Country Music Festival Outfits We Love

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Whether its Country Thunder, Watershed, Stage Coach, or even CMA Music Festival, you name it, country music is in the summer air! It doesn’t matter if you live and breathe country or Luke Bryan’s “Sorority Girl” is the only song on your country playlist, we all have a little room for some country. Former TSS Intern, Audree is not the author of her own blog Simply Audree Kate and she is the expert when it comes to country music festival outfits. Therefore, we asked her to give us a breakdown on the perfect pieces to snag for your next concert. Check out her suggestions below!

Outfit 1: American cowgirl outfit

Trade in your middle school jean skirt for a high-waisted acid-wash chambray skater skirt and pair it with a lace bustier or crop top. Accessorize with cute boots, a statement necklace, shades and headband.


Outfit 2: Rocker cowgirl outfit

Edgier modern outfits are a common theme in country music right now and are a great alternative for a casual look! Pair cut offs with a loose tank, cowboy hat, boots and chunky jewelry such as a cuff or a ring.


Outfit 3: Floral cowgirl outfit

My favorite country combination is a floral sundress, leather belt, and boots. Turquoise pairs nicely with every color so don’t be afraid to color block and mix prints!

For my hometown’s summer rodeo I made my outfit! I copied the skirt outline from one of my skirts, sewed the ends and added an elastic band and had a simple skater skirt in a few minutes. Next, I took 1 ½ yards or floral red fabric from a local fabric store and tied a giant bow as a bandeau on my chest. I tucked in the edges in the band and had a super cheap and cute bow bandeau!

Lace, floral and fringe are hot season trends and work perfectly for a country inspired outfit.

How to Preserve Your Smartphone's Battery

Oh the dreaded red zone warning. Meaning, your lifeline, your support system, your connection to the world aka Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, are about to get cut off unless you recharge your battery! Every phone whether it's an iOS or Android has its issues with battery life, but there are ways to preserve and stretch your battery. Here are some ways we have learned to keep our batteries green for a little longer:

1. Invest in a Mophie . Having a Mophie has been life changing for Karen since she is constantly on her phone. Karen got her hands on the Mophie and it keeps her phone charging way past when her actual iPhone dies. The Mophie is a battery pack that you slide onto your phone and it charges your phone from its own charge. Seriously UH-MAZING!
2. Put Your Phone On Airplane Mode. 
3. Lower the Brightness Of Your Screen. Your phone uses a lot of battery life keeping the screen bright, therefore, lowering the brightness will preserve the battery life more.
4. Use Wifi. It uses less power than a cellular connection
5. Close Inactive Apps. If you're not using an app but have it open, it is running your battery. Make a conscious effort to close out of apps after you're done using it.
6. Update Your Phone. Whenever there are new updates for your phone, pay attention to whether or not it will help with battery life. When it comes to the iPhone, according to the Apple site iOS 8 is designed to be the most battery-efficient iOS ever. It gives you more precise ways to manage your device’s battery life because you can see the proportion of your battery used by each app (unless the device is charging). To view your usage, go to Settings > General > Usage > Battery Usage.

What tips & tricks do you have for saving your smartphone's battery life? Share with us in the comments below!

Quotes To Live By

Quotes To Live By

“I avoid looking back. I prefer good memories to regrets.”

-Grace Kelly

“We make a living with what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” 

-Winston Churchill

“Elegance is the only beauty that never fades.”

-Audrey Hepburn

“I hope you live a life you are proud of.”

–F. Scott Fitzgerald

“It’s impossible to satisfy everyone and I suggest we stop trying.”

–Jennifer Aniston

“Fashion is a trend. Style is within a person.”

–Oscar De La Renta

“In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.”

–Coco Chanel

All photos courtesy of Pinterest.

Heat Wave! 5 Cute & Easy Summer Hairstyles

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With summer right around the corner, so are those pesky heat waves. While long, luxurious hair can be a blessing at times, it can also be a huge burden during those scorching or humid summer days. Even if you have shorter hair, these styles will help keep your hair pulled off of your face so you can be as carefree as possible this summer! 

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• The sock bun
• This is such a sleek way to pull your hair out of your face. It takes only a few seconds and looks beautifully polished

• Fishtail braid
• The fishtail braid is a twist on the classic braid that’s perfect for unruly summer hair.

• Messy top knot
• This is a classic. Take two seconds to pull your hair on the top of your head into a chic yet messy top knot.

• Beachy waves
• Let the heat do all the work! Let your hair air-dry after spraying texturizing spray in it for some beach-worthy waves.

• Miley-worthy double buns!
• Rock Miley’s signature double top knots for a playful, easy hair style! 

Study Session Survival Guide

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It’s finals season once again…our favorite (not!). Between the tons of group projects and research papers, you also have to start studying for those huge exams. Summer seems so close, yet so, so far away. Everyone is familiar with the long study sessions spent at the library or locked away in your room where it just feels endless. Have no fear, we’ve compiled a list of some essentials to keep you on-track, focused, and efficient!

• Water, water, water
• Whatever you do, do not dehydrate your system with soda or energy drinks. Hydrate your system and notice elevated energy and heightened focus. 
• Self-control apps
• If you have a Mac, you can use SelfControl to block out certain websites while you are studying. There are other applications similar for PCs and mobile phones as well!
• Healthy snacks
• Don’t stock up on junk food for finals (even though we know, it’s tempting!). Put some carrot sticks and ranch dressing in a Tupperware or grab an apple the next time you’re running out the door for a study session. Sometimes you need to munch on something to keep yourself focused and awake, so you might as well make it a healthy snack!
• Good tunes
• While songs with familiar lyrics or even words in general can be distracting, there are tons of amazing playlists with instrumental music that can help you stay on-track. Check out 8tracks.com for hundreds of instrumental playlists tailored specifically for studying. 
• A study buddy
• Sometimes studying with a friend can be extremely distracting, so you have to have an understanding that you’re both there to get down to business. Try explaining a concept you’re learning to them or have them quiz you on important concepts. Saying things out loud will help you process better and having a determined buddy will hold you accountable when you start to slack off. 

Even if you’re pulling an all-nighter (although we advise not to do that), be sure to take frequent breaks. For every thirty minutes you work uninterrupted, you should take a 5-10 minute break. Resting your mind will allow you to get back to work re-focused and energized. 

4 Travel Tips Every Wanderlust Should Know!

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The famous quote by J.R.R. Tolkien reads, “Not all those who wander are lost.” We travel to explore, to experience, and to feel what others across the world are feeling. Many of us travel to find ourselves. Therefore, it makes sense for us to travel while we are young, before we have definite opinions on the world and on ourselves. So many people have told me that their best decision was to study abroad, and their biggest regret was not doing so. But if you don’t have a whole semester to dedicate to such a mission, why not take a couple months to do so? As a graduation present to myself, I am backpacking through Europe with a few of my Gamma Phi Beta sisters, and have found that preparation for it can be quite the handful! Here are some tips and tools to help the young traveler prepare for their journey!

• Travel Websites
• Travel websites are a great place to begin planning your trip! Statravel.com is  one such website. STA offers everything from discounted rates on flights, to travel insurance. They also have pre-planned trips and access to a student passport, which can help when you are abroad. Another great site to look at is efcollegetrips.com. EF offers a section of the website in which you can select a city and view that city’s profile. This includes guides to the weather, sites, food, nightlife, etc. It’s important to look at the reviews of hostels and hotels to make sure they are safe enough to stay at.
• The "Rail"
• Rails services such as Eurail, BritRail, and Japan Rail are a great way to backpack! Rather than taking unknown busses and flights, you are able to pre-plan your trip. You can see the departure dates and times, and have the option of paying for just a certain number of travel days or an unlimited number of days during a specific frame of time. Not to mention you can feel safe knowing you will be riding along other student travelers as well.
• Travel Light!
• When backpacking make sure to only take the essentials, this will keep you from having a heavier load than necessary. On top of this, it is easier to have items stolen if you can’t keep track of them all. Many people suggest also keeping valuables and cash in a hidden place. A great way for women to keep their cash safe is by creating a money pocket in your bras – there’s no way a pick-pocketer is getting in there! Another helpful hint is to stuff your shoes. By placing smaller clothing, such as undergarments or socks, in your shoes, you will be saving space in your backpack or luggage.
• Travel with a Friend! 
• The best way to ensure you are staying safe is to have a companion. Travel with someone you trust and know will be responsible. Sorority sisters can make the best travel companions!

Wherever you may go, make the best of your experience! See the world, take risks, and be open to all different cultures. You never know what you will learn about the world. Happy travels!