Always a Jersey Girl at Heart: Sorority Sisters

Showing posts with label Sorority Sisters. Show all posts

Thursday, June 26, 2014

#tbt... Angel Family Love

Since my little got married this past Saturday it has me nostalgic for all things Chi Omega. Ok, well not really all things Chi Omega, but specifically my Chi Omega family this week. I was a member of the Angel Family during my time at Bucknell and I truly can't imagine my life without these ladies. Sure I can't imagine my life without many of my Chi Omega sisters, but I especially can't imagine my life without my family members (G-Bigs, Big, Twin, Littles, G-little, etc.). These ladies are some of the best women I could have ever associated myself with and I am so happy that my Big chose me as her little and that her big chose her before that and that my little loves that I chose her, and so on. So without further ado... today's #tbt is dedicated to my Chi Omega family!

The Night I Officially Became an Angel (G-Big, Me, Big)

Hanging out with my G-big & Chi Omega Cousin

Chugging champagne... cause Angels are classy like that

With my G-bigs

Twins!!

Little #1

Little #2 (a.k.a. the one that just got married!)

Little #2 & I with the men we would eventually marry!

Do you have a "family" you can't imagine your life without?

Monday, February 25, 2013

"... Ever at Heart."

"...to have her welfare ever at heart..."

*Ever at Heart* - the theme of our last meal in Memphis

I first wrote about the Chi Omega symphony (here) and explained my favorite part of it for various reasons. In case you don't feel like reading that post (although I really think you should), let me again share with you the Chi Omega Symphony which is something I truly believe in and feel as though it contains many things that we should keep in mind every day.

Chi Omega's Crest

The Chi Omega Symphony

To live constantly above snobbery of word or deed; to place scholarship before social obligations and character before appearances; to be in the best sense democratic rather than "exclusive", and lovable rather than "popular"; to work earnestly, to speak kindly, to act sincerely, to choose thoughtfully that course which occasion and conscience demand; to be womanly always; to be discouraged never; in a word to be loyal under any and all circumstances to my Fraternity and her highest teachings and to have her welfare ever at heart that she may be a symphony of high purpose and helpfulness in which there is no discordant note.
- Ethel Switzer Howard Xi 1904

Me with the Chi Omega Owl

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to be able to attend the Chi Omega Firesides Convention in Memphis, Tennessee for a weekend that focused on fun, sisterhood, and being Panhellenic. During Firesides we talked a lot about what it means to be a Chi Omega and what it means to be a part of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC).

Being a Chi Omega is not just about being part of the largest national woman's organization (yes we are bigger than the Girl Scouts). It is not just about having good times with a bunch of girls. It is not just about wearing Greek letters. It is about making friends with girls who are you sisters and who truly become like real family to you. It is about being the best woman that you can be without being boastful or bragful. It is about being democratic and lovable. It is about never giving up. It is about showing to support to your sisters in Chi Omega, to your sisters in the NPC and to anyone else who may need your help and support. It is about keeping the welfare of your friends, sisters, family, co-workers, etc. ever at heart.

It is important to remember that we are all part of a bigger picture. Life doesn't always revolve just around us, although at times we might like to think it does. It is important to take a step back, look around and just take in what is going on in the world.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Now that I have talked about what being a Chi Omega means to me, I just want to take a little bit of time to recap my weekend in Memphis. I was given the opportunity to go as an Advisor of the Iota Lambda Chapter of Villanova University to our national Firesides Convention February 8-10, 2013. I went on this trip with two amazing collegiate women, SG and MP, two members of the Iota Lambda Executive Board. I'm not so sure this weekend would have turned out so well if I had gone with anyone else. These woman are truly amazing and I know that they will do great things for the Iota Lambdas at Villanova. The three of us really bonded over the weekend as we spent more time together than I have spent with my best friends these past few months... but every moment of it was worth it. I wouldn't have traded this weekend for anything in the world.

Not only was I able to attend conference sessions on ethics, the Greek judicial process, the NPC rules and regulations (I might do a recap of some of these in a later post... we'll see... I don't think you guys will find these nearly as interesting as I did), finding out about our performance scorecard, etc. I also learned a lot of other things... like that Snapchat may be my new favorite phone application... I mean who doesn't love being able to take silly pictures to send to your friends without the fear of them saving them to their phones and using them as blackmail later on? I also learned that for some, carrying all their bags through the Detroit Airport is their own personal purgatory. I was reminded of the excitement of finding out who your little is and planning the week's worth of gifts for that special sister (shout out to CC and PY... love you littles!)

Since a picture says a thousand words, here are some of my favorites from the weekend (plus a few of the best quotes mixed in)....

Most Amazing Chocolate-Mint Owls EVER... trying to figure out how to incorporate this into my wedding!

PA Chi Omega Chapter (red= collegiate; yellow = alum)

Me, SG and MP chilling at National Headquarters

*In the hotel room...."now we can decompose for a little bit"* ... apparently traveling makes you say crazy things...

The ORIGINAL Chi Omega badge

Chi Mu's brick... love my initiating Chapter!

Lovely ladies with our Owl and Flat Jean

2 of the most AMAZING collegians ever!

* "I wonder if they are going to serve owl for dinner." ...followed shortly thereafter by... "that wouldn't be very Panhellenic of them.*

Posing with MP's "hero"

End of the conference... lots of love to these 2!

Friday, November 11, 2011

Snowy Wedding Recap... AE becomes AV :)

On October 29, 2011 Miss AE became Mrs. AV after marrying Mr. AV in a beautiful wedding! The wedding was gorgeous, but I would expect nothing less from AE. Before I go into their wedding and how beautiful it was, I feel like I have to give you a little bit of a back story between Miss AE and I... because let me tell you, we were not always friends.

AE and I met at Bucknell when we both pledge Chi Omega in the Fall of 2004. Yes we were pledge class sisters, but we were definitely not fast friends. We made it through 3 years of Chi Omega without talking too much... and I'm not really sure why. Well I guess I am sure why... we had a different group of friends so we didn't really run in the same crowd. If you had asked me in college if I were going to be invited to AE's wedding I would have laughed at you and said "Yeah right."

This is one of the ONLY pics I have that has both AE and myself in it from our Chi Omega Days

AE & I at a date party spring of our Senior year... this is one of the few pics I can find of us... literally don't see any from Junior Year lol

Fast forward to a couple of years after Bucknell when AE moved to the Philly area. I could never remember why we didn't get along in college so I decided to reach out to her since we were living close to each other. During the past few years AE has without a doubt become one of my best friends... so much so that I am positive that when I get married she will be a member of my wedding party. AE and I have had a lot of good times together over the years, so needless to say I was thrilled (and terrified at the same time) when she asked me to do a reading in her wedding.

NS, AE, EO, & I hanging out at NS's super bowl party

KH, AE, & Me :) Readers in the wedding!

My entire weekend was filled with activities for the AE and AV wedding starting on Thurs night with a casual dinner a the AE/AV household... then Friday was a bridal party luncheon, followed by getting our nails done, followed by the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Then Saturday was the big day! They had predicted snow for Saturday, but personally I didn't really think that it would happen. Imagine my surprise when I woke up to snow on the ground. I was quite nervous about the wedding because the roads were horrible, I couldn't wear my shoes properly, and my dress was going to drag in the snow. I was also nervous about how AE was going to handle it because well I don't think many October brides think about snow on their wedding day. Despite the snow I don't think the day could have been any more perfect (or at least it couldn't have been from my perspective...)

As always with weddings... a picture is worth a thousand words so here are some pics from all of the wedding festivities.