Fall 2015 Fashion Trends

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Since we live in both Arizona and Washington, it is always fun for us to attend fun Fashion Week events to see what the fashion trends are. From high end to low end, we always like to showcase what is being worn on the catwalk and how you can mirror those trends on campus, work, or around town. Co Founder, Karen, had a blast attending Bellevue Fashion Week last month {she met Rachel Zoe!!} and she reported back everything you should know about what's in for fall this season with the help of Vogue Magazine Director of Special Events, Cara Crowley. Below are some of the trends that you can rock to stay trendy. Shop these looks by clicking the links below each picture! To see all of the looks that dawned the Front Row Fashion Runway show, click here!

Greys

[1. Aritzia 2. BCBGMaxazria]

Fringe

[Intermix]

Lace

[1. Anthropologie 2. Intermix]

Ponchos

[Aritzia]

Which fall fashion trend are you most excited to rock? Share with us in the comment's section below!

Must-Have Booties This Season

1. Steve Madden "Chelsea" Bootie.

2. Top Shop "Bardot" Side Zip Boot 

3. Toms "Lunata" Suede Bootie 

4. Michael Kors Wedge Bootie

5. Sam Edelman "Hanley" Suede Chelsea Boot 

6. Sam Edelman Fringe Bootie 

Booties are probably the best thing that ever existed in the fashion world- just kidding, but not really... They go with everything and anything you can think of and in the fall, they get replaced with heels as you can also wear them with a dress & tights!  Every fall/winter season, they come out with a new style of booties that we just can't wait to get our hands onto like these babies above.

When it comes to booties, you must have a pair in every color- brown, black, and tan... but that's with everything, right?  Maroon/burgundy and dark green are also coming to play with booties, so if you can get your hands on them... DO! These Sam Edelman booties are the perfect suede bootie for this fall.  If you're excited about fall/winter as much as we are, better start on your booties collection!

TSS Favorite Things: October Edition

We're back with our favorite things for this October! We are so thrilled that Fall season has commenced because we are suckers for pumpkin spice lattes, beanies, over the knee boots, and those famous Rom Coms to snuggle up watching. It should be no surprise then why we chose some of our favorite things above! Fringe is 100% a Fall fashion trend so the Rebecca Minkoff Fringe Purse and the Lucky Brand Booties are necessary closet editions. Ever since Solange dawned a cape dress for her wedding, we have been obsessed with that look and found a cute wool one called the Wayf Collarless Woven Cap. Earlier in the month we talked about our love for the best primer ever, so naturally we are keeping Givenchy Mister Mat Matifying Foundation Primer high on our shopping list in addition to Laura Mercier Radiance Primer.

Shop the rest of our faves here

1.  Mansur Gavriel Mini Bucket Bag-Black
2.  Women's Jessica Simpson 'Conley' Bootie, 3 1/2" heel
3. Aldo heels/pump37
4. Ugg Slippers (in Sand color)
5. Swell Bottle

Happy October shopping!

Easy Last Minute Halloween Looks

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Halloween is right around the corner! Of course, we are the ultimate procrastinators on costumes, so for our other fellow procrastinators, below are two super easy Halloween looks that you can shop from your own closet or you can easily order online! Links and descriptions are provided below!

Skeleton woman

How to create the look:

Click here for the exact look!

Cat woman

Here's how to create this look:

Black bodysuit
Cat ears
Black knee-high boots

Happy Halloween!

A Sorority Girl's Healthy Halloween Treats

[image: Candy Corn Fruit Cup]

Despite all the goblins, ghosts and ghouls, the spookiest part about Halloween may just be the outrageous amount of sugar and candy we all consume on this one night each year. In fact, 4% of all candy eaten in the U.S. occurs on Halloween night, making the average trick-or-treater’s bag of candy equivalent to 4,800 calories and 3 cups of sugar!

As sorority girls, we know how much staying healthy and fit means to you, so to avoid all the sugar this Halloween while still enjoying your Halloween with your sisters, we are sharing some healthier Halloween treats created by Chef Anthony Stewart.

Bake these at your next Halloween Party or sisterhood event!

Candy Corn Fruit Cup | Healthy Halloween Party Ideas

Excellent for a Halloween party or for a dessert any time of the year. It’s healthy, sweet, tangy, and oh-so-easy to put together.


Servings: 4

Ingredients:

2 cups mango cubes


2 cups clementine segments


2 cups fat-free, plain Greek yogurt


Top with zest of clementine

Chocolate Jack O’Lantern | Healthy Halloween Party Ideas

For spooky, chocolatey fun, carve out oranges and fill with Pritikin’s Chocolate Mousse.


Servings: 5 half-cup servings


Ingredients:

1/4 cup water cold


1/2 cup cocoa powder unsweetened


1/4 cup Splenda granulated


2 teaspoons vanilla extract


12 ounces tofu silken, extra-firm


Instructions:

In a medium saucepan, add water and warm over low heat, bringing to a low simmer.


Add cocoa powder to saucepan, stirring constantly until the mixture becomes a fudge-like consistency.


Remove from heat.


Add Splenda to fudge, mixing well. Add vanilla extract, mixing well.


In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, add tofu and chocolate fudge mixture. Process until mixture is smooth and creamy.

Pritikin Halloween Kabobs | Healthy Halloween Party Ideas

How easy! Simply skewer cantaloupe cubes and blackberries. And so easy for the kids to pick up and snack on! (We’re not guaranteeing they’ll forget the sugary treats in their bags, but these colorful kabobs just may do the trick.)

Bye, Bye Makeup

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Even though we have been doing makeup for ever, we can honestly say that we have no idea when it's time to let go of our favorite makeup products. Is it just us or do you just love your makeup so much that you want to hold onto it forever?! Well, holding onto old makeup forever is no bueno so it's time to tell that makeup "bye, bye"! Psst..here's a little sorority secret: if you want to know when to throw away any of your makeup, be sure to hold onto the original box you got it from. Why? At the back or bottom of the box there is an area that says a number and then months. That is an indication of how long you should hold onto your makeup before it's no good! We know, mind blown!

Save the makeup expiration guide that we personally created above just for you so you never have old makeup in your makeup bag, ever!

5 Yoga Workouts For Beginners

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We just love yoga! It is so calming and relaxing and really helps us to get centered. We are total beginners and really wanted to get some yoga beginners basics so we reached out to Kelsey Lawrence, Arizona Yoga Instructor and an Alpha Chi Omega Alumnae, to show us the ropes. Kelsey shares just how to do each beginner's yoga workout. Whether it's doing yoga at a studio, on the beach, or in the comfort of your home, you can take yoga just about anywhere with these easy workouts. Thanks for sharing, Kelsey!

Cat Cow (Chakravakasana)

1. Begin in tabletop position, hands under shoulders and knees under hips. 
2. Inhale and arch your back. Leading forward with your heart (not your head), shoulders on your back and chin tucked. Press down through your hands and feel your heart opening. Keep your shoulders relaxed, opened, and broadened. 
3. Exhale and round your back like a cat. Tucking your chin in towards your chest and exhaling all of the air out of your lungs. 
4. Repeat 5 times on your breath. 

This pose is extremely beneficial for back pain. It moves your hips and spine and squeezes out the kidneys. When leading with your heart, feel the expansiveness and opening of new possibilities!

Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

1. Begin in tabletop position. 
2. It is important in this pose to angle your hands in the right angle in order to protect your shoulders. 
3. On your mat, widen your arms to where your pinky fingers are touching the edge of the mat. Make sure your pointer fingers are pointing forward. 
4. On your next exhale tuck your toes and push back, raising your seat into the air with your feet hip distance apart. Push back through your hips while being mindful not to hyper-extend your straight arms. 
5. Try and turn your shoulders out ward. 
6. Ground your heals into your mat and if not, bending the knees is a beautiful way to practice this pose, especially if you have tight hamstrings. 
7. It allows pressure to be taken off the hamstrings and lower back and you are able to sink deeper into the posture. 
8. Breath here for 5 breath’s. Long inhale and extended exhale. 

This pose relives stiffness in the heels, strengths ankles and legs. The abdominal muscles are drawn towards the spine and the head relaxes and drops down, allowing the heart rate to slow. This is a very exhilarating pose and brings energy to your body. If you are feeling tired or groggy during the day, drop everything and get into down ward dog or some sort of inversion. The energizing benefits from this asana help to sustain energy and is much more valuable to your health compared to sugary energy drinks.

Warrior B (Virabhadrasana B)

1. Begin by standing on your mat; exhale and step your left leg behind you about 4 feet. Have your right toes facing forward and your left back foot angled about 45 degrees. 
2. Bend into your right leg; keep your knee over your ankle and breath. 
3. The outside of your back foot should be pressed into the floor and feel grounded. 
4. Feel the strength of your legs and the beautiful earth supporting you. 
5. Engage your abdomen, tuck the sacrum down, and try keeping the right knee over the ankle, not letting it dip inward or outward. 
6. Breathe here as long as you feel comfortable or for 3 breaths keeping your gaze at your right hand. 
7. Straighten your right leg; bring your left to meet the right and switch sides! 

This is a very powerful pose. You are toning your quads and hamstrings as well as your core. It also prepares you for other challenging yoga poses. Mentally focus on the path you want to be on. Find strength in grounding in the earth and that energy will guide you. A beautiful mantra for this pose might be: There is no path to peace, peace is the path.

Reclining Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)

1. Begin on your back. Tuck your chin a little into your chest and breath. 
2. Tuck your pelvis under and bring the insides of your feet together and slowly move your legs closer to your body until you feel a stretch in your hips. 
3. Rest your arms beside you palms up to receive energy. 
4. Your legs will look like they are in the shape of a butterfly. If the sensation is too much, you can place a blanket under each of your knees for support. 
5. Lie here and breathe into your hips for 5 deep breaths. 

Hip openers are so important because we hold so much of our tension in our hips. There are issues in our tissues! When you consciously focus on expanding into that tight area you are not only stretching the fascia you are consciously letting go of anxiety, and who doesn’t want that!! Focus on your breath in this pose and if it hurts you can always back out of it. However, I challenge you to breath through the pain and notice how quickly it subsides and how good it feels.

Childs Pose (Balasana)

1. Time to rest. Begin in tabletop position. 
2. Bring feet together and widen your knees open so that you are able to bring your buttocks towards your feet. Exhale and slowly rest your torso over your thighs so your forehead touches the mat. 
3. Extend your arms forward and breath. Another variation for this pose is to keep your arms bent or relax them next to you on your sides. 
4. Close your eyes and lengthen your breath for a deeper form of relaxation. 
5. Breathe here for 5 breaths and enjoy the stretch into the back of the torso 

This pose helps relieve stress and anxiety, as well as helps with dizziness and fatigue. Flexes the body’s internal organs and keeps them supple, and lengthens and stretches the spine. It normalizes circulation throughout the body and calms the body and mind.


Enjoy these poses and I hope they bring you peace, love and beauty to your life.


Namaste

5 Things To Cut Every Month To Save Money

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Spending money is easy, but saving money can be just as easy if you actually take a look at your statement every month.  As you take a look at your statement, you'll realize that you're spending a lot of money on silly little things that you can easily cut out of your life to put that money into your savings.  One thing we've learned as we've graduated from school is how important it is to have money in your savings, so we thought we'd put together a list for you all so you can start putting money in your bank!

1. Getting Your Nails Done

You can save easily close to $100 every month if you didn't get your nails professionally done.  We learned to do our nails ourselves and really it's allowed us to save a whole lot of money every month.  If you can't do your own nails, have a nail party and have your girlfriend do it for you!

2. Eating Out

You probably spend way more than you think on eating out- this is something that adds up fast!  Every social gathering typically is around eating out and when you socialize a lot, especially in the sorority world you end up paying a lot on food.  Be mindful of it next time and perhaps pack up food before you had to campus!

3. Those Starbucks Drinks!

Okay, similar to #2, but we all love our coffee!  If you think about it, you can easily make coffee at home, but you go to a coffee shop and spend at least $3 on a cup of coffee.  If you do the math, if you get coffee 5 times a week every month that's $60 (or more) that you can be saving a month!  

4. Subscription Based Products/Businesses

Those subscription based businesses are doing well for a reason, girls! We all spend $10 here and there on subscription based businesses like Birch Box and forget that money is actually being taken out of our account every month automatically for these packages we get every month!  

5. iTunes

So iTunes is great because you can download any music you want and download and watch any TV show or movie, but don't forget that your bank account is linked up and it can easily add up!  If you're buying and downloading TV shows or movies that you're just going to watch once, why not just pay a small fee and pay for Hulu+ or Netflix instead?

Again, it's so easy to spend money, so think about what you're really spending money on and if it is ABSOLUTELY necessary.  You can easily be saving $200-300 a month just by the things we listed above.  What are some other things that you can be saving money on?

Fall Nail Colors to Have

1 - "In the Lobby" by Essie

2 - "Roar" by Deborah Lippmann

3 - "French Paradise - Vernis in Love" by Lancome

4 - "Army and Ready" by Essie

5 - "Very Important Poodle" by MAC

6 - "Matte About You" Finisher by Essie

7 - "Myrtle" by Julep

8 - "Austere" by JINsoon

Fall is here and what are we most excited for about it?! Fall nail polish colors, of course!  Nail polish colors are very seasonal and they also change every year- burgundy has been trendy these last couple of years, but you'll be seeing a lot more camel & coppers this year.  The camel shade is great because it's a little more neutral and goes with everything, but if you're really trying to stand out then copper is your color.

We're also currently obsessing over matte nails, but matte top coats are a hit or miss.  We've tested it and it's amazing- try Essie's "Matte About You" finisher!  It will dry your nails in a giffy and give you that perfect matte finish on any color you desire.

What are some of your favorite fall colors you see this year?!

Gifts For Your Little

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We know that Big/Little Reveal is around the corner for a lot of you ladies so we decided to do a little shopping for you to help you choose the absolute cutest gifts for your Little. For those who don't know what Big/Little Reveal is (or Mom/Dot (Daughter)) it is when an active member gets paired with an initiated member based on best fit. It is common throughout the years of being in your sorority to do functions with your Little and really bond with them. For Big/Little Reveal gifts, it is 100% about personalization, which is why we really loved this Acrylic Block Letter Monogram Necklace from BaubleBar. You can each have matching ones!

The Best Face Primer...Ever!

Hey ladies {and maybe a few gents!}! We have searched high and low for the best face primer and we really were having limited luck. Then, of course our amazing friends at Sephora put us on to the best face primer, like EVER. If you want to have your face matte, oil-free, and smooth as a baby's bottom then you have got to get your hands on Mister Mat Mattifying Foundation Primer from Givenchy. Co Founder, Karen lives for this product and has experienced nothing but compliments on her face makeup since she has been using it. She loves it because it has a gel-like balm feel to it. It also glides over the skin like a soft, powdery halo with a velvety finish that keeps the complexion perfected and shine-free. Try it out and let us know what you think!

The Best Homecoming Dresses To Rent

How is it already almost Homecoming?! This was one of our most favorite times when in college. It's one of the few times that we can reconnect with alumnae and have week long activities on campus dedicated to nothing but school pride. But, best of all are all of the date parties! We know how hard it is to find a dress that the next sister won't have, so of course this is why we love Rent the Runway. Above are our favorite dresses and below are the links where you can find most of the dresses on their site.

Halston Heritage Pink - https://www.renttherunway.com/shop/designers/halston_heritage/berkshires_dress

Badgley Mischka Sparkle
-https://www.renttherunway.com/shop/designers/badgley_mischka/fifth_avenue_showstopper_dress

Blue Dress Monique Lhuillier
-https://www.renttherunway.com/shop/designers/ml_monique_lhuillier/katerina_dress

Fuschia Dress Monique Luhillier
-https://www.renttherunway.com/shop/designers/ml_monique_lhuillier/delicate_arrangement_dress

Slate & Willow Copper Dress

Which dress is your favorite?

Fall & Winter 2015 Coat Must-Haves

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Ok, so we have an active GroupMe going on right now with our friends debating on where to buy the best fall coat. For those of you in the colder cities, you know just how important having the right coat is. It's about keeping warm while looking uber stylish. At the top of our list are the famous Burberry trench coats (p.s. Did you see Olivia Pope last week looking amazing in her Burberry trench coat?! We died!). They're more on the pricey side but everyone we know that owns one says that they last forever and are the perfect fit. Banana Republic is another awesome store to snag some cute coats like this one here. Department stores like Macy's, Nordstrom, JCPenney, and Sears usually having a plethora of high end and low end coats to choose from. Grane carries some really nice, affordable coats at Sears like this one. If you're looking to be more trendy than full-fledge warm, you cannot go wrong buying a coat from Betsey Johnson's line! Think pinks and faux furs and everything in between!

Do you have a coat that you absolutely love for fall & winter? Share with us the brand(s) you love in the comments below!

The ColourPop Fall Makeup We Love

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Oh em gee, can ColourPop be any more perfect...and affordable? Waiting for your package from ColourPop always leads to one thing: shopping for more ColourPop stuff, especially since fall is here! One of many things that sorority and non-sorority girls can relate to is makeup so we took it to the TSS streets to find out what are the fall makeup favorites from ColourPop and below are some awesome makeup colors to try for this fall season. Tip: with all of the Lippie Stix, be sure to buy its corresponding lip liner. Lip liner helps keep your lipstick in line and adds great definition to your lips. P.s. We just learned that you can skip the extra charges if you checkout using PayPal {secret steal}!

Eyeshadows: Boy Band, Girl Power, Downtown

Lippie Stix: Ellarie, Leather, Pitch

Highlighter: Most Necessary

What are some of your favorite ColourPop makeup looks perfect for fall? Share with us below!

TSS Master List of Bid Day Themes 2015/2016

Wow, you guys really outdid yourselves this year with your Bid Day themes. We have loved skimming through our emails and Instagram looking at all of your fun Bid Day themes. You guys have really stepped up the originality since our last Bid Day Themes compilation in 2013. Here at TSS we are all about sharing 'sorority secrets' which is why we asked you earlier this week to share with us your Bid Day themes. The goal is to share the love and give other sororities ideas on how they can theme up their Bid Day. Below were some of our favorite themes that we saw. This year, we linked up the theme with the sorority or sorority girl so you can visually see how they did that theme.

1. Welcome to Paradise
2. Welcome to the Big Leagues
3. Flying First Class
4. Coachella
5. Topgun
6. X Marks the Spot
7. Draft Day
8. Aloha
9. Just Got Brighter
10. California Dreaming

We want to add to the list! In the comments below, tell us what theme you did and leave your sorority's Instagram handle too!

TSS Contest: Most Beautiful Sorority Homes!

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We're on the hunt for our country's most beautiful sorority homes!  There are so many different styles of sorority homes all over the country and we want you to submit your house if you think it deserves to be on our Most Beautiful Sorority Homes list!  We will be selecting our winners next week so submission ends this Sunday!

To Enter Email Us at info@thesororitysecrets.com:

1. high quality photo of the exterior of the house (if you want to include the interior too, that's great, but optional).

2. Your school

3. Your sorority

4. Your chapter's Instagram account to be tagged in

Or you can enter by tagging us in a photo of your house on Instagram!

Submission ends this Sunday, September 27th!  Good luck!

Boots With the {Faux} Fur

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Too soon to talk about boots? Nahhhh! Of course, we started shopping around to all of the high end and low end faux fur boots and lucky for you, we compiled our favorites above! We are absolutely in love with faux fur boots with a nice heel like these cute ones from Ann Creek Ltd. Whenever we would walk around campus in the fall and winter, we were suckers for UGGS and these Lamo boots are a striking resemblance at a more affordable cost.

What are some of your favorite faux boots? Share with us below!

Game Day Glam

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Yay for football season! Gah, we missed those days of dressing up in our maroon and gold (GO SUNDEVILS!) to show off our school spirit. There are so many cute and fun ways to be game day glam so you can stand out from all of the other fans. First, head to Michael's Craftstore and snag some rhinestones. Deck your game day shirt with rhinestone bling and you will definitely catch people's attention. Buy fabric in your school's colors and cut them into strips. Tie each strip to a simple head tie and eventually it will be a cute ring of fabric on the head tie that you can tie onto your hair or even use as a fun form of a bracelet. You just can't go wrong buying eyeshadow and lip stick in your school colors. Colourpop is the absolute best site to snag the lipstick as their lip products are $5 {talk about a secret steal!}. Buy some fun accessories to throw around your neck like beads and pom poms to wave that you can get at Party City, Oriental Trading Company, or Stumps.

Whatever you do, get all decked out and rep your team to the fullest!

Why I Went Greek: Shyla Bassey From Delta Sigma Theta

School: Arizona State University
Sorority: Delta
Year You Pledged: Junior
Year Initiated: Spring 2009

What did you hear about sororities before you went through recruitment?

I believe every person has a desire to fulfill a greater purpose in their lives. When I was in high school, I was exposed to many of the NPHC organizations. At that time I did not know much, however I was certainly intrigued to learn more.

What encouraged you to go through recruitment? 

My freshman year on campus was a whirlwind, as for many! I immediately involved myself in numerous organizations on campus to be better acquainted with my new environment. What stood out was the involvement of the women of Delta Sigma Theta. They were small in number but mighty in representation. These women exemplified the way I wanted to be and held themselves to a high academic regard. So, as some wise women shared with me, "Do your research!" meaning, read about all organizations to ensure I know why I am pursuing and what stands out amongst the rest. My research made it even more clear and solidified my decision to pursue such a distinguished Sorority.

Joining Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. was the best decision I've made in my life. Being apart of a bond with such an illustrious history of trailblazing women who have paved the way, so that I can press forward and succeed is priceless.

How did your sorority develop you as a person?

I went Greek because I knew it was in my heart to be apart of a sisterhood of women who carried similar ideals. I wanted to serve a greater purpose in my community, on my Campus and through my daily life. Joining Delta Sigma Theta taught me perseverance, humility, dedication, how to efficiently multitask, run a meeting, organize events, effectively delegate, public speaking, and never to quit even when things go wrong! The lessons learned truly could go on.

If you could go back in time, what would you want to relive in your sorority?

Membership in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. does not end after college with alumnae chapters all over the world. If I could go back in time and relive my collegiate days, it would simply be spending time with my Chapter Sorors running the yard and hosting events on campus that served the greater need.

Thanks for sharing your sorority experience, Shyla!  If you have questions for Shyla leave them in the comment's section below!

The New Way To Take Notes!

Taking notes is something that you'll do at all ages whether you're in high school, college, or in the real world after college!  Some people prefer taking notes by hand in a notebook, but some prefer having everything on their computer so it's easy to keep everything in one place.  If you're like us and want to keep everything digital AND organized, we have the best kept secret for you that we're sharing today!

Even if you keep everything on your computer, files easily can get lost if you have a lot of different files and notes saved all over the place.  Google docs are also great, but collaborating on notes or sharing them has to be easier, right? Well it is if you take your notes using Evernote!  We've been using Evernote for our note taking/organization tool for quite some time now and as school starts up again, we thought our users can use this little magical tool!  Try it out!