How To Plan An Epic Sistergiving

Yes, we made up the term "Sistergiving". Sistergiving encompasses gathering all of your sisters and sitting down over a meal to express how much you are thankful for each other! November is the month that we have unofficially dawned Sistergiving and it is best to be done right before Thanksgiving. Below are all of the things you need in order to plan a Sistergiving for the books!

1. Create your guest list. Try not to leave a single sorority sister or real sister/friend out. Creating a guest list will help you plan everything from the space to be reserved right down to how many plates and other utensils will be needed.
2. Find a space. For sorority women, your chapter room or kitchen would probably be best. For anyone else, try a good friend's home or a venue that can rent the space to you.
3. Invite your sisters via the app "Invitd". Download it here! In the notes, make sure to specify that it is a potluck style dinner so they know to bring something.
4. Start a group chat via GroupMe, text, or shared list via Wunderlist so each person can explain what they're going to bring.
5. Buy or rent the table decor. Rent tables, table cloths, and chairs through a local rental facility (do it early so you don't run the risk of not having enough seating and tableware for everyone). If you want to buy and save the decor for your next Friendsgiving, shop at Michael's for fun DIY stuff that you can turn into a sisterhood event before. Party City and Target are also safe bets too!
6. Make name cards. Now that you've got your guest list and decor, personalize the table by making name cards. People love to see their name written out!
7. At the Friendsgiving, have everyone write down on a piece of paper when they enter what sister that they're thankful for or something that they're thankful for. It will be shared aloud at the dinner table.
8. Be sure to have a fun playlist!

That's it! Send us pictures of your Sistergiving for a repost on our Instagram! We can't wait to see how it turns out for you!

Sisters Succeeding: Cami Fannin

We love hearing about sorority girls succeeding and hearing about the wonderful things Cami Fannin from TCU is doing is no different. Cami Fannin is an Alpha Delta Pi at TCU and this past summer she decided to create her own service project, "Just Makes Cents". Check out the Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/JustMakesCentsservice

Cami's service project came to life on January 7th, 2015 and she has been fundraising to raise money through coins to donate to an underprivileged community of girls. There they will learn to count, save and spend their money wisely. This is an education service project focused on combating poverty and encouraging girl power and independence.

Cami feels that her efforts through the "Just Makes Cents" mission is a great way to encourage other Greek women to follow their dreams and help others at the same time. We couldn't agree more!

Are you or a sorority sister you know succeeding? Submit their story and high resolution pictures to secret@thesororitysecrets.com for a possible feature.

12 Reasons Why You Should Live in the House

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1. It's a sleepover... every. single. night.
Sure, that could mean giving up some of your quiet time, but there's nothing like spending every day and night with your sisters.

2. Yummy food!
We are officially out of the parents' house and we are living on our own- which means no more home cooked meal! That is, unless you live in the sorority house!  There's nothing like home cooked meals (breakfast, lunch, AND dinner) by the house chef!  We can't live off of cereal forever, right?

3. Gain 50 new closets... but lose your own
Sharing is caring, right?

4. Pretty Little Liars & Bachelor/ette Nights
Everyone knows exactly what day and time to show up in the living room to watch the weekly house shows.  The best part about it? Everyone's reactions ("OMG", "What?!", "No!") is always on cue.

5. There's always someone that will go on a froyo run with you
At least half of the house has a sweet tooth just as bad as yours.

6. Study buddies
There's always someone that's in the same program as you- you can always share flash cards, study guides, and help test each other!

7. Easy access to chapter meetings
Instead of driving to the house, finding parking (which is always impossible), and being 15 minutes late, just live at the house and have chapter meetings right down the hall from your bedroom!

8. Pre-party central
Whether it's a date party or formal, the house is always going to be a meet up spot to get ready with your sisters!

9. Dibs on leftover food
Those yummy desserts that the boys bring over to chapter meetings when they serenade your sorority is all yours.

10. Gym buddies
You always have a froyo buddy, but you can also always find a gym buddy to motivate one another for a great workout!

11.  Inside scoop on everything
What happens in the house, stays in the house, and the great part about it is that you live at the house so you know everything!

12. You will never have the opportunity to experience living with all of  your sisters, ever again
An opportunity like this will never come again, so enjoy every second with your sisters and experience what sisterhood is all about.

What are some other reasons why you've enjoyed living in the house?!

Meet Kirbie Johnson from POPSUGAR Beauty

{Instagram: Kirbie & Zooey Deschanel}

If you don't know who Kirbie Johnson is, we guarantee that after this interview, you will want to know her! Kirbie is the host and producer for POPSUGAR's beauty channel...but we'll let her share more about that later. We absolutely love seeing people in the Greek community do big things so we wanted to do a "Sisters Succeeding" post to inspire you to pursue your dreams and passions. Kirbie is a Kappa Alpha Theta alumnae from Texas Christian University who has gained a lot of success post grad. The Sorority Secrets had a chance to sit and interview this Texas beauty to find out a little bit more about her road to success with POPSUGAR so read our Q&A sesh with her below.

Make sure to also visit POPSUGAR and check out their beauty channel for great beauty tips and to see Kirbie in action!


Thanks Kirbie! xo

1. Tell us about POPSUGAR! 

POPSUGAR is a go-to hub for women. We feature celebrity news and entertainment, as well as lifestyle channels like beauty, fashion, fitness and food. Basically, it's one place to get your celebrity news craving, shopping and lifestyle necessities, all in one stop. I am the host and producer for our beauty channel, and basically I get to test beauty products and give tutorials for a living. It's funny because people are sometimes like, "What do you do exactly?" It's a little bit of everything. But primarily, I research, write, host and produce our beauty videos, then post to the site and make sure they get as much online promo as possible. It's fulfilling working for a company with a celebrity/entertainment core, because I'm really passionate about that as well. http://bellasugar.com

2. What inspired you to pursue Hosting & Producing?

When I was little, I wanted to be Julia Roberts — I loved to act! But as I got older, I was really inspired... no shame... by Oprah. I loved how she reported on important issues, but also did good for other people. Plus, I loved her interview style. So I went to college, got my degree in advertising and public relations, then moved to LA about 10 days after I got my diploma. I wasn't actively pursuing producing gigs, but it was a part of the job at POPSUGAR, and I'm better for taking it on. 

3. When you're not hosting & producing, what do you like to do?

People hate me when I say this, but I enjoy working out. I love Zumba, step class, cycling. I think I like it mostly because I get to listen to my music and zone out, day dream. I also am a hardcore music and social media junkie, so if I'm not at a concert, I'm totally browsing the web. One of my favorite things is being on Twitter during award shows or sporting events. Or during The Bachelorette. And, of course, I like writing. I do that on my blogs, Kirbie Goes to Hollywood and Mentervention.

4. You seem really busy with POPSUGAR, how do you find time to work out and stay healthy?

One thing I learned is that if I am going to be active, it has to be in the mornings. Otherwise, I'm tempted to go to an event or party and skip a workout altogether. I have a major sweet tooth, so I have to curb that from time to time, but basically, just packing my lunch every night really keeps me on track. That way I'm never in a rut and don't have something to eat, and won't be tempted to order takeout. The tale of terrible metabolism at 26 really is true, so eating clean and healthy is actually something I enjoy doing now. (Who am I?)

5. What beauty products can you not live without?

This a loaded question! Since I host the beauty videos, I get to test so many amazing products. I've broken them up:

All-time favorites: Mario Badescu's Suncare -- you need at least SPF 30 and it doesn't smell like a sunscreen, plus it is great if you tend to get oily. Guerlain's Cils d'Enfer Mascara is my favorite beauty splurge, because I love mascara and usually opt for L'Oreal Voluminous, but Guerlain's really thickens, lengthens and curls your lashes. The wand is kick ass. And, my secret weapon is this miracle worker from NYX. It's called the Wonder Pencil, and it really is magical. I use it to line my lips, highlight the inner corner of my eyes, and cover blemishes. It's $5 and a lifesaver. Also, I can't stress the power of exfoliating your skin. It will keep you looking bright and youthful! So if you are not already obsessed with a Clarisonic Brush, try Dr. Lancer's Skin Polish. It's non-irritating and Dr. Lancer treats every celebrity known to man! 

As far as new items, pick up Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetic's polish in Gryphon, a gorgeous light grey. Anything from the Marc Jacobs Beauty line is a good call -- the Lip Vinyl is my favorite. 

6. Who is your celebrity crush?

I am a huge fangirl, even at the age of 26. Mama has to feel the youth somehow! I think I've graduated from Justin Timberlake... he is married and ain't nobody got any time for that. I think Clay Matthews (Green Bay Packers) is a STUD MUFFIN. He looks like Thor, and he seems to have a great sense of humor. And, don't judge me, but I'm about to go J-Lo/Casper Smart here and just say it: Harry Styles is adorable. I know he's 19. I KNOW THIS. But I saw One Direction in concert and I was just like... I get it now. I was mesmerized. There's something about him. He's got it — the X Factor, if you will. And I'm happy to report that I was not even close to being the oldest fan there. 

7. When was your "a-ha" moment that you had reached success?

To be honest, I don't think anyone can really define "success." I know for me, personally, I love my job, but I still have plenty of other goals and dreams I want to accomplish and attain! I have also learned since being in LA that you can't say, "I will be happy when X happens." Because you'll spend so much time working towards that point that you'll miss the beautiful experiences during the journey to get there. 

That being said, there have been a few "pinch me!" moments, those being when I interviewed Zooey Deschanel, Rihanna and Nicole Richie. That was something. And when two of my favorite brands, Victoria's Secret and Benefit Cosmetics, asked me to shoot a few videos with them, I thought, "My 13-year-old self would think this is pretty darn cool." And it was!

8. What can people expect watching you on POPSUGAR?

Beauty reviews on all the best and latest beauty launches, tutorials... celebrity interviews! I consider myself a beauty guinea pig... I try anything once, all for the camera. Ha. 

9. What advice can you give women pursuing the entertainment industry?

Wake up and remember, every morning, that you are in charge of your own actions. Don't let anyone phase you! You are your biggest cheerleader. You have to believe that, no matter what anyone says or does (or doesn't do), that you are meant to be where you are, pursuing your career. And remember that you shouldn't give up anything you can't go a day thinking about. Whether it's your dreams or your boyfriend, know that it's worth fighting for, if it's something you are truly passionate about. 

And remember, it's always best to be kind! You can get what you want and still be kind to others.

@KirbieJ
KirbieJohnson.com

Remembering Nicole

We typically don't feature our giveaway winners onto our site, but we just had to share this touching story with all of our readers.  Emily is one of our loyal TSS reader from Birmingham, Alabama.  She is a member of Gamma Phi Beta- Epsilon Lambda Chapter and is currently finishing her degree as a senior in German and International Studies major with a minor in History at University of Alabama.

For the My Ties giveaway, one of our requirements was to share with us how you would customize your pack of My Ties band if you won the giveaway.  We had many amazing submissions, but Emily's stood out to us...

The fact that Emily wanted to personalize her My Ties bands so her sisters can remember their fellow sister, Nicole, that they tragically lost in the Tuscaloosa Tornado touched our hearts along with our other readers.  Other TSS Gamma Phi Beta readers from other schools were touched by Emily's submission and were replying back to Emily's comment.

We're over the crescent moon to have Emily and her sisters win the My Ties giveaway and we want to thank you all for being such loyal readers to The Sorority Secrets. 

Congratulations, Emily! Your kind heart is recognized!

A couple articles on Nicole: 

The Crimson White: University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa News

Feature: College Times Magazine

Photography by: Adrian Lesoing

When College Times magazine reached out to us, we were so ecstatic to have the opportunity to share who we are. Going to Arizona State University, we remembered picking up College Times magazines throughout the year to read about what was the latest and greatest going on in the community. Therefore, it only seemed right to divulge to our community about The Sorority Secrets. To find out the full story on how the idea of The Sorority Secrets came about, our expectations for the site, and more fun facts, read the article here!