DIY Holiday Cards

Whether you’re in college, have a family, or you’re going off on vacation/staying home for the holidays, sending a holiday card is a fun, creative, and inexpensive way to get in touch with people during the jolly season and fill them in on your year.

Every year since middle school, I’ve taken on the challenge of writing and sending my family’s Christmas letter (what can I say, I love to write!) Coming from such a small town, it is tradition in the community for each family to write letters about their year and to send them off to all the other friends and families. For this reason, I’ve seen a full spectrum of the possibilities for Christmas/holiday cards, and they’re just as much fun to create as they are to give out! There are also many options out there for card giving, just make sure you’re starting early enough to get them out before the holidays!

The Letter:

This is what my family does every year, sometimes with a card, and on busier years just the letter. If there are a lot of individuals behind the sending of the card, it’s a fantastic way to make every person seem just as important. It gives the receiver an idea of what each person has been up to. A really fun way to do the letter is to make a cute header and play with fonts and colors. I generally create a letterhead on publisher or Photoshop, and place it into the document. With some sophisticated ivory cardstock, print your letters off for a look that makes it seem you’ve had the letter custom designed!

The Card:

This is one of the best ways for someone living on their own, or in college, to send off Christmas/holiday cards to their friends away at other schools, or to friends they see on a regular basis. Plus, it’s a really unexpected touch. This year, I’ll be doing this in addition to my family’s Christmas letter, so everyone back home can know what I’m up to, but my friends can have something a little more, well, me! As I’m sure I’ve said before, cute stationary is one of my weaknesses, and I’ve found some adorable  holiday designs at places like TJ Maxx, Target, and The Paper Source; the hardest part is deciding which I like best!

The Photo Greeting:

I mentioned earlier, that it’s still super easy to make something last minute to send out even if you’re not going to be home for the holidays. Although something detailed and prepared early on is really intimate to receive, a fun option that has become more popular is the printed out picture. Many families have started doing this on their busier years, and a lot of places have great templates for you to choose from. You can even choose the message you want to be on the card, so it gives the picture a more personal feel. You can get these done at so many places, some of my favorites are minted.com, shutterfly.com, and peartreegreetings.com. They have fantastic selections, I almost caved in and did that instead!

Overall, it’s the season to go out of your way; to be festive, happy, and care for others by reaching out and wishing them the best. Giving holiday cards is a traditional but timeless way to do this, and it’s one of my most favorite parts about the holidays. With that, Happy Holidays to you all, may your hearts be merry and light this season.

Jollily yours,

It Girl Search 2014

Are you an active member of your sorority?  Do you love all of the lifestyle topics that TSS has to offer?  Do you enjoy taking pictures & writing?  If so, you could be one of our next It Girls for 2014!

Once a year, The Sorority Secrets selects 6 active collegiate sorority women to be part of our It Girl team.  Each girl is from a different Greek organization, and from a different university... hey, we gotta represent!  The job of an It Girl is to rep TSS on her campus, and on behalf of her sorority.  It Girls write their own posts a couple of times a month, and also share fun pictures from things happening on their campus.  If it's cool at your school, we want to know about it.  So... do you have what it takes?

You have already met Maddie, the newest member of our It Girl team for 2014.  There are only a few spots left, and we're taking applicants now through December 6th, at 12:00am MST.

Email us (itgirl@thesororitysecrets.com) to apply:
1. Send us your resume
2. Tell us a little bit about yourself (including your school, sorority, and academic year)
3. Attach a picture showcasing your personal style OR showing us how you're involved on campus

We are so excited to hear from you, and can't wait to meet our 2014 TSS It Girl team!

*applicants will be notified the week of 12/9/13 if they are being called back for an interview*

Fall Makeup Looks Part 2 by Victoria

Last week, I shared with you my fall makeup tips (click here for them).  Here is Part 2 of my makeup and beauty trends you need to know for the rest of this fall and heading into the beginning of winter. See once again how my favorite YouTube Beauty Gurus have  pulled off some of my favorite fall and winter makeup trends as seen on the runway.

Plum Lids:

Your Beauty Gurus: 

Jaclyn Hill, Video: “Fall Trend 2013 Makeup Tutorial”                                                                  

Aykut VURAL, Video: “Fall/Winter 2013-2014 Makeup Trends [HD]” 

Note: Check out other Jaclyn Hill videos for some other makeup knowledge

Glitter Eyes:

Your Beauty Guru

Lilly B., Channel Name: ayeeDreamer, Video: “Holiday Glitter Eyes Tutorial”

Baby Pink/Blue Eyes:

Your Beauty Guru

Annie Jaffrey, Channel Name: AnnieJaffrey, Video: “Blue Liner <3 Babydoll Makeup Tutorial” 

Note: The Blue should be more icy and feel free to switch up the placement of the colors--nothing too pigmented; we're not in the 80's!

Meet Maddie!

 On Maddie:  Hat (similar here), Necklace (similar here), Dress (similar here).

2014 is right around the corner, which means that it's almost time to unveil our new 2014 It Girl Team!  Since we're super excited to share our new It Girls with you, we had to give you a little sneak peek.  Meet Maddie, our newest It Girl from San Diego State University!

Maddie is a fun-loving Alpha Chi Omega, in her senior year.  She loves a good Will Ferrell quote, and a good laugh while watching shows like Summer Heights High.  Maddie also enjoys getting artsy and creative... after all, she's an art minor!  Her personal style is part edgy, part bohemian.  Her flowy white dress, metal collar necklace, and floppy hat in these pictures are just adorable!

Welcome to the It Girl team, Maddie!  Are YOU interested in being a TSS It Girl?  Send us your resume {info@thesororitysecrets.com} and tell us a little bit about yourself... we're taking applicants for 2014!  We can't wait to hear from you.

5 Hair Products You Won't Be Able to Live Without!

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If you’re anything like me, you need to have one of every hair tool/styling product out there. I need a curler, a flat iron, a blow dryer, a wide barreled crimper, and various products ranging from heat protectants, hair masks, frizz fighters, and everything in between. Being a college student, money isn’t always flowing so I’d prefer to make an investment that will give me the best for my bucks and that will last a long time; with that in mind, I thought I would share a few of my most essential picks!

1. Sedu Revolution Tourmaline Ionic Styling Iron

If I go on a trip anywhere, no matter how short or long, this guy comes with me. Not only is it slim and easily packed into a suitcase or duffle bag, but it also creates a wide range of styles. If I need to travel light and can’t bring my wand, I know I can count on my iron to achieve curls, waves, or totally flat hair!

2. TheBellezza 4 in 1

If you want the most for your money for the perfect wand, this is where you can find it. This wand is unique because it comes with 4 barrels in different diameters so you can have perfect curls of any size. It heats up quickly and is easy to use with arrows that allow you to select your desired temperature. Plus, it works pretty quickly, too. It’s a high quality hair styling tool with ceramic ionic barrels that won't make your poor ends feel dried out and crusty. Finally, with the interchangeable heads the wand comes apart and can be easily stowed in a small makeup bag. What more could you want?

3. Bumbleand Bumble Deeep

This one is a little more expensive, but I promise it’s worth every penny. As much as I try to reduce styling my hair and causing heat damage, from sorority socials to philanthropies and work, I find myself having to style my hair every day!  Just 20 minutes of this amazing protein masque- it leaves my hair feeling so much more alive.  The only thing you need to be careful of when using this product is not to leave it in for too long. I tend to leave masques on my hair longer than necessary to maximize the effect, but with a protein masque too much protein can have a reverse effect and make your hair brittle. Overall, this product is amazing and it's definitely worth a try!

     4. FHI HeatBlow Dryer

     Every girl needs a blow dryer- Most of us women live life on the go, and many of us are always in a rush. When I say I’ll be there in 5 minutes, it means I’m still tugging my iron through my hair one more time and making sure my eyelashes are evenly coated with mascara. The great thing about the FHI Heat is that it significantly reduces drying time, even for those of us with very thick hair. But my absolute favorite part of the FHI Heat is that it comes in pink! 

      5. Sedu Anti-Frizz Polishing Treatment with Moroccan Argan Oil

      Can you tell I have a slight obsession with Sedu? You probably will too after you try it!  This treatment acts as a heat protectant, moisturizer, and anti frizzing agent. You may have heard of putting Argan oil in your hair for moisture and shine- well this product has it all. I use it before any kind of heat styling, and sometimes just to reduce frizz. The serum is easy to distribute through your hair and makes styling a breeze. Additionally, while the bottles aren’t cheap, one lasts a long time and a little bit of oil goes a long way.

      Happy Styling, everyone!