July 2024 was a WHIRLWIND of a month. It started off pretty rough with lots of uncertainty and it ended with a clear path forward and lots of clarity. Through it all though, I have been able to find the joy in a rather crazy month and make lemons out of lemonade. In life, we are always managing and navigating through one conflict or another or perhaps multiple, so why not find the joy during these times?!?! Needless to say, through it all, I am very proud of myself for staying busy and making time for myself, my loved ones, and to recharge, too.
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My Favorite Buys:
- Strolling through the aisles of Target with Papa, I found this Universal Thread dress *right* before I checked out and snagged it in pink. Then, I went back and ordered it in TWO more colors on sale!
- I have been EYEING a set of House of Harlow pajamas for MONTHS (since finding a pair earlier this year and not grabbing it when I wished I had). However, in July of 2024, I scored a House of Harlow tank pajamas set at TJ Maxx for $15!
- Bottles of Rosé at Trader Joe’s for under $10 is ALWAYS a favorite buy of mine! End of story.
- This past month, I inherited some family-owned gold utensils, candle holders, Pillsbury salt/pepper shaker set, plates, parfait glasses, and a hydrangea vase. I have been decorating these incredible finds around my apartment to put on display for generations to come. It is a HUGE blessing to be able to inherit these beautiful finds of mine with family ties.
- Thrifted scores were AMAZING this past month. These thrift scores included: Kate Spade leopard pumps at Bee Thrifty, Giorgio Armani dress at Salvation Army, Lilly Pulitzer for Target shift at Current Boutique, Brooks Brothers shirt dress at Salvation Army, ginger jar at Jayne’s Reliable, and a chinoiserie wine glass that I’ve been frequently using at Bee Thrifty.
Highs:
- July 2024 included an incredible trip: the Thompson Family Reunion and visit with my bestie Amanda in the SAME WEEKEND in Bethany Beach, Delaware. The Thompson Family Reunion had 14 people, 1 dog, 1 cat, and LOTS of memories made in the same house. We enjoyed pool time, dinners at Good Earth Market and Dockside, lots of at-home happy hours, thrifting at ACTS Thrift Shop and Jayne’s Reliable, and simply catching up. Times like the Thompson Family Reunion truly remind me of the importance to take a step back, savor the moment, and love my family for who they are.
- During the Thompson Family Reunion, we took a day trip to Berlin, Maryland. Berlin, Maryland is an ultra-charming town known as “America’s Coolest Small Town” located within close proximity to Ocean City, Maryland and the Delaware beaches. It boasts many small businesses that are local to Berlin, ranging from shops to art galleries to bars to ice cream parlors to restaurants. One of the biggest draws to Berlin shop-wise is their plethora of amazing antique shops. I enjoyed strolling throughout the streets of Berlin, lunch and beer with the family at The Globe, taking charming downtown photos of Berlin.
- To commemorate Independence Day, I took a pre-July 4th stroll at Old Town Alexandria and enjoy a nice solo happy hour at the city’s brand-new Hotel Heron’s rooftop bar Good Fortune. Good Fortune has the highest altitude in all of Alexandria, Virginia for a rooftop bar and offers AMAZING skyline views of Old Town Alexandria, the Potomac River/Woodrow Wilson Bridge, and parts of Washington, DC/Virginia/Maryland. SUCH A COOL SPOT!
- I took Rosie on a Starbucks outing on a Wednesday afternoon once I finished a work briefing. It brought me SO MUCH JOY to see my sweet pup enjoying a nice outing with me to my local Starbucks, which I LOVE to frequent a few times a week! I LOVED bringing Rosie with me as she brought me and so many other fellow customers lots of joy.
- July 2024 brought about many great moments to catch up with friends, including lunch with Stephanie and Ashley at Ballston, Arlington’s Punch Bowl Social (including a post-lunch stroll at the Smithsonian Castle), dinner with Briana at Occoquan’s The Secret Garden Cafe and Lorton’s Naty’s, dinner at Old Town Alexandria’s Barca with Brittany, solo dinner date at Washington, DC’s La Grande Boucherie, dinner with Papa at Burke’s Spartans Family Restaurant, and a movie night at Washington, DC’s The Wharf with Briana, Brittany, their Mom, and Torie seeing Dream Girls at sunset. All in all, I am extremely blessed to have such incredible friends and family members in my life to make memories with.
- Walks and chats at the local-to-us Burke Lake Park and Heron Pond with my best friend Haley have been MAJOR blessings in my life and especially this past month. With having gone through a pretty chaotic July, I have truly cherished my local walks with Haley and will continue to do so moving forward, too.
- My return to church (which I write about more here) and many more memories were made this July 2024 with Papa who is recovering from his knee replacement surgery! We have been going to church on Sunday’s together and plan to continue this Sunday tradition beyond his recovery and into the Fall with our church’s Wednesday Night Dinners and other events which kick off in September. At the same time, we have been going on outings to Target and enjoyed homemade potato pancakes (which Papa made for us!) from his garden.
Lows:
- Stress and uncertainty due to family-related things was how I kicked off July 2024. Needless to say, the month started off with a bang, but fortunately, these family-related things are things that have since subsided and are improving for the better. During this timeframe, I learned to truly be grateful for the moments that we have with our loved ones and strive to find the good in everything.
- Extreme burnout in late-July hit me like a TON of bricks, and, as a result of lots of chaos going on earlier in the month. However, at the end of the day, I am beyond proud of myself for identifying what I was struggling with as burnout and for simply taking the time to recover and recharge and take care of me.
- Allergies due to pollen of ALLLL the things kept me super exhausted most evenings until I got a shower. Classic with pollen, I guess. Pollen definitely feels like the carousel that NEVER stops turning – LOL!
As we wrap up July 2024, I will note that August 2024 is going to be one of my MOST exciting travel months to date (!!!!). I am going to be visiting two new-to-me states (one of which will go into September, as it’s over Labor Day Weekend and into the week!). This post will probably be short and sweet into August, but many many many travel posts will be coming soon on this platform, alongside my slowly-coming reflections of my day trips and experiences on my solo trip to Ireland (here, here, and here so far!) that I have been in the process of sharing. Needless to say, August here we come!
XOXO – Katie <3
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