-Just about everyone loves candles. Look for a great smelling candle but one that is packaged beautifully. Tocca has a wide variety of fragrant scents all made using real essential oils. Have a look at our December promotion as they are all 25% off this month. Regular price for large candle is $38. This month pick one up for $28.50.

-What do you do with your purse when you go to a café or restaurant and there are no hooks? Leave it on the floor? Yuk! The Hook-Up is the answer to this cootie conundrum. The Hook-Up is shaped like a heart and conveniently wraps around your purse strap until you need it. When you are ready to sit down to dinner, it unwraps to an S-shape and hooks to the table and then to your purse. Made in 22k gold plated metal this gift is a crowd pleaser at $68.

-It does get cold at night and everyone can use a nice pair of gloves. Leather is elegant and cashmere is cozy. No matter which ones you give they will be received with a loving thank you. Prices range from $17 to $135 for elbow length leather gloves.

-If you have a friend who travels a lot this time of year this can wreak havoc on their skin. Air Repair skincare makes a great gift. These products were developed by Denise Spanek, a skincare specialist whom after 20 years as an aesthetician realized the void in the market for an exceptional and well-priced skincare line. At $35 for five products all in a travel-ready zip-lock case, you will have a little more to spend on yourself.

-Scarves, socks, lingerie and perfume are available as well. This is a busy time of year. No time for brick and mortar shopping? Pour yourself a glass of champagne and shop online at Catherine Jane.

From all of us at Catherine Jane, Wishing you a Wonderfully Chic and Joyous Holiday!

Champagne Tastings

Saturday, November 5th

San Francisco Wine Club

953 Harrison St

Sparkling Wine Tasting

$10

2-5 pm

Wednesday, December 7^th

Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant

Ferry building

Champagne and Oyster Tasting

$TBD

4:30-7:30

Every Sunday in November and December

Nov 6, 13, 20, 27 & Dec 4, 11, 18

San Francisco Trading Company

250 Taraval St.

Sparkling Sundays

SFTC will be opening a selection of sparkling wines and champagnes

$5-10

1:00-5:00

Best New Hiking Trail in SF

There is one that just opened up. It is Mt. Sutro Open Space Reserve at Stanyan and 17^th  Street. This will take you behind UCSF and around Twin Peaks. It is truly stunning, so stunning in fact you will forget you are anywhere near the City.

Best Picnic Lunch

 If you are thinking about taking a picnic lunch with you on your hike, stop in at  Say Cheese   on Carl Street in Cole Valley. They carry the absolute best selection of cheeses, and their deli counter is ready to put together a tasty sandwich for you. If you are in the mood for just a leisurely picnic without all that exercise then grab a bottle of chilled wine or champagne.

 Best Pork Product

Fatted Calf  in Hayes Valley by far has the best selection of pork product in the City. Choose from an array of sausages, pates, confits, salumis and more. Their products  are all organic and hormone free. And get this, they even have a happy hour. This is the place you want to get your swine-on.

 Best Spot In Golden Gate Park Where You Won’t Freeze Your Ass Off

Sorry for being so crass but you know what I am talking about. At Arguello and Fulton, as you enter the park, walk up the short hill, hang a right and before you get to the main street in the park, you will see a grassy area. This is the spot. The trees will shield you from the wind and cold. Keep this one to yourself ; )

Best App

Hands down it is Talking Tom. Click on the link for the last word in my Best of Everything Else.

Print out your gift certificate and start shopping.

Wishing everyone a stylish Fall.

*Cannot be combined with other store discounts, certificates and promotions.

Symphony in the Park

Sunday, July 10  2pm

Sharon Meadow in Golden Gate Park

Afrocubism & Pellejo Seco

Sunday, July 10  2pm

Stern Grove

Symphony Concert

Sunday, July 24  2pm

Conducted by Michael Francis

Stern Grove

English Beat & My First Earthquake

Sunday, July 17  2pm

Stern Grove

San Francisco Ballet

Sunday, July 31  2pm

Stern Grove

Amnesia

 853 Valencia St (20^th)

  Monday Night Bluegrass  

July 4 & 11  9 pm

Wednesday Night Jazz

 July 6, 13, 20 &27  7 pm

Phono del Sol Music & Food Festival

Saturday, July 16   12-6pm

Potrero Del Sol Park

25th St. @ San Bruno Ave.

3rd Annual Peruvian Food Festival

Sunday, July 24  10 am- 7 pm

Civic Center Plaza

La Cocina San Francisco Street Food Festival

Saturday, August 20   11am  

Mission District

Folsom Street from 22nd to 26th Streets,

and 23rd and 25th Streets from Treat to Shotwell 

Sa SaSa

Stolich has built a solid reputation in San Francisco as a master at teaching the intricacies of cooking. This month he is sharing his techniques for artisan pizza where he demonstrates in his video how to make the perfect crust, and to have a great pizza you must have a great crust! Enjoy his recipes for pizza margherita and pizza marinara.

http://cookwithjames.com/artisanpizza.html

If you are anything like me and you love to eat but cooking only frustrates you, then the following recipe is for you.

 C atherine Jane’s Asparagus and Meyer Lemon Pizza

Toppings

7  asparagus

1 meyer lemon

2 tablespoons of the best olive oil money can buy

Parmesan cheese (do not get cheap)

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Crust

 Buy  the dough fresh (try Pizza Delfina on California Street or Milano on 9^th Avenue)

Box of cornmeal

Other

 1  pizza stone

1 pizza cutter

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 550

Spread out 2 cups of cornmeal on counter top

Tear off dough the size of a large apple

Roll out to a thin layer on the cornmeal (follow Stolich’s video for the proper method of rolling out dough)

Before placing dough on pizza stone pour olive oil on dough and spread evenly with brush

Put in oven for 5 minutes

 C ut lemon in half then thinly slice

Cut asparagus in half lengthwise and then ¾” pieces

Grate Parmesan

Open oven and artistically arrange asparagus and lemon

Add salt and pepper, generously sprinkle cheese

Place back in the oven for 5 minutes

 Open a bottle of dry rose .

Cheers, here is to a wonderful summer with good food and friends!

Carry-On Only. This will save you time and money and grief. No more lost luggage or additional charges. It’s important to remember to stick to the measurements for carry-on.  Depending on where you are traveling, there is some room for negotiating luggage size that is slightly larger than required by TSA.  22” x 14”x 9” is the average acceptable size for carry-on. You are allowed one carry-on and a personal item. Ladies make that personal item count by carrying a big shoulder bag with a long strap as you will be able to wear it messenger style while pulling your chic luggage on wheels. Unless you are backpacking leave the backpacks at home. Packing for carry-on may seem daunting—not so. Remember to pick out a color scheme. Your goal is to choose pieces that will all go together. Wear your heavier items, shoes and coats, so you don’t use precious space packing them.

Less Is More.  Can’t wrap your head around just one bag? Remember it can be exhausting schlepping your bag around. Just because you’re checking in your bag try to keep the size manageable. You still want to keep in mind climate, events that require special outfits and the mix and match-ability of your traveling wardrobe. Looking for new luggage? Don’t buy black. Pick a color easy to recognize on the carousal. If your luggage does get misplaced, it will be a lot easier to track if it is not black. How many of those do you think there are?

Got Kids? Ok there is no way you can do carry-on; I get that. However, kids in addition to luggage are more work for you. This rule always applies—less is more. Keep in mind a wash-&-fold facility nearby your accommodations is quite helpful as well.

All Your Explosive Lotions. TSA calls it 3-1-1. 3 ounces or less per item, 1 quart size clear plastic zip-top bag, 1 bag per customer. Easy enough and it is about to get easier. Bed Bath and Beyond carries a product called Travel Mate. It comes with 16 containers and labels all in a durable plastic zip-top bag. Now you can take all your favorite products with you.

Fighting Flight Fatigue. Flying can suck the very life out of you and your skin. You have heard this before—drink more water and drink it often. But what else can you do to make your skin feel fabulous? Air Repair has come out with some amazing items to battle skin fatigue and can be purchased at Catherine Jane for $35 for a 5 piece travel set. All products are available in TSA approved sizes. But the best of all is how your skin will feel as you prepare to land. Ready for takeoff.

Why do some things seem to shrink in dry cleaning? The word “dry” throws us off.  At the dry cleaners, clothing is either dipped or spot treated with a liquid solution, thrown in something like a tumble dryer and steam pressed. Any one of those steps can shrink your clothing. Some fibers will actually continue to shrink the more you dry clean them. Try not to send your garments out often.  Sometimes they just need a little freshening up. Either hang them in the bathroom as you shower or hit them with a little steam from your iron or better yet your steamer.

What is the best way to care for your cashmere, wool and cotton sweaters?  Did you notice the question does not include other fibers such as nylon, rayon and acetate? When fabrics are made using blends of fibers there is an uncertain nature of how these blended fibers will react to water. This anecdote only refers to good quality cashmere, wools and cottons. It is always best to hand wash as the spin cycle can also shrink your favorite sweaters. Personally, I don’t have the time for soaking and ringing. Everything goes in a front loader set to delicate. Do not hang dry, but if you must, use a lingerie hanger. I do not recommend putting very heavy sweaters in the wash as they will need to be reshaped. The magic bullet for making everything clean and smell fresh is the type of soap you use. Never, ever use woolite.  Woolite is a detergent and is very harsh on your clothing. There are two soaps that I would recommend; Forever New or Tocca’s Laundry soap. Your clothes will smell like they were line dried.

Do I really need to dry clean my rayon clothes? I love rayons. They feel great on the body, are light and travel well. Here is a little background on rayons and viscoses.  They are made from cellulose in concert with petroleum. There are dozens of different types so it is very difficult to tell which ones will take to water and which ones should only be dry cleaned. Since they seem to collect odor under the arm after a few wears it is tempting to send them out for cleaning.  Instead consider rinsing out the armpit with cold water and mild soap and then hang to dry. Make sure you rinse out all of the soap. In the event that it does leave a water mark, you will have to take it to the cleaners.

My favorite dry cleaners?  Marin Cleaners. They pick-up and deliver in San Francisco and do their cleaning on their premises. Are you looking for some place a little more local? Try Pacific View Cleaners on Geary Blvd.  No matter what cleaners you use, make sure they do not send cleaning out to a second party. If something does go wrong, your dry cleaners should take the responsibility.

What is it about pink?  Most of us like the color but would rather not see ourselves in it.  Is it too feminine or is it only a color in which you would dress a child?  Are we afraid we won't be taken seriously if we wear it?  After all our annual review is coming up and if we start to show up at work in pink no one will take us seriously, let alone give us a promotion.  Pink has gotten a bad rap.  If the truth be known, it is an easy and flattering color for most of us to wear.  It can make our complexions look warmer and softer, and who can say, 'no thanks' to that?  This season I found myself working more with the color pink.

I have designed entire tops in different shades of blush, periwinkle and pink rose, and on other pieces I used only pink as an accent.  One of my favorites is the Laurel cardigan.  It is made of a mohair blend and designed with a 3/4 length poet sleeve.  It is the perfect accent for dresses.  If you are looking for just a kiss of pink we have a few great prints with combinations including blues and blacks.  Our Siena shirt is tailored with a short gathered sleeve.  It is made of 100% cotton with these romantic colors in an abstract pattern.  Still not ready for pink?  My suggestion is to try it on and have another look at yourself flirting with pink.