Hi everyone! We just finished sorority recruitment over at my school and are in the swing of classes. For now, I wanted to share all my favorite pictures from bid day! (For those that don’t know, bid day is when all the women going through recruitment get to see what sorority they’ll be in, and it’s a party celebrating our new members from there! I have a post about different sorority terms if you’re interested.)
Me with my roommate JordanMe with my friends Zoe, Dayton, Jordan and KelseyMe with my little EmilyMe with my roommates for this year- Marysa, Zoe and JordanMe with Jordan and Kelsey
Me with my friend CrystaMe with my friends Zoe, Dayton, Jordan and KelseyMe with my friend Natalie
Our bid day theme was ‘the adventure starts here’ and we had a bunch of fun camp-themed props. You can see a little bit more of the decor in my video below!
Today I’m back with a recap of my month of August favorites. I’d like to start doing these monthly, so let me know if you’re liking this style of post!
Youtube happenings
I finished my August video! This sums up all the fun things that happened in August (seeing Shawn Mendes, the eclipse, birthdays, etc). I finally reached 30 subscribers as well! It sounds like such a small amount to some people, but I love watching those numbers rise and see that people are actually enjoying my videos. I also have a bid day video finished and planned out, but I’m waiting on a few things so that should be up soon!
Products I’m loving…
1: I’ve been using this serum by the Ordinary for my blemishes daily at night and I’m obsessed with it! This is the kind of product that I bought on a whim and now I tell all my friends to try it. (Especially when my roommates see me putting it on at night and give me weird looks, but hey, that’s a different story…) If you’ve tried the Glossier Super Pure serum at all, I’ve heard it’s an exact dupe. If you compare the ingredients they’re pretty much spot on, so I’d definitely recommend the $6 Ordinary version (you get more product too) over the $28 Glossier version.
2: I live by my calendar and to-do list, so having a planner that combines both is perfect for me! I’ve been using the daily/monthly Day Designer for Target/Blue Sky planner for two years now and I’m so glad they continued the line. I think if they didn’t have this option, I might have to switch to the full sized Day Designer, but as of now, my college budget thanks me for getting the Target option! I got the smaller version this year and there have already been days I’ve regretted not getting the larger size, but the thickness and weight of the planner just aren’t doable for me to carry around every day. I love the rest of the line and I’ve considered picking up the wall calendar too.
3: I wrote about this Hydroflask water bottle way back in 2015, with a now-deleted ‘college essentials’ post, and I’m still obsessed. My old version of this water bottle had so many dings and dents in it from constantly dropping it while walking to class and the insulation finally cracked. I repurchased it within the week and absolutely love my new one. I have the size and cap linked, but my color (bright red) isn’t available online so I’d check sports stores in your area if you want one. I got mine at Dick’s Sporting Goods. (P.S. The cute dog sticker is available for sale on my Redbubble!)
Recap into my life
1: I’m back at school and in the full swing of things, so I have that on my mind over my blog, unfortunately! However, I have a ton of post and video ideas, just not a lot of time to work on them. I’ve been going straight from class to work to dinner to more homework and some days there’s just too much in my brain to sit down and film or write a productive post!
2: I lost someone pretty special to me recently and it’s been hard dealing with it, but I’m very lucky to be surrounded by supportive friends and family. I just wanted to write a quick thank you to those who have reached out and made sure I’m feeling okay.
3: I’ve been working on a quick project for one of my graphic design classes and I’ve loving this illustration style. Our assignment was to do an event poster in a major city without using any words, so I did Carnival in Rio and illustrated a Samba dancer. I think it turned out pretty well!
4: I’ve been on a total Youtube watch kick (essentially trying to catch up on watching my entire Youtube watch later playlist that I didn’t watch this summer). I love reading other girls’ blogs too and would love to read more college bloggers/watch more college Youtubers, so definitely send your recommendations my way.
I am so excited to see the solar eclipse this next Monday, August 21st. Once I learned early this summer that Kansas City was going to be in the complete path of totality, I started researching how to view it safely. Here are my tips for viewing the solar eclipse without burning your eyes!
Where to watch
I’ll be on campus the day of the eclipse because it’s the first day of school, but my campus will have several viewing events! A good way to find local eclipse viewing parties in your area is to go on Facebook and search ‘your city eclipse viewing party.’ Just by searching ‘Kansas City eclipse viewing party,’ I found two events right away! Some of the events require payment to get in and require you to purchase the glasses.
I would recommend that you attend an event so you know when to remove your glasses. During the two minutes of complete totality, you’ll remove your solar glasses and watch the sun. However, if you just plan to view it on your own, you may miss it or accidentally end up burning your eyes.
If you’re looking to not pay and find glasses near you easily, then a great place to look is your nearest college campus. My school is hosting two events with different departments that I know of, and I’m sure there’s several more happening! If you happen to be a local reader of my blog, here’s the event I’ll be attending put on by my design department. I’d love to see you there!
Where to find the glasses
The most important part of viewing the solar eclipse safely is having the protective glasses on. Warby Parker, an eyeglasses and sunglasses company, is giving away the eclipse glasses for free. Here’s a list of all the Warby Parker locations near you. It was so easy to stop in and pick up my glasses. (It was so funny to try them on and take pictures- you seriously can’t see a thing with them!)
If you don’t have a Warby Parker location by you, you can look at your local library. There are also several glasses listed on Amazon–just make sure you read the reviews to make sure you get a safe pair. Do not try to make your own or just wear plain sunglasses, or you could literally go blind! I would advise getting a pair of glasses for viewing the eclipse beforehand, so you don’t have to worry about a viewing party running out of them.
Other Viewing Essentials
The complete eclipse will last for up to three hours, so plan on getting there fairly early before the eclipse instead of just showing up when the total eclipse is supposed to occur. Complete totality lasts for only two minutes, so you’ll want to be in the right position and ready to view it right when it happens. Since it’ll happen for so long, why not bring some snacks? I found some fun recipes, but you can always go with the prepackaged classics as well. If you’re feeling creative, this galaxy bark would be a delicious addition to any viewing party. Sun Chips, Moon Pies and Milky Ways are also fun ways to keep the space theme going.
A lawn chair would also be a good thing to have handy while you’re waiting for the eclipse to begin. If you want to try your hand at solar eclipse photography, a camera is also an option. Here’s an article about how to photograph it– but be warned, if you’re not advanced at knowing your camera’s settings already then I’d advise you just sit back and watch. You could miss it so easily, and unless you start traveling across the world to view other eclipses, then it’s a once-in-a-lifetime event. I plan on taking on a video throughout the day and of my reaction to it, but I don’t want to miss the moment.
1: On Wednesday, I went to the Sporting KC Open Cup quarterfinal against the San Jose Earthquakes. My roommate Jordan and I went to the two qualifying rounds before the quarterfinal and we knew we had to go to every round they kept advancing in! For a little background, the US Open Cup is the oldest soccer tournament in US history. It ended in penalty kicks (after a double overtime) and was so exciting to watch! If you’re a soccer fan, this last save is a must-watch.
not my photo- taken from SKC’s twitter
2: I’ve been coming up with more video ideas for my Youtube channel. I recently posted this video with my tips for sorority recruitment, and it’s been doing so well considering my lack of subscribers! On that note…I would love if you subscribed to my channel to see more upcoming videos!
3: Speaking of sorority recruitment, that’s next week for my school! Instead of recruiting this year though, I’m working at my internship with my school’s football department. I’ve been a fan for as long as I can remember (I attended my first game under the age of one…thanks Mom and Dad for instilling this in me so early!!) so it’s still kind of a surreal experience to be able to be working for the team that I love. I’m working during fall camp, which means I get to attend practices and take photos in the morning, then in the afternoon I help with graphics.
If there’s anything I’ve learned from this, it’s definitely to be open when considering your future job! Last year I was pretty convinced that when I graduated, I’d want to be an art director at an agency last year, and now I’m feeling very passionate about working in sports. My major has allowed me so many opportunities so far and I’m excited to see what this year brings with my job, especially with football season coming up!
one of my many photos taken at practice..out of about 300 per day
4: I’m a bit late to the game here, but have you seen Macklemore’s latest music video? I’m loving the song and the message behind the video.
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MyGo2Pen #CollectiveBias
Back to school season is in full swing! I just moved back onto campus and while I’m not mentally ready to start classes yet, I was excited to go back to school shopping. One of the first places I went to was Walmart to pick up my planner and these pens. I always color-code my planners, so the Pilot G2 pens were perfect.
you can shop this image above by clicking on the photo!
I’m not kidding when I say that all my friends at school use these pens. They’re so smooth and don’t smear at all. They’re the #1 selling pen brand in America, and I can attest that this is well-deserved. Since they’re a gel pen, the ink flows super well and you don’t have to worry about your ink skipping.
For those that want to go out and buy Pilot G2 pens for themselves, I have a special coupon for you. All you have to do is go to the link and you can save .75 cents on any 4-pack of G2 pens. You can pick them up in the back-to-school section of Walmart.
I have a daily planner, which is perfect for the busy over-achiever. I think the Pilot G2 pen is perfect for those over-achievers, and especially for people on the go. For my classes, I assign a color to each class and then a color for work, my blog, and my sorority. Having this system helps me stay ultra-organized and see what I have for the day at a quick glance.
Lucky for me, the Pilot pens come in at least 20 colors, so I can balance my busy schedule. It also has four different point sizes (I prefer the .07), so you can customize your notes and planner to your liking. If you like hand-lettering, these pens work so well for faux-calligraphy by varying different widths.
On one side of my planner, I have a schedule and on the other side, I have a to-do list. On my schedule side, I list out everything I have due, my work for the day, sorority events and more. On the to-do side, I have an ongoing list of what I need to do for the week, and then a top three list at the top of the page for things that have to be done by that night. Having a way to prioritize things is an essential way to keep your college life organized!
I also color-code my monthly view, but since it’s smaller I condense it to big events or tests I have, not every piece of homework. For example, I won’t write what time I’m working each day in the monthly view, but I’ll write in if there’s a big event like a football game that week. Same thing for classes- I’ll write when my final project is due but not each little task that needs to be done ahead of time. This helps me glance at my planner and see an overview of how busy I am each week.
This shop/post has been compensated by Collective Bias, INC. and The Coca-Cola Company, all opinions are mine alone. #ColorMeHydrated #CollectiveBias
Hi all! I’ve been interning at a nonprofit this summer and my biggest struggle at the start of my internship was trying to figure out what to wear to work. My internship is more on the casual side, so I would say this is how you would dress for a more creative and relaxed environment. When in doubt, just ask your boss what’s appropriate!
What to wear
For my first outfit, I wore a pink sleeveless button-down with a striped pencil skirt. This outfit is perfect for a summer internship, because it fits the professional requirement but won’t make you overheat! Usually things with a collar are a good go-to.
The first dress is perfect for my work environment because it fits the ‘three finger rule,’ meaning the straps cover the majority of my shoulders. It’s also a good length and hits just a little above my knees. I paired this dress with sandals, but if your workplace is a little more professional then you can definitely wear this dress with flats or heels.
My third outfit is pairing a red tank with navy dress pants. I find myself reaching for these pants more than often because my office can get freezing, but they’re lightweight enough to wear during summer.
Lastly, this dress is similar to the first one in length and goes well with heels or flats. The neckline is modest as well. If you get cold easily in your office, a jean jacket would pair perfectly!
Of course, I always bring a vitaminwater with me- there’s so many flavors and options to choose from, so you can even match it to your outfit if you wanted!
What to bring
Every day, I take this blue tote bag to my internship and fill it with my laptop, wallet, charger, keys, and lunch. I’ve been bringing vitaminwater with me lately to keep me hydrated and on top of my game during work!
Lucky for you, I have a secret discount on vitaminwater at Target for all my readers! Just follow these 3 steps:
Go to your local Target
Take a ‘Shelf Selfie’ in front of the vitaminwater shelf
Text the picture to 89000 to receive the secret Cartwheel offer link for 15% off a 20oz vitaminwater
This is a look into what I bring every single day to work—including vitaminwater, of course! I’ve found that vitaminwater is the perfect drink to keep me energized and hydrated throughout the day. Personally, I’m a fan of the power-c dragonfruit flavor.
I also love the vitaminwater squeezed lemonade and focus kiwi-strawberry flavors. (See how the vitaminwater focus flavor even matches my outfit?!)
Here’s what I bring all laid out- my planner, graphic design tablet, laptop, chargers, wallet, lip balm and lipstick, and last but not least, a vitaminwater for the day! Since I’ve been drinking vitaminwater at work, my energy has definitely increased throughout the day. The biggest struggle I had when starting my internship was getting used to working the full 9-5 job, so having one of these at lunch was perfect to keep me on top of things.
I’m back with another dress from Old Navy…how predictable am I? This green and blue palm leaf dress is a fun way of mixing patterns with a cohesive color palette.
Honestly, this is why I could never be a full-time fashion blogger—I love styling new clothes and pairing them with accessories, but everything I own is like a walking advertisement for Old Navy!
Unfortunately, this dress isn’t available online anymore at Old Navy, but it was in a recent collection (I bought it at the beginning of the summer), so I’d recommend checking the clearance sections for either the dress or tank top version of this dress. You can wear the tassels tied loosely in a knot, but if you’re wearing a necklace I’d recommend leaving it open. It can create a fun open-collared look.
Hi all! I’m back with another style post. When I saw this yellow dress from Old Navy in store, I was drawn to the navy floral print but wasn’t sure how I would style the yellow. I’ve always decided that yellow doesn’t look good on me, with fair skin and blonde hair, but I decided to give this dress a try and I’m so glad I did! The yellow is the perfect gold tone that doesn’t wash me out (too much) and the swing fit is definitely fun for the summer.
The yellow is the perfect gold tone that doesn’t wash me out (too much) and the swing fit is definitely fun for the summer. The dress can easily transition from an office dress to brunch with friends to church, it’s so universal!
Hi all! Today I’m sharing my tips on mastering small talk during sorority recruitment. I’ve been through sorority recruitment twice (as a freshman and as a recruiter), so I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on how to feel comfortable during those short conversations in the first few rounds. These tips are also from other girls in my sorority, so it’s not just my own experience!
The most important part of recruitment isn’t your clothes, or your shoes, or the way you look—it’s how you connect with the girls in the house! Here are some of my go-to tips to feeling comfortable and confident throughout recruitment.
Don’t let others influence your opinion
One thing that my recruitment counselors constantly told us was “no chapter chatting,” and it’s for a good reason! “Chapter chatting” means you’re discussing your experience with each house with other girls throughout recruitment. While gossiping about each house may seem like a good way to bond with other girls through recruitment, it may hurt you in the end. If you had a great experience at one house, but you heard your friend had a terrible experience, don’t sweat it!
If you had a great experience at one house, but you heard your friend had a terrible experience, don’t sweat it! Some girls are better at recruiting and connecting than others. Sorority recruitment is about your personal interactions with each girl, not about how much money or how popular the girls in the house supposedly are. You’ll find your fit.
Ask questions
This was the biggest tip that I used as a freshman going through recruitment, and it helped so much! I was a little nervous about the whole process, but having questions on hand helped me feel more confident and keep the conversation flowing. As a recruiter, when girls asked me questions, it felt like they were genuinely interested and engaged.
Some good questions to have in the back of your mind are…
What’s your favorite part about living in the sorority house?
What’s your philanthropy?
Why did you choose this chapter?
How did you know that this sorority was the right one for you?
Some questions not to ask are…
Can you bring boys into the house?
Do you drink in your house?
Who’d you vote for in the last election?
Those questions are all ones that can be asked later, and will most likely be answered later for you as you join a chapter. Remember that recruitment is about you, so it’s not the time to bring up your significant other!
Don’t be afraid to be open with your questions, but be careful how you phrase things. For example, asking “How many events do I have to attend?” sounds like you’re trying to get around the rules before even joining. Instead, phrase it as: “I’m an athlete here and I’m concerned about the time commitment between athletics and a sorority. Are there sisters that are able to maintain sorority life, athletics, and a good GPA?” This poses you as willing to be flexible and wanting to be active in the chapter. This will also help your recruiter learn more about you and be able to talk about other sisters in the chapter in the same situation as you.
Be engaged
When we go through training to learn how to be better recruiters, we learn about things to take note of about the girls. Having good posture and smiling are two of the easiest ways to come off more confident, and in turn, feel more confident! The days are long and you’ll be tired (and trust me, they will be too), but just taking a little extra effort to smile and pay attention goes a long way.
Talk to the girls in the house like a friend
This one is a trick from some of the girls in my chapter. Act like the girls you’re talking with are friends that you haven’t seen in a long time, and you’re catching up and filling them in on everything. I haven’t tried this trick personally, but it seems like a great way to get to know the girls in each house better and feel comfortable!
Be honest
Sorority recruitment isn’t the time to try and fit yourself into a person you’re not! I heard so many girls going through recruitment tell me “I’m not really the sorority girl stereotype,” and there are so many girls in my sorority house that have said the same thing. Talk about your passions, what you did in high school, what makes you unique.
This will also help you stand out to the recruiter. There’s a pretty good chance that they have similar interests as you! It’s easier for me, as a recruiter, to remember that I talked to a girl who loved photography than to remember that I talked to a journalism major.
Your major, where you’re from, etc, is important, but that’s not what makes you who you are. Why did you choose your major? If you’re from California, are you passionate about surfing, or if you’re from small-town Kansas, why did you want to get out of town and move to a big college? All these things will help girls get to know you better and connect with you.
Give it a chance
I fell in love with a chapter during recruitment, and I was cut in the middle of the week. I wasn’t super happy with some of the choices I had left, but I chose to continue recruitment and ended up loving my sorority. My roommate also preferenced a different sorority than the one she ended up in on bid day, but now she can’t see herself anywhere else!
Even if you think you’re not interested in the house, give every house a chance and be engaged. You might end up loving it later in the week or even be on their lawn on bid day. This is my biggest tip about recruitment—I saw so many girls in my dorm drop throughout the week just because they didn’t get their ideal chapter. (Note that their ‘ideal chapter’ was based on three days’ worth of conversations, which definitely doesn’t give you enough time to know the chapter!) It may even take you a month to feel at home, but it all works out in the end.
If you have any questions, let me know below—I’m happy to help!
Today I’m sharing an interview with Andrew Kuttler, a designer and photographer with over 66k followers on Instagram. He actually went to my college, the University of Kansas (rock chalk!), so this was the perfect opportunity to interview him.
What’s your favorite thing about Instagram?
As a designer, I love being able to share and curate a visual story. Instagram is the perfect platform to get yourself out there and show off your work. I look at it as a mini-portfolio.
What do you take your photos with?
I mainly shoot with my Ricoh GR for personal work. For Boomerangs and still videos I use my iPhone!
What three words would you use to describe your style on Instagram?
Colorful. Graphic. Surreal.
Who are three people on Instagram that you admire?
This changes all the time! So many talented photographers and designers are sharing their work on Instagram. Right now, I’m super inspired by…
Where do you find your inspiration to take photos?
I’m a sucker for research and planning ahead. A lot of the locations I use for personal and client work are hours away, sometimes even a plane ride, so it’s important to put in the time to make sure you have a strong concept. I love hanging out at bookstores and going through photo books and magazines—they always provide great inspiration.
What was the most important thing you learned in college?
Be open! And that design can have many different applications. You never know where your path will lead and KU gave me an incredible foundation.
When did you first start collaborating with brands solely through Instagram?
3 years ago! I had been working at various ad agencies around Los Angeles and was really craving more creative freedom. A big brand reached out to me and after pulling out the project with them, I felt the confidence to go out and take a leap on my own.
What is your favorite brand collaboration that you’ve done so far?
I love clients that take me to new locations—I feel the most inspired and come alive creatively when I’m in some place that I’ve never been. I think working with Pixar at their campus in San Francisco for The Good Dinosaur and Inside Out was a big moment for me. I was surrounded by people doing the most amazing things and I’ll never forget the experience.
