I Went to The Bachelor Live in Washington, DC!

If you know me, then you know I am a major major fan of ABC’s The Bachelor franchise. The Bachelor franchise presents shows related to The Bachelor, including its spinoffs The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise that each air on ABC each year. My Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!) also double as a The Bachelor franchise superfine account in my Instagram Stories on occasion – haha! So, you can most definitely say I am a HUGE The Bachelor Franchise fan!!! Needless to say, when I saw that The Bachelor Live sponsored by Kendra Scott was going on tour with former The Bachelorette lead Becca Kufrin and a rotation of Bachelor leads (Justin Glaze from Katie Thurston’s season of The Bachelorette being The Bachelor lead for the Washington, DC show) and coming to Washington, DC’s Warner Theatre, I KNEW I needed to attend!

*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.*

I was scrolling on Facebook on one magnificent day which is VERY typical for me – LOL! – and happened to see that The Bachelor Live tickets were being sold. So, I went onto the website and happened to find a ticket for under $60 in the center of the Orchestra section at the end of an aisle. I also bought a VIP Lounge add-on to avoid the LOOONGGG bar lines for $30 and of course ticket insurance. I posted about it on my Instagram Stories, intending to go solo, and to my surprise my coworker and friend Katherine booked the seat right next to mine so away we went!

The Bachelor Live was such a blast! Essentially, this show is a mini accelerated season of The Bachelor with roses and ALL with contestants being women from the crowd who also purchased tickets themselves. Very entertaining is an understatement of describing the night. There was a lot of photo opportunities, fun merchandise, and LOTS of entertainment all throughout the night. Not to mention, the fact that I got to see former The Bachelorette Becca Kufrin host it all live with a surprise cameo from her boyfriend and Bachelor Nation alum Thomas who surprised her with a sweet Birthday treat (it was her Birthday the night we went, too!!). All in all, very romantic, entertaining, and a blast!

I wore my floral one-shoulder ruffled dress that I got on clearance while in college from Altar’d State. I, then, paired it with my black sparkly Kate Spade crossbody, black Kendra Scott dangling drop earrings, black with gold chain Kendra Scott necklace, and my black rock stud Valentino Rock Stud dupe flats from the Mix No6 brand sold at DSW (however, I got these for $1 at the Philly Aids Thrift Shop when in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania this past September). Since The Bachelor Live was sponsored by Kendra Scott, I HAD to wear my favorite Kendra Scott jewelry pieces! Last but not least, I pulled off a classic Taylor Swift and did a cat eyeliner look and paired it with red lipstick. Needless to say, my outfit was ALL from my closet and I didn’t shop for any of it before the performance.

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Now, I am very very very excited to be able to hopefully go to The Bachelor Live again next year. But, in the meantime, I will link some pieces from my outfit for your shopping pleasure!

XOXO – Katie <3

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My First Washington DC National Cherry Blossom Festival as a Local

If you live in Washington, DC or perhaps the United States, then you know that late March-late April is the 3 week long National Cherry Blossom in the nation’s capital. On my Instagram (follow me @_thepinkchickadee!!), I have been sharing ALLL the cherry blossom content on my page, whether it be in my Northern Virginia neighborhood or in Washington, DC on my several weekend day trips there. This year (2022), the National Cherry Blossom Festival runs from March 22-April 17 (website linked here), and I am going to share my experiences with my best friend Shivani at this almost-month long festival so far (hence why this is Part 1 of 2!) in this post!

Part 1 – The Opening Ceremony at Warner Theatre

Every year, the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off with an opening ceremony, which this year was held at the historic and drop dead gorgeous Warner Theatre. Shivani and I arrived at Warner Theatre early and *of course* stocked up on ALL of the merchandise that the Cherry Blossom Festival sells each year. This event is FREE and features performers and prominent figures in making the National Cherry Blossom Festival happen from both the United States and Japan. Fun fact: Japan is the home base of the cherry blossom trees, as they were planted by First Lady Helen Taft and prominent Japanese figures, in order to represent and honor the United States’ and Japan’s friendship back in the 1910’s-1920’s. First Lady Helen Taft also founded my favorite-ever museum exhibit – the First Lady Exhibit at the Smithsonian’s American History Museum. We got to see Japanese performers, the United States Ambassador to Japan, a video message from United States First Lady Jill Biden, an Amazon Executive (Amazon is a MAJOR sponsor in the makings of the National Cherry Blossom Festival), and even Washington, DC-based meteorologist Veronica Johnson who was a co-host. It was such a cool and historic experience and very very very special!

Before heading over to Warner Theatre for the National Cherry Blossom Opening Ceremony, Shivani and I met at the National Mall. We walked over to explore the gorgeous cherry blossoms along the National Mall, right by the Washington National Monument. The cherry blossoms were just gorgeous and we were able to get some great photo opportunities in as well. Despite the weather being freezing for this time of year, it was still a pretty great time!

Part 2 – The Tidal Basin

The second part of my National Cherry Blossom Festival Experience was visiting the Tidal Basin aka the BEST place to go to view the cherry blossoms at their peak. In ALL its glory, even on an extremely cloudy and gloomy day, the cherry blossom trees were still quite gorgeous to see. Shivani and I got off at the Smithsonian Metro Station (the closest station to the Tidal Basin), where we walked to the Tidal Basin via passing by the Washington National Monument yet again. The walk to the Tidal Basin from the Washington National Monument is lined with gorgeous cherry blossom trees and is a scenic route in its self with many many many photo opportunities. Once we reached the Tidal Basin, we lucked out to be able to get a spot to enjoy the scenery without crowds interrupting our photos (a normalcy during this time of year at the Tidal Basin!!). People were leaving the Tidal Basin for lunch when we arrived, which made our time there a bit less crowded yet still crowded. BUT, it did sleet and rain quite a bit on and off but luckily we didn’t get too pampered by it as it was on and off. I always like to say that it’s all about the journey and not the destination and that rings true to Shivani and I’s memories made at the Tidal Basin!

I am in love with Washington, DC in full bloom. There’s so much free things to do, even when it’s crowded with tourists and locals alike. I am oh so blessed to be able to live in the nation’s capital and enjoy this extraordinary city too AND with my best friend Shivani! In the meantime, I will be admiring the cherry blossoms locally until I go back into Washington, DC for the Hello Kitty Truck’s visit to the Tidal Basin in just a short week.

XOXO – Katie <3

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