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,

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!

Transition into Autumn with Victoria

 

Skinny Jeans: Madewell. Skinny Frosted Pants (black): Madewell. Dress: ASOS. Two Toned Riding Boots: Tommy Hilfiger. Checkered Flannel: Urban Outfitters.

Ahhh, autumn. Like most, autumn is my favorite season of the year. Autumn brings along crisp fall air, riding boots, college football (GO DAWGS!), sweater weather, ombre foliage, and homemade apple cider. It’s the cozy season; not too hot, but not too cold, yet. However, every time fall shimmies around the corner, transitioning your summer pieces into your autumn wardrobe, whilst maintaining your sensibility, can be pretty tough! I’m not recommending that you go along wearing your bright neon floral print top with white jeans and boots (big no, no), but I do have several tips for you to mix your beloved summer fashions, with all your seasonal autumn favorites. 

Transition slowly, but confidently. You don’t want to go head first in to all your thickest sweaters, and biggest circle scarves. But if you really feel like sporting something like I stated above, just be like Beyoncé, and own every part of it! In the end, that’s the best piece of fashion advice anyone could ever have. If you have a particular muted or neutral summer dress, or anything that incorporates a fall color tone (anything jewel tones, rusts, golds, coppers, orange, rich reds, or basic neutrals), it can usually be mixed with other pieces in your fall wardrobe to create a good transition outfit. Stay away from shorts once fall rolls along, you don’t want to look weather confused by matching it with a boyfriend cardigan! 

Instead, go for a dress, or cute skinnies in rich colors, and be careful with prints; if any print, opt for a cute leopard print or checkered flannel. One of my favorite transitional outfits for fall is pairing a simple dress, like my black a-line t-shirt dress from ASOS, with a cute fall toned flannel, a scarf, and flats, or ankle boots. You can get the same look with switching out a dress for a cute t-shirt or blouse and skinnies!

Once the weeks start getting cooler, it is time to nix the dresses, unless you’re wearing them with some cute cable knit tights underneath. Go for lots of fun layering and mix patterns and textures! Something that makes fall fashion so unique is mimicking the way nature showcases vibrant hues, with textures like crunchy leaves, and soft grass before it’s covered by morning dew. Have fun and be daring, make your fashion stand out above the rest! Other great things to try out is putting any button down or blouse under a patterned blazer for a preppy look, or sport your sorority pride by wearing a crew neck with your letters, a button down underneath and a super cute statement necklace! This time of year also now becomes a great time to pull those adorable two-toned riding boots out from your closet. 

You can never go wrong with skinnies, of course! Wearing denim leggings may not keep you warm enough in the cooler months, so a great way to make sure your jeans don’t look bulky under your boots is to cuff the bottom, put your sock over, flatten the jean out with the sock, and then put your boot on. Regular skinnies, or my favorite from Madewell called the ‘Skinny Skinny Ankle’ are perfect throughout the earlier months of fall with flats or ankle boots, and are effortless to tuck into riding boots! The jean hits at your ankle, being the smallest part of the boot, so it lies flat. Coated black denim and biker zippers are in for fall, and compliment a lot of styles-try it out!

Scarves and sweaters are going to be your best friend when the crisp air becomes slightly more frigid. Try layering a fun button up over a t-shirt, and then add a cardigan or open sweater over the button up and roll up the sleeves once or twice. Top it off with a scarf and adorable gold jewelry to make your look finished and festive, or even a cute fleece or North Face puffer vest, and you’re good to go!

Happy Autumn!

Crazy for Cupcakes!

Crazy For Cupcakes
By: Victoria, TSS It Girl
   
In my free time, outside of being a student, Greek member, and It Girl Intern, I take time to update my blog, The Guide to Whimsy, where I love to share some of my favorite homemade and quirky recipes. I love experimenting with flavors and how they complement each other in really odd, but scrumptious ways! In general, I just love being in the kitchen, but am known by my hometown, friends, family, and sorority sisters for the cupcakes I bake! From Chai Tea Latte, Fresh Strawberry, Crazy Carrot Cake, Almond Roca, Cheesecake Cupcake, Red Velvet, Raspberry Chocolate, and tons of others, I’ve catered for small parties, family gatherings, birthdays, graduations and even bridal showers.
Here’s one of my recent favorite cupcakes, The Triple C (Chocolate-Coconut Cupcake). This cupcake is the ultimate sweet, salty, slightly tangy, creamy, crunchy, and soft cupcake! For those of you not keen on the idea of coconut, I’ve included ways to void the coconut and switch things up to make another cupcake that’s simpler but still delicious! I love to bake in a really roundabout and experimental way, and rarely use measurements outside my base recipe. So widen your horizons, because the key to success for these cupcakes is a little creativity and having fun putting it all together!
Here’s what you’ll need!

TGTW's Chocolate-Coconut Cupcake (Triple C):
1 box of Pillsbury Traditional Chocolate (If you don’t have time to bake from scratch) OR:

Chocolate Base Recipe:
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream

Extras:
Shredded Coconut
Almond Extract
Coconut Extract
Ground Cinnamon
Sea Salt
Olive Oil
Sugar Crystals
Neufchatel Cheese (a low fat kind of cream cheese)
Powdered Sugar
Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder

• Okay, so go ahead and put together the pre-boxed cake batter. For this recipe, however, since I use Olive Oil in another part of the recipe, also use it in the cake mix in replace of Canola Oil. It won't really alter the taste, if anything, I've noticed it makes it the cake more rich and gives better texture. 
• The next thing you're going to do is put roughly 3/4 teaspoons of coconut extract in the batter. Also add another half a tablespoon of almond extract in the batter and mix.
• Now you're going to add your shredded coconut. However much you add is up to how much you or your party likes coconut; my input is to not put any more than a cup and a half.
• The next two steps are to add the cinnamon and sea salt. I love sweet and salty mixes in dessert. It gives it more layers and intricacies, and makes it well rounded. For this, you're going to lightly sprinkle ground cinnamon over the top to how much you prefer, and make sure when you grind the sea salt that you give the top of the cake mix a light even coverage. Mix batter again.
• Put batter into cupcake tins, sprinkle each with sugar crystals, and place in the oven for about 22 minutes. This would also make a really great cake if you'd rather choose to do it that way.
• For the topping, take about a cup and a half of the shredded coconut you have on hand, and toss with about 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil. Spread this onto a cookie sheet (I usually use a silicone pad on mine, but it's not necessary). Grind Sea Salt over the coconut, and add the sugar crystals on top as well. With 10 minutes left on the cupcakes, put them in the oven for the remaining time. You will need to stir up the coconut at 5 minutes.
• For the frosting, I never use a recipe. This will turn out more of like a royal icing for the cupcake. The texture should be a little thicker than a usual icing. Take two boxes of the Neufchatel and whip in your mixer, add a cup of powdered sugar at a time until you get the texture you want. If you've added too much powdered sugar, add a half a teaspoon of cold water to water it down (be careful with water, even the smallest bit will drastically change the texture!!) Add a quarter teaspoon of coconut extract, and a tablespoon of Dark Cocoa Powder to the frosting and mix. Store in fridge.

You're all done! When the cupcakes come out, let them cool down to room temperature before icing with a flat spatula and covering in the salted toasted coconut. This is a real crowd-pleaser that hits every spot on the flavor spectrum!

Bon Appétit!

How to Wear Neon

Skirt: H&M (old, similar here). Tank: Brandy Melville. Denim Vest: Paper Crane (old, similar here). Lips: Sephora. Heels: Forever 21 (old, similar here).

There is just something about wearing neon that has not phased out for us! Neon has been the greatest addition to our closets and adds a level of happiness and flare to anyone's wardrobe. One of our readers, Zenia, asked us the best way to rock neon so it looks more high fashion and less like a walking highlighter {haha}. It Girl, Victoria, is a true neon fashionista. Neon from head to toe is just too much for the eyes, so we suggest contrasting your neon outfit with some neutral colors such as black, ivory, or white like Victoria did in the above outfit. The contrast between neon and neutral colors makes for a more fresh, modern, visually appealing look. Not ready to go full force neon? Then add a pop of neon color to your outfit with a bright shade of lipstick. Neon lips against a soft makeup look like Victoria's let's your face shine with little work (a nice smile like Victoria's always helps too!). Wearing neon is bold, so don't be afraid to be seen and rock what you've got!

What neon ensembles are you loving right now? Hashtag #tssneon to show us your favorite neon look!

It Girl Trend Report: Summer Vacation

As summer starts to come to a close, we wanted to highlight some of our It Girls favorite summer vacations they took this season. All of our It Girls are college girls excited for the fall semester ahead, but they made sure to take full advantage of their break away from the books. Avery, like our Co Founder, Ali, has a deep love and appreciation for Coronado Island in California. Avery explained that, "It is just NOT summer to me unless I go to Coronado Island in California. I have gone every single summer without fail for the 4th of July since I was a kid. There is just NOTHING better than kicking back at The Del pool, ordering a club sandwhich and people watching until your eyeballs fall out. Coronado is like taking a peak into decades past and I love the simplicity and hospitality of the quaint little town. It's hands down the best".   Victoria decided to keep it local this summer break and had fun exploring her own city, specifically the famous Public Market in downtown Seattle. Victoria shared that,"I love Pike Place (not Pike's; that's how we pick out tourists!!), and whether it is throughout the school year or over break, you can find me there relaxing enjoying the slowed pace of the city, and enjoying fresh vibrant colored flowers, the pier, Great Wheel, and from certain angles, the Space Needle. It's a great escape and an activity I always love to take part in. I can grab coffee at the first Starbucks Coffee, watch flying fish, and wander the shops. No matter what the occasion, if any, I will always grab myself a beautiful bouquet of flowers! Summer trips to Pike Place Market are hands down THE BEST". Cristina wasted no time getting to the beach and enjoyed some time with her family in Cabo, one of Co Founder Karen's favorite vacation spots as well! Cristina said, "I love laying out on the beach and just relaxing!"--sometimes that is all you need, right?!, Allie's favorite vacation spot was all the way on the East Coast. She made additions to her closet by shopping at the original Vineyard Vines on Martha's Vineyard--we love it! Serena is a California girl, but she passed up the California beaches to catch some waves in beautiful Hawaii. Serena swam in the ocean many of the days which was great because she had some pretty beach hair waves to show off while there!

Have you gone anywhere exciting so far this summer? We would love to hear so leave us a comment below!

TSS It Girl Interns!

They come from all across the USA. Different sororities, different universities. After searching high and low, we have selected our official It Girls for Spring/Summer 2013! We are so excited to share more about our It Girl team, and have our readers get to know each of them. One thing is for sure, each one of these girls is a very special part of the TSS family!

In case you were wondering, what exactly are It Girls? Well, they are representatives & interns of TSS... each with an eye for fashion, beauty, current trends, and a love for their sorority. They keep us up to date with what's happening in their city and on their campus. Sort of like our very own trend reporting team! It Girls, we are so lucky to have each and every one of you! 

Lots of features to come, showing off what these fabulous ladies have to offer. Think you have what it takes to be an It Girl? Keep an eye out... our team might be growing very soon!