The Good Girl Gone Blog

Vanilla Coffee Glazed Carrots May 21, 2013

Allow me to let you in on a little secret- I love carrots. It's quite possible that they're my favorite vegetable, and I like them in everything from matzah ball soup (2 matzah balls, extra carrots, minimal broth) to souffles. As long as they're cooked, I'll probably like them.

This coffee + carrot dish was inspired by a tip on the bottle of Dave's Vanilla Coffee Syrup, a delicious blend of cane sugar, cold brewed coffee and madagascar vanilla that we keep handy in the fridge. You can use it to flavor milk, pour over ice cream, add to cocktails and more! Plus, it's made locally in Rhode Island and contains no high fructose corn syrup or unpronounceable chemicals.

The recipe itself is super simple, involves minimal prep work and just a few ingredients. The combination of coffee and vanilla is sweet yet not overpowering, so this dish will be a hit even among those non-coffee drinkers. Enjoy!

Ingredients

- Carrots (peeled and cut into strips)

- Butter

- 1/4 cup water

- 2-3 Tbsp. Dave's Vanilla Coffee Syrup

Instructions

- Saute carrots in butter until they begin to brown.

- Add mixture of water and syrup to coat carrots.

- Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.

- Uncover and let glaze reduce to desired consistency.

- Add carrots  to a serving dish and cover with any excess glaze.

Tough Proud Brave Free Boston May 19, 2013

There are so many parts of this outfit that I love- I hope that's ok to say! It's an outfit full of favorite pieces- my go-to Kate Spade bag, my new neon cardigan (on sale!), my swapped wide leg jeans, my favorite summer wedges and of course my new Honoring Boston t-shirt.

The shirt itself is more than just a conversation starter. Rue La La, a Boston-based flash sale site, sold these limited edition t-shirts after the Boston Marathon Bombing- all net proceeds went to the Emergency Medicine Fund at Massachusetts General Hospital. I'm not much of a t-shirt person, but I am definitely a Boston person. It's been so amazing to see this city come together after a horrible tragedy- I truly am proud to be a Boston gal. You know that saying about wearing your heart on your sleeve? Well, I'm wearing mine across my chest- Boston, I love you.

I'm sure a bunch of local bloggers/readers have this shirt as well. If you do, I'd love to see how you styled it! Feel free to send me a picture via email or leave a link if you've blogged about it.

Stylish Summer Jellies May 16, 2013

Oh jellies, though we typically associate you with childhood memories of summers past, you're back, cuter than ever and no longer just for the kids. I scoured the web and found a variety of styles, colors, prices and even heel heights. There are so many options, now to just pick a favorite...which style do you love best?

Crispy Sweet Potato Fries + Spicy Raspberry Sauce May 14, 2013

This past weekend was full of cleaning, cooking and a House of Cards marathon. We made a few dishes, including a nut-free pesto (using sunflower seeds), the sweet potato fries above and a mint, pea + parmesan ravioli. Yum!

What makes these sweet potato fries so crispy is that they're dipped in a whipped egg white and flour batter, fried in super hot oil, cooled and re-fried!

The dipping sauce sort of came together last minute while Eric was doing the second round of frying. Inspired by a strawberry habañero sauce I'd had at The Friendly Toast, I decided to try my own sauce that combined sweet and spicy. I blended together the following ingredients, to taste:

- Non-fat greek yogurt

- Apple Wine Vinegar with Lingonberries  (from IKEA)

- Oil

- Salt

- Pepper

-  1/2 Jalapeño

- Brown Sugar

- A few frozen raspberries

Next time, I think I'll add more jalapeño for even more kick!

Add some Zing to your Beauty Routine with Origins May 09, 2013

As many of you know, I was sick with a nasty cold for about a week before and after the Blog Better Boston: Style Summit. Normally, I would have stayed home in bed watching tv and getting lots of fluids, but when you're the co-founder of a blogger event company, you can't just not attend your own events! Needless to say, it was a tough, Dayquil filled week, but the conference went very well!

One day post-conference when I was still feeling lousy, I noticed someone on Twitter shared a photo of an amazing selection of Origins products from their GinZing line that she received at some sort of event. I responded by saying how jealous I was and that I could really use some 'zing in my week.

To my surprise, Origins responded to my tweet and offered to send me some free product, no strings attached. Boy was I ecstatic! A few days later, I received a very fun package of items from their GinZing line, a collection of products that promise to give your face an energy boost. 

Let me tell you that first of all, the citrus-y smell alone is a pick me up! Add in some brightening mascara and some pretty fabulous cream shadows (I'm a convert- they're great to use as eyeliner) and you'll look as great as you feel. I normally can't stand cream shadows because they weigh down my eyelids and somehow make them itch, but not so with these products- I'm guessing it's because they're made with all of the good stuff (natural and organic ingredients and 100% natural essential oils) and none of the bad stuff (parabens, phthalates, etc).

I highly recommend you try this product line. My only (small!) gripe is that the moisturizer doesn't contain sunscreen. I'm OBSESSED with my current nighttime moisturizer (also from Origins) but rely on something with SPF during the day. If I want to wear the GinZing as a daytime option, I'll have to layer on sunscreen as well.

Below you'll find my favorite products from Origins, many of which I've purchased on my own, so you know they're good!

Disclosure: Origins provided me with these products for free, but they did not ask me to do anything in return. In fact, they sent them without a note, so I don't even know who to thank!

LuLu*s Little Red Dress May 01, 2013

Dress, shoes, necklace c/o LuLu*s | Purse- Kate Spade Outlet (similar) | Sweater- Gap (swapped!)

Here's what I wore to the Blog Better Boston: Style Summit. Everything except the bag and sweater were gifted to me by one of our conference sponsors, LuLu*s! 

If you haven't checked them out yet, I highly recommend it. There are tons of options to fit almost anyone's style, whether you're boho, girly, edgy or a little bit of everything. I would pay special attention to the shoe selection- these babies are Kelsi Dagger and they were so comfy. I was running around all day at the conference and never once felt the need to take them off, and that's saying something.

The dress is super fun and very lightweight, but it definitely requires a slip to combat static. Though the dress was a good fit overall, it drooped a little in the shoulder/chest area, so in a pinch I pinned it with safety pins. I'll be taking it to the tailor soon for a more professional solution. You coudn't tell though, could you?

So...do you like?

* Thanks to LuLu*s for providing my outfit for the Style Summit. All opinions are my own.

LOFT Grand Re-opening Party April 29, 2013

Just a few snaps from LOFT's grand re-opening party at the Prudential Center, hosted by Blog Better Boston (aka me + Amy) and the adorable girls behind Holly Dolly and So Anthro. We had an absolute blast chatting with local blogger friends, readers and other stylish Bostonians.Their latest collection is very colorful and on-trend. I love their maxi dresses (available in petite- woo!) and shorts, especially. It was great to see so many of my favorite local ladies, plus LOFT gave all of the hostesses a gift card to buy an outfit for the event. I was immediately drawn to the dress I chose (above left, available here), and Amy helped find a matching belt.

Because LOFT always seems to be having some sort of sale, it's always great to pop back in every few weeks to see what amazing deals you can score. In fact, it looks like my dress is now available at 40% off!  I just might have to pick up a new pair of sunglasses because they had so many to choose from! Here's Holly rocking a pair- we had a blast goofing off and posing in different options:

Thanks to Amy for putting this event together and for getting Blog Better Boston involved. On a side note, I'm THRILLED that we finally took a good picture together. In the entire history of Blog Better Boston, we had yet to actually take a nice photo together- this one is from Amy's blog:

I'm wearing: Dress, Belt c/o LOFT | Shoes c/o Shoeline (similar)

* I was not compensated to host this event, but I was given a gift card to purchase an outfit in exchange for hosting/promoting the event.

The Perfect Bikini for your Curves April 23, 2013

Ever since watching Gidget as a teenager, I've been slightly obsessed with retro bathing suits. Not only are they extremely cute, but they're also great for us gals with curves. Enter Albion fit, a brand that truly gets it.

In addition to selling tons of cute workout clothes, they also offer a wide selection of retro-esque swimsuits that accentuate the good and hide the bad. I was immediately drawn to their high waisted bikini bottom and matching Cha-Cha-Cha ruffled bikini top in papaya. Though I typically go for most any color except orange when it comes to swimsuits, I don't actually have anything against it- if my memory serves me correctly, my current suits are black, red, purple and pink. Well, it's time to make way for orange!

When the suit arrived, it was definitely a darker/shinier orange than I had expected- it sort of reminded me of a gymnastics or dance costume, but it actually looks great on. I loved the bikini top's adjustable straps (you can change them from criss-cross to halter!) and girly ruffles, and was thrilled that upon putting the suit on, I didn't feel the least bit self concious. 

The high waisted bikini prefectly covers some problematic areas, and I'm excited to say I'm no longer dreading swimsuit season.

I'd show you pictures- but my skin is ghostly pale and I wouldn't want to scare you! I think the images from their site are a good represntation of what these suits look like on real girls. That girl in the picture above, she might as well be me.

I can't wait for the warm weather so I can bust out this brand new suit. Want to win your own? Good news, Albion Fit wants you to as well! Simply enter the rafflecopter below for your chance to be my bikini twin!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Also, you can use code goodgirl15 for $15 off purchases $50 or more through 4/27!

*Thank you Albion Fit for providing me with this adorable bikini. I was not compensated for my review and opinions are entirely my own.

An Urban Oasis April 16, 2013

Walks in the arboretum are slowly becoming one of my favorite parts of living in Roslindale. Sure, I often pass up the opportunity to accompany Eric and Maggie to Peter's Hill due to sheer laziness or not wanting to go out in the cold. But whenever I do accompany them, I find myself feeling a instantly happier.

It still amazes me that such a beautiful oasis exists in the city- Boston is full of surprises. I love my city.

Spring Accessories from 'Gina Made It' March 17, 2013

Greetings! I know it's been a while. Truth be told, the last few weeks have been filled with unpacking and getting settled in the new apartment. We moved in on March 1st, but still have so much left to do.

Just wanted to share a few quick photos of these adorable headbands gifted to me by Gina Made It. I love the bright colors and the simple yet elegant knot detailing. The headbands come in tons more colors and patterns and are available for purchase online and in boutiques across the country.

If you're a Boston gal, you may have spotted them at In The Pink or Flat of the Hill. They look like the quintessential Boston accessory, which makes sense, because Gina was inspired by her New England school days!

A bit more about the brand:

"As a curly haired girl, I always kept an eye out for comfortable headbands to help with those unruly hair days, or to keep the beach breeze from creating a wispy mess! My own line of headbands started after years of creating decorative party headbands for birthday girls and brides-to-be. My younger sister, who at the time was a senior at Marymount School of NY started wearing them to class and girlfriends began asking her where she got her headband.

Mimi’s response: “Gina Made It!”

Will I be wearing my headbands post-review? Sadly, I can't really handle a "hard" headband. I've attempted wearing hard headbands many times thinking "maybe it won't hurt" or "I'll just suck it up," but I know myself pretty well and don't typically choose fashion over comfort. Well, unless we're talking about shoes, and even then I'm trying to be more sensible.

I hope Gina Made It will come out with some soft, stretchy headbands because I really love the designs and the story behind the brand. I might just have to try some of her bun bows for a hint of preppy new England style.

PS- how awesome is the natural light in my new home office? I see a lot of  photo shoots in its future. Well, after I finish unpacking.

Thanks so much for sending these along, Gina Made It!

Disclaimer: I was provided 2 headbands in exchange for  a review. Opinions are my own.