The Good Girl Gone Blog

Pre-work Poison Ivy and a Backwards Dress

I will be brief, as I have to leave for work in approximately 7 minutes. My dad graciously ordered me a new tripod after a piece of my old one literally snapped in half. Though I loved my old tripod, parts of it were held together by duct tape and it couldn't hold a camera vertically. As a result, I was much more limited in my ability to get full body shots in a small enclosed backyard. Blame it on the fact that I love my 50 mm fixed lens, or that I'm still scared to take my tripod out in public. Either way, the problem has been fixed by a shiny, new tripod!

Now that I can take vertical shots, I decided to venture into a different corner of my backyard. Isn't the ivy beautiful? The last time my dad was here, I'm pretty sure he pointed out some poison ivy in that corner. I'm hoping I didn't accidentally step in it. (I can't tell if I'm actually feeling itchy or if it's psychosomatic!)

Folks, if you could see the state of my half torn up yard (thanks landlady for being cheap and not finishing it), you'd understand a bit more about my hesitancy to take photos daily. The large patch of land right in front of my door  is no longer covered in bricks. No, it's just plain dirt that has started sprouting weeds. Oh, it rains a lot here, so it often turns to mud. It is NOT ideal for those of us who wear heels. Oy.

Special thanks to my dad for taking an interest in my photography hobby. I promise, now that I have a working tripod, I'll try to pay more attention to camera setting so my photos will look less ghostlike!

Outfit Details: Dress- stolen from Sophie; Shoes- 6pm.com; Necklace- beach kiosk in Eilat.

Paper Bagged: the Previously Oversized Skirt

This skirt is was HUGE, so I had to go the paper bag skirt route and wear it with a belt. Though I liked the look, it was definitely difficult to wear. The problem? Even a belt couldn't keep that skirt in place.

I took it to the tailor last week and he said he literally had to take it in 5 inches! I told him it was a size zero. He said it must have been a mismarked size 6.

Does anyone else find that gap skirts are waaaaay too big?

At this point, I can't remember where I wore this outfit, although I'm assuming I added a cardigan and wore it to work. I'm excited to wear this skirt again and not have to worry about it falling off!

Outfit Details: Top- Target; Skirt-  Gap; Belt- Forever 21; Shoes- Steve Madden via DSW; Necklace- H&M.

5 Ways to Wear your Boyfriend's Shirt

Inspired by a silly video from The Gloss, this adorable skirt on Concrete Catwalk and my most recent outfit post (can we inspire ourselves?), I decided to create 5 different outfits with one of Eric's shirts.

Here's what I came up with:

Pair it with: skinnies and heels/flats or a pencil skirt.
Wear it: on a day date or a shopping trip.  

Pair it with: jeans or leggings and ballet flats
Wear it: on a casual weekend afternoon

Pair it with: heels and a cardigan
Wear it: to a garden party or picnic

Pair it with: jeans or a mini
Wear it: on a night out

Pair it with: heels and a wrap
Wear it: on a night out

Would I actually wear one of Eric's shirts in any of these ways? Maybe, although probably not. Still, it was fun.

Have you ever turned a man's shirt into something else? 

Photo Diary: MSPCC Charity Fashion Show

A few weeks ago, I was invited by the Shoeline team to attend a special fashion show in Boston to support MSPCC. The event was hosted at the Royale (formerly the Roxy), an ostentatious club downtown. Delicious cupcakes were spread out on tables throughout the room and there was one table dedicated entirely to candy. Yum! It was particularly fun meeting my Shoeline contact, MJ, after having emailed, IMed, Facebook messaged and chatted for so long about SoleMates.

Because Shoeline was a sponsor and provided the shoes in the show, we were able to score second row seats. It was funny, we must have seemed out of place, because we were approached by a few of the event organizers who wanted to make sure we weren't taking anyone else's seats. I have to say, not being wealthy Boston socialites, we were defiintely out of place. It was funny, some of the ladies in the audience were just vicious about the outfits they didn't like!

Clothing was provided by various boutiques and vintage shops throughout Boston, so there was definitely a variety in the pieces showcased. I've included some of my favorites in this post.

For more photos, you can check out my Flickr stream, or Melissa's recap. Special thanks to Shoeline for inviting me and of course to my photographer, Eric, for his awesome pictures. 

That's not my Sweater

Let's be honest- I really wasn't even going to post photos of today's outfit until my stylish coworker, Lauren, told me she liked my sweater. I just had to laugh.

Funny story, this comfy grey cardigan? It's totally not mine. Let me explain. You see, a few months ago (i.e. during the winter), Eric and I made a trip to Bed, Bath and Beyond because he needed a hamper. On that same trip, we purchased a bin that would later become my clothing storage box in his closet. I filled it up with some essentials: underwear, jeans and some sweaters. 

Outfit Details: Tank- Primark; Jeans- Salt Works; Shoes- TKMaxx; Cardigan and belt- Eric's Closet.

Sometimes I'd find full outfits in the box, other times I'd be out of luck. Today I was unlucky: I had 3 pairs of pants, some wool tights and a few non-work appropriate tops. Basically, I had multiple versions of about half an outfit. So, I grabbed this sweater and belt from Eric and tried to make it work.

It's funny, the whole "not being able to find the clothes you want to wear in the morning" phenomenon is not new to me. Growing up with divorced parents, I lived in two houses, which meant I had two rooms and two closets. I was never sure where certain items of clothing would end up. So basically, I'm used to it.

PS- like my new photo spot? It's the alley behind my little fenced in backyard. Today was the first day I've actually used it for photos. It's sort of embarrassing, as everyone in the apartments on both sides can totally see me. We'll see if I'm brave enough to continue taking pictures there!

Puppies, Lace and Mimosas

These pictures were taken a few weeks ago when Eric and I made the trek out to "the country" to spend the day with friends. No heels or skirts here. Nope. Just jeans, flats and a glorified t-shirt with lace edged sleeves. This could be my new go-to weekend outfit. If only I could figure out what I did with that top...hopefully it's in that pile of clean laundry I need to put away!

I love, love, love this new top. I scored it on sale at Loft...in the regular sized people section. Yup, that's right, it's not a petite top, which probably explains a few things. Still, it's soft, comfy and I really like the exposed shoulders.

What's your go-to comfy ensemble?

PS- how cute is my boo? Gotta love dressed down, weekend Eric!

Outfit Details: Top- Loft; Jeans- Banana Republic; Shoes- Yosi Samra; Necklace- Wet Seal; Shades- c/o Armani Press Office.

Good Shoes Come to Those Who Wait

Let me first say, I am not a Talbots girl, or at least, I didn't think I was until I saw these babies in the window a few months ago. After spotting them in real life, I had to look them up online- no way was I stepping into that store full of old ladies! Unfortunately, the price tag was pretty hefty, at $159. Though I wanted another pair of nude pumps (the ones I have are fake patent and scuff easily), I wasn't ready to take the plunge...until today.

Forced into Talbots by the random 15 minute rainstorm and the fact that I saw a 40%-65% off sign in the window, I made my way into the store. I knew they had a petite section, so I figured I could check that out as well. (FYI, they don't carry anything smaller than 2P in stores, but they do apparently carry 0P online.)

Low and behold, I found my beautiful peep toe pumps, marked down to around $79! I smelled the leather, tried them on and walked over to the mirror. They were just as beautiful in person, and ended up being an extra 25% off, making the grand total around $60. Though it's a bit out of my typical shoe price range, I decided to do it and I'm so glad I did!

A good pair of nude pumps is definitely a wardrobe essential, so be on the lookout for these babies in future outfit posts!

Get your own gorgeous Porshia heels here.

Sexy Back, Pretty Bow

Last weekend, Flock hosted an AMAZING sidewalk sale that I just couldn't pass up. Though I'd been following them for a while on Twitter, Eric and I only recently stumbled into the store when looking at an apartment nearby. (FYI, no we are not moving in together, but more on my new apartment soon!)

As soon as we walked into the boutique, I was hooked. The salesgirls were all extremely friendly, and the clothing unique and fun. I love the girly meets bohemian vibe of the boutique. Plus, they have plenty of small sizes, which is a must when you're my size!

So back to my dress. I decided a few days before that I wanted to treat myself to something special. I wanted to find a piece of clothing I loved without looking at the price tag. I'm the kind of girl that immediately looks for the price before even trying something on. If it's out of my price range, what's the point in dissapointing myself?

Are you like me, always looking at the price before buying, and sometimes only choosing things because they're on sale?

Though it was hard for me to step out of my comfort zone, I'm glad I did it, because this dress is amazing. Plus, it happened to be on sale, although it was still out of my typical price range. (If you're interested, the brand is called Sunner.)

How beautiful is the back? You may not be able to tell, but it's completely open between the bow and the scrunched up skirt. It's the perfect blend of girly in the front and a wee bit sexy in the back. It totally made me think of Rebecca from The Clothes Horse and I want to wear it to the beach or on a picnic.

I'm still trying to figure out the best way to conceal a bra beneath it. Though the dress straps are thick enough, the opening in the back lays right where a bra band would fall. Any suggestions besides going au natural? Oh, and those stick on bra things scare me. I was thinking of sewing some loops into the inside of the dress that I could feed the back band through, but I'm not sure if that will work.

Outfit details: Dress- Flock; Necklace- Loft; Shoes- swapped.

Pseudo Biker Chick

I love that it's Vespa season again! I've never actually driven the vespa, but I love the feeling of sitting behind Eric and holding on tight. I like closing my eyes and feeling the wind across my face. I even like wearing the helmet. Plus, I can wear any shoes I want, which is definitely a plus. 

Confession: I totally chose this outfit based on the fact that I knew we'd be on the Vespa all day- it's totally a biker outfit. I've made the mistake of wearing skirts/dresses before, and no matter how much you try to tuck them under your legs, you still end up exposing way too much skin. Jeans on the other hand, worked fine.

Not so tough without the sunglasses, right? They sort of make the outfit.

Outfit Details: T-shirt- Loehmman's; Sweater- Loft; Pearls- gift; Jeans- ideeli; Shoes- Madden Girl; Shades- c/o Armani Press Office.

Cute Puppies

We spent a day at Hope's house a few weeks ago. She's basically the cutest dog ever. We were fast friends!
Poor Kaeli. The last time I saw her, she wasn't feeling well. Kaeli is Eric's parents' dog, so she lives in Florida. She's a sweetheart and I love giving her treats.

Sometimes, when I'm having a difficult day at work or a personal matter is getting me down, I turn to puppies. Puppies? Yes, puppies.

For some reason, just looking into a pair of puppy eyes makes everything a little bit better. So, I'm sharing some cute puppies with you. So cute, right?