Category Archives: holiday

gift guide: alle fister’s finds for the cool cali girl

{Editor’s Note: This year, I’ve asked a few of the people whose style I spend all year admiring to share their holiday wish lists. Stay tuned – we’ll have a new expert every day for the next two weeks!}

Back when I was but a wee fashion blogger, knee high to a grasshopper, Alle Fister was the very first PR person I ever worked with! Since we first met all those years ago, her career has skyrocketed. From being Shopbop’s first PR Director back in their startup days to her current role as the founder of one of the most successful PR firms in the biz, Alle and her team at Bollare represent everyone from VANS and Timberland to Rachel Palley and Kevyn Aucoin.

As you might expect of someone with this level of insider access, Alle has an undeniably cool sense of style, and an innate ability to spot (or set) a trend from a mile away. A Malibu girl through and through, Alle knows her way around a surf shop, but she’s tuned into every single trend, and always, always knows what’s next. She exudes California cool from every invisible pore.

holiday gift guide, style gift guide, cool girl gift guide, surfer gift guide, california gift guide, west coast gift guide, fashion gift guide Read on

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gift guide: craig olson’s finds for the modern man

{Editor’s Note: This year, I’ve asked a few of the people whose style I spend all year admiring to share their holiday wish lists. Stay tuned – we’ll have a new expert every day for the next two weeks!}

No offense to Mr. SMC, but Craig Olson might be the hippest guy I know. So, it’s no surprise he was my very first choice for a men’s gift guide. Craig (along with his parter in crime, Sean Igo) is the genius behind Portland’s Canoe and the brand new Spruce Apothecary. Craig and Sean were at the forefront of Portland’s hip-ification when they opened Canoe, a store that’s still beloved across the country for its modern aesthetic and hyper-sophisticated selection of home goods and accessories. Not only would I blindly trust Craig to pick a gift for anyone on my list, but I’ve often begged him to do just that. He has a perfect track record with every person on my shopping list, and judging from this list of picks, he’s going to remain the undefeated champ of men’s gift ideas.

men's gift guide, mens gift guide, gift guide men, guys gifts, craig olson gift guide Read on

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gift guide: nicky kinnaird’s finds for the luxe beauty addict

{Editor’s Note: This year, I’ve asked a few of the people whose style I spend all year admiring to share their holiday wish lists. Stay tuned – we’ll have a new expert every day for the next two weeks!}

Friends, this is not just another beauty gift guide. Nicky Kinnaird is the founder of Space NK Apothecary…also known as my beauty kryptonite. With more than 60 stores in the UK, and two dozen in the US, Nicky has made it her mission to return a little luxury and elegance to our beauty buying experience. Despite a travel schedule that officially qualifies her for jetsetter status, she’s absolutely fanatical about only sourcing the very best lines from around the world (think Eve Lom, Chantecaille, Philip B…you get the idea). Whenever I hear about a new product that editors are clamoring for, chances are good that Space NK is the only one carrying it. In other words, when Nicky says something’s on her wish list? It’s safe to assume it’ll make any girl very, very happy.

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gift guide: kim france’s finds for girls of a certain age

{Editor’s Note: This year, I’ve asked a few of the people whose style I spend all year admiring to share their holiday wish lists. Stay tuned – we’ll have a new expert every day for the next two weeks!}

We’re kicking things off with a bang, friends. It gives me an overwhelming mix of awe and squeal-inducing glee to bring you our first gift guide of the season, from none other than Kim France. She of Lucky Magazine editorial fame, and Sassy before that (and much, much more). If you don’t know her current venture, you’re missing out – Girls of a Certain Age is easily my favorite thing to read online (when I’m not manically proofreading SMC). Kim’s personal style is creative and edgy, but utterly approachable – I swear, she’ll make you cooler by osmosis. If you have a friend on your list whose style intimidates you just a smidge, or if you just want everyone to shake their heads in amazement at your unparalleled gift-buying prowess, this is the guide you want.

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weekend forecast: gift guide preview, how to wear short boots with jeans, and more

I hate to say it, friends, but I have a busy weekend ahead. Why? Because SMC’s annual Gift Guide Extravaganza starts Monday! (I know, I know, it’s early – blame Hanukkah.) This year, we’re doing things a bit differently – I’ve asked some of the most stylish, creative, and clever people I know to share their holiday wishlists! So in addition to my picks, you’ll get the picks of the people whose flawless taste and inimitable style I’m always coveting. You’re going to love it!

What else is going on this weekend? I’m so glad you asked. Read on

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a long winter’s nap

Photo by Michelle Arcila, one of my favorite photographers of all time.

Friends, it’s that time. The time when I wish you the very merriest of holidays, a wonderful New Year, and tuck myself in for some much-needed time away from all the hustle and bustle, secure in the knowledge that you can navigate the deluge of after-Christmas sales without me.

This year has been an amazing one. I’ve completed a move, a major home redesign, a Portland shopping guide book (more about that in the new year!), and countless other amazing projects and collaborations with brands I genuinely adore. I redesigned the website, launched Facebook and Instagram pages, gave you a few kick-ass gift guides (if I do say so myself), and was featured on some websites I seriously respect and admire. In all, 2012 was very good to me. No wonder I’m exhausted!

The amazing thing? All of that – every last thing on my list – is because of you. Yep, you…who reads SMC daily, or catches an occasional glimpse on your RSS reader before moving on to the 736 other things on your plate. You, who told a friend you liked my site, who passed a link on to a coworker, who oohed and aahed over one thing or another, who left a comment (truly, each and every comment you leave is like a pat on the back from a dear friend. I love them more than I can say.).

You made all of this happen. And there’s no gift I can give that would say it with enough poetry or feeling, so let me just say this: thank you. Thank you for a wonderful year…a wonderful six and a half years, if we’re counting (oh, let’s not count). It’s been an unforgettable ride, however long you’ve been on board.

I’ll be back in the new year. Be safe, be merry, and find joy wherever you can. And know that a writer in Portland is sending you love and plenty of holiday cheer.

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holiday hodgepodge

This is the post in which I try to remember every fabulous last-minute holiday gift that’s crossed my path since I finished our gift guides. Let’s see how it goes.

First of all, you should know I’ve been pinning gifts madly over on Pinterest (check out my Giftable, Dear Santa and Tinsel Time boards). So, you know, in case all of those gift guides weren’t enough, you have even more options! Plus, really, just about everyone is still shipping for the holidays, so don’t fret.

Read on

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all in the details: holiday party perfection

Kate M.W. ~ A basic black dress is always lauded as the classic necessity in a woman’s wardrobe. “It’s so versatile and you can dress it up with accessories!” If we’ve all heard this once, we’ve heard it a hundred times. So when I was considering how to put a bit of holiday party spirit into All in the Details, I must confess…this week started first by staring at a plain black shift dress. My favourite thing to pair with that is a sparkling statement necklace, and from there, the choice was easy. Subtle but packing a punch, metallic and glistening but not ostentatious. Statement necklace perfection.

Read on

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