#IAmThatGirl Pt. 2

I fell head over heels because of these words by the fabulous Alexis Jones when reading the next 100 pages of I Am That Girl.  Here are the ones that captivated my heart.

"I realized that when we have truly built a reputation on making good decisions, of unbridled self-discipline, unwavering work ethic with a strong moral compass, that in spite of circumstance and temptation, people are willing to invest in us." // 104

"You attract what you are." // 105

"You have so many gifts to offer this world and you owe it to yourself (and to all of us) to be remarkable today." // 108

"I believe in a world where girls empower girls, a world in which we are each other's biggest supporters and our greatest cheerleader, a world where we are taught to celebrate one another's gifts, not to be threatened by them." // 134

"...fight for something that doesn't make sense to anyone but you." // 134

"...magic lives where fear and magic intersect."  // 137

"Being the captain of your ship is a power that most people dream of, but never have the guts to take, and that can make them resentful." // 140

"I do know that life is not too short, but rather, far too long for you to waste another day not seeking out every adventure calling your name." // 147

"In that space, I'm able to connect with the best parts of me, to really see me in all her infinite brilliance."  // 165

"And that requires digging deep into your soul on a daily basis and making the choice to be joyful, not because you have the perfect job, found the love of your life, or won the lottery, but because you chose to be that way." // 168

"Being an optimist is not the same as being naive or ignorant, in fact, it takes far more discipline to extend tolerance over judgement, faith over fear, and love over hate."  // 187

"Be a source of light - that is the real test of living well." // 187

"The reality is that the greatest map we have to our life's awesome quest is actually imprinted inside the walls of our heart, and the constellation of stars guiding us along our journey are the phenomenal people we are surrounded by."  // 199

"My identity is more found in who I love than in who I feel I need to be.  I can smoothly answer, 'I don't know,' and find power in my acceptance of the grandness and enormity of this beautiful life and my beautiful, learning mind."  - Yvonne Randolph 101 

What inspiration have you sought out after today?  Share it in the comments below :) 

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Spring Break 2014: Savannah

The last 'spring break', ever.  

However this year was my first spring break that I traveled with friends!  It was a wonderful adventure and I learned a lot about myself and my 3 friends over 25 hours of driving throughout the week.  

While we were there we took a day trip to Savannah since Hilton Head Island is only about an hour away.  It was the perfect little escape mid week amidst the beach, laying by the pool, and catching up on work.  Marie and Ashley are both talented photographers and took so many gorgeous photos of our time there.  Here are a few of my photos that I edited with VSCO CAM.  

I've been to Savannah about 5 times and I fall more in love every time.  I could honestly see myself living there one day.  It is the most romantic city; the right mix of Old South and 21st Century.  Besides the rich history, I wasn't too overwhelmed with the whole 'Southern' culture thing that typically turns me off.  The food is amazing, the festivals (specifically St. Patricks Day), the squares, the history, the waterfront; it really has the whole package.  I secretly wish that I could go to Savannah College of Art and Design and do Graphic Design.. if only *Le Sigh.  

Where were your latest travels?  Have you spent time in Savannah?  What was your favorite part?

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Fitness

On my recent spring break trip I brought my great pal, Ms Maire, who I totally forgot is a fitness instructor.  Boy, were we in store for an active week.  What I thought was going to be a week of laying on the beach turned into a week of gym time, long walks, and lots of veggies.  I couldn't be more grateful than Marie kicked all of our butts back into shape.  I was an NCAA athlete for the first two years of my college experience and since I've stopped due to a shoulder injury, I've put fitness on the back burner.  It's so easy to do.  With meetings, thesis writing, job hunting, project management, and the whole 'school' thing, how do you pencil it in? Recently, I've been getting up super early and running before class.  It gives me energy and a 'can do' attitude for the rest of the day.  

I've been using the Nike+ Running app since last year.  It keeps me motivated and tracks my courses as I run throughout Chestertown.  There is no better feeling that clocking in a run and watching the mileage increase.  Currently, I'm using the Coach tool.  It provides me with a training program to my abilities and pushes me each week to run a certain amount of miles.  I'm at 6 miles for this week and hopefully clocking in 4 more before Monday morning.  

One of my 101 thing in 1,001 days goals is to run 30 miles in 30 days!  That's what I'll be doing this April!  Join me in making time for your health! 

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Favorite Bloggers

Yes, things are still crazy busy, but I'm starting to really get back into blogging & bloglovin.  

While I'm not able to read through my Bloglovin feed everyday, it is great to catch up on the blogosphere.  I love their 'mark as read' feature and the ability to collect the posts that you've liked.  I get so many great ideas for blog posts; I just want to showcase how wonderful all of these women are!  Here are some of my favorite lady bloggers. 

1. Whitney Blake:  I emailed Whitney about blog design when I was still on WordPress years ago for design advice.  I wasn't really sure how to change my blog/grow my blog without actually investing money into it.  Her business, Heart & Arrow Designs is really taking off!  I love that she uses her income from design to travel around the world!  

2. Amy V. Norris: Amy is the most divine coffee drinker there ever was.  She is a first year at King's College in London and spends her days exploring the boroughs and their coffee shops as well as spending countless hours reading and writing.  Also, she mentioned me in her latest blog post.  xo

3. Diverging Skies: My friend Emma Way from Washington College puts so much effort into her precious blog, Diverging Skies.  She chats all about traveling, being a college student at WAC, and budgeting your money to achieve your dreams!  She's got quite the following and I'm so happy that we've recently connected; there aren't too many bloggers here on campus!   I'm so excited for her to be writing a piece for the Smart Girls Group magazine, in our June issue.  

4. The Londoner:  I am so infatuated with this London lady.  While she makes eating scrumptious food look effortless and calorie-less, her photos are creative and fun!  Her recent trip to NYC has me dreaming of Bolt bussing up North and her photos of the High Line make it simply irresistible to stay away.  

5. The Fox & She: Who doesn't love a good Shiba Inu puppy?  Blair and her #littlefox live in Chicago where she designs, paints, and travels, all while looking effortlessly stylish.  Her instagram's of her precious pup also make me so happy and I very much admire her talent and creativity!  

Comment below with some of your favorite bloggers! 

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You Know How You Have That Friend..

While sitting on the beach in HHI our last day, my best pal since 6th grade and I reminisced about all the silly things we did when it dawned on me...Marie is that friend.  

We have loads of embarrassing photos and funny memories where we laughed for no reason and did stupid things.  She introduced me to The Bachelor and Sex and The City.  We took her dog for walks in the sun, in the rain, and in the cold. 

First we looked like this; 

we baked the cookies 

watched sunsets 

made awesome friendship bracelets 

stayed up late talking about boys 

hard to believe this was 4 years ago, our senior year of high school 

And now, here we are on the cusp of greatness!  Weeks from graduating college and possibly *fingers crossed* moving to the big apple and being roomies in Manhattan.  

Thank you Miss Marie for being that friend throughout all of these years.  I have some of my happiest memories with you!  

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Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

The last time I was in Hilton Head Island, SC with my family I was going into my senior year of high school.  Woah.  I just returned last night from my spring break there and it had me feeling pretty nostalgic.  Before I post my photos from the trip, I wanted to give you a taste of Hilary, circa 2009.  

I'm not sure why, how, or when I lost my curls, but they certainly don't look like that anymore.

Can't wait to share some of our wonderful memories that my roommates and I made this week!  

Smart Girls

Calling all Smart Girls, have you heard of The Smart Girls Group?

I'm so excited to finally announce that I'm working with the Smart Girls Group on their exec staff as their Bookings Director.  It is such a LOVELY sisterhood and an amazing magazine that brings some of the best women together to learn and grow.  We had our first meeting tonight over Google Hangout and it's amazing knowing that I'm connecting with women in NYC, Austin, and Paris to collaborate on this wonderful mission: to empower the next generation of super star women who make the world a better place.

In addition to my #SmartGirl project, I've taken on communications and strategy work for a Congressional Campaign, and political research for a Women's Magazine called Vitamin W.  

I was worried that I was taking on too much, and then I saw this on Pinterest, and now I'm not so worried.  I'm doing things that I love & I'm so excited to be a part of them! 

img 1

What new challenges and projects have you guys been taking on lately?   

40 Days of Dating Project

A friend from work forwarded this to me and I'm hooked.  

40 Days of Dating Project

I'm SO into this.  

 The"About." page probably explains it better, but two friends, both graphic designers living in NYC  [dream job] have dating issues they want to work on.  Jessica is a hopeless romantic who jumps into relationships head first while Tim tends to fear commitment and dates many girls at once.  They both decided to commit to a 40 day project; they have to see each other every day and reflect on their relationship through questionnaires asked by random friends.

Some of the best parts of relationships are those first few dates when you learn everything about one another.  This is even better because you get to read how both partners feel during the entire 40 day process of dating.  This project was completed in April but now after the two designers have added their own creations for each day, you are able to follow along.  I can't wait to see what happens at the end.  

Do you think they are still together?! 

Buzzfeed wrote a pretty great article about their project and Yahoo! News ragged on them for calling it art.  However you choose to think about it, I think it's a truly inspiring project.  

Both people delve into why they act the way they do in relationships, how they think about dating, and how past relationships have changed them.   

Love makes the world go round, don't you agree? 

The real party is on the 3rd of July

 I am feeling pretty patriotic this 4th of July.  I'll be spending my first 4th in D.C., our nation's capital [which is exciting].  No metro'ing back to College Park, or Baltimore...I can walk to the fireworks and concert on the Mall!  I figure if I'm gonna do the 4th, DC style, it might as well be while I'm living on Mass Ave & in walking distance of everything on Capitol Hill.  

Now, from my experience last year, it seems that everyone on the political side of the game here in the district uses this time to escape DC for a week, or a long weekend.  And I can't blame them, I escaped to Annapolis with my roommate last year to avoid the extremely crowded metro's and masses of people that seem to be flocking to the district to celebrate, Founder's style.  [Because what better way to celebrate freedom and independence than to stand shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of hot/smelly people on an inescapable train car?] 

But I get it, you're in the 'center of the free world,' it's bound to be exciting, right? 

I'm still not entirely sure how I'm going to spend my time, but I do know some sort of brunching experience is going to happen.  Check out this great article on the best brunches this weekend in DC for the holiday.

My roommate from Oklahoma's best friend from OSU is here for the week experiencing DC for the first time, so I am very much looking forward to doing the 'tourist tour' with her over the weekend.   

If I was to have a 4th party of my own, I'd probably use some of these super cute free printables from Life Made Simply.  I found this on Pinterest the other day and I printed some out at work [they are simply too cute not to].  Did I make cupcakes?  Nah, but I might decorate our little row house with these little tags. 

I am starting the celebration early tonight with the annual best friend family party that I've been attending since I was 15.  Good friends, a great family, great food, happy music; it's bound to be another great 3rd of July tonight! 

Do you have a 4th of July tradition? 

 How are you planning on celebrating America, land of the free and home of the brave?

Happy 3rd, everyone!

Like Me on Facebook

Purple Flowers is now on Facebook!

I was always a little hesitant to tell people that I blog, let alone advertise it on a social network as large as Facebook.  None of my family or friends knew that I was blogging, so it's awkward to 'come out' with it!  Surprise, I'm a blogger.  I had a great discussion with Erin from

Smartificial Sweetener  at the GLAM fashion event last week about 'coming out' with blogging.  

I think a lot of blogger's face the 'do I remain anonymous' or 'do I broadcast my life?' questions.  

I'm hoping to find a happy medium, while also marketing and communicating my own content. 

I was a little embarrassed at first, but now I'm not..so I made a Facebook Page and invited all my pals to like it!  Hello, exposure. 

Do a lot of your friends blog?  

I only have a few! 

Shannon - Shenanigans Rose

Hannah - Be More Thrifty 

Sam - Samantha Elizabeth

Aren't they the cutest ^^ ?!

When and how did you start blogging?
Tell us your story!

& don't forget to 'like' Purple Flowers on Facebook!

chloe + isabel with Be More Thrifty

Have you heard of Chloe + Isabel?? 

chloe + isabel by hilarybadger featuring a multi-chain necklace

Is this jewelry gorgeous, or is this jewelry gorgeous??! 

My friend Hannah from Washington College has just launched her new blog, Be More Thrifty.  Based in Baltimore, Hannah works as a marketing director at BizBrag, Inc and works as a merchandiser for chloe + isabel jewelry.  I picked out my favorites that I've been swooning over and wanted to show everyone how beautiful their jewelry is!

Her new blog, Be More Thrifty, showcases quality thrift finds and cheap deals with her ability to pair them against classic, designer items.  Her outfit posts on Instagram are to die for; you have to go check them out! 

We are both lovers of purple and political science.  Since we both started up our blogs about the same time, Hannah has been a great resource to chat with as we venture into the blogging world together.  

Make sure you jet over to Be More Thrifty and like her FaceBook Page, Pinterest page, and follow her Instagram account as she embarks on this new journey! 

Thanks, Hannah! 

xo Hil

Thankful

Thankful today for amazing friends, great roommates, and a summer of fun on Capitol Hill.  

Today is a day where I am simply wow'd with the people in my life and how lucky I am to have them here!  I lucked out with some of the greatest roommates ever, and ever lasting friends from high school who I cherish so deeply!  Three of my best friends from Mount de Sales came to DC last night to grab drinks.  Now we are all 21 we are able to go to happy hours and live like real people, something I know we've all been longing to do for quite some time.  It really is just amazing that we've found this bond and it hasn't broken.  Despite the time spent apart, our activities at different Universities, our studies, our goals and dreams and outlooks on life, we've been able to watch each other grow and hold on for the bumpy ride.  I think that's really special.  Whether its a new friend or the friends who've become family, treasure those moments that you learn about someone because it will most likely teach you a lot about yourself.  

I had a long week; I've been running myself a little thin.  I'm excited to put on my comfy clothes and lounge about my little row house tonight with my roomies!

Any fun plans this weekend?

xoHil

Hi

ello! 

I've dabbled with blogging in the past, but I was feeling the need to start over.  So here's my new blog, lots of deep thoughts about life and my attempt to write down all that makes up being 21.  

A bit about me, I'm a college student living in Washington, DC working on Capitol Hill in political management.  I have 1 year left at my small, liberal arts college on the cornfield laden Eastern Shore of Maryland before I'm thrown head first into the 'real world.'  I was lucky enough to spend 5 months living in the Kingdom of Denmark and study at the University of Copenhagen.

On May 23rd, 2013 I love coffee, Europe, traveling, exploring, photographs, typography, infographics, graphic design, web design, tumblr, sunshine, rain, dogs, baseball, higher education, public policy, community development, symbolism, politics, research, blogs, friends, books, pens, love letters, handshakes, jobs, water, running, architecture, gardens, twinkle lights, dancing, london, markets, ancients, girl scout cookies, bumper stickers, purses, airports, hugs, flags, church, classical literature, film, leonardo dicaprio, lacrosse, washington college, thesis research, professors, russia, new things, learning, cities, baltimore, company softball games, walks, peer mentoring, leadership, public speaking, teaching swim lessons, diving, exercising, avocados, salt and pepper, croissants, hazelnut macchiatos, pinterest, social media strategy, internships, capitol hill, american history, library books, coffee shops, shopping, georgetown, m street, urban outfitters, doughnuts, theatre, burmese food, ted talks, the college prepster, shoes, adoption, spreading love, making smiles, holding doors, thanking, welcoming, meeting, sunglasses, nalgene bottles, bookstores, ereaders, old bay, charleston, hilton head island, jewelry stores, dominoes pizza, highlighters, georgetown, roommates, laughing, smiling, puppies, parents, grandparents, coding, cuddling, yoga, leggings, bagels, curls, polka dots, seersucker, jolly ranchers, ranch dressing, spinach leaves, coca cola, toasted marsh mellow milkshakes, camp fires, cook outs, burgers, scavenger hunts, youtube, spotify, rain on windows, the sound of music, justin timberlake, dunkin donuts blueberry iced coffee, tall men, waking up to snow, moving, free food, salad, row houses, hills, happy people, sky lights, crown molding, dressing rooms, marshalls, sparkles, hunter green, social media, communications, marketing, progress, community service, nooks, union jacks, cork, wine, dancing music, singing in the car, historic areas, castles, nonpartisan groups, clothes out of the dryer, notebooks, monograms, royalty, grass, tribal prints, apple, black and white, expelling ignorance, french, borgen, danish parliament, love yous, golden doodles, lattes, the internet, great gatsby, early mornings, early nights, driving, radio, snuggles, happy days, porch swings, mason jars, blankets, weddings, babies, rome, mailbox, stockholm, new friends, old friends, stationery, early mornings

and flowers, purple ones to be exact.  

I like thinking and thinking deeply.  Hear me out.  

Hilary