The Good Girl Gone Blog

Mind the Gap, Please! April 14, 2010

A few days ago, I asked Thibault if he wanted to write a guest post. Now, I've been asking my other friends to guest post for the past three months, so I was pleasantly surprised to see an email with a post this morning. So anyway, just in from Switzerland...Thibault's post!

If you're a reader of Alana's blog, you should be familiar with me. I am referred to as the Swiss boy or Thibault. I am in exchange in London for a year. That's not the first time that she asks me to write something, but now I finally feel ready to post.

The title refers to the constant announcements in the Tube (London Underground) that you hear at every station.

The first day of my second semester in London, I reluctantly agreed to meet some friends at the students union to celebrate a birthday. We were struck by the number of Americans in this pub usually empty on a Monday night. Suddenly, I was speaking to a girl I had never seen before, Alana. We went out a few days later. And again. And again.

It was not love at first sight. We had some trouble understanding each other. I am far from being fluent in English, we have quite different background and our interests are apparently not really the same. The more I learned about Alana, the more surprised I was that we have so many things in common (to the same color of eye!). We clicked. Why is still an unanswered question to me. As the time flew by, our relationship blossomed and we managed to take down every snag that popped along the way. I have a lot of friends ; I have known several of them for quite a while now. However, I rarely felt the same closeness with them.

Now that the time to get off that amazing ride has come, I feel torn. We have to walk down on separate paths to different lives. I feel torn between being thankful for the happiness Alana brought on me and sadness to let her go without being able to do anything about it. Guys, take care of this wonderful lady. “Mind the gap, please!”

Go Ahead, Put a Label on Me. February 18, 2010

I'm going to be quite honest with you, I don't know much about Kate @ Undeniable Style, today's guest blogger. In fact, I only found out about her blog last week when she left a comment on the other Kate's post. Anyway, I'm very pleased with her submission. Enjoy!

Can you describe your style in 3 words or less? Urban Chic? Picnic Camper Cutie? Too Casual for Words? (okay, that's 4 words). Think about all the things you love about fashion. What do you feel most comfortable in? What are you drawn to? Ready? Go.

See?! Not so easy. I've definitely always been a stylish person (just ask my mom!) but I've never been able to put a label on my personal style....it just seems too final (kind of the same way I feel about tattoos), and I feel like my style is constantly evolving. But, here are some things I've always loved:

Juxtaposition

Layers


Texture

Anyhoo, I recently took an online class about developing personal style, and it's really, really, REALLY helped me. One of the projects was to keep a style file with images of things that inspire us: things we like/currently obsess over/lust after etc. I highly encourage you to try it! It was fun, and cathartic. And after 4 weeks of projects, I think I can finally define my style. And this is IT.

The BIG revealing on Good Girl Gone Blog....

quirky traditional meets sometimes toughly feminine.

And no, it's not 3 words or less, but hey, I'm trying.

A Little About Me:
Hi Guys! My name is Kate and I have been blogging Undeniable Style since 2006. I love Chanel Allure, Sarah Jessica Parker, the Olsen twins, BASEBALL, sleeping in, and bananas with peanut butter. Fabulously uncoordinated. Good natured. Sarcastic. Love, love, love serendipitous moments. Constantly paranoid about having something stuck in my teeth. Not always articulate. California love/California pride. Appreciative of someone who can make me laugh. I hate it when people stare at me, and I am horrible on the phone.

Thanks for letting me guest blog, Alana!


Image Sources:
American in London via stylesightings, Jessica Stam for J. Crew via {a glamorous little side project}, Beau Skirt by Sarah Seven.

Stylish Snippet: Southern Chic February 17, 2010

Thank goodness for fantastic readers like Amy, who sent over this amazing blog post- how fantastic is that boots photo? Kind of makes me want to go to Texas right now. When I think of Texas, I immediately think Mexican food. The Mexican fare in England sort of (sorry mom) sucks. I recently had to explain the concept of "tex-mex" to a non-American. Ha.

Hi there, I'm Amy. I live, work and play in Dallas, Texas. I have been reading Alana's blog for quite some time and I love her fashion posts. While I do not typically post on fashion, I thought I would give it a try for once!

I lived in New York my first year out of college and heard all of the preconceived notions outsiders have of Texas. People have grandiose visions of Texans riding horses, growing up with cowboy hats permanently attached to our heads and being somehow associated with the show Friday Night Lights There is some truth to the rumors: though I have only ridden a horse once in my life, my aunt and uncle do live on a ranch and raise cattle in Central Texas, and I grew up in the suburbs, but going to hometown football games was indeed the thing to do on a Friday night. 

I live in Dallas now, the unofficial national capital of platinum blondes in the U.S., but also home to a lot of great shopping. I know, you are so surprised that Prada, Gucci and Barney's would ever venture South of the Mason-Dixon Line, aren't you? Dallas women may be better known for hair volume that would rival Shelby Eatenton's in Steel Magnolias, but they also know how to dress.  

Cowboy boots in particular can be worn just about anywhere in Texas. Men can wear them to work, to a football tailgate, or on a date, and women likewise. Cowboy boots may have gained brief national popularity as a trend a few years ago, but they are a lifelong staple in the wardrobe of a Texan. They are understated, comfortable and they go with just about anything. I have seen women wear them anywhere from a Saturday brunch to church to two-stepping (it's dancing, Google it), and it's not unusual to see them worn under wedding and debutante gowns. You can get them custom-made, and I even have a few friends with vintage pairs their mothers passed down to them. They are the ultimate in Texas chic.

One of my lovely roommates, KS, who is in interior design school and has a closet full of Neiman Marcus, is modeling a few examples of what I am talking about. The photos will hopefully debunk the myths that cowboy boots can only be worn on Halloween and that we don't have winter in Texas. (Yes, that snow is real! Last I heard, we had nearly a foot on the ground this weekend... it was magical.)

 

Have a great week everyone! Thanks Alana!

"Blame it all on my roots, I showed up in boots
And ruined your black tie affair
The last one to know, the last one to show
I was the last one you thought you'd see there..."

-Garth Brooks, Friends In Low Places

Bros: Get a Cardigan February 12, 2010

Sigh, it's good to be friends with computer nerds- they send you blog posts that don't need any re-formatting. Eric is slightly amazing- he's a great cook, a snappy dresser, and a wonderful friend.  I mean come on, he introduced me to pop rocks martinis! What a guy, what a guy.

Did you ever Google business casual to figure out exactly what it means? If you're in the age range of 17-25 right now, chances are you have — because that's what you do when you want to know something! There are some insanely detailed results on proper attire, as well as a rockin' collection of stock bizfolk to gawk at. A bit too overwhelming for this nonchalant pro geek.

The tech and creative office environment practices something I like to call business chillax, "Look: pretty much anything goes, just look clean and don't forget we're hired you because you're a professional. But you're also expected to be comfortable, however you define it."

I like my indoors climate controlled between 65 and 68 ºF, wearing layers that come in handy when I have to brace for the elements. That's comfortable for me. Even more so now since I discovered an  article of clothing that 95% of young professional American males completely ignore: the cardigan.

(Yep, totally made up that statistic, but in all probability, I'm 100% right.)

The cardigan is one of those garments that a lot of dudes seem to consciously ignore. This is a huge mistake for a very guyish reason: it's absurdly practical. The right cardigan is the closet workhorse: it adds just the right amount of easily-removeable bonus warmth and multiplies the possibilities of your ensemblé du jour.

Find a neutral, khaki cardigan And watch the morning's possibilities double right before your eyes. I've watched Mr. Jack Spade's The Degar float down in price for a while. Maybe we'll meet someday, but a quick H&M trip revealed this $20 winner that goes with about half my bizlaxyware. Checkitout:

 

Just as one could walk out the door in one of these button downs and fitted jeans, this addendum goes well with stoney blue or charcoal denim. 

 

Not sure how many buttons to button? Just take a look in the mirror and try to find a V shape that compliments your frame. Skinny for skinny, wider for broader. Button to the top with a tie for a suit vest-like effect, but always have at least one button undone (not The Rule, but a Really Good Rule, sure).

If you don't vary your bizlax attire much, the cardigan's a great place to start. Like a suit, it adds great lines when worn properly. Go on the slim side, and remember its going to stretch. 

The cardigan: wear it, dudes.

Jeggings February 11, 2010

Today's guest post is from my dear blog friend, Kate, from Suburban Sweetheart. She's such a doll, honestly. She even sent me a photo of a creepy guy friend of hers who was on Jdate to make sure I never went out with him. Apparently, he's kind of a player and Kate did not approve. Additionally, I love Kate because she loves brunch. I love brunch. Ted Mosby (architect) loves brunch. Brunch is amazing. I want to get brunch with Kate.

Ahh, this paper is starting to get to me- keep the guest posts coming. Email me: alanadanielle88@gmail.com

Everyone’s got different strengths, right? That’s what my mom used to tell me when I’d royally screw something up, like the time I scored a goal for the other team in kindergarten. Can’t be good at everything, Kate. Especially soccer.

But this isn’t about soccer. This is about fashion.

Clearly, one of Alana’s great strengths is fashion. Have you seen the girl’s outfits? The yellow shoes?! The birthday dress? Or the fact that she had an interview for an internship at Armani? My own closet is hanging its hanger-laden head in shame.

OK, that’s not true. I’ve got style, albeit a little offbeat. Just last month, a very respectably stylish boy (with whom I may or may not have been on a date!) told me I have good style. And he would’ve seen me blush with flattery had we not been inside a very dark speakeasy (Who says DC isn’t cool?)

Still, like many, I struggle with style. I’ve never been one of those girls who’s consistently pulled-together. I’m disheveled; I roll up my sleeves & manage to wrinkle everything. I oppose ironing & forget to pick up my dry-cleaning. I feel constricted in anything too tailored or structured. And on top of all that, I’m a little bigger than your average would-be fashionista, which means I have to shell out extra if I want to find fashion that fits, instead of just shopping at Dress Barn. Which I love. But forget I said that.

My general uniform goes something like this: skinny jeans, plain fitted tee, long cardigan, flats, cool jewelry. Modify as appropriate. (i.e, in colder months, substitute boots for flats & plain fitted sweaters for plain fitted tees. In cooler months, the cardigans are short-sleeved & sometimes the jeans are capris. Very varied, you see.)

No one ever says “OMG THAT CARDIGAN IS AMAZING,” but no one’s nominated me for “What Not To Wear” yet, either.

Last month, during a trip to NYC, I took a fashion risk. Long an opponent of the leggings-as-pants trend (perhaps only because I cannot pull it off myself?), I scoured SoHo for – & ultimately purchased – a pair of denim leggings. Yes, jeggings They have pockets & a zipper & a button & even that brown stitching that most jeans have, making them look like… really tight jeans. They feel like pajamas, which is both amazing & admittedly lazy. They fit refreshingly well into boots.

So, these leggings. Gross? Great? I can’t tell. In an attempt to determine which, I’ve worn a few times, but only when my friends weren’t present. I’m scared of: A) being the hypocrite who bashes a trend then falls for it; B) being the chunky chick wearing leggings as pants in public; C) donning anything with the name “jeggings.”

G3B readers, I implore of you to weigh in on the debate that rages within me. Are denim leggings acceptable? Ever? What are the rules here? Did I fall prey to Topshop’s hypnotic powers or did I make a respectable lower-half investment?

Whoa, black betty, bam-a-lam. February 10, 2010

I know, I said no blog posts this week, but when I put out a plea on twitter for guest posts, I got an overwhelming number of responses! The first post is from Katie @ An Old Fashioned Girl. Wow, this girl is fast- she got this post to me within just a few hours of the request. I love the Internet!

(Just 2 papers to write, 1 paper to edit and 2 tests to take and then I'm off to Spain!)

Interested in becoming my new best friend/have some extra free time? Consider submitting a guest post to me by next Tuesday. Send submissions to alanadanielle88@gmail.com.

Wine in a box reminds me of my mother: just like her, it’s usually inappropriate. I couldn’t even bring myself to buy it in college, I’ll take the giant jug of blush wine by Carlo Rossi, thank you very much! I’m not exactly a wine snob by any means, I just prefer my grapes to come in glass, not cardboard.

A few weeks ago after a long night of work, I was looking forward to a nice glass of Yellow Tail Cabernet/Shiraz before bed. I was less than pleased to find out that Brian (my husband) polished it off while consuming a frozen slice of pizza and watching college basketball.

A couple days later, Brian texted on his way home from work that he had a treat for me. Imagine my disappointment when he came in with a box of wine (I was hoping for a chocolate frosted donut). Out of a paper bag he pulled a six pack of Bud Light Pounders and a Black Box of Cabernet.

“This is it,” I thought… “I’m at the peak of my late 20’s and somehow I skipped ahead to 52.” Just give me a leopard print top and some pink lipstick and call it a day.

I settled the box on the edge of the countertop, opened the spout, and poured myself a stemless wine glass of Black Box Cabernet. Much to my surprise, it was absolutely delicious! Rich with flavor, a bit on the spicy side, the wine spills across your tongue like cream into coffee. We’ve been keeping it in the kitchen ever since. One box is equal to FOUR bottles of wine. And the best part? It costs about $25! Now we never run out of cab.

Black Box comes in Cabernet, Merlot, Shiraz, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. The grapes themselves come from around the world to produce what Black Box calls a “high-end box wine.”

You can find Black Box at your local adult beverage provider, or check out the where to buy page. Because even if you think you’ll never be like your mother, you always will.

Sunday Confessional: I have an unhealthy obsession with The Price is Right August 16, 2009

I've been wanting my lovely ex-roommate, Megan, to guest post for a while now. She's probably the funniest person I know, and I've learned a ton from her during our year together. For example, dish soap is an amazing stain remover. Oh, and honey tastes good with everything, including brownies. She's back home in NY for the year, but I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that she'll continue to keep us all updated and laughing via her blog, My Pet Lizard Slappy.

* * *

Hey blog readers!

Alana and I lived together during the 2008-2009 school year, which is why Alana probably contacted me to write a “confession” themed post.  As it turns out, most of my daily life could somehow qualify as material one would “confess” as opposed to mention over a cup of coffee.

I was definitely excited to guest post, but I decided immediately that I wanted to write something that would surprise even my former roommate.  That eliminated crashing a wedding, wearing underwear on my wet hair at night (you should try it! It keeps your pillow dry,) conversing with our pet fish, and eating honey directly out of the container.  I thought of a certain pee-peeing on a fake tan incident that happened recently, but that would be too embarrassing even for me (perhaps another guest post when the horror of it starts to fade...)
As Alana and I spoke on the phone, I had an epiphany.  I am not proud about what I am going to share with you, but they don’t call it a confession for nothing.  I guess I’ll just phrase it this way:

Hi, my name is Megan, and I am a Price Is Right addict.

And I really mean a full blown, it’s-an-illness, obsessed, freak of a Price Is Right addict.  When I was a child, I would wear a homemade nametag while I watched the show, but recently my addiction has escalated to new levels.  My childhood best friend and number one enabler, Catie, recently developed a similar sickness for The Price is Right, or “TPIR,” as she calls it.  We text each other comments during the show and muse about what pricing games we would like to play.  One night, as we ate a lovely dinner at the local IHOP, we realized that the first step getting on the Price is Right would be vibrant group t-shirts.  (For those of you not familiar with TPIR, the audience members wear hideous, bright T-shirt with sayings such as “I’m 90, Feisty, and Ready to Spin!”)

Well, I’ll spare you the details of rushing to the craft store, or how we ultimately decided the base of a great t-shirt is of course, a great tie-dye, but last Friday night, four close friends and I took the first step toward our pending appearance on TPIR by making these masterpieces:

We haven’t applied the glitter glue yet; we are going to write which prize we want across the back.  Mine is going to say “JACUZZI!”

Now onto step two--anybody want to donate money to help us get from Queens to Los Angeles?

Thank you so much Alana for allowing me to do this, and thanks for reading guys!

Guest Post: Why Caz Hates the summer May 13, 2009

Hey, I'm Caz from over at Cherry Blossoms and Vodka! Alana was so sweet as to offer to swap blogs with me when my original 20 Something Blogger's Blog Swap 4 bailed on me and never answered my emails. Anyway, I'm a Canadian blogger living in Melbourne Australia, loving life and adjusting to the post-college life. Make sure you come visit Alana's post on my blog! Ok so Alana's been all about the summer right now with her Sundress week, talk of summer vacay and warm weather. I hate her right now. (okok that's a lie) But anyway, I've decided to be a total Scrooge and tell you all the reasons why summer isn't always all it cracked up to be...

• Um it's hot. and Sweaty. Boob sweat? neck sweat? foot sweat? you can't escape it here in Australia and it's insane. You sweat in places you never thought could possibly sweat. Seriously? I think I had tongue sweat and that might be impossible.

• You have to shave your legs etc. ALL THE TIME.

• Skin cancer? What's with that? I mean everyone's telling you to slather on sunscreen 24/7. But you also don't really want to be the white and pasty one on the beach. This is a no-win situation.

• Speaking of the beach. Bikinis. Does ANYONE really feel 100% comfortable in them?

• We had record breaking heat this summer. 47.6*C (120*F for you American folk) which resulted in massive bushfires, failing transit systems and HUGE energy bills from running the AC all the time.

• It's too hot to sleep.

• If you're not a student you're often stuck inside working for 8 hours a day. Wasting all that lovely weather in over air-conditioned, freezing offices.

• Kids (ok I love kids in general, I just don't love kids on summer vacation.) Whining for ice cream, crowding the amusement parks, dragging their frazzled parents from playground to beach. I much prefer the typical summer events with a beer in my hand and no screaming children around.

Obviously there are many more positives to summer than negatives. But don't remind me as it is fast approaching winter here in Melbourne and I'm not looking forward to the cold, rainy, dark days approaching. Oh, and just to remind me what I'm missing out on, here's a photo from my summer trip to Sydney.

Because you can't go to Sydney and not take a photo in front of the Opera House!

Guest Post: Elle Bee talks PR April 24, 2009

Hello, readers at the Good Girl Gone Blog! I'm Elle, from the [Mis]Adventures of Elle Bee. Alana and I signed up for this Blog Swap back in the day, and since we make our own rules, we agreed to trade spaces today rather than on Wednesday like we were supposed to. We're rebels like that.

It's been fun, and fairly interesting, trying to come up with a blog topic. You get to know a bit about people you wouldn't have met otherwise, and build connections you didn't know you had. For example, Alana's American and I hail from the Great White North. From living in very different countries, you'd think that we lack things in common. From her post over on my blog, you can learn about Alana's love for her Easy Bake Oven. Me, I never had one (I know, I suffered as a child). However, I do love to bake little cakes (cupcakes, even) in my real kitchen. I also learned that Alana and I share a career choice. Public Relations.

For those of you who aren't interested in Public Relations, I apologize. I'm totally going there. I'm giving you a case study of something that Alberta (my province) did horribly wrong. We branded ourselves. With a tagline that I can never remember. We went from "Alberta Advantage" to "Freedom to Create. Spirit to Achieve." (I had to look it up).

The problem isn't with the branding itself. Other Canadian provinces have done it. Cities do it all the time. Both Canada and the United States have created an "image" for themselves. The problem starts when Public Relations people (and the consultants they've paid $25 million to come up with the brand) stop practicing what they preach.

Three good ideas when you're creating a brand that Alberta forgot:

1) Base your brand on something that means something to people. All of the ad copy (and even the tagline) for this Alberta brand is so lame. Seriously. It's all fluffy, airy, feel-good verbage that doesn't mean anything to anyone. I've seen this ad written down, and it's nearly impossible to read through. The video is a bit better, but I can't help but roll my eyes when it starts to play.

2) Don't discriminate. Canada's pretty multicultural in general, and Alberta also shares a lot of that multiculturalism. Sure, in the movies Albertans tend to be portrayed as rugged cowboys or slick oil executives, but in real life we have many different cultures living side-by-side, day-by-day. In all of the ad imagery, there's approximately one Aboriginal and one girl with dark hair and olive skin who may, possibly but it's a stretch, be Muslim. Everyone else is blonde and blue-eyed. As a very freckled, red-headed girl, this realization makes my green eyes even greener with jealousy. Seriously? I don't fit into the pretty little package of what Alberta should appear to be?

3) Make sure there's no confusion over what you're selling. It came out today, on the front page of the newspapers in Alberta's biggest cities, that there's a reason why blue-eyed blonde children were gallavanting through Alberta's images. Because the people in the Alberta ads? They might not even be Albertan.

These English tots are whooping it up on a famous English beach near Bamburg Castle, the legendary home of Sir Lancelot. Uh oh. Alberta was found out when a reader contacted the paper after contacting the Government inquiring about where the beach was. They do not have beaches in Alberta like this, believe you me. The Government tried to cover up their faux pas, saying it represents the future of Alberta and our "worldly interests", but no one is buying it. Let that be a lesson to you, PR people! (Also, come to Alberta and visit, because we are pretty awesome even though we're not England.)

Guest Post: Little Sister Edition April 07, 2009

My sister Sophie wrote this post for you. She's a really great writer and she has great fashion sense, which she gets from me. Literally, she takes the clothes out of my closet. Anyway, Sophie here has a great guest post. Enjoy!

Hey G3B-ites,

I was skyping with Alana this afternoon and blurted out how excited I am for the new episode of our favorite tv show tonight. Little did I know, this would land me a writing assignment. UGGH. (Just kidding! Anything for my fabulous sister). So here goes nothing…

Tired of Gossip Girl yet? Good, me too. While I enjoyed the outrageous fashion statements ála Serena van der Woodsen, and watching Dan Humphrey stumble over his adorable self every week, I’m bored of the teenage drama.

So, I’ve switched up my tv routine, adding a relatively new show from TBS called My Boys to my queue. I honestly can’t wait for 10:30 on Tuesday night to roll around. I sit on the couch with my dog, Daisy, and my hefty, calculus textbook (a mere prop to convince myself that I don’t have senioritis) and for a glorious half-hour, I feast my eyes on what may be the best show ever. For those of you who liked “Friends” and Sex and the City, consider My Boys a personal gift to you. Sent from the prime-time gods.

It’s easy to like PJ (Jordana Spiro), the show’s protagonist. She’s a pretty, twenty-something tomboy who makes her living as a Chicago sports columnist. After work, PJ spends time with her friends, an assortment of sweet, comical, geeky, and fun guys, at the local pub or seated around her poker table. She’s looking for love, of course, but generally struggles since A) her awesomeness intimidates guys,  and B) most of the guys in her life she considers family. Poor PJ!

I don’t want to give too much away. My high school brain is programmed to avoid lengthy summaries. You can thank the English department for that.

So anyway, watch My Boys tonight on TBS. And no excuses. I KNOW you don’t have plans at 10:30 on a Tuesday night!

P.S. I have good taste in everything.

P.P.S. Brendan (one of the “boys”) is muy muy guapo, so you should really watch.