As a Jersey girl, Memorial Day Weekend is as much of a holiday as Christmas or Thanksgiving. We set our apps to countdown to MDW, buy bathing suits months in advance, and load up on the hot dogs and hamburgers for the BBQs.
And tomorrow, it’s finally here! Sorority queen Lilly Pulitzer is also getting in on the summer fun. From May 27th to May 30th, gifts are included with every purchase!
Spend $200 and receive a fringe bracelet set, $500 for an oversized beach towel set, $800 for a beach umbrella, $1,200 for a beach chair set, and $3,000 for a hammock. Not looking to spend too much money because you haven’t gotten your first summer paycheck yet? No worries, because with any purchase, you receive a beach ball. With each monetary amount spent, you get not only the gift within the current limit you reached- but the one before. So say you spent $600, you’ll receive the beach towel set, the bracelet set, and the free beach ball. How awesome!!
Now this isn’t my first Lily sale, so I’ve learned some tricks. My biggest secret – load your tote up the night before. That way, as soon as you wake up tomorrow, you can check out! You won’t need to waste time searching for what you want to buy or going back through the website to search for it if it already in your online tote.
To help you decide what you want to add to your tote, here are my top five picks from Lily’s newest arrivals.
Well, I graduated Magna Cum Laude from Quinnipiac University on Sunday (despite being scared out of my mind to do so).
And what has post grad life given me so far? A lot primetime The Price is Rightspecials, naps, and trying to get a hold of this adult thing.
To save some breathe for when everyone asks “what are you ACTUALLY doing post grad?” I decided to just share it with the whole wide world on Sparkle and Shine.
Starting on Monday, I began my online Master’s courses for Interactive Digital Design from Quinnipiac. I’m excited to dive more into learning coding, Adobe programs, and different multimedia techniques. It’s definitely going to be harder than any of my other classes from my Undergrad years at QU, but I’m very excited to get started. Plus, I’m lucky to have my mom, grandparents, aunts, and best friends as an amazing support system for whenever the going gets tough.
I’ve been in love for the past three years – with Sparkle and Shine. I’ve loved coming up with what I want to write about, putting the piece together by creating graphics and typing the story, sharing it on social media, and watching everything come together. I’m hoping that with my Master’s in IDD and my undergrad degree, I will be able to further my professional career and Sparkle and Shine.
More importantly, since I will be living at home, I will not have as many responsibilities on my plate. As you readers know, I was constantly boggled down with Res Life, my sorority, my school television station, a full-time course load, and so much more. Now, I will have so much more spare time to focus on the Sparkle and Shine blog and video blog. I’m hoping that with my spare time and my new Master’s courses, I will be able to continue Sparkle and Shine and all of its contents.
In the meantime, here’s to sparkling through the next few months as I begin this post-grad journey!!
So this past weekend was action-packed with Greek life events, between my “Easy as ABC” Grab-a-Date(where I went as my favorite show – Duck Dynasty), best friend’s Delta Tau Delta formal, and going through Pi ceremony to become an alumni sister of Alpha Delta Pi. I don’t think I have ever needed a foot massage, my bed, and a Parks and Recbinge session more than I did right now!
If you avidly Sparkle and Shine, you’ll know that I always share posts about the formals, semi formals, and fancy date parties I attend. So without further ado, here are pictures from the Iota Mu chapter of Delta Tau Delta’s 2016 Bethany Ball!
And of course, a saved Snapchat for good measure. I’m obsessed with the first filter that makes your skin look so smooth, so I had to save (and share) this selfie.-
I ended up having only a 10 second story that night cause I was just too busy dancing the night away! As for my little’s Snapchat story, well, those were too embarrassing to share. (I’m totally regretting not taking a Snapchat selfie with the cute puppy filter!!)
Besides good friends, good music, and having a good time, I had an amazing time because I was in love with my dress. I felt like a Kardashian with the sleek, classic Little Black Dress that featured strong silver and gold embellishments.
I got it from my favorite store – Dressbarn! Many people I know expect this store to be full of soccer mom-like dresses or work clothes, but I have found everything from formal dresses to going out clothes at the store. Knowing I wanted a LBD for the Bethany Ball made it easier to search for during New Year’s Eve dress season, when the stores were overflowing with black dresses. After finding the dress I was in love with, then waiting for an after-NYE sale, I was able to get it for so cheap. BOOM! I then paired it with strappy black lace-up heels.
Stay tuned to see how to prep and decorate a fraternity cooler, as well as how I get my teeth as white and can be for all these big events without ever happening to leave my dorm room. Plus, make sure you don’t miss out on anything Sparkle and Shine by following along on both Instagram and Twitter!
If you don’tsubscribeto my YouTube channel (which you totally should do like, right now), you may not know that I recently released my newest YouTube video blog.
Check it out:
My guy friends always complain that I am always late whenever we go somewhere.
The reason? I am doing my makeup!
Give me ten minutes or two hours and either way I’ll be 15 minutes late cause I am doing my makeup. They never understand why it takes so long or what goes into a makeup routine (like helllllo…that ‘no makeup look’ took about 20 minutes), so I decided it was time for them to see what it takes. And then share it with the Internet…
Watch the hilarious new video of Brandon doing my makeup, then comment on the video and let me know what you think!
I am so ecstatic to say that I am officially home in good ‘ole Jersey for winter break! As much as I love QU, my sisters, and my friends – there is nothing better than spending the holiday season with family. We are now in single digits til Christmas – and I still have so much to do!
Another reason I am ecstatic is that final’s week is over! Living in the library, making note cards til my hand was ready to fall off, and constantly listening to “classic music for studying” Pandora is officially over. Now, it’s just the constant wait for teacher’s to put their grades up. But in the meantime, I will relax with some “Duck Dynasty,” online shopping, and of course, this week’s Monday Musts!
1. The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show
So let’s be real here, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion show is like the women’s version of the Super Bowl. This year, I refrained myself from scarfing down a pint of Ben & Jerry’s as I watched with some of my closest friends and sisters. What the excitement is, to put it plainly into words, I really don’t know. This year’s show’s excitement went past the elaborate costumes. Highlights include Adam Levine’s reaction to fiance Behati Prinsloo on the runway and Taylor Swift being on stage with VS Angel BFF Lily Adridge. More importantly, I think all girls need to remember is to not let the Victoria Secret Fashion show ruin their expectations of themselves. If you don’t like going to the gym, don’t pledge to go everyday for the next week after watching the Fashion show, if you want to eat pizza – eat it. Everyone is built differently, girls, so enjoy the Fashion Show and don’t let it effect your self esteem.
And to follow up with my last sentence, here is tweet that made me LOL for days after the show:
2. WestJet Christmas Surprise
In the word’s of Home Alone – “it is Christmas, the season of perpetual hope!” (Yes, I did know that off the top of my head – words really can’t describe my Christmas obsession). I recently came across this WestJet ad on my Facebook newsfeed and I don’t think it could describe that Home Alone quote better. I don’t want to ruin what happens, but this is a selfless reminder during the Christmas season that it’s more than just about what YOU receive. I recommend everyone watch the video – it may even bring some tears of happiness to your eyes! It did for me!
3. The “Duck Dynasty” Christmas Episode
So at this point, everyone knows I loooove “Duck Dynasty.” My heaven on Earth occurred on Wednesday night when my love of “Duck Dynasty” and Christmas combined for a 1 hour Christmas episode! The episode delve more into the Robertson family’s traditions and life. If you check out my Twitter feed since A&E announced the episode, all I did was discuss my excitement for this episode. I even had it scheduled as a reminder in my phone and written in my planner. I made my closest guy friends watch it with me, since it had become a tradition to watch the show in their room. Two my other best friends joined us, too. Since the episode premiered, I have watched it at least three times….and I’m not even sorry about it.
And to celebrate the Christmas episode, my best friend, Connor, and I dressed up in our Duck Dynasty attire!
After this, there is only one more Monday Must until Christmas! Whether you’ve been naughty or nice, “Sparkle and Shine” will continue to bring you a bunch of exciting posts this week.
Sparkle and Shine 