well i passed down my lavalier only bc it was gold.. and i dont wear gold. So since then it has been passed on.. kind of funny that I didnt mean to start a tradition.

Our familiy wears the diagonal lavalier as well only. So its a family tradition to have that one. I bought myself a silver diagonal one. I think that I am going to buy a straight down one as well next time I am in town just bc I like that style as well.

At our school, hardly anyone gets the lettered lavalieres. We all get medallion ones that can be engraved front and back. The big sis has to buy the lavalieres for their littles b/c everyone keeps their own! My family always gets the initials engraved on the back in a certain way.

I'll admit that this was many moons ago, but my chapter's tradition was to pass on the arrow lavalier to your little. Most of us would then buy our own but at least for that year you wore the one that your family had worn. I know the Greek Letter or medallian lavaliers are more popular today but I still prefer (and still wear) my arrow. Why? It is a more subtle declaration of support and loyalty that is more appropriate for alums and the work environment.

Slight hikack...

I wear my lavalier almost everyday. I only ever take it off when I know I'm going to the bar, or whatnot.
I wear it all the time at work and no one notices. When people do notice they are always asking me what it says. I think because GLO's are not as prevelant in Canada nobody really recognizes my lavalier as greek letter. I think they think it's some sort of funky design.

It's good to know that the other chapter of Pi Phi are crazy gift givers, too! I have soooo much Pi Phi stuff from my big and my grandbig. Every week, new members have a "secret sister" who leaves a little gift and a note on the new member board for them in addition to their "guardian angel" who spends time with them one day (going out to coffee, having the new member over to the house for lunch, etc.).

For big sis pick-up we go all out. In fact, I am picking up my first little in nine days (not that I'm counting or anything....) and I am SO excited! I already have some ideas of what to get her, but I am always looking for more. :)

In answer to the family tree question a few posts back, we always make our littles something with their family tree one it, at least a few generations back. My big made me a poster with our tree on it, and I am making my little a pillow with our tree on it, probably only back to her great-grand big because it's not a very large pillow!

At my chapter, we also do disks instead of lavalieres. They are small, round silver or gold disks that you hang on a chain. Your big sis gets it for you sometime after your initiation (I didn't get mine until Christmas the next year, it was a family tradition).... Generally, they have letters on the front and "Pi Phi love, big sis whomever" on the back.

Now I'm just rambling.

I've had two littles and I LOVE big/little sis week!

One of my favorite things that I did for my first little was to get a puzzle meant for little kids (with like 20 pieces). I wrote clues on the back and gave her a few pieces each day. I wrote some of the clues so that they were on two or three pieces, so it didn't make guessing too easy! I thought that it was pretty fun! And I made the clues hard-- stuff that I knew she wouldn't know about me or things that would make her think it was someone else.

I'm so excited because one of my littles is getting a new little in just over a week. She is great! I can't wait to give her all the presents I've collected for her!

what neat ideas! we always did a disk pendant with our greek letters on the front and your initials, your big's initials and your initation date on the back. I wore it all four years of college and still break it out sometimes because it's so pretty.

LilSIs Gifts
 

I went to contemporarysororityscrapbooks.com and bought the scrapbook The Initiate for my niece this year and she loved it. The scrapbook has printed pages that capture everything from pledge retreat, date parties, formal etc. plus blank pages for her to design as well... getting another one for my cousin this year. Anyway, it was a really great scrapbook and made a great gift... good luck!

Fergie
A-Phi

Wine&SilverBlue,
Omg your gifts are AWESOME!! Hopefully I'll be getting a little in the fall and I want to use some of your ideas.

for my little sis
 

I found that making stuff was a lot better and added a more personal touch when it came to little stuff. I started collecting pi phi stuff the summer before so by the time i got my wonderful little in teh spring i had a bunch of things for her. a few original ideas i had were....

i bought angel lollipop molds and then some blue and red chocolate and made her some angel pops.
i also bought an arrow mold and made wine and silver blue soap, made it myself and had a blast doing it.

my favorite idea was to make her an angel cake. Below is the finished product and inside was a bunch of clues about me( i printed them out and then wrapped them in tin foil).

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a3...2/angecake.jpg

I thought it was bad luck to buy yourself a lavalier. It's always supposed to be a gift.