheaded Camel

Link to shop: https://www.theredheadedcamel.com/collections/gifts-under-20/products/virginia-home-sweet-home-hand-lettered-8-x-10-printable?variant=31867160723491

All She Wrote Notes Sanitizer Bottle Pocket

Image courtesy of All She Wrote Notes

Link to shop: https://www.allshewrotenotes.com/collections/all/products/bottle-pocket

$25 & Under

Lilly Pulitzer Printed Initial Keychain

Image courtesy of Lilly Pulitzer

Link to shop: https://rstyle.me/+zAdV3v8zS6R8aIgG9fiLwg

Kate Spade New York Skinny Mini Bow Stud Earrings

Image courtesy of Kate Spade Surprise

Link to shop: https://rstyle.me/+-b11SdHzMTqpwdSyL16Slw

Evelyn Henson Washington DC (Any City) Map Tumbler

Image courtesy of Evelyn Henson

Link to shop: https://www.evelynhenson.com/products/washington-dc-map-tumbler?_pos=2&_sid=362a559b5&_ss=r

Lilly Pulitzer Daily List Pad

Image courtesy of Lilly Pulitzer

Link to shop: https://rstyle.me/+vYmxRFiuN8TDwhsEu1gN0w

The Redheaded Camel You’ll Never Regret Being Kind Canvas and Prints

Image courtesy of The Redheaded Camel

Link to shop: https://www.theredheadedcamel.com/collections/congrats-grad/products/youll-never-regret-being-kind-canvas-and-prints?variant=8607380733988

$50 & Under

Kate Spade New York Square Stud Earrings

Image courtesy of Macy’s

Link to shop: https://rstyle.me/+O5WE-psbdvatw19oud5DGw

Mark & Graham Acrylic Catchall Tray

Image courtesy of Mark & Graham

Link to shop: https://rstyle.me/+s_YZXDSj2QGr3V5teHVR_Q

Vera Bradley Plush Throw Blanket

Image courtesy of Vera Bradley

Link to shop: https://rstyle.me/+vVzt38WyS3onH5VNC9waZQ

Mark & Graham Acrylic Stemless Wine Glasses (Set of 4)

Image courtesy of Mark & Graham

Link to shop: https://rstyle.me/+vhw9pzzcExLSfcisRpWLMQ

Kendra Scott Elisa Gold Pendant Necklace

Image courtesy of Kendra Scott

Link to shop: https://rstyle.me/+yHWUntcIyyfrstHF31_4nA

Cheers to treating your favorite graduates!!!

XOXO – Katie <3

Easter Outfit Ideas Straight From Your own Closet

Since giving up shopping for Lent, I have had a ball shopping my own closet. Buying a brand-new dress for every occasion can most definitely add up in cost. With Easter approaching, I am sharing Easter outfit ideas that are straight from your own closet!!!

  1. White Dress
  2. Lilly Pulitzer Shift
  3. Pearls
  4. Anything Seersucker
  5. Pastel-Colored Dress
  6. Tory Burch Sandals
  7. Monogrammed Jewelry
  8. Lace Dress
  9. Floral Printed Dress
  10. Top Knot Hairband
  11. Scalloped-Hem Shorts, Skirt, or Dress
  12. Jack Rogers Sandals
  13. Bright-Colored Dress
  14. Easter Hat
  15. Kendra Scott Jewelry
  16. Anything with a Bow GOES!

Hopefully I can provide you with some style inspiration. Easter is a super fun holiday, especially when it comes to the fashion! Here’s to shopping our closets and saving money, too!!!

XOXO – Katie <3

Lilly Pulitzer Pieces Worth the Investment

Us Lilly Pulitzer lovers pride on living that Resort 365 lifestyle! Lilly Pulitzer has been my favorite fashion designer for years. The vibrantly colorful prints that bring such personality have always made me happy. I have also cultivated an extraordinary group of friends both in-person and through my platform of Lilly Pulitzer lovers. While Lilly Pulitzer is a super amazing fashion brand, it does come at a hefty cost. So, today, I am going to share the Lilly Pulitzer pieces that I think are worth the investment, whether purchased during one of Lilly Pulitzer’s signature After Party Sales or full priced!

*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.*

Valli Shift Dress (in White, Black, or Navy)

Callahan Knit Short

A Printed Maxi Dress (like the Destini Maxi Dress)

UPF 50+ Skipper Round Hem Popover

Trista Stretch Shirtdress

A Blazer Cardigan (like the Beckington Blazer Cardigan)

ANYTHING Luxletic (my favorite is the Luxletic Monica Skort!)

Elsa Silk Top (especially a solid color or in a favorite print)

A White Lace Dress (like the Ophelia Lace Swing Dress)

Izzy Skirt

Resort Scarf

Little Black Dress (like the Adalee Shift Dress)

Ceramic Mug

Buttercup Stretch Short

Tumbler with Straw

Lilly Pulitzer has so many products to choose from, but for the long run, some products are worth the price tag more than others. I hope that I have provided you with some inspiration for some pieces to shop for moving forward and aim to purchase.

XOXO – Katie <3

The Pink Chickadee’s 2020 Reader/Follower Survey Findings & 2021 Blogger Goals

If you have been following me for a while, then you know that I hosted my first-ever annual reader/follower survey. This survey was inspired by the lovely Annaliese of Southern Belle In Training who has done these surveys each year for her own platform and shares her results publicly. As an aspiring Data Scientist, I just knew that I had to jump on the idea of doing my own reader/follower survey! Like Annaliese, I also want to share my survey results publicly along with my 2021 blogger goals, which are *of course* aligned with what my survey responses were.

2020 Reader/Follower Survey Results:

It is important to note that this survey includes my followers on social media, readers of the blog, and those who do both. This survey was also voluntary and all responses are anonymous upon submission.

Demographics:

The majority of my readers are within my similar age range of 18-24 (77% of of my readers are within this age range. I also have some readers who are within their mid-late 20’s and early 30’s. Like myself, most of my readers are female at 96%, leaving there to be approximately 4% male readers.

My readers mostly live in the Southeast of the United States, with North Carolina, Virginia, Florida, and Georgia being the most popular states. However, I did get very excited over a response from Scotland along with one from Colorado and another from Arizona. The most popular city that my readers reside in is Raleigh, North Carolina along with its surrounding area along with the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

The top influencers that y’all are big fans of alongside following The Pink Chickadee include: Angela at @thriftypineapple, Carly at @carly, Kate at @lonestarsouthern, Emily Ann at @everythingemilyann, and Kelly at @kellyinthecity.

Where They Follow Along:

The majority of y’all follow The Pink Chickadee on Instagram while some of them follow solely or additionally through Facebook, WordPress/subscribing to the site, or my weekly newsletter. 86% of my followers have read a blog post, but 15% have not, meanwhile, 98% of my followers follow me on social media in some aspect – an insight that shows the importance of The Pink Chickadee‘s social media amongst its followers.

Blog & Social Media Content:

In terms of blog posts, y’all really appeared to enjoy content on travel, personal experiences/life advice, cooking, and fashion. Luckily, these are all areas of content that I LOVE LOVE LOVE sharing, so I am super glad to hear that my readers enjoy them!

As for social media, y’all’s favorite aspects were my wardrobe, interaction, encouragement, and the positivity. These were some of my favorite quotes:

  • “I’m really loving how you’ve done your travel posts from the past, considering the circumstances, that is such a clever ideas!” – Fun fact: I got this idea from my good friend Hannah D who shared a dump of photos on her stories one day from her past trip to Paris. Hannah D is such a clever and fun friend of mine, that I totally took it all into my own hands. Y’all are the one’s who influence me!!!
  • “They’re so cute & colorful. I also love how authentic you are.” – Thank you! My colorful and bubbly style makes my life go round, and I am really glad that I am able to share it all with y’all! At the same time, I love that I can be someone who is a shining authentic light!
  • “You’re so natural with it and it doesn’t feel sales-y” – I’m glad, it’s easy as a blogger to make it seem like your feed is all for sales and show. However, as a blogger, I find it extremely important to stick to your own passions and align them with your readership. I am really glad and happy that I have been able to show my true self and have it seen on this platform.
  • “Your stories are always so fun! It’s just an encouragement to see such positivity” – I’m glad!!! Life is so crazy right now. It makes me extremely happy to hear that I am helping y’all as The Pink Chickadee and y’all help me so so so much <3

Moving forward, my readers have the highest interest in blog posts and social media topics that include mental health awareness, easy recipes to try from Pinterest (I hope to include these in my weekly menu round-up’s too!), makeup/haircare/nails, DIY, home decor, travel, holiday, outfit of the day, and preppy fashion. At the same time, y’all are very interested in hearing more about my exciting adventure into the dating world with my sweet Chickadee Maggie, ideas for pretty much anything, and personal stories. Each of these topics are things that I am really excited to bring to the table as a blogger moving forward.

Additionally, y’all shared with me the types of travel destinations that you’re most interested in hearing experiences about (the beach, the mountains, the city, Europe, and the East Coast were the top one’s!) along with your favorite places to shop (Target, Marshall’s, Lilly Pulitzer, and Bath & Body Works were y’all’s favorites!). I also learned about my readers’ favorite small businesses and there are oh so many that I need to follow still! These small businesses include: Marah Cotta Clay, Paintbase, The Local Squirrel, Mini & Me Boutique as well as local restaurants and cafes. Knowing each of my readers’ interests will help me best to achieve my 2021 blogger goals.

Last but not least, my readers left me some of the sweetest comments, my favorite of which, I am going to share below!

  • “Your blog is fabulous and I feel privileged to be apart of your journey :))) I wish do something like this – maybe one day!”
  • “You’re doing awesome things! Love your page and newsletter. You’re seriously goals!”
  • “You’re doing great & one of my fav IG friends”
  • “I love that you’re so creative and very fashionable! Also you’re a very down to earth person and when seeing your page I feel like your talking to me”
  • “It just makes me happy when I read it. It kinda helps with my day.”
  • “I love seeing your Instagram, and I can’t wait to see how you grow.”

2021 Blogger Goals

  • Emphasis on Small Businesses – With everything going in on 2020 that has jeopardized small businesses’ existence, I want to use 2021 to really emphasize the importance of shopping small. Not only will I be striving to shop small more so, but I want to promote shopping small and do more and more collaborations with small businesses.
  • Interviews – I love featuring my friends on The Pink Chickadee, but I also want to feature those beyond my friend and family circle on my platform. I would love to feature those with different styles and interests than my own and really truly broken my horizons.
  • Relationships & LGBTQ+ – Since sharing some excitement of me and my lovely Chickadee (girlfriend) Maggie on this platform has really helped me to come out of and expand my shell. This year, I hope to shed some light and share more about being LGBTQ+ as well as life in a relationship.
  • Giveaways – Yes! You heard me right – I am hoping to do some more giveaways with small businesses as well as other influencers AND featuring your favorite products!
  • Personal Stories – Since y’all really seemed to appreciate reading about my own and others’ personal stories, I plan to share a lot of content along the lines of pieces of advice, personal stories, as well as my own experiences. Luckily, these are the easiest posts to write too 🙂

I am so blessed that I have been able to grow The Pink Chickadee in ways like never before this past year. Without y’all’s input, I would not be able to grow my platform and expand it even more in 2021 and beyond. Here’s to a year full of lots and lots of growth!

XOXO – Katie <3

Black Friday Deals to Shop This 2020

With 2020 being one ride of a year for us all, it only is necessary that our favorite stores start offering Black Friday deals right now. You heard me right: several stores are offering Black Friday deals right now!!!! Today, I have rounded up a bunch of stores that are offering deals for your own online Christmas and/or treat yourself shopping sprees. Happy shopping!!!

XOXO – Katie <3

Christmas Gifts for Self Care

I am very excited to have shared my first-ever gift guide apart of my Confetti Gift Guide series!!! With the holidays approaching and 2020 being a rough year for us all, self love and care has become more important than ever before. As it is important to share the love and compassion for others this holiday season, it is also important to provide yourself with some love and care, too. That being said, I decided to put together a gift guide of all things self care! These gifts are perfect to get either for treating yourself or for others this holiday season, as they perfectly embrace the need for nurturing ourselves in 2020, 2021, and beyond!

  1. Bath & Body Works Lotion
  2. Lush Bath Bomb
  3. Cuddl Duds Heated Plush to Sherpa Blanket
  4. Lilly Pulitzer Velour Robe
  5. The Redheaded Camel Bee Kind & Bee Happy Stickers
  6. InnoGear Oil Diffuser

As always, remember that self love is the BEST love!!!

XOXO – Katie <3

Christmas 2020 Decor Reveal

Have yourself a Merry Lilly Christmas! If you know me, then you know that I LOVE Christmas. So, today on the blog, I am revealing ALL of the Christmas decor for my first-ever Katie’s Confetti Christmas *cue the confetti*!!! All of my Christmas decorations are brought to you by Target, Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, Home Goods, Amazon, DIY, or leftover from my house or Papa’s from years past. With everything going on due to the coronavirus, I am very excited to have decorated a bit early for Christmas this year to spread some cheer. Enjoy!

A special thanks to my good friend Kaylee for helping me deck the halls with some sweet confetti Christmas cheer <3

XOXO – Katie <3

The DIY Breast Cancer Awareness Banner Made that Costs $0

Did you know that 1 in 8 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime? Me either. 1 in 8 people is a big number. Knowing this information, I think it is important that we all discuss and bring awareness to breast cancer. Breast cancer runs in my family, as my Great-Grandmother who I am named after got diagnosed with it and unfortunately passed away from it. Similar to my family, I know that many others have connections in their family and friends who have either had breast cancer or had it themselves. That being said, I decided to DIY a super cute banner to bring awareness to breast cancer research as well as its prevalence in our world today.

Every October, Lilly Pulitzer realizes a Paws for a Cause print where they donate some of the profits from its’ sales to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF). The print is *of course* pink, and I am obsessed with them all year after year. This year’s print was super duper adorable that I HAD to purchase something in it, especially knowing that my purchase goes to a great cause. As I have been eyeing Lilly Pulitzer’s pajama pants for quite some time now, I finally made the plunge and purchase a pair in this year’s Paws for a Cause print. Knowing how breast cancer affects many women and Lilly Pulitzer lovers, I really respect that my favorite fashion brand takes the initiative to support breast cancer research.

To go with my Paws for a Cause pajama pants, I decided to hand make a banner for my apartment. To make it, I went on my good old laptop and printed out a full page length of the print with one of the letters in “Think Pink” in a text box over it. I, then, printed the pages out, and hole punched the two left and right corners on the top of each page. Lastly, I weaved a tiny white ribbon through the holes and tied a knot at the ribbon on the end of each side.

I have made banners in my favorite Lilly Pulitzer prints in the past for both my dorms and my apartment. They have been such a fun decorative asset in my rooms for the past four years! Getting to have a banner that supports a cause that is very important to me and to many others is a great way to show off awareness for the things that mean the most to me. Although breast cancer is not going away anytime soon, showing off and giving my support for the cause is a way that I can do my part to help others and potentially myself someday.

XOXO – Katie <3

#KatiesConfettiStyle September 28-October 2

Hey y’all! It’s officially Week 2 of showing off how I style different pieces for my brand-new weekly style series Katie’s Confetti Style. Today, I am sharing a round up of my looks from this past week. Please note that this week will be a smaller number of outfits, as I have had midterms. However, I did plan some super fun looks that I hope y’all enjoy!!!

Tuesday: A White Dress for Fall!

Whoever said that white dresses were made just for the warmer months clearly never knew how fun wearing a white dress in the Fall is! This white dress from SheIn that I got over the summer is such a fun piece. I did a shoot with it last summer, and it’s such a great staple!!! In order to style it for Fall, I added my chambray button down as a jacket, my Madison Boutique top knot hairband, and Kate Spade leopard print flats. Let’s just say that it is one of my favorite outfits of the season!!!

Thursday: Lilly Pulitzer’s Mila Shift for Fall!

I LOVE my Mila shifts!!! The fact that I can only wear my Mila shifts in the warmer months is clearly a fashion rule that I do not want to follow. So, I made my own fashion statement by styling my Mila shift from The Pink Crab in Zanzibar Ruff Night with my navy Vineyard Vines Shep Shirt (pullover). My Vineyard Vines Shep Shirt most definitely topped off the cake of my Fall Lilly look!!!

Friday: Mad for Plaid!

I don’t know about you, but I feeling ALL of the Friday feels!!! Plaid is most definitely one of my favorite Fall and Winter weather prints, so I had to pull out my plaid cape that I got while in Scotland. Consequently, I paired it with my white Talbots top that I purchased at a thrift store and have had for YEARS as well as my blue Murano glass heart necklace that I got while in Murano, Italy on a day trip from Venice, Italy. To top it off, I added my Jack Rogers blush tan suede boots and my black leggings from Kohl’s. Definitely a Friday look for the win!!!

XOXO – Katie <3

My Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale Haul!

Let’s throw some confetti in the air because my Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale haul has arrived and I am FINALLY SHARING IT WITH Y’ALL!!! I am SO excited to have all of my finds here with me, especially super early for After Party Sale finds to arrive. Before I share my finds, I want to thank my sweet influencer friend Kristen from Kristen’s Southern Splendor and a few other Lilly loving ladies for hosting a Lilly Pulitzer gift card giveaway that I was fortunate enough to win. Without winning that exciting giveaway, this September’s sale would not have been nearly exciting for me.

For this sale, I not only shopped on Lilly Pulitzer’s website, but I also supported a few small Signature stores – Palm Avenue Raleigh, The Peppermint Palm, and The Printed Peach – as well as a few pieces off of Poshmark. Many of these pieces are back to school items and early Christmas gifts as I did get a lot of exciting finds. Additionally, I bought a few pieces when I received my $20 off coupon for shopping the After Party Sale. What can I say?! I LOVE a good deal!!!

Headband in Totally Blossom

Adalee Shift Dress in Resort White

Kristen Top in Sunshine City

Ophelia Dress in It Was All A Dream

Billie Dress in FlaminGOALS

Wrap Dress in Southern Charm

Sophie Dress in Unicorn Of The Sea

Palm Avenue Printed Reusable Bag

Sophie Dress in Lilly’s House

Aleah Top in Hey Hey Bouquet

Trista Stretch Shirtdress in Who Let The Fronds Out

Delia Shift Dress (forget the print’s name!)

Shea Stretch Dress in True Navy

I am SO grateful that I found some really exciting and super fun finds during this year’s After Party Sale! While I know that this sale is a lot of items, I am also very blessed to have won a giveaway and have some super great Back To School finds for my final year of college as an undergraduate. As someone who consistently strives to look for fashion finds at an affordable price, the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sales allow me to find my favorite pieces for each season at a much cheaper rate than paying full price. While we cannot have a party in-person as in the past, I’m still having a big party over my sale finds and making the best of the current situation!

XOXO – Katie <3