December 22, 2011
December 15, 2011
With the holiday season heating up, parties abound. For many single girls, meeting appealing men is the icing on the cake of a great event. As many of you know, I spent four summers studying in Europe before writing The Single Girl’s Guide to Meeting European Men. Many Euro cities are known as party central so my girlfriends and I had sufficient practice at learning the best ways to increase our chances of meeting eligible men at parties. Upon returning to the States, we found that the same tactics work here―and that they are not only good for meeting men but for making new friends.
The food is where it’s at. DJs may wish that dance floors were the most popular spots at parties, but let’s face it, no matter how great the music mixes are, the refreshment tables usually win the popularity contest. Sooner or later, people are bound to get hungry or thirsty. If you position yourself near the provisions, you up your chances of meeting party-goers.
Nobody wants to meet a cross person. I have a friend who always crosses her arms when she’s nervous. This often happens when she enters a party where she doesn’t know many of the attendees. She really is delightful, but I have heard people comment that her stance gives the message that she is closed off. Remember how you appear to onlookers and stand in a relaxed, open manner.
People love to laugh. My friends and I found that it’s easier to break the ice by cracking a joke. How you go about this depends on your personality. I have a friend who is extremely outgoing and all about fun. Once at a party, she pretended to be the bouncer and ID’d people at the door. One of the men she ID’d happened to be her future husband! He wanted to meet her, but was shy. If she hadn’t taken this party approach she might not have started the most important relationship of her life! You may not feel comfortable taking on the role of pretend bouncer, but anyone can joke in a friendly manner.
December 12, 2011
I had a fun Skype interview with Chris Trash for Bookgum. I really enjoyed meeting him. He wrote of The Single Girl’s Guide to Meeting European Men, “The Best Book I’ve ever read.” He also wrote, “Disarming. This is the word that best describes Katherine Chloé Cahoon. Spend one minute with Katherine and you immediately want to become a better person. With a quick, knowing smile and a straightforward tone of voice she makes you feel as if you are the only two people in the world. I was lucky enough to spend some time with Katherine one evening this week and it was a very positive and surreal experience.” I could say the same about Chris!
December 7, 2011
Here are pictures from my book signing for The Single Girl’s Guide to Meeting European Men at Nordstrom’s Holiday Shopping Party! The event was incredibly fun and festive with sparkling decorations, bands playing favorites, champagne, and fancy hors d’oeuvres. In the spirit of the season, Nordstrom asked me to wear a holiday cocktail dress. Not like I needed an excuse:) I loved meeting everyone there!
November 26, 2011
EVENT ALERT
The bubbles in champagne tickle the tongue and transfer wonderful aromas to the nose.
What: I will be signing copies of The Single Girl’s Guide to Meeting European Men at Nordstrom’s Holiday Shopping Party! It’s a wonderful event. You can shop while enjoying complimentary gourmet refreshments and live music. The party will be open to those who have Nordstrom’s credit or debit cards, and their guests. I look forward to meeting all of you who attend!
When: Wednesday, November 30th at 7:30PM
RSVP at 1.866.543.4206
Where: Nordstrom – 100 Bellevue Square, Bellevue WA 98004
November 25, 2011
November 24, 2011
Upon scanning any newspaper in any US city, it’s clear that we live in a hyper-partisan country, but today we pause to join with family and friends—regardless of their beliefs—to be grateful for what we have. There was also partisanship in this land at the first Thanksgiving, but the camaraderie of diverse parties made it possible.
The Mayflower Pilgrims who sailed to the New World in 1620 were Christians who had fled England because of religious intolerance. The voyage was difficult. The first winter in the New World was dire. Nearly half of the Pilgrims died, and the survivors debated returning to England. Then one afternoon, while Captain Miles Standish was contemplating defense plans in the event of an Indian attack, Samoset, an Indian, came to them. He wanted to help, and was able to converse in broken English he had learned from a British sea captain who made an earlier trip. Samoset told them of Squanto, another Indian, who spoke English well.
Governor William Bradford explained in his memoir, “Of Plymouth Plantation,” that Squanto had been kidnapped, brought to England, and sold into slavery, but he was rescued, educated, and taken home. Squanto taught the Pilgrims farming, fishing, and how to make peace with local Indian tribes. In the fall of 1621, they reaped a bountiful harvest. In gratitude, they invited the Indians to a three-day feast and thanked God, Samoset, and Squanto. They did not believe that those Indians came to their rescue by accident.
Squanto died from a fever in 1622, and, as Governor Bradford wrote, gave all his possessions to the Pilgrims “as remembrances of his love.” Squanto could have been bitter over what happened to him. He could have withheld his help and even incited war between the Indians and Pilgrims. Instead, he buried the wrongs some Englishmen had committed against him, was thankful for his blessings, and helped them.
Despite the strong differences of opinion in our country, we can be thankful for having the longest enduring nation of free men and women governing themselves, and the potential to create an even greater nation than we have ever been. Everyone faces hard times, but everyone has experiences to be thankful for, and many of them come from others, just as the Pilgrims’ blessings came from the Indians.
There are many things that I am thankful for. One of them is Thanksgiving. Another is all of you!
November 20, 2011
While I was in LA, I had the opportunity to speak at UCLA’s Tri Delta. The girls were excited to discuss Europe, and either anticipate or reminisce about their study abroad adventures.
I’ve spoken at several universities. Before UCLA, I went to WSU. The girls sent me this adorable card!
Jackie, the girl who arranged for my WSU event, sent me this note. I’ve been extremely impressed at how many people have written me thank you notes after book signings. I really appreciate it and LOVE meeting you all!
November 10, 2011
Thank you to everyone who supported me at Bellevue Club’s Holiday Bazaar! I met so many great people—from single girls wanting to read the romantic stories in my book or planning a trip abroad, to parents and grandparents getting The Single Girl’s Guide to Meeting European Men as gifts. My book means a lot to me. It’s based on my experiences and those of friends. We all had a terrific time in Europe and want to promote positive relations with those from other cultures and countries.
To kick off the holiday season, these girls sang carols. Some of them were preparing to leave for Europe and got my book for their upcoming adventures.
This mom with the adorable baby is married to a European man. She got my book for a single friend.
This is Gary. He said that he went to the Club’s hardest step class before getting a copy of my book signed as a gift. I saw others come out of that class looking like they had been run over by a Mack truck, but not Gary!
November 2, 2011
EVENT ALERT
What: I’m signing copies of The Single Girl’s Guide to Meeting European Men at Bellevue Club’s Holiday Bazaar! After all, a man can definitely spice up the mistletoe madness. At the Bazaar, festivities will be in full force…and admission is FREE. There will be over 100 venders featuring jewelry, purses, clothing, paintings, glasswork, wine, floral arrangements, and—one of my personal favorites—books! Guests will enjoy complimentary hot cocoa, gift wrapping, and a photo booth, as well as caroling by the Seattle Children’s Chorus. I would LOVE to see you there!
When: Saturday, November 5th from 9AM-3PM
Where: Bellevue Club Gymnasium/11200 SE 6th Street, Bellevue WA 98004
This is a private club; however, the bazaar is open to everyone.
October 15, 2011
I just returned from a slew of NYC book events and meetings. I learned that The Single Girl’s Guide to Meeting European Men sold out in every Manhattan Barnes & Noble store! One of the managers ordered more copies while I was with him. That’s good because New York is like calling all Europeans. I got to know so many there!
People say that this is the city that never sleeps…I say it’s the city that never stops having fun.
Times Square is like Disney World for adults with all of the lights and street performers.
Some B&N stores in NYC are HUGE! I’ve done events at stores in several states and the people are normally chill, but in New York, everyone hustles and bustles around the books. I felt like we should bring a band and start a dance party!
The M&M World was my favorite place to take a break between meetings.
While in town, I met great people from Africa, India, Australia, Israel, Europe, and, of course, America. A lady from Australia tweeted requesting that I make a video about how to meet and greet guys in different European countries. I took the opportunity to work on it here. These are some of the Spaniards I met. They want all you traveling girls to know that they would like to wine and dine you in their country:)
I’m a strong believer in having balance in life. Fortunately, TKTS sells half price tickets to Broadway shows the day of. Since meetings were constantly being added to my scheduled, this worked out perfectly. A friend and I got Spiderman tickets less than an hour before the show and lucked out with great seats. The performance was awesome with characters flying out into the audience on ropes.
I couldn’t leave town without seeing the Tony-award winning musical Memphis!
September 30, 2011
Here are pictures from my Meeting European Men book event at Washington State University’s Chi Omega. It benefited Make-A-Wish Foundation, the sorority’s philanthropy. The WSU girls have been able to grant two wishes. They said that it was an amazing experience to see the children’s happiness when they learned that their wishes would come true. The chapter wants to be able to grant a third one this year. I hope that my benefit helps make that happen!
September 18, 2011
This weekend, I attended a cosmetics trend show. It was a fashion show where models showcased the hottest cosmetic products while wearing the latest looks in clothing and accessories. The event was hosted by Nordstrom, and the theme was “Red Carpet Glamour” because, as the MC explained, “You don’t have to be a celebrity to look like one!”
The show featured stylists giving away beauty products, a DJ playing top hits, and baristas passing out beverages …basically it was girl heaven:) It was really fun to hear cosmetic experts who had come from coast to coast. Since I wrote The Single Girl’s Guide to Meeting European Men, I especially enjoyed meeting Bertrand Thomas, the creator of Caudalíe, a vinotherapy skincare line, who flew in all the way from France. His wife’s family owns a winery in Bordeaux. With Caudalíe, the couple has unlocked the amazing antioxidant qualities of vines.
September 13, 2011
Lately, people have been asking me about long-distance dating, which made me think of my brother. He and his wife are rock and ice climbers. In addition, she teaches winter Olympic athletes, and he does trade shows for a premiere manufacturer of climbing equipment. They recently returned from Spain where she taught school for several months. He eventually got to join her, and they had a terrific time climbing in that region─but he missed her greatly when they were apart. It made him realize even more how much he loves her. During that time, Skype was their mode of communication. Since my brother could see his wife while Skyping, he felt like she was much closer. And since there are no long distance charges for Skype video chat, the money he saved helped him afford the trip to Spain. The night before he left, he was so excited he couldn’t sleep. Isn’t he quite the romantic?!
There are other popular video chat options for keeping a long distance relationship alive. They include Google Chat, AIM, and the Skype-powered Facebook Video Chat, which recently launched. With that program, you can even leave behind a video message if the person you are calling does not answer.
I have a vast array of single girlfriends who have traveled to Europe. Each is drawn to a different type of guy and was hoping for a little romance along with the castles, culture, and history. They all found what they wanted, and the ones who made lasting relationships used Skype to keep the flame alive after they flew home. Some even married their European sweethearts! It was predictable. After all, it’s not hard to see where a relationship is heading when you start your day by turning on Skype to touch base with the object of your affection, and end it back online with him before heading to bed.
September 3, 2011