101 in 1001: Update 2 + Where Have I Been?!

Good afternoon, my sweet friends! It's the most joyous time of the year and that calls for some serious blogging! I'm sad to say I missed out on all the wonders of fall blogging and all my ideas will just have to wait another year. But this semester has been kicking my butt! Grad school is no joke, y'all. Let me tell ya. 

But I'm back now and hopefully we won't be missing each other anymore! I finish up my second term next Friday and then will be out of school for a month. So I can at least promise you a month full of me before I go back to being a ghost ;) 

I thought it would be great to kick off coming back to blogging with an update on my 101 in 1001 list! Let's see what I've been crossing off lately! 

14. Run 15 5k races. 

In my last update, I mentioned that I was already signed up for 2 races for this past October and I was planning on running more before the end of the year. Well friends, let me just be honest with you and say most of that didn't happen. But that's okay! I ran a really great race with my Plexus team which supported an amazing foundation that teaches young girls the importance of loving themselves and realizing how beautiful they all are. How cool is that? Here are some pictures of my team and I at the race! 

19. Workout 4 days a week for a month. 

I started working out regularly in the middle of September and am so proud to say that I haven't stopped! At first this one was so tough, but with time it got easier and now my days don't feel complete unless I do something active! I love that I am starting to notice changes and I cannot wait to keep up with this goal for the new year! 

31. Give the blog a makeover. 

If you know me personally, you know that I am a creature of habit. I will eat the same thing for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a month straight. I go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning. I hate change. BUT for some reason, I cannot sit still with a theme on this blog! In the (almost) year that I've been blogging, I have gone through more themes than I can count. But I think I have finally found one that I love and I think it will stay... for now! 

56. Send Christmas cards. 

I love, love, love receiving Christmas cards! My favorite have pictures of my parents' friends or relatives across the front laughing at Disney World or chopping down their Christmas tree. Since it might be a little awkward to send a picture card of just me, I chose to take the traditional route. I found these perfect cards on Black Friday in the $3 bin at Target! How cute are they! I am in love with the 'oh what fun' one! 

65. Host a game night. 

Back in October, I hosted a game night at my house complete with Halloween decorations and lots of boos (get it?). It was a double date with my boyfriend, bestie, and her fiancé. But it was perfect. Our spider web plates were covered in Pinterest DIY party foods and cards against humanity was sprawled across the dining room table. I can't wait for the next one! 

100. Take my boyfriend to his first Duke game. 

Let me give y'all some background on this one. My boyfriend and I just celebrated our three year anniversary. He has loved Duke most of his life and has dreamed of going to a game there one day. I really had no intentions on making this happen so soon. When I put this on my 101 list, I was honestly just shooting for the stars. I wanted to put things I never really imagined happening but would be really cool if they did happen in the next 3 years. So, I wrote it down. Let me also say that I never expected to do this for him as young 20 somethings because tickets are EXPENSIVE. Like $700 a piece expensive. 

In August, I started my own business and I have been more than blessed since doing so. My boyfriend is my world. He gives so much for me and works so hard for us and our future. I wanted to use some of my sudden success to show him how much he means to me and that's how this whole thing went from a dream to reality. I ended up buying tickets to the cheapest game all year which ended up being perfect because it fell on the Sunday before our anniversary. So that was how we celebrated three years together. 

I wish I could put into words what that little trip meant to me. I am so blessed to have been able to do this at, basically, the drop of a hat. I am so grateful for the man I surprised who spent the day with the biggest smile on his face. The game was incredible. Like nothing I have ever experienced. Duke University's campus is the most beautiful place I have ever seen in my life. Seriously, y'all. Bucket list item right here! 

  

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And that wraps it up! I'm happy with my progression on my list and can't wait for my next update! I've got some great posts coming soon, so check back in the next coming weeks for those! 

What have you crossed off your list lately? Let me know below! 

Happy Hump Day!! xx

Boyfriend Tag

Happy Monday, y'all! What better way to start your week than a little lovin from BF and I? I've been wanting to feature BF on the blog for quite some time now, so I thought a fun way to introduce him would be through the Boyfriend Tag! Let us know down below if you'd like to see him back again on the blog and what kind of post we should do next! 

How did we meet?

We met originally in high school because of our mutual friends and then reconnected in college because of our fraternity and sorority affiliations. Going Greek was the best decision either of us have ever made.

Where was our first date?

Our first date was at the movie theater to see Les Miserables and it was one of the best nights of my life.

What was your first impression of me?

My first impression of you was that you were very, very pretty and your personality was so pleasant and kind that I couldn’t get enough of you.

When did you meet my family?

I met your family for Christmas of 2012 and it was a truly entertaining experience to say the least.

Do I have any obsessions that you find weird?

You have quite a few obsessions but if any of them were weird, it would be your obsessive care and comfortability with “Whitey” as you call it which is your baby blanket from long before I knew you.

How long have we been together?

We have been together since December of 2012 so it will be three years in a few months.

What traditions do we have?

Our traditions include spending every holiday together, doing fall activities such as hunt club, haunted hayrides, and scary mazes together, getting extremely patriotic whenever we get the chance to, and buying scratch-off tickets with only the cash in our pockets for any holiday we remember to do it for; and I love them all.

What was our first road trip?

Our first road trip was to the beautiful city of Baltimore for the Orioles-Yankees game to see your favorite baseball player ever, Derek Jeter, play his last home game in Camden Yards and your last opportunity to see him before his eventual retirement that season.

What was the first thing you noticed about me?

The first thing I noticed about you was how beautiful you looked and how well you carried yourself. There was nothing I found more attractive about you than the confidence with which you showed whenever I saw you.

What is my favorite restaurant?

Your favorite restaurant is easily Surf Rider because they have the best Lizzie food that money can buy.

Who said I love you first and where were we?

I said I love you first on my birthday while we were sitting in my truck after we went to the movies and your face lit up as you said it immediately back to me and kissed me on the cheek.

What 3 things am I most likely to be watching on tv?

The three things you are most likely watching are Gilmore Girls, something on TLC, or Andy Griffith. But if it so happens to be college football Saturdays in the fall and winter, then it is most definitely Alabama Football or the SEC network to see Timmy Tebow.

What dressing do I get on my salad?

You get ranch dressing on your salad because we both can’t seem to understand the appeal to blue cheese dressing.

What is one food I don't like?

One food you do not like is any kind of skinned fish such as salmon, mahi, or flounder all of which I love immensely. 

What drink do I order when we go out to eat?

You order water when we go out unless it’s a night on the town then you order Malibu. 

What size shoe do I wear?

You wear size 11 shoes.

What is my favorite kind of sandwich?

Your favorite kind of sandwich is turkey and cheese.

What is one talent I have?

One talent you have is the ability to do the US States quiz which requires someone to remember and correctly label each and every contiguous state. You happen to 100% it every single time.

What would I eat everyday if I could?

You would eat goldfish everyday if you could. Or hummus. Probably hummus now that I think about it.

What is my favorite cereal?

Your favorite cereal is Special K.

Who is my favorite musical artist?

Your favorite musical artist depends on your mood but is almost always Jason Aldean first then Taylor Swift second.

What is my favorite sport's team? 

The New York Yankees.

What color are my eyes?

Your eyes are a mix of green and brown.

Who is my best friend?

Samantha.

What is something you do that I wish you didn't?

Something I do that you wish I didn’t would have to my eating habits because I can’t turn down a Cheesy Gordita Crunch every now and again.

Where was I born?

You were born in the City of Norfolk.

What kind of cake would you bake me on my birthday?

I would bake you a yellow cake with chocolate icing on your birthday.

Do I play any sports?

You do not play any sports currently but you used to play softball and soccer.

What can I spend hours doing?

You can spend hours on Pinterest or hanging out with Grady.

If I could live anywhere besides here, where would it be?

If you could live anywhere besides here you would probably live in South Carolina but you love the Hampton Roads area too much to leave.

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Oh, my gracious! So much love for that sweet man! He is so good to me! 

Thanks for reading! Have a lovely week! 

xx

Fall Decorating For Less Than $75!

Oh, my friends, it's finally that time! Fall is upon us and my heart is filled with joy! It's time to break out our bean boots and flannels, sit around a bonfire, PSL in hand, just breathing in the cool crisp air. Unfortunately, coastal Virginia missed the memo and it will be a lovely 80 degrees today. Since it doesn't feel like fall outside quite yet, I decided to make it feel like fall inside with the help of some festive decorations! While I wanted the house to have an autumn like feel, I also didn't want to break the bank! So here is how I decorated my entire house for under $100! 

 

Bedroom// I don't have a ton of extra space in my room for decorations and I also wanted to go with my room decor as much as possible (gold and cream)

Hay- $3 at Walmart
Glitter mini pumpkins- $1 a piece at Walmart
Leaves- $1 for a decent sized bag at Walmart
Pumpkin candle- $1 at Walmart 

White pumpkin- $1.50 at Michael's 

Gold Pumpkin- $6 Walmart (last year) 

Total for bedroom: $16.50

 Bathroom// The shelves, white towel, white vase, and jars are permanent. 

Orange chevron towels- $6 for two at Tuesday Morning 

Orange filler inside vase- $1 per bag, 2 bags used from Walmart (last year) 

Orange candle- $6 from Walmart 

Ribbon on jars- $1 from Walmart 

Gold pumpkin- $4 (we spray painted a foam, orange pumpkin gold) 

Total for bathroom: $19

Front porch// credit to my mama for this one! 

Hay- $3 from Walmart

Scarecrow- $9 from Michaels 

Mini Pumpkin- $1 from Michaels

Orange Mason Jar- $3 from Michaels

Sunflowers- $1 from Dollar Tree

Total for front porch: $17

Apothecary Jar// Mama actually bought this jar from Pottery Barn and we change out the contents each season, but here are some beautiful jars that could serve the same purpose! 

Pinecones and Leaves- $1 per bag from Walmart 

Total for contents: $1 

Burlap Wreath// My crafty sister made this last year but it cost her about $20! Here is an awesome tutorial to create your own! 

Total for wreath: $20 

Final Total: $73.50

So, there we have it, fall babes! Adding a touch of fall throughout your house for less than $75! I hope this post has you inspired and ready to decorate your own house! What's your favorite thing about fall? Tell me in the comments below! My favorite things are football, the holidays, and the coziness that comes with fall! Have an wonderful Wednesday and a happy fall! 

xx

101 in 1001: Update

I created my 101 in 1001 list almost two months ago. I had planned on sharing with y'all every time I crossed something off the list, but life has gotten crazy the last few months. Crazy, but a good kind of crazy. SO! I decided to set aside some time this week to catch you guys up on what I have crossed off and what I am in the process of crossing off!

13. Make a TCA twitter account. 

I wanted to do this to reach more people and be able to keep in contact with all of y'all! I've been slacking with my tweeting, along with everything else in life, but I will get back into the hang of things soon! Follow me here and tell me what the next thing I cross off my list should be! 

14. Run 15 5k races. 

I have ran one 5k race since starting the 101 in 1001 and I am signed up for two in October. I am addicted to running 5ks and plan on running a lot more before the end of the year! I am currently searching for a "turkey trot" 5k for Thanksgiving day. My next two races are a Halloween themed race with boyfriend and the Shine5k with my Plexus girls! Super stoked for both! 

28. Be featured on another blog. 

If you read my last post, then you already know that I teamed up with my August blogger buddy and was featured on her blog. I love Hannah's blog so much and was truly thankful for her asking me to guest post. Check back later this month for some love from my September blogger buddies! 

34. Do a Paint Nite with boyfriend. 

This was one of my favorite memories from this past summer. I wasn't sure how boyfriend would like it, but he absolutely loved it and he wants to do more. Which is fine with me because I love Paint Nites! For those who don't know what in the world I'm talking about, Paint Nite is a night to drink and paint! There is a professional art teacher who has created a work of art and teaches the class how to recreate it while indulging in adult beverages. It's so much fun! 

37. Send 10 handwritten letters. 

So far, I have sent two handwritten letters to a former student of mine and to my August blogger buddy, Hannah. This month I will send out at least two others. I love being creative when writing and decorating the paper and envelopes! If y'all would like to see a post on my stationary collection + how I decorate my mail, let me know in the comments below! 

57. Lead my own summer camp. 

For those that don't know, I work at a Montessori school. My job title is a little "undefined", as there is nothing that I do not do at our school. I put this on the list after spending the last two summers working from other people's lesson plans during camps (our children attend week long camps during the school day with a different theme each week- Dr. Seuss, art, poetry, etc.) I actually got to cross this off a summer early! The last week of summer camp, I had the opportunity to be the lead teacher in the elementary class for Oceanography camp. It was so much fun! 

67. Go to a driving range. 

This was actually a surprise from boyfriend. He had been reading up on my list and saw a groupon for a day at the driving range. It included batting cages and mini golf, too. I don't know what possessed me to put "go to a driving range" on my list, but I enjoyed it. Now he wants me to go golfing with him..... I don't know if I have the attention span for that, lol. 

81. Spend half the day at Busch Gardens and half the day at Water Country USA. 

The week before I started grad school and went back to work, we spent the week in Williamsburg. (Which totally stole my heart, btw) We also utilized a groupon for this one- $40 for a 7 day flex pass for both parks. It was one of the best weeks of my life. I wanted to be a good sport, so I tried a lot of things out of my comfort zone and ended up loving each adventure we took on. 

85. Be a tourist in my own town. 

Boyfriend's little brother recently moved to New York, but before he left, we played tourists in Virginia Beach. We played every single mini golf there is at the ocean front, laser tag, Dave and Busters, hole in the wall mexican food, watched the tour boats. This wasn't exactly what I had in mind when I put this on my list, but that's the beauty of this whole thing. Doing things you wouldn't expect! 

96. Inspire someone else to create a list. 

My best friend, Sam, and her fiance were inspired by me and created their own list over on their blog. I actually love this more than my own list because it's all stuff they are going to do together. I would love to create a 101 list with boyfriend... maybe after I finish this list though. 

98. Start a small business. 

This is actually the reason why my time has been very limited lately. Not that this should take up a lot of my time, but I want to be super successful with this and give it my all. So, I've spent A LOT of time researching, studying, and perfecting things for this "business". I haven't decided yet how I will incorporate this "business" into my blogging life, but it's something I'm thinking about. 

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So, there you have it! I am trying so hard to get into a routine of grad school, work, blogging, and this another new adventure. Thank y'all for hanging around and being so supportive of me! Make sure to follow me on social media to keep up with me more often than I can blog! 

xx 

The Truth About College Interview ft. Hannah Marie

Sorry for the break in blogging lately! Life has just gotten the best of me and I've barely had the time to eat, let alone, blog. But I'm back and today I have a super exciting collab post with my awesome Blogger Buddy, Hannah Marie! I'm so thankful for the opportunity to connect with other bloggers through the Blogger Buddies community and I am so excited that Hannah and I got paired up! Keep reading to see our The Truth About College interview and then head over to her blog to see my guest post talking all about my top picks for school supplies! Thanks again, Hannah!

Hi everyone! I’m Hannah Marie, a blogger over at www.mortevivere.wordpress.com. To tell you a little bit about me- I am a devout follower of God, I love reading and writing, and I play soccer! I’m also a junior in high-school. On my blog, you can find book reviews, posts about my faith, and my opinions on controversial topics. I’m so glad for this opportunity to be a guest on The Classical Alumna and ask Lizzie some questions about college! And I hope you guys enjoy reading this interview!

What is the hardest part about choosing a college?

Overthinking things. I wrote pro and con lists at least a hundred times when choosing my school. I was afraid I would make the wrong choice. But truly, you'll know in your heart which school is best for you and you will find your place there. 

Why did you choose the college you chose?

My biggest reasons for choosing the school I did were being close to home and having a great program for my major. I originally wanted to go away to school about 4 hours away, but then when I saw that they didn't have my major and I would have to piece something together.... college in my hometown started looking a lot better!

What do you think is the most important thing when it comes to picking a degree?

Pick something you are passionate about, but also be realistic! Don't major in US History if you don't want to be a high school teacher or work in a museum.

Do you think taking a gap year (a break year between high-school and college) is a good idea? Why or why not?

Personally, I am not a fan of gap years. Once you stop going to school, it is so much harder to try to go back. If you can't afford jumping right into a big university post high school or have no idea what you want to major in, attend community college and knock out your gen eds!

What is the most difficult part of transitioning from high-school to college?

FREEDOM. When you're in high school, you are waking up at the same time every day, you have no choice but to go sit in your classes from 8 to 4, and then you have a few hours after school that are usually consumed with homework, sports, clubs, meetings, work, or hanging out with friends. Your life is 100% planned out at all times, whether you realize it or not. When you get to college, no one is there to hold your hand and make sure you get to class on time, or that you're going to class at all. You pick when your classes are, so if you want to sleep in until 2pm every day, you can. The best way I beat the freedom plague was setting a schedule for myself everyday. Even if I didn't have class until 1pm, I still woke up at the same time everyday and drove to campus to work on homework or attend functions or hang out with friends. I didn't allow myself room for messing up.

What is the most exciting thing about going to college?

Finding yourself. When you get to college, you can become whoever it is you want to be. You don't have a reputation like you did in high school. When I got to college, my very first semester I joined a sorority. It was the very best thing I have ever done for myself and if I could do it again, I'd do it 100 times again. High school Lizzie would never have joined a sorority, but that's okay. College Lizzie is someone High School Lizzie would have looked up to and I think that's awesome.

What is your favorite studying tool?

I am the Flash Card Queen. I write down every fact that could be a test question and use the cards as such. Of course, I color code them for each unit, so that I can go back at the end of the semester and study for finals with the same cards.

What is the best way to meet new people and find encouraging community within a university?

Of course I think that the best way to meet new people and find your home on campus is to go greek. But really, just finding some sort of organization on campus to belong to is going to encourage you to branch out and find community.

For college, what is your preferred kind of board (dorm, apartment, house)? Why do you prefer that kind over the others?

This question is a little harder for me because I commuted all 4 years, but if I had moved to campus, I would have lived in an apartment. The houses around my campus are your typical college houses (AKA rundown) and most of my friends just constantly ran into problems with them. The apartments were always a little nicer and some came with nice amenities.

If you could give a piece of advice to highschoolers, who are preparing for college, what would it be?

Get involved. Go to the football games. Keep in touch with your friends from home, but push yourself to meet new people on campus. Utilize the library. Call your parents often. Take lots of pictures. Go to office hours. Don't procrastinate. Go to the gym. Enjoy every minute of college because it is truly the best four years of your life.

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I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed doing it! Keep checking back through the month of August to see more from Hannah here at The Classic Alumna. What advice would you give high schoolers who are preparing for college this month? Let us know down in the comments!

xx

The Liebster Award

I first found out about the Liebster award through seeing some of my blogger friends receive it. I thought, "Wow, that is so awesome for them! What an incredible goal for me to work towards!" Then IT HAPPENED. I was nominated for this award by an incredible blogger and one of my newest blogging buddies, Cierra! Thank you so much to her for thinking so highly of me to nominate me for this along with some wonderful other ladies! 

Before I jump into answering all the fun questions that come with this nomination, let me give a short background sesh on the what this actually is. The Liebster is an award given to bloggers by other bloggers. It is an opportunity to shine light on newer bloggers and welcome them into the blogging world! I love the blog community because everyone is so eager to help each other out and spread the word for blogs they love. Upon receiving this award, I now get to nominate other bloggers who I feel like deserve this awesome opportunity! 

Q & A:

What inspired you to become a blogger?

Right before I graduated from college, I had all of these emotions and feelings that I wanted to get out. I thought a blog would be a great way for me to kind of "journal" my thoughts and then look back on them down the road. 

Why do you blog about what you blog about?

I really have no idea what I am even blogging about, in other words, what is my main thought on the blog. I just write things that I would enjoy reading. 

How long have you been blogging?

I wrote my first blog post almost eight months ago, however, I really didn't take it seriously until this summer. 

What is your background?

I've lived in south eastern Virginia my entire life. I couldn't imagine life anywhere else, which explains why I opted to attend college in my hometown and not go away. Writing has always been a passion of mine. As a young teen, I used to write novels and read them over and over versus published books. 

Is blogging your full-time job?

Right now, blogging is something I purely do for fun. Eventually, I'd love to expand out and work with companies and draw some sort of revenue from blogging. 

What makes you keep blogging?

When I first started, I was lucky to get 12 views a month. (shoutout to boyfriend for more than likely making up those 12 views!) But I kept with it because it was something I enjoyed. I wanted to see how far I could take this and where it would take me.

Dream vacation?

Tropical vacation... take me now! 

Biggest inspiration?

My mom is by far my biggest inspiration. She is everything I wish to become. 

Best & worst blogging decision?

Best: getting social with my blog, creating social media accounts for my blog, joining Blogger Buddies, and connecting with other bloggers. 

Worst: not being consistent when I first started blogging. 

Would you ever consider rebranding?

I am SUCH a creature of habit and comfort but there's some things that I will tweak and change and work on until they are perfect. I could easily see myself rebranding in the future when I nail down my main idea of the blog. Right now, The Classic Alumna pretty much sums me up! 

Nominations:

Cassie

Sam & Hayley

xx

Lilly Pulitzer Agenda Organization

For the past three years, I have used Lilly Pulitzer agendas. My favorite being the large agenda. These planners have really held up for me over the years and they provide plenty space to keep track of my busy life. Although I have graduated from college and am no longer an active sister in my sorority, I thought it would be fun to show y'all how I organized my planner during my college years. 

One thing I found super helpful for the first chapter meeting of the semester was to write down all the dates given out on sticky notes. That way I was sure to get them all down and not be worried about how pretty they were written. After chapter, I always go back through and write down everything, so I can make sure it looks good. 

Ahhhh, stickers, how I love you so! I actually love the stickers so much that I have to FORCE myself to use them. They're too pretty to waste. But I have a collection from the last three years and I keep them in the pocket for easy access. 

In the large agenda, there are two sections for months at a glance. The first section has them one behind the other; I use these months for sorority events mostly but also work and play! I keep all of my sorority events in light blue, plans with friends or boyfriend in pink, work stuff in orange, birthdays and concerts in green, and football games in dark blue. For me, it's so much easier for everything to be color coordinated. 

The second section of months is followed by the week at a glance for that month. Since these months are near the place where I write down assignments, study dates, etc., I use them for shook purposes. Each class I'm enrolled in is assigned a color (corresponding the color notebook I use in that class) and I write down all important things to remember for that class in that color. 

For the week at a glance sections, I write down everything! Reminders, lists, assignments, sorority stuff, everything. I usually try to keep all the school stuff in basic pen, highlighting tests. I use the same light blue as before for my sorority events throughout the week. This helps me to focus on one week at a time and to manage my time a lot better. 

And that's it! It seems really simple (I'm not a washi tape kinda girl) but this is what works best for me! Hopefully you've found this helpful and have gotten some ideas on how to organize your own agenda! Have you gotten this year's agenda yet? Which pattern did you pick? Let me know in the comments below! 

xx

Weekend Recap.

This weekend was certainly one for the books. I usually don't "recap" my weekends like this, but this was one was filled with so much love, fun, and memories, I have to write it down to look back on in a year. 

7.17.15

The weekend kicked off with dinner with the boyfriend's family. Dinner with them is something rare (due to everyone's hectic lives), but man, it sure is special. We had burgers and swapped stories. Being around those people is easy and comfortable and I'm thankful that he and I feel so welcome in each other's families. 

7.18.15

Saturday was such a special day. One of my dearest friends and sorority sister, Kelsey, finally tied the knot. Her wedding was PERFECT. I am not kidding. This was the wedding of the century. It was at a beautiful venue looking over a marina. Everything from the food to the flowers to the decorations to her princess gown were perfect picks. Unlike many other weddings I've been to, this one screamed the bride and groom's names. Everything about the wedding was so them. Her favorite colors were sprinkled throughout the room, pictures of them were placed on each table along with beachy decorations, the music brought out the inner dancing machine in us all. I pray that my wedding is as wonderful as theirs. Congratulations to my sweet friend and her hubby! I wish you both a lifetime of happiness and pray that you guys never stop the fun! 

This is my new favorite picture of boyfriend & I. 

Hands down the very best wedding date I could ask 

for. From starting a train/conga line thing that wrapped

around the whole room to being my personal 

photographer/drink fetcher/dance partner. He's a CHAMP.

My two beautiful Rose Buddy twins, Kelsey & Allyson. 

Look at that killer dress!!!! She looks like a true princess!

7.19.15

Luckily, we weren't home too late from the wedding because due to my awesome (note the sarcasm) planning skills. I signed boyfriend and I up for a 5k run the morning after the wedding. Yup, so that happened. All in all, it went totally fine considering we were out late the night before. That Virginia heat though was another story! Boyfriend and I shaved a good six minutes off our time from our last 5k, which is a small improvement but we are very happy with our results! This is the second 5k we've ran this year and we'll definitely continue to do them.... once it gets a little cooler, lol. But look how cute our medals are! 

Post 5k, we decided to be real grown ups and hit one of the famous local brunch spots in Virginia Beach, Citrus. $3 mimosas and nearly a two foot menu. I don't think I need to say more. 

Did I mention my lack of planning skills with this weekend yet? Just when I thought I could finally relax and catch up on my sleep (5ks in 103 degrees are exhausting, y'all), I remembered the Tim McGraw concert. Post brunch was rushing home, fastest shower of my life, throwing on my new Francesca's dress, and attempting to nap before I had to do my hair and makeup.. which melted off before the first opening performer even started. But it was a fun night. Boyfriend and I sat with one of my best friends from college and I ran into a ton of sisters. 

Although this weekend was HECTIC, it was perfect. I love busy weekends and I love spending time with friends and family I love. I hope your weekend was also one for the books! Only 3 more days until we get to do it all again! 

Happy Tuesday! 

xx

Sorority Showcase: 5 Reasons to Go Greek!

So, you've thought about going Greek? Maybe you know nothing about sororities and don't know if this is right for you, maybe you're only here because a friend is trying to talk you into rushing, or maybe this has been your dream since the first time you saw Legally Blonde. This week I am launching a brand new series titled Sorority Showcase to help ease the nerves and answer all the questions that come with going through recruitment. Check back each week for FAQs, tips and tricks, and more info on sorority life! Read below to find the first installment to the series which is 5 reasons you should go Greek!

 

Joining a sorority was the very best decision I have ever made and I would not be the person I am without it. I have narrowed down the thousands of reasons I came up with to why you should go Greek to my top 5. I hope this information helps you and leads you to the right decision. Joining a Greek organization is a huge step and will only change your life for the better. 

1. Support 

At the end of my junior year, I lost my grandma. In a matter of hours, my phone was freezing up from the 100's of texts I was getting from sisters offering their condolences, asking if they could bring food to my family and I at the hospital, or checking to see if my dogs had been taken care of. In the midst of all the hurt and pain I was feeling, I was overcome by the joy and gratitude I have for those girls. Another one of my sisters found out that her mom had been rediagnosed with breast cancer. It was truly amazing when a handful of sisters dropped what they were doing, skipped class, cancelled their dates for the weekend, pitched in their money, and drove the 6 hours to take that girl home so she wouldn't be going alone. The power of sisterhood is unlike anything I have ever imagined and even to this day, I am taken aback by how many woman I have to lean on. 

2. Realizing Your Potential 

Through my time in my chapter, I held two positions, was on numerous committees, attended leadership conferences, and was given opportunities I never could have dreamed of. I improved my GPA (tremendously) and became a person I was proud of. I did all of this because I had the push of my sisters who saw more in me than I did in myself. Through the eyes of my sisters, I realized my potential and realized that I could achieve more than I had been allowing myself to. I have gained knowledge and habits that I will carry with my into my professional life and truly believe that my success in life will be owed to my sorority. 

3. Community 

I didn't realize when I joined my chapter, I would also be joining a bigger family comprised of every Greek student at my school. I can't speak on how it is at other schools, but at my college, we all stick together. When my best friend and I went through recruitment, our hearts lead us to different places. I was afraid that I would never be able to hang out with her around campus anymore and that we would be expected to dislike each other. The very opposite actually happened. Not only did I gain my sisterhood, I gained "sisters" in her chapter. Girls that I studied with, sat together in class with, went to fraternity functions with, celebrated birthdays with-- none of which wore the same letters as me, but will always be in my heart as sisters. The community doesn't stop there. It's the norm on my campus to walk in the library and see faces from every Greek organization on campus sharing a table, quizzing each other before a big test, grabbing coffee together, and even going to the bar together. I love the community of Greek life on my campus because not only did I gain 100 sisters, I gained hundreds of new friends. 

4. Memories 

When I tell people that I was in a sorority in college, more times than not, they assume it was all about partying and boys. But really, it was about so much more than that. The memories come from road trips to DC for philanthropy events, carving pumpkins, dancing with my sisters at formal, concerts together, tailgating on game day, having the support of my boyfriend consistently through college, sisterhood retreats, getting my big, recruitment. The memories I hold on to the tightest are the ones that were so far from the "sorority scene". Everyone is right when they say that college is the best four years of your life, especially when you're sharing it with the right people. 

5. Family

This was the very last thing I was looking for, but the very best thing I got out of this. I plan on making another post dedicated to just bigs and littles, but in the meantime, I will say, there is no love I have experienced greater than the love I have for my big and for my little. These are my people. The ones I am accountable for, the one that has mentored me, the one that I have mentored. Through my big and little, I have become a better person. They are some of the most precious people in my life.

xx