Trip to Boulder

Every few months I get to do hair and visit with some great friends in Boulder, Colorado. My clients there are super fun and I always enjoy the crisp, mile-high air and towering snow-capped mountains with big open skies. I just got back a few days ago and this time the girls got to tag along with me. It was really fun getting to share the trip with them. Boulder's a really great city with a cute little downtown, packed with local artists' shops and lots of great slow food options.

My favorite shop is Cured—a cute market and cafe tucked into a lovely brick building on a quiet block of Pearl Street, downtown. They've got a wonderful wine selection and they offer a large variety of beers with an excellent assortment of charcuterie and specialty cheeses.

One evening, the girls and I got a cutting board of mixed cheeses and cured meats which we took to a dinner party. Afterward, we took the cutting board back to the shop where they clean and prepare it for the next customer. Cured is awesome—I love this type of personal attention and reuse! When you're in Boulder, please take a moment to stop by and check them out!

One of their best wines I'd tried was a 2014 Arnot-Roberts Trousseau from Healdsburg, Ca. It was perfect with a light snack before dinner and had notes of fresh violets and red fruit, with a bit of earth and spice. It was like a light Pinot Noir—delicious without being overpowering. 

While I was making beautiful hair in the afternoon, the girls were getting their fingers and toes made up at The Nail Studio. The staff there pays close attention to detail and they're all so warm and welcoming! I'm a huge fan of good customer service, so I love this place! 

The girls had lots of time for snowball fights, checking out some local horses and playing with our host’s dogs! The pine air in Colorado is so fresh and clean that you can't help but take in a deep breath and relax—it's the perfect getaway.

It looks like they're about to see another big wallop of snow—so I think we got out just in the nick of time!

Thanks for everything Boulder, we had such a nice stay! Until next time!

Valentines Day Favorites!

Happy Valentines Day! For this special occasion, I've put together a romantic hair and wine pairing for you. It'll leave you with irresistible hair and a warm, rosy glow to compliment your luscious locks. But, fear not single ladies and gents—you too can enjoy your night looking fabulous while embracing a bottle of this handsome wine!

The sexiest evening of the year requires the magic of Oribe's Dry Texturizing Spray. I love using this product right after you set or style your hair. Just spray at your roots and flip your head down for a moment. Run your fingers through your hair while you're upside down—then do your best bend and snap back up! Viola! Sexy bedroom hair!

To go with your new foxy hair, try this Bodega Vistalba Malbec Tomero 2014—my favorite wine of the moment. I love this wine and for well under $20 you can afford to tuck one under each arm for a cozy night at home. It has a soft, velvety mouthfeel with aromas of juicy plums, ripe black fruit, aged tobacco and sweet vanilla. It makes for a warm and yummy evening that won't leave you hanging. Good luck out there!  

Danilo’s favorite products!

The master at work.

Danilo's hair magic for Gwen on The Voice.

If you don’t know Danillo’s work, you might be living under a rock! Danilo's an awesome A-list hair stylist whom I adore. He's constantly blurring the boundaries between art and fashion and he's been going on strong for well over 30 years. Gwen Stefani is his muse and she's often seen sporting one of his creations. Here's a tiny list from his extensive portfolio:

Danilo created Lady Gaga's up-do with beer can rollers for her Telephone video.

• The B52’s wild coifs in the 80’s—(yup, its true!)
• The Martian Madame's hair from Mars Attacks!
• Lady Gaga’s Coke can up-do from her Telephone video.
• Rooney Mara’s hair in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
• 10 years as Head of Hair at Thierry Mugler
• Brand ambassador for Pantene

More reason to love him—Danilo set me up to do Katy Perry's rockin' black to purple fade for her Part Of Me movie premier!

Enough said—Right? 

Aside from all of this, Danilo's just a great guy. I totally look to him for inspiration and he's a model of how to be a great hairdresser.

I asked Danilo to share a list of his favorite products and he was kind enough to give me a huge list of things he can't live without. Some of these I've used in my freelance kit but others I'll need to add to my arsenal. 

Without further ado...

Danilo's Favorite Products of 2016:

• Phylia (de.M) Clean Rephyl Shampoo
  This shampoo cleans and strengthens your hair while working wonders on nails too! Its keratin formula encourages hair cell renewal.
   
• Christophe Robin Regenerating Hair Finish Lotion with Hibiscus Vinegar
  Hydrates, protects and adds shine, pre-blow dry.
   
• Christophe Robin Delicate Volumizing Shampoo with Rose Extracts
  Gentle enough for baby-fine hair!
   
• Blond Brilliance Temporary Color Care Lathering Toner
  This toner's great for brightening blonds! It's temporary and comes out with the next wash.
   
• Prell
  This shampoo's an old standby for stylists wanting to remove unwanted toners and funky undertones. Not very moisturizing, but effective in a pinch.
   
• Batiste Dry Shampoo—Strength and Shine
  A quick and easy way to extend a good hair day into two! Apply at the roots and shake out with a towel after 5 min. Perfection!
   
• Lenor Greyl Serum Soie Sublimateur—Protective Serum For Thin Hair
  Detangle, and nourish without weighing your hair down. Also protects hair from heat styling and sun damage.
   
• Lenor Greyl Baume Boise De Rose Modeling and Sculpting Balm
  A matte-finish balm that can be used in wet or dry hair to add texture and volume. It also protects hair from heat damage when styling.
   
• Pantene Spray Detangler
  Use this product on towel-dried hair to help comb without tangles.
   
• Pantene BB Creme Muli-Tasking Beauty Balm
  Strengthen, moisturize, ad shine and protect in this one product.
   
• Pantene 3 Minute Miracle Deep Conditioner
  The name says it all.
   
• Pantene Dry Shampoo Pro-V Series
  Old school awesome with modern protection and moisture.
   
• Pantene Air Spray Alcohol Free Hair Spray
  Great for brush-able hold and shine.
   
• Pantene Cleansing Conditioner
  One step cleansing and condition. So easy!

Danilo's alien hair in Mars Attacks.

When I asked Danilo to tell me a bit more about these products he said,

“All of these products deliver on a hyper-standard that I appreciate on every hair type.”

I love him.

Mad stylist Holli Smith's Favorite Product

You can find Holli's work in just about EVERY cool magazine you pick up! 

Holli's work from Beauty Papers.

Holli says her favorite product—hands down, is Carol’s Daughter Healthy Hair Butter. I'll quote her her so you can feel her enthusiasm!

“ I use it on everyone...men and women, messy and structured—heavy to mild use. It's absorbent and has the most natural shine because there's NO silicone!” 

I already ordered some and can’t wait to use it! I'll report back with the results and another round of product faves.

Check out Holli's amazing book. If you need her skills for an inspired photo shoot, contact her through LGA Management.

My Not-So-Secret Obsession

OK, a bit of a confession—though not much of a surprise for those of you that know me...I'm a huge fan of styling products! I'm compelled to try everything I can get my little hands on. I'm totally obsessed! While I have my own faves in every category, I love getting input about what other people are using and how they they use it.

I've asked a few friends for their favorite go-to products from 2015, and which products they think are up and coming for the year. I'll split them up into a few posts to keep it simple. Here's the results of my first victim, Michelle Snyder from Barrow Salon.

Michelle Snyder—owner of Barrow Salon in San Francisco and amazing stylist to the stars (think Zooey Deschanel, Karen Elson and Amanda Peet).

Both of Michelle's winners are from R&Co, and they're a couple of my favorites too: Badlands and Aircraft. 

Badlands is a combo product. It's part dry shampoo (yeah baby) and part styling paste. I love this product. One of it's best uses is for absorbing oil from a second day of wear and adding texture to a floppy mop where you need it. A definite must-have for a girl on the go.

*Styling tip—Use Badlands fresh out of the shower to give your look some second day cool!

Aircraft is a mouse with a bit of emollient added to give your hair some weight and separation. This is a great product for curly haired clients or for breaking up a fancy blow out! What is this magic?

So there we have it, our first two picks from our friend and super stylist Michelle Snyder. Next up is Holli Smith. 

Making the most of dry days

With all the rain we've been having this year (thanks El Niño!), we're spending any dry days pruning in the vineyard. It's a really big job that has to be done by hand. Today, my niece Serena is happily helping as our chihuahua Edith, observes from the comfort of her sling. Serena's pruning the old Cabernet Sauvignon vines which my father planted in the 80's.

We're pruning last year's growth now, so the vines will be ready to send out new shoots in the spring. Grapes will grow from the shoots on vertical "spurs" which we make from the one-year-old fruiting canes. We have to keep a balance between pruning enough and too much. The right amount keeps the plant growing strong, while pruning too much creates bushy growth which shades the grapes and negatively impacts the ripening of the fruit. 

The old vines are less productive but the fruit they produce is richer, with more concentrated flavors. This translates into wine with more character and less tannins—overall more balanced flavors. We dry farm these vines, because the plants have crazy deep roots now that they're older. Thankfully this means we don't have to water them much over the summer months and we have these sturdy old vines that have reliable flavor year after year.

Moving my kids to the country

My two kids—girls ages 7 and 9, left LA last summer kicking and screaming.

The older one told me just before we moved:

“...you're basically 

         destroying

       my childhood.” 

...Ouch. So it took months of hard work to move two young half-Korean girls from the city and all their friends, to our vineyard in the country with Grandma and Grandpa.

We started the girls at the little neighborhood school a few days after we arrived. The girls were in an amazing performing arts magnet program in LA, which was at a Korean immersion elementary school in Glendale. There, they were just two of many mixed Korean American kids and there were 7 classes per grade. Now their school has just 1 or 2 which was a huge adjustment.

Fast forward 6 months. The girls are still the only Korean kids at their school—but they now they like it! My 9 year old’s teacher told me that she'd just helped all the kids in class write their Korean names on their desks. I was so proud!

The girls joined the track and volleyball teams and a few social clubs at school. They really look forward to trips to the library, which they really enjoy out here. So, I think it’s safe to say that they've settled in. Now, they get up early before school so they can ride their bikes and play in the stream. They check the stream for changes EVERY day, which is something I remember doing that at their age too. 

It’s fun to take the girls up to Placerville to the candy store, then pop into the Royal Six tattoo shop to see their dad Pat as he's working. They also love baking cinnamon rolls with Grandma, which is a special treat. 

We miss our friends and family in LA—I don’t take the people in our lives for granted. I know how long it takes to build relationships that mean something. But I'll try my best to keep the bonds strong so we can move through the future together. FaceTime calls and the occasional visits are essential!

My little one just asked if we could move back to LA again today, so we're not out of the woods yet...but I think they're seeing how a more relaxed life with lots of nature is going to be OK. 

My Sister Nan, Herbal Ninja

My sister Nan is the president of the Herb Society in Placerville. She manages our vineyard with our dad, Gar Harmon and she's an expert on herbs. Nan's really been working hard to transform our land into a biodynamic oasis! It's great to learn firsthand because there's so much information to learn.

For today's post, I asked Nan to write something about our vineyard's transformation to biodynamic farming.

From Nan—

"Herbs are nature's medicine chest. I believe mother nature offers solutions to people who are willing to learn and utilize the gifts found around us. As our family transforms our vineyard to a biodynamic ecosystem, we'll be including more herbs to protect our vines from harmful pests. We'll definitely benefit from the herbs' culinary and medicinal uses, but our focus will be on using them to combat garden pests and attracting good bugs.

The "bad" insects use our vines for food and protection for their offspring. Well, sorry bugs—we need healthy leaves to produce the best grapes for our wine. No free food for you! The damage from pests, results in plants that can't produce the quality or yield of grapes we depend on...so they've gotta go!

In vineyards, the biggest insect pests are: 

1. grape leaf hoppers
2. spider mites
3. mealy bugs
4. thripes
5. tree hoppers
6. ear wigs
7. white flies

That’s a lot of hungry bugs!

With so many pests to defend from, we need to attract beneficial insects to our vineyard for the vines to really thrive. Luckily, many beneficial insects are attracted to flowering herbs. The moisture rich herbs feed and shelter the good bugs, allowing them to colonize and keep the surrounding plants healthy. They eat the insect pests we want to control and help minimize their spread if they do show up. 

The beneficial insects we want to attract are:

1. yellow wasps
2. ladybugs
3. pirate bugs
4. spiders
5. lace wings

Our mom, Mary already has some great plants growing in the garden. She's got rosemary, oregano, roses, lavender, lemon balm and lilac hedges. Horehound and yarrow grow wild around the property—and all these herbs are great for bringing in beneficial insects. Soon we'll be planting bay, calendula, dill, basil, chives, tansy, cilantro and fennel to encourage more good bugs in our gardens and to liven up our meals.

There should be an increase in insect activity this spring, and we'll watch and enjoy as the good bugs make a meal out of the the bad ones."

San Francisco Cooking School

A few weeks ago, I went to a fund raiser for Cook For Your Life. They're an amazing resource that teaches people in cancer recovery the art of making healthy, nutrient rich meals. They just came out with a beautiful new cookbook called COOK for Your LIFE. The author Ann Gaffney has been teaching people how to nourish and heal their bodies with food for many years. I was glad to take part that evening and learn what she had to share. 

The event was at a cooking school, and we paired up in groups and made a delicious turkey dinner together. I was on the dressing and mashed potato team and I must say, we totally killed it. There were fantastic wine pairings with the food and they made the evening even more fun.

A local food celebrity, Angelo Garro was at the event. I'd just read about Angelo in Sunset Magazine, for a yummy product he makes called Omnivore Salt. I was given some as a gift last year and I absolutely loved it. It's something I've stocked in my kitchen and used in my meals ever since! Now Angelo has a new lemon salt which I’m dying to try as well. I love a healthy product that tastes great!

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Our Vineyard is a pretty cool place

In the 1900’s our property was a gold mine owned by a man named Henri Marcelais. There are a few cool old buildings and a REALLY COOL cave! This is where we store our wine—the temperature stays about 50-60 degrees year round.

Here's a pic of Pat before we went to a holiday party. We just walked down to the cave and picked up a few bottles to share! 

My Hair Heroes Part I

I love so many things about hair. I love natural hair, fantasy hair, I love super fake hair—and I really love wigs. My career in hair styling started with some very intense training at diPietro Todd Salon in San Francisco. I studied cutting techniques with Simon Smith for two years, and then went on to study color with Jason Moran for two more. Both of these guys are originally from Vidal Sassoon they're fantastic. They raised the bar for me and allowed me to stretch my imagination and further my goals.

Jason and Simon were pretty hardcore to train under—I could have earned a graduate degree in the years I spent training with them, but I would’t have been nearly as happy! There were plenty of tears and late nights wracking my brain and honing my skills—so I'd know by muscle memory, what works and what doesn't.

Simon taught me the art of balance and proportion. If a haircut is balanced and well proportioned you can cut it with a chainsaw and it'll still look great. Precision is definitely important but it's secondary to how well the hair sits on a client.

Jason instilled in me how to really design and work well with color. His method sticks with me to this day...a color formula should be simple. This helped me so much over the years, by not overcomplicating my formulas. My formulas are always comprised of one or two colors. Period.

During this time Chad Robinson instructed me on the ins and outs of working with clients. I've found that people skills tend to be more important than just about anything else. Chad's always so gracious with people and he's an excellent communicator. Sometimes it can be hard extracting what a client's really going for in a style, but Chad has a way to finesse that information from them with ease. He’s also a ninja with a blow dryer.

So, these were the peeps that taught me well. 

Now, onto the people that inspire me daily. The folks I'll talk about in this series strike a cord in me, open my mind and let the sun shine in. I won't bombard you with all of them at once—instead, I'll share them with you one at a time in the coming weeks. So here's the first!

Guido Palau

Guido's a crazy talented dude. He's done almost every cover of Italian Vogue for years. He's styled Marc Jacobs' shows from the get-go and he worked on those iconic Kate Moss' “grunge” ads for Calvin Klein in the 90’s.

Guido started a revolution in hair. He's a man who always thinks outside the box. He's so passionate about what he's after, he'd style and undo hair again and again until it's just right. He does things that won't go main stream for years and currently works on 30 fashion shows a season—that’s crazy!

Sometimes, at first I'll look at his stuff and immediately think its ugly. But, then I'll take another look and examine what he's done and by the end I'm thinking it's genius. Guido usually doesn’t do pretty, but what he does do is always interesting. I watched a few interviews with him on YouTube and he said his inspiration comes from within. He takes in everything (street punks, society ladies, and famous art), processes it and sends it back out as cool ass hair.

I love to look to Guido for inspiration. He just published a book—it doesn’t have words; it's just rad pictures. Check it out on Amazon—it’s called “Hair”. And check him out at Art and Commerce agency. You can look at his current portfolio and see he's always up to something cool.

Two Weekends Out Of Town

I just spent the last two weekends out of town…

I was in New York last weekend doing beautiful hair, and this weekend I was in Los Angeles attending an art show and premier I did wigs for in a “Hitchcock” inspired short film called Madam Psychosis Holds A Seance.

This is my last trip to New York until winter is over. This always makes me so sad, but I’m happy that I don’t have to travel there in the winter months! I am such a pussy when it comes to bad weather. As always, I had a great time in New York and I ate at two amazing restaurants…The first was the Mark Hotel restaurant located in the upper east side, and the second was Colicchio & Sons in Chelsea.

I had the most delicious meals at both of these places…and of course, great wine! At The Mark, I devoured a really nice Chassagne-Montrachet (Philip Colin) 2012, this is a white Burgundy wine that is really fresh without being too bright. It has a nice soft round feel, in my opinion I feel like pear was the biggest flavor descriptor I tasted. I also ate wild salmon for dinner so this was a match made in heaven!

At Colicchio & Sons three of us went through a bottle of Gevrey-Chambertin (Alain Burguet) 2008. For the meal I had a really special Wagyu beef and this wine went perfect with it. It was really bright with hints of raspberry, red cherries, and herbs.

I was in New York to work as well, but just for a few hours. The rest of the time was spent eating and wandering around. I love it there so much!

The following weekend I spent in Los Angeles. I went to see a short film called Madam Psychosis Holds A Seance and I was excited to see the wigs I styled for it. My friend and super talented artist, Rosson Crow created it for her latest installation.

If you're not familiar with her art, check out @rossoncrow—it’s madness! The movie is a visual feast with wardrobe done by Jeremy Scott—all made out of canvas and painted by Rosson.

The Star was Kelly Lynch (Drugstore Cowboy and my fave—Roadhouse!) as an aging former night club entertainer. The installation is still up and can be seen at the Honor Fraser Gallery In Culver City 'til the end of December. Go check it out ASAP!

And now, I’m off to San Francisco this weekend to work at the glorious Barrow Salon. I’ll be teaching a color class and working my booty off! I’ll try and have a few stories for you when I return…Ciao!

Que Syrah Sirah

SO MUCH HAPPENED SINCE WE ARRIVED AT OUR NEW HOME!

We've picked, crushed and pressed the grapes, we've done the punch down during fermentation and we racked and bottled the wine. Phew! That’s just within the first 2 months!

My sister and I went to a biodynamic winery in Healdsberg last week, to get the scoop on how biodynamic wines are made. I have to say it’s exactly the type of life I was hoping for! They don’t use any pesticides or herbicides and they nourish the soil with different types of mulch.

It’s more complicated than that, but it’s basically about making your plants strong enough to fight off pests and disease naturally. I've found a few classes at the Rudolph Steiner school that I want to take. I'll be able to fill you in after that.

I recently learned that Syrah is the 6th most planted grape in the world! Wow! I've been wanting to get more of an understanding about the varietals, so yesterday we had a Syrah tasting just and it was so much fun!

I bought four bottles of Syrah: Wind Walker, Layer Cake (Shiraz), Sierra Ridge and Old World Winery. We also sampled two of my dad’s Syrah for comparison. I printed out the typical Syrah flavor profile on cards and let everyone go for it. 

The typical flavors for Syrah:

• Chocolate
• Red and black currant
• Black pepper
• Thyme
• Bay leaf
• Cedar
• Sandalwood

In our tasting, we found that across the board—they all had the red and black currant. But that was all they had in common. The chocolate was here and there (Wind Walker and one of my dad’s). There were a few that had hints of spicy black pepper and sandalwood (Layer cake and Old World).

After we sampled all of the wines, I still felt we needed more examples. These flavors were too far apart to feel related in my opinion. I also need to pick up some bottles from the old world for comparison, since France is it’s first home. So, I’ll try again soon. I really need to understand each varietal. More to come soon…

Things I'm Looking Forward To In Big Sur

Camping at Fernwood Resort

Nothing fancy—but they have a cool stream that runs through the place and a beautiful meadow.

Eating at Nepethe

This place is really yummy—and they make a mighty fine margarita. The kids can run around outside and it's just a nice property with an amazing view!

Pfeiffer Beach

This beach is stunning! The sand is actually purple from large amounts of crushed amethyst. I love sitting and watching the crashing waves. Sometimes there's a lagoon and you can hang there, playing with the little ones.

Fresh air

You're in the mountains at the coast. The air is super fresh and so clean. I can actually smell things.

Looking at houses

Some people have yurts, others have trailers and some folks have the coolest giant mansions—you've got it all. Every time I come, I'm convinced I'm moving here—then I'm pulled back to reality after looking at those prices—ouch!

Hanging with friends

Picture this: We meet at the campsite and break out the wine and the snacks. Then we let the kids loose to frolic about. We have some laughs while we're enjoying the evening air with the scent of pine and some notes of salt from the ocean nearby. Maybe tonight we'll have a game of dog bingo. Just a simple and happy time.

Harvest Time!

WoW! What a crazy ride the last two months have been!

OK—so we moved in with my folks in Northern California, started a new school for the kids, sold our house in LA (pictured above), and now we're looking for a new house—or looking to build one! Mr. Kim just rolled in last week and I started my job in San Francisco! We're just holding on for dear life right now because we're busy HARVESTING already! The grapes are done when they're done, so we have to be ready as soon as they're ripe.

Our Sauvignon Blanc about to be picked.

We picked the Sauvignon Blanc first—then we moved on to the Petit Sirah and yesterday we picked the Cabernet Franc. We're selling pretty much all of the crop. This year was a tough growing year—I'll explain more about it later. Next week, I'm off again to LA to work on a movie for a client. I'll be doing some really cool wigs, Hitchcock style! I'll keep you posted!

If you would like to check out our LA house follow this link: 5422stratford.com

The countdown begins

The move is getting closer! We've only got a few more weeks left to move and I'm pretty nervous but also really busy trying to see my clients here in LA.

It's so nice getting to see all these great people I've been able to work with over the years. It's sad saying goodbye but I'm happy for the change all the same. At least they're in good hands with my friends Hector, Rory and Rebecca at Plaid Studio.

We're starting a journey!

Hi, I'm Marcy!

Mom and hair dresser turned winemaker. Wife to tattoo artist Pat "PK" Kim. I'm moving my family from busy Los Angeles to rural Northern California. My daily life is changing from the craziness of styling celebrity hair in Hollywood while wrangling two kids, to learning the ropes of owning a winery and learning to slow the pace a bit. It's time to live a more relaxed and healthy life!

It doesn't end here... 

Our journey is just beginning and I'm glad you're here with me from the start! Life is wonderful and scary and incredibly challenging and fun. So join me in learning all there is to know about making and enjoying wine and follow along as I explore the world of styling hair.

Join us!

We'd love to share what we learn with you. Whether it be a new technique, a nice wine we stumble upon, some of our favorite things or an upcoming event—we'll have lots to share. So follow my blog, sign up for a workshop or see me in SF for a cut and color. This is where you'll find me!