I am SO into spring right now. Maybe it's because we had a seemingly never ending winter. I've definitely adopted a 'mostly black' wardrobe for winter from my time in Scandinavia, but my spring/summer clothes are bright as can be.
With the last round of formals and senior events approaching, it is dress season. Luckily, Old Navy has some amazing style this season that are cheap and appropriate for any occasion, including work!
A few weeks ago I was sending TED talks to my Business professor when she suggested that I join their team for the TEDx Chester River weekend. I joined the group just 1 week ago and when asked who would give the presentation, I jumped at the chance! We are hoping to write up a paper on our ideas and have it published. This was such an amazing experience and I'm so excited to post about it.
Lord & Taylor was having an ah-mazing sale the other week, and I found this perfect black shift for work, interviews, life.
We heard from Mary Daley Yerrick, the Co-Founder of Vital Voices, married couple, writer Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr of Idiot's Books, Robbie Blinkoff the Cultural Anthropologist, and Washington College professor, Kaitlin Thomas. The speakers at TEDx Chester River were so inspiring and thoughtful. I can't wait to see the videos when they are published!
With thoughts of back to school comes fresh ideas of a new start!
I moved back to school last January and hit the ground running. I walked off the plane from Copenhagen, put my suitcases in my car, spent 30 hours at home and drove right back to college. The most decorative things in my room last semester were my postcards from Europe. This year I'm hoping to dress up my room with simple pieces to make it feel like home.
Make sure you check out their websites & blogs, they will no doubt give you a burst of creative inspiration on this sleepy Monday.
My roomie Alison & I went to Target this weekend in search of fruits & veggies to juice but I came home with a new toy. I had noticed my old ipod earbuds [you know, the free ones you get with any Apple applicance] were sounding a little trippy at work. I saw the perfect opportunity for a new pair and I took it. I came home with yurbuds.
First of all, all my ladies out there, do you ever find that your ear buds hurt or constantly fall out while you work out?! Never fear, yurbuds are here [giggling as I write this]. yurbuds has designed ear buds specifically for women's ears, making them smaller and comfortable because not all ears are create equal. They are also sweat and water resistant & totally comfy. [but most importantly, super cute.]
I came home with the apple green pair, which of course isn't shown on Target's website, but trust me, they are cute. I'm excited to try them out today on my run after work.
When I was in Copenhagen, the least expensive foods were veggies and fruits. It was glorious and a great incentive to eat healthy. When there are happy hour specials, food chains on every block..it's challenging and tempting to just 'get by' with whatever is easiest and cheapest. Being an intern who's used to a dining hall also probably doesn't help...bottom line, I've been eating really poorly and it needs to stop.
New lines of juices have been coming out and 'juice cleanses' are all the rage and I've been really anxious to try a cleanse. There are so many great recipes to try on Pinterest, so I found a juicer on Amazon for $30 and I went for it.
My roommates and I have joked endlessly about this. We've joked about sticking quesadilla's, nachos, quac down the juicer, etc. They thought the closest I would ever come to a juice cleanse was me and my Cucumber G&T at The Hamilton a few weeks ago...ok, maybe that was the first step?
I love Polyvore, and I was all about it on my last blog The Anchor Drops.
I've been finding some great deals on my lunch breaks at work and I had to put something together. A little prep, a little boho, a little nautical. That's pretty much DC in a nutshell in terms of fashion.
Do you feel like there is a different style for summer? Everyone relaxes a bit and lets their hair down...maybe not in DC because of the humidity, but you get the point!
I feel like my own personal style has changed rapidly in the last year. Last summer I was strictly preppy and all about the crew (J.Crew of course). I went to Denmark for 5 months and came back with a suitcase full of black clothes. I was the new, chic European Hilary. Countless people asked me who died, which didn't offend me that much. I was expecting that. I was known for my outfits that were so colorful they could be spotted across campus. And for a brief period of time my favorite clothes were only those that were black. Black clothing still has a special place in my heart. My friend Julia who also studied abroad in Copenhagen would come to class discussing how Danish we looked.
Danish no more, I'm loving this seasons colors. The rich shades of green, blue, and red are awesome this summer and I'm loving the tribal prints. I also love the 'keds' trend. A new H&M will open in Union Station this month and I'm excited to snag a pair or two for the price of $12.
I think what I do is a great fit but I enjoy it on a personal level, however the more I think about strategy for my non profit in terms of social media engagement, the more I think about my own use. As someone who has always had an interest in journalism, social media, and engaging a community, I love new media.
I remember when you had to be asked to join Facebook (circa 2006) and when you had to invited to Pinterest (circa 2011). The dark days of selective, secretive social media.
No more!
I find that I check Facebook everyday, multiple times a day and use it as a means for communication, direct, private messages. I have it on the tightest security controls ever..as in no one can write on my wall and I don't use FB chat. Yet, I could not imagine my life without it. I'm at the point in my life where everyone is getting engaged and its exciting..like, make some popcorn and scroll, exciting.
Tumblr is my outlet for relaxation. I love scanning through and reblogging things that inspire me and make me smile. It is definitely my favorite outlet
Google+ is where I post interesting reading or articles that I don't want to post to Facebook, but I still think the world needs to know about. I only post something on the FB if it is of dire importance.
I'd really like to turn that into a section on here, my collected reading for the week, stay tuned. :)
I also LOVE google chat...that is my jam.
Pinterest is something I love to look at during my lunch break and 'like' because it's mindless. I usually go back later to pin to my boards. Does anyone else do that?? I recently renamed my boards and picked new cover photos for each. It felt like a cleanse. I have lots of 'likes' waiting to be sorted.
Polyvore I hardly check; its nice to see the jump in set views when you haven't checked in awhile. I have the polyvore plug in linked up to my Google Chrome so whenever I see something I'd like in my closet, I clip it to my polyvore. I can then go back and design my own sets which I post on my blog.
LinkedIn I adore. It took me awhile to come around to it, but I'm on the LI train and I love it! I love seeing where everyone works and what everyone does with their life. It's exciting and fantastic for networking!
TweetDeck is what I use at work. I'm normally hooked up to another twitter account crafting tweets but I love tweet deck for my own personal use. I know it is typically used for work related accounts but I just love it. I especially love the layout.
Springpad is where I save things I need. I have a thing against bookmarking. I think I had a bad experience once and lost all my bookmarks back in the day. I seriously love Springpad! I can keep myself organized as I plan out future stuff for grad school, blogging, and just websites that I like. In the last 3 weeks of my internship, I've discovered so many great organizations and non profits through research that work for concepts that I love, like citizen engagement, transparency, and community development. I am able to store all my info in my virtual binders on Springpad.
Do you have your own social media ritual?
Do you use something that I don't? Tell me about it!
I'm always looking for new ways to stay connected and engaged!
I hope everyone had a happy weekend! I know I did!
This weekend I went to my first DC Capitol Pride festival. I think I read that there were 150,000 people visiting this weekend to celebrate love, no matter what kind. 5 blocks long ran the streets filled with vendors, a beer garden, and a huge stage. I was there to support one of my best friends and enjoy the show! It was an amazing experience and it really struck a cord with me while I was there. So many of the artists that performed sang of love, life, and spreading hope all over the world.
It was really special.
I saw Icona Pop perform live and they were absolutely incredible.
I only knew 'I Love It' from the radio and I knew they were from Sweden (yay Scandinavia!)
I was not expecting to love every. single. song.
Watching them on stage you could just tell how 'real' they were, it was not a performance, they were simply jamming, singing to the crown, and loving every second of it. Mostly, I was impressed with their stage set up, they controlled every effect and mix of every beat on stage. They were not only singing, they were crafting and making music on stage.
Icona Pop Washington DC June 9, 2013
Their outfits rocked, so Swedish. They were radiantly beautiful and full of so much positive energy! I'm not ashamed to say that I have been listening to them nonstop since I got home from the concert and this has been on repeat all day at work.
This one is my favorite ^^ We Got The World: Icona Pop
What I was most excited about yesterday was seeing Emeli Sande perform live for the first time.
I was close to seeing her perform live at the Royal Albert Hall back in the Fall while I was in London, but we missed each other by a few weeks and seeing as how the tickets were hundreds of dollars, it was unlikely. But I was as close as I could get.
In front of the Royal Albert Hall, London Fall 2012
However today, she was right in front of me. Besides being an absolutely amazing live performer, her lyrics are just gorgeous. She recently just broke the Beatles top hit week streak in the UK. I've been a fan of her's for a few years now, but she's just recently popular in the US with her hit, "Next To Me."
Emeli Sande Washington DC June 9, 2013
Her British accent was so cute! I squealed more than I should have and shed lots of tears. Anytime I've watched her perform live online, she was has always seemed so serious, so into her music. Yesterday she was all smiles, non stop energy and pouring her heart out to every single person there. It was truly incredible to watch. She tweeted about how excited she was to be in Washington and supporting yesterday's cause.
I don't even know how to explain her music because it is too good to put into adjective form.
Heaven: Emeli Sande
Where I Sleep: Emeli Sande
How did you spend your weekend? Have you seen either of these artists??
Its not quite summer, but it sure feels like it in Washington, DC.
Summer is that great time of year when everyone is rejuvenated to get healthy, work out, sit outside for lunch, and take the long way home. I'm loving all things berry this season and my new love for Acai is really hitting the spot.
If you haven't tried Brookside Dark Chocolate Acai, you haven't lived. These are my favorite pick me up at work. I always keep a small stash of them at my cubicle in case of an off day.
Have you ever had Acai? They are very similar to blueberries..but even better.
What trends are you following this summer? This article on Levo League talking about Coconut Water and Women is fascinating! Every time I find myself at the grocery store, I check out the coconut water. I've never had it, I don't even really like coconut..but I feel like I should...Maybe I'll have to try it next time.
Do you like coconut water? Have you ever had acai?
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
