NPC Badge Day 2018 - Life as a Sorority Alumna....

     Something that was a huge part of my life between 2013-2016 was being a member of Alpha Delta Pi, my sorority. I went through sorority recruitment after transferring colleges in the fall semester of my sophomore year of college, and remained an active sister until my college graduation almost two years ago. Alpha Delta Pi is a member of the National Panhellenic Conference, which means that it's one of the 26 premiere sororities for collegiate women, and holds itself to NPC governing rules (and stances against anti-hazing, etc). My college had four of the NPC sororities on campus, but I knew from the very first night of my college recruitment experience that I wanted to be an Alpha Delta Pi. 😊


     Anyways- today, Monday March 5th, is national NPC Badge Day for all Greek women, both current active collegiate members and alumni! This includes all members past and present of all 26 sororities. NPC sorority women are encouraged to wear their sorority's pin and pin attire (business casual) today to celebrate being Greek! Back when I was in college, I did a fun link-up on my blog each year on NPC Badge Day, where I'd wear a pin attire appropriate outfit with my sorority pin and share what ADPi sisterhood meant to me. I wasn't able to do this last year, so I wanted to bring it back to the blog for 2018. For today's post I was planning to wear my ADPi pin with a pin attire appropriate outfit to go with it, and do something similar to what I used to do for NPC Badge Day blog posts back in college. Well- thanks to a big life update/change and crazy things happening for me (which you'll hear about TOMORROW!), I had to cancel and re-arrange some planned blog photoshoots over the past couple weeks, which means these photos weren't able to get done in time for today. I'm proudly wearing my ADPi pin to work today (I'll post a snap on my Instagram Story!), but I decided I'd focus today's post instead on my thoughts about being a sorority alumna almost two years after graduation.

One of my Alpha Delta Pi senior photos, April 2016

     The last almost two years have been surprisingly.... not very full of sorority alumna related moments. After my college graduation, I wanted a long break from anything that reminded me of undergrad, Greek life included. I was starting broadcasting school and a new chapter in my life, and I was in the process of dealing with a painful legal situation (which began right before I graduated college), so anything associated with my college experience reminded me of what was going on with that. I did attend an alumni event that my ADPi chapter hosted shortly before I moved to Vermont, but other then that I spent a lot of last year trying to focus on anything not related to my undergraduate experience, which is what I needed to do that the time for my mental health. 

     Now that the legal situation has been resolved and over for the last year and a half and my feelings are much more settled about things related to my college years, I very much want to start becoming an active Alpha Delta Pi alumna member. I was actually really sad that there was no active alumni organization here in Vermont, nor was the collegiate chapter in Burlington at UVM seeking new advisors last fall. So I guess my time here in Vermont wasn't the time for me to get re-involved with my sorority, but that's okay- I had an intense work schedule this year, and had a lot to adjust to with life in Vermont. If I saw myself being in Vermont more as a long-term thing, I might have tried to start an ADPi alumni organization here, but where I never saw myself being here longer than just for my first job, that didn't seem too feasible.

     In the future, I have many goals for getting back involved with Alpha Delta Pi. First and foremost, I want to do a better job with staying in touch with sister friends from my chapter. While I have done a good job at keeping up long-distance with some friends since moving to Vermont, I think I could definitely improve with keeping up with a lot of my ADPi sisters. Many of them were such important people in my life during my college years, and I don't want to forget those special bonds! Next, I'd love to serve as an ADPi chapter advisor (an alumni sister who volunteers her time to oversee a collegiate chapter)- it's on my bucket list for the next 10 years! I think this would be a great way to give back to an organization that gave me so much in college. Another goal of mine is to finally visit ADPi's Memorial Headquarters, located in Atlanta. I've only been to Atlanta once and I didn't have time to visit on that trip, so I definitely want to go back and see this special place! And lastly, a very longterm goal is that I'd love to attend ADPi's National Convention, which is held every two years. I never had the chance to attend as a collegiate member, but I'd still love to attend someday and be in the company of so many of my sisters! 

     One special ADPi memory that did happen in 2017 was that my first bridesmaid experience was for an ADPi! My sister Perrin was married last April, and it was so fun to have sisters all around to celebrate her.

ADPi sisters at Perrin's wedding

     And since today is NPC Badge Day- not just related to my specific sorority, I wanted to share something special that doesn't just relate to Alpha Delta Pi. Three of my very best friends from Maine are members of another Panhellenic sorority, Alpha Xi Delta. My high school best friend, Jules, went through sorority recruitment around the same time I did, and I was just thrilled when I found out she'd received a bid from AXiD! One year later, my childhood best friend, Katie, (who went to the same university as Jules), went through recruitment and ended up becoming an Alpha Xi Delta sister as well. Jules was one of the first to welcome Katie home, and despite being in North Carolina at the time... I cried my eyes out when I saw Bid Day photos of two of my very best friends (who didn't know each other prior!) becoming sisters. And finally- Jules and Katie being in AXiD lead me to my friend Mercedes! I met Mercedes through Katie, when I went as her date to their chapter's winter formal a few years ago. Mercedes and I hit it off right away and became social media friends, and this year we've gotten really close. She came to visit me in Vermont and we have many plans to see each other this year! I always joke that Alpha Xi Delta is my "second sorority" since three of my best friends are in it, and it just goes to show how important a day like NPC Badge Day is - all Panhellenic sororities are important, and it's wonderful to have friends in other organizations! 

     

Katie, myself and Jules during one of my trips home last summer!

Throwback to when Mercedes came to visit me in Vermont and got a tour of the radio studios!

     So all of that goes to show that even though I haven't been the most involved alumna during my first two years post-grad... Alpha Delta Pi and being a Greek woman still means so much to me, and I'm so thankful for the memories, and also for what is to come!! I thought I would conclude this post by linking some of my favorite sorority blog posts from years past on Southern Belle in Training:

• My Bid Day - 2013
• My First ADPi Recruitment - 2014
• DIY State Pride Sorority Craft Idea for your Little - 2014
• Guest Post on the Alpha Delta Pi blog about my internship with the Fraternity Communications Association Conference (representing ADPi) - 2015
• My Final ADPi Recruitment - 2015
• My Final Black Diamond Formal - 2016

     Were you in an NPC sorority in college (or are you now)? Are you wearing your pin today? Also: my blogger friend Nicole from What Nicole Wore, who is a Sigma Kappa alumna, is also writing a blog post today in honor of NPC Badge Day!! Be sure to check hers out and show it some love!

     P.S. Stay tuned for the BIG NEWS I've been teasing.... it's coming in tomorrow's post!

     God Bless,

     xoxo Annaliese 

   

   

Midweek Ramblings + Recent Purchases + Current Wishlist.

{Follow me on social media @miss_alk!}

Ramblings:

• Best inauguration memes: While I have no problem discussing faith on my blog, politics is something that I don't enjoy writing about (or even discussing that much to be quite honest). I think a person's political views is a very personal matter, and I'm happy to say that I have friends and family whose views fall on all ends of the political spectrum. The inauguration last week was a day for some Americans to celebrate and some to mourn. HOWEVER: something that we all should be able to rejoice over, no matter our political affiliations, is this round-up of the most hilarious inauguration day memes! I'm always down for a good meme, and you have to admit that all of the election/inauguration ones were pretty spectacular. 
• My photographer: Last May, I started working with the fabulous Deeana Kourtney Photography for my photo needs on Southern Belle in Training. Deeana has been an absolute joy to work with, and many of our photoshoots were some of my highlights of 2016. She has her own photography blog as apart of her website, and yesterday she wrote the sweetest post all about how she began wanting to photograph bloggers. Check it out, and you'll also get to see some images from the very first shoot we did together! 
• Once a sister, always a sister: This past weekend, I went back to my alma mater for the day and attended an alumni social event for my sorority! Despite being very involved in Greek life in college, ADPi is something that I've taken a bit of a break from since graduation college (for various reasons in my life). But I was indeed reminded this weekend that sisterhood isn't just a college commitment, but instead truly a lifetime bond! It was really nice to see some of my sisters and catch up, and also fun to be back on my college campus for a bit. Despite still living in Charlotte, I can count on one hand the number of times that I've been back to my university since graduation.

Recent Purchases:

• This retailer is having free shipping all week, so I couldn't resist the chance to pick up these pretty earrings! I've had my eye on these for months, my preference just goes back and forth between different colors. I eventually settled on black- partly because it will match so much of my winter wardrobe during the rest of this month and next, and partly because it coordinates well with a dress that I'm wearing to a rehearsal dinner this spring. Win-win! 

Current Wishlist: 

• I went to the mall this week to try on something that I saw online (this dress!) - but I'm glad that I did as it ended up not fitting as well on me in person as I thought. ANYWAYS- while in store, I fell in love with these heels. They're so simple but so chic, and really a closet staple! (The color I want isn't currently on sale but I think I'm going to buy them as soon as they are.)
• I think this pretty set would be so cute for attending a bridal shower, tea party, Galentine's celebration, or other upcoming spring events! And you can't beat the fact that it's currently on sale for under $40. 
• This chic blouse would go from work to weekend outfits so effortlessly. 
• I love warm weather so much that I always start browsing swimwear online as soon as the holidays are over. Even though I don't have any warm weather vacation plans coming up, I'm crushing on this bikini hardcore!

     I hope that y'all are having a great week! No special question for y'all this week... but thanks as always for reading. 

     xoxo Annaliese 

Winter Sorority Recruitment Outfit Ideas.

1. Pleated Skirt // 2. Elsa Top // 3. Button Up Top // 4. Pattern Skirt // 5. Houndstooth Dress // 6. Navy Dress // 7. Print Dress // 8. Red Dress // 9. Black Dress

     A sweet reader emailed me last week and shared that she is going through sorority recruitment when the new spring semester begins at her college in a couple weeks. My university held Formal Recruitment for our Panhellenic sororities in the fall every year, which I think is common of most colleges, however there are many schools that still choose to hold their recruitments in the second semester! Dressing for winter recruitment can be very different that fall recruitment, as both the weather and current trends can vary a lot over just a few months. I wanted to share today just a few outfit ideas that I think would be ideal for some of the different recruitment rounds in the winter season.


     For some of the earlier rounds, a really cute look would be to wear a button up shirt or printed blouse paired with a winter-appropriate skirt and tights! The black pleated one that I shared above might be a little bit too dark for fall recruitment, but it's perfect for a winter wardrobe (and very chic and on trend!). Y'all know that I'm all about my Lilly Pulitzer... two of the three looks that I actually wore for my own sorority recruitment were Lilly! While winter isn't the season for Lilly dresses, if you are a Lilly fan it could be a great time to wear an Elsa top with a skirt or dress pants.


     And below, I'm sharing some fun dress picks that I found! Some are more casual and some are more formal- as the sorority recruitment rounds go on towards Preference round, your attire will get more dressy.



     Did any of you attend universities that held Winter Formal Recruitment? I can't believe that it's already been over six months since I've been finished with being a collegiate member of Alpha Delta Pi! To my college readers: enjoy the memories- it sounds cliche, but it really does go by fast!

      xoxo Miss ALK

2016: Highlights From My Year.

     Welcome to the first installment of my yearly recap posts! These are always some of my favorite blog posts to write each year. It's wonderful to get to reflect on all that the past year has brought- both the highs and the lows, and to be able to take the memories with me into the coming year.

     Today's post will highlight the biggest memories from my personal life in 2016. A lot of these are little memories and details which I often don't have time to share in blog posts or on my blog's social media, so I look forward to sharing many of these with y'all today!


2016 Accomplishments: 

     Quite obviously the biggest accomplishment of my year was graduating college! I graduated from Queens University of Charlotte in May, with a major in Journalism and Digital Media, and two minors in French and Sociology. I haven't really shared this on my blog until now- but it was a huge blessing that I was able to graduate on graduation day. The situation that I wrote about in this past Monday's blog post happened less than two weeks before my graduation, and almost prevented me from being able to finish my final exams. Luckily, I was able to finish everything on time and thus receive my diploma on graduation day, something which I am extremely thankful for! It just goes to show that you really can't take anything for granted!

 

     My parents, Aunt and Grandma (from my mom's family), and my two uncles from my dad's family all came to Charlotte to celebrate with me! The above picture was taken at the ceremony the day before graduation.

     Caroline! The best college suitemate (and blog photographer :-) ) ever! She will graduate in 2017 and I'm already so very proud. 

      My class at Queens was the first class in the history of the university that was able to decorate graduation caps! 

     A few weeks after graduation, my sweet photographer Deeana took college senior photos for me. My current roommate Ciera and my big sister in ADPi, Jess, also joined in on the fun. You can see the whole post from our photoshoot here! 

     My other big accomplishment from 2016 would be beginning broadcasting school! I haven't quite shared as much about that on my blog yet as I would have liked- but I do hope to be sharing more regular updates in 2017. I began broadcasting school in July 2016, and I will graduate from the program in May 2017. It's a very intense 10 months!! 

     I absolutely adore broadcasting school- not only because of the opportunities and education that it's giving me for my future career, but also because of the incredible people that I've met through the school. Something else that's been a huge blessing is that I've been interning for the school since August! I am the social media coordinator, and run the Facebook pages and Instagram not only for my campus, but as of this past month now for the other locations of the schools as well. It is a great honor to have this internship, and I love being both a student and also getting to work for the school as well. Since I do the social media, I spend most of my time taking pictures of the other students, but here's a snap of me in the campus radio studio from last month! 

    And lastly- although I don't have a photo of this accomplishment, 2016 was the year that I officially became an NC resident! Truth: I cried a few happy tears after leaving the DMV and seeing that I had a license at long last that finally said North Carolina. Something that I wasn't expecting however is that officially moving out of state had a few more steps to it than I anticipated- I'm planning to write a blog post about this in the next few months!

2016 Travels: 

     This year was the first year in a few that didn't bring any international travels, but that was okay after all of the adventures (good and bad) that studying abroad in 2015 brought. Instead, I got to re-visit three of my all-time favorite US destinations this year, and cross one new city off my bucket list as well. I also made two trips home to Maine- a very brief one in June, and I'm currently still home now for a little Christmas vacation.  

     Caroline, my dad and I enjoyed Disney World and Orlando for my final Spring Break of college! (Orlando Travel Guide post)

     My first time to Charleston for was The Blog Societies Conference in August (Conference recap post).

I spent my 22nd birthday weekend in Las Vegas with my roommate Ciera and our friend Priyanka (blog post recap here)

The week after Vegas, I was in NYC for a family reunion, and it coincided with September NYFW! I was lucky enough to get to attend a fashion presentation with other bloggers while I was there. (Blog post recap) 

Other 2016 Memories: 

     In no particular order, here are a few fond memories from the year that I don't want to forget! 

My final semester of college brought many fun weekend nights out on the town! Since graduating, I don't go out too often anymore, but I try not to be a grandma 100% of the time. ;-) 

In January was the annual senior class formal at Queens! I took my friend Ciera (who was one of my best friends at my former college, and is now my current roommate in my apartment) as my date, and we went with Jess, my Big. These were the girls that I later did my college senior photos with in the spring! While this formal itself was kind of a drag, we have really fun memories from later in the night!

Two of my sorority sisters, Hannah and Mary, helped me out with a special blog post collaboration in March! You can check out the post here. 

The graduating seniors in my sorority did a special photoshoot in April.

Also in April- my last sorority formal! I re-wore my senior prom dress which is pretty much my favorite dress of all time. (Blog post about my last formal)

Possibly the worst photo of me ever - but a sweet memory from my graduation day, and the last day that I lived with my senior year suitemate, Caroline! Caroline was the best college roommate ever, and I miss living with her each and every day! 

Later on graduation day- moving out of my dorm room! I lived on campus all four years of college, so this was a bittersweet goodbye.

....hello to my first apartment! Ciera and I had our housewarming party in June, complete with a Snapchat filter! (Blog post recap here)

Other fun summer memories: attending the opening party for City Lights and Craft City Social with Amy from Pastel N Pink.

Sadly I only went on one hike in 2016, and I'm hoping to go on many more next year! But it was a wonderful day trip and time spent with my dear friend Becca (one of my first friends at my former college). We visited South Mountains State Park!

Something that I didn't share too much about on the blog this year- my mom actually lived in NC for most of the summer! My mom is an artist, and this summer she enrolled in an artists program in another part of the state. It was her first time ever living outside of Maine, and it was cool to have her get to discover the South! I visited her twice, and she also came to see me in Charlotte a couple of times. 

A huge highlight of the year was that my best friend from blogging, Cara from Caralina Style, moved to Charlotte in the middle of summer!! But even before the move she had made several trips down earlier in the year, so we already had lots of fun adventures together. This is a snap from the 4th of July.

The main reason that I was in Vegas for my birthday weekend was to fulfill a lifelong dream/bucket list goal: to see Britney Spears perform! The above picture is an accurate depiction of my excitement. 

Britney was AMAZING (full blog post here)

Another big highlight of 2016: starting to work with Deeana for photography on my blog! She is an absolute sweetheart, and I'm so happy to have a photographer who is also my friend. 

Lastly, a few other fun broadcasting school pictures! When I decided to do broadcasting school after college, it was solely a career decision. I had no idea if I would make good friends there, but that wasn't why I was doing it, as I'd already had the traditional college experience. Well- I've been completely blown as everyone in broadcasting school, from fellow students to staff, are all the most incredible people!! I feel like I've gained more new friends than I can even count. :-) 

Some of the staff/interns in Fall 2016.

Halloween with the other students/staff! 

      Stay tuned for part two of my 2016 on Friday- that post will recap my favorite outfit posts of the year, and blogging accomplishments and goals! I promise that post won't be quite as long as this one... ;-) 

     Thanks so much for reading! 

     xoxo Miss ALK

My T-Shirt Quilt: My Favorite Graduation Present.

Photography by Deeana Kourtney Photography

White jeans // Shoes // Lipstick // 

     One of my favorite sayings is "Good things are worth the wait." Such was definitely the case for my favorite graduation present, which just arrived to me a few weeks ago! It was such a special and priceless gift for me to receive that I had to dedicate a whole blog post to it. My high school best friend, Julia (who I usually call Jules here on the blog), has spent the better part of 2016 working on this beautiful t-shirt quilt for me! Isn't it incredible?!

     I like to think of myself as a crafty person, but Jules's DIY abilities pretty much blow mine out of the water. A couple of years ago, she took a quilting class over the summer and made her first beautiful quilt. She had been wanting to try a t-shirt quilt, and I had been dying to have one made with my college and sorority t-shirts, so the timing of this worked out perfectly! I had saved all of my favorite college t-shirts. The quilt begins in the top left corner with a cute Southern themed t-shirt that I bought on my college orientation trip for my former university in summer 2012. The last shirt is one that I bought at the Carolina Cup this spring when I went with Cara (attending this event was a bucket list item for me during college!). In between are shirts from countless memories of two college orientations, homecomings, Bid Days, Greek Week, sorority formals and college semi-formals, and everything in between. The whole last four years for me is represented in this beautiful quilt! (And amazingly- I still have PLENTY of t-shirts left to wear from college. #sororitygirlprobs)

      If you're thinking of doing a t-shirt quilt with your college or sorority shirts, or any t-shirts for that matter, DO IT!! If you don't have an incredibly crafty friend in your life, then fortunately there are lots of small companies online that will make t-shirt quilts for you. This is such an incredible way to preserve special memories, and to keep something alive for years to come. 

     Here's throwback picture of Jules and I - this is the night before I moved to NC for college! When we see each other at Christmas when I go back home to visit Maine, it will be the first time in 2016 that we've seen each other! Long distance best-friendships are the worst. 

      Happy Friday! Thanks so much for reading and have a great weekend! Soon I'll be posting more holiday gift guides.... what types of gift guides specifically would you like to see? Next week I am also planning to share a post about my favorite cookbooks so stay tuned for that! 

    xoxo Miss ALK

Midweek Ramblings + Recent Purchases.

{My outfit: Shirt // Jeans // Shoes // Follow me on Instagram + Snapchat @miss_alk!}

Ramblings:

• We're back! My apologies that my midweek update posts disappeared for the past few weeks! I genuinely to enjoy writing them for y'all. But my question to all of you: do you like reading them each week? Or is this something that you would prefer to read more on a monthly basis instead? Let me know in the comments!
• A "Delightful" afternoon: Last Friday, I was in Columbia, SC for the day. I had the chance to meet-up for a late lunch with blogger Rachel from Something Delightful (formally A Preppy State of Mind)! I have been following Rachel's blog since my freshman year of college. Back when I was a freshman and considering transferring schools, I especially loved Rachel's posts about her sorority- Alpha Delta Pi. Reading about her experiences definitely was a factor for me wanting to go Greek when I transferred colleges. (And then I ended up choosing Alpha Delta Pi during my sophomore year! :-) ) Anyways - I have stayed a loyal reader to Rachel's blog through the years. She has an absolutely incredible story. It was so great to finally meet her in person and get to share more of our stories over lunch! It is always so amazing to connect with blogging friends on a deeper level in person. And I also got to meet Rachel's precious little girl, Madeline! 
• State Fair Fun: After lunch with Rachel, I had my first Southern state fair experience! I went to the South Carolina State Fair with my sorority sister Perrin and her fiancee. It's been on my bucket list since my freshman year of college to attend either the NC or SC State Fair. It truly was a very Southern experience! I ate everything from fried cookie dough and Oreos. And another highlight was seeing livestock and animals of all shapes and sizes. I also thought it was really cool that this fair had different types of competitions like crafting and baking - I sure am jealous of whoever got to taste test the award-winning desserts!
• On my Netflix: I am probably about five years behind schedule on this- but my latest Netflix obsessed is The Office! I just finished watching Parks and Rec this summer, so it's been fun to start another similar comedy. My parents were big Office fans when I was in high school and I used to watch occasional episodes with them, but I'm really enjoying starting the show from the beginning. Tell me- am I really the last one to the party on this?!

Purchases: 

• How pretty is this necklace?! My parents and I did a little bit of shopping when they visited a couple of weeks ago, and this was one thing they bought me. I've been wearing it nonstop! And the best part is it's on sale right now. :-)
• I also recently purchased this sweater in tan (that specific color isn't online- but other pretty colors are!), and I've been wearing it all the time! It'll be styled in Friday's post. 

     xoxo Miss ALK

Sorority Recruitment Fashion Inspiration.

     As many of you know, I was in a Panhellenic sorority for three out of my four years in college! I transferred to Queens University of Charlotte at the beginning of my sophomore year, and went through Formal Recruitment (which is the biggest time of the year that sororities take new members for those of you unfamiliar with Greek life!) that fall. I became a sister of Alpha Delta Pi in September 2013 at the conclusion of recruitment, and overall I did enjoy my time in Greek Life throughout my college years at Queens. While I am happy to be currently finished with being a collegiate member in Greek Life (and happy to be done with college in general!), and I am instead focusing on other endeavors in my life, I am still so proud to be a sister of Alpha Delta Pi, and do hope to get involved with the organization as an alumni someday.


     Formal Recruitment can seem like a huge undertaking to college girls who are about to embark on the beginning of their Greek journeys. I am here to tell you first and foremost that it's not something to be scared of- it's actually a super fun and exciting process! Girls in every sorority on campus are literally over-the-moon excited to meet and get to know you- how flattering is that?! I am also here to tell you that recruitment gets a lot more stressful and nerve-wracking once you are on the other side and participate in it with your own sorority- there is way more behind the scenes stuff to learn! So enjoy your own recruitment year while you can. :-)


     I thought that it would be fun to share some of my outfit inspiration ideas for any college ladies who read my blog that might be going through or considering sorority recruitment! The best part about today's post is that it's actually a collaboration with Audrey from Audrey Madison Stowe- but more on that later in the post!

Top // Skirt // Shoes // Earrings 

Dress // Shoes // Earrings // Bracelet 

Dress // Shoes // Bracelet // Hairclip 

     At Queens, sorority recruitment always took place about a month into the school year, and over a weekend. At larger universities throughout the nation, recruitment will often take place over a whole week either before the school year starts, or during the first week of school. If that's the case for your school, then you might need more outfits to wear! I was just using my own experience as a guide. 

     The first night of sorority recruitment is usually the most informal, and you do the most walking and talking as you're visiting all of the houses! (Or in the case of my college, "lodges" instead of sorority houses.) I wore a pair of Lilly Pulitzer dress pants on my first night of recruitment, but a skirt option like the one in the collage is also a great choice, as is a more casual (yet still conservative dress). Dressing modestly is very important for sorority recruitment! This isn't the time to be looking sexy or trying to use your body to impress anyone. It's a time for outfits that show how elegant, poised, and confident you are- let your clothes help add to showing off your personality and wonderful attributes! :-) 

     My personal taste is to lean more towards traditionally preppy brands for recruitment attire. I featured a Lilly Pulitzer dress here for my second night outfit inspiration (I also wore a Lilly dress for my second night of recruitment!), but I think that any dresses by Lauren James, Vineyard Vines, Kate Spade, or anything similar from department store brands would be find. 

     When I went through Formal Recruitment, I found that the last night, Preference Round, was the hardest to dress for. It is a formal round, but your outfit should still be more conservative and not distracting or revealing. Many of the formal or semi-formal dresses that I had at school at the time were covered with embellishments, which would have been too much. I ended up wearing a simple green dress from Francesca's that fit me well, and dressing it up with wedges and coordinating gold and green jewelry. 

 Me shortly before my third and final round of sorority recruitment, back in 2013!

     I think the Preference Round outfit that I featured here would be a great choice to wear! A cute pair of heels, some simple jewelry or hair accessories, and a bold but simple cocktail dress and you'll be good to go! 

     I didn't feature any watches or purses in these collages, as the rules at my school for recruitment didn't encourage girls to bring either of these things to the recruitment rounds. I'm not sure if this varies school to school! 

   

     As I mentioned earlier, this sorority recruitment outfit post is a collaboration with one of my blogger friends! Audrey from Audrey Madison Stowe is a Zeta Tau Alpha and sophomore at Texas Tech University. Her school has a very different Greek life culture from mine- not only is about 75% of the school Greek (not sure what the percentage was at my college but I don't even think it was 25%!), but the university itself is huge! Audrey's chapter alone is bigger then all four of the Panhellenic sororities at Queens. There are definitely pros and cons to being in large or small chapters of a sorority, but it's interesting for me to have met some friends through the blogging world who have had such different Greek life experiences than I did!

   

     Go check out Audrey's guide to recruitment fashion today, and also follow her blog if you aren't! She's a total cutie, and is a fellow member of the Millennial Blogger Network.

     And if you're interested in seeing posts that I wrote while in college about my sorority experiences:

Posts about Recruitment/Bid Day:

*2013 - My own Formal Recruitment Experience

*2014 - My First ADPi Recruitment

*2015 - Recruitment as a Senior

Posts about Black Diamond Formal (ADPi's annual Spring Formal event):

*2014

*2015

*2016

Posts about my internship through Alpha Delta Pi at the 2015 Fraternity Communications Conference:

*Guest post about the internship on the Alpha Delta Pi official blog

*Visiting Churchill Downs

Misc. Greek Life Posts:

*DIY Tutorial: State Pride Sorority Craft 

*7 Truths About Greek Life



     I hope this post was helpful to you if you're thinking about going through recruitment this year or in a future year! If you're also a college grad, were you in a sorority in college? How was your recruitment experience?

     One last fun memory that I have from my recruitment week is that at the very same time, my best friend Jules from high school was participating in recruitment at her university in Maine! She ended up becoming a sister of Alpha Xi Delta that week.... and one year later, my other dear friend from home, Katie, joined Jules's chapter of AXiD! So now my two favorite friends from home are sorority sisters. :-) 

    xoxo Miss ALK

The Best is Yet to Come - My College Senior Photos.

     I'm so excited to be sharing my senior photos here on the blog today!! And it's about time I do, because it was a month ago this weekend that I graduated! A few weeks ago, I had a special photoshoot done to commemorate college graduation. Senior photos are a big tradition for graduating high school seniors, and I think that the trend is just starting to catch on for college graduations as well. Jess, my Big in Alpha Delta Pi, and Ciera, my bestie from my first college and my new roommate in my apartment, joined me as they are both recent graduates as well! My wonderful new blog photographer, Deeana of Deeana Kourtney Photography, did the pictures for us at on my college's beautiful campus. You all might recognize some of the spots that the pictures were taken at from my outfit shoots from the blog over the past few years. :-)

     Jess painted me these letters a few years ago as one of my initiation gifts when I joined ADPi!

     One of the main reasons that I've never regretted spending my freshman year at a different school is because it lead me to this girl! We have only become closer since I came to Queens, and now we are roommates in post-grad life!

     Lastly, a couple photos from my actual graduation day! I was very lucky to have my parents here in Charlotte for the festivities, as well as some extended family from Maine, Connecticut and New York! I was only a couple weeks recovered from the unexpected concussion that I was dealing with near the end of the school year by the time that graduate came around, and I will forever be thankful that I was feeling well on the day of the festivities, as it had been a very rough few weeks leading up to it.

     I wore a gorgeous Lilly Pulitzer dress for graduation... my specific dress is sold out now (although it might be brought back for this summer's After Party Sale!), but I am linking a very similar one below!


     If you would like to see a peak into my senior year dorm room, check out this post from earlier in the week!

     Now that all of my college and graduation recap posts are over, I'll be starting to plan out some fun new blog content about my apartment and things related to beginning post-grad life!


     xoxo Miss ALK