When I think about the purchases I've made that have changed my life most dramatically (we're not talking about food, and survival essentials here of course!), my mind goes to the products that have streamlined my routine. I immediately think of the items that transformed my ...read more
I'm terrible at being sick. I'm way too restless to actually rest, get cabin fever when I'm trapped inside with one, and get frustrated when I'm too fatigued to exercise (let alone stand for more than thirty seconds). When a bad cough and fever kept me home from work three days ...read more
For as long as I can remember, it's taken me upwards of an hour to get ready in the morning. In high school, I woke up at 6 a.m. just to shower, blow-out my hair, straighten or curl it, then painstakingly apply foundation, mascara, eyeliner, and about forty other products. It ...read more
Every once in a while, I feel so overwhelmed by the "rules" I decide to ignore them completely. This weekend, I traded in vegetables for pastries (I survived almost exclusively on cinnamon rolls, cookies, and croissants on both Saturday and Sunday), ignored my frugal tendencies ...read more
Three years ago—before I'd met any of the women in L.A. who would become like sisters—I sat curled-up in a ball on my kitchen floor, crying. Jonah tried to soothe me between my gasps for breath and tears, as I revealed the reason for my breakdown: I had no friends. On some ...read more
After spending my entire Saturday in Claremont and San Gabriel Valley (where we went to this incredible noodle restaurant for lunch), I spent Sunday at my second 'Cave Day.' The idea of Cave Day, as I wrote about here, is to spend time on a special project in 45-minute sprints, ...read more
Even though I spent three days in Park City, Utah this weekend (arriving back in L.A. late last night), I felt like I was gone for a week. It was so rejuvenating to escape to a winter wonderland with friends and get some skiing in. We literally skied from 9 am to 4 pm every day, ...read more
Growing up in Reno, Nevada meant skiing was always an important part of my life. Middle school and high school were filled with daily 4 A.M. wake-ups for ski team, weekends were spent with friends on the local mountain, and afternoon classes got out early so we could catch at ...read more
You know those people who can take a workout class in the morning, then change directly into work clothes, and go about their day looking flawless? That's not me. I'm a profusely sweaty person and exercise most mornings (I'm a fan of Orange Theory and Classpass), which means I ...read more
Every Christmas and New Years, the entire Cupcakes and Cashmere team takes two full weeks off. It's an unconventional policy that ensures we're all well-rested for a productive upcoming year. Each break, I take time to fully sign off (I spent eight days with family in Guatemala ...read more
Last year, at a bridal shower where the only person I knew was the bride, I approached a woman I'd never met. At first impression, she was the picture of a stereotypical Beverly Hills housewife; perfectly done-up with lash extensions, fake breasts, and glowing skin. As we got to ...read more
When I look back on the items I purchase each year, there's usually a general theme. After college, I spent most of my money on food and cookware, the next year I upgraded my clothes, the next was all about travel. This year, I devoted my time and budget into improving my ...read more
Ironically, the list I've been most preoccupied with lately isn't even this one—it's my to-do list. Since our office is closed for the next few days, I plan on taking full advantage of the extra hours to do every little thing I've been putting off this year, which reads a bit ...read more
We have a running joke in the office that the best possible situation is to make plans with a friend, then have them cancel. You get all the credit for going out plus an unplanned night. Maybe it's because we're all chronic over-planners, but it feels like a present to have ...read more
This weekend was a bit more hectic than I anticipated, so on Sunday afternoon I took advantage of a three-hour gap between plans and did one of my favorite things: I took myself out to a movie. Going to the movies alone is one of my favorite things, ever, because it feels so ...read more
I've always considered myself to be an adventurous person. Place me in any situation, conversation, or city, and I'm as happy as a clam. But that comes with one major caveat: I'm also a homebody, so I need an oasis I love and can recharge in. For a long time, my apartment was ...read more
Happy Monday! I hope you're all easing back into the work week after a restful Thanksgiving break. Jonah and I stayed in L.A. on Thursday to kick off the day with an early morning turkey trot with friends (a.k.a., the fun thing you're allowed to call a run on Thanksgiving). ...read more
It's difficult to think about anything this week besides the fires in California, especially when so many people I know have been impacted by them. It's hard to grasp that this kind of mass destruction by fire is, according to Governor Jerry Brown, the "new normal," wiping out ...read more
The first time I met Adam Rapoport, the Editor in Chief of Bon Appetit, was the evening he guest lectured at my graduate program four years ago. He walked up to the lectern, pulled two Bud Light Tall Boys out of his briefcase, then proceeded to open one and plunge the other into ...read more
Typing this from a plane bound for Los Angeles—a bit sleep-deprived, but content from a weekend spent with family and completely excited for this week (did you see the news this morning about the Shop launch??). I was in Milwaukee visiting Jonah's family and, despite our best ...read more
When I look back at Saturday morning, it feels like an eternity ago—likely because I fit more things into this weekend than I usually do in a week! The highlight being, of course, the Pop-Up Shop. Our entire team arrived at The ROW DTLA at 7 a.m., armed with bagels and coffee, ...read more
I've always hated the question, "What are your hobbies?" Anytime it comes up, my mind immediately cycles through all of the things I was once interested in, but never followed-through on—playing piano, bee-keeping, knitting, beer-making—and I feel less-than for wasting my ...read more
On Friday morning, the last thing I wanted to do was go to a museum exhibit on Ruth Bader Ginsberg—even though I'd been looking forward to it all week. I'd just experienced a night of insomnia (frustratingly, my first in months), had been fighting a losing battle against a cold ...read more
Every Sunday, I grab the New York Times from our apartment's front stoop, and begin dividing it out. I hand Jonah the Sunday Review, recycle Sports (neither of us are fans), and take the Book Review for myself, at which point I flip straight to my favorite series, 'By the Book.' ...read more