The Good Girl Gone Blog

Denim/Ruffle/Denim

This post is brought to you by the many awkward faces of Alana (see space cadet look above), whose "that's gross" face is so in demand that Eric purposefully says things to evoke it! 

But anyway...

It's been a while since I've  shared an outfit with you, partially because I work at home a lot and wear not-so-cute outfits (today i'm wearing the jeans + boots in the outfit below, plus a tank and my new fluffy bathrobe...which I guess is cute, just not blog worthy). Also, until a few weeks ago, I absolutely HATED my hair and only came to accept it when a smart stylist told me I needed to reincorporate layers into my grown out bob. Thank you, Erin!

But enough excuses, let's talk about shoes! I've had these boots for a month or two now, but this is the firs time they've appeared on the blog. They're fun right? Well guess what, they're comfy too! I love the buckle detail and the "what color are they exactly?" hue. Though the boots look grey above, there are some days when I could swear they were black or even brown. Oh, and just a little secret: I put this outfit on for a very special occasion: grocery shopping at Trader Joe's! Oh the glamorous life of the freelancer! It's so odd, picking up groceries becomes an event, while dressing for work often consists of going barefoot and wearing parts of the previous evening's PJ ensemble.

PS- these fun feather earrings were purchased as part of a peacock Halloween costume that never actually came together. I dressed up as a flamingo instead and the earrings were pushed aside until now! When they jingle in the wind, they sound just like the Salvation Army bell people, for better or for worse.

Outfit Details: Chambray shirt- Target; Ruffle Blouse- TKMaxx (London); Belt- Primark (London); Jeans- Salt Works (Loehmann's); Boots c/o me Too; Earrings- Forever 21.

My Favorite Gifts

In yesterday's post, I mentioned that gifts were not the best part of my Hanukkah this year. Well, that's still true, but that definitely doesn't mean I didn't receive some fabulous, well thought out gifts. Allow me to share some of my favorites!

North Face Belted Raincoat: can you believe I don't have a raincoat? Well, I don't, or at least I didn't, until my lovely step mom and dad gave me the gem above. It's perfect for layering over a sweater in colder weather, and will definitely be a wardrobe staple come the warmer months. I love the color and the feminine shape created by the belted waist. Thanks also for the beautiful handmade shabbat candles and fun necklace from Israel, and thanks Lauren for the super fun Alex and Ani friendship/sister bracelet.

Ugg Ansley Slippers: these are from Eric's mom, who couldn't believe that I wore a size six. I absolutely love them. Plus, they have a rubber sole, so I can wear them outside!

Gift Cards Galore: thanks Mom/Steve and cousins for the TJMaxx and Marshall's cards (my favorite!) and some of my favorite aunts for the WHBM card.

Side Bow Echo Touch Gloves: These are from my cousins. Technically, I picked these out for myself after seeing them on From Me To You. They are so elegant and dainty. 

Silver and Gold Love Knot Necklace: from Eric. It's so pretty and thoughtful. I love that it's handmade and that he found it on Etsy.

Yosi Samra Gold Glitter Flats: I bought these and a fuchsia suede pair as gifts to myself when I saw they were half off on MYHABIT. Though they're a little pricey, they are my absolute favorite flats and will replace the pink gold ones that I wore down last year. They'll be staying in their boxes until springtime though, as they're not exactly puddle/snow friendly. 

Thank you to my family for the lovely gifts featured above, as well as the "camera shy" ones (because checks don't photograph nicely/some are still sitting unpacked in my suitcase)  that went unmentioned.

What were your favorite holiday gifts this year?

Better than Presents

This holiday season was definitely one of the most special I've had so far. What made it so special? Well, not only did I get to spend time with my family for Hanukkah, I also got to experience Christmas with Eric's family and then finish up Hanukkah back in Boston just with Eric.

Though Hanukkah definitely isn't the most important Jewish holiday by far, I wanted to make sure that Eric got to experience a truly amazing Hanukkah celebration.  We fried latkes together for a party at my mom's, he played dreidel with my little cousins at my Aunt Sandy's and made sure to remind me that it was time to light candles when it got dark outside. Even while we were in Florida celebrating Christmas with Eric's family, we made sure to light the iMenorah every night.

When we arrived in Jacksonville and celebrated pre-Christmas with Eric's extended family, I was immediately welcomed into the clan. We feasted on veggie lasagna and a delicious salad and participated in a fun gift swap.

For actual Christmas at Eric's parents house near Tampa, we had homemade ravioli (blog post to come!) for Christmas eve and opened presents together the next morning. That was probably my favorite part, not because I received gifts, but because I loved seeing how much thought everyone put into finding presents for the people they loved. I really enjoyed taking turns opening our gifts and watching joy erupt on the faces of both the gift receiver and giver.

I truly enjoyed spending night 7 & 8 with Eric in Boston. He played the role of the "helper" and held the shamash while I said the prayers. It was our own mini family celebration and was one of my favorite part of the holiday.

I loved asking questions about Eric's family traditions and answering questions about my own. I learned a lot about the importance of family and traditions over the past week and for that I feel truly blessed.

My Favorite Affordable Beauty Products

 Thanks to Walgreens for underwriting this post. I was paid as a member of the Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all mine. Visit http://www.walgreens.com/beauty.

What a fun post prompt, right? Who doesn't love talking about their favorite affordable beauty products?

Here are some of my favorites, which can all be found at your favorite drugstore. (Technically this is supposed to be a gift guide, but I figured that it's a little late for that. Instead, I'm going to do a more general overview of my favorite budget friendly products, that would make great gifts for...lots of people!)

1. Rusk Sensories Clarifying Shampoo- this is my new favorite shampoo. I recently noticed that my hair felt  greasy and lifeless and couldn't figure out why. After chatting with a stylist, I found out that my volumizing shampoo was weighing it down.  Enter clarifying shampoo. This stuff is amazing and you can get 33 oz bottle at TJMaxx for $10. Plus, it's extra concentrated, so you can use 30-50% less.

2. Neutrogena Alcohol Free Toner- I know you're not supposed to use toner as a substitute for a good cleanser, but sometimes I do it anyway. I actually have the generic version of this toner, which is about half the price, and I apply it to my face on a cotton round. It definitely takes off some dirt and leaves my face feeling clean in a pinch. 

3. Essie Nail Polish- if it's good enough for practically every nail salon, it's good enough for me. I used to be all about the OPI, but Essie is a little cheaper and has a ton of fun colors. (Remember my neutral nails?)

4. Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Treatment Concealer- I haven't tried this yet, but I really want to. My dark circles have been ridiculous, even though I 1) use eye cream 2) get enough sleep. Concealer is definitely a last resort for me, but it's worth a try. 

5. Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain in Gothic- again, I haven't tried this yet, but I really want to. I have a more expensive lip stain that I love, but I definitely want to add another shade to my collection. Plus, it'll be great to find a shade that matches my hot red lipstick- I want to try layering it underneath lipstick for a  longer lasting color.

6. Goody Simple Styles Spin Hair Pins- easy to use and fun to play with, these spring shaped pins are perfect for an impromptu up-do!

What are your favorite inexpesive beauty products?

Serve Review and Giveaway!

This post is sponsored by Serve from American Express. Sign up for Serve and receive $10 credit towards your first use. Comment below within the next 7 days for your chance to win an extra $100 credit to your account!

Last week, I had the INCREDIBLE opportunity to go out to a lavish dinner with good friends, c/o Serve, a new way to settle bills between friends. It's a great way to split the bill without driving the waiter crazy!

Amy, Stew, Eric and I met at UpStairs on the Square and were seated at a table in the Monday Bar. The decor was out of this world- bright colored walls, zebra carpeting and and exquisite lighting. Because we weren't worrying about the bill (thanks Serve), we ordered an expensive and delicious bottle of wine, two appetizers (oysters and a mozzarella dish), entrees AND four different desserts.

Believe me, after that meal, I think we were all ready to burst! Though the food and atmosphere were both fantastic, the best aspect of the evening was definitely the great company. We've been wanting to go out with Amy and Stew for a while now and finally did it. We talked about everything from travel to TV and even began brainstorming a really cool blogger event (stay tuned, Boston!).

When it was time to pay the check, Amy paid the physical bill and I reimbursed her via the Serve mobile app. It was as simple as signing in, answering a security question and then inputting Amy's email and the bill amount. She received a confirmation email soon after and we were all set. We were happy and full and left the restaurant already trying to come up with a location for our next double date.

Would I use Serve again? Probably! I really hate having to get separate checks when dining out and this eliminated the need for that. Plus, the handy app includes fun features like a calculator for splitting bills, a Quick Pay button where you can calculate hourly rates and a (somewhat silly) Pizza Party button!

Remember to sign up for Serve and receive $10 credit towards your first use. Comment below within the next 7 days for your chance to win an extra $100 credit to your account! Official sweepstakes rules and regulations may be found by clicking here. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Happy Everything! Love, Alana + Eric

I didn't want to share our holiday card until I had confirmation that it had already been received by friends and family. I've gotten 2 emails from Baltimore saying it's reached their mailboxes, so I decided that's confirmation enough.

Happy Holidays Everything, everyone!

A special thanks to Shutterfly for providing the cards. (Full post here.)

Fabulous Drink and Dessert Pairings

Thanks to Duncan Hines for sponsoring my writing. There's no limit to the baking possibilities, so grab your favorite Duncan Hines mix and Comstock or Wilderness fruit fillings and Bake On! www.duncanhines.com.

Drinks and dessert are definitely two of the most fun parts of a festive meal, whether you enjoy them with or without the actual meal. Not sure what combo to try? No problem! Fortunately, the winter is the perfect time to experiment with drink/dessert combinations right at home. Can you say fancy spiked hot chocolate paired with smores by a warm fire?

The dessert/drink pairing I'm really loving right now is drinks as dessert, especially when it comes to champagne! The photo above shows off our fabulous champagne punch from last year's holiday party, complete with frozen rubber ducky. It was a huge hit and was practically gone half way through the party.

Now, about a year later, I'm loving whipping out champagne or any sparkling white for non-special occasions, you know, like a Wednesday. Plop some blueberries into your champagne flute and that Wednesday becomes a special occasion! (Thank you Dale for the inspiration to celebrate the everyday with bubbles!)

Looking for an actual dessert/drink pairing recommendation? I like champagne and creme brulee, partly because it makes me feel fancy. It's actually what Eric and I enjoyed at Top of the Hub on our one year anniversary.

I took the liberty of polling my friends/Twitter followers on their favorite pairings. What do you think? 

Rachel: Appletastic- spiked cider and apple pie.

Dale: I'm a big fan of "high brow/low brow". Try this: Pair Sauternes (many consider it the finest dessert wine in the world) with Twinkies.

Gwen: Red velvet cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting paired with spiked apple cider.

Tracy: Dark Chocolate (72%) with any red wine! That always works :-)

Nicole: What about Butterbeet? It's a dessert IN a drink! 

Angela: Pimm's Cup is one tasty alcoholic bev I'm trying to bring back to life.

Miriam: Best drink ever is the Houdini from Eastern Standard. It's made with Bols Genever, Cocchi Americano and Benedictine.

Now I want to know, what are your favorite drink/dessert pairings?

Remember to check out Duncan Hines' website www.duncanhines.com to find some great recipes for your holiday get-together! I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective.

Our First Boston Brunchers Event

On Sunday, Eric and I attended our first Boston Brunchers event, which was hosted by Harvard Common Press in their spectacular 5th floor office in the South End. When we first walked into the building, I was amazed by the ancient elevator and the fact that I had no idea anything worth visiting actually existed in this part of my neighborhood.

We were greeted warmly with drinks, smiles and lots of Mexican art. Everyone was extremely friendly, especially the HCP staff, who had whipped up some delicious treats based off of recipes in some of the cookbooks they'd published. 

Nancy, HCP's head of marketing, took me around and answered all of my questions about the company, their office space (an old piano factory, now covered in gorgeous rugs that the company's president, Bruce, brought back from Mexico) and the books they publish (mostly cookbooks, but some parenting books as well).

Brunch included lots of yummy muffins and cakes (I'm assuming they were all yummy, most contained nuts so I stayed away) and some sort of egg/cheese/spinach bake. Oh, and there was wine, lots of wine.

It was nice to meet so many of the local foodies (like Beth, Liz, Taryn and Audrey) whom I've been emailing with on behalf of HipHost and to finally put faces to email addresses and Twitter handles.

One of the coolest parts of the experience was the discussion about how to go from blog to book, specifically in the cooking world. Apparently, most publishers require you to come up with 100% original recipes, meaning you can't use anything you've already posted on your blog. So, in addition to having a real job and maintaining a blog, you also have to come up with 100-150 completely new recipes. It sounds like a ton of work and I applaud any food blogger who takes on the challenge.

A special thank you to the Boston Brunchers (Renee specifically) for putting together this event, and to all of the amazing staff at HCP who made us feel at home. Also, thanks to HCP for sending us home with lots of fun cookbooks. I can't wait to make a bunch of things in Gourmet Gifts!

Inspired by Bill Cunningham: Go Bold

Eric has been wanting us to watch Bill Cunningham New York for a while now and last weekend we finally got around to it. Let me tell you, it was inspiring, or should I say, he was, and still is, inspiring.

Cunningham, a man in his 80s, still goes out on his bike every day to take street fashion photos. Oh, and he only shoots on film, no digital photos for this guy. If you can even believe it, this awesome octogenarian is an actual trend spotter, seeing what he likes, photographing it and bringing it all together for the New York Times. It's pretty unbelievable that a man born in the 20s is so influential about women's fashion, especially when he wears the same basic uniform every day. 

The thing I found most endearing about Cunningham  is that he is such a positive person. While many big fashion photographers and journalists love to focus in on womens' flaws, Cunningham is the complete opposite! He's all about embracing your own personal style and standing out.

Inspired by his positive emphasis on daring personal style, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and pile on different textures, patterns and colors.

Red lips, multicolored necklaces, patterned flower pin, multicolored skirt, teal tights, bi-colored green socks and too-tall-for-most-lumberjack cognac booties. The only thing muted about this outfit was my nail polish!

The two things I want you to take away from this post:

1) Go watch Bill Cunningham New York. (It's available on streaming on Netflix.)

2) Trust your instincts and wear something you're afraid others won't like. It feels pretty awesome :)

Outfit Details: Top- H&M; Shelly Fabric Choker (shown entwined with my sweet 16 pearls) c/o Posh Locket Pin- Target; Skirt- Forever 21; Tights- Express; Socks- Happy Socks; Boots- MIA via ideeli.

PS- Love the socks? So do I. Only problem? They're actually Eric's. Still, if he keeps them in the sock bin in my closet, they're fair game, right? I think so!

The Pop Culture Hoarder, Vol. 2

Yep, it's back, the second installment of Rachel's famous Pop Culture Hoarder series on G3B. Woot!

1. The Horrifying Post Date Rant Allegedly Sent by an Investment Manager - I'm not quite sure how he expected to wrangle a second date out of this one.
2. Unleashed - Puppies and expensive things, what more could you want? (Alana's note: and a push to adopt from/support the Humane Society. I like!)
3. Husband Material, Vol. 4: Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy - I  would 100% marry James McAvoy. This is fantastic.
4. Study Abroad to Don't List - A second from Thought Catalog, but it's too good. And all true - the best way to have your study abroad experience.
5. Glitter Teaspoon Set - These glitter teaspoons are on top of my "things I don't need but really want anyway" list.
6. Make your Day more Adorable with Soccer Playing Penguins - Because no day is complete without penguins playing soccer. Too cute.
7. How to Speak Minnesotan - Just try talking to any of your Minnesotan friends. This is spot-on. (Alana's note: Rachel is a Minnesotan. Also, this includes some profanity.)
8. Animals Talking All Caps - Sometimes you just need this.
9. Word Nail Art -  I really want to try these word nails
10. Touch of Evil - I don't know why they did this, but it's amazing. 13 villains. (Alana's note: this is really creepy.)

Image via: 5th/58th