Sorority Secrets: Bid Day

{The theme was Pi Phi Phest ~ hence the flower crowns}

Recently I had Bid Day for my sorority! For those of you who aren’t familiar with sorority lingo, Bid Day is the last day of sorority recruitment when girls who have been accepted into an organization get an official Bid to join a chapter.  It’s a mutual selection process that typically lasts a week, or 4 rounds. Through out this process potential new members meet with each sorority in rounds to talk to the sisters and learn more about the sororities.  Each night choices get narrowed down and you go to fewer sororities for longer periods of time (in order to allow for deeper conversations!) After a long recruitment process I am excited to welcome the new members home to Pi Beta Phi! We were very lucky and had a beautiful day in the park for this special day. My Bid Day was a bit different, the way the schedule fell it was at night and it happened to be in our sorority house, as opposed to outside.  It was a great night but I was happy to have this year’s celebration in an area with more space – especially since we have 54 new girls! I know based on Southern sorority standards this isn’t much, but for my school and chapter it’s huge! I was so excited on my Bid Day to get my top choice sorority and I remember being thrilled to see the familiar faces of the sisters I had spoken to during recruitment.  This year, being on the other side of recruitment, I was so happy to welcome the girls I spoke to throughout the week and on Preference Night with a hug and a halo! It is such an exciting time for everyone.  I know that joining Pi Phi is one of the best decisions I have ever made and I have a feeling our new girls will feel the same.  I am happy to be apart of such an amazing sisterhood and I am SO excited to have more girls in our incredible chapter! 

{Pi Beta Phi}

{Bid Day isn't complete without cute crafts}

{Me, Emily, and Bailey}

{YCP}

{Roomies take recruitment}

♥ Caro

Muhlenberg Weekend

Ever feel like you just need to get away? After two long weekends of sorority recruitment and an overwhelming amount of work in school I was so ready for a break.  On Friday my best friend Bailey and I hopped on a bus from New York to Pennsylvania to visit Bailey’s best friend from home, Morgan.  It was so nice to get away from the city and enjoy the silence and fresh air on the camps.  Muhlenberg College is a very small school and it was fun to walk around the campus and pretend we were students at the small school.  We went to watch the girls and boys soccer games, both teams won, and it was so exciting to cheer them on and show some school spirit! I love my school and I love being in New York City but it was nice to take a break from the city and enjoy the abundance of grass and collegiate students in sweatshirts.  I am so glad we went; it was great to get away for a weekend and have fun with Morgan and her friends.  Everyone was so sweet and welcoming, we can’t wait to go back! 

{Morgan, Bailey, and me}

♥ Caro

Lust List

Shopping is a weakness of mine, I love to browse and check out all of the new products (who doesn’t?) To keep myself from going into debt, I will write down things I am obsessed with and save them for birthday or Christmas presents (that way when family members ask I can give them an idea of things I would love!) Here are some things I’ve been lusting over lately.

Embroidered Intarsia Camel Sweater – This new J Crew Factory arrival is adorable, I am obsessed with animal sweaters to begin with, add tassels and I am sold! Such a cute sweater - I am dying to get my hands on it soon!

Jack Rodgers Marianne Bootie - These new Jack Rodgers boots are incredible.  I love my Jack Rodgers sandals and when I saw these I immediately fell in love! I don’t know if they are as hard to break in as the sandals are but they sure are cute! These are definitely on my wish list for fall!

GiGi New York Uber Clutch – I am in love with this embossed python clutch! This stone color is incredible and so versatile, plus you can get your monogram embossed on it, and we all know I love a good monogram! 

♥ Caro

LL Bean Duck Boots

Wanna know what saved me from the NYC polar vortex last year? LL Bean Duck Boots. These boots are AMAZING and I literally lived in them through all of the cold and slush that New York threw my way last winter.  I got the 8” boots with Gore-Tex and Thinsulate lining (sounds fancy right?) That’s just a cool way of saying they’re super warm and durable.  What I love most about the boots is no matter how many slush puddles I step into, my feet never got wet or cold.  In New York, when the snow begins to melt you are left with deceiving puddles on every corner; puddles that look harmless but are MUCH deeper than they appear. 

Having the taller boots helped with this situation, plus I love the look of the taller boots with cute socks sticking out.  They are perfect with leggings or jeans and I know I will be living in them again when the time comes.  If you are unsure what size or style you should order, call the customer service number – one thing I LOVE about LL Bean is they always let you talk to a real person. The guy I spoke to was nice enough to tell me what size I should get and recommend the best model for me based on where I live and what kind of weather I deal with daily. Get them now while you can, by November they are typically on backorder and you definitely want them in time for the cold weather!

{Aren’t they cute with my J Crew Camp Socks?!} 

♥ Caro

inVESTed

I fell in love with vests when I got a J Crew Excursion Vest a few years ago.  They are one of my favorite articles of clothing – perfect for cool fall weather with a button down, or under a coat when it gets colder.  I love the look and I find them so convenient and easy to move in.  Over the years I have collected several vests and each year, as it gets closer to fall, I get so excited to wear them!

Herringbone – I got this one in the store a few years ago on a whim.  Earlier this month I saw it was online on the factory website! This one is by far my favorite and I wear it all the time.  It’s on backorder now, but at this price I would get it - you will wear it SO much it’s worth the wait! (Plus in my experience they often come sooner than they predict!) Definitely a timeless piece you can wear for years to come.

I mostly love the excursion vest because it is thin enough to be comfortable and still functional.  I got the caramel one last year (it was back ordered until January but came in time for Christmas!) and I love it because it is neutral. 

I love pairing the red vest with this dark green and red plaid flannel I have from J Crew. 

The purple one looks great with this blue and purple plaid flannel, also from J Crew. 

Some other favorites include…

Fur Vest – I looked for a fur vest for about 4 years.  They were always too furry, too long, too short.  I couldn’t seem to find one that I loved.  Last month I found this one in Zara and was OBSESSED.  It’s the perfect length and color and will go well with anything.  It has nice grey undertones to the fur that I love.  I cannot wait to wear it! 

Patagonia Vest – I  got this vest for Christmas and love it because it is casual and comfortable.  It’s perfect with leggings and a t-shirt and super cozy. This exact one isn't available anymore but you can get a similar one here 

♥ Caro

P.S. Want to see how I like to style these vests? Let me know in the comments :) 

Friday Flicks: Brain Power

I love Netflix.  I think it is such a great idea and there are many shows and movies I have stumbled across that I thoroughly enjoyed.  One of the hardest parts about navigating Netflix though, is deciding what to watch.  I always have a hard time figuring out what I would like to see and I find I spend more time picking something than I do watching it.  I put together a list of some of my favorites, in hopes of making things a little easier next time you go looking for a little movie magic! 

Today's category is "Brain Power" the perfect documentaries for when you want to learn something so you don't feel guilty watching Netflix ;) One thing to know about me is I love a good Netflix Documentary, these are some of my favorites!   

Blackfish – I watched this after hearing all of the hype and if you haven’t seen it yet I would definitely recommend it.  It’s a serious documentary and at times sad (I didn’t realize it was quite as depressing and was caught off guard when watching it) But it is a great film and definitely informative.

Katy Perry Part of Me – I actually saw this in the theater and loved it.  Every time I see a concert documentary like this I gain so much respect for the artist (I’m sure that’s the point…) But Katy was so vulnerable on screen, you can really see who she is.  Plus the concert was so fun to watch!

Tiny House – This documentary is all about the “tiny house” phenomenon happening now around the world, people are designing and building their own, personal tiny homes and living in extremely small spaces on purpose.  This provides for a simpler and clutter free life with simply the necessities surrounding you.  It’s an interesting point of view and something I wasn’t aware of until watching this movie.

Girl Model – Following an ex-model who now recruits young Russian girls to be models in Japan, this documentary provides an interesting insight into the modeling industry and the sort of trafficking that occurs overseas.  These girls are essentially sold into the industry with the promise of fame, fortune, and a better life; the outcome is striking and it provides a very interesting view, allowing a look at all sides. 

Happy – Following people all over the world to understand what truly makes people happy, I had to watch this for a class and found it interesting and thought provoking.  Definitely something to watch and think about as you go through your day-to-day, you will start to notice what really makes you happy and what doesn’t.

♥ Caro

This Is Our Youth

Last night I had the pleasure of going to see This Is Our Youth at the Cort Theater.  The play, written by Kenneth Lonergan, is a revival directed by Tony award winner Anna D. Shapiro. Staring Michael Cera, Kieran Culkin, and fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson, the quick-wit comedy involves three Upper East Side teenage potheads in the 80’s.  The show works in two acts, chronicling one night into the next afternoon and the misadventures they endure during this time.  

I found it to be thoroughly entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny.  The writing is incredible and I, honestly, credit a lot of the laughs to the script.  I thought Kieran Culkin was great in the role of Dennis, the drug dealer friend of Warren’s (played by Michael Cera) who tries his best to be a good friend.  He took the part and produced a character that the audience hates, but also understands.  All of the characters are accessible to the audience, with parallels that can be detected throughout the show.  Plus there was a cool set, a simple one-bedroom apartment in New York, where the entire play takes place.  Despite the setting being in the past, the plot points are still very relevant today. 

{Kieran Culkin, Tavi Gevinson, and Michael Cera}

The show is in previews now, not officially playing until September 11^th, but it will be running through January 4^th.  I was able to get a balcony ticket for $35.00, which also happens to be the rush price.  **If you don’t know what rush is, when you are a “student” (18-25) you can “rush” a Broadway show, sometimes early in the morning, sometimes an hour before the show starts, and get the tickets that haven’t sold yet at a lower price (typically anywhere from $20-40, depending on the show.) Rush policies differ from show to show and not all shows offer it.  

My friends Bailey, Andrea, and I wanted to see it before we got too busy – and also before word got out about it.  The cheaper balcony seats were great, we had a view of everything and, though it would’ve been nice to be closer, we definitely got our money’s worth and more. 

{The stage from our seats – not bad for 35 bucks}

I loved the show overall, I found it to be very enjoyable and would highly recommend it if you are in the city and looking for something to see.  It is a good show for both guys and girls, there is some foul language and some of the subject matter is a bit crass - so it’s not a show for kids.  I didn’t love Michael Cera’s performance, I felt he was just being Michael Cera on stage.  But his performance did work, in a way, because his character, much like every character he plays, is awkward and strange.  And Tavi was fine, though she yelled the entire time and I am not sure how much training or experience she has had.  If you can get past this and focus on Culkin’s performance and Lonergan’s writing, I can guarantee you it will be a show that makes you laugh all night!

{Bailey, Andrea, and I before the show}

♥ Caro