Browsing Tag

college

Lifestyle

Fraternity/Sorority Flags from GreekLifeStuff.com

Kappa Alpha Theta flag from Greek Life Stuff

Greek Life Stuff is the go-to place for sorority/fraternity flags! They have almost every single fraternity and sorority represented in their store. In addition, they have flags for co-ed organizations such as business or law fraternities. They even have a few other items available such as lanyards and beanies, but flags are their main product. Be sure to check out their main site as well as their Etsy shop!

Greek Life Stuff was extremely generous to provide me with this Kappa Alpha Theta flag for only $3 (the price of shipping). I am completely obsessed! Whether you live in Greek housing, the dorms, an apartment, or a house, it’s the best addition to any room. (They also stuck a Theta lanyard in the box too which was such a great surprise!)

Kappa Alpha Theta flag from Greek Life Stuff

I got the traditional Theta colors of black and gold, however they have options like pink to customize your flag how you want! There’s other styles available as well such as an American flag style with stripes and one with the crest of the organization.

I would highly recommend buying through them because they ship fast and are such a fun way to show your fraternity/sorority pride!

Fraternities they offer:

Alpha Epsilon Pi || Alpha Gamma Rho || Alpha Kappa Lambda || Alpha Sigma Phi || Alpha Tau Omega || Beta Theta Pi || Chi Phi || Chi Psi || Delta Chi || Delta Kappa Epsilon || Delta Sigma Phi || Delta Tau Delta || Delta Upsilon || Kappa Alpha Order || Kappa Delta Rho || Kappa Kappa Psi || Kappa Sigma || Lambda Chi Alpha || Lambda Phi Epsilon || Phi Delta Theta || Phi Gamma Delta || Phi Kappa Psi || Phi Kappa Sigma || Phi Kappa Tau || Phi Kappa Theta || Phi Iota Alpha || Phi Mu Delta || Phi Sigma Kappa || Pi Alpha Phi || Pi Kappa Alpha || Pi Kappa Phi || Psi Upsilon || Sigma Alpha Mu || Sigma Chi || Sigma Nu || Sigma Phi Epsilon || Sigma Pi || Sigma Tau Gamma || Tau Kappa Epsilon || Theta Chi || Theta Xi || Triangle || Zeta Beta Tau

Sororities they offer: 

Alpha Chi Omega  || Alpha Delta Pi  || Alpha Epsilon Phi  || Alpha Gamma Delta  || Alpha Omega Epsilon  || Alpha Omicron Pi  || Alpha Phi  || Alpha Sigma Tau  || Alpha Xi Delta  || Chi Omega  || Delta Delta Delta  || Delta Gamma  || Gamma Phi Beta  || Kappa Alpha Theta  || Kappa Delta  || Kappa Kappa Gamma  || Phi Mu  || Phi Sigma Sigma  || Pi Beta Phi  || Sigma Alpha Iota  || Sigma Delta Tau  || Sigma Kappa  || Sigma Sigma Sigma  || Tau Beta Sigma  || Theta Phi Alpha  || Zeta Tau Alpha

Check out their site here: http://greeklifeflags.3dcartstores.com/

Check out their Etsy store here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/WindyCityFraternity

I received this flag at a discounted price of $3 when it is regularly $24.99. Greek Life Stuff is an official Greek License Vendor. All opinions are my own. 

Fashion

Incredible, One-of-a-Kind Sorority Jewelry

Kappa Alpha Theta pendants

A retired art teacher of 32 years, Donna Johnston spends her winters in Texas, her summers in Michigan, and free time making incredible sorority jewelry. Donna has been a member of the Greek community for over 60 years! She is a member of Pi Beta Phi – passing her legacy down to her granddaughters. Using them as her inspiration, she began designing these beautiful pendants that she sells through her Etsy shop. Please check out her amazing sorority pendants that are only $19.50 plus $5 shipping here.

Kappa Alpha Theta pendants

Completely her own designs, Donna draws them first in ink, sends them to a lazer to cut them out of brass, and then she finishes the cutting process by filing each one and tumbling them for about 18-24 hours. After this, she puts a bail on each and they are plated in gold or silver. It’s incredible to think that each stunning pendant has so much thought, care, and time put into it.

Donna was beyond generous to send me two pendants for my own sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta. When I first opened the package, my breath completely left me. I had seen her designs online, but seeing them in person is a completely different experience. The attention to detail is so clear in the design and quality of the pendants.

Outfit of the Day March 20

While Donna’s jewelry takes center-stage, I also want to talk about Donna herself because she’s an incredibly inspiring woman. I had the incredible privilege of being able to chat with her over email and learn a little about her life. The legacy Donna has left behind her is absolutely remarkable. I respect her so much.

Here are some of the many jobs Donna has had:

  • Art teacher for grades K-12
  • Kindergarten teacher
  • Third grade teacher
  • Fifth grade teacher
  • Seventh grade teacher
  • Professor at Bowling Green University
  • Professor at Eastern Michigan University
  • Professor at Toledo University
  • Workshop teacher at local schools
  • Teacher at the Toledo Museum of art (children and adult classes)
  • Supervising teacher for student teachers
  • Elementary Principal
  • Author of her own book, “Now This is Art!”
  • Art gallery owner

 

I don’t know about you, but if I were to accomplish 1/4 the amount Donna has, I would be incredibly satisfied with my life. She also teaches art classes from her home and participates in art shows. She also attends various art classes like the watercolor class she’s enrolled in now! I highly recommending checking out her book – it’s great for young educators looking for new ways to teach art. Donna has put so much time and thought into it, it won’t disappoint.

Donna shared this quote with me from somebody she met at a meeting a few years ago: “We are always in the process of becoming!” Donna lives by this and firmly believes that constantly learning is what keeps one young in mind and heart.

I am beyond inspired by this woman. At almost 85 years old, she still has a thirst for knowledge. Her kindness, generosity, and passion shine through her incredible life’s work. I hope to live as full of a life as Donna has. She has inspired me to follow my passions and have the heart of a servant. Her dedication to education is remarkable. I am sure she has changed the lives of so many. I can only hope that I lead as a fulfilling of a life as Donna has.

Working with her has been an incredible pleasure. I hope that everybody reading this checks out her sorority jewelry store as well as her personal art store. I wish there was some way I could give back to this woman who has inspired me more than she knows.

Donna is licensed to make pendants for the following sororities:

Alpha Chi Omega, Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Gamma Delta, Alpha Omicron Pi, Alpha Phi, Alpha Sigma Alpha, Alpha Xi Delta, Chi Omega, Delta Delta Delta, Delta Gamma, Delta Zeta, Gamma Phi Beta, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Phi Mu, Phi Sigma Sigma, Pi Beta Phi, Sigma Delta Tau, Sigma Kappa, Sigma Sigma Sigma, Zeta Tau Alpha

Please check out her amazing pendants that are only $19.50 plus $5 shipping here.

I received these pendants from Sorority Jewelry free of charge. All opinions are my own.
Lifestyle

14 People to Write a Valentine to That Aren’t Your Boyfriend (wait, what boyfriend?)

All too often we get caught up in the romantic side of Valentine’s Day (I’m one to blame!). Many people feel frustrated or lonely during this time of the year, so I thought it would be a great idea to brainstorm some ideas of people you can celebrate this Valentine’s Day that may get overlooked otherwise. Instead of focusing on finding a date on Friday, take some time to show your appreciation for people who bring love into your life on a daily basis. Thanking people in your life will not only make them feel great, but you too! Here’s a list of fourteen people you can write a (non-romantic) love letter to and show your appreciation for this Valentine’s Day:

  1. Your mom
  2. Your sister or brother
  3. Your dad
  4. Your best friend
  5. Your favorite professor
  6. The president of your sorority
  7. The barista that memorized your name and order
  8. Your boss
  9. The coworker that shares your cubicle
  10. Any member of your extended family
  11. The author of a book that changed your life
  12. Your mentor
  13. Your tutor
  14. Your roomie

Valentine's Day

{source}

Share the love! How are you spending Valentine’s Day this year? Share in the comments!

Lifestyle

Make A Dream Board

The New Year is the best time to set new goals! Most people have difficulty following through with their goals, but one great way to stay on track is to create a “dream board.” Even Oprah swears by it! Essentially, a dream board is a collection of pictures, words, and phrases that will inspire you and remind you daily of your objectives! I was shocked that only a few short months after creating one for myself, I had accomplished over half of the goals I set. Images are so powerful and it’s a great feeling to use them in such a positive way!

 Dream Board
Dream board pictures
Want to make your own dream board? Follow the steps below!
  1. Set your goals – Do you want to land a job or internship? Improve your health or fitness? Learn a new language? Want to save money for that Michael Kors bag you’ve been crushing on forever? Make your goals specific and realistic – don’t try to lose 20 pounds in a month, you’ll drive yourself crazy!
  2. Find compelling images – use magazines, Google images, favorite celebrities,       inspirational quotes, etc.
  3. Make a cute collage including all of the pictures you find on a big poster board.
  4. Hang it somewhere you look everyday – think subliminal messaging!
  5. Go conquer the world!
 It can be overwhelming to decide which goals to focus on. Here are some of the ones I chose for my dream board:

  • Take more pictures with a REAL camera and print them out
  • Write more letters
  • Read five books
  • Save $1,000
  • Work out at least 4 times a week
  • Get three A’s spring semester
  • Drink more green smoothies
  • Give more compliments
It’s so simple and rewarding. You’ll be thanking yourself for the daily reminder – it will motivate you to actively work towards your goals. Once you’ve accomplished all of them, save the board as a memento and start a new one!
Dream board

More digitally inclined? Check out Oprah’s online dream board creator: http://www.oprah.com/spirit/O-Dream-Board-Envision-Your-Best-LifeTM

Beauty

Makeup Review: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm Stain

photo_8

“I want to write a love letter to these”

That was what I told my roommate when I came back from Target with every color they had available of the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm Stains. There are actually a lot more colors than pictured above, but these were the only ones available at the store near me.

I have been on a quest for as long as I can remember to find the perfect lip stain. I never wear lipstick because I don’t have the kind of money you need to invest in one that is long lasting, non-smudgy, and highly pigmented. So I have spent hours scouring the shelves of drug stores to find the perfect stain. Stains are fantastic because they go on extremely thin and actually really do stain your lips. They’re the definition of long lasting.

Now, I’ve tried a lot of stains. So many of them are too thin. The lighter colors show up translucent and are completely ineffective. The dark colors tend to turn the skin around your lips a darker color – making your makeup look smudged and messy. On a whim, I picked up the 025 Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm Stain because I wanted a hot pink lip. I tried it at home and was astonished – the color was so pigmented and bold! I fell in love. I wore it all day to work, through my night class, and every meal. I left the dorm at 9am and returned at 10pm. The stain was STILL there! Not only was it still there, but it was the same hue, texture, and color. I was beyond thrilled. When I went to take off my makeup, I literally scrubbed my lips for several minutes because the stain was that strong. I will say that the only difference between 9am and 10pm was that the look was much more matte and not a gloss anymore (which I like better anyways). If you want to keep the glossy look throughout the day, I would just dab on a bit more stain to the lips to freshen it up occasionally. But besides that, there’s no need to touch it up at all.

I was a little weary about buying the 040 color because I hardly ever buy anything with orange in it. However, I was excited to see that it wasn’t a tacky neon  color – but an understated and mellow orange. As far as the other colors go, the 001 is a very natural look – it was the exact hue of my lips which was perfect. I love wearing natural colors on my lips for a polished everyday look instead of just going with some chapstick. The 055 is a deeper red – it has darker tones to it and is more of a wine red than the typical bright red lip. It’s the perfect shade for the holiday season!

Anyways, two huge thumbs UP for these stains! I’m so impressed. Highly pigmented, long-lasting, ability to be a gloss or matte, and very beautiful colors – I couldn’t ask for anything better. I’m so glad I can say I have finally found the perfect lip stain!

Lifestyle

Meal Prep: Salad Jars

20131104-125220.jpg

20131104-125253.jpg

Eating healthy while in college or having a hectic schedule is extremely difficult. One of the ways to avoid fast food, snacking, and starving is to plan out your meals for the week. As a busy college student, my class and work schedule doesn’t allow for me to make it to the cafeteria for lunch during the week. Because of this, I have to pack my lunch for the day. I could easily just pack peanut butter sandwiches or Easy Mac. But after living off those freshman year (and gaining the typical freshman 15), I have no desire to continue this unhealthy lifestyle. Yes, planning out your meals for the week requires extra time and thought. But I promise it’s worth it.

One of the easiest meals to prep for the week is mason jar salads! These are really popular on Pinterest and one of my coworkers makes them regularly. So I decided to try it out for myself and have been pleased to find that it is a life-saver! Not only are they super quick to prepare, they are extremely healthy and convenient.

What you need:
– a mason jar or any kind of air-tight jar
– salad ingredients of your choice

How to pack your mason jar salad

Step 1: dressing
– add one or two tablespoons of your choice of dressing first to the bottom of the jar

Step 2: non-soluble (non-absorbent) veggies
– add any kind of non-absorbent veggies such as corn, carrots, etc.

Step 3: beans, grains, pasta, seeds
– pour in your source of carbs or vegetarian protein by adding beans (rinsed and drained), grains, pasta, whatever you choose

Step 4: cheese, eggs, meat, protein
– add in whatever cheese or hard boiled eggs, chicken, meat, or tofu you’d like

Step 5: absorbent veggies and fruit
– add your fruit or more soluble veggies such at tomatoes
– if you are prepping these for the week, add these ingredients the morning you plan to eat the salad just so they stay as fresh as possible

Step 6: absorbent grains, nuts, and seeds
– this is where you can add more absorbent products such as quinoa and flaxseed

Step 7: salad greens
– now you can add your fresh spinach or lettuce
– this should fill your jar to the brim. Pack it fairly tightly

Ta-da! You’re done! Now seal the jars and store them in the fridge. You can make these on Sunday night and they will remain fresh until Friday afternoon! Keep in mind, although they are stored in air-tight containers, they will only stay fresh for 5 days. When you are ready to eat your salad, pour the contents into a bowl, toss, and enjoy!

Lifestyle

Why My Generation Sucks at the Internet

053013_1641_UseCommonSe1

The #1 reason my generation sucks at the Internet is not because we don’t know how to use it – it’s because we don’t know how to use it correctly.

DISCLAIMER: I’m not saying everybody in my generation sucks at the Internet or that everybody else is perfect. Just some people. There are SO many people who use the Internet and social media for amazing things. And this also is by no means trying to be a rule book or anything. I just wanted to explain some of my personal pet peeves and suggestions to remedy those.

Let me preface by saying that my online social presence is in no way shape or form perfect. However, I would like to believe that I’m above average when it comes to presenting myself professionally and appropriately online. I check for spelling. I avoid swear words. I do not post about how much my ex boyfriends suck, how that one girl smells terrible, how much I hate Obama, how all Christians are insane, or about that crazy wild party I went to last night where I hooked up with the boy with the blue hat. No. I try to post about my professional development, success in school, exciting personal events, funny jokes, and inspirational sayings. I am conscious of what people perceive when they look at your social media personality, especially professionally.

I’m 99.99% positive that every young adult wants to appear educated and classy – especially online where so much of your reputation is within your control. I would also assume that 100% of young adults want to have a job. Well guess what? 68% of employers will look at your Facebook. Companies use social media for filling 80% of job openings. Your online presence is everything. Oh, your profiles are all on private? There are ways around that, I guarantee. Nothing is private or anonymous anymore.

So here we go – here’s what my generation does wrong online:

  • We are very verbal about our political beliefs —> Okay seriously, nobody cares that you hate (or love) Obama. Nobody is going to change their own personal political belief just because John Smith hates ObamaCare and posted a status about it.
  • We swear too much (not that swearing is necessarily a bad thing….see bullet below) –> There is a time and place for swearing. For comedic effect. For emphasis on something. It’s only effective when it’s used in moderation and appropriately. There is a fine line. It is not cute or funny or useful when you insert particular four letter words into every sentence.
  • We are negative assholes —> Example A of why swearing is appropriate in that sense – it’s true! Why do we feel the need to complain about every single thing in our lives online? Whatever happened to spreading positivity? Yeah, yeah, I know – sometimes you just need to vent somewhere. The occasional tweet about how the barista spelled your name wrong is fine. Normal. But when did social media become an outlet for you to spew your negativity into everybody’s newsfeeds?
  • We like to have “debates” online —> This irritates me, but I also find it pretty hilarious. People seriously have debates on people’s statuses. One person posts a political belief and the other person responds with how dumb they are and it goes back and forth forever. There is no “agree to disagree.” There’s no moving on. People feel like they are invincible online and just think they have super powers to influence everybody else that reads their post. In reality, people don’t care what you have to say. They’ve already made up their mind if they’re posting it on social media. So why bother arguing?
  • We annoy everybody with our religious beliefs —> See my point about political beliefs
  • We bully —> This point is very near and dear to my heart since it was something I battled with my entire junior and senior years of high school. Once again, this theme of invincibility resurfaces. Just because you’re sitting behind a computer screen does not mean you aren’t having an effect on somebody or that you’re anonymous. Nothing is anonymous. Nothing is ever deleted. Just because it’s online and not in person does not make it any less harmful. A threat online is just as illegal as a threat in person. Our generation has gotten really comfortable sitting in our chairs, facing a screen, and using it as an outlet to share every single thought on our mind – even if it is incredibly hurtful. People think that clicking that “anonymous” button truly deletes their identity. Well I have a newsflash: It doesn’t. In the case of bullying, technology is used in the worst way possible. You do not become stronger by bullying somebody online – you are a coward. (I’m going to have a post coming soon that discusses cyberbullying in more detail because I don’t want to bore you here)
  • We post pictures of ourselves in inappropriate clothing —> Would you want your dad to see you in that outfit? No? Okay then don’t post it. I don’t think I need to say anymore here. Basically, if you don’t respect yourself, nobody else is going to respect you. A pretty standard guideline for dressing in public is to dress classy. But if you make the decision to dress up for a party or whatever (I know I’ve done this LOTS of times), just don’t post those pictures online. Yes, you probably looked adorable in your “Naughty Nurse” outfit for Halloween. But your dad and your boss probably don’t want to see that. Use common sense.
  • We don’t know how to spell or use correct grammar —> Our generation comes off as highly uneducated. I understand sometimes you want to type “dont” instead of “don’t” or “wanna” instead of “want to.” I do it all the time. But there’s a line between that and not knowing the difference between “there,” “their,” and “they’re.” Sometimes we look uneducated.
  • We brag about our underage alcohol consumption and frequently post photographic evidence of it —> It should not come as a shock to anybody that drinking alcohol when you are under the age of 21 is illegal. So why, WHY, would we be tweeting about how wasted we got last night and posting pictures of us playing beer pong on Facebook? This one is pretty self-explanatory.
  • We post about our illegal drug use —> Not legal for anybody to do. DO YOU WANT TO GET HIRED? Good lord.
  • We post stupid, pointless, annoying crap —> Nobody cares that you ate a hot dog at 2am on a Tuesday.

Before you post ANYTHING online, ask yourself: “Would I be okay with my boss (or dad) seeing this?”

So I’ve put together these few guidelines to hopefully help my peers out. Not to preach at them, no. I just want to simply provide some helpful suggestions:

  • If you want to post about your political affiliation —> Share a cool picture or status or tweet from your favorite politician if they post something really noteworthy. Don’t bombard everybody your own personal rendition of it. They’re the expert on the subject, not you.
  • If you want to swear —> Use it for comedic effect or when you REALLY feel strongly about something. Not all the time. If you swear lots in person, that’s totally fine. But limit it online.
  • If you have a really horrible day and want to vent about it —> Find a funny meme that relates to the situation you’re in. Instead of being a Debby downer, making light of the situation will make you feel better and be much more enjoyable to everybody else.
  • If you want to debate politics or religion or anything for that matter —> Go to an online forum. There are PLENTY made specifically for that. Twitter, Facebook, and other public social media platforms are not the place.
  • If you want to share your religious belief —> Post about one really great thing it led to. Or maybe share your favorite Bible verse. Do not preach to anybody. Do not try to convert anybody. Do not play that “holier than thou” card.
  • If you want to bully —> If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. But if you’re just the kind of person where that doesn’t cut it for you, talk badly about people to your friends. Don’t tell the person those things. Don’t be mean. Don’t say anything online. Just maybe share your dislike for somebody with your best friend when you’re in the privacy of your own home. But…..really, just be nice. It’s not that hard.
  • If you want to dress up in inappropriate clothing and post it for everybody to see —> Try to put stuff on private as much as possible (which kind of defeats the purpose of posting it in the first place, but whatever). Or consider a job at Hooters.
  • If you want to use incorrect spelling and grammar —> Use it sparingly. Or look uneducated. It’s up to you.
  • If you want to post about your underage drinking —> Same rules as the inappropriate outfit: put that stuff on private as much as you can. You can also create a private page on Facebook between just you and your friends and you can talk about it all you want on there.
  • If you want to post about your drug use —> See above.
  • If you want to post about random, pointless stuff —> Create a blog or something so that you’re not clogging up everybody’s newsfeeds with your 25 statuses a day. People who also care about your random stuff can follow you and you can share pointless things together.

Well, I ended up sounding a little preachy. I’m sorry about that. Again, I want to stress that I definitely could learn from all of these points – I am nowhere near perfect and I definitely do not have a completely clean social media presence. But these are the aspects I strive towards (or away from). I’ve been trying really hard lately to portray myself as a professional young woman who is ambitious and goal-oriented. Does that mean I don’t have a single post I regret? Not at all. We’re all dumb. We’re all careless. It happens. But I find that my generation does not THINK about any potential consequences before they post. Unfortunately, with how prevalent social media is today, a tiny mistake online can result in a devastating consequences professionally or personally.

I’ll leave you with these two simple rules: think before you post and use common sense.

Lifestyle

Desserts&Dialogue: Social Networking

desserts and dialogue

This past Wednesday, I attended one of Chapman’s Career Development Center’s Desserts & Dialogue which focused on social media and networking.

Desserts and DialogueThe speakers were Tracy Chambers ’11, TOMs Marketing Coordinator, Jeff Whitlach ’08, Creative Director at Genie Den, and Sheri Lehman ’11, Interactive Marketing Specialist at Chapman University.

Tracy spoke about how she primarily began with gifting and then moved up to influencer marketing. She talked a lot about being conscious about how the brand is portrayed. TOMs has a very authentic, humble, and down-to-earth vibe, so they would want to contact stylists and celebrities to represent the brand that share those same values.

Jeff shared about his two social media experiences and his time helping out his family restaurant, Genie Den. In terms of customer service, Jeff stressed that social media is #1. For his family restaurant, Facebook and Yelp have been the most useful. He decided to respond to all of their negative Yelp reviews. Basically, if a brand ignores feedback, consumers will engage with each other and feed the negativity. He also touched on how different networks are great for different brands – for example, Twitter is a great tool for experience-based brands.

Sheri is my supervisor at work so it was fun to hear her talk about her experiences. She touched on what I discussed in my other post about social media for higher education establishments (check it out!). Sheri also gave some really great advice – to start branding yourself on social media as part of your resume/portfolio if this is a field you’re interested in. She’s completely right – that’s why I’ve been working so hard on my blog and Twitter. She said if your social media presence isn’t something you’re proud of, then don’t go into social media. Hard to accept, but very true. She also suggested buying your domain name. It’s good to claim your name on the internet before somebody else does.

Since there were only about 5 other students attending the dialogue, it was a great chance for us to have a discussion and ask questions. Overall, a very great professional opportunity for me and I learned a lot from these three extremely inspiring individuals.