With this DIY holiday hairpiece, you are always under the mistletoe! After blogging about the origins of the kissing plant last Meeting Men Monday, I couldn’t help stopping by the nursery for some fresh mistletoe full of berries. Then I put three short sprigs in my hair with bobby pins. I edged the look with three little decorative red bows …
After seeing A Very Grammy Christmas, I wanted to be able to dance along to Ariana’s Santa Tell Me at holiday parties. So I studied her gorgeous female dancers and taught myself the steps. Here I’m sharing them with you. I’m not a professional dancer, so if I can do this, you definitely can! I’ve seen this song performed a …
For this season’s celebrations, in my opinion, you can’t choose a better venue than Seattle’s Fairmont Olympic Hotel. I’m always excited to go there. And I can always count on mingling with friendly people in beautiful surroundings, enjoying great food and listening to the live music. As you enter the Fairmont, you’re greeted by a large, cozy fireplace, which is …
I may love blooms in the winter even more than the rest of the year, because they aren’t as abundant. From the time I was little, my family planted Paperwhite Narcissus or Amaryllis bulbs in decorative pots. We passed them out to people who were missing loved ones around the holidays and felt alone. My mom always said that when …
Most girls don’t need an excuse to shop, but Nordstrom does up the experience by decorating their stores and opening the doors for an extravaganza. The night began with a visit from a quite dapper Santa who donned his Renaissance suit. And then there were the platters of delicious bites constantly passing by. These truffles with edible flowers were too …
We all know that it’s considered bad luck to avoid kissing a charmer under the mistletoe. But have you also heard that this winter-blooming plant is actually a not-so-romantic parasite? I don’t want you to let a little detail like that get in the way of holiday fun, so today I’m sharing how mistletoe became a passion plant:) According to …
I’ve been invited to a black tie charity gala. And since it’s not every weekend that a girl gets to wear a floor-length gown for a good cause, I tried on a variety of dress styles. At the time, there just happened to be a very friendly bunch in the store and they all started weighing in on favorites. This …
Wells Medina, a nursery based in the Seattle Area, is always plant paradise, but around the holidays it’s also a haunt for beautiful outdoor décor. Whether you live in Seattle, or you’re just visiting, in my opinion, Wells should make the no-miss list. Their winter decorations are designed for the outdoors. Many of them are made from nature’s bounty. They …
As I was shopping last weekend, I noticed how mega-expensive holiday décor could be. That’s what I call, the Rolls-Royce of decorating. If such extravagance would make you take out a loan, don’t despair. There’s no need to leave your home void of sparkle. Today, I’m divulging a DIY project guaranteed to deck the halls in style without obliterating your …
…with Lip Glow Gloss. During the holiday season, everything is glowing from twinkle lights on storefronts, to shiny ribbons on boxes and flickering candles on tables. So who says we girls can’t glow too?! This gloss actually belongs to my mom. As I was visiting my family over Thanksgiving, I confess to borrowing this cosmetics keeper. I think I’m going …
…to the real world. In today’s tech-loving, connected existence, leaving the house without a phone in hand is almost as crazy as forgetting to put your pants on. People feel naked without their cells. I love mine just as much as everyone else, but I’ve always made a concerted effort to put it in off mode when interacting with people. …
In my mind, that’s a staple for any holiday event. Today, my red and green clothes got shuffled to the front of my closet. They’re staying there until January! One of my little cousins has a love for dressing up. I wonder where that came from? 
She has a party to attend this weekend and has already tried on three …
Happy Thanksgiving, darlings! Some people double-fist their drinks. Well, I double-hand my pumpkin pie:) And I wore this tribal print dress to do it in because I always find a way to honor Native Americans on Thanksgiving. After all, we would not have had that first holiday without them. Before continuing the celebration, I’m stopping to thank every one of …
I’m ready to welcome all the holiday parties, and now my nails are party-appropriate too, thanks to the help of my #1 manicurist. I’m calling this look The Julie Nail. The combination of colors in this creation can carry you through the entire holiday season. To build it, we used OPI and FingerPaints. First, Julie applied two base coats of …
What’s about the only place that you can find a throng of fashionable ladies early on a Saturday morning looking bright-eyed sans lattes-in-hand? That would be a cosmetic trend show. And when Alex Chantecaille took the stage, the entire audience had their eyes glued on her. I bet you can see why. She’s intelligent, beautiful and full of information about …