Top 3 Instagrams of the Month: October 2014

Hey, readers!

It’s officially one week into October – a.k.a. one of the best months! Before deciding which Halloween movie I am going to want to watch while on R.A. duty tonight, I have to share with you all my top Instagrams of September!

A majority of my September involved around sorority recruitment – which is why there is no surprise that my photo with the top likes came from day one of recruitment! This year was the first time my little diamond, Amber, went through recruitment as an Alpha Delta Pi and the last time my big diamond, Katherine, would get to go through recruitment. It was amazing getting to snap my fingers, chant my loudest, and recruit new sisters with them by my side in our day one attire of chapter letters and white jeans!

My second most popular post related to my Back to School post, courtesy of Seventeen Magazine and Office Depot. Through my contract with Seventeen, I was able to get some awesome school supplies from Office Depot. I stocked up on cute folders and my multi-purpose four color pen. To learn more about these supplies, check out the post or search the #GottaGetIt hashtag on your favorite social media site!

As I mentioned, this was Katherine’s last recruitment. As you can see in the caption, Katherine has been one of the greatest assets to my life. If I never went Greek or Alpha Delta Pi, I wouldn’t have been able to be blessed with Katherine was my big diamond. Over these past few years, Katherine has shown me how to exemplify the Alpha Delta Pi values each and everyday. More importantly, she has become my best friend, my forever friend, my future bridesmaid, and my rock. Going through recruitment made me reflect on my time in ADPi and I know it wouldn’t have been the same without her. So, on our last day of recruitment, I posted this photo of us before we started the final rounds!

To stay update on all things Sparkle and Shine, you can follow me on Instagram by going HERE.

OR if you want to check out previous Top Instagram posts, you can see what made the list in January, February, March, April, May, June, and July/August.

I wonder what Instagrammable opportunities October will have for me!

2Sep2014

Top Instagrams of the Month: July & August

by sparkleandshinesami

Happy September, everybody! Hope you all enjoyed your Labor Day yesterday. Mine was spent in the library doing homework and sucking down the largest iced coffee Dunkin Donuts has to offer.

Now that it’s the start of the month, it’s time to share with you all the top Instagrams of the month. August was just way too busy that the start of the month passed before I shared with you all about my top Instagrams. Lucky you, that just means that you get to hear all about July and August in the same post.

Double the months, double the fun right?

July:

My Instagram picture with the most likes was one from when my mom and I went on a mother daughter date to Joe’s Crab Shack for the first time. The restaurant serves your choice of crab legs in a large bucket with corn and potatoes. The food was just so delicious!

My Instagram with the second most likes from July is when my little diamond, Amber, came to visit me for the weekend in New Jersey! Amber came up for a fun filled weekend, which included my first ever trip to “Carlo’s Bakery”! The cupcake I ate was just way too delicious – but nothing was more exciting than having Amber came to NJ for the first time!

One of my favorite adventures from the summer was seeing Rogers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella on Broadway! This was the image that had my third most likes on Instagram. The show was absolutely amazing. For anyone going to NYC and looking for a Broadway show to see, this was my favorite that I have seen and I would recommend to everyone.

August:

With close to 100 likes, my Instagram with the most likes is one of me and all my residents! As our second group meeting, I decided to show the girls around campus the day before classes to make sure that they knew where to go. Then, to test their knowledge, we stood in the quad and as I would say the building, they would have to point. Becoming an RA has by far the greatest task I have ever taken on in my life.

After going through my ten day resident assistant training, we had a banquet to celebrate the end of training and the start of our residents moving in. There was a beautiful fountain in North Haven, Connecticut, where our banquet was, to take photos in front of! Nice scenery equals perfect Instagram photo. Out of all the photos taken, I uploaded a candid laughing photo of my friend Chris and I. The funny thing about my friendship with Chris is that we became friends because of our obsession with a local diner near our school.

This past weekend, we celebrated the 19th birthday of my little diamond, Amber! Saturday night we took on the town. Before we went out, we took this adorable photo, which is now my profile picture. Our weekend celebrations continued Sunday and ended yesterday. Yesterday was Amber’s actual birthday, where we finished off the celebrations.

Amber seems to be a common theme in my Instagram photos that recieve the most likes. Finishing off this long list is the photo Amber and I took while filming our sorority’s recruitment video. A few weeks prior to school starting, a few sisters met at Quinnipiac to film Alpha Delta Pi’s recruitment video. In the video, Amber and I talk about how we are so thankful for Alpha Delta Pi because it gave us each other. Another reason I am thankful for my sorority is because it gave me my big diamond sister, Katherine, who was unable to make it to the photo shoot.

Now that is is September, my Instagram will be filled with even more photos. You can follow my Instagram HERE and check out my top Instagram posts from January, February, March, April, May, and June!

1Jul2014

Top 3 Instagrams of the Month: June 2014

by sparkleandshinesami

Happy July, readers!

As I said yesterday in My Monday Musts, it seems as if this summer is flying by. However, I was able to capture some of my favorite memories and most important days on my Instagram account.

June not only had a lot of memories made, but was a month for me to revisit past memories. Check out this month’s Instagram pictures with the most likes.

June 4th is one of the biggest dates in my life – it is the anniversary of my father passing away. One of the ways that I grieve is by posting an image of my father and I and writing a little caption about him. This year marked four years since he passed away from brain cancer. I honestly had the greatest daddy a little girl could ask for. Though it is super hard without having him here, as I said in the caption, I am thankful that he is no longer suffering.

Another reason June holds a lot of memories is not just the anniversary of my father’s death, but there is Father’s Day. I found a quote that I absolutely loved and couldn’t help to share it with my followers as I posted a tribute to my father on the holiday. The quote stated, “A girl is lucky to find a Prince Charming, but she’s even luckier when her father is her king.” I may still be searching for that Prince Charming to come along, but my father is – and always will be – the most important man in my life. He loved me, protected me, and was my King. He always will be.

Though this summer seems to be revolving around my summer job and blogging, I still make sure to relax and spend time with my best friend, Julia! We love tanning, so we spent one of our full days off by her pool. We got iced coffee, put “Timeflies” Pandora station on full blast, and laughed the day away. Julia’s sister, Jenna, captured this candid photo of us laughing – which was just so perfect! Julia and I base our friendship around the classic Sex and the City soul mate quote. When it was referenced in Greek, I jotted it down for just the right Instagram picture – and this was it.

I can’t wait to see what July has in store for me! It’s my last full month home before heading back to college, so I can’t wait to make this month truly count. Don’t worry, I’ll be sharing these adventures not only on the blog, but on my Instagram. So, follow me to stay updated! Plus, check out my top Instagrams from January, February, March, April, and May!

1Jun2014

Top 3 Instagrams of the Month: May 2014

by sparkleandshinesami

Happy June, readers!

Those April showers brought more than just May flowers, it brought you my monthly edition of Top 3 Instagrams of the month!

May wasn’t as busy for me – once I finished tackling finals, I came home for the summer and immediately started working 40 hour work weeks. Though I haven’t been having much time as I would have wanted to spend blogging so far, don’t worry, readers! Now that I have a handle on how my schedule is going to be, I’ve already been filling my Lilly planner with post ideas and publishing dates.

Now, enough about the blog, check out my May Instagrams with the top likes!

On May 15, 1851 Alpha Delta Pi became the first sorority on the scene! I celebrated my love for the first and finest sorority by posting a picture of my chapter by posting a picture of my beautiful Theta Theta sisters and I on May 15! The photo was taken outside on our lovely quad during our Diamond Dash philanthropy event. The greatest decision I have made while being in college has been joining a sorority. I couldn’t be more thankful for our founders who created ADPi 163 years ado and I couldn’t be more blessed to live out the ritual those women created as an Alpha Delta Pi sister.

The most exciting event that occurred during May was my trip to the New York City Makeup Show with my little diamond, Amber, courtesty of press for Seventeen Magazine! In the post, which you can read HERE, Amber and I traveled to New York City to learn about makeup from some of the best in the business! Going to the makeup show, and getting to experience it with my little diamond, is just one of the many perks having a contract with Seventeen Magazine has given me!

The Instagram with the third most likes for May was a collage of some of the highlights from my second semester of sophomore year at Quinnipiac. Second semester of sophomore year held many great achievements – I was appointed the Director of Social Enrichment for my sorority, became my school’s weather girl for our news station, gained a contract with Seventeen Magazine, officially became an adult by turning 20, completed my second ever Relay for Life in honor of my father, made Dean’s List for the fourth time in a row, and just so much more. The laughs, the memories, and the friendships made during this semester will live long in my heart. It was quite a semester for the books!!

I can’t wait to see what the month of June will have for me – and what Instagram pictures I will be flooding your feed with. You can check out my top Instagrams from January, February, March, and April or follow me on Instagram to stay up to date on my life.

Enjoy June!

1May2014

Top 3 Instagrams of the Month: April 2014

by sparkleandshinesami

Happy May, readers!

Not only did those April showers bring May flowers, but it brought you April’s edition of my top Instagrams for the month of April!

It’s been a very busy month for me, so I’ve had plenty of Instagrams to share with you all. A majority of my Instagrams had a lot of likes – but is these below that had the most!

On April 11, I participated in my school’s Relay for Life in honor of my father who passed away when I was 16 years old. This was my second time participating in Relay for Life in honor of my father and each time I become stronger and it gets a little bit easier. The night is always made easier when I have my amazing sisters and best friends by my side. This year, I put my favorite picture of my father and I on my bag. It is thanks to him watching over me, that I have the strength to participate in Relay!

This Instagram let’s you see a little bit more of my funny and silly side. Last weekend, I thought it would be funny to put on my friend’s boat captain hat and my sunglasses that said SWAG and pretend to be funny. It seems that my Instagram followers thought that it was funny because I got over 80 likes on it!

and it turns out there are THREE pictures tied for my third most liked picture – each with 77 likes! So, here those three pictures are!

One of the perks of going to Quinnipiac University is having Sleeping Giant state park right across the street and having the beautiful mountain to hike. A bunch of my sisters and I hiked the mountain last week – it was great exercise and even better sisterhood bonding! Once at the top, Courtney and I decided to throw what we know and diamond at the top!

The second picture with 77 likes is from Alpha Delta Pi’s Diamond Dash event. These are my best friends, my sisters, and my people. One of the greatest parts of being in a sorority is finding people who will left you higher each and everyday. I would be nothing with out these girls, Alpha Delta Pi, or the amazing feeling of helping our incredible philanthropy, the Ronald McDonald House.Lastly, for the yearbook this year, our staff photos will be us featured in these frames we decorated! I decided to Whitagram mine to have everything else black and white except for the hot pink frame. It’s just a little reminder that in this black and white world, just add a little splash of color to it!

Remember too check out my top Instagrams from January, February, or March and stay up to date on my life via Instagram just follow me HERE.

2Mar2014

Top 3 Instagrams of the Month: February 2014

by sparkleandshinesami

Hello, readers!

It’s officially March a.k.a. my birthday month! WOOHOO!

Last month, you may remember how I introduced the post saying I will be starting the monthly tradition of sharing my Instagram posts with the most likes. Well, if you don’t, you can check out January’s top Instagram posts here and keep reading to find out what February’s most liked photos were!

So my first Instagram with the most likes was in honor of my guardian angel, my father, on World Cancer Day. February 4 was World Cancer Day, as well as the 3 years and 8 months since my father passed away. I couldn’t help but to dedicate a post to my hero on this day explaining not only the importance of having him in my life, but the importance of finding a cure.

My second post with the most Instagram likes was during my Alpha Delta Pi District Leadership Conference. Alea, is currently our chapter’s president. Prior to becoming our sister prez, she was the Director of Social Enrichment, which is what I currently am. I am so honored to follow in Alea’s shoes as the Director of Social Enrichment for the Theta Theta chapter and plan on living up to those big shoes to fill in the next year, since she did such an incredible job.

My third Instagram post with the most likes was when I pinned my little diamond, Amber, with her own pin for the first time. It is Alpha Delta Pi tradition that little diamond’s wear their big diamond’s pin until they get their own. Two chapters ago, Amber finally got her own pin. I was honored to pin her with her own pin!

Don’t want to wait for the beginning of each month to see the Instagram pictures with the most likes, then follow me on Instagram!

Enjoy your Sunday readers!

12Aug2013

My Monday Musts

by sparkleandshinesami

Happy Monday, everybody!

Last week, I posted my first ever set of Monday Musts and it turned out to be a huuuge success. Yay!

Now this week, my last full week before heading back to college for my sophomore year, I have a new set of obsessions to share with you all.

And they are…..

1. “Spring Breakers” Movie

So I have been impatiently waiting to watch this movie, and I finally did! Over the weekend, my best friend and I decide to stay in and stuff our face with appetizer foods and Red Lobster biscuits, bake a cake, and watch the movie in our sweats. Now, honestly, it wasn’t what I was expecting – I mean, who would be expecting an ex- Disney Channel star and a Pretty Little Liar to be walking around shooting people with giant guns?! I’m still questioning what exactly the plot was, the accuracy of the story, and how James Franco still managed to look so attractive while looking so disgusting. However, I still managed to be obsessed with the movie and want to rewatch it over and over again. Spring break forever!

2. DSW

As I said, I move back to school next week! That means last minute shopping for clothes, dorm accessories, and of course, shoes! I really wanted a pair of black wedges to try and wear with everything for when I was going out, but since I am on a budget that meant that I couldn’t get too crazy (because I will drop a ton of money easily on a cute pair of shoes. Oops!) and be smart. That’s why I decided to go to DSW – where I could get super cute shoes for super cheap. Plus, the Shopping Gods led me right to the sale rack where I fell in love with a pair that was an extra 40% off! I managed to save over $55 on these Guess wedges – paying only $25 instead of $80. I know where I will always be going for shoes now!

3. Looking for Alaska by John Green

When I first read John Green’s novel The Fault in Our Stars when it first came out a little over a year ago, I quickly fell in love with the book, the characters, Green’s writing style, just everything about it. I kept telling myself that I had to read another John Green novel ASAP, but whenever it came time for me to download a new book on my nook – I always ended up picking a newly released novel and not just browsing for a John Green novel. This past week I finally reminded myself to download one of his books and I fell in love with this book and these characters just like I did The Fault in Our Stars. The novel follows around a wallflower, Miles, who transfers to a boarding school, Culver Creek, in order to find his “The Great Perhaps.” Culver Creek holds so much more for Miles than he could ever expect. Through every twist and turn in growing up and falling in love, Green keeps the reader so drawn in that the reader can’t help but to fall in love with the novel. It’s a must read for everybody.

This past week has been one to remember with a bunch of last minute memories to make in the summer of 2013 and was able to bring along this week’s set of Monday Musts! I wonder what the next week will have in store for me!

Have a great week, everybody! XOXO