Katherine Chloé Cahoon

Most people list a special restaurant or a cute little café. Though there are many of those that I adore, I think my favorite lunch place is in a natural setting. Since I’m a freelance writer, my job is often solitary. It’s mostly just me and my computer. And my computer doesn’t care if I work in my sweats or even my PJ’s:) So I love it when I have meetings and get to dress up.

But regardless of where the workday takes me, if I have the chance, I pack a lunch, enjoy it at a park or by a waterfront dock, and end it with a short walk. Then I feel like I’m starting the day fresh even though I’m partway through it. I’d love to hear what helps you get through a long workday.

In this video, you’ll get to see what St. John is featuring for spring and pre-fall, have the feel of sitting in the front row of an exclusive designer fashion show, and learn tips from pros on how to find the most flattering outfit.

I’ve admired St. John Knits ever since I was little and met the creator, Marie Gray. She made such a big impression on me that I have always loved her fashions. This year’s spring line is no exception. Here is one of her evening pieces.

Marie’s story is an inspiration to anyone with a seemingly impossible dream. If you’d like to read it and learn why I will always look up to her, here’s that article… https://katherinechloecahoon.com/from-nothing-to-luxury-knits/

When I met Marie, she was accompanied by Lela Briggs, who was the face of St. John for years. That baton has been passed to Kate Winslet, and Lela is now the National Stylist. We are welcoming her to the Bellevue, Washington Nordstrom this Thursday, March 3rd, to present St. John’s spring collection, preview the pre-fall collection, and provide 1-to-1 styling. If you want Lela’s help choosing just the right outfit to flatter your features, call the store for a private consultation.

Appointments are being made now by Nordstrom’s designer sales-associates. Charlotte Hegeberg is my favorite and undoubtedly the most St. John-savvy. She was also there when I met Marie. Charlotte is the go-to for celebrities, businesswomen, soccer moms, and anyone who needs a fabulous look. If you cannot obtain a private fitting with Lela, don’t miss the opportunity to let Charlotte show you the line and work her magic anytime.

Another no-miss is Lela’s St. John fashion presentation from 4-7pm on March 3rd. There you will see models wearing the pieces while enjoying champagne and light bites.

If you can’t be there, you can be sure that I’ll keep you in the loop by snapchatting (katherinechloe). I’m also creating a video of the beautiful fashions and fun! It will be posted here on my blog. In the meantime, Charlotte is letting me give you a sneak peek of what you will be seeing Thursday.

Thank you to Nordstrom for giving me this St. John preview. And to the talented Kylee Alyssa for taking the pictures of me in the gown.

Tucked into a park hidden amid the urban bustle of Seattle is a small conservatory overflowing with foliage. Time seems to stand still inside this century-old sanctuary built with a $5 kit imitating London’s Crystal Palace.

Despite its size and phantom presence, over 150,000 plant aficionados make this pilgrimage each year. On any day, you can find couples sliding onto benches to steal kisses, toddlers with wide eyes taking their first steps to admire leaves as large as they are, and nature-lovers seeking solitude. Regardless of what brings you in, you’re sure to leave knowing this world is full of beauty.

This week, I was cleaning up my computer files and ran across a video that I made when teaming-up with a philanthropy devoted to helping teens overcome serious struggles with self-esteem. I was asked to answer the question, “What is beautiful?” Out of concern for those who struggle with identity issues, and those who love them, I’ve decided to post the video.

Gotta love a grandma with so much attitude that she’s been kicked out of several rest homes. How many partially-paralyzed 91-year-olds would figure out how to sneak past her motion detector?! She reasons that life is too short to be hindered by a little thing like that. This picture was taken before her stoke.

Well, Grandma was recently forced to switch homes again, so I overhauled her makeup products to help her get ready for her many guests. It’s been awhile since I’ve given her a makeover and her makeup regimen seriously needed one. There were empty lipsticks tubes, products with lost tops, and outdated items.

I really don’t want my grandma to get an eye infection, so I got rid of the old, brought in the new, and organized everything.

All of this got me thinking about product pitfalls. Here are three tips to stay healthy while enjoying your makeup.

Never Scrimp on Mascara. There are some beauty products that you can safely squeeze every last bit of life out of, but not mascara. It should be replaced every three months. This is critical because it can breed bacteria. A close friend of mine recently had a sty in her eye that became so badly infected she now has a lump that can only be surgically removed. According to her doctor, the prime suspect is her old mascara. I rest my case.

Keep Your Skin Happy. For those of you who are prone to allergic reactions or Rosacea, the right foundation is imperative. I’ve had Rosacea since I was a kid and NARS is currently the only one that doesn’t give me red splotches. The ingredients are known for being natural. I used to shy away from the brand because it’s expensive, but if you have sensitive skin, this splurge is worth the sacrifice.

Let Go of Germy Lipsticks. Years ago, a trusted markup artist told me that if a lipstick smells like a crayon, it’s filled with bacteria and belongs in the trash.

I’ve been admiring the big-time bloggers and have to admit a bit of photo envy seeing their gorgeous sets, fashions, and stunningness. There seems to be a trend of bloggers posing in front of windows with curtains. Well, I don’t have a crew and all those other assets, but I do have a window and a curtain, so I threw my camera on a tripod and ran in front of it. My pics aren’t as glamorous as those of the pros, but someone has to represent the average girl;)

You can transport yourself back to this live performance and join Julianne Hough, Vanessa Hudgens, Carly Rae Jepsen, and the rest of the cast with this step-by-step tutorial to some of the choreography.

Here’s the dance clip from the live movie that goes with it: https://www.instagram.com/p/BBk3VjKCfMp/ And if you’d like to practice with me to the music on Instagram, here is that link: https://www.instagram.com/p/BBlTmiOifHc/

The countdown has begun! It’s officially six days until Valentine’s Day! And if you’re like me, this holiday should be called, “Valentine’s Weekend.” Why limit such a wonderful celebration to just one day?

You college students planning for Valentine’s balls might relate to this SOS that I just received: “My boyfriend invited me to his Cupid Ball. Most college events are semi-formal, but this one is formal. I’m super-psyched, but I’m not a formal girl. I don’t like to wear accessories. Help please!”

If you’re in a similar situation, I’d advise choosing a lightweight, comfortable gown with an accessory already on it, like this Lauren Ralph Lauren. It’s formal, yet the breathable material is no-fuss. And with the side embellishment, no jewelry is needed to complete your look.

Here I’m teaching steps from the 1978 movie GREASE!

To see Olivia Newton-John dancing the choreography… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vO1_mrGcEo I’m combining two sections: 1:56-2:11 And 2:37-2:41. The music in them goes together seamlessly, and I’m dancing the moves to the compilation on Instagram…

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBS0dcBifDs/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBT_dr7ifPL/

If you’d like me to teach choreography to GREASE: LIVE, starring Julianne Hough and Vanessa Hudgens, which aired Sunday (1/31), just leave me a comment or send me an email at Katherine@KCC.LA It would be fun to add an update to the classic original!

It was a gorgeous, sunny day when my friend, Kylee, and I decided to drive to a nearby dock to take pictures. But once we were underway, heavy rainclouds converged upon us and unloaded their bounty. In a bizarre twist of fate, they left the moment we arrived. We were dry for the entire ten minutes that we snapped these pictures, but when we got back into the car, giant raindrops began slapping the windshield. Do you think maybe the rain angels were smiling down on us that day?!

Jacket by Bernardo from Nordstrom. Dress from Express.

This was by far the toughest video I have filmed. Even minutes beforehand, I didn’t know if I’d have the courage to make it, and as you will see, I had a very hard time just getting through it. I grew up with severe dyslexia and dysgraphia, which is something I’ve tried to hide most of my life. But in the past year I’ve repeatedly run into people facing similar challenges, so–as difficult as this is–I’m sharing my story. If it helps even one person, it will have been worth it.

I could have never made this video without my boyfriend, Tom. He filmed it, and all the while looked at me with such encouragement that I was able to keep going.

What I call “non-committal curls” are huge for 2016. Since one of you requested that I discuss this year’s hair trends, I consulted several hair gurus and they all said loose curls are the look. I call them “non-committal” because they can’t seem to decide whether they want to be loose or structured. The effect you’re looking for is effortless, but polished…as if you happily tossed back your head and gentle curls magically formed.

But we girls know that curls never just magically appear. To get this look, I’m a fan of the 32mm Titan NUME. The barrel is titanium, meaning that it makes your hair silky, soft and shiny—three s’s that beauty-loving girls LOVE.

My advice is to let the curler heat up for about five minutes. The first time I used this set, I started at the two-minute mark and the curls didn’t hold. NUME is user-friendly. It even has a heat-protectant glove so you won’t burn yourself.

Poncho by Diane von Furstenberg, available at Nordstrom.

Whether or not you can keep your hands to yourself, you definitely don’t have to learn Selena’s moves to this song by yourself. Join me and dance along.

Here is Selena’s live performance:

And here I’m dancing the choreography to music on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BAnXml2CfOp/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BAoNYn8CfMO/

If you missed my blog post revealing where you can find fashion similar to Selena’s, here that it:

Just because I look nothing like this singing sizzler doesn’t mean I don’t like to snatch her style every now and then…at a savings. Wow! That was a lot of words beginning with “s” in only one sentence! But you get the point. Selena is a fashion goddess and I’m revealing where you can get looks similar to hers that won’t bust your budget, starting with this faux leopard duster.

After spying a coat similar to Selena’s, I couldn’t pass up the chance to snap pictures similar to hers on Instagram.

This Bar III find was spotted at Macy’s. With my card, I got it on sale for $60. Here’s a similar top and pants from Forever 21 that also won’t tax your bank account.

You may not be a member of the jet set, but you can get Selena’s travel ensemble for under $50…from head-to-toe.

I did it by hitting up Polyvore for a black-and white top, H&M for high-waisted black leggings, and Forever 21 for black-and-white shoes.

My last look-of-the-day for this star is, ironically, a salute to stars.

I think I found the exact sweater she’s wearing here, but it costs $330…way over our $100 limit.

If you do decide to splurge on the real deal, you can save on the rest of your outfit at Forever 21. They have a similar white coat and navy-blue skinnies, which together cost less than $65. If you want to complete the outfit, you can find a sweater echoing Selena’s in different colors that has been marked down to $79.99. It started at $214.

Unfortunately, it seems to be quite a challenge finding star-patterned tops and sweaters at bargain prices that don’t look tacky. But I promised to get outfits similar to Selena’s for under $100, and I won’t back down. I found a cute star sweater at a Forever 21 super-sale that rings up at only $6.99. Since it’s black-and-white, if you go with this option, I’d advise, swapping out your navy skinnies for black ones. Forever 21 has a pair that’s currently $12.90, and if you pair it with the white coat, your grand (or not so grand) total is well under $100.

Whew, that was a lot of numbers to chase down, but you trendy girls on tight budgets are worth it.