The Good Girl Gone Blog

Sunday Confessional: a Dilemma of Curves May 01, 2011

I'm going to be honest, I usually wear this dress over a tank top. Maybe it's because I went to Jewish school for my entire pre-college career. Maybe it's because all my friends always wore tank tops under everything. Who knows?

My work environment is veyr casual- some people wear jeans, others wear cute J. Crew ensembles, practically everything goes. I really wanted to wear the dress, but hate how it looks over a tank. When I put it on Friday morning, I asked Eric if he thought it was ok to wear for work sans- tank top. Of course, he said it would be fine. So, I added a sweater and hoped he was right. Little did I know that the dress would slowly slip lower and lower throughout the day. Thank goodness I had a sweater to wrap myself in.

Lesson learned: this dress is for summer days on the beach or for picnics in the park. It should probably be worn with a tank top and should not be worn to work without it.

PFP: Photo Faux Pas April 01, 2011

Yes, even bloggers who take photos of themselves constantly run into photography problems. I could blame the cold, or the fact that my lens has a fixed zoom, or the fact that my backyard is small, but the truth is, these things happen to everyone.

Out of about 20 pictures, I think 4 included my head, and that was after I moved the tripod around at least twice. Well, it happens. In thinking how I could best use these photos, I came up with a few options:

1. I could Monkeyface myself.
2. I could get artsy and chop up the photos, taking the best parts of each to make one giant Alana collage.
3. I could laugh at my "failure" and share it with you.

I chose the latter. Hope you enjoy my silliness.

Have your own photo faux pas? I want to hear about it. Better yet, link up with photos!

Sunday Confessional: I'm Crushin' February 27, 2011

Did anyone watch Glee two weeks ago? I haven't been able to get Sam's version of Justin Bieber's "Baby" out of my head.

I know, I know- 23 year old girls should not listen to Justin Bieber songs, even if they are sung by adorable members of a fictional Glee club.

Sigh, I think I'm going to listen to it again.

Oh, and in case you were worried, Eric totally knows about my crush. I made him listen to the song twice this morning.

What's your embarrassing Sunday Confession this week?

Triumphs and Struggles February 22, 2011

Triumph: Coming up with some really awesome partnership campaigns for G3B.

Struggle: Getting a little too focused on losing a few lbs before Mexico.

Triumph: My 6 month anniversary with Eric is today- it's my longest and most "real" relationship yet.

Struggle: The bone chilling cold is back in Boston and it's brutal. 

Triumph: Coming home to a Trader Joe's stocked fridge complete with blueberries, yogurt and tamales (c/o Eric).

Struggle: Feeling faint after not eating enough today- I need to eat more tomorrow!

Triumph: The bouquet of fresh flowers on my shelf - lilies, Gerbera daisies, etc (c/o Eric). I was hoping there'd be a surprise bouquet waiting for me when I got back to Boston, but I wasn't sure.

Struggle: I'm pretty sure the right click on my Mac is now broken. Add it to the list of ailments. Time to get a new one?

Triumph: It's supposed to be 80+ degrees in Mexico, which means swimming, sundresses and sandals!

Struggle: Feeling unmotivated to work out.

Triumph: Seeing videos of my Mom telling bedtime stories to my new nephew in Israel. I still haven't met him yet, so the videos were particularly meaningful to me.

Sigh. I'm off to relax and watch some TV. Oh, and treat myself with a cookie...or 2.

PS- how funny is that picture? Way to go, wind!

Did you know... February 01, 2011

• I got my nose pierced when I was 19 (see above: no, it's not a pimple).
• I used to eat a grape jelly sandwich practically every day of my childhood, due to allergies.
• I once fell off a ski lift.
• I have a minor squirrel phobia, but I'm mostly over it.
• I HATE the cold, which is probably why I stopped skiing.
• I'm the messiest eater I know (I literally just spilled coffee on myself and the area around my desk resembles the floor under a toddler's high chair).
• I hate cooking for myself.
• I prefer shopping alone.
• I have a "Jewish Dad" sense of humor- joking around with my parents at the breakfast table is one of my favorite activities...seriously!
• I once tried rush a sorority and didn't make the cut...I'm still a little bit scarred.
• I've gotten so used to ending phone calls with "I love you" that I'm often worried I'll accidentally say it to a coworker/acquaintance.

Sunday Confessional: I stress shoe shop July 11, 2010

Yes, I admit it, it's a bad habit, but sometimes after a particularly difficult day at work, I need to do something positive. I like the joy of the hunt- I love finding a great pair of shoes at a great price because for a little while, my mind is occupied with something I love.

If I order shoes online, I can excitedly await a package, and if I purchase them in stores, I can pair them with an outfit to wear the next day.  While it is definitely an expensive habit, I try not to spend more than $30, and I attempt to limit my stress shopping episodes.

Sometimes, I simply browse- I may love shoes, but I'm picky- the style, price and color must be just right! The above shoes were a recent SSS (stress shoe shopping) purchase from 6PM. I wore them to work the day after they arrived in the mail, and my colleagues couldn't believe they cost just above $20.

Sure, it's not like I smoke or gamble to deal with stress, but my SSS needs to stop. In addition to not having much more space in my closet, I now have the extra expense of my dog. I know these first few weeks will be the worst (adoption fee, supplies, initial vaccinations, etc) but having a dog isn't cheap!

Next time I have the urge to stress shop, I'm going to try some breathing exercises. They're waaaay cheaper!

Now that I've spilled my embarrassing stress coping mechanisms- I want to hear yours, so spill!

Your unmentionables are showing July 05, 2010

I'm not sure if you know this, but my mom is a music teacher/puppeteer and ok, sometimes a total rock star among her 3-year-old students. I don't remember exactly which puppet mentioned the word "unmentionables" to describe a pair of underwear to a bunch of little kids, but the term still sticks out in my mind. Yes, I was present during the show, and yes, I probably laughed like a little kid.

I mean seriously, underwear itself is funny, but give it a great name and it's hysterical...especially if you're under the age of 6. Or if you're a boy.

So yes, in the picture above you can see my "unmentionables," which in this case refers to my slip. Oops.

I'm Wearing:
Vest & dress: H&M
Tank: Target
Shoes: Gap
Necklace: Primark
Slip: "vintage" aka it used to belong to one of my relatives (maybe Bubbie?)  and my mom cut it down to fit me

Also notable, I wore this outfit on a day I knew Sam (the dog) was coming to work. I made sure I was wearing something that he in no way could pull down. Seriously, with a tank top, a dress that ties around the neck and a vest, he had little chance of exposing me again!

PS- your epidermis is showing ;)

Final exam in fashion June 29, 2010

Before Thibault left Baltimore, I asked him to put together a G3B worthy outfit. Determined to use all of the fashion knowledge he'd acquired over the past 5 months, Thibault set out to do what would have been impossible just weeks before (totally kidding).

Here's what he came up with- I will say, he picked most of the pieces himself!I'm sorry for all the awful faces made in these photos- Sophie took them while we were sitting in the back seat of my mom's convertible that was top-down and in motion. It was windy. I made faces. End of story.
Ughhhh sorry about the face- we took limited photos because I'm awkward about having my picture taken in public places.
I'm Wearing:
Shirt: Loft
Belt: Primark
Skirt: Uniqlo
Shoes: DSW
Bow: won via Daily Candy contest

***

Student Report Card

Student Name: Thibault
Age: 21
Major: Physics
Course title: Fashion 101

Use of color:
Grade: A-
Teacher's comments: Great choice of red! It adds a pop of color to the outfit without being too overwhelming.

Attention to detail:
Grade: A-
Teacher's comments: The student chose both the bow embellished shoes and the bow hair clip, which I think go very nicely together. It's details like these that help pull together an outfit.

Use of accessories:
Grade: B+
Teacher's comments: Although the student correctly chose both the shoes and hair piece, he neglected to add a belt to this outfit. The belt shown was the model's own addition.

Ability to match:
Grade: B-
Teacher's comments: The model had to choose the skirt for this outfit...

Overall Grade: A- 

On behalf of everyone at G3B Style Academy, please accept this diploma:Congratulations Thibault, you've passed with flying colors! The people of Switzerland thank you and look forward to your style advice in the army.

Casual Friday: so busted! June 25, 2010

There are a few things I don't want to be known as by my neighbors:

• The Landlord's Daughter
• The Weird Girl who Takes Pictures of Herself
• The Girl who has a New Boy Over Every Week
• The Girl Who can't Park Correctly

Sadly, after today, I think it's possible that I might have acquired all of these titles. Let me explain.

The Landlord's Daughter:
Yes, my family owns the apartment building where I currently live. For a while, I only introduced myself as "Alana" to my neighbors and put no name on my mailbox. Then the mail man/lady left a note saying "no name, no mail," so that didn't last very long.

The Weird Girl who Takes Pictures of Herself:
This afternoon, a girl totally noticed me taking pictures of myself on the balcony. Though she didn't say anything, I know she must have looked. Seriously, she walked her dog past my balcony about a gazillion times!

The Girl who has a New Boy Over Every Week:
First, my friend Eric came to visit from Boston. We were seen coming home late and then drinking tea on the balcony together the next morning. Then, my friend Jon came to see the new place. And finally, Thibault stayed here for two weeks and I know the grandma lady who lives across the hall saw us together often.

The girl who can't park correctly:
For some reason I almost always park in this HUGE space in front of my building. It's not your typical rectangular parking space, it's more like a trapezoid. So really, however you park, it looks like you're doing something wrong. But, because my car is so so small, it makes my parking job look even worse.

Sigh. What's a fashion blogger who is friends with lots of boys, has a really small car and happens to be the landlord's daughter supposed to do?

I'm wearing:
Top: Loft
Belt: Primark
Jeans: Citizens of Humanity, found in a pile of neatly folded clothing in the trash room of my college apartment
Shoes: Old Navy
Headscarf: my childhood "dress-up clothes!"

Fit for a picnic June 21, 2010

To be honest, I wasn't really quite sure what to wear to my company picnic. Because it was a picnic/pool party/extravaganza, I knew I wanted to wear a bathing suit under whatever I ended up choosing. But, I also knew I couldn't wear anything too skimpy (aka beach clothes) as I'd be hanging with coworkers. There are some things the people you work with just don't need to see. (Plus, after the dog fiasco, I wasn't taking any chances.)

Thibault and I arrived early and helped fill up water balloons. I think we filled one up for every five we accidentally popped. After a while, I told Thibault he could only curse in French, as there were children around. French cursing is so funny!

We sort of pregamed the picnic with bagels from the Quarry. Please, don't act so surprised, it's me we're talking about here. Oh, and Thibault is now totally a bagel lover. My work here is done!

Meet Inga, one of my coworkers. She's super cute, has a shoe addiction (just like me) and LOVES eating crabs.

Now, I don't actually eat any type of seafood, but I did enjoy watching everyone else eating crabs. They're like a snack and a game. Cool!

Blame my 13 years of Jewish Day School education, but I just don't eat crabs. Look at that guy's eyes! You sort of have to like crabs if you're from Baltimore.

Thibault is wearing a child-sized cowboy hat that we later gave to my cousin Alec. Alec, the boy who can usually be seen sporting toenail polish, told us that this hat "was for girls." I think it's because Thibault has become his man idol. Seriously, he loves him. It's adorable.

I'm wearing:
Kaftan: SiBelle by Sibel Mesta (from Daily Candy contest)
Belt: Primark
Shoes: New York and Co.
Hat: Eugenia Kim for Target
Bathing suit: Loehmann's. You can't see it, but I promise it's cute!