My Lilly Pulitzer Inspired College Apartment

Hey y’all! I am SO excited for today’s post, which is an Apartment Reveal of my on-campus college apartment!!! This is my second year living in this gorgeous apartment that I LOVE to call my home, but I definitely did some decorating here and there since moving in last week. Decorating is one of my favorite hobbies and if I could do it ALL DAY EVERYDAY, then I would. I get such an adrenaline from shopping for decor, especially on a budget. Keeping this in mind, the majority of things in my apartment are from Marshall’s/Home Goods/TJ Maxx, The Dollar Tree, Walmart, The Christmas Tree Shops, Amazon, Hobby Lobby, small businesses such as The Redheaded Camel, The Local Squirrel, and Pamlico Paper Company, gifted to me, things that I already had, secondhand finds, and DIY. My apartment was furnished for the most part, which is an extreme blessing! Hopefully, I can provide you with some decoration inspiration for your own place. Enjoy!!!

XOXO – Katie <3

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Fun Ideas To Spice Up Your Next Picnic

With our new and social distancing-embracing world, picnics have become a favorite activity of mine to gather with friends and family. Not only are picnics great to promote social distancing while still seeing those that you love and care about, but they can also bring us together to enjoy a nice meal or to simply catch up. Today, I am going to be sharing some fun ideas to spice up your next picnic, and make them OH SO special during this unique time!

1 – Pick a New Location To Picnic Each Time

Whether on your college campus, somewhere nearby, or both, picnicking at a different place each time allows for you and your crew to explore different places in your area while still enjoying one another’s company. Especially if you and your crew meet regularly to picnic and are able to get around to different places, then picnicking in various places nearby would be such a fun way to explore your local area while catching up with one another. That way, you and your crew can travel together nearby while enjoying each another’s company.

2 – Order Takeout

Just because you’re having a picnic does not mean that you have to have home cooked food each time! While sandwiches, fruit, and chips/crackers to nibble on may be the classic picnic staples, they don’t have to be. From the Cheesecake Factory to Taco Bell to a local favorite, the possibilities for takeout are ENDLESS. Since eating out at restaurants may not be the safest option for everyone, ordering takeout from your favorite places and having a picnic instead can be the next best thing for us all in the meantime!

3 – Make Breakfast Favorites

Okay ladies, let’s make a picnic toast with some mimosas!!! Breakfast for a picnic?! I think YES! From biscuits to pancakes to waffles and everything in between, breakfast is such a staple meal of the day that can be a super fun way to have a picnic with your crew. Let’s just say that I made waffles for a picnic with some friends, and it was a HIT!! You can even spice it up a little more by having a mimosa together, just as if y’all were at your favorite breakfast joint.

4 – Fun Dining Ware

Nothing says a cute picnic like fun plates, napkins, & cutlery! Luckily, places like The Dollar Tree, Walmart, The Christmas Tree Shops, and Target all sell super adorable and affordable party dining ware that can be used for picnics as well. I’ve LOVED finding super cute and fun dining ware, as they do add an extra fun twist to any picnic, and I know you will too!

5 – Bring Something Homemade

There’s nothing better than going to a picnic and showing up to seeing something homemade from the heart. I LOVE making something of my own for a picnic, as I feel it adds an extra touch as if I’m hosting someone in my own apartment. Like being in the kitchen, you can make just about anything to bring on a picnic, just be sure you can transport it. From pizza to a cheese board to pasta and even soup, the possibilities for homemade recipes are NEVER-ENDING!

6 – Do a Craft Together

Nothing says a fun time like a craft party! I know I LOVE doing crafts, especially in social gatherings. While picnics may be the new normal in terms of social gatherings for the time being, it does not mean that we cannot do the activities that we love such as crafting while at it. Craft parties have always been a favorite of mine, through doing activities such as wine and designs, card making, and scrapbooking. Why not do a craft party picnic style?!

7 – Potluck Style

Similar to any social gathering that is not social distanced, why not make a picnic a potluck picnic?! Depending on the size of your crew that you’re meeting for a picnic, it can be pretty tricky to transport everything for your picnic all on your own, which will make having a potluck a much more practical way to go. Likewise, doing a potluck style picnic will also allow everyone that you’re meeting up with to feel included and apart of the picnic. A potluck style picnic is definitely a fun way to go, with it allowing for easy transport of goodies and everyone in your crew to feel included.

8 – Have a Photoshoot Too

A picnic AND a photoshoot?! Let’s give it a GO!!! Since social distancing has brought about several changes in the ways that we gather with our friends, a picnic AND photoshoot will allow you to capture those memories while still gathering. Y’all will simply be gathering in a different way!

9 – Play a Card Game

Cards Against Humanity, What Do You Meme, and Apples To Apples, OH MY! The number of card great games out there is INSANE. This high number of card games will allow you and your crew to eventually find one that y’all will enjoy while picnicking together and making memories all at the same time.

10 – Get in a Walk, Too!

Why not get in a workout too?! There are SO many places that offer walking trails and areas to picnic. If you’re like me, then you may be the type of person who goes for a long walk and then gets hungry and vice versa. Going for a walk and exploring the scenery and enjoying some time setting and taking everything in for a nice picnic is most definitely the best of both worlds! Why not take full advantage of your local parks?!

Social distancing or not, picnics are an excellent way to gather with those you want to see. While picnicking may be the latest and greatest way to catch up with your crew amid the coronavirus pandemic, there are definitely SO many ways to make your picnic super fun and uniquely yours. The most important thing is that you and your crew are able to catch up and make memories together, even if they are done in a different way for now.

XOXO – Katie <3

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So I Had a Blogger Launch Party

You know what they say: go BIG or go home? If you know me, you know that I will pretty much always choose the first of the two. With the start of a new chapter, with it being my blog, I couldn’t not start out with a Big Bang! That being said, a launch party was the best way I could think of to celebrate my exciting brand-new endeavor. What can I say? This girl LOVES to an excuse to have a party!

The Theme: PINK!

Since we are celebrating the launch of The Pink Chickadee, I could not think of anything better than to ask my guests to wear pink if they so choose to. The theme of pink was also reflected in my *of course* pink outfit and the photo booth decor as well as the serving materials (more on that later on).

The Venue: My Apartment

Since I decided to launch my blog on the third day of Spring semester classes, I figured that my on-campus apartment would be a convenient location to host my friends, who are also mostly Meredith students. I also made the party a drop-in, so that my friends could still drop by as they pleased, amongst their busy schedules.

The Decor: All Things Pink & Sparkly

For the decor, I decided to make use with the party supplies that I already had, as well as some new things. To put my apartment in celebration mode, I found a DIY pink banner at The Dollar Tree. Meanwhile, for the photo area, I used a gold tasseled backdrop that I already had. On the table, I decked out my pink felt letter board from Amazon. Whereas, for the serving materials, I purchased all of my plates, cups, napkins, and utensils from The Christmas Tree Shops for under $4 a product. If you do plan to shop at The Christmas Tree Shops, then you must be aware if you’re shopping there that each store targets to its location so the merchandise available differs per store. I also found this super cute set of pink and white printed paper straws from The Dollar Tree.

The Food: Chips & Sundaes

As I was thinking about what I was going to serve at my launch party, I couldn’t help but think of any better combination than chips and sundaes! I mean, who doesn’t love some chips and guacamole and a lava cake topped with cotton candy ice cream?!

For the savory lovers, I bought two bags of tortilla chips from Harris Teeter and made some homemade queso dip. I also purchased some salsa from Harris Teeter. For the sweet tooth’s, I made my favorite (and SUPER easy) Crockpot lava cake recipe in the flavor funfetti and set out some fixings for ice cream sundaes (unfortunately, I did not get around to snapping some photos of the sweets). Ice cream-wise, I purchased mint chocolate chip cookie dough flavors from Harris Teeter. Meanwhile for the fixings, I snagged some cherries, caramel and chocolate sauces, and of course whipped cream.

As someone who LOVES a grand celebration, hosting The Pink Chickadee‘s launch party was such a great way to do it. I am a firm believer that empowered women really do empower one another, and I can totally see that through many amazing women that came out to celebrate me. The support that I have received from friends, family, and everyone in between truly means the world to me. In fact, my launch party was just the icing on top of the cake!

I would like to give a special thank you to my friends Ana, Sophie, Julia, Laura Kate, Kaylee, Asiyah, and Bailey for helping to make this night as amazing as it was! I love y’all <3

Xoxo – Katie <3

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