welcome to elaney!

Reader B writes in, “elaney, do you have any recommendations for trench coats for fall?”  Funny you should mention that, Reader B!  According to fashion guru Tim Gunn, a trench is one of the top 10 pieces every woman should have in their wardrobe.  However, it is VERY important to find something with a little shape – you don’t want to look like Dick Tracy.  So here are a few new takes on the old favorite:

The Carmen, by Priorities:  if you’re looking for something sort of hippie chic, but with a more traditional color

Black Herringbone, by Soia & Kyo:  if you’re looking for something a little classic (material) but with a little sass

Khaki Trench, by Michael by Michael Kors: if you really just want the trench your momma has (and not at all a bad thing)

“If reality TV has shown us anything, it’s that you can’t keep people with no shame down.” – Liz Lemon, 30 Rock

Atlanta Fashion Week was a bust, but retail commerce is still alive and well in the ATL.  There is no shortage of ways to spend your money, but let’s talk about ways to save!  What’s your ATL shopping secret?  Where have you been that you want to open a huge canvas bag and stuff as much as possible as quickly as possible into it?  We looooove you Ballard Backroom.  You are hard to beat.  Especially the one up 400.  Cheap, cheap.  We hear there is a great carpet place on Howell Mill…can someone shed like on the Highlands shoppers secrets?  Advice please!

Reader JLAL wants to know – what do we recommend for healthy snacks on the go?  Our favorite snack is a Gala apple, but the only thing about the apple is that if you are really hungry, it might not be enough.  Sometimes baby carrots can be a good option, but they aren’t the most flavorful (you can also use them as a gauge of whether or not you are really hungry – if baby carrots sound good, you probably are).  We love peanut butter (Jif Creamy Reduced Fat) on everything, and sometimes a nutrition bar can be choice (Luna Bars are our fav – 180 calories).  Others: frozen grapes, a little piece of dark chocolate (surprisingly sustaining), hummus, or lite string cheese (love some string cheese).  BEWARE of trail mix.  It is the devil.  For a good list from Self, click here.  What do you recommend for JLAL for a snack on the go?

They say the average woman is a size 12, and the average model is a size 0.  For the most part, we’d observed that most members of our peer group (girls in their mid twenties) no longer make themselves crazy to be a size 0, but we don’t think the battle with body image is ever completely won (or really, even close).

Glamour Magazine published this picture of “plus size” size 12 Lizzie Miller, and everyone has an opinion.  What do we think?  Is something like this in the media the first step for alleviating some of the pressure women have on their bodies?  Or is there nothing we can do?  Does this picture surprise you?  Do you think this is what models should look like?  Thoughts?

We just want to know…is there anyone out there that likes Nickelback?  We understand that elaney girls are not necessarily the posterchildren for really cool music.  We love you Lady Gaga.  But Nickelback literally makes us want to pull our hair out.  EVERY song.  The sounds of “Photograph” were like nails on a chalkboard, then “Rock Star” – ughhh.  And now the new one, we just can’t.  It seems like EVERYONE hates Nickelback, yet they are ALWAYS on the radio!?!?  Is there anyone out there that likes them?

Regular Readers might know that elaney is a pet friendly environment, and one of the most fun stages in the owner / pet relationships is the naming process!  We’ve always been partial to the dogs names Murphey and Dallas (in fact, unsuccessfully tried to change family dog Dooley to Dallas), but here are the most common dogs names of 2008:

What’s your favorite dog name?!