Glitter Me Gold

Last night while I was working on my homework, my computer decided to shut down on me and I took that as a sign that I was done with homework for the night. Instead, I broke out my craft boxes and got to work on a bit of crafting for my future little! I have so much stuff for my little, not even including what has yet to be crafted! One of the projects that I did last night was to glitter a mason jar.  It is amazing how glittering one or two things can result in my room being absolutely covered in glitter...I mean, I will be wearing if for a week.  There are a few ways to glitter things that I have tried and this was the first time I had done it this way.

Glitter Techniques:

• glitter paint: this works best with glassware (i.e. wine glasses) and you dab it on using sponge brushes
• modgepodge glitter mix: mix about 2 parts glitter and 1 part modgepodge together and just paint on. the modgepodge dries clear so all you can see is the glitter, this is the technique I used on my iPhone case and picture frames.
• glitter on modgepodge: coat the surface in modgepodge and then pour glitter over it...this one needs a top coat because it is more likely to shed.

mason jar project: http://instagr.am/p/VJrYUJSAXv/

For this mason jar I used the third technique, except I glittered the inside because I want to be able to easily paint my little's monogram on one of the sides. I covered the inside of the jar in modgepodge, dumped glitter inside, covered it, shook it up, and then dumped out the extra. I am either going to put some fake flowers in it or use it as a pencil holder.

My basic, durable $20 Target case is now chic!

Also, if anyone has any suggestions for other crafts I can do for my little, I'd love to hear them! You can comment or email me at sugarsnappearls@gmail.com.

xoxo,
SSP

Knot-ically Nautical

Yes, I caved and went with a more summer-y dress, but it's not my fault that today is another warm day! Of course, it is supposed to rain this afternoon (I have an umbrella just in case...it takes up less room than my rain jacket) but I am totally enjoying this weather while I can. I'm loving it so much that I even put on a dark pink nail polish last night, which I almost never do in the winter (I like to get full use of my red pallet). I have to repaint my nails today though, because shortly after I put on Essie Plumberry, I decided that I would craft a bit for my little. Two hours and a room covered in glitter later, I successfully covered my polish in so many other colors of paint and glitter that I decided my nails looked better bare.
Are any of y'all crafting for your littles? Anyone have ideas for me to do? I don't think I could ever spoil her enough...even though I don't even know who she is yet haha.

Dress: Lilly Pulitzer // Earrings: J. Crew (they're on sale right now!) // Belt: from Momma // Bracelets: knot- Kiel James Patrick (from The Lucky Knot); watch- Target // Shoes: Steve Madden

http://instagr.am/p/VHEVyByAe7/

xoxo,

SSP

P.S. thank you all for reading my blog, yesterday I noticed that it already had 1225+ views and I could not be more shocked and excited. Never in a million years would I have guessed that it would take less than a month to have readers like y'all and I am so grateful for your support!

Eskimo Kisses

So, right as I was putting the finishing touches on the rainy day post, it started to snow! I am hoping that writing this post while it is snowing will cause the weather pattern to take a turn for the warmer (fingers crossed!). It has been so cold here the last few days, like, "I have not left my house without my long Eddie Bauer down jacket" type of cold.
Cold in college is different than cold at home. For starters, some people venture to places that are way colder than where they used to live (I do NOT miss the weather from my old college), but most people just spend more time outdoors. There is a huge difference between leaving your heated car and making a mad dash for the school each morning and standing at a bus stop then walking to class. In college, you feel the cold more just because, it's inescapable.
Now all you little freshman, I am going to teach you how to avoid being easy to spot when this weather hits. BE PREPARED...every year there is a handful of freshman who end up basically being a walking billboard for the bookstore because they were not prepared for the weather and that is the only place that they could venture to without getting hypothermia.
First, jacket-wise, I go back and forth between a LL Bean Barn Coat, pea coat, my Eddie Bauer down jacket, and (for those warmer days) a down vest. There are tons of options out there though, Barbours, Carharts, etc., it's totally up to you and your preference/budget. Personally, i would kill for a Barbour, but I totally cannot afford it right now and my Barn Coat is pretty similar to it.

Barbour

Eddie Bauer

Banana Republic

Secondly, wear good shoes. Buy bean boots and wellies. I don't care how "unique" you want to be, there is a reason that everyone is wearing them...they're the best. My friend actually just got a pair of boots that are really similar to bean boots for $25, so there is no excuse not to have them.  And if you don't want to have to buy bean boots and rain boots, get Hunter Wellies.  They are perfect for all weather and, if you throw on some Welly Socks, they're super toasty on a cold day.

LL Bean

Wellies and Welly Socks

Lastly, gloves and hats and scarves galore. They are your friend. There are even gloves with special tips so that you technology addicts can play on your iPhone without getting cold. Personally, I don't like hats too much (although my friend just knitted me THE CUTEST hat for christmas, so I wear that one) but I really like ear warmer bands. I have a couple from Target and I wear them all the time, plus that way if it falls out of my bag one day, it isn't the end of the world that I lost it. As for scarves, keeping your neck warm is SO important to surviving the cold, plus they can be super cute and (in my case) add a pop of color to the puffy black coat you're wearing.

Etsy

Kate Spade

Piperlime

Oh I almost forgot, learn to drink hot drinks. I don't care if it's coffee with 50 packs of sweetener, cider, tea, or whatever. If you have something warm to hold it makes the walk better, plus they taste so much better when they warm you up.
Thats all for now, although that last comment makes me want to do a post about my love of hot drinks and my Keurig...

xoxo,
SSP

Rainy Day Blues

Okay, I have been planning this post for 5 days. I decided to do it in the middle of our rainy first week of class when I was slightly concerned I was going to have to start constructing an ark, but life got in the way and I didn't have time to finish it. Now that we have finished recruitment and have 43 beautiful little baby hooties, I am back to having a bit of free time.
Well, in the middle of the stormy week, my umbrella decided that it was going to break. This led me to look for new umbrellas (still don't have one because I forgot I have no money haha).
I feel like as much as I love cute, preppy umbrellas and how they pop against the grey sky, they just aren't that practical on a college campus. At my old school, it rained in circles so an umbrella would not protect you from anything, and at my new school the sidewalks are so dang crowded all the time that they get caught on each other and you end up late to class. I still carry an umbrella when it is absolutely pouring, in an attempt to keep my bag sheltered from the rain, but I don't like having to rely on it to keep me dry. 

Lilly Pulitzer

Target

Most of the time I just wear a rain jacket with a hood. Of course, the one I wear right now is from my 8th grade field trip to Yellowstone and I had to get a women's XL because it was the only one left in the store at the time, so I have been shopping around for a new one. I am obsessed with monogramming things (hey, I want people to know it's mine, not theirs) and therefore I love Marley Lilly (basically the mecca of monograms). They have a monogrammed Eddie Bauer rain coat that I am asking my dad for. Even if you don't like monograms there are tons of cute coats out there!

Modcloth

Marley Lilly

Also, rain boots are a must on a college campus. As beautiful as the the grounds of my school are, and they really are beautiful, there is simply too much concrete for the water to be absorbed and run off properly. Therefore, instead of trying to shimmy around and hop over the infinite number of puddles, you are better off just wearing your boots and trudging along. Quite frankly, I love trudging through the puddles and occasionally my inner five year-old comes out and I splash in them (when no one is around, obviously). I have two pairs of rain boots but I only bring one to school and those are my tried and true Hunter Wellies. I love these boots more than I thought it was possible to love rain boots. I have the shiny black ones and I have 4-5 pairs of Wellie socks that I wear with them to change it up. They are great as snow boots, rain boots, or for just when it's really cold and you want to wear fleece socks that come up to your knees. I see girls in them all around grounds and I love the bright boots too (coveting the Tiffany Blue or Bubblegum Pink ones right now).

Hunter Wellies

Target

Everything that I listed in this post comes in bright happy varieties that can make a rainy day less dull, and quite frankly a cute pair of Wellies and raincoat nix the leggings, sweatshirt, and messy ponytail that we all like to wear when the weather makes getting out of bed an impossible task. So, next time it rains, throw a little sunshine in your outfit, make your day better and splash in a puddle.

xoxo,
SSP

Black Friday

So today is a sad day, I am officially broke. Like, actually flat broke. It's okay because Ramen Noodles are yummy, right? Well, let's just go with that logic for now. Anyways, as I said yesterday, I had to wear all black again today for recruitment and yet again, I don't have time to change between classes and meetings and having to be at the house in an hour and a half. Also, again, I am using a scarf (yeah, not actually Burberry...I wish!) to add some life to my Johnny Cash look. I love scarves, you will probably start to notice that trend as my outfits go on, they're just so easy to throw on and make an outfit look more put together in seconds (this is prime for girls like me who are especially lazy in the morning).
I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend and if you are starting/continuing rush this weekend, good luck, be yourself, and don't stress too much!!!

Top: Ann Taylor Loft // Jeans: H&M // Flats: TJ Maxx // Necklace: Ann Taylor Loft // 
Scarf: ?!?!

http://instagram.com/p/UortCiSAfJ/

xoxo,
SSP

syllabus day

today is the first day of classes of this semester for me! I have decided that I am going to start a tradition of wearing Lilly Pulitzer on the first day of classes (I wore a skirt and top on the first day of last semester) for a couple of reasons. First, I love Lilly and second, it gives me an excuse to get new Lilly something a couple times a year (Momma, I know you are reading this...sorry, hehe). Anyways, it is drizzly and grey today. You know, the type of weather that makes getting out of bed an impossible task, so I am really glad I planned my outfit last night. But as much as I love my outfit, I ran into my friend, Katie, on my way to spend my entire savings on textbooks, and her rainy day outfit trumped mine. I should have taken a picture of it because she has totally inspired me to rock my bean boots with tights and a dress next time it rains. Also, if her necklace suddenly goes missing...I probably have it.

Dress: Lilly Pulitzer (similar) // Tights: TJ Maxx // Boots: Etienne Aigner // Necklace: Charming Charlie // Belt: Francesca's // Other Stuff: Starbucks reusable cup (costs $1 and you save $0.10 every time you use it...GO GREEN), Lilly planner, and a note pad because I don't like notebooks for some reason

http://instagram.com/p/Ud3A0pyAXq/

xoxo,
SSP

Designer on a Dime

I have an eye for designer things. Even when I am shopping at TJ Maxx or Marshall's, I always manage to pick up the bag or dress that is "marked down" for a steal of $150. I have always been this way, I am my momma's daughter.
Unfortunately, being a college girl trying to pay her way through school leaves little room for the fashionista in me to buy an endless supply of Reva flats, Lilly dresses, Yurman bracelets and Michale Kors watches. One day I hope that I will make enough money to do that, but for now, I am a bargain shopper.
I don't care if my shoes come from Nordstroms or Target because I like to shop to much. Sure, I could spend my money buying $100 shoes at the mall, but I'd rather buy 4 pairs of shoes from DSW or Target for the same price. At the end of the day, what really matters is that I like what I have got, not where it comes from.
Of course, there are other ways to go about getting designer clothing without breaking the bank. For example, today I got two packages from Lilly Pulitzer (I just couldn't justify not going back on a second time to get those dresses). Recently they had their New Years sale and I am not going to say no to dresses that are marked down from $100 to $35. I got my cute Lilly everyday dresses (and some presents for my future little) for a great price. Now, if you missed this sale, that doesn't mean that you are missing out on your Lilly forever. There is actually a facebook group called "re-lilly" dedicated to women who want to get rid of their lightly or never used Lilly dresses and they sell them at great prices. I have never personally used this site, though I plan to, but I have several friends who swear by it. As much as I love Lilly, people will start to notice if I wear the same dress to Gold Cup, Foxfields, and my cousin's graduation this spring. Instead, I am planning on using this site to recycle my dresses and not have to chop up my credit card afterwards.
Also, yes, I realize that 3 of the 5 dresses I bought from the Lilly sale are navy or black. I like basic colors, is that so wrong?!?! (I am trying to break out of that, I swear)

http://instagram.com/p/UXZKB2SAQU/

xoxo,
SSP

PS my lovely friend from Mortar and Pastel (@CatholicGirlProbs) pointed out that if you live in the DMV there are some great Lilly sales at the Bethesda, MD and Alexandria, VA stores

There is Nothing Small About Small Talk

First of all, I know that I promised a recruitment guide post tonight, and while this may not look like it, this post holds the key to surviving recruitment.
The key to surviving recruitment is not making sure your teeth are perfectly whitened or your hair is perfectly curled.  The girl talking to you is not going to be thinking that you should have worn the blue sweater instead of the green one.  The sisters talking to you want to know what you can bring to the sorority.  If you look cute, you will be fine.  Dress well but don't sweat it because if your personality is as shiny as a sack of potatoes, they are not going to care that you spent 6 hours scouring the mall for the perfect cocktail dress.  
Small talk holds the key to surviving recruitment.  If you can hold a conversation with the sisters and when it comes time to bump, you are both sad that it has to end, you are doing something right.  
The sisters only get a couple of minutes to talk to you and get to know you.  They have to gauge whether or not you are a good match for their sisterhood in a short conversation and the best thing that you can do is to be upbeat and fun to talk to. I know small talk is not easy for everyone, but it never goes away.  People have to small talk all the time so you might as well master it now.  Honestly, I believe that the ability to small talk and relate to people you have never really met is the reason that Greeks do so well in the real world.  The other day I saw some statistics about Greeks in politics and how dominant they are and it makes sense, they can small talk and be personable, qualities necessary in a politician (a good one at least).


Cheat Sheet: Tips for Recruitment Conversations:
-eye contact is key
-DO NOT keep asking them to repeat themselves, eventually pretend you heard it and move on
-DO be happy and outgoing, make them want you
-be prepared: have answers to questions like "how was your break/what did you do?" ready
-make sure the conversation is not one-sided (both ways, don't talk to much and don't make them do all the talking)
-DO NOT talk about boys or alcohol. seriously, even family, it is about the sisterhood, focus on that
-DO talk about your break: you can easily prepare something on this, think of one cool thing you did over break and run with it
-DO ask questions: express your interest in their sorority
-gum is a bad idea, suck on a mint between houses for fresh breath
-if they offer food (recruitment at my school has food for some rounds), do not take things that can make a mess or spill on you. I know it is tempting to take all the food that looks good, but quite frankly, it gets messy and you want to focus on the conversation. Go for little snacks that you can take a little nibble or two on while in the house. Basically, if you want a real snack, bring a granola bar to eat between rounds. Oh, and avoid foods with distinct smells, like peanuts in a trail mix, or mini pepperonis, etc.
-DO talk about fashion: talk about what you're wearing, what she's wearing, shoes, purses, designers, whatever (chill out, I stand by what I said earlier about not freaking about your outfits) it can be a great conversation starter

Okay, that was a lot on small talk. I don't want to freak anyone out because I know that you will do wonderfully if you just calm down and believe in yourself. Also, keep this in mind, it will come in handy when you sit there wondering who liked you. The girls in the sororities want to impress you just as badly, if not more so, than you want to impress them. They desperately want you to fall in love with their sorority as much as they have. All sisters think their sorority is the best and we want you to believe it too. And who knows, you might meet some wonderful sisters during rush who love you just as much.
Fun Fact: I met my big and grandbig during the second round of recruitment and I knew right then that I loved Chi Omega.

If you have ANY questions about recruitment comment on this please and I would love to help. I will post outfits for each round as I start (from the other side) on Saturday. In the mean time, practice talking to the barista at starbucks, your dog, the mailman, your brother, anyone who will listen and you will coast through recruitment.

xoxo,
SSP

a little bit of patriotism

first day of recruitment workshops...which means grocery stores and kitchen organizing for me since I'm on food committee!

Sweater: Ann Taylor Loft // Jeans: Gap // Flats: Target // Jacket: LL Bean // 
Purse: H&M (not pictured)

http://instagram.com/p/UTz__eSARE/

xoxo,
SSP

first OOTD!

Since I spent so much of my winter break moving and travelling, I hardly got any of my errands done.  Well, now it's down to the wire and I spent the day running all over Northern Virginia crossing things off my list.  As much as I love shopping, even if it is for shampoo and oatmeal, the best part of my day was meeting my momma for lunch.  I love visiting her at work and getting to see her in the middle of the day.  Today we also went to The Preppy Pink Pony (I'm obsessed with this store), just a perfect afternoon.

Jacket: Old Navy (bought it forever ago with a gift card) // Bracelets: h&m // Tights: TJ Maxx // Shoes: target // Bag (on ground): H&M

http://instagr.am/p/UMHUD9yATr/

xoxo,
SSP

Hello.

Welcome to Sugar Snap Pearls. I am so excited to finally be able to say that! It took me a long time to figure out exactly how I wanted this blog to look, and what to name it (I'm indecisive) but I am so excited to finally get to share it with y'all.

What is this blog about?

This blog is not just a fashion blog, though it will feature my Outfits of the Day that I post on instagram (username: sugarsnappearls).  Nor is it a lifestyle blog, though there will be postings on life as a college student and things that I like.  My goal with this blog is to marry the two blogs into one so that there is a little something for everyone.

Who am I?

My name is Erin and I am a college girl on a budget trying to balance school, social life, sorority, and figuring out life.  I love anything that involves pearls, monograms, chevron, sports or list making.  I am currently trying to counteract my love of food by training for my first marathon.  Oh, and I have a fish; his name is Chubbs.

Blogs I Love:

College Prepster

What I Wore

A Southern Lady

DC Girl In Pearls

Monograms and Manicures

Classy Girls Wear Pearls

Mortar and Pastel

If you have feedback or ideas for this blog, please let me know!

xoxo,

SSP