The Good Girl Gone Blog: Family

An announcement...and a request

Aug 25, 2010

No, I'm not pregnant. Don't get any ideas. (I feel like I made this joke the last time I had a big announcement. Hmm. Note to self: learn new jokes.)

Anyway- I have a bit of an announcement to make: guys, I'm moving back to Boston. I've been thinking a lot recently about my life, my future, what I want to be doing, etc. The more I think about it, the more I know I need to go back. Sure, when I left Boston, I couldn't wait to come home. I was dealing with the aftermath of a breakup, major changes at work and a big blizzard. I was homesick. I needed my parents.

But now, after living in Baltimore for the past 4 months, I know I have to go back. I miss living in a city, being able to go out and do fun things whenever I want without having to worry about finding parking or a designated driver. I'll be closer to my friends and hopefully will be a lot less lonely. I'll be in a city that offers many more of the job opportunities I want. In short, there's no reason why I shouldn't be back in Boston.

I know it's going to be hard- my rent will go up significantly, I won't have my parents as a direct support system (I spend at least 2 evenings a week with them- I go to my dad's for dinner and dog playdates and my mom's for dinner, laundry, Wheel of Fortune and...dog playdates) and I have to find a job.

I'm slightly terrified, but I've been getting a lot of help from family, friends and coworkers. The fact that they all believe in me makes everything a little easier.

So here's my request- guys, I need your help. You all know me pretty darn well at this point. I've been trying very hard to do everything I can to make this Boston move work. I've been applying to jobs, looking at apartments online...things are going well, but I can still use all the help I can get.

Here we go:

If you're from Boston- do you know of anyone looking to hire a savvy PR girl/fashion blogger with an eye for detail and great communication skills?

If you're not from Boston- do you have any friends in Boston who are looking to hire a savvy PR girl/fashion blogger with an eye for detail and great communication skills?

Also, does anyone know of someone looking for a clean, fun, roommate with an adorable, lovable pooch?

If you can't help with any of those requests, that's totally fine. But in that case, I could definitely use some moral support!

Thanks in advance guys. I know I have some of the best readers out there, and just having your support means so much to me.

* Thanks Dad for the picture. It's good to know I can steal pictures from you when I can't find anything of mine that fits.

Farewell to the 40s!

Aug 2, 2010

My stepmom didn't want to have a 50th birthday party, so she had a 49.5 party...aka "farewell to the 40s" this past Saturday. (FYI, that's her in the first photo with the band, Fools and Horses.) It was LOADS of fun. The drinks were flowing, the band fantastic, the food tasty and the people fun.

Plus, I got to buy a new dress, which I did Saturday morning FYI and it only cost me $12.99! (Can you tell I'm proud of myself?)
Sophie and I performed the song "Stranded" by Plumb, which we first heard in 10 Things I Hate about You. It's actually the second time we've performed this song in front of a crowd. Even though I've been doing plays and singing in front of people for years, I still get nervous every time.

I think I'll leave you with this: the photo that I cropped and made my profile picture and the accompanying comments, which I personally find sort of hysterical.
I love my little sister!!

Inspired by: vibrant photographs

Sometimes people see me with my D5000 and assume I'm some crazy talented photographer, simply because it has a big lens. I always say that I'm "still learning," but that my dad is a photographer and he has the really big camera. The next question is always, "wait, your dad is a professional photographer?" I always answer no, he's not, he's a real estate appraiser, but he's really, really good.

A few weeks ago, my dad had the opportunity to go to Alaska to do some appraisal work. He jumped at the idea not because he was pumped about the appraisal, but because he'd be able to take pictures.

The amazing photographs throughout this post are all his. He originally started with around 2,000 and then narrowed down his favorites to about 150. It was hard for me to pick just a few to share, but I couldn't put 150 photos in one blog post! (You can see the rest here.)

Sure, you could say his pictures turn out so well because he has an expensive camera, but I know better. It's about more than just a camera doing its job. To be a true photographer, you need to be able to see beauty everywhere and capture it through a lens. Many of my dad's photos boast extra vibrant, almost unrealistic color, but that's because it's what he sees. It's his own personal style and I love it.

Thanks for the inspiration dad. You're one hell of a photographer!

Welcome to Bawlmer, Hon

Jun 14, 2010

Yesterday, my parents and I took Thibault to Hampden to experience some Baltimore culture at Honfest.

"HonFest is a local tradition. The Bawlmer term of endearment, Hon, short for Honey, embodies the warmth and affection bestowed upon our neighbors and visitors alike by historic working-women of Baltimore. HonFest is an annual celebration in honor of these women."

We had a blast! There was a tent set up where you could get your hair done in a traditional Bawlmer Hon beehive, tons of greasy-delicious food and lots of women (and even men) dressed in amazing costumes.

Surprisingly, I'd never attended Honfest before. If I go again, I definitely want to dress up. I'm thinking leopard spandex, biggggggg hair, cheesy flowers and maybe something flamingo inspired.

Did I mention that you can compete for the title of Baltimore's Best Hon? This year's winner received $1000, a ton of bubble gum, a set of plastic flamingos and a bunch of other great stuff in addition to bragging rights.

I loved seeing all the little girls in their Hon costumes, it reminded me of Toddlers & Tiaras!

I really wanted the cute old lady to win. Sadly, she didn't. I guess there's always next year...
...and I'll leave you with these amazingly tacky leggings! TONS more photos here.

Oh, and just for fun, check out the Bawlamerese Lexicon and learn how to speak "Hon."

And one last thing- my dad always says his favorite Hon is Atilla. Tee-hee.

Graduation

May 28, 2010

It's true, I've graduated. I'm a grown up. I have an apartment (photos to come), an internship with PayPal and a new car. Life is good. Only problem? I still don't have Internet. (I'm currently at my dad's house using my stepmom's computer.)

I promise I have a lot to share with you, and I will, as soon as I have Internet in my apartment. For now, here are a few of my dad's photos from graduation:

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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:

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.
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.
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.
My little sister comes home from Israel on June 3rd for the rest of the summer.
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!

Just a laugh

May 12, 2010

My dad took this photo in the parking lot before Lauren's lacrosse game. We both thought these bumper stickers were pretty funny, so of course my dad had to stop and take a picture.

I think, no, I know, that my sense of humor is being shaped my by father. Seriously, I find myself making Jewish dad-like jokes all the time.

Is this happening to anyone else?

Operation Cute Apartment: that one key piece

May 11, 2010

Yesterday, my stepmom and I attempted to find some rugs for my new apartment. Unfortunately, because I didn't know the color of my bedspread or my living room furniture, we ended up spending hours looking, but not finding anything. Additionally, we were trying to find a dresser that matched my current set, but Ikea apparently discontinued my furniture.

Now, I'm still without a dresser, BUT because my stepmom and I found a great bedspread today, I was able to pick out a rug. Here's the duvet and pillow set we chose:

I like that it's mostly white with just a hint of girly purple. (We didn't get that cylinder shaped pillow- it looked weird in person!) Plus, it matches my current curtains, so I'm all set in that department.

After picking this out, my stepmom and I headed to home depot and picked out a rug that will match perfectly with the light grey of my duvet. Now that I have a central piece for my room, I can start decorating.

Get excited guys, it's all starting to come together!

Her little yellow dress

May 10, 2010

There's a bit of a story behind this yellow dress. Yes, it is a dress, not a skirt. You see, I bought this dress on Marathon Monday last year with the hopes of wearing it to Blogher09. I was so excited about my recent purchase, I immediately called my best guy friend (who I happened to be somewhat involved with at the time) to tell him about it.

I remember thinking I was going to wear the dress for him and how much he would love it. Unfortunately, that never happened. You see, I have worn this dress just one time before. It was last summer, he and I were still involved in that complicated no title sort of way (at least to my knowledge) but he was busy that night. I wore the dress to a dinner party with some friends, but didn't end up seeing him.

I'm pretty sure it was the next day that I found out he'd met someone else.

Needless to say, this dress stayed in the back of Rachel L's closet for a very long time. It's not uncommon for me to associate a piece of clothing with a particularly memorable experience, especially if that experience is emotionally scarring. All of my past roommates know what I'm talking about, as they've held clothing for me in their drawers or closets.

The point is, although I've come to accept that I'll never really understand that boy's actions and will always be a little hurt, I'm in a much, much better place now. I have an amazing boy in my life who loves me, a family who cares about me and wants me to succeed and an exciting future to look forward to. The time for me to finally take this dress out of hiding was long overdue.

"Becky" is my mom! She got this necklace from her parents, and I picked it out from her jewelry box the other day. It's part of my graduation present. How cute and retro.

I'm wearing:

Dress, top and broach: H&M
Shoes: Target
Belt: Random store in Jerusalem
Necklace: Gift from my mom- it used to be hers!

My first lacrosse game!

May 7, 2010

Ha! From the title, you probably thought I actually played lacrosse. Nope, I'm not athletic at all, the closest I get to sports is occasionally watching them on TV to impress a boy or if I'm hanging out with my dad.

I must admit, I do like to pretend I'm a dancer sometimes. The guys that worked in the Armani Collezioni store below the press office were convinced I was a dancer, simply because I'd get antsy and stand in made up ballet/yoga positions while waiting for the elevator.

So yes, I may be a fake dancer, but I'm no lacrosse player. The real lacrosse player is my sister, Lauren, and this is the outfit I hose to wear to her game at my old elementary/middle school. I wanted to wear something that incorporated her school's colors, green and purple, without looking like Barney.

It was actually sort of fun sitting in our folding Ravens chairs and cheering on my sister's team. I got to sit in the sun, chat with my stepmom and occasionally yell things like "come on, let's hustle girls!" and "nice save." Unfortunately, I had to listen to a bunch of obnoxious 7th grade boys talk about Chlamydia. Seriously? I don't think I even knew what Chlamydia was in middle school!

Sadly, Lauren's team didn't win, but we went to Starbucks afterward for some yummy cold drinks. There's nothing like a calorie filled frappuchino (with lots of whip cream!) to soften the blow of a lost game.

*Also notable- my dad used his mono-pod to take photos throughout the game and was on his knees the whole time. Luckily, he packed his very stylish green knee pads. I wish I had a picture :(

I'm Wearing:

Top and sandals: Primark
Shorts: Garage
Sunglasses: Gift from Armani Press Office
Bag: Coach
Ribbon: my sister Sophie's bathroom drawer