why i'm a bad blogger

for the past month or so i've been the worst at keeping up with my blog.

(my friends always tease me because i always think things are the worst or the best... no in between. i live in extremes and don't believe in gray areas)

i've been such a busy, busy little bee

so the blog has been put on the back burner.

but now i'm back in action!

today i offer you all some snippets of what i've been up to lately!

sorority recruitment literally consumed my life for about two weeks. but now i'm done! and we recruited 44 amazingly incredible new members. couldn't be happier we got them, and couldn't be happier that recruitment is over! tonight my escapades commence once again! though i am a little bit sad that i am forever done with the chanting, stomping, and bumping. my sorority and the friends i've made mean so much to me and i'll certainly be sad to take alum status at the end of the year.

aside from recruitment, i've been trying (largely unsuccessfully) to keep up with school. oh well, that's what weekdays are for, right? i've also been running a lot, and am looking to start training for a 5k or 10k. i think i need to give myself a concrete goal to work toward. with recruitment and school starting at the same time, i haven't really had the chance to relax or anything, so this weekend i plan on catching up on jersey shore and true blood and gettin' my dance on, of course.

i love love love three day weekends! what are you all up to?

You got your sundress on for game day, just to drink beer on an old tailgate

Somethin' bout a good ol' country song that makes me want to be a real Southern belle (and not just the one I play in the movie in my head). Luke Bryan's Sorority Girl makes me desperately long for sweet tea on a wrap-around porch and a Southern gentleman to call my very own.

Plus, it's catchy as hell (even if it doesn't mention my affiliation). And I do wear sundresses on game day, just to drink beer at a tailgate. So maybe I'm not so not-Southern after all.

Perhaps it's the fact that in just a while I'll be on a plane to sororityland for the weekend (is it bad that I'm most excited about a tour of my national headquarters?!), but this song is my jam right now.

The violet--the official sorority flower of Sigma Kappa

The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch swing with, never say a word, then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation that you ever had.

-anonymous

Tomorrow I'm off to Indianapolis for my sorority's yearly meeting.

Convention looming on the horizon has made me ponder life and friendship.

A lot of people accuse members of the Greek community of "buying their friends"

but in my opinion nothing could be further from the truth.

The friends, nay, best friends I've made in my chapter are the people I was destined to be friends with.

These women will be in my wedding,

know my children (if that happens),

and know my deepest secrets even when we've grown up and apart.

I cherish the memories I've made with them,

and am so grateful that I have another year of memories to create.

My sorority's open motto is one heart one way

and that truly resonates in my mind.

Friends share a heart, a pathway, and a bond so deep that it cannot be broken

no matter what times and circumstances do to rip it apart.

I am so grateful for my friends,

and cannot wait to meet my sisters from all around the country this weekend.

#sosorority

The Semester in Review

I literally cannot believe the spring semester is over. Time sure flies.

So here's my breakdown:

This semester was by far my worst

and conclusively my best

semester I've had as a student at Cal.

Why the worst, you ask?

I battled minor depression (but I admit it, so I feel like that's a positive thing)

My beloved grandpa passed away

My three best friends were 21 and could go fun places without me

Becoming president of my sorority was in a lot of ways a huge mistake and it was really really hard on me at first (and continues to be, but I have learned to handle it better)

Why the best, then?

I rocked all my midterms/papers (earned an A on every single one!)

I finally FINALLY made exercise a part of my life. It's not something I have to do; it's something I want to do. It's helped me lose some weight, but most importantly it has helped me love my body

My sister Kendall got into almost all the schools she applied to, and I'm so excited to say she'll be joining me in the Pac 10 next year! Bears > Huskies ;)

I've begun to navigate my way around this blogging world, and I've found such an amazing support system and endless source of entertainment

But most of all, I've figured out how to be me in this world.

Despite the tears and stress of this semester, I am grateful for it all. I hope I never go through so many tough things at one time every again, but I will also be forever glad I learned so much about myself.

I am so excited about all the prospects of senior year! Lighter course load, getting a job, being 21, and making the most of the last year of the best time of my life. I am enjoying summer so far, but cannot wait for senior year to be here already.

want some cute jewelry for a good cause?

Hello blog friends!

My sorority is doing an online jewelry fundraiser to benefit the Alzheimer's Association of America. Over the course of our history, Sigma Kappa has raised over $1 million for this worthy cause.

If you'd like to help us out, please visit http://www.stelladot.com/sites/shainahaller and choose something fabulous :) Any of their pieces would be the perfect Mother's Day gift or go splendidly with a summery floral dress. Plus, you're helping out people across the nation who are battling such an awful disease.

Here's how the fundraiser works:

• Visit the link above
• In the top right of the home page, you'll see "find your hostess." Click it.
• Type in first name Berkeley and click search
• Select Berkeley SK as your hostess
• Shop til you drop!

100% of the proceeds from our online store go to our foundation. Every little bit helps!

Thanks everyone :)