Donate and Help a Blogger Out for Sigma Chi's Derby Days

This week my Kappa Alpha Theta chapter at Boston University is taking part in the Derby Days Challenge hosted by the Sigma Chi Fraternity in partnership with the Huntsman Cancer Foundation. At BU the Sigma Chi brothers have set a goal of raising $23,000. As a part of my participation in the Derby Days Challenge I have been raising money all week in support of the foundation. My sorority Kappa Alpha Theta is trying to raise the most money out of all of the sororities here at BU. Please help us to exceed our goal and become the Derby Days Challenge campions by making a tax-deductible charitable donation here. Simply click 'Make a Donation.' Any amount will make a difference. Thank you everyone, your support is greatly appreciated!

The Huntsman Cancer Institute was established by Jon M. Huntsman, an active Sigma Chi alum, who invested %300 million to establish the cancer institute. He has committed that your donations will be used to fund ground breaking cancer research. 

Mother's Day Cards from Cardstore

With Mother's Day fast approaching(May 12th ladies!), I am trying to think ahead this year when it comes to finding a card and gift for my mom. I always try to find something creative to do for her, or something unique to make, like making her a collage of pictures or washing her car when I was younger. I recently came across an amazing Mother's Day gift idea from Cardstore, (thanks HC!) where users can create custom cards by adding personal photos and messages. And best yet, they will even print your card and send it to your mom for you! I know great right?!?

I created my own custom Mother's Day photo card here. I chose from the different templates and added pictures and a message inside. Here's what it looks like:

What is even more amazing is that all of you fantastic readers have the opportunity to cash in on an exclusive offer and create Mother's Day Cards from Cardstore for a discounted price! All you have to do is go to Cardstore's website and create a Mother's Day card for $1.99 when you use the code: CSF3199 at checkout. This offer is valid through May 6th so go online now and use the code at checkout and create a memorable Mother's Day card for your mom! 

Also check out Cardstore's Pinterest board here, it's the perfect place to find a little inspiration for the upcoming holiday!  

Bauble Bar

Although I have never personally bought something from this website I am about to introduce you to, I can say that I completely adore just about everything it sells. Bauble Bar is one of the best, if not the best source for jewelry, not only online but including retail stores as well. Almost every piece of jewelry that I have come across on Bauble Bar's website is inexpensive, yet looks high end. The stones and finishes are amazing and are perfect compliments to any outfit you will be rocking this spring. Bauble Bar celebrated its two year anniversary this past winter and continues to find success in offering their customers fashion jewelry at discounted prices. I've added a few pictures of my favorite pieces from Bauble Bar below. Check out Bauble Bar's website (warning: your cart will be full before you can say Bauble Bar three times fast) and get shopping; I know I'll be making a purchase, one of many, before I know it!

Solo Piano

I came across this Solo Piano video, an op doc from the NY Times, about a month or so ago and I've been meaning to post it here for a while. With everything that has happened over the past week here in Boston this video shows how a simple instrument like a piano can bring people together and make people so happy and the video is a nice reminder of the good that can be found in our world. The video is made up of still photographs that tell the story of a lone piano as it stands curbside in New York City. The ending is a bit sad, but I continue to watch it over and over again and find that I focus on something new each time I watch it through. The people in the video that interact with the piano see it as something more than a piano it is a light in each person's day and almost a symbol of hope. The explanation of the making of the video can be read here. I hope you enjoy it and find the good and hope in the video despite the sad ending, its worth the five minutes!

Dark Rye

A few weeks ago I discovered a website called Dark Rye. While searching the web, I came across the site and learned that it was an online magazine for Whole Foods Market. They seek out farmers, architects, writers, painters, designers and other favorites and offer their stories to the world. Since April is Earth Month and this weekend I just volunteered for Global Day of Service, I thought it would be fun to share this site with you and allow you to explore it. They have both written and video stories, and some of the videos are really amazing. They are well shot and have great music and fantastic stories to tell. Some of my favorites include this bike video, this one about city farming, this wine video, and this video about a restaurant partnership. The use of multimedia storytelling in all of these videos and across the website is what earned Dark Rye a nomination for a 2013 James Beard Award for Group Food Blogs. 

Dark Rye was created in March 2012 by Vadan Less and Jacob Ellenberg as a way to use inspirational storytelling to convey the cultural ideologies of Whole Foods Market from sustainability to entrepreneurship. This interview with the two creators gives more information on what they think of Dark Rye.
So do some exploring on the web, and check out all that Dark Rya has to offer, you certainly will not regret it, trust me.

Sending our love...

Boston Marathon 2013

As we prepare in Boston for another exciting Boston Marathon, I sit here in anticipation of my first Marathon Monday experience in Boston. One of the most exciting events of the year for students at Boston University is the Boston Marathon every April because the marathon literally is in our backyards and for some even their front!

I cannot wait to watch all the runners and cheer them on and enjoy the day. I'll be watching from Beacon Street, somewhere just before mile 25 begins. It will be exciting to be toward the end of the race, knowing that the runners only have a short amount of time left before they cross the finish line. This Boston Marathon is even more exciting because I know two people that are running this year. One is my sister Anastasia from my sorority Kappa Alpha Theta and the other is a family friend Karen. So tomorrow will certainly be an eventful day; good luck to all the runners and let Marathon Monday begin!

Girl Rising

Last week I attended a premiere at my university for the film Girl Rising, a narrative infused documentary that tells the inspirational stories of nine girls and how they have battled living as females in developing countries. The girl's stories were written by celebrated writers from each country, and the stories are narrated by famous actresses including Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Kerry Washington, Cate Blanchett, among a few others. The film was directed by Richard E. Robbins. He places an large emphasis on the importance of education for young girls and how significant going to school is for girls especially those living in developing countries as it helps them stay out of violent and dangerous situations and drastically improves their futures.

I really appreciated all of the data and statistics that the film provided, I learned a lot about how an education can drastically improve a girl's life and just how ridiculous some education systems are in developing countries. The segments of the documentary with the girl's stories feature a combination of performers and the real-life girls. I was disappointed that these segments included actors. I anticipated the film being more documentary like, but instead it felt like many of the stories were staged. Overall though, I thought Girl Rising had a good message and getting to see it was a good way to celebrate the Women in the World Summit, part of the Women in the World Foundation that is dedicated to driving solutions that advance women and girls.

So fit some time into your lives over the next few weeks and attend a showing of Girl Rising, if anything hopefully the nine stories of the girls and their individual battles for education will shock you and make you all the more thankful for your own education...

A Tribute to Lilly Pulitzer

Lilly Pulitzer was the hostess with the mostess. As a Palm Beach socialite she threw countless parties all while looking pretty and effortless. Lilly Pulitzer Rousseau died on Sunday, April 7th in her home. She will forever be remembered for brightening up girl's lives each and every day through her clothing line. Her vibrantly patterned dresses, originally made to hide juice stains, are a constant reminder of her love for life.

My friend Sarah, wrote an amazing tribute to Lilly and her words almost moved me to tears; you can really see just how much influence Lilly has had on women's lives today and she certainly leaves this world a bit brighter and happier for all of her adoring fans.

We love you Lilly.

xoxo

Liebster Blog Award

What is the Liebster Blog Award? This was the exact question I myself had after being nominated by fellow BU blogger Allie of All Dressed Up, Everywhere To Go. The Liebster Blog Award is simply not a real award. There are no judges, or tangible trophies. The Liebster Blog Award is given to up and coming bloggers by other up and coming bloggers. The only rules are that blogger nominated for the award must answer 11 questions given to them by the nominator and then if the blogger wishes they can pass along the questions to another.

1. What is your favorite guilty pleasure?
Watching the Bachelor.
2. Who is your style icon?
Reese Witherspoon and Jessica Alba
3. Who is your favorite Twitter and/or Instagram follower and why?
Twitter- Boston Tweet and Instagram- Bloggers Sally and Molly Miller of A Piece of Toast
4.What do you miss most about being a kid?
Playing outside with friends, running through the sprinkler and playing house.
5. If you were a nail polish color, what would you be called?
Easy, Breezy, Beautiful
6. If you could only eat one meal forever, what would it be?
Brunch- Waffles, eggs, fruit salad, cinnamon buns, bananas, and orange juice
7. If you could only keep one book/magazine forever, which one would it be?
AP Style Book
8. If you could go out for coffee or a lunch date with anyone in the whole world, who would it be and what would you ask him or her?
My mom, or Anderson Cooper, and if he is going to become an anchor on the Today show.
9. Why did you start blogging?
I love to write and wanted a fun place to catalog my interests.
10. Who/what inspires your blog?
Reading other blogs inspires Bay State and Beyond and then things I read and see on TV.
11. What is the greatest piece of advice you've ever received and who told you?
"Keep on smiling." -My Grandfather

So there you go! Hope you enjoyed learning a little something about me. Now go ahead, pass it on... answer questions for your readers!

Be Here Now

As functioning human beings living in the twenty-first century we all have pieces of technology that we carry around with us every day. Whether it be a smartphone, a tablet, or a laptop computer, you rarely find someone without one of these things in their hand, pocket, or bag. Phones and laptops connect us all to each other, making it easier to stay in touch and know where everyone is at any second of the day. Although I would probably be lost without my phone/laptop, sometimes I just want to put it down, leave it at home, and just forget about sending text messages or emails or checking my notifications on Facebook. After reading an article in the New York Times last week titled, Your Phone vs. Your Heart, I started thinking more about the amount of time I use technology in a given day and how I want to try to limit that number. The article discusses the idea that social connections leave physical imprints on us.
The author, Barbara L. Fredrickson writes:
"How much time do you typically spend with others? And when you do, how connected and attuned to them do you feel? Your answers to these simple questions may well reveal your biological capacity to connect."
These lines in particular stood out to me. Whenever I am with my friends we say "be here now" if one of us is on our phone, and it really makes a difference when we are all present and 'here' connecting with each other and not on our phones. The article goes on to explain that there are beneficial health effects to becoming more attuned to others, and if you don't exercise your ability to make connections face to face, you will eventually come to lack the biological capacity to do so. The human body needs social contact so a simple smile or laugh can have a lasting impact on a person's ability to make a connection. After reading this article I have vowed to be more conscious of how often I'm on my phone and to be more socially aware of my surroundings. Hopefully you too will read this article and "be here now" too!