The Good Girl Gone Blog

So yesterday I wrote about my experiences as an intern at blogher09. Unfortunately, I forgot to include one more piece of knowledge that I acquired: not all Crocs are ugly. I know, it sounds like blasphemy! Trust me, I am NOT a fan of the Croc, or at least I wasn't, until last weekend. Even as I write this post, sitting barefoot in the office, my free pair of croc flip flops are lying under my desk. Yup. I wore my Crocs to work, and I'm not ashamed.

Sure, they're no Jimmy Choos, but they're comfy, have a lot more arch support than my regular flip flops and they're not...well, hideous! I actually stopped a blogger at the springpad booth so I could take a photo of her shoes:

Cute, right? I bet you wouldn't have guessed they were Crocs!

FYI- I've started a really awesome collection of my favorite pink things, many of which I've written about in previous Pink Thursday posts. Check it out- it's going to play a big role in my upcoming blogoversary giveaway. (Get excited!)

Hey ladies and dad...oh and my other male reader, Nathan,

I'm so sorry for my lack of posts lately. To be quite honest with you, I've been exhausted ever since blogher started. Although I tried to write the below post on Sunday evening, I accidentally refreshed my browser and two hours of work went down the drain. I did not follow the cardinal rule of writing on a computer: save, save, save. So here's to constantly saving this post as a draft. Hopefully it'll be as good as the original :(

I know you've probably read about a gazillion blogher09 recap posts, but mine is different. Yes, I am a blogger...but I'm also an intern, so when my company, springpad, offered to bring me to Chicago, I was ecstatic. Not only was I embarking on my first business trip, traveling to one of my favorite cities and getting to attend a convention made just for bloggers like me...I got to do it for free!

Here are some highlights from an intern's journey to blogher:

• Bonding with new coworkers - although I've been working with Kboss for over 9 months, T-rexa joined the company just a few weeks ago. Though we chat in the office, I definitely got to know T-rexa a lot more on this trip. We bonded over boys, hair removal and fashion faux pas. We even dressed up in wigs and aprons at the Swiffer SocialLuxe party. Who knew she was such a girly girl!

She even let me take a picture of her...err t-shirt. Check out the creative button placement!

• Hanging out with old friends- though I was psyched to be continuing my internship at springpad this summer, I definitely miss my mentors from BML. Sara and Heather inspired me to start this blog, and I'm extremely grateful to have met them. Even though Sara spent most of the time embarrassing me in front of her old coworker (read: cute, Jewish, young, single), I enjoyed every minute of it.

Check out their FABULOUS shopping blog! If you look far enough in the archives, you'll find a post or two from yours truly :)

• Meeting springpad users- a huge part of my job involves emailing bloggers who I think will enjoy springpad. It's one thing to know bloggers from their blogs and springpad profiles, but it's another to actually meet them. I'm so glad I got to meet some of my favorite users, such as Sandie, Jennie, and new users (and fellow 20 somethings), Jennifer from Free and Flawed and Jenn from Eating Bender! I'm following all of them on springpad, and you should too!

With Jennifer Perillo of In Jennie's Kitchen

• Giving out swag people actually liked- everyone thought our mini notebooks were adorable; I think the blue ones were the most popular. I also loved watching everyone oogle the Coach bag that I picked out. Some people literally came over and stroked it, it was that beautiful.

• Getting treated like a queen- maybe traveling for business is always like this, but I've never had my own king bed, let alone an entire hotel room to myself. My stuff was strewn everywhere, I took a luxurious bath and watched TV at 6:15 am. I even got a bouquet of flowers delivered to my room, courtesy of ivillage. (Yes, I know all of the bloghers got flowers, but still- I was impressed!)

So what if Trexa got pretty orange roses. Mine were ok, and hey, at least they weren't carnations (ew)

• Chatting with the other sponsors- though I had very little down time to walk around and check out the other booths on Friday, Saturday was a lot more relaxed. As a result, I actually had some free time to collect cool swag and meet the other sponsors. I particularly enjoyed meeting the laundry fairies at the All booth: they were dressed entirely in pink and had wings. Plus, they practically adopted me when I told them that their product's tagline, small and mighty, is basically my motto. Their PR rep even filmed me discussing it so she could show her boss. Future All spokesperson? I think so. Oh, and the fairies referred to me as "Small and Mighty" for the entire weekend.

I was ECSTATIC when I found out our booth was next to Nikon. I definitely took advantage of the situation and asked Kristine about a million questions. She was extremely helpful :)

• Executing a successful PR campaign- we'd been planning our "Go-To Girl" campaign for a long time, so it was great to see that people actually got it. I now have over 400 followers on springpad, so they must have liked us (or at least our giveaway). Though I've worked on some pretty fun (and award winning!) campaigns in the past, this was the first campaign I actually got to see from start to finish.

The "go-to girl" buttons I helped dream up. They're super cute and represent the different 4 differnt categories: babies, travel, food and shopping. We still have a few left, so if you want some, just give me a holler!

• Finally getting a chance to truly enjoy a party- the blogher parties probably got more hype than even the conference itself. Though the parties were supposed to be fun, I found them extremely stressful. Because I was representing springpad, I had plaster a smile on my face even when I was exhausted. I definitely worked on my mingling skills, eventually getting over the initial embarrassment of approaching people I didn't know and starting up a conversation about springpad. Though the parties before and during blogher weren't super fun for me, I LOVED attending BowlHer. Because the conference was over, it was the first party I got to actually enjoy. Kboss, Trexa and I were a lot more relaxed. So much so, that we all got a little goofy and donned pink boas! (Clearly it was a much bigger deal for K & T, because who are we kidding, I was born to wear a pink boa!)

via

Overall, blogher09 was a HUGE learning experience for me. I'm so glad I was able to attend, as both a blogger and an intern. Hopefully, I'll be able to attend next year's conference in NYC!

PS- I was also one of around 30 bloggers interviewed on Blog Talk Radio (!!). You should definitely check out my interview :)

As always, I made a bunch of mistakes along the way, but it still ended up tasting amazing. We couldn't find hot chili sauce at Trader Joe's, so we bought sweet chili sauce and combined it with schug, an spicy Israeli paste. In addition, I was too lazy (and hungry) to let the chicken defrost, so I put it in a pot of hot water on the stove. The chicken ended up getting slightly cooked before I had a chance to bread it, but it tasted fine.

When I first saw the amount of chicken I prepared, I assumed we'd have enough leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I was totally wrong: Rach and I devoured it!

Ingredients: Spring the recipe!

    For chicken:

• 1/2 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast
• flour for coating
• 1 egg
• bread crumbs
• za'atar for seasoning
• oil for frying (I used olive oil)

    For sauce:

• mayonnaise
• soy sauce
• sweet chili sauce
• schug*

Directions:

• Set out three prep bowls: the first filled with flour, the second with a fully beaten egg and the third with a breadcrumb and za'atar mixture. Add as much za'atar as you want- it's delicious! Set aside.

• Defrost chicken and cut into strips. Pound until thin- I used the side of a sharp knife and it worked just fine.
• Dip chicken in flour and coat until fully covered. 

• Coat chicken in egg. Let excess drip back into bowl.
• Dip the egg covered chicken strips in the breadcrumb mixture until strips are fully coated

 

• Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken and fry until crispy and brown.

 

• Place cooked chicken strips on a paper towel. Blot excess oil with additional paper towels.

• For the sauce: combine ingredients to taste. I wish I could be more specific, but I didn't measure (The sign of a TRUE chef!) Be careful with the schug- that stuff is hot!
•  Serve and enjoy! (I added some blueberries and basil to the plate to add a hint of sweetness and a bit of flavor. It was actually an AMAZING combination and made up for the fact that I couldn't find any suitable vegetables.)

Hey everyone- I hope you're having a great Pink Thursday. I'm currently on my way to Chicago with Mr. and Mrs. Kboss, as well as a new colleague, T-rexa. The next few days are going to be super packed, so I don't think I'll get to do much blogging. But...rest assured, I'll take tons of pictures and will update you on my trip after I get back to Boston.

For now, here's a pretty awesome DIY project I worked on earlier this summer. For some reason, my bedroom window had no shades or curtains, and because it looks directly into the kitchen of another apartment, I needed to find curtains in a pinch. I bought a curtain rod and used some old sheets I had lying around and voila- problem solved...sort of. The result is pretty cute, although my neighbors can technically still peep at me.

DIY Sheet Curtains

Supplies Spring the supply list!

• scissors
• 2-3 bed sheets, preferably flat sheets
• 1 spring tension curtain rod
• duct tape (optional)

Instructions:

1) Cut sheets into strips of about the same width. Depending on the size of your window, you can cut the sheets width-wise or length-wise. (No need to make perfectly straight cuts- the edges will just curl anyway.)

2) Cut slits lengthwise in each of the strips. (I did mine approx. 5 inches away from the top of the strips, but it depends how much fabric you want to hang over the bar.)

3) Attach strips to curtain rod by pulling bottom end of strip through the slit you just created.

4) Hang curtain rod and enjoy. (Use duct tape if absolutely necessary to help secure the curtain rod.)

This post is a Blog Swap post, in which members of 20 Something Bloggers swap blogs for a day as a chance to share audiences and meet a whole crowd of new people.  If you haven't joined 20 Something Bloggers, do it today!

First and foremost, I'm Derek, and I'd like to humbly say hello to the G3B readers...one of the greatest aspects of the randomized blog swapping going on is the day you get your swap partner and you find this vibrant blog and blogger that really wasn't on your radar.  Alana is one of those people, and yet we've got quite a few small world connections.

I spend countless hours online and as such always find new blogs kind of eye-opening.  I have this attitude like I've seen everything, even though we all know the internet is like the universe and doesn't have any apparent boundaries.  Imagine my surprise when Alana and I put our heads together to try and pick a 'subject' for today and I realized I had had more than one phone conversation with the CEO of her company!

Or that she was headed to Chicago, where I live, this week.

Then imagine that while you're reading this post (assuming it's Wednesday) I am actually somewhere between Chicago and Upstate New York with my puppy on our cross-country road trip up to my summer cabin.

I'll be a few hours from Boston, and she'll be in Chicago.  We're swapping everything.

This week I'll be up in the Adirondack mountains with no cell phone access and 25 cousins, plus aunts, uncles, and some of their cousins...my mother's side of the family has been convening in a place called Lake Luzerne for three generations, and the annual trip is my most anticipated, every year, without fail.

We called it glorified camping, less anyone assume 'summering in the Adirondacks' means we're wealthy, much less even remotely 'clean' the entire week.  We're in the deep woods, exposed to the elements, and it's humble but it's a yearly reminder that family is truely the world's most important sustenance.  A week of beach time, a week of barbeque, a week of red wine, a week of heated and hilarious conversation.  It's never enough and it's always exactly what I need.

So your girl is in Chicago, in a blogging and social media environment I would give nearly anything to be a part of...there are so many people I'd love to meet and so many thought leaders I'd love to share a chat with.

And yet "nearly anything" doesn't include the next seven days in the woods.

What about you?  Where do you find your foundation...your real release from the big frantic world?

via (he just added new photos from his trip to Oregon and they're AMAZING!)

Last night, DH called and said he was downstairs waiting to pick me up. I threw on a pair of flip flops, grabbed my pink cardigan and ran into the living room, where two of my roommates were doing "cruchless abs" in very exercise-inappropriate clothes. I couldn't help but laugh and was glad that DH hadn't come up to the apartment to pick me up.

I awkwardly walked down the steps and saw DH leaning against the passenger side of the car. He opened the door for me and I saw a huge bouquet of flowers. I was speechless. No one has ever bought me flowers just because...

I gave him a quick kiss and stuttered a "thank you, you're adorable." I couldn't stop smiling and his reaction was priceless- he looked so pleased with himself. I only wish I had my high capacity card reader with me (I left it at a friend's house) so I could share a photo...although for some reason I can't get a picture of my bouquet to look good, even with my new Nikon. (Daddy, help!)

We grabbed Mexican food for dinner and then went back to his house to watch Arrested Development. His dog greeted me excitedly, jumping on me and licking me silly.  It was wonderful. We grabbed his laptop, curled up with the dog and spent the rest of the night laughing at my (newest) favorite show.

Oh and on a funny note: DH lives in his parents' basement (he just graduated from college and is moving out after the summer, give him a break) so I've been completely dreading meeting his mother for the first time. Well, she came downstairs yesterday, took one look at us curled up in his room and said:

I thought it was hysterical. DH looked mortified.

Before you start reading this post from my sister, a few updates:

1) The Mac geniuses yesterday were not hot (sorry Phil) and are currently holding my computer ransom...err,  fixing my precious macbook.  I'm writing to you from Rach's PC while she's asleep (please and thank you).

2) I went on an ice cream date yesterday with "the rower"- cute but a little awkward...very nice, tall and a fan of word games. Mom, what do you think ;)

3) Date numero quatro with DH tonight- we're watching Arrested Development. I'm very excited.

4) I might actually go to student health today because I've been feeling yucky for almost 2 months. It's either: swine flu, mono, diphtheria, the bubonic plague, or most likely an uncured sinus infection or allergies. I'm not a huge fan of student health, but I can't exactly see my trusty pediatrician up in Boston (yes, I still go to my pediatrician, I'm not a grownup yet)

5) I think today is going to be a big picture taking day, so get excited!

*  *  *

Hey G3B followers ;)

It’s me again, the little sister. I use the word “little” loosely because Alana is pint-sized.  Anyway, I have some very exciting news. Due to the advice of the (beautiful) lead singer of my all-time favorite band (Matt Hutchison of Fools & Horses. Check them out) and my less famous yet equally handsome father, I’ve decided it’s time for me to create my own photoblog. The blog is called “Darkroom Daisies”, and I use it to display my latest photos, share my favorite things, and write about what’s on my mind. And in September, I’ll be living in Israel for 8 months, so I’ll have even more to show and tell!

Here’s a little teaser for you- my top 5 pictures that I took just a few weeks ago in Asturias, Spain. I was there for my month-long senior internship, helping out in English classes as well as comparing the Spanish and American way of life (including the education systems from babies to college students.)

Caballo Salvaje (Wild horse)

Continue reading "Check her out!" »