Purple Flowers: July 2014

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Travel Series: Stevns, Denmark

I have had travel fever since I've moved to Chestertown.

I cannot stop looking up flights to Iceland, Copenhagen, London, France... you name it, I've probably checked. I just wanna jet off and go! Since I've been thinking about it so much I realized that I never really showed you photos of my travels while I was abroad... SO, boom. Travel Series.

I'm kicking it off with a few photos of one of my favorite weekend trips, Stevns, Denmark, a small coastal town in South Zealand on the Baltic sea. Within the Stevns region, we spent time in the town of Store Heddinge, which came into existence around the 13th century. Stevns is about an hour from Copenhagen, making it an easy day trip and has just been declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You have to change trains at the Køje station, but the switches are easy and the views are incredible. Stevns Klint consists of chalk and limestone formed 65 million years ago when a deep sea still covered Denmark. The chalk has been used throughout the village, having built the churches (kirke) and various buildings and homes in the region. The chalk cliffs are rare for Denmark and aren't found anywhere else in the Kingdom.

The cliffs at Højerup have views of the Øresund Bridge and Sweden on clear days.

The Højerup Kirke (church) was built in 1250 and practiced services here until 1910 when parts of the building began to crumble. In 1928 they lost the back end of the Church into the sea below as well as members of the choir.

Take a seat, these cliffs are 65 million years old. Around this area, scientists made a #lifechanging discovery. A layer of the Stevns cliffs called Fish Clay indicated that a giant meterorite had hit the Earth and had been the leading cause of mass extinction across the world. Bye bye Dinos. You know what I'm talking about. We learned this in school, right? Hint: Land Before Time. Right. And it was discovered right here, so. Hey, science.

Stevns Klint (Stevns' Cliffs)

Gjorslev Castle

St. Catherine's Church (Sct. Katharina kirke) from the 13th century.

Heading to Denmark soon? Of course you are. Who ISN'T?!

While you are there, be sure to check out Stevns. You'll be glad you did. Check back soon for my post on Copenhagen.

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Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Storify: The Smart Girls Summit

I couldn't be more proud to be a part of such an incredible organization. Unfortunately, my housing fell through for the 2 nights I was supposed to stay in NYC, so I wasn't able to make it up to the conference. It worked out just fine as I lived through my twitter feed and retweeted like a crazy woman.

I've used Storify to piece together some of the best parts of the day! Check it out.

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Monday, July 28, 2014

5 Changes You Should Make After College

If I've counted correctly, today would have been about 10 weeks since I graduated college. Now, that's not too long, but there are certainly some 'real world' experiences that had me thinking about changes that I would like to make for myself. Here are the 5 big ones I've encountered so far.

1. Follow through with kindness // Cleaning out my things from college I found a collection of misplaced items that disturbed me. Pictures, cards written and signed, and little notes and friendly reminders that were never sealed, never sent, and never delivered. Stop thinking about doing nice things for people, and actually do them.

2. Give yourself the gift of health // Regardless of how out of shape I am, I usually find a tiny voice in my head that affirms that I am a beautiful person. "Athlete" was always a name that went next to mine & I miss feeling strong. I'm trying to reduce my intake of refined sugars and other processed foods, and I've gotten back into the pool a few times and made running a part of my week. It's definitely not a diet but a conscious uncoupling of foods that are bad for my body and a commitment to movement.

3. Take care of your skin // I just started a skincare regime that works for me and I'm already seeing results. I don't know about you, but I really needed to start moisturizing. I am also committing to taking my makeup off every night before I go to bed, no excuses. Besides the countless sources that tell us how important it is to do this, I think it's also a nice opportunity to build yourself up. Being able to look at yourself in the mirror without any make up and still think you're beautiful is a powerful thing lady friends. Maybe it was a blog post, or a Youtube video, or a tv show, but someone was just saying that your skin cells essentially eat whatever you put on your face, including makeup, lotions etc. Let that sink in; pun intended.

4. Get some hobbies // Lately I've been thinking a lot about travel and my old blog, The Anchor Drops. I remember fondly writing out blog post after blog post about my experiences in Copenhagen and the importance of being alone. Being alone with myself for 5 months was the most telling experience of how I liked to spend my time. I taught myself how to knit, I caught up on tv shows I had always wanted to watch, I got lost (a lot) and learned that I love wandering without a map, and I picked up a paintbrush again. Now that I've moved in and there isn't homework on the weekends, I am the captain of how I spend my 2 days of freedom. I've been spending a lot more time outside, lots of walks and runs, farmers markets & book stores. I really want to commit to those things that make me happy.

5. People // I've noticed that with the excitement of new beginnings I sometimes forget the people that are the most important to me. I had the the most wonderful month at home with my parents and grandparents. Lots of dinners on the porch, walks to grandma's house, beach days, and shopping trips. Maybe I'm in the market for a "Don't forget to call your mother" magnet? I'm also crappy at remembering birthdays and sending cards on time. This needs to change because I am fiercely loved and reminded of it over and over again. Throw some love out into the universe and it will find its way back to you, I promise.

Are there things that you are making a pledge to change in your life? Are you transitioning to a big change? I wanna hear about it :) Leave a comment below.

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Wednesday, July 23, 2014

The Perfect Pancakes

Now that I've finally moved in 100% and Chestertown is my official home, I've been able to relax and enjoy my 'real worldliness." Me and the Mr. decided that on lazy Sunday, we would like to make pancakes. And boy, did we make pancakes.

Check out these babies. Topped with greek yogurt, fresh berries, and a sprinkle of sugar, these were definitely not #cleaneating worthy. However, there are so many pancake recipes out there that are healthy and look absolutely delicious. Here are a few I've saved on Pinterest to try for myself.

// Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes

// Quinoa Whole Wheat Greek Yoghurt

// Quinoa Pancakes with Blueberry Glaze

Are you noticing a theme? Bluebs.

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Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Rifle Paper Co. Sale!

Rifle Paper Co by hilarybadger featuring nyc home decor

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I am super crazy about Rifle Paper Co. I have a serious love for everything they do.
I don't think that there is anything that I don't want from their online shop. I'm crazy about their new wallpaper collection and would love if I had the ability to wallpaper my bathroom in this print! Give me all of the journals and notebooks. Fingers crossed I am able to get a new iPhone 5 soon so that I can purchase this London case.

Don't forget, save 10% on all art prints from Rifle Paper Co. until tomorrow, July 23, 2014!

Follow Anna Bond on Instagram to see the latest projects happening at Rifle Paper Co. & be inspired!

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Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Life Update

A big life update coming at ya!

Well, if you follow on Instagram you probably already know this.

I have accepted a job at Washington College and have moved to Chestertown full time! Yesterday was my first day in the "real world" and I loved every second of it. I will be serving as the Assistant Director of Chapter Programming and Alumni Networking. If you are a Washington College alum reading this, I will be handling all of the Alumni Chapters across the country! :) See you at an event!

My volunteer work with the Alumni Board and with the senior class gift campaign this past year totally sparked my interest in development, fundraising, and alumni programming. I am so inspired by the team I work with, the volunteers I oversee, and the alumni I am engaging. This move couldn't have been more perfect for me and I'm so excited to learn everything about this new realm.

The decision wasn't easy, and there were days that I questioned whether Chestertown was the right place for me (cough, cough the last two summers in DC, cough, cough). In the end, what really mattered to me was the work that I would be doing and my passion for it. I am able to utilize my creativity and harness my ideas and vision for these programs that I have not only partaken in, but already molded and shaped as a student.

Cheers to the next chapter, I am so happy you are along for the ride!

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