The Good Girl Gone Blog: Photography

Inspired by: vibrant photographs

Aug 2, 2010

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!

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?

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!

Fit for a picnic

Jun 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!

Blogger date with Kate!

Jun 16, 2010

A few weeks ago, I received an email from my blog friend, Kate (Hi Kate!) saying she'd be in Baltimore hanging out with her grandma and asking if I wanted to meet up. Of course I wanted to meet Kate- she's hysterical. You guys remember, she wrote that great guest post about her jegging dilemma!

You know how people say they read a blog and feel like they know the writer personally? Well, that's how it felt with Kate. There was very little time for awkward silence as we had a lot of "catching up" to do. (It's weird that you can catch up with someone you've never met, but I guess the Internet has that kind of effect on people.)

We had delicious brunch with my fam and even walked around a street fair near Hopkins. There were loads of artists selling their creations, as well as people selling seemingly random items. Even more notable: there was an entire grassy area covered in hula hoops just waiting to be....hula hooped (?) with. You know, just for fun.

Seriously, how cute does Kate look? She told me I wasn't allowed to wear anything too "chic" because she couldn't fit a lot in her duffle. I purposefully wore something pretty plain so she'd feel comfortable and guess what? She totally out-cuted me!

So I'm curious, has anyone else met up with their blog friends in real life? Did it turn out ok or was it super awkward? Do tell!

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.

Baltimore like tourists

Jun 3, 2010

Eric came down from Boston to hang out with me, see Baltimore, and do a little design work on my blog (coming soon). Though we were confined to the apartment for a good amount of time waiting for Comcast to arrive, we did make it out to Fell's Point for some window shopping and a delicious meal.

Eric and I definitely recommend you try Meli- an American bistro in Fell's Point. Meli, which means "honey" in Greek, offers a variety of different dishes, most of which include a delicious touch of honey. They also have amazing drinks, like my "adult" blueberry lemonade.

This weekend included a lot of alcohol, so needless to say, I made Eric do most of the driving.

After our trip to Fell's Point and the long wait for Comcast, we drove back downtown, this time to Canton, where we had THE BEST DINNER EVER. You should definitely check out Blue Hill Tavern the next time you're in town. Their food is both beautiful and delicious, service is quick and the drinks are amazing!

Eric has vowed to come back at least once a year...not because he wants to visit me, but because he wants to have Blue Hill Tavern's silken pie. It was just that good.

Casual Friday: Stacked Heels

May 31, 2010

One of my favorite things about working in a corporate setting is that I get to put together cute outfits everyday. Typically, I select an outfit the night before and hang it on my bookshelf in order to save time in the morning.

Sometimes my outfit choices don't look as cute in the morning as they did the night before, but usually they do. In terms of work appropriate attire, I tend to go stylish corporate, a term I literally made up a second ago. I usually lean towards a fun dress and cardigan pulled together with an amazing pair of shoes. While I could technically wear jeans to work, I think I'm going to try to save them for Fridays, when work attire seems to get more casual.

Here's my first "Casual Friday" look (taken with the help of my camera's self timer and a borrowed tripod), complete with a new pair of super tall shoes. I bought them on a whim at an impromptu trip to DSW. I had a pretty lonely first week at work and needed to do something to cheer myself up. I ended up purchasing these shoes, as well as a really interesting pair of bike chick-esque flip flops- you'll have to see them to understand.

The great thing about these shoes is that although they're not the most comfortable, they make me super tall...well, I guess it's all relative. It was like I was looking at the world as a different person- I could see more things over the tops of cubicles, I had to look up at people less when speaking...

I'm wearing:

Shirt: H&M
Jeans: Loehmann's
Shoes: Steve Madden, via DSW
Earrings: a boutique in San Francisco
Necklace: Primark
Headband: J. Crew

Snaps of the apartment!

May 30, 2010

It's official, Comcast has disappointed us once again and I STILL have no Internet. It's extremely frustrating and highly unprofessional. I was expecting my Internet to be installed between 12 and 3 yesterday, and then we got a call saying they'd come between 4 and 5. No one ever came, and I was forced to spend a good part of the day in the apartment when I could have been out having fun with Eric.

Fortunately, he's a good sport and we did have a lot of fun yesterday when we weren't sitting around waiting. Pictures to come!

Here are a few I took from around my house the other day:

Roses from my stepmom, cooking things and my dining room.

More to come when I get my own Internet.....