The Good Girl Gone Blog

We're on our Way... April 17, 2012

As you read this, Eric and I are on our way to Costa Rica. Thank you so much to the Visit Costa Rica Tourist Board for sending us!

G3B's pro guide to (stylish and comfy) travel September 02, 2010

I don't think you have to sacrifice comfort for style...or style for comfort, when traveling. After four years of traveling for holidays, family events, work trips and gallavanting around Europe, I think I've got this travel thing figured out. Here are my tips for stylish and comfortable travel...plus some photos of my outfit for today's flight to Boston. Enjoy:

Tip 1: When possible, leave the luggage at home. For short trips, travel sans-heavy luggage and fill up a nice sized carry on. I love my Betseyville Wheelie Suitcase, it's a great conversation starter and people are always more than happy to help lift it into the overhead bin. Plus, you don't have to worry about luggage getting lost, waiting in line at baggage claim, or extra fees. Oh, and I look ridiculous trying to lug a big suitcase on public transportation- it's no easy feat, trust me.

Tip 2: Choose the right shoes. Although not all airports require you to take off your shoes at security, many do. As a result, you need to wear shoes that are easy to pull off and put on quickly. No one likes that person in line that's spending 20 minutes lacing their shoes...or the person who can't get their baby stuff figured out, but that's another story. I don't recommend wearing flip flops, only because your toes might get cold on the flight. Personally, I like wearing pull-on boots like Uggs (sorry!) in the winter, but today, I'm wearing heels. Why? I find flats uncomfortable, and I like looking nice when I travel. This pair has a pretty thick heel and a platform for extra support- I'd call them "comfy heels."

Tip 3: Dress for a cold plane. No matter what the weather is outside, airplanes always seem to be about -50 degrees. As a result, I've learned not to travel with bare legs (think dresses) and ALWAYS bring some sort of sweater or jacket in case I get cold. Bonus: if you're not cold, you can use that sweater/jacket as a pillow.

Tip 4: Leave most of your toiletries at home. Because I typically carry on my luggage, I always run into the issue of liquid toiletries going over the 1 oz limit (although to be honest, I don't always separate my liquids or stay under the limit and have never gotten in trouble). Think about it this way- if you're going to a hotel, they'll have shampoo, conditioner and soap...and if you're visiting friends or family, they'll have all of that plus toothpaste. I really hate having to go into my stuff to pull out a clear plastic bag of toiletries- it takes too much time in line, and I sort of resent the slow people who waste time doing it.

Tip 5: Choose a seat in the front. I'm sure many of you have been doing this for a while, but it's a new concept for me. Not having to wait in your seat for everyone else to board? Great! Deplaning before you have time to get antsy? Fabulous!

Tip 6: Don't travel in jeans. I don't care what anyone says, jeans are not comfortable unless they're stretchy. Yes, I'm going there. I don't particularly enjoy wearing jeans, especially when I have to be sitting for a long period of time. Go for leggings or a pair of stretchy (but not frumpy) pants...or better yet, wear a dress and tights!

A strategic breakdown of my travel outfit:

Jacket: tailored and fun, but made out of comfy sweatshirt material. PERFECT for keeping warm and acting as a substitute pillow.

Headband: great for keeping hair out of your eyes when putting your hair up isn't an option (because it's uncomfortable in airplane chairs).

Soft, stretchy pants: see my rant on jeans.

Sleeveless top: because it's hot outside

Comfy heels: easy to remove in the security line or on the plane.

I need a little luck this weekend, so cross your fingers for me. Hopefully Hurricane Earl won't affect my travel plans. Boston, here I come! Expect some FABULOUS photos and a big giveaway announcement!

Outfit details: Jacket,shoes and pants- Loehmann's, tank- Target, belt- H&M, necklace- gift from Megan, headband- c/o Embelle Boutique

Milestones May 14, 2010

It's been all sorts of crazy over at the G3B residence. Lot of exciting stuff going on over here, folks. Because it's 12:00 and I have to leave my house in approximately six hours to catch a flight to Boston, I'm going to be especially brief.

Here's the deal:

1. At 4 pm this Sunday, my family and I will be attending my college graduation. Just two and a half hours later, I will be the proud owner of a diploma boasting my BS in Communication.
2. My apartment is on its way to becoming an amazing home. Though it's still missing most of my furniture, it is housing a majority of my shoes and clothing, as well as a two cute couches and a bunch of Cuisinart steals from Rue La La.
3. I got a job, at least for the summer. I start work on Wednesday and I'm going to get to do some really awesome stuff. Stay tuned.
4. My little sister comes home from Israel on June 3rd for the rest of the summer.
5. Thibault is coming to visit me for two weeks in June!

...and that's all for now. Hopefully all this excitement won't get in the way of me falling asleep tonight!

My mysterious post April 06, 2010

Why the heck am I sharing with you this photo of an adorable Ethiopian boy in bunny ears? Click here to find out! (There may be a giveaway in it for you!)

Welcome to Watchland part 3: small town glory April 02, 2010

Here are the last of my Switzerland photos. They're all taken around Thibaut's home in Neuchatel. The weather managed to remain yucky in all of these photos, and by the end of the day I was so frustrated about taking photos/schlepping my big camera that I made Thibault take over. So basically, most of these photos are his.

On another note, Thibault has to go back to Switzerland in just two weeks and won't be returning to London until after I'm already back home in Baltimore. I looked into changing my flight so I could stay in London for a few more days, but it's going to cost more than 1/3 of the flight's original price. It just didn't seem worth it. Whether I stay the extra few days or leave on time, the goodbye will still be difficult. So, I guess we're just going to have to make the most of the next two weeks!

Thibault's lake

A really old church. I was trying to do the whole "I know everything about architecture because I'm taking one silly class" thing and guess when it was built.  I was off by around 4oo years.

How NOT to pose in an umbrella photo.

The CORRECT umbrella pose.
 

Tea break!

The lake was very violent due to the bad weather.

This is my favorite photo.

I snapped this photo out the car window on the way to the airport, and then proceeded to fall asleep for an hour

Welcome to Watchland part 2: Sea Bugs March 30, 2010

Yesterday, I showed you a few photos from my first day in Switzerland. Here are the rest of my favorite Geneva shots:

 The photo above is a real-live clock made out of flowers.

How pretty are these mountains?

Note the abundance of watch ads- they're all over Switzerland!

After walking around for a bit in the rain, we ducked into a cute restaurant overlooking the lake. We had a really yummy pizza lunch. Of course, I couldn't understand practically anything on the menu as I know about 10 words in French, so Thibault had to explain the pizza toppings. At one point, he was trying to explain an item on the menu and asked me if I liked "sea fruit."

When I looked at him quizzically, he responded by saying:

"Oh wait, that's not it. Sea bugs! Do you like sea bugs?"

Because I don't like sea creatures or bugs, it was safe to say that particular pizza wasn't for me. (I got mushrooms.) We later discovered the word he was looking for was "seafood."

Check out my amazing napkin folding skills!

Note the blue sky on the left of the fountain and the clouds to the right.

Neuchatel photos coming soon!

Welcome to Watchland part 1: Geneva March 29, 2010

I arrived in Geneva at around 11:30 and Thibault was there in the airport waiting for me. As soon as I saw him I couldn't stop smiling. I ran over and gave him a big hug and he lifted me in the air and kissed my forehead. We  left the airport, hand in  hand, and took a little tour of Geneva. Unfortunately, the weather, which had been 70 degrees and sunny just the day before my arrival, decided to act up all weekend. It definitely put a damper on our plans and my phot0s (that was for you, Acc), but I still had an amazing time.

Here are a few pictures from Geneva:

Apparently, my need to stop and say hi to all kinds of birds isn't strange. Thibault thinks it's cute. I think he's a winner!

Swiss "puzzle piece" trees. Dad/Sophie, you know what I'm talking about.

Yup, this IS a new red coat. I'm calling it my "in between coat" because it's mid-weight. Unfortunately, it has no pockets.

Even though the weather was really yucky, I am excited to say i saw not one, but FIVE rainbows in just one day. I've always thought of rainbows as very special, so it was a great way to start the trip.

I have a ton more Geneva pictures to post, plus a bunch from Neuchatel, but you'll have to be satisfied with these for today. If you're celebrating, have a wonderful passover!

...it's what's keeping me smiling March 23, 2010

Today was another long day at work- we're prepping for our press day on Friday, so we had to completely empty all of the showrooms in order to bring in new stock. It involved a lot of lifting, cutting tape, making boxes and putting clothes in plastic suit covers. Though I'm not sore yet, I know by tomorrow my arms will be aching.

But, although I'm a bit grumbley from a hard day at work, there's one thing that's making me smile. It's just three days away and I can't stop thinking about it. You see, on Friday, I'm doing something very exciting: I'm packing up some clothes, my camera, and hopefully my amazing French vocabulary skills (ha) and heading to Switzerland to meet up with Thibault!

Yes, you heard me. I'm going to Switzerland to spend the weekend with Thibault and his family. I couldn't be more excited. He's been back home in Switzerland since Friday in order to take some tests for his upcoming (mandatory) army service. He's promised me loads of fondue, amazing wine and of course, delicious chocolate. He's going to show me the lake where he swims during the summer and introduce me to some of his friends.

It's going to be an amazing weekend and a much needed break.

Sigh. I am a lucky girl.

The last bits of Spain March 01, 2010

I realize my trip to Spain was over a week and a half ago, but I still want to share some of my favorite photos with you. I could probably spend an entire week sharing photos and talking about the trip, but I think it's time to move on. Anyway, you can check out the rest of my photos here.

Meet Allison, one of my friends from BU. Allison has a sort of effortless style that I definitely admire. I love how she always manages to look super chic, whether in an all black ensemble, or dare I say it, her newly purchased mink coat.

We enjoyed our first Paella/Sangria lunch at the top of the Castillo de Gibralfaro, a place whose name I only remember because of this photo. Though paella traditionally includes seafood, I opted for the vegetarian dish and thoroughly enjoyed it. The Sangria was great too. My favorite ingredient: cinnamon sticks!

Too funny, right? I took tons of photos of this little guy running on the beaches of Marbella. There were so many cute dogs in Spain, although there are definitely more here in London!

We must have gone to the local grocery store, Super Sol, about a million times. They had tons of great food there along with some extremely cheap wine that perfectly complimented our brie and baguette. Some of the packaging made me laugh a little, like the "Bimbo" bread and some item in a box that had a label in braille. Seriously, if it's the only item in the store with a braille label, how is that helpful?

I absolutely love rainbows. Maybe it's because they're so rare, or because I've associated them with miracles ever since I learned the story of Noah's Ark. Did you know there's even a special blessing you're supposed to say when you see one? Of course, I never remember it, but I always think about it when I see a rainbow.

Walking around the Castillo de Gibralfaro reminded me so much of the City of David in Jerusalem. Although the views were quite different, walking around the fortress made me nostalgic for the old city and its history.

I entitled this photo "heavenly" because there is just something so unearthly about those clouds. The photo was taken on the way up to the Castillo de Gilbralfaro and shows the diverse mix of trees, tall buildings and coastal construction equipment in the Malaga skyline. 

Again, you can see the rest of my Spain photo set here.

Stylish in Spain February 26, 2010

When I first spotted this frilly white blouse in H&M last summer, I immediately thought of two Mexican dresses I used to play in as a child. The dresses were part of our "dress up clothes" and were a thin white material with  a spattering of embroidered flowers in a rainbow of colors. I miss those dresses, and as a result, bought a similar looking top as a substitute. The fabric is light and flowy, perfect for a sunny day in Spain!

Embroidered top, camisole and awkward socks: H&M, jeans: Loehmann's, sneakers: Payless

I made Izzy snap a few photos of me standing on a concrete structure on the patio behind our hostel in Malaga. The view was gorgeous, and I still can't get over those gorgeous wispy clouds.

Post "serious" photo shoot, El joined me to take some silly photos. We almost fell over a bunch of times, but ended up having a random dance party. I think the sunshine might have gone to our heads!