TSM Thursday 2012 Number Seventeen

Feeling both flattered and disgusted when you get a text from a GDI that says, “Hey! I just wanted to let you know that you’re beautiful.” TSM.   This happens to me quite a bit these days due to Lilac’s big plan.  I still don’t know how I feel about it…

It’s easier to be a good girl and prove you know how to have fun than it is to be a fun girl and prove you know how to be good. TSM.  This is very true.  Your actions proceed you more than I think most people realize.  I would rather people knew I was a good girl than thought the worst of me.  Plus, anyone can have a good time and you ought to know how to control that when necessary.  Don’t be a slut, basically….

I prefer products that are Made in America, including boyfriends. TSM.   Just wanted to reiterate this on flag day.

I don’t see the world in black and white, I see it in pink and glitter. TSM.  The world isn’t just one way or the other, it’s all shades of gray.  But I like to look on the sunny side, so let’s call it bright and shiny shades of gray instead.

Having a Hobby Lobby list longer than your grocery list. TSM.   So true.  I was making my packing list for camp this morning and I wrote “Crafts” on it.  I’m not sure what yet, but crafts are necessary.

TSM Thursday 2012 Number Sixteen

Always matching your koozie to your outfit. TSM.   True story.  I have a purple koozie that I got from one of the bars in town, and it may be my favorite.  I always bring it to the Rockies games because it’s purple.

Real women wear lipstick. TSM.  I just really think lipstick really pulls the face together and brightens the lips more than a gloss would.  There are times when I don’t wear lipstick, but that’s mostly during camp because it’s unnecessary.

Getting seriously offended when a GDI calls a delta a triangle. TSM.  It’s not just for Greek letter organizations.  It’s in your science classes.  Figure it out.

Noting your position in your sorority as a “most meaningful experience” for medical school applications. TSM.   I always talk about the invaluable experiences I received from my sorority on job applications.  Plenty of sorority related things are applicable to the working world.

Being complimented on your eyelashes. TSM.  This happens to me a lot.  My eyelashes are absolutely real, too.

TSM Thursday 2012 Number Fifteen

My puffypaint-manship is just as pretty as my penmanship. TSM.  In our family, we make boxes for Big/Little reveal.  I made three puffy-painted boxes in my time and I am pretty proud of my penmanship on them.

I’m not demanding, I just deserve more. TSM.  This is the reason that I won’t settle for just any man, I think.  I know that I deserve someone “forever” and not just “for right now” eventually and I don’t want to always be someone’s next thing.  Plus, I’m awesome.  There’s that modesty again.

“My mother raised me to be admired.” TSM.  My momma and I have been talking about this a lot lately and the truth is that she raised me to be the type of lady who could hold her own against any adversity.  I think I turned out just fine.

Being in a sorority isn’t about the things you own, it’s about the life you live. TSM.  I was trying to explain this to Larissa when she was talking about horrible stereotypes of the Greek system, which hurts me when you consider I’m one of her closest friends.  Would I spend my time with horrible people?  Absolutely not.  I’d argue that more people in sororities are like me, poised and polite individuals who can combine brains, beauty, and social skills.  It’s about being the type of person other people want to associate with.

“Beautiful, wonderful, perfect, all-American girl.” TSM.  This is me, or at least, what I strive to be.

TSM Thursday 2012 Number Fourteen

The only bad thing about living with your big is deciding whether to caption your pictures “Big and Little” or “roomies.” TSM.  This happened to Stacey and I quite a bit when we roomed together.  I think we generally settled on “Big and Little.”

Always responding “Oh I LOVE her!” when someone asks if you know a girl in your sorority, even if you’ve only talked to her once. TSM.  I generally tend to say this whenever someone knows anyone I know.  Usually it’s true, but I remember one time when someone and I played the “who do you know that I know” game and I mentioned a guy I thought was really nice, but odds that they actually knew each other were low considering I only mentioned him because he was the only other person I’d ever met from New Mexico.  Well, the guy did know him from high school and called him a prick.  I was pretty upset and it colored our interactions from then on.  So it’s always better to err on the side of loving the person, just in case.  But like I said, it’s usually true since I love pretty much everybody.

I love life and it loves me right back. TSM.  This is my sunny disposition.  I figure life is too full of good things to be disappointed by the bad things that happen sometimes.

Big knows best. TSM.  Every time I try to give Lilac and Stacey advice and they ignore it, only to come back later and tell me that I was right, this is how I feel.  I don’t tell them that, but this always crosses my mind.

Getting married before the age of 25 sounds a lot like leaving a party before 10:00. TSM. Dylan has this bet going about which of our early wedded friends are going to divorce first.  I tell him that’s terrible and they will all be the exceptions.  But for myself, this is the idea I’m going with.

TSM Thursday 2012 Number Thirteen

The classic “Let’s have a sisterhood movie night” really meaning sisters only wine night. TSM.  I knew this is what would happen when Lilac and I decided to have a dinner and game night.

Describing boys from home to your sisters by telling them which fraternity they would be in. TSM.  I do this with Stacey all the time.  I was describing Tony to her and said “He would probably be an AGO just because he’s so religious, but if not, his personality is really parallel to Theta Xi.”

There’s nothing quite like getting drunk on a patio. TSM.  This is exactly what I love about summer.  Nothing beats drinking on a patio or a rooftop.  This may even be the epitome of summer for me.

You should always look your best. Your soulmate could be around the corner at any time…so could your ex. TSM.  I think so many people often forget that your personal appearance is often the first, or only, impression someone has of you.  Always look your best because you never know who you will meet and where you end up.  And even if it’s at a place you frequent, it’s not like anyone suddenly forgets yesterday as soon as today hits.

Suddenly becoming best friends with a stranger after you find out you’re sisters. TSM.   This even happens to me when I meet fellow Greeks.  There’s just something about being around people who get you and who you have a shared connection with almost immediately.

TSM Thursday 2012 Number Twelve

On the pursuit of preppiness. TSM.  This is one of my mantras.  Live it, love it.

That feeling you get when your favorite frat star gives you the power point before he wins his 8th straight game of pong. TSM.  Whenever I partied with Colin, he loved doing this.  To be honest, I accepted this power point with a bit of chagrin because he promised I could play after he lost…

Choosing Derby hats and mint juleps over sombreros and margaritas. TSM.  I kept repeating this last Saturday, despite eating dinner at a Mexican restaurant.  I told everyone “Today we are celebrating the Kentucky Derby” and I made sure to wear an adorable sundress to prove my point.  I couldn’t find a hat through.  I was so disappointed.

“Enforcing strict standards of dress is essential for maintaining the decorum of any event.” -Blair Waldorf. TSM.  I think this is especially poignant given that “decorum” was the buzzword Larissa and I used in San Antonio.

Sending a screen shot of your texts with the boy to a sister for the perfect response. TSM.  I still do this sometimes because often, you are too close to the situation to give the perfect response.  It’s like not editing your own papers because you’ll miss silly mistakes because you know what it ought to say.

TSM Thursday 2012 Number Eleven

Welcome back to TSM Thursday!  A nice break from our Best of Help! I’m Post-Grad… as it’s all new content in a week of highlights.  Enjoy!

I’d be more modest if I wasn’t so fabulous. TSM.  I routinely shrug when people compliment me on my awesomeness.  Don’t you worry, I know.

My fratdaddy is the sweetest asshole I’ve ever met. TSM.  I’m pretty sure this is the perfect descriptor to Evan.  For being a self-proclaimed asshole, he was always nice to me.

Do I really have to graduate or can I just stay here for the rest of my life? TSM.  I used to tell Erika that I would win the lottery and buy every available house at the alma mater so that everyone could just stay there instead of graduating.

The term “walking distance” varies depending on which heels you’re wearing. TSM.  This is so true.  If you’re wearing four-inch heels, walking distance might be the bar next door.

The ability to look hot while wearing a fanny pack, norts, and a snapback. TSM. When the cooler was drying from a primer coat, I was sitting outside with it while wearing a frat tank and norts.  A couple of men passed by and gave me a double take.  I’m just that awesome.

TSM Thursday 2012 Number Ten

If you can’t spell Lilly Pulitzer you definitely shouldn’t be allowed to wear it. TSM.  This bugs me.  Steph has a Burberry bag she bought second-hand.  When she first got it, I was like “Ooh, cute Burberry bag.”  And she responded with, “It’s a what?”  Why can’t I ever find nice things serendipitously like that?

That terrifying moment when you realize you’re now at the top of the totem pole in fam pictures. TSM.   Terrifying.  Although technically if you’re a totem pole, you should be on the bottom, because you’re the foundation.  But I digress here…

Sure, accents are sexy. But guys who love America are sexier. TSM.   This is where Larissa and I differ.  She talks about while she was in Ireland a couple of years ago and on the rebound, “I didn’t know if all the men around me were really cute or just had hot accents.  It was troubling.”  Meanwhile, I can’t say the same.  Sure maybe an accent is sexy.  But I’d go for a Southern accent over a British accent any day.

The ever-present conflict of wearing your cute shoes out and knowing they’ll probably get ruined. TSM.   I trip all the time, so sometimes I feel like my shoes would be safer if they stayed home in their boxes.  My poor shoes.

Buying the Olympics themed laundry detergent because it has the American flag on it. TSM.  On Monday, I decided it was time for a new swim suit.  I found an American flag swimsuit and I fell in love.  Now it is mine.

TSM Thursday 2012 Number Nine

I “love” ALL of my sisters, but I LOVEEEEEE a select few of them. TSM  I’ve often been asked how I can love all my sisters.  That’s what sisterhood is.  You love everyone.  You would drop anything to help and be there for any of them at a moment’s notice.  That being said, while I love all of them, there are only a few I truly do LOOOVEEEE and that’s a much deeper bond.

I have enough credits to graduate in 3 years, but why would anyone want to? TSM.  Both Lilac and Stacey graduated early (two and three years, respectively).  It was a widely known fact that I also had enough credits to graduate early, even after switching my major.  Everyone asked why I didn’t and I always told them “College is about more than the classes you take and I have a year left to continue the experience.”

 When you go out to dinner and the alcohol bill is triple the amount of the food bill. TSM.  This is pretty much par for the course.  One of my friends once said “I have an allocated entertainment budget, but I could really replace ‘entertainment’ with ‘drinking’ and it would still be fairly accurate.  But for some reason, people aren’t fond of the idea of a drinking budget….”

That feeling of rage when you chip your manicure. TSM.   When I went to Allie’s wedding in California, I was trying to get my suitcase from the luggage carousel and I politely asked the people around me to move out of the way.  When they wouldn’t, I tried to grab my suitcase quickly, but it ended up snapping my manicure in the process.  I about died and bawled hysterically.  Thankfully, I managed to at least sort of fix the two nails in question before the bridal shower that same day.

My bridal party was finalized at Big/Little reveal, so my husband isn’t allowed to have sisters. TSM.   This is fairly accurate.  The other half was finalized in my K-12 schooling.  All I have to say is that my husband had better have several fraternity brothers that he likes.

TSM Thursday 2012 Number Eight

Babysat for my favorite alumna. Her daughter will only fall asleep to recruitment songs. TSM.   There is one song in our initiation ritual that I always sang when Stacey wanted me to tuck her in.  It’s probably my favorite, but I always thought it would make a perfect lullaby.

Planning an entire outfit around a particular bow. TSM.   I do this sometimes with accessories.  I’ll have an outfit and then realize that I wanted to wear brown shoes or carry a navy purse or wear bright pink jewelry or a giant purple bow and then I get frustrated and go through all of my stuff to find a new outfit.

That feeling of relief when you go from 6-inch heels to Sperrys. TSM.   Oh my goodness, so nice.  I really miss my sperrys and I need to replace them soon.

“Hi. I’m her Big.” TSM.   I do this to Lilac and Stacey all the time., “and this is my Little, [name}.”  Stacey gets excited about it, still.  Lilac rolls her eyes at me.  She’s told me before to stop doing it and yet, sometimes, I still do it out of habit.  It’s bad.

Willing a fraternity in your senior will. TSM.   I did this my senior year, actually.  I was friends with pretty much every member of APD, minus a few of their freshmen (and you’ll have to forgive me for this, because I was a senior at the time).  So I wanted to make sure that someone still hung out with them when I left (even though I’m actually still friends with my closest friends in the house).  So when I was graduating, I left them to my friend Jamie a grade below.  “Jamie, Stay sassy and classy.  I leave you my APD boys.  Take care of them.  They know not what they do.”