L.Erickson USA Hair Accessories *Giveaway Ended*

Who doesn't love finding the perfect hair accessory?! There is nothing worse than a hair tie that easily snaps or a bow that doesn't sit right on your head. The second we got to try L. Erickson USA hair accessories we were instantly sold. Everything from their head bands, bows, and ties are of the highest quality. When we found out that they were coming out with a sorority line of hair accessories we had to be one of the first to share this with you all. For those of you who just went Greek or who are about to go Greek, showing off your sorority pride is something every Greek woman takes advantage of. Any moment you can show off your letters, DO IT!

All of L. Erickson USA sorority items are completely customizable; you can make them in school colors, sorority colors, a variety of fabrics, etc. Best of all, they are licensed for 19 sororities and currently have collections for 7 of them on FranceLuxe.com with more coming each week. Here's the list of 19 sororities they are currently licensed for:

Alpha Chi Omega
Delta Delta Delta
Delta Gamma
Gamma Phi Beta
Kappa Alpha Theta
Kappa Kappa Gamma
Pi Beta Phi
Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Gamma Delta
Alpha Epsilon Phi

Alpha Omnicron Pi
Alpha Phi
Alpha Xi Delta
Chi Omega
Delta Zeta
Kappa Delta
Sigma Delta Tau
Sigma Kappa
Zeta Tau Alpha

Do you see your sorority in the list of 19? If so, then we have something special for you! We are offering one lucky winner one customizable hair accessory from FranceLuxe.com. Simply enter here by following all of the entry requirements. The giveaway goes from now until September 28th, 2014, 11:59PM PST. Please be sure to read our Privacy Policy before participating in the giveaway. The giveaway is open to US residents only. A winner will be chosen within 72 hours concluding the giveaway at random.

Good luck!

TSS Favorite Things {September}

Sakura - Tank | Wedges | Makeup Bag

Ali - Card | Ring | Hat

Karen - Temporary Tattoos | Book | Nail Polish

Is it really September?! We started discussing the possibility of starting The Sorority Secrets two years ago this month and it's crazy how fast time flies! It's been a wonderful two years and we're excited for many more years to come! 

Like every month, TSS Founders bing you their favorite items of the month in TSS Favorite Things, so here's September!

Sakura

• Tank from Splendid - "Having a basic tank in every color is a must.  You can wear them with any and everything, and these are great quality tanks so they will last forever!"
• Wedges from Kelsi Dagger - "These wedges are the cutest, most comfortable things ever!  I can wear them with skinnies, boyfriend jeans, shorts, or even dresses!"
• Makeup Bag from Tory Burch - "Having a black makeup bag is always the way to go.  No matter how much you try to keep it clean, makeup bags have a tendency to get dirty easily.  This makeup bag is a great size and it'll last forever!"

Ali

• Greeting Card from Rifle Paper Co. - "I purchased a few of these cards... one for my office pinboard, and others to give to friends!  The design makes me smile."
• Fedora from Rag & Bone - "Wool hats are my favorite accessory this season!  They add a touch of style to any outfit.  This one from Rag & Bone is perfection."
• Ring from Kendra Scott - "This ring is flat-out cool.  I love the knuckle ring style, and the organic shape of the sparkly stones!  Dress this ring up at night, or pair it with denim for a little daytime glam."

Karen

• Temporary Tattoos from Flash Tattoos - "Ever since I saw Beyoncé rocking these flashy, metallic tattoos I have been obsessed. Talk about dressing up your skin! The styling possibilities with these tattoos are endless as they can pair well with jewelry or as jewelry."
• 365 Style by Nicky Hilton - "Nicky Hilton is a style icon and I really admire kids from rich families trying to make a name for themselves. This book is all about fashion and style...two things I love! Nicky gives advice using a formula she created to develop your own signature style and it's called 3-6-5. She has you consider the 3 main aspects of your lifestyle, then choose 6 staple items of clothing, and identify 5 essential accessories" 
• Nail Polish from Christian Louboutin - "Wait, Christian Louboutin has nail polish now?! I'm a sucker for red nails and have heard nothing but amazing things about this nail polish. Red is back for fall in full affect!"

What are some of your favorite things of September?!

Fall 2014 Concert Line Up

Summer may be coming to an end and although outdoor concerts may be wrapping up, we are so excited for all of the fun, fall concerts ahead. We put together a list of the concerts you won't want to miss this fall. Most of these concerts are having tickets sold through Ticketmaster, but if you don't have luck there, be sure to check out StubHub or Craigslist--there are always people willing to sell their tickets. Also, if you never want to miss a concert announcement, then sign up with Concert Fix! They compile concerts both present and future to keep you in the know.

1. Sam Smith
2. Usher
3. Phillip Phillips
4. Sarah McLachlan
5. Maroon 5
6. One Direction
7. Jason Aldean
8. Luke Bryan
9. Florida Georgia Line
10. Iggy Azalea
11. August Alsina
12. Pitbull
13. Nas
14. Ty Dolla Sign
15. Skrillex

What concerts are you looking forward to?

6 Essie colors to have this Fall!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 

It's not quite Fall yet, but it sure is feeling like it.  Bring out those cozy knitted sweaters, cute suede boots, and all those beanies and scarves!  Another thing to change now that Summer is almost over is your nail color- can't be wearing bright blue, yellow, or pink this season.  It's time for some new Fall nail polish colors and Essie has the perfect Fall nail polishes for us- aren't they great?

Another great reason why we love Essie is because they don't chip as easily.  We like to change our nail polish color pretty frequently so gel or acrylic doesn't work for us!  So for the regular, basic manicure gals, Essie is the way to go!

What are some other great Fall nail polish colors?

Spicy "Cheesy" Kale Chips Recipe

Kale is all the rage! This is the perfect delicious, yet healthy snack filled with tons of flavor without gaining the extra weight! Paulding & Co. has some awesome recipes that we were happy to come across their Spicy "Cheesy" Kale Chips Recipe. It is simple to make and pretty healthy. Check out the full recipe below!

Spicy “Cheesy” Kale Chips

This recipe makes 12 oz. chips (2 one-gallon zip bags)

Ingredients 

▪ 2 ½ cups of raw cashews
▪ 1 large (Holland type) red bell pepper
▪ 2-3 red Fresno peppers
▪ 1-2 tsp lemon juice (to taste)
▪ 2 tsp mineralized sea salt
▪ 2 Tbs. nutritional yeast
▪ 3 bunches curly kale

TIP: Be sure to purchase ultra-fresh organic vegetables for this. Soak the cashews in water for 3-4 hours. Combine with the stemmed and seeded peppers, lemon, salt and yeast in a blender. Puree. Taste the mixture, and if it needs it, add more salt or lemon. Strip the stems from the kale leaves-you can do this easily by holding the end of the stem in one hand, and firmly running the other hand up the sides of it, dislodging the leaf. The tough part of the stem will come off, leaving the tenderer part intact.

In a large bowl, combine the Kale with the blended mixture, using your hands (evenly) as possible distribute the mixture. Lay the leaves onto a dehydrator racks, crowding them but not stacking them. Dehydrate at 105° F for 12-16 hours, until very crisp. Store in sealed zip bags. If you don’t get them dry enough they will soften in the bag.If you don’t have a dehydrator they can be laid out on a rack or over a pan in the oven with the temperature set as low as possible. The time to dehydrate will be greatly reduced, probably to about an hour or even less.

The chips will be a tasty snack!

For more information on Paulding & Co. recipes, please visit http://pauldingandco.com/recipes.
 

The Dos and Donts of Snapchat

Snapchat is one of our favorite apps for many reasons! It's the perfect way to share with your friends and family your day-to-day without feeling like you're blowing up their newsfeed. But, like most apps, Snapchat is pretty addicting. As much as you don't want to press your finger down on your friend's latest snap, you really can't help yourself. Considering how time consuming this app is, it's important to make it worthwhile so that your friends and family are viewing quality Snaps from you. Therefore, we have created a list of Dos and Donts when it comes to Snapchat.

1) Like any storyline, have a beginning, middle, and end. In other words, if you're going to Snap about your haircut, make the story of it fun. Snap yourself with your hair before and your hair after. That's much more interesting than just a picture of your new hair.

2) If you're going to snap a photo of an object, make it quick. Making a still object go for 10-15 seconds is totally unnecessary in the Snapchat world.

3) Please, no selfies all day long. Leave that for Instagram!

4) Have fun with the filters!

5) If you're trying to grow your audience, then Snap every day.

6) Keep it clean! Once the internet gets a hold of a picture of yours, there is no telling where it can end up. Although Snapchat notifies you when someone has screenshot an image you've shared, that doesn't stop them from using it. 

7) Keep your Snaps different each day. Nobody wants to see every angle of your dog every minute of the day (haha!). If you can't hold back, then keep the repeat snaps for your BFFs.  

What are some suggestions you have when it comes to utilizing Snapchat? Share with us below! 

5 Braid Tutorials to Try on Pinterest!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 

Braids are so in right now.  It's an easy way to make a bad hair day into a GREAT hair day!  We're really into Pinterest (follow us here!) and we love referring to Pinterest for great hair tutorials.  We've done our research and found the best/easiest braid tutorials on Pinterest!

1. Waterfall Braid Tutorial - Oncewed.com gives you an easy 8 step hair tutorial for the perfect waterfall braid.  It's easy and casual, yet so cute!

2. Bohemian Side Braid - This beautiful bohemian side braid is perfect for music festivals!  Emily over at The Freckled Fox guest blogged at  The Wonderforest for this easy tutorial and it's definitely a must try!

3. The Four Strand Braid - Now, this isn't your typical braid- it's a four strand braid! It looks like it can be a bit complicated, but Hair Romance does such a great job with the tutorial!  It's a great hair style for a date night or a girls night out!

4. The French Braid Fish Tail -  If you haven't heard of The Beauty Department,  you're missing out!  They have some amazing beauty tutorials like this beautiful french braid fish tail!  They have easy step-by-step photos and instructions and you can make any girl look like a Disney princess with this hair style!

5. Lace Braid Up-Do - We love a good messy up-do, but what's even better is a messy up-do with a braid incorporated in it!  Check out this hair style over at The Wonderforest!