Makers

#videobinge

You've heard of the Makers, right? 

"The largest video collection of women's stories."

It's all about women who fought to make a difference, so naturally, I love it.

^^^ some of my fav ladies right here.

Here are some of my favorites:

Christiane Amanpour // One of my favorite Iranian women ever, Ms Amanpour is no doubtably one of CNN's best reporters, serving as their Chief International Correspondent.  

Madeleine Albright // The first female Secretary of State to the United States government, Ms Albright has gumption and loads of tales of her career and it's late start, but fruitful journey.  She's also Czechoslovakian, like myself!  

Hillary Rodham Clinton // #HRC #ReadyForHillary #Duh.  Ms Clinton truly believes that the moral imperative of the 21st century is the empowerment of women all over the world, and I do too.  As the former First Lady of the United States, former United States Senator, and former United States Secretary of State, there is little that my namesake hasn't done.  

Ruth Bader Ginsburg // The second woman to have been appointed to the United States Supreme Court is as cute as a button.  When Ms Ginsburg entered Harvard Law School in 1956, she was one of 9 women in a class of 500 men.  What happened next will really grind your gears.  

Kirsten Gillibrand // Rockstar.  I think she may be my favorite member of Congress.  You know you're a political science major when you have favorite members of Congress; I want her jersey.  Currently serving as a United States Senator for New York, Ms Gillibrand has fought her way into public service and continues to fight for women on the floor of the Senate everyday.  

Sandra Day O'Connor // #SpoilerAlert!  This might be my favorite.  Ms O'Connor is feisty, passionate, and serious about women, about their lives, and about their well being.  Being the first female Supreme Court Justice is no small task; she even gives a little shoutout to the confidence gap. 

Maria Shriver // What hasn't Ms Shriver done for women?  Serving as a journalist, the Former First Lady of California, and now leading the Shriver Report of the status on women, she has been a mover and a shaker for women in the U.S. 

Joan Sullivan // Growing up as the youngest of 10 to a stay-at-home father, Ms Sullivan speaks about the benefits of growing up in a home where gender, feminism, and the roles of each were discussed at the dinner table.  She has successfully implemented schools in the most poverty and violence driven areas of the Bronx and now currently leads the Los Angeles school system of over a million children. 

Condoleeza Rice // Former Secretary of State, and first African American woman to hold the position, Ms Rice grew up in the Jim Crow South to become an expert on international policy and the Soviet Union.  

Marie Wilson // What an eloquent women's rights advocate!  Founder of the White House Project, Ms Wilson fights for women to run with the resources they need in every level of the political realm.

Do you have a favorite female activist?  Comment below & share :) 

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New SGG Issue!

Happy June! 

With each passing month, you know what that means?  New issues of the Smart Girls Guide! 

Check out our June Issue featuring Cynthia Rowley, Kendra Scott, Hallie Wilson of Corals + Cognacs, style picks from Kelly in the City and Amy V. Norris.  I was so excited to book these amazing girls for our June issue & I hope you enjoy what they have to offer! 

Read up! 

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Watercolor May

I get most of my inspiration for my paintings from Pinterest.  When I found this painting, I knew I had to try it!  How cute are these little radishes?!  I'm loving summer so much already.  Finding time for the gym, cleaning out my college stuff, and making time for painting!  Also, the lighting in my parents kitchen is to die for.  So much pretty content to be shared!  

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Raising Ms. President

I can only presume that most of my readers are women (Hi, Mom!) and I can also guess that most of you have a desire, goal or wish to be, do, or become something.  

But how many of you hoped to become the President of the United States?  Or, president of your senior class?  Or the class representative in the 4th grade?  

If so, why?

Were you sure that you were an effective communicator, an easy going person that connected with others?  Did you know that you could easily represent others?  

  If not, why?

Did you second guess your ability to lead, to make decisions, or to reason?  Were you worried your peers wouldn't take you seriously?  

Same!  Women are conflicted everyday to make big decisions or leaps of faith because of the Confidence Gap, which is directly associated with women's thought process when thinking of running for office.  Sociologists and Political Scientists alike found that the reason women weren't running for office was more deeply rooted than their choices as an adult.  They found that from the very beginning we are socializing our girls in ways that might not encourage them to be a leader or run for office.  I know from experience when I announced that I would be a political science major, I was greeted with the "You're too delicate for politics" lines and "politics is a man's world" scenarios.  Clearly this is more common than we thought.  

Kiley Parker describes this as "a documentary about the reasons why women don't run for office and what organizations, families and individuals can do in order to encourage more women to run. Women do make a difference, but the problem of getting them to imagine themselves as political leaders is deeper and more systemic than many studies originally thought."

Here is an infographic that explains the benefits of women in power.

We were lucky enough have the chair of our Political Science department bring Kiley Parker to Washington College for a film screening.  I was so energized after the documentary and I really think that at some point down the road, I would love to work for an organization that inspires women to run for office.  Let's make sure we are asking our little girls just as often as we ask our little boys, "Do you want to be the President of the United States?"  And hopefully soon enough we will see our first Ms. President.  

Be sure to follow Kiley Parker's journey on Twitter at @RaisingMsPresident & follow Raising Ms President on Pinterest!  

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Senior Week 2014

Senya-Week in Ocean City, Maryland was 2 weeks ago!  Sheesh!  How did that happen?!  

What a wonderful long weekend with my AOII senior ladies!  Somehow we've all managed to squeeze in this selfie on our first night in the condo! 

We had great weather, great friends close by, and fun bars to walk to! Luckily it didn't rain until the day we left, so these girls were on the beach everyday, all day!  Our mornings were filled with walks to Dunkers and different satellite cafe's for coffee and evenings, 14 of us around the kitchen table playing games, sharing secrets, and listening to music before we would head out for the night!  Not only was most of our Washington College class down the beach with us, but Lehigh University and the University of Delaware were also there!  

If you are of drinking age, and heading down to Ocean City, Maryland anytime soon, here are my favorite spots to hit up! 

1. Fracture Prune - I can't explain it, just trust me and go if you like donuts.

2. Fish Tails - This place has really yummy food and a fun atmosphere without being as overwhelming as Seacrets.  Go in the late afternoon and enjoy the swinging seats in the sand with a drink; their grapefruit cocktail is the best!

3. The Green Turtle - My family friend owns the original Turtle, which is a must if you are in OC.  The food is good, the drinks are cheap, & the atmosphere is great!  If you and a few friends are feeling adventurous, do a ski shot! 

4. Macky's -  I was never too keen on Macky's, not until my entire senior class filled it on a Sunday night & closed it down.  If you've only ever been there for dinner with your rents like I had, give it a shot!  We had a really fun night here & we had the place to ourselves!  

5. Fager's Island - Most of #washcoll ended up at Fager's one night and it was a blast!  While there is dancing, there is also a great deck outside on the water with lots of twinkle lights!  

6. Secrets - If you are into nightclubs & dancing, this is where you need to be!  

My roommate sent this to me on the beach.. apparently I was holding court for the Kappa Alpha's.  I was too into my Nora Ephron to notice. 

Does your high school or college do Senior Week?  

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New York City

Man, oh man did I love NYC!  I had never really been to New York.. except for that one time when I was 8 and I had a fever so it wasn't exactly the most pleasant experience.   But when my friend Marie said she had a job interview and asked if I wanted to join her for 2 days in the city, I was all about it.  It's been so long since I've experienced somewhere new and I've been itching for the chance.  I had a lot of NYC related 'To Do's" on my 101 things in 1,001 days list, so I went for it!    

We started off our first day with the HighLine, everyone's go-to suggestion for NYC these days!  Countless texts all included "YOU HAVE TO DO THE HIGHLINE!" and I'm glad we did!  It was gorgeous and a very easy transition into the city.  The first of many #selfies were taken there. 

Tried on $850 shoes at Saks, because why not? #loveyaCoCo

Found a little piece of Scandinavia at The Copenhagen restaurant in Tribeca. 

Took the LIRR & experienced Long Island for the very first time. It was oh, so cute! 

We spent the night in Port Washington with Marie's grandma & celebrated our graduations over margs & quac, which I am attractively eating below. Never have I felt more comfortable with a long and happy day of walking, gawking, and learning.  Carrying my backpack with all my possessions all over Manhattan definitely left me pleased with sitting down & a cold drink.  

 Day 2 wasn't terribly long since we were catching the Bolt Bus back to Baltimore at 5 pm.  We spent most of the day exploring Central park.  I had never seen the fountain or the boat house before so that was a real treat!  Marie led us on a little hike, which wasn't the most ideal for me seeing as I was wearing a skirt, but I managed to climb the rocks like a champ. 

We wound our way through Manhattan back to the bus pick up, but were sure to stop in a few stores along the way.  I was enamored by the 4 story Forever 21, the 4 story Old Navy, and the gorgeous Anthropologie.  We made friends in the Longchamp store as well as Kate Spade where I was complimented on my new shoes that I had just picked up from Nordstrom Rack :)!  We also stumbled upon the C. Wonder store which was more magical than I could have imagined.  

We cannot forget to mention that my first NYC hotdog was had! It was very scrumptious and reminded me of the street hotdogs in Copenhagen.  

 We eventually had to hop on the bus & spent the four hour trip home chatting about life & our favorite parts of the last two days!  I can confidently say that while I loved NYC, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed after two full days.  I know it has so much more to offer and I can't wait to do a bit more exploring in July when I visit the city again for the Smart Girls Group Summit.  :) 

Miss Marie & Hil signing out! 

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