“Umm…can we get a table for…50?”  Birthday dinners can get out of hand quick due to the sheer amount of people you must invite.  You meet so many new friends in college that planning your birthday dinner can be overwhelming.  Birthday celebration plans require a certain finesse in order to please all of the guests and more importantly, the birthday girl.

The main concern about the birthday dinner is making sure that all of your different friends get along.  Your high school friends may not know some of your suitemates or housemates.  However, different friend groups usually mesh well at dinners because they all love the birthday girl. Your old friends may not instantly declare your new buds as their future bridesmaids, but they will at least be polite.  If your group cannot fit at one table then there is always the option of planning a besties only dinner.  Invite only your closest friends to dinner and then gather a bigger group to party with later that night.  Heaven help the group whose friends are feuding.  If you are in this situation, have the pair work it out themselves.  Hopefully, they will put aside their problems for the greater good -aka the birthday girl.

Another question is whether or not to pay for the birthday girl’s dinner.  Instead of getting her a gift, one person can pay for the girl.  If everyone has already gotten her a small gift then payment is not really necessary.  Also, always have the wait staff sing to the guest of honor and bring out a yummy treat.  It will make for a great picture and, let’s be honest, we live for pictures.  It will also embarrass, I mean make the birthday girl feel special.  One Mexican restaurant near my campus brings out a gigantic sombrero for the birthday guest and a decadent treat of fried ice cream.  Sadly, you do have to return the hat.

As a special touch, I always bring along my birthday tiara.  It has been my prize possession ever since I got it from Claire’s for my 16^th birthday.  The tiara’s peeling silver paint proves it has definitely seen some love.  In my opinion, a birthday dinner is not complete unless the birthday girl’s head is adorned with a sparkling headpiece.  Not everyone appreciates the tiara, which is like a neon sign that screams, “I am the birthday girl!”, but I always offer it! 

Two of my good friends turn 21 soon and I am gearing up for the adventure.  I mastered the art of the birthday dinner, but I am new to the circus that is the 21^st birthday.  I have the guest list and dinner reservations covered, but someone else might have to dream up the 21^st bucket list.  So perfect that Facebook birthday invite complete with a hilarious and slightly inappropriate group picture, and sit back and wait for the RSVP’s to roll in.

How to have a fabulous “stay-cation”

Although some may argue that living in Charleston is a year round vacation, many students at College of Charleston flee our beaches for ones that are just a bit warmer this time of year. Last year for spring break I jetted off to the Bahamas with a group of sorority sisters to relax on the beach and dance the night away. It was a great trip and I made some amazing memories, but this year I decided to do something different…a “stay-cation”!  I’ve decided to take the opportunity to enjoy my city while my schedule is more open.

• Pamper yourself: Have a spa day! Indulge in a manicure/pedicure, massage, or facial. Just because you aren’t on a vacation in another city doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to treat yourself like a princess!
• Check out a new restaurant. Gather a group of your fellow “stay-cationers” and taste a new cuisine or new restaurant that you’ve been meaning to try but your busy schedule has prevented you from! I am looking forward to trying a new “adventurous eating” restaurant…a little nervous, but excited!
• Take time to sleep in, read a new book, and catch up on movies and TV shows you’ve missed! 
• Schedule a fun and memorable activity to do that is unique to your city! I’ve always wanted to try stand up paddle boarding, and I’m definitely going to check that out this spring break! I may even try SUP yoga:

Are you sticking around for spring break? What do you have planned to make sure you will have an amazing time? Fill me in @jordan_katherin

Spring Break!

My spring break is coming up next week and I have to stay at school for a few extra days for the annual Rollins Women’s golf tournament. A lot of girls would be upset that they have to stay on campus for a few days of their spring break, but I don’t mind!! I am super excited to spend time with the girls on my team and we hope to win the golf tournament we are hosting!! Also, the weather in Winter Park is absolutely perfect so I feel like I am on vacation at Rollins!!! Here is a picture of the girls on my team and I at Rollins!! I am the 3^rd from the left. I was talking with my Coach yesterday and I came up with the idea of Emma Graham possibly designing golf skirts for us next year!!! I thought that they would be super cute and comfy and we would stand out from all of the other girls!!!

After spending a few days at Rollins for spring break, I am heading home to sunny Jupiter, Florida!!! Jupiter is my favorite place in the whole world and I can’t wait to sleep in late, spend time with my friends and family at the beach and go out on the boat as much as possible!! I am going to wear my new “Leah” dress from Emma Graham to dinner at The Breakers in Palm Beach! Can’t wait!!

This is a perfect night in Jupiter

This is last Spring Break in Jupiter

I love to craft, ever since I have been a little girl, I have been painting on basically anything I can get my hands on.  Last week was Big/Little week for my sorority and I crafted everything in sight. Below are some of the items that I crafted for my little; these are a few of my favorites.

These are wooden letters that I made for my little Erinn, they are covered in Lilly Pulitzer wrapping paper. I bought the letters at the local Michael’s craft store, and I had the wrapping paper. I then cut the wrapping paper to the size of the letters and mod podged the paper onto the wood. I think I will be making some for myself in the near future :)

This is another thing that I painted for my little. It was a wooden plaque that I found at Hobby Lobby for $2 and I had the paint in my room from other crafts. I painted a beach scene because she is from New Jersey and loves the ocean.

This is a banner that I made for recruitment. We hung this in the foyer of our house all week for all the potential new members to see. The sheet was purchased from Hobby Lobby and so were the paints. I then drew the letters and the bow on then painted in the lines.

 As you can tell I love crafting, use these ideas to help with creating banners and fun accents for your Emma Graham Trunk shows! Happy Crafting!!

The fashion rule of white says that you can only wear white (pants, shorts, skirts, dresses) between Memorial Day and Labor Day.  Well, my spring break is before Memorial Day, and I’ve been debating whether or not to pack my white bottoms on my trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.  I abide by this rule, but is vacationing in a tropical place an exception?

I say yes.  If there are palm trees, open-air restaurants, and sunscreen is necessary even when it’s cloudy, I say wearing white is acceptable.  Wearing colors with white bottoms brightens up the whole outfit.  Since color-blocking is a popular style now, I’m not afraid to wear my white shorts with a bright top, accessorized with bright jewelry, a bright handbag, and bright wedges.

Check out the Molly top:

This would look cute with jeans, but the white pants complete the outfit and make the shirt really pop. 

I can’t wait to break out my white bottoms!  Who else is breaking this fashion rule for spring break?

As college students, many of us have faced the challenge of being away from home and embracing our new one. Whether you’ve moved across the state or across the country to attend school, creating your new space to be homey and comforting is essential to settling down on your own. Use these tips to make your apartment or dorm truly your home away from home.

1)     Put up pictures. Missing your family and friends can really bring you down, so buy a multi-picture frame and fill it up with all of your favorite people from home. Print them all out in black in white for an old-timey, classic feel, or string photos from a colored ribbon with clothes pins to give your room a burst of energy. 

2)     Use candles. Places like Bath N’ Body Works have come out with adorable candle holders to make any candle a great way to decorate. Buy an assortment of big and small ones to put on the countertop, or a big one in your favorite fragrance to light right by your bed.

3)     Buy yourself flowers! It doesn’t have to be a special occasion, flowers make any room brighter and more fun. My suggestion is to purchase fake ones and place them in a glass vase with colored marbles. Buy sunflowers to match your yellow bedspread, or big purple ones for a room that’s painted lavender.

4)     Get crafty. Hand-made crafts are often some of the best-looking decorations you can put up, and they’re also a super fun way to cure boredom! Go to a local craft store and buy wooden letters to paint your initials, or paint your own picture frame.

5)     Buy artwork. Purchase a simple painting or piece of photography to go along with the theme and feel of your room. For an old Paris theme, purchase a sepia painting of high-heeled shoes and hang on the wall with hot pink ribbon. If your room has a beachy feel, simple photography of beach scenes will work really nicely.

Utilize these helpful hints to set your place apart, give it some personality and make your college dorm or apartment feel like home, but be sure to never forget where you came from! As the famous quote goes, “Home is where the heart is!”

I finally had the opportunity to host my first Emma Graham trunk show last weekend and could not be more eager to host more. I was definitely nervous at first to be in charge of such an exciting event but I was able to host this first trunk show in my sorority house during out mom’s weekend brunch. Getting to see the new spring line and all of our promotional products for the first time in person was like Christmas morning, I couldn’t wait to show everyone the products. I learned a lot of information about the products during this first trunk show that I wanted to share with you all!

The most important issue that I wanted to figure out right away was the fit of the clothes. The dress and skirt that I have from Emma Graham fit very true to size but I wasn’t sure if that is how everything always fit or if my body type just worked in my favor this time. So during the trunk show I was thrilled to have girls of different body types and sizes try the clothes on so I could get a better understanding and be able to help everyone make a better decision when shopping, especially online, which can be tricky.

What I found is that the pieces truly do fit true to size, which was a very helpful finding. The only issue girls tended to run into would be with the strapless dresses if their waist and bust proportions didn’t go along perfectly with the dress, but I found that if you just go with the size that fits your waist the best the bust can be adjusted easily. That being the only issue I ran into, I felt that the day was definitely a home run.

Also, girls if you are looking for the most popular up and coming looks for spring definitely look into the Griffin dress, the Lauren dress, the Leah dress, and the Sammi skirt. Girls could not stop saying enough good things about the new linen material. I see these pieces doing very well this spring season! Along with the pieces made with the linen material the most popular piece of the whole trunk show was the Jordan dress! This came as no surprise because who wouldn’t love this simple and figure flattering dress with the added trim detail along the bottom.

I can’t wait to have my next trunk show and continue to introduce Emma Graham to Indiana Univerysity!

Spring Fever

 I keep seeing a pin on pinterest that says, “I’ll do anything to look skinny except eat healthy and workout.” Oh, how we all identify with that statement!

It is that time of year; spring break is right around the corner and summer will be here before we know it. The same thought is on everyone’s minds: “Getting fit and ‘bikini ready’.” Time to get in shape; time to eat healthy; time to loose that extra winter layer.

There is roughly a month before spring break, and guess what? It takes 21 days to form a habit! So here are some tips to jumpstart you to a life of healthy living:

o   Set goals: You can set your goal of, “I want to [be] _________ by _____________ as your long term goal. But set smaller, attainable daily and weekly goals. Make sure your goals are realistic for your body type; a tall, athletically built woman will achieve different results than a petit woman.

o   Challenge yourself, but don’t force yourself: Don’t start full force on the first day; getting burned out too quickly because your body can’t handle what you think you should be able to do is a sure way of quitting before you achieve your goals. You have to build up stamina throughout your body and before you know it, you’ll have mastered that 5+ mile run. 

o   Train with people who have similar mindsets. What I mean by this is that you should train with people who have a positive perspective about health and fitness. Negativity is the killer of most things that are really good for us.

o   Accountability: I currently have two girls, Laine and Mary Cullen, who help me stay accountable, and we have a common goal: running the Music City half marathon at the end of April.  Their encouragement is what keeps me going.

o   Don’t do it for anyone else but YOU.

Let your mindset be an overall interest in treating your body in the best way possible and developing good habits while your body is still capable of rigorous workouts. Be creative with your workout sessions: do circuit one day, then hike the next; do yoga then zumba and go for a run outside instead of on the treadmill. Your body will thank you for consistently flushing out unwanted toxins, and while you’re at it, drinking lots of water! Feel free to post comments about your creative fitness ideas. Happy living!

As I was walking to class today, I noticed these adorable little red dresses painted on the windows of many local boutiques. Anticipating a shopping event in the future, I excitedly Googled it and discovered that these little red dresses were a symbol of Women’s Heart Health month! The campaign is called “Go Red for Women” and is designed to bring awareness to women’s heart health at any age during the month of February.

Heart disease prevention tips for women in their 20’s include keeping a healthy lifestyle that incorporates a good diet, exercise, and regular visits to the doctor. I’m certainly no expert and try to challenge myself every day to be healthier, but here are some of my tips:

-Find a type of exercise that you enjoy! I have recently discovered hot yoga and can’t get enough. It’s easier to motivate yourself to be active if you genuinely look forward to the activity that you choose!

-If you have your own kitchen, learn how to cook a few healthy meals that can be back ups when you are super busy but want to stay healthy. If you live in the dorms, hit up the salad bar when you first walk in to the cafeteria. Chances are, after you finish your salad, you will be less tempted by the chicken fingers and French fries that originally would have been hard to resist. 

-Set limits for yourself before a night out. If you set expectations for your night, you can still enjoy yourself and maintain your healthy lifestyle!

-Don’t be hard on yourself! If you set goals that are too extreme you will get frustrated and give up! Celebrate your little victories, and take it day by day.

Do you have any tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle with a hectic college schedule? Are you participating in the Women’s Heart Health Month?

Visit www.goredforwomen.org

Fill me in on Twitter: @jordan_katherin

When Red Carpet Inspiration Meets the Realities of a College Budget

In light of the Grammy’s hosted on February 12, I had a thought — every girl loves to watch their favorite celebrities float down the red carpet in a stunning, couture gown, dripping in diamonds and beautiful heels. The sad reality is, most college girls aren’t these types of celebrities. While one may not have the killer voice of Adele or the dance moves of Jennifer Lopez, she can still easily mimic the looks of these Hollywood stars on a dorm-room budget.

What I find that always works is balancing the budget and focusing on the most important. First- the dress. Whether you spend $30 on a dress or $300 for your next formal/cocktail-esque event, make sure the fit is perfect. Any type of pulling or bunching on the dress takes the eye away from how pretty it is and draws it to where the dress is too tight or too big! Many times, I myself have bought a dress that was on a clearance rack and a size too big. Simply take it to the tailor for a few alterations, and you have a brand new dress on a better budget!

As for accessories, determine how extreme you want to get by using the dress as a scale. If the dress is patterned, go simpler with the jewelry. If the dress is a solid color, get creative with the jewelry! No need to flaunt the crown jewels and drain your bank account to look good in jewelry, because it is so easy to find jewelry on a budget today. I find great earrings and necklaces at small costume jewelry boutiques, as well as stores like Forever 21, TJ MAXX, Marshalls, etc.

And finally, the shoes! Keep the basic staples of cocktail footwear always on hand- a pair of nude pumps and a pair of black ones. Whether it is spring, summer, fall, or winter, you cannot go wrong! From there, you can get creative as you would like, just always remember to balance wild shoes with a simple dress, or simple shoes with a wild dress. Red carpet, anyone?