I’m a proud sister of a killer athlete.

Last week, I read on Facebook that non-profit Guiding Eyes would be taking a few puppies and service dogs to Union Square (NYC) so people could meet them and learn more about the nonprofit (and volunteer opportunities.)

Since meeting the puppies in Union Square (they are even cuter in real life than in the pictures, if that’s even possible,) I’ve started to notice all the inspiring stories of the dedicated and unselfish love of service animals and the change they make in the lives of those that need them.

The stories of the most recent set of owners and their canine graduates are incredible.

Becky shares, “I’ve been blind all my life but didn’t get my first guide dog until 15 years ago. I don’t dwell on regrets, but if there were one that would stand out, it would be that I didn’t get a guide dog sooner. The ability to walk confidently with my dog – knowing that he will stop at curbs and stairs and will object if I happen to make an unsafe traffic judgment – gives me an indescribable sense of freedom. A new dog makes you think about new things you can do – new roads and new beginnings.”

Boo has arrived.

At last.

Like everyone else on the internet, I am in love with a dog I’ve never met.

I’m not sure how to explain it- it just happened one day as I was on Facebook and started finding photos, videos, and notes from a really cute animal.

So of course, once he started to get famous (sigh!), with a book deal, magazine interviews and photos with celebs, I thought my chances with such a star were beyond my reach.

Of course, I let my hopes down too soon, because when Gund launched a special set of Boo plush animals, I knew it was my chance.

Knowing my love for all things cute pups, my boyfriend bought me this little cutie as part of an anniversary gift. <3.

Happy Birthday to me! (And thanks to Randeep for drawing this photo of me!)

It’s hard to believe another year has past and i’ve added a “+1″ to my age as well. I’m blaming the content of this post on the fact that I spent 3 hours on Monday updating my scrapbook. Is that corny? #nah

Since my 25th birthday one year ago, I have (a few highlights):

• Moved to a new city (NYC!)
• Moved in with my boyfriend
• SOLD MY AUDI :( but kept her in the family
• Worked at a social media agency, then quit for a new job :)
• Started a new job at a mobile company (just down the street from the social media agency!)
• Watched my brother graduate college
• Bought my first pair of louboutins (amongst other shopping adventures in nyc)
• Made some wonderful new friends here in nyc

it’s been a great year, and CHEERS to 26 being the best ever.

On Tuesday, October 4th, @Twitter hosted a #party4good that showcased IRL their powerful reach as a social platform.

The Twitter team did this effortlessly by combining the start-up and influential elite together for a night of music by Funkmaster Flex (so amazing) and showcasing a gallery of powerful tweets and images shared via Twitter around the world.

Check out a few of the samples below- everyone from @aplusk to @justinbieber and  @pepsi was showcased. Overall, I think @twitter’s choice of creating a physical gallery of these images was incredibly moving.

Every attendee received a copy of Twitter for Good: Change the World One Tweet at a Time, a book authored by Claire Diaz-Ortez, who leads social innovation and philanthropy at Twitter.

Friday evening was filled with hours of sugary, alcohol, and caffeine tastings at “SWEET,” the late-night dessert-only event during New York Food & Wine, hosted by Sandra Lee.

As an attendee, one’s goal was to taste as many things as possible – and give your “token” (pictured above) to the single restaurant/bakery that satisifed your sugary needs.

And it was tough – consider tasting the best macaroons, pastries, doughnuts (!), brownies, and more from places like Bouchon, Kyotofu, Mad Mac, BabyCakes, Park Avenue Autumn, and Gotham Bar and Grill. Let’s just say it’s hard to pick just one.

Of course, I HAD to get a photo with my vegan  (and gluten-free) cooking idol – Erin McKenna – the founder of BabyCakes on the LES. Her cookbooks look amazing – check them out on amazon here.

And of course, what’s a party without a photobooth – and this one from BING was different than any other- it actually had fans to make your hair look amazing in the photos!

A night out with lipstick queen Poppy King, while surrounded by Kate Spade bags and champagne? Um, hard to say no to that one!

On Thursday night, I ventured to the 5th avenue Kate Spade store to experience the infamous Poppy King lipsticks for myself. What I didn’t realize is that upon arrival, I would get my own “pop of color” (see it in my hair below) and a personalized lipstick consultation from Poppy herself.

Posing (with our poppies!) with the one and only Poppy King (at center) , at the Kate Spade 5th avenue store

Upon reviewing the four choices available in her Kate Spade line, Poppy instantly guided me to Adventurous Red, which turned out to be a wonderful (& wearable!) sheer ruby color. What’s most interesting about Poppy’s line of lipsticks is that they go on sheer – which allows you to layer (& have full control) of the amount of color on your lips.

Poppy chose Pop Art Pink for my friend Erin Doyle (on left) which turned out to look amazing.

As the designer, she knew exactly which colors looked best on the women in the room – I saw a lot of lipstick flying off the shelves.

As always, the packaging didn’t disappoint, as the lipstick is housed in a beautiful gold case that says supercalifragilipstick! My recommendation? Splurge ($24) and pick one up before they sell out.

//geek note

Additionally, to show my love for Kate Spade, I would like to point out that my Google Chrome browser theme has been Kate Spade for some time now.

A few favorite tweets from the event…

@poppyking discussing the science behind each color with @alanamarie http://t.co/Q9xp9YOe

September 29, 2011 5:23 pm via InstagramReplyRetweetFavorite

@katespadeny

kate spade new york

At @katespadeny #puckerup event - just got a lipstick reading from lipstick queen @poppyking http://t.co/etZw66Pj

September 29, 2011 5:30 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@AlanaMarie

alana marie

I’ve never been a major fan or advocate for QR codes (Quick Response codes- the 2D barcodes that are filled with information), but my time on the NYC FNO Barbie Scavenger hunt bus is a move in the right direction.

On Fashion’s Night Out, Barbie sponsored a scavenger hunt around Manhattan, leading those with a love for fashion to stores like Tracy Reese, Alexis Bittar, and more by hopping on and off a Barbie-themed bus (complete with Barbie dolls by the way).

Once at a store, all you needed to do was 1) find the barbie dressed in the designer’s gear 2) fire up your smartphone with a QR code reader 3) Scan it 4) Enter your name in an online form and TRY TO WIN THE OUTFIT!

For those who were taking a fashion’s night in – or who couldn’t be in NYC – there were opportunities to scan a QR code on http://barbielovesfno.com to enter to win some prizes as well (sorry the entry period is now over.)

So now, the bottom line.

Overall, my feelings on QR codes remain the same: Cool when used correctly (like what Tiffany did for their FNO event) but lame when used in subway ads (among other QR code fails).

As for Barbie, girl, I’m sold, and I’m thinking about adding this one to my christmas list. #retroglam

Growing up, we did not have a Sephora. I was a Clinique girl, constantly reviewing product offerings in my local Ohio department store – I did not know there was a bigger cosmetics world out there (probably fortunate at the time). It was my time at Syracuse University (and my sorority) who introduced me to the world of luxury products, and Sephora.

What I found is that I was soon bored by the sheer number of choices, as well as the amount of data and reviews available on each product. I would spend time researching products before going in-store to make a purchase. Where was the middle ground? Where was my cosmetics advisor?

Which leads me to the solution, found via FastCompany.

My first memory of Birchbox comes from a time in my life where I was spending a lot of time on airplanes- and in this specific case, traveling to a major speaking gig in Orlando, Florida. And what do I do on airplanes? Read a lot of magazines- including FastCompany.

In February 2011, FastCompany profiled Birchbox, a growing startup headquarted in NYC by two Harvard Business School grads who wanted to redesign how women find beauty products by offering a curated box of deluxe samples for $10 a month.

Immediately interested, I signed up for Birchbox and have been a  huge fan since- especially with the “themed” boxes the company has been promoting (ahem a Cynthia Rowley box?)

So when I received an invite to the “members only” VIP party at the Caudalie Spa at the Plaza on August 1st, there was no turning back.

With a few friends from work in tow, I sampled Caudalie products (including some amazing eye cream called Premier Cru) and received mini-spa treatments (including a scalp massage!) while sipping on some Merlot (the spa has it’s own Sommelier!)

[Bloggers Note: I have to give a shoutout here.]

The chance to get high-quality and targeted products delivered in a hot pink box is truly something special. Yay for Birchbox, and yay for entrepreneurial women with technology-focused mindsets driving innovation!

The pink box was a centerpiece at the event

A Live TwitPic from @Birchbox from the August 2011 event

Growing up (or even as grown ups) each one of us has a disney star or a show that we watch even though people (aka my brother) would tease us about it.

Therefore, I have to come clean: I am a closet hilary duff fan.

I watched Lizzie McGuire. I’ve seen her movies. I was beyond excited when I found out she was going to be on Gossip Girl.

So when I saw her at the SoBe #tryanything event in NYC on May 25th – I was nervous, a little starstruck, and George had to ask her if she would take a picture with me. So here it is, my first official celeb photo while a nyc resident.