Katherine Chloé Cahoon

If you haven’t met Marcus Monson, my friends, you are missing out! You could travel around the world and be hard-pressed to find an artist who could match his makeup finesse. It’s no wonder that celebrities clamor for his help. He has an uncanny ability to bring out a woman’s best features.

Plus, Marcus is both personable and hilarious. So while a girl is getting the benefit of his cosmetic genius, she feels like she’s at a party. Today, I’m going to share what he used to create this look on me and how he did it.

Almost everything came from Guerlain’s Petrouchka Palette, which combines eye shadows, liner, and blush all in one chic golden case secured with a red bow. The presentation looks like a holiday gift…and is perfect for any lady on your list. Marcus used the darker gold tone on my lid, the light gold at my inner eye, copper in the crease, and brown both in the outer corner and as the liner.

The blush section of the makeup case is divided into four hues. Marcus advised using them at diagonals. Swipe the colors from either top right to lower left or the other way around.

One of my all-time favorite Guerlain products is Rejuvenating Illuminator. In my opinion, this little item is every bit as important for attending a big event as a date…and maybe even more;) Marcus applied the product under my eyes, to make them look bigger and brighter.

Then he looked over my face to make sure that all the remaining details were done…like brushing my eyebrows. For my lip color, he used Rouge and Gloss.

Thank you so much, Marcus, for introducing me to this Palette and teaching me how to use it. I’m editing a fun video incorporating the products and will post it when I’m done.

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 that I picked up at an arts-and-crafts store. Since they were designed for wrapping packages, each one had a tie on the back, so I just placed a small bobby pin through the tie to secure it in my hair.

If there’s a certain someone you’d like to up the romance with, this is a sure way to give him a clue. But be forewarned—wearing this can be like calling all suitors:)

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 number of times and noticed that the girls switch up their style a little. So feel free to give it your own flair. I chose to circle my arms higher than the babes in the above clip on one step because it felt more natural.

And since this is Fashion Friday, I want to point out that Ariana’s dress is just the right mix of festive and flirty.

Feather embellishments on short dresses are a statement this season. ASOS has two gowns similar to Ariana’s, with a thick layer of feathers along the hemlines. One is white and cut close to Ariana’s, and the other is a black, form-fitting and off-the-shoulder.

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 adorned with holiday pizzazz this time of year.

But really, the decorations in every room dazzle.

The main floor features a breathtaking, two-story tree.

Designers do up Christmas trees like this and auction them off for Children’s Hospital.

I can’t think of a better benefit during the holiday season.

My dress by Tadashi Shoji with its pleated panels is well-crafted like the Fairmont. The material is so comfortable, I might as well be in a nightgown, but the look is chic.

And my favorite Ivanka heels have been trotted out to many events now.

Tomorrow begins another weekend, and we all know what that means…

More holiday parties!

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 each bloom formed, it was like making a new friend who would keep them company.

This gift is easy to make. First, choose a six-to-eight inch pot. If you’re planting Amaryllis, make sure it is heavy enough to support its massive blooms. Put a layer of pebbles or marbles in the bottom. Add a little charcoal to keep everything fresh once the plant gets watered. Some people like to put a little fresh potting soil in the bottom, too.

Insert the bulb about halfway down, with the pointed end up.

Tie a ribbon around your container and you have a live gift and will keep giving. Tell the lucky ones who receive it to add water to the base of the bulb, keep it moist, and put it in bright light. When the roots are formed and the green shoot is about one to two inches tall, drain off the water and replace it with a solution of four-to-six percent alcohol…but don’t use beer or wine, their sugars damage plants.

In about four to six weeks they should have beautiful blooms.

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 tempting. The server got to know me because I frequented his tray so often. Shopping is a tiring activity…a girl has to keep her energy up. At least, that’s what I told myself:)

Then I enjoyed a drink while snapping a pic with this display.

If you haven’t stopped by Nordstrom in awhile, you’re missing a goldmine of gifts, such as these holiday beauty specials. And who says a girl can’t gift herself? After all, you know what you want.

Kiehl’s lip balms are wrapped in adorable packages, and winter is the season when these products get extra use.

Most girls are into the cosmetics goodies, but Kiehl’s has options for him too.

L’Occitane sports a cute soap set.

And they also have a beauty smorgasbord including cream and shower oil. If your honey gets you this, he can’t blame you for taking long luxurious showers!

The party was made extra fun by running into my friend Kira Elste (left). I believe that friends have bragging rights, so here I go. She’s not only beautiful and vivacious, but the host of the #1 Pilates app. And her sister, Toren, is a top chef.

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 Norse mythology, the son of the love goddess Frigg was killed by an arrow made from a poisonous mistletoe tree. As the goddess wept over her son’s body, her tears formed small, white berries on the arrow and he was brought back to life. In gratitude, she turned the mistletoe into a symbol of love and proclaimed that anyone who passed under it must be kissed.

Over two thousand years later, 19th century author Washington Irving observed, “The mistletoe is still hung up in farm houses and kitchens at Christmas, and the young men have the privilege of kissing the girls under it, plucking each time a berry from the bush. When the berries are all plucked the privilege ceases.”

Today, we pay no never mind to the berry-plucking part of this tradition. And many think of the holidays as a passionate season when the kisses are flowing whether there is mistletoe or not. So all you romance lovers, this is your time!

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 elegant red design by Laundry won the Popular Choice award.

What I especially adore about it is the neckline. Jewelry is part of the dress. So with this pick, a woman doesn’t have to worry about accessories.

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 hold up in cold weather and come in a variety of sizes…from these large pinecone masterpieces that hang from velvet ribbons, to small balls. If you’re on a trip, take or ship some home and you’ll have unique decorations and gifts—particularly if you live in places like Southern California or Florida.

I know because I work in LA a lot. Those Hollywood film execs are always excited to receive NW greenery. I’m also a girl who never passes up a good party, so when I received an invitation to a Wells decorating open house, I was one of the first to RSVP.

I’ve been coming here since I was so little that I’d sit in the plant cart while my mom shopped. It took her a bit longer with that method because we had to stop frequently so I could show her my favorites.

I can attest that you’ll never get too old to love Wells. And if you also love DIY projects, this is a great place to get ideas. To make these adorable holiday balls, all you need are mini-pinecones and a glue gun.

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 bank account.

The decorative panels in the above picture were created by buying sheer material from the fabric store, sewing vertical, three-to-five inch panels from top-to-bottom, and making loops above them big enough for a rod to slide through. LED lights were dropped into the panels. When you hang your drapes, find something festive to tie them back. With this easy-to-make decoration, your home can look like a Hollywood Christmas set on a mac ‘n cheese budget.

Over the weekend, I found these LED lights for about $15 a set.

And these butterflies were only about $10 each. I bought mine at Bellevue Nursery, but I’ve seen similar adornments at arts-and-craft stores. Happy holiday decorating!

…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 have to get one for myself. It’s quick and easy…just roll it on in one swipe as you dash out the door. And there are so many hues to choose from.

…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. With inventions like WhatsApp and Viber, friends can afford to stay in touch even when they’re thousands of miles apart. That is terrific for preserving relationships at home, but it’s causing them to miss part of the joy of travel. Sure you can admire the Colosseum on Pinterest, but there’s nothing quite like taking in this ancient wonder without adverting your eyes to text your friends about the experience. Say you want to spice up your life and learn about the culture by dating overseas? When out and about, many of the girls contributing their romantic, true stories to my book, Meeting European Men, only used their phones when charming guys wanted to put their numbers in them. I recently read about a student whose laptop was damaged during study abroad. She explained, “I was devastated at first, wondering to myself, ‘How will I know what’s going on at home? How will I Skype my friends?” But she confessed that as time went on, “I began to go out more, no longer running home from class to hop online.” Now is the time when a lot of students are thinking about heading off for a spring semester abroad after the holidays. Before you take that flight, consider this girl’s advice… “Get rid of your smartphone. The whole point of studying abroad is to immerse yourself in the culture, the people, the language. Once you have Skype, Facebook and constant calls…I think it really takes away from the experience and becomes a huge distraction.” To me, this advice is a bit too drastic. A phone is a necessity for emergencies. Friends and family are an important part of your life that should not be abandoned. So take your phone, but take time to power down and open yourself up to life’s possibilities.

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 outfits.

So, you see, I can understand wanting to find the ideal red dress this season. I especially love the one I’m wearing today because it can go just about anywhere. Maison Kitsune has a similar style with a shorter, flirty skirt. Halston Heritage features one cut like mine. And there’s a button-up red number by BCBGMAXAZRIA.

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 you who has gone ut of your way to be supportive—starting with the ladies who gave me their incredible stories for my book, followed by those who shared their hopes and joys at book-signings, and continuing with those who have left heart-warming online messages and done regular “likes” on my pages. I have gotten to know you all, and am so happy every time I see your names. I wouldn’t wake up each day excited to blog if it weren’t for you.

You might be wondering what this post has to do with travel. Well, one of my favorite Thanksgiving stories involves the Apple Pan, a little restaurant that has been on Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles since 1947.

I’m thrilled to be sharing this Thanksgiving with family. But if for any reason you’re unable to have a traditional dinner with loved ones, that doesn’t mean you have to skip the fun. One of my mom’s favorite Thanksgivings happened when she was single and living in LA. She had been asked to take over a big trial starting right after the holiday. She could see that those handling it were in a major bind, so she spent the day in the office preparing the case. When she was satisfied that it was on the right course, she stopped by Apple Pan for pumpkin pie. While she savored every bite, she made friends with strangers who were picking up their pies. As she explained, “Pie never tasted so good. Life is what you make it, regardless of your circumstance.”

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 a deep wine.

Then, starting at about the center of the outside edge of each nail, we added a lighter shiny, upward-diagonal stripe in a similar hue.

We ended by layering on a slightly-smaller gold-diagonal stripe. The diagonal tip is 2014’s version of the French nail…it’s dominating the style scene.

For a professional, finished look, Julie recommends adding some additional gold to the end of your nails. Then polish everything with a clear top coat.

This trio of colors gives your nails holiday pizzazz in a sophisticated way. A girl can wear this into the office, and then throw on her sequin gown for a holiday romp. Either way, she’ll be in vogue:)