Katherine Chloé Cahoon

These ladies sure know how to work it! And here’s a step-by-step dance tutorial to their music video so you can work it right along with them.

I have adored fashion since my preschool days when I raided my mom’s closet or snuck into Grandma’s jewelry box for a play date with my dolls. For me, piecing together an ensemble is a creative endeavor. Today, I’m wearing one of my favorite fall looks. Don’t think I’m ready to end summer early. I love it! But when the dark clouds roll in, I’ll be ready to put on my Nordstrom Collection sweater and James Perse top…

And tie them together with this Rebecca Minkoff bag that feels divinely soft.

When you face the day with it on your arm, life will go better…especially if you keep the designer’s advice in your mind. As she says, “Don’t be afraid to work hard. It requires a lot of late nights, a lot of blood, sweat and tears. But if you put your all into it, you can usually turn it into a reality.”

Last weekend, I saw the Broadway touring revival of this fictitious musical about the turning point in the life of King Charlemagne’s favorite son. The Tony Award winning production combined the dancing flair of the legendary Bob Fosse with inspiration from Cirque du Soleil. Acrobatics flew across the stage and contortionists performed body-defying tricks while the story unfolded through song and dance.

Pippin proclaimed, “We have to dedicate ourselves to a better world for all people.” But for most of the play he went about attempting to “better the world” in all the wrong ways as he sought glitz and glamour. In the end, Pippin learned that he was the happiest when he was with someone he loved, regardless of how simple his life was.

I loved the dancing, singing, and circus razzle-dazzle in this production. I was awed by the turn-of-the-century Paramount Theater where I saw it. But I found many elements of the storyline disturbing. I am not a Catholic, but the anti-Catholic content, frivolous attitude toward life, and cavalier take on death were unsettling. I assume this was done to make a point, but I think there are better ways to do that. Maybe this is because today we are facing serious life-and-death issues. I think we need to make a serious effort to understand each other’s beliefs in trying to solve them—and that when we have extraordinary opportunities to affect the course of history, as Pippin did, we also have extraordinary responsibilities to use them for good.

This song of summer wasn’t an instant hit. It originally came out in 2012 and is just now making a splash with a remix by Felix Jaehn. I love seeing someone, like OMI, who doesn’t give up when immediate success doesn’t come his way. Here’s a step-by-step tutorial to the official music video that will let you make a splash by doing the dance the next time you’re at a party and the song comes on.

Who says a girl has to be a supermodel, like Karlie, to show off her makeup style?

There’s no way I could double for this catwalk darling, but I’m giving you a step-by-step makeup tutorial so you can make Karlie’s look your own.

First, pick a golden/copper shadow to brush on your eyelids. I chose one from Guerlain’s Petrouchka Palette.

Concentrate more shadow in your creases.

Second, apply a soft, black eyeliner-pencil. Any favorite brand is fine as long as the pencil is truly soft. Karlie’s look is more on the natural than the dramatic end of the spectrum. Her soft pencil keeps her eyeliner from looking too bold. Only extend your lower line from the outer corner of your eye to the center.

Third, smudge your lower line. This step is why it’s crucial to pick a soft liner. You can either use a product with a smudge brush built in, or take a small brush and go back and forth across the line several times to soften it.

Fourth, frame your eyes with mascara. Right now, I’m loving MAC’s Extreme Dimension. It goes on and comes off fast and easy, while lengthening lashes.

Fifth, use a soft, white eyeliner-pencil along the lower wet-line to make your eye color pop. I’ve tried out a variety of brands and have been happy with all of them.

Sixth, give your eyebrows a boost. Karlie is known for hers. Lancôme is my go-to to plump-up mine. As you can see, it’s almost time for me to buy a new pencil.

End with a soft lipstick. Mine is a Bobbi Brown throwback that I just can’t part with, but a comparable color is Pink Tulip. Apply lightly for a Karlie glow.

This model is such a babe. If you follow these steps, you can be one too.

I have a guy friend who asked me that question with a perplexed stare. He’s the kind of man who reaches into his closet every morning, pulls out whatever he touches first, and puts it on. He followed-up his initial question by saying, “There are clothes, and then there are clothes. Right?” Wrong! There are clothes that make a girl feel sassy, sexy, about-business, or badass, and every emotion in between.

My look today is perfect for when a girl wants to feel “casual-summertime feminine.” The shorts and top are part of Free People’s boho couture.

The Kate Spade bangle accents the beads on my blouse.

And this KS purse ties the pale pink hues together.

So in answer to my friend’s question… Fashion is fun because it lets us create a spectrum of looks that we can call our own.

Today, I’m excited to have you all meet Cole Blakely. He’s not only an intelligent man about to receive an engineering PhD, he could write a doctoral dissertation on the art of dating. Many social observers say that today’s singles’ scene is dominated by those using apps to find hookups, and succeeding with only a swipe and a text. Cole proves that there are appealing, thoughtful men out there wanting quality relationships who go the dating route.

Thanks, Cole, for sharing your candid insights. And if any of you haven’t seen him teaching me to wakesurf, here’s some funny footage… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzjBqB-URV0

Last weekend, I saw the film Paper Towns after devouring the book. And since this is Meeting Men Monday, I’m giving you the low-down on the leading man’s real love journey. In an interview, he revealed that he was a bit of a romantic recluse until he gained confidence. I found this endearing. In the game of love, it’s important to give people a fair chance. Like Nat, that shy guy you kind of like may become a guy you really like once you get to know him.

When asked about the most romantic thing he’s ever done Nat responded, “I’ve written a song about a girl and recorded it and gave it to her.” Now that really is romantic.

Last week, I featured a Ted Baker dress and somehow I just couldn’t leave my TB love fest. Here’s some footage of the line’s cocktail/party couture.

https://instagram.com/p/6ss2G1CfFr/

The brand’s line ranges from coquettishness to luxurious, with this embroidered gown.

And the men’s fashions are equally impressive. Ted Baker’s tailored shirts are high quality, flattering and sophisticated with embellishments that add finesse like the complementary patterned under-cuffs.

You probably recognize this charmer from my Thinking Out Loud dance tutorial. When Tom is around, I’m guaranteed to have a good time…

Which you can probably tell from the look on my face!

Today, I’m reminiscing about the eighty-something live radio interviews I had when my book, The Single Girl’s Guide to Meeting European Men, was published. One of my favorites was at the grueling hour of 3:30 am, my time, with a couple of hosts from a NYC station. Their favorite story from my book was about Betsey the Burlesque Dancer, and we had so much fun chatting that I practically forgot the time:) So today, for Travel Thursday, I’m sharing it with you.

I have this friend who is full of fun and looks like an adorable, young Marilyn Monroe with a short curly hairdo. In my book, I called her Betsey, because with her fashion sense, she also looks like a living Betsey Johnson ad all done up…

Betsey performs in a professional burlesque troupe that travels to exciting destinations like Europe. Don’t you just feel bad for her? Yeah right! One night she went out with her girlfriend Lacey hoping to make some attractive acquaintances. They didn’t find any men, but that didn’t put a damper on Betsey’s attitude. She had a blast “getting down” on the dance floor—and with her burlesque training you know she can really get down.
Even though she didn’t meet an enthralling European guy that evening, she did make a new girlfriend, Carmen. Well, Betsey, Carmen, and Lacey were on a picture-taking high that night…posing and clicking ‘til the clubs closed down. Carmen put up a picture of Betsey on her bulletin board. When Carmen’s Italian boyfriend and his dashing friend Arnaldo dropped by, Arnaldo couldn’t take his eyes off Betsey’s picture. Carmen planned to meet up with Betsey the following night and invited her boyfriend and Arnaldo to come along.

In her normal mode, Betsey is always full of energy, but when she was introduced to Arnaldo, she was frozen and speechless. He was way too cute for words. Once she realized that she hadn’t lost her voice, they got along great. When an obnoxious guy started coming on to Betsey, Arnaldo came to her rescue and suggested that the two of them go off alone. Suave move, super stud! That was just the beginning. They got along so well that Arnaldo got a work visa to Betsey’s hometown in the US. They had a sexy summer romance and then he had to return to Italy.

Was that all? OK, maybe not. About a month later, Arnaldo sincerely told Betsey that he loved her. She explained that she couldn’t say those words back to him or she would get too attached. He just kept saying them to her anyway, proclaiming, “If you feel something you should not hold back…just say it and don’t think about the consequences.” Before Betsey knew what struck, she was saying “I love you” to him. Too late to not get attached! Betsey was totally smitten and counting down the days until Arnaldo could visit her again.

In the meantime, Arnaldo sent Betsey the most romantic emails with adorations like, “The beach is melancholy without you.” How could you not fall for this guy? Betsey says she has locked in her heart two philosophies from Arnaldo: “There is always time to be romantic. No matter how busy life gets, you can pull your lover aside for a quick kiss.” And, “In my country, men take pride in the fact that we are called Italian stallions. I won’t let you down.” Unfortunately, I lost touch with Betsey, so I never heard how the story ended….that is for all you romantics to write.

This dance tutorial is for you! Here I break down the steps to Major Lazer’s newest, POWERFUL, sung by Ellie Goulding and Tarrus Riley.

With Bobbi Brown’s limited edition, Shimmering Sands Eye Palette, you can get twelve shades in a single case, complete with two brushes in one. This is ideal for the jet-setting lady.

And the set works well with every girl’s existing makeup. To get my look, all you have to do is dust the middle far left shade over any golden tone you have and add the hue to the right in your crease. Since all these colors are complementary you really can’t go wrong when mixing and matching.

It’s summer, the perfect time for playing around with your makeup and having fun at sunset soirées.

I want to be exactly like this woman! Her name is Pat White and I recently attended one of her book signings. We became friends when I first wanted to become a writer. Pat’s positivity was infectious, and her advice spot on. I’m forever amazed at how she juggles being a devoted mom and wife while maintaining a prolific writing career.

And since this is Meeting Men Monday, I’m sharing one of Pat’s relationship tips. After decades of marriage, she and her husband still have one of the best marriages you could find. So what’s her secret to lasting love? She says that no matter how busy life gets, you have to make time to turn off the phones, put the work on the shelf, and just enjoy each other. She and her husband still plan a weekend away about once every month to do just that.

This line is currently riding high on my list of favorites, and has held that position for awhile. I can’t help it. I not only love founder Ray Kelvin’s couture, I love his outlook.

Raised in humble circumstances, Ray named his company after the fictitious “Ted Baker,” and resolved to make every item beautiful while balancing just the right amount of flair. This gown is no exception, with its dark floral patterns and pleats exposing slices of cobalt blue.

So I can’t help loving this line, but what I admire most is that its founder appears completely genuine.

In reflecting upon his success, Ray says, “I’m not a lover of the attention…it’s not what I came into business for.”

You know it’s summer when “music” and “festival” are inseparable buzzwords. And when a girl attends one of those, she feels left out if she isn’t decked out in festival fashion, so here’s the look…bohemian and bangles.

Now you need to find the place. Since this is Travel Thursday, here’s a list of the best summer fests of 2015… https://seatgeek.com/tba/festivals/music-festivals/

And this post just wouldn’t be complete without some mf philosophy: “Festivals are the way people want to experience music, more and more,” Paul Tollett, Coachella founder explained, adding, “This is the first time in history that parents and kids are going to shows together—and it’s not embarrassing.”

In my mind, there is no better place to pick up fest garb than Forever 21. The pieces are hip and inexpensive, which is very important when attending an event that could involve getting doused by the drink of someone who is a little too into dancing…if you know what I mean:)