10 Etsy Shops We Love

1. Beach Blues, 2. Charm & Gumption, 3. Pencil Shavings Studio, 4. Kidecals, 5. Charlie's Nest, 6. Betawife, 7. Silhouette Blue, 8. Saddle Shoe Signs, 9. Junghwa, 10. Shugabee Lane

We love Etsy, you love Etsy, everyone loves Etsy!  Etsy has become a phenomenon with over 15 million active sellers as of the end of last year and it is only consistently growing with 690,000 new sellers every month!  Out of all of the shops on Etsy, we have our Top 10 favorite Etsy shops that we love that we know our readers would love!

Whether you're getting your best friend a personalized jewelry from Junghwa or decorating your new dorm room or your office with some Marquee Lights from Saddle Shoe Signs or a Chalk Board from Shugabee Lane!  Check it out and make sure to comment below to tell us your favorite Etsy shop!

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

DIY Instagram Canvas

With all of the cute photo editing apps out there, we are so obsessed with our Instagram (@thesororitysecrets)  photos and couldn't help but think they should be featured on more than just our Instagram account. How cool would that be to actually bring your Instagram photos from your phones to your home walls as a pretty piece of art? We have seen several renditions of this type of masterpiece so with some Modge Podge, paint brushes, a canvas, and our awesome Instagram photos, we decided to craft this up ourselves. In just a few quick steps, you can have an Instagram Canvas decorating your home!

Materials:

• Modge Podge Matte-Mat-Mate
• Paint brush
• Blank canvas (any size you prefer)
• Printed Instagram photos (photo paper preferred)

*You can find all of these materials at Michael's Craft Store.

Step 1: Print your photos on photo paper (this helps the Modge Podge to stick better). If you don't have photo paper, print the pictures straight from your computer to a piece of paper.

Step 2: Arrange your photos on the canvas until you find a layout that you love!

Step 3: Using your paintbrush, lift each photo one-by-one and coat the surface of the canvas with the Modge Podge.

Step 4: Press each photo into the canvas. For extra assurance it is on tight, add another coat of the Modge Podge to the picture (it will dry pretty quickly).

Masterpiece complete!

Top 12 Best Back to School Home Decor Stores

Picture taken from: Home Goods

Back to school doesn't just mean new clothes and new school supplies, it also means a new room look! Moving into a dorm or settling into a new apartment with your friends/sisters is an exciting experience and we remember those days like it was yesterday. Nothing was more fun than deciding how to decorate our rooms, so we thought we would compile a list of our go-to home decor stores that are super trendy and budget friendly. If you're big on fun home accessories, then ROSS, TJ Maxx, and Marshall's Home Goods store are the perfect places for fine pieces like eccentric table figurines, lamps, and art work. For generous bedding selections JC Penney, Bed, Bath & Beyond and Target are our definite first stops. We have a recent obsession, however, with Kohl's Lauren Conrad Bedding! Think vintage meets girl next door--you'll love it! It is no surprise that IKEA is our favorite furniture store. Whether you need furniture for your living room or bedroom, IKEA has just what you need right down to your silverware (just be prepared to be exhausted...they have multiple levels and selections for days!). IKEA is not the only credible furniture store; Karen has had a lot of luck at Ashley Furniture. They ship to almost anywhere and have a pretty large selection, especially affordable mattresses. If you're on a tighter budget, check out Big Lots for cheaper, yet reasonable every day furniture. For our full list of our favorite home decor stores, check it out below!

1. Target
2. Big Lots
3. Ashley Furniture
4. Ross
5. TJ Maxx
6. JC Penney
7. Bed Bath & Beyond
8. IKEA
9. Home Goods
10. Kohls
11. Dania
12. Walmart

Which one of these is your favorite back-to-school home decor store? Do you have any other home decor stores that didn't make our list? Let us know by leaving a comment below or emailing us at secret@thesororitysecrets.com!

Summer Home Style

Threshold Pintuck Toss Pillow. Ombre Glass Lamp Base - Gully Gold. Seaside Oasis Collection. Stoneware Canister with Lid.

Summer serves up hot afternoons, sand between your toes, and ice cold lemonade. We are so ready to recreate the summer style in our homes that we got so excited when we recently picked up Target's catalog that debuted collections from their home decor line, Threshold. The catalog featured their spring collection and a taste of their summer collection. This summer, it's all about adding character to your home and everything in the line is inspirational and affordable! We are all about spending on a budget and this collection does just that. Mixing classic pieces with a modern twist or implementing the modern beach-inspired accents seems like the right themes for Summer 2013. Take a classic pillow and add an ombre style and you have the Ombre Glass Lamp Base - Gully Gold. Take a simple coral figure and you have the cutest beach-inspired side table accent. The Threshold Collection doesn't hold back, and neither should your place this summer. Welcome summer into your home by exploring the collection with us!

The Staple Scent

 Candle: Voluspa Vervaine Olive Leaf

A pretty smelling home is a happy home! We can't tell you how many candles we've purchased in the past that have smelled amazing in the store, but then when we burned them at home, we couldn't smell them at all. Karen recently discovered Voluspa candles when she got it as a birthday present. From the second she lit the Voluspa candle, the fragrance came through so pure and strong that even when she blew it out, the scent still permeated through the room. Why are these candles different from most? We found out that Voluspa candles are made with the highest quality ingredients which include natural apricot & coconut wax (mmm!). Coconut/apricot wax candles are better quality candles because they burn brighter and longer than your average candle wax. These candles are also different with its unique, beautiful packaging- they're pretty fabulous! You can find Voluspa candles at places like Nordstrom and Saks 5th Avenue. Karen has made Voluspa candles a staple scent for her home for a pretty decent price so be sure to check it out and let us know what you think--we think you'll be obsessed too!

DIY: 3D Canvas Art

We have this thing with 3D art lately. There's something about walking into your home and feeling like you've stepped into an art museum that makes it so much more than a place with four walls. Three-dimensional art is so unique and allows your room to have some pizzazz. One of our latest DIY home decor projects to spice up our wall included a piece of canvas, paint, an empty glass bottle, and some pretty (fake) flowers.

How to make this 3-Dimensional piece of art:

Step 1: Buy a blank canvas from Joann Fabric and Craft Store or Hobby Lobby.
Step 2: With a paint brush, coat the canvas with water (this is to prepare the surface for paint).
Step 3: Pour some paint (any color) onto a palette and proceed to stroke the paint onto the canvas. For a distressed look, use a small amount of paint to coat the area of the canvas stroking up and down.
Step 4: Allow the canvas to dry.
Step 5: Take a glass jar and place it onto the painted canvas.
Step 6: Using a hot glue gun, fasten the glass jar onto the canvas.

Place flowers into the jar and hang up your masterpiece!

Wall Art

Wall decal: Blik

When Karen first moved into her apartment she was pretty apprehensive about applying paint to the walls. The fees and time involved in painting an accent wall seemed to outweigh the idea of spicing up her living room. Who would want to leave their walls plain jane though? Karen then came across a temporary, yet stylish solution: wall decals. After searching high and low, she got her wall decals from Blik. The wall decal was so easy to apply! All she needed to do was place the red circles where she wanted, press them into the wall, and then peel off the sticky adhesive. We love how the wall decal creates an interesting focal point for her living room for a fraction of the cost to paint it. Blik isn't the only store where you can find wall decals; we also found them here at Target for other parts of her apartment!

Just figure out what pattern you like and stick away!

Happy Launch Day!

The Sorority Secrets from The Sorority Secrets on Vimeo.

We've been working hard since September 2012, and the day is finally here.  Welcome to our site!  We can't wait to share our secrets with you.  Check out our video above, created by the talented Ty Sugg of TunLL Photo, Video, & Creative Arts.  

Also, a special thanks to Boutique To You for letting us use their fabulous clothes for our video shoot.  Bonus, they're giving us a special promo code just for you-- our readers!

Use the promo code Secret15 for 15% off of your entire purchase at Boutique To You.

Shabby Chic

Top: Remain (similar here).  Jeans: J Brand.  Shoes: Steven by Steve Madden (old).  Gold Bracelet: Chanel (old).  White necklace: J Crew (similar here).  Special thanks to Bonnie Radow Designs for jewelry in first image. 

Shades of white with a feminine twist, shabby chic pieces add an element of coziness to your home.  We love the lace details and frilly edges that give this look character.  An antique iron bed is the perfect backdrop for the soft bedding, and a brick accent wall adds an unexpected modern touch.  Add a bold color accent, such as a pillow or throw, to lend an eclectic feel.  That bed looks pretty comfy, we feel right at home!

We picked our favorite shabby chic finds, such as this sweet bedding from Target.  To dress up the bed and add a fun layer, we love this heirloom throw from Anthropologie.  Since every bed needs lots of pillows, we like adding one with a pop of color, such as this selection from Urban Outfitters.  We just adore this simple yet pretty look!