Convention Countdown: 3 Days - YOU'RE GOING TO DISNEYWORLD!

I woke up this morning to the funniest video where a little girl reacts to finding out she's going to Disneyland. I thought there must be some really great reaction shots, since this is one of the most exciting places on earth!

Here are my top 10 favorite disney reaction videos:

Just watch the reaction at :34 seconds. 

Reaction at :37 seconds.

Reaction at 1:07. 

Reaction at 1:50, but totally worth watching the beginning!

The whole darn thing is precious! 

Convention Countdown: 6 Days - The ULTIMATE Packing List for Convention 2014

Well, this is excessive. When I make a packing list, I like to list ABSOLUTELY everything I could possibly need, then work backwards crossing off things I realize I won't need. I hope this is a useful source of OCD for the rest of you. Feel free to click on them to print and check off as you pack. 

If I have missed anything crucial, please comment below and spread the love. Happy packing!

Convention Countdown: 9 days - Positive Body Image

I love when a new surge of body positive videos, posts, and photos come out. It's like Christmas morning for my self-esteem. 

I often struggle with body image issues. I'm human. I think those thoughts of "not skinny enough" and "not toned enough" come up daily now that I'm in a high stress time of my life: getting married. Pinterest (my love, I am not dogging Pinterest) draws in all kinds of stressors. Perfect pictures of perfect weddings for perfect people with perfect hair and perfect bodies and its enough to drive you crazy with envy. It makes you want the Pinterest-perfect wedding, which necessitates the Pinterest-perfect body. So I run 5 days a week. I eat KALE! I look in the mirror and sometimes don't feel any better. 

That's not a body-fat problem, thats a ME problem. But I am lucky to know the difference. Other women and young girls are not so lucky. 

Thats why it is so important for high-status women to tell the truth about loving yourself how you were made. I'm thankful for two new videos out there in YOUTUBE-land. Both make me extremely happy. 

As a sister of Delta Phi Epsilon, Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders is one of our three philanthropies, and the one I keep nearest my heart. Children I teach in camps as young as 5 develop eating disorders, and have feelings of inadequacies. Its an epidemic I hope we can squash without the use of medicine, and more so with the use of love and compassion and non-judgmental thoughts on our fellow women.  I'm proud to promote awareness of this organization, and spread joy and acceptance for the skin you are in. 

We are all beautiful. NO TREBLE. 

Convention Countdown: 10 Days - Sorority Letter Summer Tank

Let's create this colorful summer tank to show off your tan and your sorority pride!

1. Using your Heat n Bond fusible interfacing, cut a piece the size of your desired fabric, for both the patterned layer and solid layer fabric, and iron on. Make sure to match up the "wrong side" or rough side to the back of the fabric you are using. If not, the bonding agent will burn all over your iron. this step makes the letters more durable. 

2. After bonding the interfacing to the back of your fabric, cut a piece of the fusible web to match your two pieces of fabric, and iron to the back. Same as before, make sure the "wrong side" or rough side is matched up to the back of the fabric.

3. To create your letter stencil, use an ipad or your computer screen and trace the desired sized letters onto a thicker paper. The thicker the paper, the more likely you will have an even trace and your pencil won't wander. Using a knife or exacto knife, cut small slits along the lines you have traced to make a dotted line pattern. 

4. Trace the inner letter on the patterned fabric in a light pencil. 

5. Trace the outer letter on the solid fabric in a light pencil. 

6. Following the dotted line, cut out each letter as close to even as possible. This will not be perfect. If you want perfection, you should spend $40 on a tank online. This will be your own original design, so don't be hard on yourself if its not 100% even. There's beauty in errors.

7. Iron the top, patterned letters to the background, solid letters. Remove the paper from the back of the patterned letters ONLY, and iron to fuse them to the background. Do not remove the paper from the back of the background solid letters or you will fuse them to the ironing board or table. 

8. Remove the paper from the back of the background letters, and place them in the desired location on the shirt. Feel free to get creative with your placement. Maybe stack them down the side of the shirt, or on the back for fun! Iron until fused with the shirt. This part is very important so your letters stay even and don't shift while sewing.

9. Set your sewing machine to the zigzag stitch for the more traditional look.

10. Carefully, sew each letter to the shirt, minding each layer.  Don't forget to sew the inner letter AND the outer letter. 

11. Now that the shirt is sewn, snip any long threads without pulling them. 

12. Using your Fray Check, follow each seam and fabric edge and stitch with a dab of Fray Check. This will help with the longevity of the shirt. Let dry.

Great work! Now you have your very own shirt to arrive at Convention in style!

Convention Countdown: 11 days - Sorority Letter Summer Tank Supplies

Packing 2 weeks early is not always a good thing. I stop to realize I need more stitched letter shirts. So... I'm going to make them! 

For the car ride to Orlando, I want to be comfy but spirited at the same time. A stitched letter tank is just what I need. Don't you?

Here's what you'll need:

• Sewing Machine with a zig zag stitch function
• White thread
• Tank (I bought this one on sale at Target for $8)
• a patterned piece of fabric no bigger than 6"x12"
• a solid matching fabric no bigger than 6"x12"
• Scissors
• Heat n' Bond interfacing (I use "heavy")
• Heat n' Bond iron-on adhesive (although I use Pellon® 71F Peltex® I One-Sided Fusible in White)
• Fray Check
• Stencils for letters

Happy Crafting!

Convention Countdown: 12 Days- Throwback Thursday Miami Style

This time two years ago, I had just arrived a day early to Miami for Convention 2012. I can't wait to see what's in store for this next Convention! 

Convention Countdown: 13 Days - Wild on the Rocks at Zoo Atlanta Alumnae Sisterhood

Our very own Zoo Atlanta has some really spectacular events for adults called Wild on the Rocks. Each month is themed after a different animal/cocktail combo. My first experience with Wild on the Rocks was in May 2014 for Pandas and Pinots. Adorbs! This series is sponsored be Groupon, and included in your ticket is admission to the zoo after hours (no school groups!), one signature drink (or beer or wine, but be festive, eh?), and animal trainer talks galore. Most of the animals stay out in their open area all evening, so its PRIMETIME viewing.

This month, the theme was Sangria on the Savannah. One of my very own sorority sisters, Lauren Gates, is a part of the team that coordinates these events. To show some sisterly support, in addition to our own motives of drinking delicious drinks, we coordinated a night at the zoo.

Several sisters from my chapter, Alpha Epsilon, attended. Included in this group were members of the Alumnae Association, and non-members. We were hoping to use this event as a recruitment tool to gain members to the Georgia Alumnae Association, and it worked! We potentially have 3 new members since the zoo event. Many others were interested in attending, and have since then sought out more information about the group. I'm excited to see how we continue to grow and develop!

From Zoo Atlanta's Wild on the Rocks: Sangria on the Savannah. 

Notice some giraffes photobombing!