The Good Girl Gone Blog: Pets

This must be love

Jul 31, 2010

I have the hardest time saying no to this face. Zooey has pretty much taken over my life. Whether I'm dropping tons of $$ at the vet (who is so, so dreamy...he's like my McVet), waking up extra early to walk her or bringing her to work, pretty much everything I do somewhow involves Zooey.

She's been really great so far- the only problem? She has a phobia of men. This makes me particularly sad because it means she was probably abused in the past by a scary man. Also, it means that Zooey barks and puts on her scary face whenever we're around guys. It's so weird to see her transform from a sweet, tail-wagging, bundle of adorable to a scrunchy-faced, snarling animal who tries to bite your ankles.

Even still, we're working through Zooey's issues. As my parents said, if I ever want to date again, I need to figure out a way for Zooey to feel comofortable around men. I really hate yelling at her, so this training thing is going to be hard.

Any suggestions?

Don't call me Mommy

Jul 19, 2010

Though I had a fabulous time in Florida this weekend, I definitely missed Zooey. I'm pretty sure I called and asked about her at least twice a day. I asked Eric's mom if what I was feeling was normal for a "first time mom." It took her a minute, and then she finally realized I wasn't talking about my secret, illegitimate love child, but rather my cute, silly puppy.

It's partially because I missed her, and partially because she's just so pretty, that I decided to include her in today's photo shoot.

Yes, Zooey is significantly younger than me and I supply her with food, water and a roof over her head, but I'm hardly her "Mommy." Please. There is only one Mommy in my life, and she's my Mommy. Zooey is more of a little sister, or a good friend. She also makes a great accessory :)
The outfit below includes pieces of today's work look. I stripped off my belt and sweater and opted for regular old flip flops to walk Zooey, but then decided to put my heels back on for the photo shoot. Man, today was a hot one!
I'm Wearing:
Top: Forever 21
Skirt: R&J Couture via Loehmann's
Shoes: Aldo Sale Store
Shades: c/o GA press office, London
Zooey: MD SPCA

A girl after my own heart

Jul 11, 2010

Zooey hid in my closet when I brought out the vacuum. Clearly she feels safe around cute shoes. I knew there was a reason I adopted her!

I've been having so many parenting moments lately- I get excited when she takes interest in a new toy, when she follows me around the apartment and when she conquered her fear of my bathroom! I'm about to leave her for the first time and I feel horribly guilty.

Still, if she loves my favorite things (shoes), she'll definitely understand the necessity for a B&N date with Pammy. We're off to get Starbucks and read wedding magazines- it's a tradition and we haven't done it in a while. I'm so excited!

*And no, I am not getting married, but a girl can still plan!

Zooey 101

Jul 10, 2010

Everyone, meet Zooey. She's my 45 lb shepherd mix pup and she's absolutely adorable. She's currently relaxing on my rug, taking a nap and looking extremely pretty doing it.

Sophie and I picked out the cutest collar/leash set for her yesterday- it looks like pink Burberry, but cost A LOT LESS. She looks fabulous, obviously.So the name, I'm sure you're curious about it. When I was picking her up from the SPCA, I sat down with the adoption counselor and filled out a bunch of paperwork. On one of the pages, it listed her name, which at the time was "Shasta," and had the name "Zoe" crossed out.

And then it hit me. I love the name Zoe! I like that it begins with a "Z" and that it has a long ooooo sound in it. (My parents' dogs all have similar sounding names- Bailey, Daisy, Sadie, so I wanted something that would sound different.) Plus, you all know how I feel about Zooey Deschanel! The name definitely suits her. How pretty is she?

Zooey is currently in a little pain- she got spayed on Thursday and is still recovering. I wasn't feeling too hot yesterday, so it's probably pretty good that we both just want to relax this weekend and recover.
Oh, and coincidentally, Jamie Lynn Spears' character in Zoe 101 is named "Zoe Brooks." She's great and all, but I like my Zooey Brooks better!

Puppy love

Jul 7, 2010

Hi everyone, just thought I'd let you know- in just a few days, I'll be taking care of much more than just my plants, which honestly are doing quite well despite it being in the 100's today.

After weeks of visiting the SPCA, emailing back and forth with dog owners, crying at work over puppies I couldn't save and fearing I'd never find a dog that was right for me, I've finally found her!

My new doggy is approx 45 lbs and 2.5 years old. She's a black German Shepard mix with a skinny white line running from her nose and up her snout. She has adorable white spots on some of her toes and a nice big black spot on her tongue.

She's very mellow, a little timid, but essentially perfect for me. The SPCA actually categorized her as a "waltzing Matilda" aka the least active and most chill dogs.

I filled out the adoption papers today and will be picking her up either Thursday or Friday after she gets spayed.

Of course, she still needs a name. My mom and I have been bouncing ideas off each other all night. So far my favorites are:

Penny: Could be short for Penelope or Penny Jane (like Penny Lane!). If I go with Penny Jane, I could call her PJ. Downside- I can see myself calling her Pee Pee, which is bad.

Ziva: She's the feisty, strong Israeli character in NCIS. Confession: I don't really watch the show, but she's my mom's favorite and I like the name. I'm thinking I'd end up nicknaming her ZZ or ZZ Top haha.

Lola: I've always liked this name, although it is my sister's MIL's name too. Could be awkward, but I could call her Lo lo for short!

I'm open to ideas! I'll put up pictures as soon as I have them.

*Also, how cute is the dress I'm wearing? It's c/o Shabby Apple and I'll be doing a review soon!

Your unmentionables are showing

Jul 5, 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 ;)

Casual Thursday: the secret spot

Jun 10, 2010

Normally, I save my jeans for Friday, but today was an exception. After spending way too much time listening to people with mullets talk about their Harleys at the MVA (my wallet was stolen yesterday and I needed to get a new license), I headed in to work for just over an hour.

Then, I went on a special mission with another intern that involved a lot of driving! We've been tasked to plan a company event for late July and spent a good chunk of today checking out one possible location.

These photos were taken by my sister, Sophie, when I got home from work. The dog is Bailey and the boy is Thibault. I like both of them a lot.

I'm wearing:

Shirt: gift from Sophie, purchased at "the shook" in Israel
Capris: Target
Shoes: New York and Co.
Necklace: Stolen from Sophie :)
Headband: CVS (I think!)

Happy birthday, baby sis

Apr 3, 2010

via

Today, my little sister turns 19. (No, she's not a puppy, she's a person. The photo above is of her new puppy, Marley, who slightly resembles her American cousin, Ms. Sadie Pants/Princess Sadie). I still remember her childhood birthday parties (her friends were so loud!) and her Easter bunny shaped cake.

So, here's hoping that 19 is an amazing year! As the traditional Jewish saying says, "Ad me'ah v'esrim"- may you live until 120. Or as my favorite Hebrew play on words goes, "ad me'ah k'esrim"- which roughly translates to: may you live until 100, as if you were 20.

I love you, Sophie!

Puppy Passover

Mar 28, 2010

Passover starts tomorrow and I am hardly ready. Have I cleaned out my cubby? No. Have I purchased any Passover food? No. Sigh. It's a good thing I ate so much delicious food in Switzerland this weekend, otherwise a week of Passover sans my mom's cooking would probably be even worse. I'll probably buy a lot of vegetables tomorrow to get me through the week. Potatoes and salad, here I come!

Birthday Pup

Feb 15, 2010

I know all of you Maryland/DC people have gotten a lot of snow. Yet while you (and Sadie) have been stuck at home, we Londoners (ha, I'm a Londoner now) have enjoyed some quite rare weather: sunshine.

Although I see tons of adorable dogs every day in Hyde Park and around Kensington, Sadie is just 100 x cuter. I miss her.

...and now an email from my mother:

Girls,

In case you didn't know, today is Sadie's birthday. We were told she was born in February and so I chose the 14th for the date, since it was in the middle of the month and an easy date to remember.

I splurged, totally indulged, and bought her a new dog bed (which she may not get for a while, since she tore holes in her old one fairly recently). This one is made from a blue on blue chintz fabric and resembles an armchair or sofa with a back and armrests, but without the legs (the better to curl up in, my dears). When she proves herself mature enough, she'll get it!

Anyway, just wanted to keep you in the loop regarding your baby sister.

Love, love, love, your mother