Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Dear Diary, Mother's Day is on my mind


Mother's Day (May 11) is just around the corner! It's always hard to find the perfect gift for my mom because most of the things I would like to buy her are way out of my college-student budget. If you're like me, than you also don't want to waste time trying to convince your dad why your mother needs that $500 ottoman because he'll never agree. I'm a big fan of swinging by the Central Market floral department on my way home from school and picking up a bouquet, but I feel like I need to come up with something more substantial. There's got to be something in-between!
Mother and I circa 1996
Monthly product subscriptions are very hot right now, and it would be a great gift because it would little surprise to remind my mother of me while I'm away at school. The subscription is great because I wouldn't have to worry about forgetting to ship a gift myself every month! I've been receiving Birchboxes for the past two years (check out my article about them here!) and decided I would cancel my account because I'm on sample over load, and instead pay for my mother to have a subscription. The longer I thought about it though, I decided my mother might not like getting so many samples. They start to pile up then you're left with a vase (or drawer) of unused products. So I began to search for other options for monthly subscriptions. Hopefully there's something here that's just right for the sweet mommy in your life. Happy gifting!
Citrus Lane - for the mom who still has kiddos $21/month
Craft Coffee - for the mom who's a coffee lover $19.99/month
Birchbox - for the mom who loves deluxe beauty samples $10/month
UmbaBox - for your etsy-loving mom who never grew out of getting handmade gifts $23/month
Harry & David's Fruit of the Month Club - for the mom who loves the best fresh fruit $69-129/month 
Mouth's Cocktail Hour - for the mom who loves to host $1,120/year 
Love With Food - for the mom who loves organic snacks $10/month
KnitCrate - for the mom who loves to knit $26/month
Just the Right Book - for the mom who loves to read $245-$395/year+shipping 
Her Fitness Box - for the mom who likes to break a sweat $35/month

XOXO

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Dear Diary, chic iPad cases are impossible to find

This summer I am studying abroad in Turkey, then staying and traveling around Europe for a few weeks. One of the courses we are taking is Turkish Film, our program got a grant for each of us to get an iPad Air on loan from the university for half the summer. I've never been in the iPad case/cover/sleeve market before and let me tell you, its rough. I never would have imagined it would be so hard to find the perfect case!
A few issues I've come up with while online researching:
  1. I love how the sleeves look- but they seem frivolous and like it would just take up extra space in my bag. 
  2. The iPad needs to be protected, but all the 'protection' cases are bulky, heavy and seem generally too intense- but I'm a bit clumsy so I feel like I need some protection. 
  3. Folios/folders cover the front and the back, which is good, but I hate the ones with keyboards in them, but for a girl with limited space it seems foolish to take a wireless keyboard separately. 
  4. We're allowed to buy the iPad from the university at the end but I haven't decided if I'll do that so it seems foolish to spend a lot of money on it but if I don't buy it I must return it in good condition, but all the really cute ones are pricey. 
Hershel Anchor Sleeve

i-Blason Apple iPad Air Case

MoKo Apple iPad Folio

Boatman Geller iPad Folding Case
DODO Case Classic for iPad Air

GiGi New York Embossed Python iPad Case
Marc by Marc Jacobs Oliver Notebook iPad Case
Somewhere between the boring cases and the over-the-top girlie ones lies the elusive chic cases- let me know if you find one!

XOXO


Monday, April 21, 2014

Dear Diary, its Mindy Monday


Everything about Mindy Kahling is amazing. She started her fame on The Office and luckily has gotten her own show The Mindy Project. Why watch Mindy? Because she is funny, sarcastic, and relatable and gets really good looking guys to come on her show and fall in love with her. I wrote an article for our all-Greek newspaper on the star, check it out here!






She is so inspirational. 

XOXO

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Dear Diary, the Canadian Greeks are starting something big

The Get Real Movement
This video fell into my browser yesterday because TSM posted it, and it's worth the watch. Greeks at the University of Western Ontario (who knew there were Greeks in Canada?) took a big step towards shattering homophobic notions among fraternity and sorority stereotypes. They worked with The Get Real Movement, whose aim is to stop discrimination and homophobia, starting with small communities, like ours. Well our community is hardly small, there are over nine million Greeks nationwide! This video is powerful and reminds both insiders and outsiders that Greek life is all about friendship, scholarship and service no matter your orientation, ethnicity, race or any other factor. You won't ever be weak if you go Greek!

XOXO

Monday, April 7, 2014

Dear Diary, by popular request - my metallic temporary tattoos


Date parties are the perfect time to try out new things, be it a new fashion trend, a costume piece, or a cute new guy! This past weekend I opted for trying something that falls between a costume accessory and a (hopefully) rising trend: metallic temporary tattoos. I'm a huge fan of temporary tattoos because it's a fun way to be someone else for the day - and get to scrub it off later! Impulse decisions are perfectly safe:)

A few months ago I stumbled across Flash Tattoos on Pinterest (check out my new Endless Diary account here!). I became obsessed with these glittering tattoos. Purchasing them for the annual toga date party was a must because a true Greek goddess isn't complete without her jewelry, but I was always too afraid to wear any in case anything got lost. But there was no way of loosing these, and they looked amazing.


I got so many compliments and questions about them - I knew I had to share it with the world! Luckily I didn't use my whole pack this weekend and can't wait for the next occasion to wear them.

XOXO

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Dear Diary, it's toga time


One of my favorite social events of the year has finally arrived - Lambda Chi's Foga (foam+toga) date party. Personally, I hate the foam but it's worth it to get to saunter around in togas all night like the Greeks that we are. 

Each year when this event rolls around, the freshmen freak, the boys stock up, and the Hobby Lobby workers can look at you and know exactly how much fabric you need for your toga. There are several ways to go about dressing yourself for this event, but the two best choices are using a pillow case, or buying a piece of fabric from your local craft store. The pillow case is more practical - it' won't budge, fall apart (or off) and is very simple to make. All you need is a king sized pillow case, scissors, and some rope for your belt. Simply cut the corner of the pillow case off at an angle, then cut an arm hole, try it on for size, tie your belt and you're done! 
Now if you want to go the more traditional route, like me, I would check out this video. It's the easiest to understand and all the options are cute (except the bikini option - you'd be better off in an actual bikini and sarong). Most girls need about two yards of fabric and three yards for boys. 
Quick Toga Tutorial
Last year I bought a faux flower vine from the floral department and hot glued it together, making a really cute crown. Other people have used gold wire or just leafy vines and both look great. I advise considering your skin tone, hair color, likelihood of spilling a drink on yourself and what colors your best friends are wearing before selecting your toga color. You'll be taking pictures all night and want to look your best! This is one of the few times when selecting clothing that color is pretty much the only variable so choose wisely!

No matter what you put on your body, make sure you are covered up underneath with spandex shorts and some kind of nude bralette or bandeau because if your costume falls apart- you don't want to accidentally put on a show!

XOXO