A Day At The Pumpkin Patch

TSS Readers, meet Maddie... an Alpha Chi Omega from San Diego State University!  Maddie is the newest addition to our It Girl team for 2014.  Want to learn more about her?  Well, you're going to have to wait a little bit-- our new It Girl team will be unveiled soon!  Until then, here's a sneak peek into the life of the newest member of our It Girl family!  Welcome, Maddie!

There’s something magical about fall- the leaves change, the air is crisp, and you can order pumpkin-flavored anything. We don’t exactly get a traditional fall season in San Diego; we’re still wearing flip-flops and going to the beach. But, our sisterhood event at the Pumpkin Station in Del Mar let us pretend! We picked out pumpkins, rode the rides, bought huge buckets of caramel corn, and pet adorable animals. It was a great way to bond with our new members and celebrate this beautiful season.

When we got back to our chapter house, we held a decorating competition- it was so fun to see everyone’s crafty side. We split the girls into teams and gave them supplies to decorate with, including pipe cleaners, pom poms, paint, glitter, and different types of candy.   One team crafted a hilarious witch with hay, a paper hat, and a pickle nose.  Another team did a cute aqua ombre pumpkin using paint and glitter.  All of the pumpkins make a festive addition to the front of our chapter house.

We love the mix of Halloween tradition and glamour on the pumpkin with the jeweled spider on it. Some pumpkin patches sell kits with stick-on jewels, but you can also get large gems and rhinestones from any craft store and hot glue them to your pumpkin!  When you decorate your pumpkins, you can get inspiration from Pinterest, your favorite movies, and even the supplies you have lying around. We had a blast at this sisterhood event! I encourage you to go with your chapter or your friends. Even if you don’t pick a pumpkin, you’ll get loads of great photos together!

10 Curl Commandments

If there is anyone who knows a thing or two about curls, it is our It Girl, Marisa Simone. Do you want some nice curls? Or better yet, would you like to maintain them? Well, Marisa dishes with us how to maintain perfect curly hair. Just follow her '10 Curl Commandments' and you will be ready to rock some playful curls!

1. Sleep on a satin pillow case

• It will reduce dryness and breakage and hold some of the moisture in.

2. Detangle to protect your perfect mane

• Use a wide tooth comb; never a brush.

3. Limit heat use on your hair

• Heat pulls out moisture from curls, makes them dry and shapeless. 

4. Shampoo less

• It is not necessary to shampoo your hair every day, try for every other day. 

5. Condition, condition, condition!

• The curlier the hair, the longer it takes for natural oils to travel from the scalp to the ends. 

6. Style when wet

• The tamest your hair will ever be is when it is wet. You will have much more control.

7. Read the ingredients of the products you use

• Limit products with alcohol in them to avoid that crunchy, ramen noodle look!

8. Leave it alone!

• Towel or blow drying can cause a bigger mess then just letting your hair dry naturally.

9. Make sure to diffuse 

• If you must blow dry always use a diffuser, the regular nozzle changes your curl pattern. 

10. Love your hair no matter what!

• We always want what we can’t have, so just think about all the girls out there pining for luscious, curly locks!

Photo Bulletin Boards {DIY}

As it is that time of year, our favorite time of year to be exact…recruitment time, I myself am neck deep in ribbon, rhinestones, and glitter!! “Extreme crafting” as our chapter likes to refer to it, is in full swing.  One of the biggest and most important projects that we partake in during the week of recruitment, and one of our biggest recruiting tools we utilize, are bulletin boards scattered throughout our house. These boards are a fun and charming way to give all of the beautiful Potential New Members a quick peek into the life they could soon be living. Although these boards seem like an easy task to accomplish, they are actually far from it.  This is why I wanted to share with our readers how to create the cutest and easiest boards for your chapter, dorm room, apartment, or house.

My biggest inspiration for my creations this year was Pinterest of course! Making a Pinterest board with inspiration is a necessary component to this process. I had many fun quotes and sayings on a pin board, as well as interesting visual designs compiled so I could draw inspiration at the click of a mouse…. because let's be honest, Pinterest makes us all have creative bones in our bodies. 

Each of the bulletin boards at our chapter have a theme; something that our entire chapter is involved in.  This could be anything from philanthropies to bid day, or tons of different sisterhood events from the past year. You name it, we have a board for it. In previous years, we have created boards with different backgrounds and colors. This year, we chose a color scheme to make them cohesive & more appealing to the eye. Adding a flirty flower border on every board flawlessly tied the themes together. In the end, I learned these boards are a lot of work... but they can easily display the greatest events your chapter and sisters partake in over the year! 

What crafts does your house like to make during recruitment season?  Share with us below!

First Date Perfection

Look One.  Peach Dress: similar here.  Platform Sandals: Jessica Simpson. 

Look Two.  Blouse: Express.  Jeans: 7 For All Mankind.  Shoes: Vince Camuto (similar here).
Look Three.  Dress: RVCA.

First dates, so exciting but at the same time a little stressful. So many things are going through your mind, but most girls are usually worried about one thing... what to wear!  The perfect first date outfit is not necessarily about the brand you are wearing, but instead an outfit that brings out your confidence. What you wear on a first date tells a guy a lot about your personality, so you want to bring out your inner beauty with the right outfit selection. Here are a few tips that will hopefully help for your future first dates!

Tip one: wear something that is classy but flirty. Something like a fuller skirt, flirty dress. Dresses like this are super flattering-- they radiate confidence, and feminine charm! Throw in some chunky heels and statement accessories for a night on the town.  I love this sweet peach dress with the touches of lace, it's date night perfection!

Tip two: wear something with a pop of color.  Leave the black and grey for the office! Wearing color shows off the vibrant side of your personality. The blouses from Express are classy and cute, and come in a bunch of pretty colors.  When choosing a color, choose something that compliments your skin tone. Your date will think you're a knock out! 

Tip three: don’t feel the need to get too dolled up. Some first dates could be going to a sports game, or a lunch date. Go with something that is comfortable but fitting, like a maxi dress with summer sandals.  This one from RVCA has become one of my personal favorites!

Hopefully these tips can help alleviate some of those first date jitters.  Always remember to be your beautiful and unique self, and just have fun!