Monograms, anyone?

Monograms are the foundation of many sorority women's wardrobes, accessories, and living space. They signify elegance, personalization, and are timeless on any piece of clothing or home accessory. Here are a few new twists on traditional monogramming!

Just a little something I whipped together during craft night #TSM.

For the techies...

Monogrammed iPhone case from LipstickShades.com.

For just $1.99, you can get the "Wall About You" app for your iPhone and make as many monogrammed wallpapers for your iPhone or iPad as you'd like! This one's my favorite so far!

For the home...

If it can fit on a sewing machine, you can monogram it. Monograms are most apparent in the home, customizing accent pillows, sheet sets, towels, and other linens. Monograms have also started to serve as a form of artwork in the home. People are hanging framed monograms over headboards, in the study, and in the nursery. We also are starting to see creative monograms made out of mundane objects like buttons, corks, crayons, faux flowers, and more! Take a look at all these conventional and cooky way to make or display your monogram. 

For the fashionista...

You can monogram practically everything, including jewelry. I see sorority women all over campus with monogrammed rings, bracelets, and necklaces. Don't forget the monogrammed canvas tote (a sorority necessity!) Wearing a piece of monogrammed jewelry or walking around campus with a monogrammed bag gives your style that personal touch. Think about it: who else is going to have the exact same monogram as you? It's truly original and timeless. You can find custom monogrammed jewelry just about anywhere, but I would recommend browsing Etsy.com if you're looking for something fashionable yet affordable!

Monogrammed tote from Vineyard Vines. 

Let Pinterest be your stylist for Semi-Formal 2012

It's that time of year again at DePaul University: Semi-Formal Season! My sorority is hosting a "Greek Goddess" themed semi-formal where girls and their dates can wear togas or toga-inspired dresses, anything gold, and ivy headpieces. Time to research hair, makeup, and accessory ideas! Luckily, I've found some great beauty ideas on Pinterest to spice up my look for the evening.

This is my "toga" for the evening! This MM Couture dress is perfect for our toga-themed night. Unlike the one pictured, mine is a taupe/light-brown color. I plan on tying gold rope around my waist to make it even more toga-esque! I snagged this gorgeous dress off Piperlime.com, and the last one, might I add! It was fate!

Personally, I prefer a nude colored nail. It's classy, sophisticated, and goes with ANY accessory. Since I'll be wearing different bangles, head pieces, belts, and shoes, a neutral nail is definitely the way to go. I plan on wearing OPI's "Privacy Please". 

This is a great idea for a homemade gold belt! I'll be raiding the craft store for some simple gold elastic or thin ribbon, and braiding long enough to wrap around twice! Homemade easy and chic!

Smokey lids? Yes, please! The more dramatic the better.

Great how-to for big curly waves with only three rollers and a few pins! Simply roll three sections of your hair to frame your face with waves. Then, use a curling iron to curl the remaining sections, and secure them with a bobby pin! While you're doing your facial, make-up, and nails, your hair should be ready for the party! The only question is: big waves or tight curls?

I think want to try Taylor's tight curls a try this year for Semi! Look, she's even rockin' a gold Grecian inspired headband! It would look great with an ivy headpiece!

I will definitely be trying these at-home facials the day of semi-formal. 

Try them for yourself!

I have bangles exactly like these I could wear to our Greek-themed party! Wearing them further up on my arm will definitely complete my Grecian-inspired look!

Making your own toga? Here's a great toga tutorial!

For all the women in my Chapter, utilize Pinterest!! There are so many amazing tips for great looking skin, hair, makeup, and accessories!

Confessions of an Online-Shopaholic

If you really knew me, you'd know that I'm an excessive online shopper. Not because I'm a shopaholic, but because there's never time for a busy college student like me to hop on the L to Michigan Avenue. When deciding what to give up for Lent this year, I decided to get creative. Yeah, I could give up the usual sweets, junk food, or Facebook, but I wanted to give up something that could help me gain some discipline when it comes to my money spending habits. So, this year for Lent, I've decided to give up online shopping. With the help of my roommates (who would know if I ordered something since we share the same mailbox) I'm going to be a saver for 40 days. In the long run, I hope this cements my saving habits so I can afford to stay in this wonderful city of Chicago after graduation!

Also, if you knew a little something about me, you'd know that I'm a Kate Spade fanatic! I'm constantly checking their website for her newest pieces and drool over some of this the items from this and last season. I adore her preppy yet modern designs but haven't had the chance to spoil myself with her products. So, to reward myself for going 40 days without shopping, I'll be treating myself to these Kate Spade products!

Kate Spade "Hedgehog Bon Shopper"

Kate Spade "Graffiti Spade iPhone 4 Case"

Kate Spade "Signature Spade Crystal Earring Studs"

Kate Spade "Sailor's Knot Ring"

So far, so good. It's day 2 and I haven't spend a penny (unless you count the grande caramel soy latte I got this morning, but that's a necessity!). Hopefully the incentive of these Kate Spade gems will keep me in line for the next 39 days. Sure this may seem like an excuse to save up my money, but it's hard to constantly save your money when you're living in a trendy, fashion-filled city like Chicago. Wish me luck!

Every day...

In need of a Twitter makeover?

If you're like me and are extremely Twitter-background-ADD, you'll appreciate this. I'm always looking for chic, colorful, yet simple patterns for my Twitter background. I found these great watercolors are by Samantha Hahn on Pinterest and her blog. #totallyobsessed

I'm in love with this cup (no pun intended)!

I've always been fond of Starbucks' cup designs. This may be my favorite thus far!

Happy early Valentine's Day!

My Top 5 Online Sorority Stores

In my sorority, I've been notoriously known to own way too many Greek-lettered t-shirts and sweatshirts and it seems like whenever I wear my letters around campus, girls are asking where I got my letters from. I decided to share my secret -  here are my five favorite online sorority stores.

JennaBenna.com

My number one online store has to be JennaBenna. This small company out of Florida has every print you could ever want, including designer patterns from Vera Bradley, Lilly Pulitzer, and Vineyard Vines. WARNING: THIS SITE IS ADDICTING. I have spent countless hours going through all the patterns on this website examining every t-shirt color/print combination possible. I've purchased three sweatshirts from JennaBenna and they are by far my favorite, my last purchase being a navy crew neck sweatshirt with a pink whale Vineyard Vines pattern (so East Coast). JennaBenna's letters are exceptional quality and well worth the price and they offer a discounted price for bulk orders!

AllThatJas.com

All That Jas is a small store run out of Elon, North Carolina near the Elon University campus. I heard about All That Jas through a friend who is a sorority member at Elon. I've ordered a couple items through their online store and was very satisfied with my lettered apparel. All That Jas not only has a great selection of prints for shirts and sweatshirts, but also has a wide selection of gifts. They have gift packages (perfect for spoiling your Little) jewelry, paddle supplies, buttons, koozies, decals and even Nike running shorts with letters! Thankfully, you don't have to drive all the way to North Carolina to purchase something from their adorable store - check them out! 

CustomGreekThreads.com

I've ordered one full zip-up sweatshirt that I love from Custom Greek Threads, but there are definitely some pros and cons to this website. Let's start with the good news - the sweatshirt I ordered was extremely good quality and I love wearing it; I'm constantly getting compliments. They have tons of patterns to choose from and a full line of American Apparel t-shirts and sweatshirts. The bad news - they're the most expensive store I've ordered from. I probably spent over $60 the zip-up with letters. Also, it took almost three weeks to get my apparel while I waited a maximum of two weeks with other stores. Overall, they quality of this store's apparel is exceptional, but be willing to spend a little more money and have the patience to wait for your item to ship to you. 

DesginerGreek.com

My Big and I ordered our Big/Little t-shirts off Designer Greek and we are in love with them! DG doesn't have the biggest selection of patterns, but they do have a great collection of sparkly fabric (our shirts are purple with sparkly teal letters). They are definitely unique shirts that I know no other girl on campus has! Designer Greek also does embroidering on all their items at an extra cost. This is a great site if you're looking for some flashy letters or some custom embroidery on shirts, sweatshirts, hats and more!

etsy.com

I've never purchased lettered shirts off of Etsy, but I've browsed the online stores selling them and I must say they are great quality for the price. Ordering sorority apparel off Etsy is a great alternative to the other pricey online stores. The only difference is that most of the apparel on Etsy is not officially licensed to sell sorority apparel, while the other online stores are officially licensed for National Panhellenic sororities. This only means that if you purchase from an officially licensed vendor, part of your purchase will go directly to your sorority. Nonetheless, I've had sisters order lettered apparel off Etsy and have been perfectly satisfied with their orders! 

TIP: Make sure you "Like" these stores! You can get great promotion codes off their pages and some stores even send you a code once you've liked or friended them on Facebook. 

Sorority Recruitment Dos & Don'ts

Found this on Pinterest and thought I'd share it with you! #TSM

These are a few of my favorite things...to wear in the city

I'm a lover of the timeless pieces and classic looks with some of my favorite designers and stores consisting of Kate Spade, J. Crew, Ralph Lauren, and Lilly Pulitzer. I consider my style to be modern preppy with a pinch of Chicago flare - stylish yet still comfortable.

I may or may not have an obsession with stripes - they will never let you down when you're trying to class up your jeans and boots. If my math is correct, about half of my wardrobe has some sort of stripe element to it.

 

 Unlike most my age, I wouldn't say I'm "obsessed" with shoes. Strange right? Nonetheless, I appreciate a quality made shoe and from time to time I like to spoil myself with some new kicks. I stick to the essentials: a few pair of leather boots, my Very Berry Hunter Boots (I mean, it's Chicago where the streets are layered with ice), black platform heels, and a few summer sandals. Oh, and as a sorority girl, you can't forget the metallic gold Sperrys. 

While walking the streets of Chicago, you're bound to see one of these on a dozen shoulders. The simplicity of the Le Pliage tote from Longchamp is great for a city girl. A spacious bag with sharp leather straps is great for the on-the-go woman as she walks to class or is taking the L to work. My Longchamp, pictured above,  is slate and coordinates perfectly with an outfit I don in the city.

A jacket or blazer is a very uptown way to finish off your look in the city. I personally love anything J. Crew puts on their shelves, but I'm especially fond of their jackets. This olive green jacket pictured above is absolutely fabulous and goes perfectly with a pair of dark wash jeans and leather boots. Blazers have always been associated with a preppy and sophisticated atmosphere. Adding a blazer to any dress or blouse instantly adds poise and elegance.

Click here to see all my fashion favorites!

The new television series "Sorority Girls" is a complete disgrace.

If you haven't heard of TLC's new show "Sorority Girls", don't waste your time watching an episode or even the trailer. This "reality" show is supposed to give British girls an "All-American", "authentic" sorority recruitment experience. 


Is episode after episode of hazing, degradation, tears what TLC classifies as a "sorority"? As a sorority woman who takes her sorority very seriously, I am utterly insulted that TLC is running this show and portraying sorority women in such an aggressive and negative way - TLC totally ignores the fact that sororities uphold a set of values and standards. This show is the exact opposite of what being a member of a sorority is about and only affirms the rumors and reputations the nation gives sorority women.


All in all, is absolutely despicable, totally degrading to sorority women, and a false representation of what we as Panhellenic women are about. 

To help in the efforts to cancel TLC's "Sorority Girls" visit this site to sign a petition against the show. 

Hello from Chicago!

Living in Chicago is always a thrill. But being a college student, sorority woman, a working student, AND balancing a social life in Chicago is a chaotic, but it's a life experience you can't get anywhere else. I'm starting this blog to illustrate the big city life of students in Chicago with highlights on fashion, health, sorority life and everything Chicago!