Tips/Advice We've Learned Over 2014

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We are in the new year now {yay!} and we couldn't be more excited for what's ahead. Every year we try to reflect on everything and hopefully learn from every experience. Here are a few lessons we learned in 2014 that we hope to carry out in 2015. Who knows, you might have learned the same lessons too!

1. There is no sense in continuing to invest in anything not making you feel 100% fulfilled or happy.
2. Honesty is the BEST policy.
3. Express yourself--even if it means feelings can possibly get hurt along the way.
4. Stop and smell the roses--you don't have to be on your phone all the time.
5. Not all friendships are worth keeping--know when it's time to go your separate ways.
6. Love can hurt, but don't be afraid to fall for it!
7. Take advantage of every opportunity even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone.
8. You define yourself--not social media or society.
9. It's okay to take a break--no one expects you to be Superwoman (or man) every second of the day.
10. If you don't take care of yourself, then who will? Feed your mind, feed your body, and feed your spirit.

Happy New Year!

Top 14 Posts of 2014

2014 was a year of growth for us! We loved continuing to share our best kept sorority secrets with you all and hearing a lot of your secrets. Your support of us is showing as we recently passed a major milestone: 3 million+ views! In lieu of that, we compiled your favorite fourteen posts of 2014. From beauty, to fashion, to tips and advice, you loved and read these posts. Thanks for continuing to make us your go-to site; we appreciate you!

1. Beach Waves Hair Tutorial {by Maddie}
2. Second Day Curls on the First Day!
3. 20 Best Friend Date Ideas
4. Top 10 Words To Cut From Your Writing
5. Campus Security 101: 5 Tips To Keep You Safe
6. Study Session Survival Guide
7. Recruitment Conversation All-Star Tips
8. 4 Travel Tips Every Wanderlust Should Know
9. Clip-In Hair Extension Secrets
10. Eyelash Extensions- Pros & Cons
11. How To Successfully Travel Internationally
12. 10 Ways To Nail An Interview
13. Spring Recruitment Guide
14. Music Festival Outfit Guide

Have a favorite blog post that didn't make the Top 14? Well, we would love to hear which post of 2014 was your favorite so leave a comment below!

Happy New Year!

New Year's Eve Must-Have Manicures

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We never need too much a reason to get our "nails did" so NYE is no exception! While it may be cliché, we are totally into the sparkly nails effect when it comes to our NYE manicures. You just can't go wrong adding a little sparkle with glitter nail polish like  Essie's "Sparkle On Top", Deborah Lippman's "Some Enchanted Evening", or gluing on rhinestones or crystal pieces. Another unique look that we have yet to try for a NYE manicure is the iridescent nail polish look. Showing luminous colors on your nails that seem to change when seen from different angles has a striking resemblance to the NYE disco ball! Keeping it simple with grays, whites, and nude/ivory nail colors are chic too. The latest craze however are still the nail strips! Incoco Nail Strips are really cute and come in tons of designs including ones where just the tips are colored to give that manicured look. However you get beautified for the New Year, make sure your nails are in check because

"Wearing chipped nail polish is like wearing dirty underwear. You just don't do it".-Morgan Stewart, RKOBH

6 Fabulous Coats For Winter

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Even though we are living on the West Coast and it doesn't typically get too cold, we are still babies and need those coats to protect us from all forms of coldness (in Arizona and Washington cold to us is 60 degrees!). I mean, let's be honest, we all like to transform ourselves into divas walking the runway when we spot a super cute coat. Lately, we have been loving the camel and red looks for coats. You also can't go wrong with a wool coat equipped to keep you nice and warm. When choosing a coat you've got to first consider if it will keep you warm. A coat can look super cute, but leave you freezing your butt off! Length and size of the coat is also something to consider. You don't want the coat to look like it's eating you alive. A nice fitted coat that will keep you warm and cozy is the way to go. Consider high end to middle prices as coats are truly an investment worth making since they will last you a long time. Check out some of our favorite coats for this Winter season above and let us know which coats you're pining over in the comments below!

Where To Celebrate New Year's Eve 2015

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Tomorrow is Christmas which means you have 6 days from then to figure out what you will be doing for New Year's Eve. While there have been many years where we have loved to watch the ball drop in New York at the comfort of our home, we have really enjoyed ringing in the New Year outside of our home. Last year, Co Founder, Karen, had so much fun in Seattle at the Bonza Bash that she plans on attending again. Co Founder Sakura had fun dressing up at a NYE house party. We decided to come up with a list of places that you can consider around the nation to party like it's 2015. Below are direct links to the event pages. As always, consider the cost and your level of comfort when deciding on a place. We have found that reserving a table at a venue and splitting it with friends is always the most cost effective, logical, and comfortable route. Also consider checking out clubZone where they filter out all the NYE parties happening in the United States and Canada and NewYearsEve.com!

Are missing events on this list? Share with us in the comments below!

1. Bonza Bash-Seattle, WA
2. 4th Annual OC Midnight Kiss New Years-Wyndham Hotel-Anaheim, CA
3. 3rd Annual Moonlight New Years Eve Cruise by Pier Pressure SD- San Diego, CA
4. NYElectric W Hollywood Rooftop 2015- Hollywood, CA
5. W Scottsdale New Year's Eve // Chateau de Versailles- Scottsdale, AZ
6. New Years Eve Gatsby Ball- Full Club Takeover- Dallas, TX
7. Drake Hotel NYE 2015-Chicago, IL
8. Gansevoort Hotel Meatpacking New Year's in New York-New York, New York
9. Mondrian South Beach NYE 2015-Miami, FL
10. Eden NYE 2015-Washington DC

Rent The Runway NYE Edition

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It's not too late to look super smoking hot for New Years Eve. If you're anything like us, our closets are filled to the brim with clothes that the thought of adding even a holiday dress isn't so pleasant. After all, we operate off of the 365 rule (you know, you can't wear the same dress in a photo for 365 days). Rent the Runway is our solution this NYE. Rent a dress, rock it for a night, then return it. So sinchy! We've had nothing but success with RTR and we love how they give you size options for the off chance the dress size you chose doesn't fit. It'd be an awesome idea to stock up on dresses for NYE and Rent the Runway is helping us lean toward that with a sweet deal of $25 off your first rental (with a minimum rental amount of $75) using the code FIRSTRTR25X754. Use the code by 1/21/2015!

Uber Over the Holidays

It's that time of year to go home and celebrate the holidays with family and friends. Getting to the airport is only half the battle, but the idea of leaving your car at the airport for hours is daunting when you think of the money you will be accruing letting it sit. Taxis are super expensive and getting a town car is too. For us, it's all about using Uber! Uber is less expensive than a taxi and you can track where they are as she patiently wait for them to pick you up. Unlike taxis where you can't rate the driver, Uber is largely successful for its ability to rate drivers. Drivers have an obligation to provide you with good service. What is even cooler is that you can do a rideshare where you can split the ride with someone else making the ride that much more affordable. By the way, all of this is done through a mobile app so you don't need to carry cash at all. It's a total relief! The cool thing is, Uber is always offering coupon codes, particularly for first time users. So, if you're a new user, download the app and time in FIRSTRIDE30 for a smoking hot deal!

We hope you have a safe travel home!