The Good Girl Gone Blog

Guest Post: 5 Valentines for Him February 05, 2013

Hello there, again! It's Amanda from The Accessory - here with a Valentine's Day Gift Guide for your main squeeze. Can't say it enough that I'm absolutely stoked for this little blog swap with Alana. Be sure to check her crafty Valentine's Day DIY - it's a perfect, little treat for your sweetheart. 

Without much further ado, here are my five picks for the man in your life this Valentine's Day: 

Keepin' It Sharp | Calibrate Slim Fit Non-Iron Dress Shirt ($59.50)
A nice gingham shirt goes a long way in a man's closet. Paired with a v-neck sweater or worn as is, he will love the sharpness yet playful look of this dress shirt. Personally, I love the navy print. Kudos to Calibrate for making it a non-iron one, too. Less ironing = no fuss handsomeness for the man.

The Life of the Party | Mix Master Cocktail Shaker ($24)

He'll thank you for making him the best bartender your friends have ever seen. This quirky cocktail shaker, found at Urban Outfitters, features lists of ingredients and directions to making the most popular drinks. You'll thank us after a long day at work when he whips up your favorite Cosmo!

Squeaky Clean | Philosophy Man Shave + Skin Care Essentials Set ($48)
Limited edition - this shave and skin care set includes a microdelivery exfoliating facial wash, an extra-close shaving gel and "Hope in a Jar" oil-free and SPF 30 moisturizer for fresh, clean and healthy glow. For the man that's practical, give him the gift that he'll find useful. An extra plus: every morning as he gives his fuzz a  buzz, he'll be thinking of that special someone who gifted him this sweet set.

We Heart Nerds | iPad Mini ($329)
For those looking to splurge on their honey bee, an iPad Mini is the way to go. What more to delight him than a tablet - to cart his cool photos, read nifty magazines and play video games/watch movies while he accompanies you on a shopping trip. With a 7.9 inch display, it's perfect little size makes it compact and easy to carry around everywhere. Think of all the Facetime dates you'll have :) Add a special touch with a personal, engraved message for free!

For the Trendsetter | Silk Bow Tie in Stripe ($55)
Give him the gift of class and help him win best-dressed at the next party. Handcrafted in fine silk, this bow tie adds an extra pizzazz to that button up and slacks combo.

And if all else fails..... there is always ticketmaster! Tickets to his favorite concert or comedy show is always a win. It shows you care and listen to when he raves about his latest and favorite find on Spotify.

Well, I hope you all enjoy these picks, and best wishes to you and your sweetie on Vday! Feel free to share, below in comments, what you'll be getting/doing for your loved ones this year.

Guest Post: Craft Coffee Review December 12, 2012

Editor's Note: Hey everyone- my very own coffee snob boyfriend, Eric, is guest blogging today about Craft Coffee, a cool company that was kind enough to send us a curated coffee box to review. Read on and enjoy! Plus, if you want to get your own Craft Coffee (or give it as a gift to the coffee snob in your life), here's a special 10% off code just for you: alanaholiday. Code can be used through 12/23!

My office has five different ways of making coffee:

• Automatic, all-in-one grinder + espresso machine
• French press
• Aero press
• Single cup pour-over
• Chemex

All of these devices get used at least once a day, and not a single one of them accepts a small plastic cup containing powdery brown stuff of unknown origin. They all work a little differently, but they each have one thing in common: whole beans, freshly roasted, freshly ground.

We’re fond of subscription coffee programs that brings awesome beans directly to our door. Craft Coffee has been kind enough to treat us to a sampling of some of their beans for the last week.

For around $20/month, they send you 12 oz. of truly the world’s best coffee curated by some insane coffee professionals. What sets them apart is you receive three 4-oz. bags each from different roasters, each with tasting notes and true coffee nerd stats: country and producer of origin, varietal, elevation and wash process.

But even if the role of amateur coffee connoisseur isn’t for you, Craft Coffee is still offering you better-tasting coffee than the over-roasted stuff you’re already paying $2/day for, but at less than half the price, in your own home (or office!), effortlessly delivered to your door.

I’ll sip to that.

Guest Post: Holiday Gifts for the Boyfriend December 07, 2012

Hello there - Amanda here from The Accessory!

I was absolutely beyond thrilled when Alana gave me the opportunity to guest post on her blog and share my holiday picks for getting your man something special this season. Below are some finds that I'm in love with... too bad I created this gift guide after I got my main squeeze his gift. Maybe I'll add a little something extra from this guide to his present. Hope you all enjoy. Xoxo.

Warm Him Up | 1901 Stripe cashmere sweater | $125
There's nothing better than a man in a soft, cozy sweater... because let's be real - when we keep him warm, he keeps us warm. Think, comfy, over-sized bear-hugs. Me like. I'm especially in love with these striped cashmere sweaters. The colors are not only a clean and basic must-wear now, but a year-round must-have in the closet.

Keep It Classy | Jack Spade Newman Tartan Bow Tie | $95
Bowties are a step up from ties. Dress him up this holiday season with a gorgeous Jack Spade, plaid bowtie. Made from 100% wool, this man-accessory brings a festive, suave look to his dapper outfit. If he's a bit skeptical about wearing it - remind him that James Bond channels a bowties, and he's a bamf.

Grooming the Gentleman | The Art of Shaving Kit from Nordstrom | $175
Personally, my main squeeze has gone ga-ga for this shaving kit. The kit includes a Fusion Chrome advanced razor, travel sizes of the pre-shave oil (4 Elements of the Perfect Shave), shaving cream, a gorgeous + soft genuine badger shaving brush and after-shave balm. It's at the top of his wishlist. A bit pricey? Think of it this way - this gift is a two for one deal - not only will he look great, but also, no grizzly-beard burns when you share a smooch! #winning

Bills, Bills, Bills | Jack Spade Cheddar Bill Holder | $95
Please don't tell me he's still sporting a velcro-wallet... haha Regardless, upgrading the leathers are always fun - especially, when the front of this wallet says "cheddar." My first reaction when I saw this? Lupe Fiasco's reference of "stack that cheese" in his "Hip Hop Saved My Life" song. epic. Crafted from fine-grained calfskin leather, blind embossed and printed with gold foil - this wallet is truly more than worthy to hold the cheddar.

For the Playful  | Xbox Halo 4 | $59.99
All guys love their games... I mean, I'm pretty sure if my main squeeze was in full-Halo mode, I wouldn't be able to nudge him from the couch But regardless, I know how much the guys love their guy-time, especially when it comes to video games. Snag your man the hottest game in town. I'm sure it will make his holidays merry and bright. For fun behind-the-scenes trivia tips about the game, visit the Microsoft Holiday Look Book (client).

Treats for the Year | Bespoke | $45 per box
Give the gift that just keeps on giving... Bespoke is a monthly subscription - for $45 per box aka $45 per month, give the gift of gentleman-ness. Each box of awesome holds ingredients for making your man fresh. These limited-edition boxes center around a theme each month - previous themes include alchemy, agave and breathe. The breathe box had a wine decanter, aeration funnel and other lovely accessories for the wine lover.

Have other fun ideas to give your man? Feel free to share below or tweet me suggestions at @amandabnguyen. Thanks again to Alana for letting me guest post, and Happy Holidays to you, m'dears! Xoxo

Guest Post: Menswear inspired Womenswear April 18, 2012

So the lovely Alana is on vacation in Costa Rica (lucky girl) and asked me to guest post. At first I was apprehensive because I mostly focus on menswear on my blog, danchiz.com. But then, I realized I can use my menswear knowledge to my advantage! Let's create a menswear-inspired outfit! I had an specific outfit in mind based on trends and voila, I found the exact look that you see above!

And now for the explanation (Sorry I ramble too much). So, one of the biggest trends this spring is colored denim. You want the denim to be super bright and pop. You want people to pass you on the street and think, "damn, that's a hot color on a hot girl." The best color for that is coral. It gives that huge pop of color yet it can go with many other pieces. It will go far for the season.

For guys, you can't ever go wrong with a chambray shirt. It can be dressed up or down. It's a versatile piece that every man should own, wear and love. Why shouldn't women have that same piece? I would opt for an oversize shirt for women to give it a fun, messy look. Tuck in the front of the shirt and leave the back hanging out--put together in the front with a party in the back!

I figured not many women would like to wear a tie and bib necklaces are super chic. So throw that bling around your neck and flaunt that gold.

And you can't complete an outfit without shoes. To really go for the complete menswear-inspired look, opt for buck shoes. Try for colored sole; to give it a feminine touch, pink always does the trick.

The outfit 411:

1. J. Crew 

2. Romeo & Juliet

3. Dannijo

4. Aldo 

I hope I made Alana proud and hope you enjoyed my post! Let me know what you think! Tweet me @danchiz and check out my blog, danchiz.com.

Guest Post: Fashion Week, a 7th Grader's Perspective March 05, 2012

Even though I didn't attend NYFW, I still wanted to make sure you got the best coverage. Check out this post by my former intern, Cecilia, and make sure to leave her lots of love in the comments!

Dear GGGB readers – I love Alana because when I was her intern she used to let me do stuff that required me to look at pictures of cute shoes. Basically, I didn't do anything that had to do with my mom’s PR job…. 

This year I went to Fashion Week for the first (but absolutely not last) time and promised a guest blog post for all of Alana’s fans.

I think I still have a ways to go before I can blog like Alana, but I thought that this would give you a good idea of what New York Fashion Week was like for a total shopaholic/fashionista who then had to, sadly, come back to her 7^th grade life in D.C.

Guest Post: California Girls May 06, 2011

Hey Guys! I'm Kate from Undeniable Style, and I'm stoked to be guest blogging for Alana while she's away.

One of the things I love most about blogging is the community; people who share the same interests across a wide variety of topics, no matter the location. In that sense, I think the blogging has changed the fashion landscape. Trends are as pervasive as ever, but they move faster and there's so much more emphasis on personal style.

Okay, maybe style examples from a music festival in the desert is a little extreme (hello, Coachella!), but...being a California girl, I still think that California has a little je ne sais quoi. A sometimes dramatic blend of casual and glam, pulled together but laid back. And lots of denim.

In this global community, do you guys think there's a difference in East Coast/West Coast/Southern/Midwestern style? Or has the blogosphere created one big melting pot?

I hope you'll stop by my blog if you're interested in learning more about my personal style. Thanks for letting me guest blog, Alana!

Images: Coachella Style - Wildfox

Guest Post: The Perfect Skirt May 05, 2011

Hi, Everyone! I’m Amber from Real Girl Glam, and I’m honored to be doing a guest post today for Alana and her readers! 

Let me start off by saying I like skirts. I like how they look feminine and girly, EFFORTLESS, and can go all the way from cute to sexy! BUT, I don’t like skirts on me. I am a bit traumatized from past skirt experiences. They were always either too short or long, clung in ALL the wrong places, or were NOT a flattering shape. 

And thus, because of my semi skirt phobia, I made it my FASHION GOAL to add some new and FLATTERING skirts to my wardrobe for Spring/Summer. 

So, this is one of my NEW skirts … 

{Tee- Charlotte Russe (only $2!), Skirt- LC Lauren Conrad from Kohls, Belt- taken from a Kohls sweater, Bangles- Charlotte Russe, Shoes- Target}

I actually found this skirt to be REALLY comfortable and adding a T-Shirt made me feel a little more casual. After this excellent find, I am DEFINITELY on the prowl for more cute and comfy skirts to add to my wardrobe!

Guest Post: Stylish Year + Stew's Day Doodles March 07, 2011

Hi there!

I’m Amy of Stylish Year.  The lovely Alana has let me take over her blog today and guest post for her while she is away in Mexico. Alana and I are both Boston based bloggers and have run into each other at a couple of meet ups. We then bonded over out similarly styled lace skirts HERE & HERE.

For today’s outfit I decided to use that same skirt as my inspiration piece and find a new way to style it!

To check out the rest of the photo shoot and outfit details head on over to Stylish Year.

I also wanted to add one of Alana's favorite features, a Stews-Day Doodle! My husband tweaks and plays with my photos every week over on my blog in his Stews-Day Doodle feature. Today he picked out one of Alana’s photos to alter up! What do you think? Could she pull off the roll of Rocky?

Guest Post: I Dream in Pink March 04, 2011

Guest Post from Kim:

 

I love spring.  I love spring because that hopefully that means there is warmer weather on the horizon and I can wear more pink.  Sometimes I even think I dream in pink (could have something to do with the fact that my new bedside lamp is hot pink). 

I really like any shades of pink.  I have pink jewelry.  I have pink shoes.  I have pink furnishings. 

Here are some of my favorite pink things to help me beat the cold-weather blues:

Flower in Raleigh NC taken by me

Flower in Raleigh NC taken by me

Furbish Studios - Raleigh (her studio is so neat and quaint and original)

-photo taken by me  www.furbishstudios.com

Flower in Raleigh NC taken by me

Shoes from Wal-Mart

Eearings from Jess LC (amazing designer) - www.jesslc.com

  Purse - metal, pink - Kohls (doesn't cost you an arm and a leg)  www.kohls.com

Dress - how pretty is this.  So girly.  This may be a reward dress for me for a conference I am going to Louisville in August that I have to look A.MAZING for!  Or maybe for that wedding in St. Augustine, FL that I also have to look AHHHHMAZING for.  I love goal dresses - and it will help me with those arm exercises that I love to hate.  Also from Kohls.

 

So there you have it - some of pink dreams and realities. 

What color do you dream in?  What are your favorite pink things?

Guest Post: Lani's Pecan Pie March 03, 2011

Bonjour, I am Noelani of Mon Petit Chou Chou and I am so excited to be sharing a recipe on Alana's blog, Good Girl Gone Blog (of which I am a huge fan). 

When I initially proposed a recipe feature, our hostess was totally game....and then we dished details and I learned she was utterly allergic to pecans. Why mention pecans and our Good Girl Gone Blog's allergy? Because my recipe is for pecan pie of course, oh the irony. So while I doubt she will have the pleasure of trying this out herself, she assures me that her boyfriend loves pecan pie. Maybe he'll be so taken with the recipe as to make one himself!This recipe comes from Joann Chang's Flour Cookbook, which has quickly become my go-to baking bible. Make sure to order while you can at Amazon. The first print quickly sold out and was sadly unavailable for a short time!Chef Chang has altered the typical pecan pie recipe (made basically with Karo, sugar and little else) and turned it into a gooey, buttery, delight for the senses. Her recipe is so inspiring I even deviated from my usual lazy pie move, turning to store bought crust and instead made her pate brisee for the crust. I am proud to report this pie is entirely homemade, kit and caboodle (recipe for the pate brisee available here). The recipe is briefly outlined below but I highly encourage you to get the book and work your way through. Each recipe includes a plethora of tips and personal stories that make cooking each item a total experience. I think the pictures speak for themselves. 

PS: I will never use a store bought crust again!

Ingredients:

Pate Brisee
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/2 cups pecan halves

Prepare:

-Roll dough on well floured surface until 12".Transfer to pie dish. Press into pan and pleat overhanging dough into edge or trim. Refrigerate crust 30 minutes. 
-Position rack in center and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Line crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake about 30 minutes.
-While crust is baking, in medium saucepan, combine sugar and water until dissolved. Place over high heat and boil. Make sure not to move pan until it turns a pale brown and caramelizes (about 3-4.5 minutes).
-Turn heat to medium and whisk in corn syrup until there are no lumps.
-Remove from heat and add butter.
-In medium (heatproof) bowl, whisk eggs, lemon juice, salt and vanilla.
-Slowly pour hot ingredients into egg mixture, constantly whisking.
-Next add pecans and coat in mixture.
-Pour pecan mixture into baked shell and bake for 35-40 minutes.