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Friday, July 31, 2015

Photo Challenge Recap: Alpha Delta Pi Edition

For those of you who follow me on twitter and Instagram have probably seen me using the hashtag #ADPiSummerChallenge. For the past week I have been participating in my chapter's photo challenge.  It has been fun to recap some of my favorite memories from the past year and remind myself why I love being a sister of Alpha Delta Pi. 

This is a picture of me with my Little Diamond Sister. Alpha Delta Pi does the whole Big/Little thing slightly different.  When you are a new member you are assigned an older member to guide you through the new member process, and then once you are initiated you can choose whether or not to maintain your big/little relationship.  My Little Diamond and I met during a pre recruitment meet and greet last August, and from the moment I met her I knew I wanted her to be my Little Diamond. We don't get to spend a ton of time together, but when we are together we have so much fun. In this photo we are throwing diamonds at Longwood Gardens. 
Fun Fact: we accidentally matched!

Bid Day is frequently described as Christmas Day for sorority life. It's the day you get your sisters, who disaffiliated to help run recruitment, back. The day your chapter gets bigger. The day women find their home with the organization that has helped shape your college experience. It's the reward to all those long hours you spent recruiting and in workshops to prepare to recruit.  This picture is of our chapter's first ever Executive Board. We put in a ton of work last year to make sure we had a successful recruitment, and this photo just captures the release of excitement and relief we felt on Bid Day.  These seven women were the greatest support system to have and I will forever be grateful for the time I was able to spend leading along side them. 

Formal happens once a year for our chapter.  It is held at the end of every Spring semester. Alpha Delta Pi calls it Black Diamond Ball.  This was one of the greatest nights of this past semester. I had so much fun dancing, laughing, and making memories with some of my favorite people. 

Diamond Days are the days leading up to Initiation. They are filled with ritual, sisterhood, celebrations, laughter, bonding, food, diamonds, white and blue, and sentimental moments. In the Fall, we held a photo shoot after having a ceremony outside.  The fall weather was a little chilly, but the scenery was perfect.  I mean how much better can it get when you have boots, fall weather, leaves falling, a November sunset, long sleeve shirts, cardigans, sisters by your side, smiles, the classic power point, and many laughs. 

Sisterhood is the bond that brings a group of women together. For me sisterhood has given me over a hundred women that I can count on at any given time.  Sisterhood has given me friendships across the  nations. Sisterhood has given me the sister(s) that I never grew up having. Sisterhood is Alpha Delta Pi.

Why ADPi? I came home to Alpha Delta Pi, in September of 2013, when the Theta Sigma chapter colonized at WCU. Joining Alpha Delta Pi and becoming a founding sister have been the best par of decisions I've made while in college. It has given me the opportunity to form friendships that will last a lifetime, gain leadership experience, and be part of something that is so much bigger than myself. Being a sister of Alpha Delta Pi has taught me the importance of living my values and being a well balance woman. Every moment I spend with my sisters is filled with fun, laughter, and creating memories that I will always cherish. I am forever grateful to be part of the first and finest, forever.

When you join an organization like this you don't realize how many opportunities it will provide you with. I have made so many many memories that it is too difficult to pick one to be my favorite. Over the course of the past two years I have made so many memories that I will never forget.  However, the memories would be meaningless without the wonderful sisters I share them with. 

Go Greek!
XOXO

Thursday, July 30, 2015

What I Know For Shore: July Edition



Can you believe that July has come and gone (almost)? It is crazy to think that two days from today is the first day in August. This month's What I know For Shore post is a little bit different than the previous posts like it.  This month I focused on what I actually know about the month of July. 
  1. It is hot. 
  2. It goes quickly.
  3. If you blink you might miss it.
  4. It is filled with food and friends.
  5. There are tons of summer sales at your favorite retail stores.
  6. It's impossible to find a red skirt.
  7. Drinking water is better cold than hot.
  8. Lots of people go on vacation.
  9. If you're going to exercise, then it has to be early in the morning or late at night.
  10. The last week sets in a feeling of anxiety because the school year is quickly approaching.
  11. Farmers' Markets are filled with great fruits and vegetables.
  12. Corn on the cob is better at the beginning of the month rather than the end.
  13. You can find fireworks pretty much any night of the month.
  14. Short cold showers are much better than long hot showers.
  15. Yogurt is better with fresh blueberries rather than frozen ones.
  16. It's the month I purchase my new agenda.
  17. It has been the month that I have rededicated myself to my corner of the internet, this blog. 

What did you learn about July?

If you liked reading this post, check out other ones like it!

XOXO

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Summer Fitness


The summer is a great time to restore your fitness.  Many people have more free time in the summer, which allows for more time to exercise.  Exercise looks a little different for every individual as we are all at different fitness levels and can tolerate varying levels of strenuous activity.  The summer can also be a difficult time to exercise because of the extremely hot temperatures. Today I'm here to share with you some things that help motivate me and how I exercise in the summer. 

 5 Pieces of Advice:

  1. Hydrate! Drink lots of water before, during, and after working out.  Staying hydrated will keep you from cramping. 
  2. Exercise early in the morning or late at night.  It is best to avoid exercising during the hottest part of the day. 
  3. Take a cold shower afterwards.  This helps cool you down much faster.
  4. Purchase clothing that wicks moisture away.  You sweat a lot more during a summer workout, so having the proper clothing will make you feel more comfortable. 
  5. Eat wisely.  Adding fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet is a great idea because they are high in water content. 

5 Sources of Motivation:

  1. Track your progress and celebrate the small successes.  
  2. Choose a fitness buddy. Working out with a partner helps with accountability.  You are able to motivate each other on those days where it seems impossible to get your daily workout in.
  3. Set a goal.  If you have a goal then it makes working out more meaningful.  
  4. Remind yourself it is worth the time and effort. If you want to increase your fitness levels it is going to take hard work and time. The workouts may be challenging, but it is important to remind yourself that your health is important.
  5. Make a list of why working out is important to you.  This is a great self motivation technique. 


5 Different Types of Exercise:

  1. Go for a hike.  A long challenging hike is a great way to get some exercise.  It is fun and something you can do while on vacation, with a friend, or by yourself.  It is also free to hike at most state parks. 
  2. Go for a run/walk.  You can do this anywhere.  Sometimes summer involves lots of traveling, which can make working out tricky, but there is no excuse for you not to be able to do this type of exercise.  You don't have to push yourself too hard.  The distance and speed you run is up to you.  
  3. Join a sports team.  This is my third summer playing  in an adult field hockey league.  We play games twice a week for about an hour.  It is a great workout and tons of fun. Running up and down a field for 50 minutes is much more tolerable than running on your own for that long. 
  4. Take a fitness class. If you aren't traveling much, then this is a great option.  There are many different fitness classes out there. Signing up and paying for a class increases accountability. If you paid, then you are more likely to make the effort to attend. It is more difficult to blow it off than just a run around your neighborhood by yourself.
  5. Go for a swim. Swimming laps is just as good for you as running.  It might be better in the sense that there is no impact on your knees and joints. 
If you need some more inspiration or ideas for fitness, then checkout my pinterest board
XOXO


Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Shop Local: Farmer's Market

One of the perks to living in rural southeastern Pennsylvania are the many local produce stands.  Within five miles of my house there are at least three different produce stands, all of which are operated by Amish families.  Shopping locally has many perks.  If you don't live out in the country, don't fret because there are many other options for shopping locally.  Many populated areas have farmers' markets where farmers bring truck loads of fresh fruits and veggies.  If you haven't been to one of these, then I highly recommend you search to find one near you. 

Reasons to Shop at a Local Farmer's Market:

  1. The fruits and vegetables are freshly picked, which means they are in season. While a large grocery store has a larger variety, the food is not necessarily in season. Food that is not in season usually has more chemicals and less health benefits for you. 
  2. Try a new fruit or vegetable. These markets sometimes have less common foods, so it provides you the opportunity to try something that you have never had before. 
  3. You know where your food comes from.  This food is grown locally, so you know the fields they are coming from.  You are able to see how many chemicals the food is being njected with. 
  4. Sustainable agriculture helps protect the environment.  This type of farming uses less resources and has a less negative impact on the Earth than conventional agriculture. 
  5. Support the local economy.  Purchasing food from local farmers helps to support families and businesses that are in your backyard. 
Do you shop local? I'd love to hear about your experiences!

XOXO

Monday, July 27, 2015

Summer Reads


Beach Town by Mary Kay Andrews // Dirty Rush by Taylor Bell
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin // The Vacationers by Emma Straub
Life is Short Wear Your Party Pants by Loretta LaRoche //  Paper Towns by John Green 
Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple // The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand

What's on your summer reading list?
XOXO





Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Crafting Lilly Pulitzer Letters


After three years of Lilly Pulitzer agendas piling up, I decided it was time to put them to use. The other day I had a little free time and decided to go through my craft bin to see what I could use all my Lilly print paper for.  I found my initial (M) that a friend of mine had painted for me awhile back and thought it would be adorable to cover it in Lilly Pulitzer paper.  Before I began I gathered all the supplies I would need.



Supplies:
Scissors
Cardboard
Letter of your choice (for me it was M)
Mod Podge
Sponge brushes
White Paint
Primer (optional)
Paper Plate or palate for paint
Paper of your choice

The original color of the letter didn't match the color scheme I'm planning to use, so I began by priming it with a coat of paint so that the dark color wouldn't show through when I used mod podge to adhere the colorfully printed paper to the wooden letter.  Before priming the letter, I found a piece of cardboard and laid it down beneath the letter so that I didn't get paint on the surface I was using to craft (AKA- my parents' kitchen table).  You can also use newspaper, a plastic table cloth, or a brown paper bag.  I think using cardboard is the best option because you are able to move the letter while it is drying with messing anything up. 

After priming the letter, I gave it a coat of white paint.  The sides of the letter won't be covered with paper since the paper is just on the top surface, so the white paint is for the outside and back of the letter. While the paint was drying, I began to sort through my agendas and pulled out the paper that had prints that I could potentially use.  I then laid all the prints out and decided which ones looked good together. This process takes awhile if you are a perfectionist like me!  

If you don't like Lilly Pulitzer, then no worries you can still complete the project. All you need to do is get scrap booking paper or print your favorite pattern online. You can also cover the letter in all one print rather than the patchwork style I used.

Once I chose the paper I would be using, I began to cut the paper to fit the letter. I found that it was easiest to cut a piece that was slightly larger than what I needed. I then folded the excess paper and creased it along the edge of the letter. I then cut along the creese marks to ensure that the paper was the correct size.  I think it works best to not be picky about each piece of paper being the same size because most letters are irregular in shape anyways. 

I cut the paper and sized it to fit the letter beginning with the top left corner, of the letter M.  I did this for the entire left side and then I began to glue.  In order to glue the paper down, use a sponge brush, dip it into the jar of Mod Podge, and then apply the paint to the surface of the letter.  Be careful not to use too much because then the paper will be over saturated, which could cause it to rip or bubble easily. After glueing down the entire left side, I then cut the paper to size it to fit the letter along the left side.  I then glued down the left side. Next, I sized the different pieces of paper to fit the middle of the letter and then glued them down.  Finally, I painted a layer of glue on top of all the paper to seal it and ensure that all the paper was glued down.  I then let the letter dry on a piece of cardboard for about 24 hours. 

This project is really easy and the letter(s) can be used for much more than a simple college apartment decoration. Depending on the size of the letter you could use it on a wreath, a classroom door, or anywhere in your home. This is DIY project can also be a great item to give as a gift.

Enjoy Crafting!
XOXO

Monday, July 20, 2015

Shore Life Playlist No. 4

Image.
I love discovering new music! I am a big fan of Spotify because it makes doing this really easy.  Today I'm sharing some of the songs that I have been listening to lately.

Flashed Junk Mind: Milky Chance
Marvin Gaye: Charlie Puth
Take Your Time: Sam Hunt
Our Own House: MisterWives
Next To Me: Otto Knows
Sangria: Blake Shelton
Don't Look Down:Martin Garrix
Reflections:MisterWives
Waiting For Love: Avicii
Leave the Night On: Sam Hunt
This Summer's Gonna Hurt: Maroon 5
Celest: Ezra Vine
House Party: Sam Hunt
Cool For the Summer: Demi Lovato

To listen to the playlist click here.

You may also like to here a few of my older playlists: 

XOXO



Saturday, July 18, 2015

I Scream, You Scream

We all scream for ice-cream!
This Sunday is National Ice Cream Day!


Ice cream has been one of my favorite foods ever since I can remember.  Surprisingly, I don't have a favorite flavor.  This past week my mom, brother, and I took a little adventure and did a creamery tour. Where we live there are several creameries within an hour of driving. We ended up going to three different locations. You may have seen me talking about it here

We each got a small cup of ice cream (Peach, Turtle, and Motor Oil).  The ice cream was delicious, although it did make us really thirsty afterwards. We enjoyed our sweet treats on picnic tables outside the actual ice-cream shop.  The farmhouse on the property had gorgeous landscaping filled with hydrangeas. 

This was our shortest stop. Word of advice, look up a farm's hours before trying to go. We got to the farm and they were closed. I'm sure we will try to go back there again someday, but it ended up working out because eating ice cream three times in one day would have been a bit much. 

Stop 3: Kilby Cream
Yet another creamery located on a local farm.  This stop was my favorite of the three. The ice-cream was some of the best that I have ever tasted.  For this stop I got cow dough, otherwise known as cookie dough, in a waffle cone.  This was hands down one of the best waffle cones I have had.  The farm was adorable.  The ice cream shop was filled with cow decor and had puns like "cow tipping is appreciated". 

How to Celebrate National Ice Cream Day:
If you are looking for something fun to do this summer to cool off, then I highly recommend a DIY creamery tour! If you can't get to a creamery this weekend to celebrate National Ice-cream Day, then I found some things you can make with ice-cream at home. Photos courtesy of Pinterest. 











Happy National Ice Cream Day!

XOXO







Thursday, July 16, 2015

Wishlisted: July

This summer I am working to save my money rather than spending it. However, it never hurt to create a little Wishlist. 

Lately I've been packing to go places for a night or two so this bag would be perfect. 

Don't you hate that cold wet feeling you get from holding your iced coffee/iced tea? I know I sure do. I love adjustable cup sleeve because it is adjustable to fit any size cup. 

I am working on saving money when possible. One of the ways to do this is to make my own iced coffee.  I like the idea of having a tumbler strictly for coffee that way my water doesn't have a hint of java in it. This tumbler would be the perfect one for my morning coffee on the go. 

These earrings are perfection! They would add a nice pop of color to any summer outfit. 

I love this nail polish color! I am looking for a new color for my toes right now. 

I wear my jack rogers sandals all the time. Recently I was playing around on their website and stumbled upon these custom sandals

XOXO





Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Summer Concert Attire

We all know that summer is usually filled with concerts. Whether they're local ones in the park or big time artists,I never know what to wear.  It is difficult to find the perfect concert outfit. Depending on the concert the attire changes too! I'm not a crop top and ripped jean shorts kind of girl, so today I am here to share with you some of my recommendations for concert attire. I prefer to be cute and comfortable for concerts. These two outfits provides both of those qualities and can be worn for many different types of concerts.

Outfit 1:maxi dress Outfit 2: shorts & top



XOXO




Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Planning Decisions

As you have probably read by now, I love the Lilly Pulitzer agendas.  July is half way over so it's time for me to order my new agenda. Freshman and sophomore year of college I used the large style, but junior year I chose to upgrade to the jumbo size.  I enjoyed the larger version, but the spiral that held it together fell apart mid way through the year and it was a bit too large to carry around.  After last year's mishap I have decided to go back to using the large agenda. I love that the large version has two copies of the monthly outlook of each month. This allows me to keep track of sorority events on one calendar and my personal life on another. This year Lilly has come out with a covered spine version of the large agenda and I can't decide if I should purchase that one or the original version.  These are the two that I am debating between and would love to hear your thoughts!


Which one should I buy?

XOXO

Monday, July 13, 2015

Perks to Summer Classes


For twelve years, we were always taught that summer school was a bad thing. Only students who weren't successful spent their summer studying. Well, I'm now entering my fourth year of college and I can promise you that taking summer classes is no longer a bad thing.  This is especially true if you want to graduate on time, add a minor, dual major, or maybe just really enjoying learning. Recently I've completed my second summer of classes, and I can promise you that it's really not that bad. Sure it's a little rough to only have four days to recover from finals week before the next class begins, but you will survive.  You might have to give up some beach days, stay in to study instead of spending every waking moment with friends, decrease the amount of binge watching you do on Netflix, set an alarm instead of sleeping until lunch, and even use your brain a little too.  

Despite how awful this sounds, summer classes do have their advantages.  Summer classes are great GPA boosters.  You might not have done as well as you hoped during the spring semester, but summer session allows you to increase that GPA without over loading your credits in the upcoming Fall semester.  Summer classes move at an accelerated pace, cramming a whole semester's worth of knowledge into five or six weeks. Because of the fast paced nature it is less likely that you will be bored, and it provides a great opportunity for you to take that class you've been putting off because you just can't bare the idea of having to spend fifteen weeks on something that doesn't interest you.  Because these courses are less popular, enrollment tends to be down consequently providing you with much smaller class sizes.  The smaller class sizes can be beneficial to take advantage of for more difficult classes.  This will allow you ample one on one time with the professor and might enhance the knowledge you obtain. 

If you're crazy like me and want to cram 130 credits into three and a half years, then summer classes are your only option. I love the fast paced nature of the course, the more individualized instruction, and classes that I thought I would hate I ended up loving! I think the biggest things with these classes is just staying on top of the work and completing assignments as soon as they are assigned.   While professors seem to be more lenient during the summer, I have seen peers not do as well because they lost track of their assignments. Like anything in school, the more organized you are the better off you will be. If you are considering taking a summer class during your college career, then I highly recommend you do it during the earlier session.  Taking classes during the first summer session gets it done and over with. 

What are your thoughts on summer classes?

XOXO

Thursday, July 9, 2015

Currently

Eating: Lately I have been eating a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables from the local market.  There is just something about summer that makes me want to eat healthier (most of the time). However, right now I am indulging on a homemade breakfast sandwich (sesame bagel, scrambled egg whites, and a slice of american cheese). Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, and I had the morning off so I decided to treat myself.

Listening: Spotify's Daily Lift playlist 

Reading: Currently I am not reading anything, but I am searching for recommendations! (hint: give me some good books to read!) My two most recent reads have been Dirty Rush and Paper Towns. Neither book was fantastic, but they made for great light reading.

Enjoying: The time I have been spending with friends and family this summer and the perks of being 21.

Inspired by: 

Watching: Odd Mom Out is my new favorite TV Show. A episode comes on Monday nights via Bravo TV Network.  Each episode is thirty minutes long and essentially mocks the crazy moms of New York City.  Shout out to my mom for providing me with my newest addiction.

Buying: I am currently working to save my money this summer. However, my latest purchases have been clothing for sorority recruitment. We are required to purchase certain items, so I have been looking to find things that I can wear for recruitment and other events as well.

Wishing: I was able to spend a whole week at the beach this summer. I am dying for some quality beach time. The beach is my happy place.

Planning: To blog more. I am working on drafting posts so that my blog is no longer neglected.  This week I am up to three posts, which doesn't sound like a lot but it's an improvement!


XOXO





Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Weekend Happenings: Fourth of July Edition



Happy Tuesday!

This past weekend we celebrated the United States of America.  Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays because of the food, friends, drinks, summertime, fireworks, the color scheme, and oh so much more. The list could really go on for quite awhile! My family doesn't have any traditions for this holiday, which is why maybe it's so fun.  It is unpredictable, each year is always different!  This year I spent the fourth with both friends and family.  Two of my friends came out to the "country" for the night.  We enjoyed some drinks, good eats, fireworks from a distance, attempted to make ice cream sandwiches, and laughed quite a bit.  Sometimes a night in with people you care about is just as good as a night out on the town.


I loved the geotags that snapchat had on Saturday. This one fit perfectly with out festive Sangria.  We used this recipe and adapted it to create our patriotic looking drink for the day. 

For dinner we had Frogmore Stew, otherwise known as a one-pot seafood dinner. We had just bought our first batch of corn of the season from the local market and thought it would be a great fourth of July dinner. There is nothing like corn at the beginning of the season. It was sweet and had small kernels. 

I hope y'all had a wonderful fourth of July!
XOXO

Monday, July 6, 2015

Perks of Attending a Sorority Convention


So remember how in my last post I talked about empowering the women in our lives? Well, last month I found a place where women were empowering each other for five consecutive days. This female empowerment happened at a beautiful resort in Scottsdale, Arizona during Alpha Delta Pi's 164th Grand Convention.  Grand Convention is held in odd years, and every chapter of Alpha Delta Pi sends at least one representative. I had the privilege of attending as the Chapter President for the Theta Sigma Chapter of Alpha Delta Pi. 

The week was filled with Lilly Pulitzer prints, monograms, jack rogers, Kendra Scott jewelry, and lots of azure blue & white. This Lilly loving Pennsylvania girl felt at home being surrounded with southern belle sisters. I swear I left that week with the slightest southern accent. We spent time learning about the direction our organization is taking, voting on important business, electing our new Grand Council, networking with sisters from all over the place, polishing our leadership skills, learning about all that our organization has done the past few years, mental health and well-being, and enjoyed the scenic views that Arizona had to offer. 

As you probably have read by now, I am a founding sister of my chapter.  Being a founder has been quite the roller coaster of high and low points.  It is a lot of hard work, but it comes with a lot of rewards too.  My time at Grand Convention reminded how great my chapter is doing for being so young. We received many awards, which was a great tangible reminder and motivates me to continue to lead the chapter in a positive direction. 

My Tips for Attending and Fraternity/Sorority Convention:
Take Notes: 
You will be provided with a ton of great information during your time at these conferences.  Be sure to bring a pen and a notepad to write everything down. Once you leave, the week feels like a blur and you will most likely forget things if you don't write them down. The education sessions and networking you do will provide you with lots of great ideas to bring back to your chapter.  

Make Friends!
You have an opportunity to network with people from around the world who have similar interests as you. Chances are if you are attending this conference, then you are passionate about your organization and your leadership role.  The people attending the conference will most likely have that same vested interest that you do, which makes for great conversations and friendships. These people will be able to share stories, experiences, and so much more with you. Be sure to exchange numbers, emails, social media accounts, etc. because these are the best resources you will take from attending convention.  Last year I attended a smaller scale version of convention, and the women I met have become my support system and friends!

Recharge.
Take advantage of this opportunity that is being given to you. For me, attending these conferences always seems to renew my love for my organization.  It is a great reminder for why I continue to serve in leadership roles. Additionally, it motivates me to become an even better sister. This year's convention inspired me to become involved once I graduate. Sometimes difficult semesters can drag us down, so this is the time to remind yourself why you spend so much doing what you do. Coming together with people who have a common goal reminds you why you are so passionate. 

Have you ever attended a sorority convention? If so I would love to hear about your experiences! 
XOXO