Showing posts with label tsm
When I got an email from a Total Sorority Move representative, I nearly fell off my chair.

When she asked me if I wanted to review their new book "Dirty Rush", a real life tell all of sorority life, I wanted to scream.

OF COURSE!

I had been eyeing the book and was going to buy it anyway so getting a copy sent to me for review was even sweeter.

I'm a sorority girl through and through, if you're a follower of mine you know that by now. Even post grad life can't tear me away from my sisters and my inner sorority girl.

I love Greek life so much I wrote an Elite Daily article on it! (#shameless plug) Now it may seem odd that someone so pro Greek life and against stereotypes loves TSM and would want to read a book affiliated with them. TSM gets a bad rap and I blogged about it last year. Sometimes it's fun to poke fun at Greek life (in the right way) and sometimes what is said is really true.

I knew "Dirty Rush" would be one of those books that was accurate but exaggerated and I was right.

Now, Greek life at my small liberal arts college is a lot different from those of the big Southern schools that have Greek Row and take it incredibly serious. I always say that not one of the members of Greek life at Iona would last at a Southern college. It's just not who we are.

Anyways, it's no surprise that I loved this book. If you're majorly against Greek life you probably would want to rip it apart and not be interested in it but if you are in a sorority or have gentle thoughts about Greeks, it's highly entertaining.



The book is written by Taylor Bell, and that is also the name of the main character. The book follows her journey as a freshmen into Greek life, from her first frat party, to her initiation, to her first scandal.

At first, Taylor is highly against joining Beta Zeta, which she is a 5 time legacy of. She feels the pressure from the other girls in the sorority who know her and her story before she even steps foot on campus. Eventually, with the support of her best friend from home, to the insistent nagging of the sorority girls, to the gorgeousness of a frat boy, Taylor starts pledging Beta Zeta and really understanding what it means to be part of a sisterhood.

I won't give away the entire book because what is the fun in that but a campus scandal involving Beta Zeta ensues (it's not hazing, calm down) and everything that Taylor has been enjoying is at risk.

In true sorority fashion, the sisters stand together and get through it.

The book is hilarious (if you read TFM, it's similar to that). I was actually laughing out loud while reading it and couldn't get enough.

I finished the book in only a few hours. Yes I'm a fast reader but this was such a quick, easy, and funny read that I couldn't put it down. I needed to know what happened next.

Was this an accurate portrayal of sorority life? I'd have to go with yes; from the aggressive frat parties to the hilarious things that happen with your pledge sisters, to the intimating initiation ceremony, and the effort that goes into philanthropy events, the tone of this book got everything right. Taylor's reactions to certain events were spot on and I found myself shouting "YES!" at the book very often.

A lot of it was exaggerated... the drug use, the dumbness that some sorority girls had, and obviously the scandal that occurred. But that just makes for good entertainment... and who knows, that may happen but it's not the Greek life I know.

One of my favorite, most shallow parts of the book? The introduction.

It's written by the infamous psycho sorority girl Rebecca Martinson that wrote that "crazy sorority email" that went viral two years ago, yelling at her entire chapter for... well, you can read for yourself. Her introduction is just as hilarious (I read that letter and I laugh my ass off because it's so outrageous and if anyone if my chapter ever did that, I'd kick their butt) but the introduction is also truthful.

"From the outside looking in, you can never understand it. From the inside looking out, you can never explain it."--yes, crazy sorority girl Rebecca quoted that famous, very truthful quote in the introduction to this hilarious, mostly truthful book on sorority life.

Honestly, in my opinion, it was a good book that I'd tell all my Greek friends to read and if you are open minded and just looking for a very funny read, this will give you a good amount of laughs.

Happy reading everyone!


Happy Friday! I cannot believe it's already Friday. I feel like this week flew by, did anyone else? Maybe it's because I had the best weekend last week--the best one I've had in a while. 

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram you might've seen that I returned to my alma mater for Homecoming weekend. Homecoming is a HUGE deal at Iona. We have no football team but that doesn't stop us. 

Little and Big :)

The whole dam fam #TSM

My sisters are the greatest, most beautiful ladies I know
We day drink, have fun with campus activities and root for our friends who are running for Homecoming Court. Usually, this is the first weekend that alumni come back and the Class of 2014 took over campus. It was glorious.

It was wonderful to be back in my element with all my sorority sisters, my favorite fraternity men, and all my former classmates. It was just what I needed...a weekend acting like a college student.

I think homecoming started off my week on a great note and aside from an anxiety attack or two, it was a pleasant week.

Next week is Halloween and I have zero plans. Anyone have any ideas? As of now I'm planning on being cuddled up on the couch with some candles, a book, and Hocus Pocus playing on repeat. That sounds lovely compared to my days of dressing up and drinking at a bar. 



Anyways, here is what I LOVED this week.








But really, who else is excited about Bethenny coming back to the RHONJ?! I LOVE HER!

Happy weekend everyone! What was the highlight of your week?


This is a sponsored post but all opinions are my own

I received an email a few weeks ago from the creators of GoGreek Pro, a new photo app designed especially for Greeks. It's no secret that I love and adore Greek life so I thought I'd check it out. The creators gave me a special code to get the app for free and I got straight to designing.


The app is super easy to use and it's so much fun! All you have to do is open or take a photo on the app's home screen and then there are a bunch of different options to get to customizing.



You can add your greek letters in a variety of different patterns (hello leopard print!). The fact that they have a number of different patterns for Greek letters is my favorite because then there's something for everyone; they also have stickers saying "Big Sis/Lil Sis" which is awesome for those lovely Big/Little photos. 

I customized my latest fam tree photo (Guys, I'm a GrandBig now!) with my sorority letters and I love the way it came out! 



Also, I decorated a picture of my Greek Council E-Board at this semester's "Meet the Greeks". This would be a great idea for recruitment because it's encouraging greek unity and to join a greek organization.



I have to say, I liked this app more than I expected too. It adds a little something extra to a plain old photo. It's better than any Instagram filter or caption because it's much more personal.

Have you ever tried a photo decorating app? 



It's been a long, rough and stressful week. It went by pretty fast but the days felt like they dragged on. I'm definitely looking forward to the weekend and some down time, even though I'm going to be swamped with homework/papers/studying. 

Here are some of my favorite things this week that made everything a little easier and brighter.

1. Spring Break



Punta Cana is calling my name!! In just two weeks, I'll be on a plane headed to what will be the craziest, wildest and most fun experience of my four years of college. My sorority sisters, favorite fraternity men, and myself will be taking over Punta Cana and I can't wait to see what Spring Break has in store for us!!

2. 22 Things Only Second Semester Seniors Will Understand

There's less than three months till graduation and I'm really struggling with the idea of not being in college anymore. I have an anxiety attack at least once a day and it's just not fun when people are constantly asking me what I'm doing when I graduate. This post from The Huffington Post is pretty much spot on and down right hysterical. #Don'tMakeMeLeave

3. SCANDAL IS BACK!



Maybe the week went by so fast because I knew Olivia Pope was going to return to my TV screen on Thursday at 10pm. As I write this post, I haven't seen the episode yet by my goodness, I'm sure it'll make my week 100x better than it already was. To tide me over, I took this Buzzfeed quiz on which Scandal character I am. I got Mellie Grant and couldn't be happier! #FLOTUS

PS: Check out this hilarious video montage of Olivia Pope and her love of red wine:



4. TSM Columns

I've been huge on columns and articles this week and TSM has been killing it. Since they opened their new website, the columns they've been posting so many columns ranging in so many different topics. Everything seems much more relevant to sorority girls and less offensive. I've even submitted a column or two and I'm hoping they get published! I have a lot of ideas for columns so maybe you'll see me published soon!

5. Her Campus Community Moderators and Beta Testers:


Being part of the HerCampus Blogger Network has been such an amazing experience. I've gotten so many cool opportunities and they just keep rolling in! I was selected to be a Community Moderator and Beta Tester along with some of my other fabulous HCBN ladies. I'll be moderating the blogger facebook groups and helping out HC HQ with some blogger stuff. I'm SO excited to take things to the next level!!

What have been the highlights of your week?


I am two weeks away from being back at school with all my sorority sisters and I cannot wait. I'm busting at the seams to see everyone and enjoy my last semester. 

To tide me over till I'm back at Iona, I've been obsessing over Total Sorority Move and Total Frat Move. If you've never heard of TSM and TFM, they are two sites are based solely on Greek life. They feature 'wall posts' that are short little descriptions of greek life, columns, and photos. 



A lot of people say that TSM gives us sorority girls a bad name. It's stereotypical and depicts us as promiscuous, stupid and all around stuck up women. A lot of the columns and TSMs are indeed shallow, sexual and pretty degrading but sometimes, the bad ones are true.

Just because sometimes the site is not positive, doesn't mean it's always like that. I have read many a TSMs and columns that are absolutely hysterical and borderline true. 

With all the negativity that surrounds TSM, I actually do love it. I wish I could write for them, I wish I could be TSM. If that makes me a non true sorority girl, than so be it. I think people take Total Sorority Move a little too seriously. 

It's supposed to poke fun at us, make us laugh and provide an outlet for Greeks that only Greeks can understand. 

Reading TSM makes me feel good, especially when I read the ones that I can directly relate too.  It helps when I miss my sisters and it's nice to know that I'm not alone in the way I feel about sorority related things. I don't hate TSM, I'm not one of those sorority girls. 

TSM hits home for me in a lot of ways. Reading some of these columns and TSMs, especially heading into my last semester of college reminds me of what I'm leaving behind. It reminds me that I have the greatest support group on the planet and that graduating and leaving my sisters is something a lot of girls go through but always make it out okay on the other side.

A lot of these columns and TSMs remind me of how wonderful it is to be in a sorority and to be part of something so incredibly special. It helps during long breaks, like this one, because it feels like I have a little part of my sister's with me. 

TSM is fun and memorable and wonderful in my eyes. I love it. 

Here are some of my favorite "positive" TSM columns:








What are your thoughts on Total Sorority Move? Tell me in the comments!


My favorite thing about my iPHONE or any smart phone for that matter are the number of apps that are available for your everyday use. 

It's so easy to access every bit of information, keep your life organized, or just occupy your time with thousands of different iPHONE apps.

I've only had my iPHONE for two weeks but I've explored the world of apps and I've fallen in love with a few.

1. Blackboard


If you're a college student, Blackboard is probably your best friend. All my teachers use Blackboard to post assignments, powerpoint presentations, class notes, and reminders about tests and papers due. It's really useful but kind of a hassle to always access a computer (especially if your school's internet connection is as weak as mine).

That's why I am BEYOND happy to say that Blackboard has an iPHONE app so you can access your homework and school related items anytime! I was so excited when I found that out.

2. The Daily Beast



As a journalism major, I need to keep up on my news, even if I don't like it. One of my journalism teachers introduced me to this lovely site last semester and ever since it's been my go-to source for news. 

There is SO much on the website and my favorite feature is "The Cheat Sheet" where the top news stories of the day are summarized for your reading pleasure.

I was so happy that they had an iPHONE app because it's not a well known news site but still it's great. The app is pretty simple with the different news sections separated but it's not as if they just took the website and put it on an app (I hate when they do that).

3. Pinterest



Pinterest is truly the greatest website to ever exist. My love for it is pretty excessive and now I can have it wherever I go. It's the perfect way to kill time no matter where you are. The app is very easy to use and I love having it. This is the best for a pinterest addict.

4. CatchNotes

I always like to have a note app on my phone (I don't like using the pre-installed note apps). CatchNotes is one that I just randomly downloaded to see what it was all about. It's definitely one of the greatest note apps ever. It keeps your note private and you can create a regular note, a checklist, and a note with a picture attached. 

My favorite part is probably the fact that you can create a reminder and have an alarm remind you to do whatever you need to do. It's such an amazing app to have and will be so useful to keep your life organized.

Aside from these apps, I obviously love Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter; the usual favorites. 

As an honorable mention, I want to say I love the TSM app (even if you have to pay $1.99) for it. Some of the posts  are really offensive but others are SO funny and scary true. If you're a sorority girl, this will give you a good laugh and sense of pride for your letters. 

Another honorable mention is the Etsy app. I've just recently discovered how wonderful Etsy is and it's a pleasure to have it on my iPHONE, at my fingertips for random browsing and maybe a few impulsive purchases.

There are SO many other great apps so next time you're bored, browse the app store and find your favorites!


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