Santa Rosa Avenue is known to Altadenans as Christmas Tree Lane. The street is lined with towering deodar cedars that have watched over the town for more than a century. In winter, they become a glowing landmark. But even without the lights, they have their own quiet presence. Tall, still, resinous, and gently sweet. There is a lactic softness to them that I wanted to capture. Not a sharp pine forest scent. Not a Christmas candle. Something more intimate. Evergreen air, warm wood, and the...

A fragrance that is 100% your own! If you’ve ever been curious about perfume but felt a little intimidated by it, my workshops are designed to make the world of fragrance feel open, creative, and fun. In a Bodi Botanica perfumery workshop, you do not just smell a few pre-made accords and call it a day. You get introduced to the real building blocks of perfume and learn how fragrance is actually constructed. I teach what I like to think of as the ABCs of perfume, from aliphatic to zolvent and...

I’ve always loved classic cocktails. Most newer drinks don’t interest me very much. I’m usually more drawn to things with clarity and conviction: gin, amaro, Chartreuse, bitter citrus, herbs. I like formulas that feel inevitable, where each element sharpens the others and nothing feels excessive. That’s part of why I’ve always loved the Bijoux. To me, it is one of the most perfect cocktails there is: bright, bitter, herbal, and jewel-toned, with a depth that feels elegant rather than heavy....