Katherine Chloé Cahoon

That is what Hilton Hawaiian Village on Waikiki reminds me of. When I first visited this place as I kid, I felt like the Village was a world in and of itself, and it still is. Nestled at the ocean’s edge, it’s great for swimming, surfing, SUP exploring, lounging, and people-meeting. It has restaurants—some with music and dancing, lawn parties, and shops. Really, a person could never leave the property and have a terrific time.

Then there are the waterfalls, pools, tropical animals and flowers.

On this trip, I loved my room and especially the fact that these flowers magically appeared the morning after I arrived. Could a stay be any better?!

And the Village can’t be beat if you’re traveling solo. I have a friend who went through a traumatic experience and needed to escape. She came here alone, felt safe, and said it was the perfect remedy.

When it comes to dancing, there is no trouble getting people to move to this fun tune by Iggy Azalea and Jennifer Hudson…and you can learn their moves here.

To recreate the looks of these performing bombshells, here’s my beauty trend tutorial… https://katherinechloecahoon.com/iggy-and-jennifer-hudson-tutorials/

If you’ve seen this dynamite duo performing their hit song, Trouble, you may just have trend envy. So today, I’m telling how to get Iggy’s hair, plus these alluring ladies’ makeups.

For Iggy’s look, begin by combing your hair into a high ponytail and curling the ends.

To secure the ponytail, split it in half, side-by-side, and pull firmly near the elastic.

To give your hair volume like Iggy’s, divide it again, this time in the opposite direction, and pull firmly.

Use hairspray so that your fullness lasts throughout the day.

Take one strand of hair, twist it from the base of your ponytail to the end, wrap it around your elastic and pin it in place.

And now…

You have a hairstyle similar to that of the blonde rapping sensation. If you want her makeup too, here’s how to do it…

You’ve all heard of the cat eye. Well, I like to think of Iggy’s makeup as a kitten eye because her wings are shorter. I teamed up with a celebrity makeup artist who reigns over the catwalk and the cat eye. Here we break down the steps to obtain that look: https://katherinechloecahoon.com/master-the-cat-eye/

Since Iggy’s liner is slightly smudged, use a powder-based one instead of a gel. If you don’t get your brush wet, the liner will go on smoky. To increase the smudged effect, just take a fluffier brush and go back and forth over your line. Stop your wings at the point of Iggy’s.

Jennifer’s makeup is very similar to that of her partner-in-trouble; however, she’s rocking a complete cat eye and her eyeliner is thicker, but you still follow the same basic steps.

I have discovered that jumpsuits aren’t just for jail mates. Though Iggy does make her yellow one look quite sassy.

Jumpsuits are everywhere in a variety of price points from super-sale to super-splurge. I found mine at Nordstrom.

And the back has a surprise slit.

Hope you all have fun getting your Iggy and Jennifer looks on:)

…is a time to remember that achieving peace and preserving freedom is worth every valiant effort.

I managed to touch down in Honolulu among my business travel. Waikiki is a happy, international melting pot where vacationing sun-seekers form friendships on the sand. It’s hard to believe that 73 years ago, 2,400 American servicemen were killed here in a surprise attack by Japan that pulled them into World War II, the deadliest military conflict.

Today, Waikiki is thriving and the people from these two countries are close. To me, this is a testimony of what can happen with peace and freedom.

“I started the business and called it Ted Baker because I thought, from day one, that it would be a failure, and I didn’t want to be ‘Ray Kelvin the bankrupt.’” Founder of one amazing U.K. brand, Ted Baker.

I love that quote because it shows that fear of failure is no reason to not try. But Ray Kelvin had nothing to worry about.

His couture is well made, vibrant, and brilliant in every way. This orange number is no exception.

My grandma has been quite a hit on my sites. I still receive emails that go something like this… “How is your grandma, the one who had her elderly book club read The Single Girl’s Guide to Meeting European Men?” Well, “still chugging along,” as she says.

And you probably know that she still likes to dispense tips. She just gave me one for Travel Thursday. “I want all your readers to know that while they’re young, they need to travel, explore, and not let a second of happiness slip away.”

Speaking of happiness, we recently had a going-away celebration for Smitty, the incredible man who has been running her rest home. Through her tears, she said, “I refuse to say goodbye. I learned that word never goes well.” Grandma and Smitty shared many happy times.

I’m sure everyone will love Smitty at his new job. I was always touched at how he decorated the rest home to the nines for holidays. “Many of these residents have spent their lives decorating their homes for their families,” Smitty told me. “And now that they no longer can, I try to do the same for them.” He is a great example and one that will be greatly missed.

I like to think of this post as Coffee with Caroline Wagner. I actually don’t drink coffee—I know, shocker! But regardless of what you choose for a morning wake-up call, you can slip it in between these poses and really start your day off right. If you do the entire series, it will take more than ten minutes, but we wanted to give you options. So if you only have a little time to wake up and get to work or school, you can do Child’s Pose, Cat & Cow, Downward Dog and Plank. If you can do the full repertoire, you’ll even be more ready for your day.

Caroline is the very talented woman who helped open Equinox in LA. Now you know her fitness mastery is top tier. I’ve only begun doing yoga, so when in doubt, look at her!

Child’s Pose. Caroline says to begin with this. You start by kneeling and sitting back on your heels. Keep your big toes together and take your knees to the width of your hips. Breathe and relax. Remember, breathing is important for all of yoga. You can stay in this position as long as you want. But I’m warning you, it’s very relaxing. You could easily find that you’ve spent more than ten minutes here.

Cat & Cow. Alternatively round and arch your back about ten times to loosen up your muscles. Keep your knees aligned under your hipbones and your wrists under your shoulders.

Downward Dog. To stretch your hamstrings, calves, hands – and frankly probably about your entire body – this pose is perfect. Place your hands on the floor and bend your knees. Then straighten your legs to lift your hips. Press your heels and the palms of your hands into the mat. Fan out your fingers for comfortable support. Once you’ve obtained a nice stretch, you can seamlessly lower your body into a plank position.

Plank. I can just hear Caroline now. “Keep your core strong.” That is a key to a successful plank, which is excellent for strengthening back muscles. Once again, keep your wrists directly under your shoulders and your palms pressing into your mat. You can alternate between Downward Dog and Plank as many times as feels good.

Half Moon. Disclaimer: Look at Caroline on this one, not me. “Ideally, keep your leg at hip level,” she explains. “If you’re struggling with balance, touch your hand to the mat.” Caroline is super-sweet and she didn’t have the heart to correct my Half Moon, which she said I inadvertently turned into more of a ballet pose. “Ballet poses are pretty too,” she encouraged. As you can see, Caroline is both ultra-sweet and ultra-fun. Hold this pose for about 30 seconds on each leg.

Torture Chamber. That’s what I call this pose. I find it sheer misery, but your body will thank you later. Keep your abdomen tight to protect your back and press your shoulders down. Then switch and do the pose on the other side.

End as you began, with Child’s Pose, and you’re ready to rock your day. If you’re more of a night yoga girl, this routine can also be done before bed. It will put your body in great alignment and relax you.

Thank you to Caroline – aka super-fitness woman – for getting together with me to bring you this yoga rundown.

Fitness instructor Caroline Wagner is a gym goddess. When she pulls out her mat and strikes a yoga pose heads snap. It’s no wonder that she has appeared on NBC and in several commercials for her fitness expertise. This alone is impressive, but what astonishes me is that her face always looks red-carpet ready—even at the end of a long work day starting at 5 am and ending at 8 pm! That was the case when we took this picture. So what’s Caroline’s beauty regimen?

“I exfoliate and wash my face with a Clarisonic Mia 2,” she confided. This is followed by Lancôme moisturizer and mascara. Lancôme features a variety of moisturizers for a variety of skin types. Like Caroline, I’ve relied on it, particularly when traveling for work between places with wildly varying weather conditions. And I love that their moisturizers are hydrating without feeling heavy—meaning that they’re ideal for putting on and running off to the gym. Tomorrow, Caroline and I are bringing you a yoga series that can be done at home – or if you’re traveling, in a hotel – whenever you want to squeeze in a workout.

Of course, the ideal is to have Caroline’s expertise in person and all to yourself. If you’re lucky enough to live in the Seattle area, you can reach her at cwisdm@hotmail.com for private yoga instruction and personal training.

The other day, I was chatting with a friend who has been with his sweetheart for decades. “At first our love was filled with so much raw passion,” he recalled. “But I’d honestly say that I love my wife now more than I did the day we got married. Our love has moved into a close bond. She is my best friend. That is not to say that we don’t still have passion. But we don’t have to be all over each other every second.” So why are the initial stages of love so passion-centric?

Sex and reproduction expert, Dr. Helen Fisher points to dopamine, which is activated in the brain when someone falls in love. As she says, this reaction is in “the system that governs wanting, craving, obsessions, focus, energy and motivation. A brain scan of a person in love shows activation in some of the same areas as in a heroin addict.” Clearly, love is a strong emotion.

Yesterday, I was taking a break and scanning through a magazine when I spied a picture of the lovely Charlotte Olympia. That got me reminiscing about when I met this glamorous lady, so I decided to showcase her spring/summer shoe collection on this Fashion Friday. I call it “sorbet style” because Charlotte dipped her shoes in those hues—and I can’t think of anything better than enjoying sorbet while sporting CO heels.

Charlotte is known for her imagination. Her creations are fun, feminine, and often a little humorous. When this woman was asked how many pairs of shoes she owns, her answer was, “Too many.” Nonsense! In my mind, there is no such thing as too many shoes;)

Short notice seems to be my specialty:) Maybe that’s because when it comes to having fun, the word, “no” isn’t in my vocabulary. I recently put together a girls’ night in a flash. Here’s how you can do it too:

Make a List. Having a list of the items you need before going to the store may sound simple, but it’s very important. You won’t forget anything and have to take up time with a return trip. I like to do mine with old-fashioned pen and paper. Maybe that’s because I get a thrill out of crossing each item off my list… But it never stops me from wandering into the flower section even if I didn’t include that.

It also doesn’t stop me from getting lost in the flowers, which leaves me with even less time to get everything together—but it’s worth it.

Lay it Out. When I get home, I lay out all the food items and think about how to arrange them.

Get a Trusty Tray. Using a tray to hold your appetizers is a definite help. It keeps you organized and saves time.

I placed my serving tray on the center island in my kitchen. My home is arranged so that the kitchen opens up to a gathering area, making it ideal for people to grab a snack and mingle.

Spice it up. I asked the cheese expert at the market for help with my appetizers. “Never pair likes with likes,” she told me. “If you have a more bland cracker, always put it with a cheese that has a bite. And vice versa.” Of course, I followed her advice. I chose handmade specialty cheeses and put signs on them to let my guests know what each one was.

Keep it all Close. On a nearby counter, I laid out goblets, plates and napkins…

Then I arranged them, adding drinks.

Have Great Guests. Now all I needed to make this girls’ night amazing was the girls!

You don’t have to be a sailor to join in the fun of boating season! You don’t even have to board a vessel. I often join friends for a waterfront picnic at a local park while watching the boats sail by as the sun sets.

And you can stay in step with the season even when you’re away from the water. Maritime fashions are abundant. The stylist who showed me this striped, lace-up Kate Spade dress said it’s meant to be a bit boxy. That way you’ll be comfortable if you do happen to meet a sailor and get swept off to sea!

My Kate Spade straw tote is large enough to store sunglasses, sunscreen, and whatever else you might need for the trip. And I bet you can guess who made my headband. You know the saying, “all in the family.” Well, all three of the items I chose are Kate’s.

And since this is Beauty Trend Tuesday, I have a tanning tip for you…even if you live in a place where the sun isn’t always out. My friend, who is a golden goddess year-round, let me in on her secret. She moisturizes with Lancôme’s Flash Bronzer so her face always has a natural glow. I’d say with it, your boating dress, and your straw bag, you’re ready this season come what may.

Tinashe’s All Hands On Deck, is a fitting dance to learn for Meeting Men Monday—and you get a step-by-step tutorial here, including instructions in the mirror.

People can interpret the lyrics of this tune differently, but here is my take… This hot tamale had a boyfriend who took all of her love, treated her bad, and dumped her. But she became a new woman. She gave herself a pep talk and went out on the dance floor with confidence. Then her old flame wanted her back–of course, because she could dance so hot–but she wouldn’t have him. As she said, “Baby I’m long gone.” You can dance just as hot at Tinashe once you learn the steps!

With a color named Red Samba, you know this Harlowe and Graham blazer can make any girl feel red-hot! I loved all the boyfriend-cut jackets in the music video Uptown Funk, so I just had to get one. Then I noticed that Bruno Mars was wearing a similar style and color to mine in his Ellen appearance. Naturally, I chose to wear it when teaching his dance moves in my last mirrored tutorial. If you haven’t yet learned the dance, here’s my how-to on YouTube.

Regardless of whether you have a boyfriend or you’re on a man cleanse, the boyfriend jacket is a staple this season. Here are tips for choosing yours: It should appear to be a size larger than you normally wear, with shoulders that fit. Any buttons should start below the bust. Either roll up the sleeves to complete the look, or get a jacket like mine with ruching from the bottom of the sleeve to the elbow. Boyfriend jackets can be worn over everything from a top and leggings to a cocktail dress, so they’re ultra-versatile.

Plane ticket in hand? Check. Bags packed? Check. Ids and passports? Got ‘em. Now all you’re missing to make the trip a breeze are apps that are a traveler’s best friend.

CityMaps. Think of this as your personal guide to a city’s hottest spots. It even works offline and in 27 languages!

Foodspotting. Anyone who has even spent part of a day with me knows that – in my mind – a fun time is never complete without scrumptious food. Foodspotting lets you enter a meal you’re craving and gives you the options for finding it in your location, complete with pics and reviews.

JetSetter. Say you want to jet off to a five-star hotel with minimum damage to the pocketbook. With this app you can find discounts of up to 60% at hot venues world-wide. And if you’re an iPhone user, this members-only site is free.