Sorority Girl

As a high school senior, the option had never really crossed my mind that I could choose to join a sorority in college. However, upon visiting Hanover for a scholarship competition weekend and staying as a guest of my hostess at a sorority house, I was intrigued by the sisterhood that I saw during my brief time there. When I arrived as a fresh face on campus the following fall, I found that Hanover offered four unique, vibrant sisterhoods of women. Each of these sororities were full of talented, smart, and involved ladies who were eager to get to know me and see if I might fit into their sisterhood as well. The thing that I appreciated so much was seeing how these organizations debunked the sorority stereotypes that are so prevalent in movies and TV shows. Instead, I learned of their focus on academics, traditions, philanthropy, and growing as a sisterhood. Throughout my freshman fall semester, I spent time weighing the pros and cons of each sorority for myself and had the privilege of joining Chi Omega the following January. At the time it was a bit of a decision to choose which house to dedicate myself to for the rest of my college career; in retrospect, however, I can't imagine my college days without very fond memories of time spent with my sisters.

One of my very favorite things within our sorority are the "families" made up of sisters of various ages. Each new member (or little sister) is given a big sister. These Big and Little pairs are kept secret as the big sisters shower their littler sisters with various gifts and snacks leading up to revelation. Long after the Big and Little pairs are revealed, family bonds can have a lasting impact on one's sorority experience. For me, I am still very close to my big sister. In fact, she is a fellow teacher at my school. Additionally, my little sister and I stay connected and visit one another even though we live a few hours apart from one another.

This past weekend, I was in for a real treat. I was able to meet the newest addition to my sorority family over dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. I was the oldest in attendance and spent a wonderful meal with five other generations of our family. It was so neat to me to see how connected we are even though we span such a range of years and ages at this point in our lives.



Although I am not as involved in my sorority as I was during my collegiate days, it has helped build me into the woman I am today. I am forever thankful for the times I spent in my chapter of Chi Omega and the ways that it keeps touching me in a positive way even now.

Sun, Sand, and the Waves Rolling In

The weather has been a bit fickle lately. One day it's warm enough to go outside without my coat or simply wear a light jacket. The next I find myself zipping up my winter coat and eagerly pulling on my gloves as I start my car in the morning. Nonetheless, the sunshine and springtime warmth bring promise of more such days to come. I'm currently on the countdown to Spring Break. I'm very thankful as a teacher to be blessed with some wonderful time of rest and relaxation throughout the school year. In only a little more than a week, I will be packing my suitcase and heading south to Texas with four of my good teacher friends. I'm very excited to be taking a trip somewhere new. The greatest extent of my experiences in Texas were summed up in an airport on my way to Mexico as a college student. This time I will be settling down for the week and taking in the ocean as it laps up on the Texas shore. I must admit that when I go to the beach, one of my very favorite pastimes is the pleasure of hours to read a good book. With such a love for reading, I try to make time in my usual weeks to read here and there, but there is something so fabulous and freeing to know that I can lay on my beach towel and read for as long as I like. And then of course there is the plane ride there and back. So much time to enjoy. In honor of this, I placed an order for three new books on amazon this evening. These include Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller, Forgotten God by Francis Chan, and Bittersweet by Shauna Niequest. I chose these three books because of recommendations by others or because I have previously read and enjoyed a book by the author. (I just finished Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequest and absolutely loved it. It was beautifully written and I suggest it to other readers.) As the days pass by and the trips draws nearer, I will be eagerly checking the doorstep for the arrival of these new books. Hope you are making time in your schedule to read or take part in the activities that bring you joy too!

Step Up and Make a Difference

As of late, I have definitely gotten into buying products here and there that help support a worthy cause. Back at Christmas, I bought jewelry for a few friends that was made by Ugandan women and raises money to send their young girls to school. Cool jewelry and support of a noble organization. Too neat, right!?

This morning I picked up a package that had been delivered to our door. Inside was a very unique pair of shoes I had ordered. The purchase of my new TOMS means that their company will give a pair of shoes to a child worldwide who is in need. Their website explains how many illnesses are picked up by these individuals in poor countries simply because they walk around without shoes. If I'm going to buy items anyways, why not choose ones that look cute and let me step up and make a difference too!

Check out the TOMS website by clicking here.

Here is a picture of the beautiful TOMS I ordered. I contemplated choosing a more neutral color to add to my spring and summer shoe collection. Then, I decided that life's too short not to buy the pretty pink ones that will make me feel like a ballerina. Even if I'm grown up, I still like to feel like a pretty princess. I can't wait to sport them in warmer weather when I head to Texas on Spring Break in a few short weeks!



How are you stepping up and making a difference? Please post and comment if you have found any other great items or products that make a difference for others in our world and are stylish too. I'd love to hear about it!

Birthday Blessings

I turned another year older just the other day. It's funny how once you reach a certain age, a birthday is nice but it just isn't quite such a big deal anymore. I once read a great quote that I think about when it comes to birthdays and age. It said, "If you didn't know how old you were, how old would you be?" Age is only a number; it's the life and fullness that you allow into you day that determines your inner age. Some days I think that I might fall right there with a little kid, yet in other moments I'm pretty sure I'm the age of a grandma. I can't help that I like going to bed early and crocheting!

Anyhow, I had a really wonderful birthday weekend. On Friday my mom came up from home and I went out to eat with my family and boyfriend. The food at Bravo was absolutely delicious. I completely recommend it to anyone who enjoys Italian. There was nothing better than finishing it off with birthday dessert of creme brulee. Yummmm. On Saturday I headed out of town to Cincinnati to visit a few friends. It was great to catch up with an engaged couple I know well who recently bought a home. After that, I drove to my sorority little sister's house who took me as her guest to the Cincinnati Pop Orchestra's concert called "Pop Goes Celtic." We had a wonderful time listening to the orchestra accompanying a fantastic Canadian Celtic group called Leahy. This group consists of eight very musical siblings who play instruments ranging from the guitar to the drums, to the violin. They also are all very talented at a style of dance called French Canadian step or something of the sort. It was really fascinating to watch their feet and legs moving and tapping in such amazing unison. Finally, I ended the weekend by again going out to eat with family and friends. We enjoyed a wonderful lunch of sushi. Although it was a fast paced weekend, it was such a blessing to spend it with such special people in my life.