Rush Bag Prep for 2024

 Hey there princess!

With Rush 2024 on it's way, I know that a lot of girls are prepping their Rush bags for the week. I went through Rush in Winter 2009, and became a Kappa Alpha Theta at Baylor University. My experience was incredibly positive, and I am aware that things today are different than they were back when I went through Rush. 

When I went through Rush we all wore our winter coats (Baylor Rush still takes place in January) and purses aren't allowed in the room. My solution was to keep a lipstick, pocket mirror, ID, and my Motorola Razr in my coat pocket and leave it outside of each room (Baylor also doesn't have houses). Below are some ideas of what I would use as a Rush bag if I were to go though Rush today, and some essentials I would keep in the bag. Please keep in mind that I am not being paid to advertise any of these items, they are just things I really like!

RIBBON STRAW ZIP-TOP TRAVEL TOTE

MONOGRAM MARY FRINGE BAG

ITALIAN CANVAS ZIP TOTE

CANVAS ZIP-TOP TOTE

These are just a few examples of some bags that I think would be great for Rush (and for college students in general) because they:

A. All have zippers

B. Are all customizable 

In a sea of girls tossing around a bunch of identical bags that they bought on Amazon Prime day all over the place, you want to make sure that your items are secure, and that your bag is easily identifiable. 

Now.... as far as things to put in your bag...

There is one item that I think is absolutely essential, and that I will recommend again and again and again, and that is this Chanel lip product (my favorite shade is Sensual Rose). I have worn these liquid lipsticks for YEARS, and I am not kidding when I say that they last ALL DAY. It is a great product, and is pretty much the only thing I will wear on my lips. 

LE ROUGE DUO ULTRA TENUE

Tide Pen Stain Remover for Clothes

Hand Sanitizer (this one is super cute and trendy)

Tic Tacs (I like these mini boxes - perfect for any purse/travel bag)

Band-aids (get your skin tone - this is not the time for Hello Kitty. You want your personality to stand out, not your blisters)

Cough Drops (you will lose your voice by the end of the week, DO NOT CHEW GUM)

I love Airborn - try your best not to get sick!

These claw clips are cute, and can keep your hair from getting frizzy/sweaty walking from one party to the next. Get this set of four so if someone asks to borrow one, they can just keep it and you'll still have extra!

LES BEIGES

l absolutely love this pressed powder. There is a mirror in there as well so you can check your makeup throughout the day. Keep in mind the coverage is light! 

Sparkle on!

What I Would Wear to Rush in 2024

 Hey there princess!

I went through Rush in the Winter of 2009, and was absolutely thrilled to be part of the Kappa Alpha Theta new member class that year. My time in Theta was some of the most fun of my life, and I love looking back through that special Rush experience at this time every year. 

I remember spending months looking through shops and trying on clothes with my mom so that I looked absolutely perfect every single day from my clothes, to my shoes, to my accessories. If you're interested in hearing all about that experience, please let me know! I would love to share!

If I were going through Rush as a freshman today, I have selected a few different items that I think would look timeless and lovely on any young girl today. When selecting outfits, I think it's important to choose something that is classic, something that you can see yourself wearing again and again, and something that can help you stand out in the other girl's memories. I have linked a few things below, and I would love hearing all about what you are wearing!

Simon Miller Albers Knit Mini Dress

Corey Lynn Calter Sleeveless A-Line Mini Dress

Hope for Flowers by Tracy Reese Audrey Drop-Waist Midi Dress

Hutch Halter Allover Bows Stretch Crepe Mini Dress

Sachin & Babi Georgia Square-Neck Striped Taffeta Mini Dress

Lilly Pulitzer x Badgley Mischka Willa Halter Dress

Maeve Ribbon Pencil Midi Skirt

Some tips before you head to campus to start going through rush:

DO: Try on all of your outfits at home before you leave. This means the whole outfit including shoes. Walk around in your shoes, and make sure that you have all of the right undergarments selected for each outfit. Make sure your bra straps don't show, and be sure to pack shape wear.

DON'T: Share your outfits with your friends. While you might be excited about your new clothes with your new roommate, or other girls that you know are going through Rush with you, please refrain. The last thing you want is to start stressing about comparing yourself to others. I have also had bad experiences in the past with girls asking to borrow my clothes and returning them in less-than-stellar condition.

DO: Make sure to get recommendation letters submitted to each sorority that you are going to parties for. You want to make sure to put your best foot forward, and rec letters are the top way to do this. 

DON'T: Wear perfume at parties. In a room packed with girls, you want everyone to focus on the awesome things you have to say - not feel overwhelmed by all of the different perfumes that don't mesh all together. Focus on a high-strength deodorant (it can be hot and stuffy in those parties, and you don't want pit-stains) and nothing with too strong of a scent. You want them to remember you - not your smell. 

Sparkle on!

Two Infinity and Beyond - A Buzz Lightyear / Pizza Planet Second Birthday

Hey there princess!

My son recently turned two (how time flies!) and we threw him a super fun second birthday party. Right now, everything has been all about Toy Story, so "Two Infinity and Beyond seemed like the perfect theme!

I had my husband dress up like a Pizza Planet truck driver, and even bought custom boxes from Etsy so that it looked like he was bringing us pizza straight from the movie. In reality, he did a quick flip with some Dominos that he brought home, but this was such a fun way to connect the theme with the food. He was such a good sport!

I found these incredible balloons off of Etsy, and my mom sourced two Toy Story popcorn buckets (the alien is from Disney World and the vending machine one is from TokyoDisney). I think they were both really cool, and are also great keepsakes for Davy. 

She also got a M&M rocket vending machine from FAO Schwartz that was a huge hit! We have kept it in our kitchen, and it is safe to say that our M&M intake has really gone up. Paper plates, cups, and napkins all came from Amazon. 

Sometimes it's the simplest things that are the most fun! Pizza is such a crowd pleaser for everyone, and we had tons of fun just chatting and watching Toy Story on TV. I am so in love with these popcorn buckets that my mom found. I am using them as decoration in my son's room now and they are an endless source of joy! 

I got all of the tablecloths for this event from Target. The yellow and white ones are from three years ago, and the blue and green one is from this past summer. I made these watermelon jello cups with little google eyes glued to the outside of the cup so that they look like the green aliens from the movie. They were super cute! 

Can you tell I'm obsessed with the aliens? My mom made these amazing alien cookies using a Martha Stewart sugar cookie recipe from the late 80's. They were to die for!!! Also, if you look behind the cookie,   I put a bunch of green lanterns that I glued white eyeballs to in the background. They were all over the house! I loved them! 

I hope you enjoyed this peek at my little birthday celebration for my son. We had so much fun!

Sparkle on!

A Casual Tiki Birthday Dinner

Hey there princess!

Recently, I hosted a tiki-themed birthday dinner for my sister at my home. We had such a nice time cooking kabobs on the grill, and eating lots of fresh fruit! The weather cooperated beautifully, and we were able to eat in the backyard with all of the beautiful roses. 

I love having any opportunity to celebrate others, and if you remember my tiki party from 2020, you will see a lot of the same decoration used here! We added the monstera leaf tablecloth, some tiki straws, and toothpicks into the mix just to freshen things up. 

At the start of the party, every guest got a lai and a Pina colada mocktail with a little umbrella in it. The perfect thing for a hot day! I love immersing guests in the theme of the event, and giving them something fun to enjoy throughout the party. 

For the dinner setup, I used my absolute favorite dishes from Anthropologie along with some placemats from Hobby Lobby and the cutest tiki salt and pepper shakers, also from Hobby Lobby.

I just loved eating outside with my roses all in bloom! The evening air was just cooling things off, and even though you can't smell through the internet, trust me when I say that the grill was giving off the most mouth-watering aroma. I loved having my husband and brother manning the cooking duties - they did a great job!

Here is my little half-drunk virgin Pina colada. I absolutely love these glasses that I got from Amazon several years ago. They stay in my cabinet and I use them all the time! I always think it is smart to invest in things that bring you joy! 

Entertaining for family is always a highlight for me and I am so grateful to have opportunities to celebrate life with the people that I love. 

As far as party theming - what are y'all planning this summer? I would love any party ideas you may have!

Sparkle on!

 

Independence Day Lunch

 Hey there princess!

I was so happy to be able to spend the 4th of July with my sweet family at their home. First, we went swimming with my little boy in the pool where he went wild throwing the ball and watching my dad and brother race toy boats. We also ate the classic American lunch of chili dogs with chips and all the dessert that you could possibly consume. Then, we went home and took a 3 hour nap because... America!

I just have to show my mom's set-up, though! She put so much work into this, and is always such a wonderful hostess. 

Every 4th of July my mom brings out this flag platter and serves red, white, and blue fruit/marshmallow skewers. They are one of my favorite things and I probably ate way too many! Blackberries are my favorite fruit, and they bring back amazing childhood memories of picking them off of the bushes that my mom grew at our home. I would always wash them off with the garden hose and snack on them with my brother and sister. 

It isn't a family event without festive napkins! I love a holiday napkin. Also, these macaroons were divine!!!!! 

Then my mom made these amazing cupcakes with Pop Rocks in the middle! There is nothing better than a good Pop Rock in my opinion, and they were very patriotic - especially with the picks that were put in them (you can find them on Amazon here).

The main feature of her display was this wreath featuring historical American figures. It is so cute and so special! 

My contribution to this event was my Oreo cake balls. This is the third batch that I have made for this July 4th weekend (one for friends, one for my husband's work, and this batch for family). They are such an easy and fun treat. I believe I made them several years ago on this page when I was doing Movie Monday, so the recipe should be on here if your scroll through a bit!

Of course, my mom managed to find patriotic taffy. It was so cute and so yummy! Also, if you haven't already hopped on the Nora Fleming band wagon, what are you waiting for?! They are so fun! You can find my mom's Uncle Sam by clicking here, and there are tons of bases to choose from. 

In honor of Independence Day, I made a little calligraphy piece of The Star-Spangled Banner that I brought with me. I am always looking for new ways to decorate and practice art. 

We had so much fun, and the most important part of any holiday are not the decorations - it's the people you celebrate with. I am so grateful for my family and my husband and sweet little boy - all of whom I get to celebrate every fun day of life with! 

How did you celebrate the 4th? I would love to hear all about it!

Sparkle on!

Ladies who Lunch - Hosting an Event Table

 Hey there princess!

Recently, I was given the opportunity to host a table for a luncheon at my church. This is my first time embarking on this type of project, and I am so thankful that I was able to co-host with my mom so that the project felt more manageable. My mom is a hostess extraordinaire, and she has a wealth of knowledge and linen to make planning fun and stress-free. 

The event didn't have a theme, so we had free-reign to decorate how we pleased. The verse that we chose for our table was Song of Solomon 2:11-12, "For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and done. The flowers appear on the earth, the season of singing is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land."

So basically... flowers! So let's begin with a review of our table...

My mom and I are both huge fans of Spode's Blue Italian, so it was an easy choice when it came to the place settings. This was the pattern I chose for my wedding china, and between my mom and myself we have more than enough place settings and specialty pieces. For napkins, my mom purchased these special pieces from Laurie Byrne on Etsy (click here for her shop).

We decorated our table with tons of fresh flowers, which were so gorgeous and also were the perfect compliment to the Bible verse we chose for our theme. My mom has an extensive tulipiere collection in blue and white, so it was great to be able to pull all of them out and put them on display for our friends. I made each guest a place card so that they would know where to sit, and I also painted a small canvas for each lady to take home as a memento of the afternoon. 

When arranging flowers, it is important to look at your display from every angle. Since we were at circular tables, they needed to look lush and gorgeous from the perspective of each guest. These were so much fun to do with my mom, and lots of the beautiful roses came from Life in Rose Farm, and some of the other flowers came from Whole Foods and Kroger. 

Luckily for us, we had some time to go around the room and look at some of the other tables that the ladies decorated. I have included photos of those below. They were so much fun! Let me know in the comments which one is your favorite!

This was such an amazing opportunity to be creative and connect with my church community. I am so happy that we were able to participate, and I can't wait to challenge ourselves next year with another amazing and fun design.