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