Trend Spotter : Nails on Nails on Nails

Recently, our founder hosted a "party" on Facebook where she was selling Jamberry. For those of you who haven't heard of them, Jamberry is (basically) a heat activated sticker that substitutes for nail polish. They come in a variety of colors and patterns and are $15 a sheet. The price may seem a little hefty at first, at least for me it did, but after researching I found that you can get about 2 full manicures out of a single sheet. Way cheaper than any salon! 

I haven't tried the Jamberry nails yet, but I have a sample and I'm pretty excited. I work in the food service industry and my nails take a constant beating. I'm sure a lot of college kids are the same way. All I really want in life is nail polish that won't chip. 

In an effort to achieve ultimate nail greatness, I have taken the adventure into gel nails (not the professional kind) and I've been disappointed. I heard great things about the Sally Hansen Gel which doesn't need a UV light, so I dropped the $7 and tried it. It chipped within hours. 

Something, I will suggest to you guys is Sally Hansen Extreme Wear. Hands down the best polish I've ever tried. With the right top coat, it can last for days. I've spent money on all types of polish, even the best ones like Essie, and SH Extreme Wear beats the competition out of the water. 

Our nails take a beating and it's hard to find the right solution. On the quest to nail perfectness, we all have to trial and error. But I hope that you guys try out the SH and like it! (I'll be sure to leave some updates about Jamberry too!)  

How to survive your first chapter meeting

So you've survived the craziness of recruitment, the excitement of bid day, and finally met all your lovely sisters! Now you're probably thinking though what your first chapter will be like and how you should act as a new member. You want to make the best first impression, make new friends, and generally just have a great time. Here's my biggest advice for you new members so you can reach all these goals. 

Exec

1. Get familiar with your sorority's rituals, songs, poems, mottos, nick names, and hand signs. 

Song

Whether you passed your sorority's knowledge test with flying colors, are still studying to take it, or are in a local sorority that doesn't have a specific testing procedure at some point you are going to want to know all of your sorority's traditions. Search Pinterest, Sorority Sugar, and various other sorority blogs and learn all that you can! 

2. Listen to the announcements about future events. 

Hoops

Sorority events are a great way to get involved with the Greek community. Especially being a new member this is the best way to get to know not only girls in your sorority but also members of other sororities and fraternities. Formals, philanthropy events, mixers, and speed dating events can all be a blast if you go into them ready to have a great experience. 

3. Be aware of when you need to pay your sorority dues. 

Dues

Whether it is every term, semester, or month make a note somewhere of when you have to pay your dues. Maybe even make a piggy bank like the one above so it becomes a fun occasion. If you need help paying your dues look into how your sorority or university can help you through scholarships or other opportunities. Consider an unhoused local, professional, multicultural, or service sorority as they also normally are less expensive than Panhellenic sororities. 

4. Stay up on your service hours. 

Plunge

There will be so many opportunities for you to work on your service hours. Listen to your philanthropy chair at chapter, find sisters who you can volunteer with, and look into helping organize events! Philanthropy events are a great way to take on more responsibility in your sorority and give back to your community. 

5. Learn your Greek vocabulary. 

Vocab

Check out our blog, Sorority Sugar's blog and glossary of terms, Sorority Ever After's Greek term list, and Bows, Pearls, and Sorority Girls to start. Rho Gamma, colony, door stack, creed, lavaliere can all just seem like random words until you realize their meanings and how they apply to you.  

6. Get to know your chapter's exec board. 

President

Whether you were your class president in high school, anime club co-president, or simply were just very involved in high school you may be interested in an exec position in the future. Get to know the exec board members of your sorority and they can pass on their advice to you. Even if you weren't super involved in high school and want to work on your leadership and teamwork skills now is a great opportunity to step up and represent the place you will be calling home the next four years (or more). 

7. Pick out your badge worthy outfit the day before. 

Attire

From my experience in a local sorority we tend to have formal chapters a couple times a term and the rest of our chapters are informal however yours may be different. Your first chapter I would dress on the more formal side. Try something similar to what you wore during rush such as a nice dress, formal top, or a cute skirt. To be prepared lay out your options and pick out an outfit the night before so you're not scrambling to get to your first chapter meeting on time. 

8. Turn your phone off or put it on vibrate. 

Phone

We all hate that person in the middle of class whose phone starts blaring some annoying pop song so in the middle of a chapter meeting won't be any different. Don't be that new girl who gets on the bad side of exec board her first chapter meeting. Just turn it on silent, vibrate, or completely off because it can wait. Your exec board deserves your undivided attention and respect. 

9. Sit by a new sister every meeting. 

Friends

You may not think the girl with the Lilly planner or the super high voice will become your best friend or even your future big but don't judge based on these quick assessments. Sitting by a new sister every meeting will give you the chance to get to know your sisters no matter your first impression. Whether you become best friends or just passing acquaintances it is good to have these connections for the future. 

10. Have fun! 

Shout out to my goofy sisters and I having a blast!

Your first chapter meeting can be pretty overwhelming and you'll learn a lot in a very short amount of time. So despite all the stress you may be feeling remember that all the older members were once in your shoes. They are there to help you  and they picked you to be apart of their sisterhood so you're already doing something right. That said you'll be an old pro in no time so just have fun and be yourself. 

Trend Spotter: Recruitment

Well ladies, the time is upon us. For those of you who are participating in recruitment, welcome to the club. No matter what sorority you find a home in, all of us are glad you are here. There are a few things however that I hope you wil take into consideration.

1// It's not the big show you think it is.

 Yes, we practice for weeks before you arrive and we are very ready to meet you, but you don't have to impress us with your clothing. I have rushed many girls and I have never once noticed what brand they were wearing or the accessories they had. Of course, you want to look professional and cute but don't go all out or suffer all day in an uncomfortable outfit for our benefit. As much as you may think we aren't, we are far more interested in your conversation than your clothes. 

2// Cool it with the makeup. 

Seriously, like seriously. I will take note way more if you come up to me totally "cake faced" as opposed to a natural glow. No matter who you are; I am far more interested in your personality than your ability to look like Snooki. 

3// Don't show off your money.

There is this rumor about sorority girls and maybe it was true in the past, but it's definitely not now, at least not for me. I don't care if you come into our house showing off a Michael Kohrs watch or a Tiffany's necklace or David Yurman ring, there is a major difference between style and showing off, and we don't like showing off. 

4// Prepardness isn't Weakness 

For some reason, girls think that having things like an umbrella looks bad. Why? Like honestly, why? I wish I knew where all these crazy rumors came from! We don't see you preparing for weather as a bad thing and for the record, if you didn't prepare, and you come into our house soaked head to toe, I hope you know we're more concerned about helping you out instead of judging you. Sisters are sisters.

5// Dress cute but be yourself! 

Of course we want to see your style, that's a major part of you! The biggest critic you will have during recruitment is yourself. Don't allow yourself to feel any different. Dress according to guidelines, but make it your own style. I love to see that more than anything! 

At the end of the day, the most important thing to rock is your confidence. We are so very thrilled you have chosen to go through recruitment, and I wish all of you the best of luck! 

Trend Spotter: Back to School

Back to school is upon us and whether you are back at the books yet or not, I'm here with some style tips to help make the transition smoother!

(All you freshman out there, I'm wishing you a warm welcome to college! This advice is mainly geared towards you and I hope you find it helpful!) 

1) First off, campus temperatures right now are always awkward. The classrooms can be freezing but outside is still pretty warm. Keep yourself satisfied by bringing along a sweatshirt or pullover to class but avoid wearing long sleeve shirts. If you can't take it off, you'll end up being miserably hot later on. 

2) Even if you skip bringing along the sweatshirt, always be prepared for weather. A rain jacket and/or umbrella are must haves for your book bag. You never know when the weather will change! 

3) Think twice about footwear! Sandals or flip flops may seem like a good idea, but college usually involves a lot of walking around. Tennis shoes are your best friend. 

4) People aren't judging you like you may think. There's no need to wear fancy clothing or uncomfortable outfits to class. (Forever Loving Norts!) Let yourself live easier and dress down a little bit. But also don't lean too far the opposite way. Walking into class looking like a slob is disrespectful to the teacher. Find the good balance! 

5) "Dressing Down" doesn't have to mean completely casual. I loved rocking my Norts/Tee combo with various accessories. Do a bracelet stack or a watch and some studs! You'll still feel dressed up AND be extremely comfortable! 

6) Backpacks are not for geeks. Purses are cute but by the two week mark, you're going to be dying to rest your shoulder. Find a good backpack and dress it up, stylize it, monogram it, whatever! Just make it yours and rock it. 

I'll finish up by saying this. College is an amazing time to find yourself. Even though I love clothes, sometimes purpose has to come before vanity and I am telling you now, don't ever feel like an oddball for making that choice. That being said, it's also an amazing time to find your personal style and make it yours! So have an amazing first day of classes and get ready for an amazing adventure! 

Trend Spotter : Mermaid Hair, Don't Care

Let's face it. We've all wanted to be mermaids at one point or another. Maybe it's the fin or maybe it's the seashell bra, who really knows, but for me it was always the hair. Mermaids have beautiful, long, flowy hair that slides smoothly behind them as they charge through the water. I have always wanted that. And lately, the newest trend is "mermaid" colored hair. So what did you really expect me to do? 

(Disclaimer: These results were highly obnoxious and to be honest, if you're wanting to go the pastel hair route, I suggest you save your money and go to a professional.)

Basically, mermaid hair is just shades of pastel colors, but it's all the craze. Hilary Duff, Nicki Minaj, Mary-Kate Olsen, they've all done it. The most popular colors are bubblegum pink, lavender, mint, and a soft blue. I decided that I wanted to do the lavender color. $15 and a drive to Sally's Beauty Supply later, I had my supplies ready to go. 

The first step (which is even more difficult for people like me who have dark hair) is to bleach the parts you're going to dye. Bleach is pretty difficult to work with and has the potential to cause a lot of damage, so read the instructions carefully. In order to do this correctly, ESPECIALLY if you're wanting the super pastel colors like mint and lavender, your hair needs to be almost white. 

A couple tries later, and almost $30 more, I still didn't have lavender hair. The red undertones and inability to bleach completely made it pretty difficult. The end result was an ugly grey color in my hair. Luckily, I had only done a few sections and not my whole head. 

The cashier at Sally's was super helpful and told me I would be better off trying a color that wasn't so difficult to achieve. I gave up my hope for the lavender and switched to magenta, which worked out pretty well. The end result was pretty and I'm happy I at least have some color in there. The main lesson I learned was that you really do need to get in with a professional instead of trying it at home, but honestly, I think this new style is super cute and totally worth the money. 

RedWhiteandChloe Giveaway!

"My name is Chloe and I'm a student at Miami University in Ohio studying Strategic Communications and Fashion. I'm a member of Tri-Delta and love all my sisters for being so supportive of my business! I started my Etsy page over the summer when I was just making crafts for myself and a lot of my friends expressed interest in buying some. I've always been a huge fan of DIY and crafting so I love having a place to share that with others!"

I personally LOVE my United States of Lilly puzzle! It is a great decoration for your room or to add a little prep in your space. Make sure you enter the giveaway to get the chance to own your own to brighten up your space!


RedWhiteandChloe