Fall Friday: The Foliage

As you may or may not know, fall is my favorite season. I wanted to write a first-day-of-fall post last weekend to celebrate, but there was something more important I wanted to share with you first. Now that fall is in full swing, I think I'll share my appreciate for the beauty of autumn with a series of "Fall Fridays." Each week, I hope to highlight one thing I love about fall. Of course, I had to start with the gorgeous foliage:

Left column: 1 | 2 | 3                                                                    Right column: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

As someone who spent most of her formative years in California—where the trees are green and then dead and then green again—my appreciation for the changing of the leaves in other parts of the country has only deepened over time. And I don't even mind raking them up! It's a small price to pay for natural beauty.

So tell me, what is your favorite part about fall?

Photo a Day: August

Now that it's almost time to share my snapshots from September, I'm finally getting my August photo a day challenge up! I was doing pretty well until I hit the road for my first month as a Leadership Consultant, and then I started failing pretty miserably. Here's what I was able to capture last month:

Summer Book Challenge Final Scoreboard

Source: date-a-girl-who-reads.tumblr.com via Megan on Pinterest

Wow, I have been a terrible hostess this past month. I truly do apologize, and I appreciate all your feedback on this challenge! I believe I will do a winter challenge, but this time I will only host monthly check-ins. I'm planning on November 1 through January 31, as this will allow participating students to get plenty of reading in during the holiday breaks. :) I will be contacting the first five finishers of the summer challenge today to get their categories for the winter challenge! If anyone else has any ideas for challenge categories, please leave them in the comments.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for ... the final scoreboard for the Semi-Charmed Summer Book Challenge! Thanks again to everyone who participated. I loved seeing the variety of books you chose, and I found quite a few books to add to my own to-read list. A special congratulations is in order for the six participants who were able to finish the entire challenge! Sadly, I was not one of those six. (Although I did finally finish the first Lord of the Rings book last week. Score!)

1. Momma Sunshine @ Cross-Stitching Diva — 200 (DONE: First finisher.)
2. Heather @ A Cupcake Love Affair — 200 (DONE: Second finisher.)
3. Nova @ My Seryniti — 200 (DONE: Third finisher.)
4. Cristina @ Bonjour, Je M'appelle Cristina — 200 (DONE: Fourth finisher.)
5. Hannah on Goodreads — 200 (DONE: Fifth finisher.)
6. Scribacchina @ Parole/Words — 200 (DONE: Sixth finisher.)
7. Amanda @ Down to Sanity — 175  
8. TiggerRD on Goodreads — 175
9. Megan @ Semi-Charmed Kind of Life (host) — 145 
10. Lindsay @ Lindsay in Progress — 145   
11. Pinar @ Pinuccia's World of Books — 145
12. Joslin @ Joslin as Mrs. Williams — 140
13. Stacey @ Stacey's Daze — 115
14. Jessica @ Sweet Green Tangerine — 105   
15. Jessica @ Eternally Enlisted — 100
16. Darlene @ Darlene's Book Nook — 95  
17. Book Dragon @ Book Dragon's Lair — 80 
18. Laura Swan — 80
19. Karstrel @ Infusions of Wit From an Everyday Girl — 80
20. Jen @ Grown in Southern Ground — 80
21. Jo @ In Which We Start Anew — 75 
22. Rebecca @ Garrulous and Bookish — 70
23. Sarah @ Books, Jeans, and Awesome — 70
24. Reading After Bedtime — 60
25. Erinn @ It's the Journey — 60 
26. Jessica @ Random Thoughts — 55  
27. Amanda @ Words From My Heart — 55 
28. Gabs @ Novel Ideas — 50
29. Amy @ Delightful Witticisms — 50
30. Michelle @ Book Crazy — 45
31. Kevin @ The Blog of the System — 45 
32. Sarah @ The Roaring Twenties — 40
33. Annie @ Explanniefyfed — 40
34. Angie @ Angels are Kids and Furkids — 40 
35. Patty @ Pitter from Patty — 40
36. Kelsey @ All-American Girl Living the Dream — 40 
37. Jennifer S. — 35
38. Abby S. on Goodreads — 35
39. Tina @ Like Ordinary Life — 30
40. Jenna @ Cannery Row Reads — 25
41. Becky Ingle — 20
42. Amanda @ Amanda's Weekly Zen — 15
43. Sary @ Some People Use Their Imagination — 15 
44. Michelle @ The True Book Addict — 15
45. Whitney @ The Observant Turtle — 10
46. Katrina @ Elements of Fun — 10 
47. Erin J. on Goodreads — 5
48. Caroline @ Carenpants — 0

What's wrong with being a sorority girl?

My first few months of traveling as a Leadership Consultant for Alpha Delta Pi have been primarily filled with recruitment visits. In preparation for the recruitment period, many chapters talk about what their sorority means to them and what they are looking for in their new members. A common theme I have found among the schools I've visited is that the women do not think of themselves as "sorority girls." In fact, they pride themselves on not being "sorority girls." To this, I have two reactions:

1. Most obviously: A) You are a woman. B) You are in a sorority. Therefore, you are a "sorority girl" (or, as I prefer to say, sorority woman).

2. More importantly: When people say they're not a "sorority girl," what are they really saying? They're probably saying they are not Elle Woods, right? (Although, Elle did graduate with honors from Harvard Law, so I'm not sure what's so wrong with being her....)

Source: justanothersouthernbelle.tumblr.com via Alice on Pinterest

I understand why people think of sorority girls as blonde bimbos; that's how we are portrayed in the media. However, I always like to remind the women in the chapters I visit to look at our creed, and then tell me why they don't want to be "sorority girls."

What is wrong with wanting to serve mankind selflessly?

     What is wrong with being a courageous and confident leader?

          What is wrong with focusing on scholarship and relationships?

               What is wrong with striving to do your best in everything you undertake?

If being in a sorority were about clothes and make-up, I never would have joined. Luckily, that is not what being in a sorority is about ... at all. It's about forming lasting friendships with women who share the same values I do. It's about developing my own personality and character into a strong, independent woman. It's about philanthropy and community service and learning to value the needs of others. It's about realizing my own true potential and finding the motivation and support to live up to that potential. I firmly believe that if sorority women everywhere realize this is what sorority life is about—not all the superficial stuff that is shown on television—that understanding will lead them to achieve rich and useful lives.

Image via the Alpha Delta Pi Pinterest account

Edited to add: I'm linking up this old post for the "Greek is Greek" link-up (hosted Wednesday, August 7, 2013). Click the button below to meet fellow Greek bloggers and read about their sorority experiences! And if you haven't yet, be sure to check out Being Greek: A Sisterhood of Bloggers.

Together can never be close enough for me ...

... to feel like I am close enough to you.

2005 — Freshman year track practice

2006 — High school junior formal

2007 — High school senior formal

2008 — High school senior prom

2009 — His sister's wedding

2010 — New Year's vacation in Kauai

2011 — My college graduation

2012 — A friend's wedding

Happy anniversary to my high school sweetheart! When you asked me to be your girlfriend eight years ago, I had no idea you would speak at Baccalaureate with me, attend my sorority formals and college graduation, or put your creeping skills to use to send me flowers at the university I'm currently visiting halfway across the country. :) I never dreamed I would watch you catch a pass in a college football game, spend New Year's Eve in Hawaii with you or celebrate an eight-year anniversary. I can't wait for our long-distance days to end! I love you!

Note: Post title from this song. But no, this is not a proposal!

Summer Book Challenge: Final Post!

Source: megancstroup.tumblr.com via Megan on Pinterest

First: My apologies for being late with this final check-in! I am interested to see how many categories everyone was able to get to and hear your feedback on the challenge. Second: Several of you have already asked if I am doing another book challenge (thanks for your support!). I would love to, but my blogging has obviously fallen by the wayside lately so I don't know if I would be a good hostess. I am considering creating a challenge without the weekly updates. I might do monthly check-ins or I might just ask at the end of the challenge what you were able to read. Would any participants be interested in that?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments, and please also update me on your final point tally. Check in on this post by Saturday, September 8, if you want your final score announced on Sunday. (Scribacchina and Darlene, I saw that you posted your final results on another post and I will update the final list accordingly!) Please only count books that you finished at or before 11:59 p.m. on September 1. :)

1. Momma Sunshine @ Cross-Stitching Diva — 200 (DONE: First finisher.)
2. Heather @ A Cupcake Love Affair — 200 (DONE: Second finisher.)
3. Nova @ My Seryniti — 200 (DONE: Third finisher.)
4. Cristina @ Bonjour, Je M'appelle Cristina — 200 (DONE: Fourth finisher.)
5. Hannah on Goodreads — 200 (DONE: Fifth finisher.)
6. Amanda @ Down to Sanity — 175  
7. Scribacchina @ Parole/Words — 170
8. Megan @ Semi-Charmed Kind of Life (host) — 145 
9. Lindsay @ Lindsay in Progress — 145  
10. Joslin @ Joslin as Mrs. Williams — 140 
11. TiggerRD on Goodreads — 125  
12. Stacey @ Stacey's Daze —115
13. Jessica @ Sweet Green Tangerine — 105   
14. Jessica @ Eternally Enlisted —100
15. Darlene @ Darlene's Book Nook — 95  
16. Book Dragon @ Book Dragon's Lair — 80 
17. Laura Swan — 80
18. Karstrel @ Infusions of Wit From an Everyday Girl — 80
19. Jo @ In Which We Start Anew — 75 
20. Pinar @ Pinuccia's World of Books — 75
21. Rebecca @ Garrulous and Bookish — 70
22. Sarah @ Books, Jeans, and Awesome — 70
23. Reading After Bedtime — 60
24. Erinn @ It's the Journey — 60 
25. Jessica @ Random Thoughts — 55  
26. Amanda @ Words From My Heart — 55 
27. Gabs @ Novel Ideas — 50
28. Amy @ Delightful Witticisms — 50
29. Jen @ Grown in Southern Ground — 50 
30. Michelle @ Book Crazy — 45
31. Kevin @ The Blog of the System — 45 
32. Sarah @ The Roaring Twenties — 40
33. Annie @ Explanniefyfed — 40
34. Angie @ Angels are Kids and Furkids — 40 
35. Patty @ Pitter from Patty — 40
36. Kelsey @ All-American Girl Living the Dream — 40 
37. Jennifer S. — 35
38. Abby S. on Goodreads — 35
39. Tina @ Like Ordinary Life — 30
40. Jenna @ Cannery Row Reads — 25
41. Becky Ingle — 20
42. Amanda @ Amanda's Weekly Zen — 15
43. Sary @ Some People Use Their Imagination — 15
44. Whitney @ The Observant Turtle — 10
45. Katrina @ Elements of Fun — 10 
46. Erin J. on Goodreads — 5
47. Caroline @ Carenpants — 0
48. Michelle @ The True Book Addict — 0