Hope you all had a Merry Christmas yesterday! C. has been sick for the past week, so we had a low-key day at home by ourselves, filled with tons of food and holiday movies.

Table runner: World Market; Hurricane lamps: Target; Copper string lights: Restoration Hardware

Since moving to the Bay Area six years ago, and with most of our family still in the Midwest, we've forged our own holiday traditions. Most are quite different from what we did growing up, so it's been fun to decide what we think is the most fun and just do that!

Starting with Christmas Eve, we go see A Christmas Carol in San Francisco, followed by a bit of last minute shopping. At night, we usually attempt to find a good Christmas service to attend (surprisingly difficult; we haven't found one worth repeating yet), wrap all our presents and finally put them under the tree (since Mugsy the Pug has been terrible about getting into them earlier), and then start the cinnamon rolls for the next morning.


I've been making these cinnamon rolls (adapted from the original recipe from Pioneer Woman) for the past five years, pairing them with champagne for a huge dose of comfort food and fabulousness. Each time they improve just a bit, but we've learned they can lead to sugar overload and need to be balanced with something savory, so this year accompanied them with steak and eggs. Thanks to C., who was the one who made our table so pretty!


If you had the chance to create new traditions for your family holiday, what would you do?

It's Christmas Eve! Recently C. and I went to the coolest show – the movie Home Alone, screened at the San Francisco Symphony. I had never been to the symphony before, so this was an ingenious way of hooking me with a holiday classic and then adding a live orchestra and children's choir.

Home Alone at the San Francisco Symphony

An added bonus was that the director of Home Alone, Chris Columbus, opened the show. He told us that when they were working on the movie (way back in 1990) he had the cast imagine themselves 25 years from then, seeing Home Alone come on late-night television, and how it would need to feel as timeless in the future as it did then. Mission accomplished...and also good advice for nearly anything you tackle in life.

C. + I at the symphony Coat: Lipsy London; Turtleneck: Old Navy; Pants: Banana Republic; Shoes: Joan and David

SF City Hall

This was an incredible experience, and apparently it's quite popular for symphonies to do all over the country. The SF Symphony does a film series every year, including Hitchcock in 2013-14 and The Godfather coming soon in January 2015 (sadly, so popular it's sold out already).

The Godfather, coming soon to the San Francisco Symphony

If I could make a request, I'd put in for Love Actually to be the holiday film next year. Other excellent movie choices would be anything by Baz Luhrmann or my personal favorite, A League of Their Own. (I just discovered that Carole King, who did the song "Now and Forever" for that soundtrack also performed the theme song from Gilmore Girls. An amazing linkage!)

Which movies would you want to see at the symphony?

Left to right: Cover Girl Bombshell Volume, Maybelline The Falsies Volum Express, Maybelline Great Lash, L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Intenza, Ellis Faas, Urban Decay Perversion, Benefit They're Real!, Bobbi Brown Extreme Party, MAC Haute & Naughty, Too Faced Better Than Sex, and Cargo HD Picture Perfect. (Shown in reverse order on eyes below)

Other products used: Tarte Emphaseyes Waterproof Amazonian Clay Brow Mousse, Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette, and Vichy Pureté Thermale 3-in-1 Cleansing Micellar Solution (as remover)

Were you as surprised as I was that the differences between all these mascaras are barely discernible?

I had two favorites, starting with MAC's Haute and Naughty, which was no surprise to me. When I first purchased this I was so impressed that I texted my sisters a picture immediately and told them they needed to check it out. I also (surprisingly!) loved the look of L'Oreal's Luminous Butterfly Intenza, along with the brush/way it applied. When asked to give their opinions from the photos, both my sister A. and husband C. chose L'Oreal as their favorite look, too.

As for the disappointments, Benefit's They're Real! was clearly at the bottom for me; it just didn't do anything in comparison to the others.

My detailed thoughts on each mascara:

1. Cargo HD Picture Perfect: Lengthening, but not as voluminous as I'd like
2. Too Faced Better Than Sex: Dramatic, but clumpy and hard to remove
3. MAC Haute & Naughty: Long, full and controlled application – love!
4. Bobbi Brown Extreme Party: Nice application, but not as full in appearance
5. Benefit They're Real!: Separates lashes well, but messy to apply and results aren't impressive
6. Urban Decay Perversion: Pretty feathery look, but not as full as I'd like
7. Ellis Faas: Nice application, with long feathery look, but so expensive ($34!)
8. L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Intenza: Long, full and defined – surprisingly, love!
9. Maybelline Great Lash: Natural feathery look, but not dramatic
10. Maybelline The Falsies Volum Express: Pretty and feathery, but doesn't live up to the name
11. Cover Girl Bombshell Volume: Does what it says, but messy both to apply and remove
12. One coat MAC + one coat L'Oreal: Combined my two favorites

I stumbled upon the store Hudson & Grace on Sacramento Street in San Francisco a couple weeks ago. The moment I stepped inside, greeted by the scent of fresh pine trees, my mood soared. It's a small but lovely shop...and I found myself lingering over their fabulous selection of candles. Candles. Who would have thought I would become so obsessed with candles? But I can't stop thinking about them and my experience there.

R. Nichols candles

That fresh pine scent – so sharp, hopeful and homey – was unlike any other Christmas candle I've ever smelled. Named Sparkle and part of the R. Nichols collection, I had to get it for C., who loves candles and is the one who usually buys them for our house. It's perfect for during the holidays, but I want to go back and get the one called Coast next. Described as a blend of ocean salt air, eucalyptus groves and mountain sage, the sales woman said it was like driving over the Golden Gate Bridge with your windows rolled down. Like freedom, bottled.

As amazing as those candles were, with their cute modern packaging, the other side of the store was like stepping into another world. Cire Trudon is the oldest candlemaker in the world, having been the supplier to the French monarchy and the Catholic church for centuries. Fabulously ornate, each captures a moment in time with complex purity.

Cire Trudon room spray and candles

My favorites were Abd El Kader; a wind of freedom coming all at once from the Mascara coast and down from the mountains bringing in its foolish race the green scents of fresh mint, the rashness of fights, the hot and peppered air of ginger and the perfume of tea and tobacco from the Ouled Nail tribe.

And Mérida; the recreation of a balmy night described by Empress Carlota of Mexico on her visit to the city of Merida, Yucatan in 1865. Centering on the exuberant, multi-layered fragrance of the guava tree, it evokes succulent ripe fruit, intoxicating blossoms, foliage and bark, enveloped by elegant woody notes of mahogany and "palo primavera", with just a hint of firework gunpowder reminiscent of fireworks.

Those descriptions!

I would never have described myself as a scent person; more so the opposite (most perfumes give me a headache and I rarely find one I like enough to actually wear). But the concept of scent/smell just fascinates me and has been on my mind constantly. These are just a few of the interesting things I've discovered:

• Smells have the power to unlock (and imprint) powerful memories because of the connection pathway in our brain. It's the oldest, yet slowest, sense; before sight or hearing or even touch, creatures evolved to respond to chemicals around them. Even bacteria can smell! (BBC)
• The difficulty in being able to describe a smell on its own (we always say "it smells like...") gives it a certain power. Memory research has shown that describing things in words can aid memory, but it also reduces the emotion we feel about the subject. When we come up with a story about our memories, we start remembering the story as much as the raw experience. Not so with scents. (BBC)
• Anosmia sufferers (those who have lost their sense of smell) often feel isolated and cut-off from the world around them and experience a ‘blunting’ of the emotions. Smell loss can affect one’s ability to form and maintain close personal relationships and can lead to depression. I always thought smell would be the sense I would give up if I had to choose, but the impact would be much greater than I ever imagined. (Fifth Sense)
• Last year, the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles held a fascinating event – a scent concert. It was the re-imagining of a failed attempt by Sadakichi Hartmann in 1902. The audience was "transported" from L.A. to Japan through a succession of fragrances, combined with sound and light. What an experience it must have been! (The Creators Project)

Over the past few months I've discovered something super luxurious sounding that is not only amazing but also incredibly useful -- a personal stylist through Keaton Row.

My Keaton Row dashboard

I'm one of those people who really enjoys shopping and hunting for a specific piece, but I'm also incredibly picky and can be gripped with indecision, leading to either no action or lots of returns. So, when I heard about Keaton Row's online stylists, I was intrigued. I was also initially a little wary, as I'd tried an online style company before where they pick out clothes and send them to you (which was a disaster; they took weeks to arrive, nothing fit, and had way marked up prices).

Keaton Row was incredibly different for several reasons:

1. The experience is easy and the stylists are super responsive.
   First, you fill out a profile about your own personal style and what you're looking for. I started by saying my closet was full of t-shirts and special occasion outfits, but not a lot in between, and I needed pieces that could be dressed up or down.
   You're then matched with a stylist, but you can always choose to change to someone else. I was matched with Juli, who's been fantastic. Each stylist has public lookbooks that you can browse to get a sense of how they would style outfits for their clients.
   Juli was incredibly responsive, both via email and through the site, reaching out just hours after I signed up and she always answers emails quickly. 
2. You get to see tons of options and provide feedback, building a relationship with your stylist.
   Stylists organize pieces into virtual lookbooks that you can browse, shop, and comment on. Julie first created a lookbook of just separates (tops, dresses, bottoms, etc.) and asked me to tell her what I did/didn't like so that she could refine and personalize options for me. Then, she moved on to create a lookbook of specific pieces that I liked and had requested and showed me how to style them in different ways.
   She also creates public lookbooks and sends them out to her clients on a regular basis -- these work exactly the same way in that you can browse and shop directly from them. They're usually organized around a specific trend (comfy classics, menswear-inspired) or event (sale with one of their partner retailers).
3. Shopping is transparent, and you have unlimited choices.
   They've partnered with major retailers (Nordstrom, ASOS, Shopbop, and Les Nouvelles) and you can see exactly where each item is from in your lookbook. Prices are synced from the retailers' sites to Keaton Row; nothing is marked up and if something is on sale, you pay the sale price (and the stylists are fantastic about helping you take advantage of sales). Stylists make a commission off each purchase, which is built in, so when you check out on Keaton Row's site it's one transaction instead of separate ones for each retailer. Returns are easy, as they go straight back to the retailer that they're shipped from.
   You get to choose exactly what you want to purchase (including size) and when, meaning you're not committed to spending a certain amount. Since they have a great range of retailers, it makes it easy to find items that fit your budget, large or small.

Honestly, I can't say enough good things! So let me just show you...

Styling options for the Velvet dress I purchased, from my personal lookbook

When I first signed up, I told Juli I was looking for a couple specific items -- a classic black blazer and a leather jacket -- and also wanted ideas for a casual dress that could be dressed up or down. She found me this sharp long blazer (ASOS) and leather jacket (Nordstrom; taking advantage of the Friends & Family sale this summer). She also suggested I try this gray knit Velvet dress (Shopbop) and paired it with these Loeffler Randall flats (Shopbop), neither of which I would have picked out on my own. I love that I could also see options to style the dress differently, with similar pieces I already own, or could get in the future.

Velvet dress & Loeffler Randall flats, styled casually Necklaces and belt: old/my own

Velvet dress & ASOS blazer, styled for work

Velvet dress & Nordstrom leather jacket, styled for going out Necklace: BaubleBar, Shoes: Calvin Klein Mugsy the Pug gazing in wonderment at the versatility of this dress

If you're looking for a wardrobe update, need an outfit for a holiday party, or just want help figuring out how to wear something that's already in your closet (I'm working with Juli right now to style a blush pink pleated midi skirt I got on sale at Zara last spring; stay tuned for the result), I highly recommend you check out Keaton Row. Then let me know what you think (and what you purchased!)

P.S. Sign up for Keaton Row and get $25 off your first purchase with the code REFERFRIEND25.

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Those who know me well are aware of my magazine obsession, particularly with British titles like Red and Marie Claire UK. [Note: For the best place in Oakland to get magazines from around the world, along with amazing customer service, you must go to Issues. They hold copies of my favorites and will call to let me know when they've arrived, and always give Mugsy the Pug a treat.]

Not only do I love British magazines' point of view, European style is just fascinating. One brand that I've noticed being featured more regularly, particularly for accessories, has been the H&M-backed & Other Stories. So when I heard that their first US store was opening this fall in New York, I couldn't wait to check it out. Conveniently, I was just on the East Coast last week as my rowing team competed at the legendary Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston. Afterwards, I made my way to NYC to catch up with friends...and do a little shopping, of course!


Located at 575 Broadway in Soho, & Other Stories carries a wide range of clothing, shoes, bags, and accessories by several designers, along with their own line of beauty products. It's a nice open plan store that didn't mind my friend, S., and I lounging on their furniture and discussing love, life, and love lives for quite some time after we tired of browsing all the products.

Despite being 80 degrees in the Bay Area lately, seasonal fall flavors are everywhere. I had my first pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks last week and after seeing Erin at House of Earnest post a recipe to make your own pumpkin spice latte syrup, I had to give it a try myself.

First, I hit up my favorite Oaktown Spice Shop for vanilla beans and cinnamon sticks/chips. I learned that saigon cinnamon has a much stronger flavor than "regular" korintje cinnamon, which is usually the type you find in powdered form. Smell them to compare -- you really can tell a difference. (Another favorite spice shop is All Spice in Des Moines. They have such nice packaging and you can order online!)

Ingredients (l to r): vanilla beans, star anise, pureed pumpkin, cinnamon chips

I had all the other ingredients I needed, including the individual spices to make my own pumpkin pie spice blend. Using a recipe I found on The Kitchn, I mixed the spice blend, doubling the recipe to have extra.

• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Spices (clockwise, from bottom): ginger, allspice, cloves, mace, nutmeg, cinnamon

Then, I created the syrup. Erin had posted two different recipes -- one sweetened with dates and one with sugar. I did make both, so I could do a taste comparison, but I didn't like the date version at all. My sister Amanda, of Hammer & Heels blog fame, did like it but she tends to be healthier than me. Considering that I put an obscene amount of sugar into my cappuccino every morning, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. So, I've just included the recipe for the sugar version below.

• 2 cups of sugar
• 2 cups of water
• 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin (canned is fine)
• 1 star anise pod
• 2 cinnamon sticks (or equivalent cinnamon chips)
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 2 vanilla beans (or one large bean, cut in half and then split, so the flavor can easily escape)

Combine the sugar and water in a small pan and cook on medium/low heat until the mixture is slightly bubbly and sugar is totally dissolved. Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir constantly while heating up the pumpkin and incorporating it all together. Strain the entire mixture to get rid of any large bits (I used a strainer, but cheesecloth would also work), let cool, then bottle.

Syrup cooking

Blue Apron has seriously changed my life. For those of you not familiar with the service, it's a weekly subscription box of three recipes, including all the ingredients, delivered straight to your door. I've been getting Blue Apron for a year now, and continuously find myself raving about it to friends, family, and people I've just met -- so much so that you'd think I was a paid promoter. But I am not; I am just a happy customer.

I first heard about the company from signs on BART, the train service here in the Bay Area, and was immediately intrigued. Trying to come up with new ideas for recipes each week, that both my husband, C., and I would like, and that are reasonably healthy is time consuming and difficult. Then you have to grocery shopping on top of that, which despite living down the street from a Whole Foods, is more of a chore than an excursion for me. From reading magazines from the UK (with which I am completely obsessed) I know that grocery delivery is much more common elsewhere in the world. But when I brought the idea up to C., his response was, "What kind of bourgeois people get their groceries delivered?" My reply: "Fabulous people, that's who."



So we gave it a try, and were impressed from the very beginning. First, you can choose your delivery day (we chose Fridays because that was the day I worked from home), size (two or four people) and can pause your deliveries at any time (a friend of mine only gets deliveries when her husband is traveling for work). You get an email the day beforehand, letting you know your box is on its way and what recipes to expect; they also give you a preview of the recipes for the following week. The box includes all the meat, vegetables/fruits, condiments, spices, etc. that you will need, in exact proportions. So, if you need one green onion and one tablespoon of mirin for a recipe, that's what you will receive, all packaged perfectly and individually (though everything is whole; not pre-chopped). I love that approach, since I felt like I was wasting a lot of groceries previously when I'd buy something for a specific recipe and not use it all before it spoiled.

Everything arrives in a cardboard box and with biodegradable ice packs that you let melt and then put down the drain. The three recipes are tucked inside and have step-by-step instructions and pictures to follow, along with a letter with interesting tidbits of information about the recipes or ingredients used that week. (They also offer a tablet view for those of you who like to cook using your iPad.) Currently, they have a meat box and a vegetarian box to choose from and say more customization options are in the works. We get the meat box, which usually contains one poultry dish, one beef/pork/lamb recipe, and one meal with seafood (various types of fish, shrimp or scallops).

It is incredibly easy and well-designed, and Blue Apron does an amazing job with their emails, soical media, blog and videos to keep you engaged. But what really won me (and C.) over has been the food itself. The ingredients, including the meat, last longer and taste better than what we purchase at Whole Foods. The meals are incredible...even ingredients that I don't think we'll like, we do. There has not been one bad meal, honestly, and we haven't had a recipe repeated yet in over a year.

Seared Cod Piperade with Roasted Blue Potatoes and Parsley-Almond Sauce

We definitely have had our favorites: Chicken and Snow Pea-Radish Saute with Candied Pistachios, Moroccan Beef Tagine with Ras el Hanout, Dates & Honey, and  Seared Salmon & Tomato Chutney with Cranberry Bean & Spinach Stew, to name a few.

You can see that the recipes are a little fancy, but they're not complicated. You do have to be able to cook -- which is part of the attraction for me. I love to cook and experiment with new ingredients, so this is perfect. It's not cheap; each box is $60, which works out to be $10 per meal, though many meals are large enough for three servings. However, it's still a much better value (and way healthier) than all the takeout we were getting when we were too tired to come up with meal ideas, go to the grocery store, and then cook after work.

Here's the best part! Blue Apron gives current subscribers free boxes to give away to friends, so you can try it for yourself. If you're interested, let me know by leaving your email in the comment section below. And if you've already tried it, let me know your thoughts. Now I just wish they'd add desserts!

I am totally a new year's resolution person. I love goals and dreaming big. Even when I was a kid I would write down what I wanted to accomplish and seal it up in an envelope to open the next year. On "big" years (1995, 2000, etc.) I would write five year goals and tuck them away in my bookcase to open much later. Some of those early ones are pretty entertaining when I have gone back and read them – own a parrot (a parakeet was the closest I got), save enough money to buy an American Girl doll (Kirsten!), become a model/actress/singer (so not me) – but many have actually come true.

What I've learned about myself along the way, however, is that winter is not the time for me to start new things. I'm pretty self-motivated, but it's really hard to maintain that resolve when it's dark, cold, and depressing outside. Fall, on the other hand, is perfect for new beginnings. That crispness in the air, that restlessness in your soul, the glorious days that are October in the Bay Area...they make you feel like anything is possible.

They say writing things down is the first step in achieving your goals. Well, I've discovered that sometimes you have to do that more than once for it to actually stick. Blogging is something that I've meant to do for a long time, that I tried to start doing back in 2007 (but never got past the first post), has been a new year's resolution for several years running, and that I haven't made the time for...until now.

I've been longing for a place to capture my thoughts on all the things that I get excited about -- from fashion to food to beauty to books to travel. I'm constantly discovering cool new things that I want to share with people...those things I can't wait to tell you. Here's to a glorious start to that new journey!