a glimpse of glamour. View RSS

hold the phone, readers!! 

here is your chance to enhance your living space with a gorgeous 16 x 20" canvas print

 of your very own! i have teamed up with canvas factory to host a fantastic little giveaway, 

running this week until friday, august 2nd!

to enter- please leave a comment with your name and email address!

a winner will be announced monday, august 5th-

good luck!

 as a visual stylist at bloomingdale's,  i am responsible for

 the overall look and feel of the store. this means that i spend my days 

going up and down ladders, stapling visual props to the wall or

 suspending them from the ceiling, etc.

oftentimes, when i am in the middle of a project, i get asked by customer 

and associates alike what my house must look like,

 since i make such colorful installations at the store- and the 

answer actually surprises people: 

some of the walls in my condo are completely white!

unlike at work, where i have the props at hand to transform a space,

and the tools necessary to restore the mess i made-- at home, 

i am afraid to make the commitment and ruin the blank canvas!

above, you can see one of the smaller- ie. more approachable walls in my condo- 

that has slowly become a gallery wall of family photos and colorful kids artwork.

i have been looking to re-vamp it, (rather than tackle one of the larger, scarier walls 

in my living room!)  and was so excited when canvas factory  reached out with an

 opportunity to add another beautiful canvas print to the collection!

(see my review from last year!)

canvas factory is committed to offering canvas prints that are not

only affordable for all, fast! and high quality. 

i decided to continue with the tradition of printing one of my favorite photos

of henry and sadie- and chose one from our christmas card because--

who doesn't want a cuteness overload every time they walk into their kitchen?

i tried choosing from a number of pictures on my phone (where i take nearly all of 

my pictures these days) and the website was able to let me know beforehand that these

photos were not eligible to be blown up onto canvas format due to blurry pixellation-

so make sure when you are choosing a photo for your canvas print that

you are choosing one that is taken by digital camera vs. your phone!

i am very happy with the speed and quality of this print- not only does it

act as an anchor to the other photos on this small gallery wall- creating a color

story of red and yellow tones, that play well with the smaller prints and drawings,

 but it also is just about the happiest picture i could ever imagine spending 

my days looking at :)

thank you, canvas factory, for another picture-perfect print!

(i was provided this canvas for review, but all opinions are my own!)

hello friends- and happy 2019!! 

i am crawling out from underneath a slumbering toddler

to tell you, yes, i still consider myself a fashion blogger-

even though, technically, google starts populating for "Amazon"

before "Aglimpseofglamour," when i start to type my blog name 

in these days! sad, but true.

like i mentioned in my blog post from july-- 

time has a way of passing both quickly and slowly

 when you have children. 

 a two-hour birthday party at an indoor playground can

 C R A W L by and make you feel like time has stopped altogether 

because the party runs from 12-2pm and it has been 1:55 pm 

for 5 hours already!???!!! 

or you can *blink* and you're 4 months into a new year 

with nary a blog post in sight!

luckily, ADEXE Watch London recently gave me the gift of time:

(the Meek Petite Classic in Black and White to be exact!)

which is not only a beautiful, finely crafted timepiece--

but also the perfect excuse to grab lunch with my

blog bff, lei ann, and snap some 

early spring photos!

my outfit is made up of a vintage black and white polka dot off the shoulder dress,

which i have paired with a collection of red accessories- one of my favorite

mac retro matte liquid lipstick in quite the stand out, a rebecca minkoff fringe 

heart crossbody bag, and red shoes from a new day.

lastly, my watch works simply and seamlessly with the look
to accent my dress
and keep me right on time.

if you haven't seen ali wong's comedy shows:

 baby cobra and hard knock wife on netflix yet-- 

do yourself a favor and go binge-watch them right now,

and come back to me and read this post. 

so funny, right??

on top of the fact that she is absolutely freaking hilarious,

i am in love with her personal style- which always includes

some quirky eyewear + a playful print.

according to wong, when it comes to fashion:

 " the more glitter, the better. because when you're a mom,

you need sparkle, to compensate for the light inside of you that has died."

(hard knock wife)

and with regard to glasses: 

"for me, glasses are like shoes for your face.

and because i'm not willing to wear heels,

it's a nice way to accessorize and change them up." (the cut)

when i turn on the radio these days,
everything sounds like the exact same song-
or a re-mix of a song that already exists-
or ed sheeran!

thankfully, janelle monae's new album,
dirty computer,
is a breath of fresh air and fresh beats!
politically charged and fashionably inspiring,
her "emotion picture" (below) adds visual
 and texture and a dialogue to the
conversation about women's rights,
gay rights, and the power
 of black girl magic.

love!

as much as i like to tell myself the lie that 

having another child is "easier" the second time around,

because i have seen it all before and done it all before,

blah blah blah-- all the cliches- 

the fact of the matter is: at the end of the day,

the sand eventually runs out of the hourglass,

and the glimmer of hope that you hang onto

and semblance of self you once had-

falls asleep on the sofa right alongside

your sleeping baby and you

wake up to find that only

the bare minimum

is done, and 

all the extra things 

(like brushing your teeth

 and blogging!)

are very, very hard

to come by.

these pictures were taken at the end of march! MARCH!

and i am finally making time, at the end of a very long day

and a very disjointed, very hot week

 to share them, because:

a) even though the takashi murakami exhibit at the mfa is 

technically over, it was still one of the most exuberant/ colorful/ joyful

exhibits i have ever encountered in boston. 

and b) because i really liked my outfit that day, 

and you can't let a good outfit go to waste!

wearing:

 oversized denim jacket with pearl detailing/ diy patches by sunset + spring

frida kahlo t-shirt & black and white polka dot skirt by forever 21

glitter pink shoes by asos

alma bag by louis vuitton

all photos of me by my blogger bff, lei ann!

happy summer, my friends!

i am here to bring you exciting news:
this week i will be teaming up with canvasfactory
to add a little personality to your walls with
your very own 16 x 20" canvas print!

i am so happy to have one of my favorite photos
of henry and sadie forever captured in my bedroom--
not only does it remind me just how small they were a year ago,
but also brings all the colors of my bedroom together!

while in real life and on social media you will know full well that
i am the mother of two delightful children- i recently realized that if a stranger
were to walk into my condo and look around at all of the artwork
and photographs on the walls, they may not realize that
Sadie were a even member of the family!

(whoops!) 
i don't know what it is about the second child- but i noticed it growing up
when my sister, Lissy, who is less than a year younger than me,
could never find photos of her time in the hospital right after she was born!
thankfully, everything is saved digitally up in some cloud in the sky for
when i finally get my act together- (which is more than i can say for my poor sis!)

as if reading my thoughts-- and to save me from my negligent printing practices,
i was recently contacted by canvasfactory, and given the opportunity to
print my very own canvas photo! with the simple mission to make
online photo printing easy and affordable for everyone,
canvas factory helped me to right my photographic wrongs
in just a few clicks!



the photo i chose is one of my favorites of Henry and Sadie-
so colorful and happy- perfect really for every room in the house!

sometimes when you blow up a picture you have to worry about
them looking too pixelated, but this photo looks even better blown up
than it does, say, on the front of a candle-- which i also have!

the canvas print wraps stretches perfectly around the back of the frame,
so it rests flush to the wall, and the size is 16" x 20"- big enough to make a
 real impact without getting lost!

canvas factory for the win!

thank you to all who have entered the qii giveaway on a glimpse of glamour!

we have decided to extend one more week-

a winner shall be announced on february 5th.

see the original post for details on how to win!

good luck!

happy 2018, dolls!

i know, it has been, like, a million years since i last posted-

so what better way to get into the swing of things than with an 

exciting introduction to the very first drink on the market 

specifically designed to take care of your smile?

brewed from organic tea leaves, and made with xyvita- a patented ingredient 

made from birch trees, qii natural tea (pronounced "chee") is an

 FDA approved/ non-GMO/vegan powerhouse- 

created to reduce the acidity in your mouth 

...while also freshening your breath. 

AND on top of ALL that, it tastes absolutely fantastic!!

light, refreshing, and smooth- this tea has no icky aftertaste and 

leaves teeth feeling squeaky clean, rather than sugary/sticky,

like most drinks do! i rarely have time to brush my teeth after a meal

-- this seems like a lovely (and tasty!!) alternative.

the packaging is bright and adorable, the cans are sleek and easy to hold,

and they are made right here, in the old US of A. 

can you even beat it? no, you really can't.

and now, it's time for the fun part! 

the giveaway!

this week, i will be offering one of my US resident readers a chance to win 

**a year supply of qii/ with free shipping/ no purchase necessary**

to enter, please:

1) follow @aglimpseofglamour_on instagram

2) follow @drinkqii on instagram 

3) leave a comment with your name and email address on the blog!

a winner will be announced on january 29th!
 good luck!

this year, for DINER EN BLANC 2017, i took a gamble and played 

a little game of "let's look in the closet and pull out everything white." 

 luckily, it paid off! 

as a busy mama, with no attention span or time for shopping

 (even though i work in retail and play with clothes all day long!)

 i often find myself thanking past-sami for being such a thrift queen, 

stock-piling dresses for my future use!

the dress i wore was from my best friend's wedding a few years ago-

it is a fun eyelet, which was perfect for an end of summer fete.

my feather wrap added yet another texture to my all-white ensemble,

and just the right amount of warmth for a late summer evening.

i've had it for-ev-er and it's actually from forever 21!

i piled on a mixture of vintage/ j-crew and betsey johnson baubles,which all seemed to 

have a lavender tone to them. i brought along a lavender kate spade bag (conveniently

not pictured for breaking the all-white rule!) and gold gucci-inspired sandals 

from asos. my lipstick was a purpley mixture of playtime and pink popcorn by mac ;)

like last year, my favorite part of diner en blanc was getting to spend time to

my blog wife/ blog partner in crime, lei ann. we always seem to be coordinated

whenever we meet up-but this time it was on purpose!

thank you to lei ann for the fabulous photos :)

after months and months of being shut up in the house with babies hanging off of my

every limb, i was set free, into the concrete jungle, to roam around with a bunch of well-dressed, 

white-clad strangers at this year's DINER EN BLANC!

much like diner en blanc 2016, (which i covered, here!)  upwards of 2,000 dinner-guests

descended upon a secret location- set up their dining space, collected their wine, 

and sat down to enjoy a lovely feast (that they brought themselves).

this year's location, disclosed only an hour before, 

was a veritable wonderland right in the middle of the city : boston's 

rose fitzgerald kennedy greenway (at milk street/atlantic ave.)

guests were led by DEBbos volunteers from various meeting points throughout

the city, and the set up went off without a hitch!

the most mesmerizing part of the location, was definitely rings fountain, which provided a glamorous backdrop to the city location. the soothing music from john everett martin featuring

bob christopherson and gregory holt, also lent itself to the romantic atmosphere.

created almost 30 years ago, in paris, le diner en blanc has brought together

 communities in 80+ cities- to promote elegance, gallantry and togetherness-

something the world needs alot more of these days. xo

two years ago, i introduced you to trillfit- a unique fitness experience dedicated
to celebrating urban culture through amazing music and a well-curated assortment
of classes in a variety of exciting locations throughout boston.

 since then, what has been lauded as "boston's coolest hip hop workout party"
by racked, has become a little more permanent (with most classes taking place at
studio 52 in boston), a little more prestigious, (with nods from improper bostonian for 
best of boston 2016, and mentions from in style to boston magazine) 
and ALOT more exciting (see below!!!)



 this weekend, trillfit is boldly bringing to the boston area the
"first-of-its-kind Hip-Hop Fitness Festival!": TRILLFEST!

trillfest is a one-day outdoor wellness/music festival extravaganza,
offering everything from fitness classes to meditation sessions -
live DJs to delicious food trucks, and everything in between.

check out the full lineup & grab your tix here!

hello friends! 

i hope you've been enjoying your summer so far-

i have been busy navigating the new and exciting landscape of life 

as a mother of two!

 i knew that it would be different- i have watched my sister's

daily routine get thrown out the window on more than one occasion,

with each successive birth, but when it is actually your turn to do it-- 

it's a whole different story!

thank you for sticking with me during this fun transition :)

 this weekend my sisters and i met up, with children in tow,

 to go blueberry picking at ward's berry farm in sharon!

i've only berry-picked once in my life and thought it would

be a great new tradition to start with the kids!

you can't tell from their faces in some of the photos (ha!),

but they loved it!

i call these photos: "misery loves company." haaaaa

 the blueberries were as sweet as they are plentiful!

it actually took a long time to fill the containers- so make sure

you pack lots of sunscreen!

yum! what kind of traditions are you starting this summer?

on may 31st at 1:45 in the afternoon, our beautiful daughter, sadie amelia,
 made her way fast and furiously into this world!

within moments of receiving my glorious, life-renewing epidural,
she was here--all 9 pounds, 1 oz of her!!-
we fell instantly in love. 

♥

henry has been preparing to be a big brother my entire pregnancy,

and it has been heartwarming to watch the care and attention

 he paid to his sister when she was in my belly. 

now that she is actually here,

i can already tell that he is so proud to have a little sister, and 

already feeling more confident in his new role. 

...we just have to remind him that sadie is not a doll!

this past saturday, i met with my oldest and dearest blogger friends to

celebrate my burgeoning baby bump over endless rounds of dessert

at the langham hotel's chocolate bar! it was super delicious and such 

a treat to spend time with my favorite ladies.

at 38 weeks, my bump is on and poppin' and i have fully embraced
my round shape! this forever 21 dress is from my last pregnancy with henry,
and i was so glad to have an occasion to wear it again :)

i updated it with my favorite new kitty bag from aldo (similar!) as well as some
fabulous pink accessories: my faux gucci slides and quay sunnies!
my necklaces are a mashup old f jcrew cuts rhinestone collars as
well as a big heart from betsey johnson. all in all, i felt festive
and totally ready to taste all the yummy treats without
constriction! check out my instagram post
featuring what i ate and saw at
cafe fleuri!
xo

hello loves! 

long time, no post!

i have been busy creating a small human girl-child 

and getting through the rest of this awful, dragged-out winter. 

how about you?

thankfully, with this week's arrival of the long-overdue spring weather,

came an opportunity to to shop, sip, and sail with my favorite boston bloggers at the

 currently-being-made-over- CambridgeSide and the Charles Riverboat 

Company!

along with an interactive scavenger hunt through the enormous mall-

there was a lovely cruise on the charles river with unbeatable views,

on the loveliest day, ever!

how cute is this boat?? it reminds me of the wonkatania!

 at 37 weeks pregnant, i was nervous at the thought of

being on the water for too long in case something happened-

but i rest assured, knowing that we would only be on the river for a little

over an hour :) it was what my girl, lei ann, called a "babymoon cruise!"

the views were spectacular! i could not get enough of the setting sun on the water.

for my ootd, i piled on a couple of my signature accessories and added them

to my not-so-little black dress situation that i have had to wear at work.

i can't wait to share all my costume jewels with my little girl :)

dress & kimono: forever 21 cat bag: aldo cat ears: forever 21

sunnies: kate spade necklace: betsey johnson lipstick: sephora:saymyname

photo by lei ann!

ever since i saw john mayer's funny skincare routine snaps last summer,
i have been wondering what the natura bisse brand is all about.

according to john, its "mainly used by people in their 60's and 70's,"
but i would argue that this skincare line is actually for anyone looking
to brighten and revitalize the skin their in!



i was recently sent some of the latest products from
natura bisse's essential shock intense line, and i must say that they
 have been a welcome addition to my ever-evolving skincare routine.


the essential shock intense mask smells delicious and has me looking like
a geisha for 10-15 minutes, before washing it off for a smooth & polished glow!

the essential shock intense complex is a fabulous serum that layers on lightly
underneath my everyday moisturizer, and has been helping to maintain my skin's
hydration and clarity- even in the dead of winter! it is great that i can apply
my makeup right over it, without feeling like i have too much gunk
on my face.

ps. did you know that for the first time, natura bisse will be coming to MA
to introduce their "mindful touch" spa experience (usually reserved for celebrities during
the past 12 academy award ceremonies!) to the public?

NEIMAN MARCUS BOSTON
Dates: May 17-20
Address: 5 Copley Place Boston, MA 02116


with the purchase of 4 products, you may receive a free facial inside the Pure Air Bubble-
making appointments right on their website!

if you follow my instagram- you may have noticed that made a little announcement

 a few weeks ago: i'm pregnant!! the boys and i are expecting a baby girl in 

early june and we could not be more excited :) 

at 26 weeks, my bump is definitely poppin'- looking much fuller (and feeling a whole lot heavier)

the second time around! i am not sure if this should be attributed to it being a girl this time

or it being the second pregnancy, but either way- i am enjoying my changing shape

and the lively kicks and jabs i get throughout the day. i feel so blessed.

tired and blessed, ha!

anyway, last night i had the joy of attending chic beat's  blogger mix & mingle 

at the south end's lovely boutique, ash & rose. a brimming jewel box of  sustainable/ethical 

clothing and accessories, many of which are made by nea--half of the mother/daughter duo

who own the shop, ash & rose is nestled among design showrooms and art galleries 

in the famous sowa district. the shop is managed & curated by mary, who is coincidentally 

expecting a baby girl in june!!, and who also made this rad floral selfie wall for

our picture-taking pleasure!

pictured here with my favorite gals, lei ann & bridgette

sandwiched right between kate spade and mini luxe, the first massachusetts-based

TONI & GUY  hair salon has opened at hingham's derby street shoppes!

known for their cutting-edge hair designs, which come out in annual collections 

and seem to set the tone for the hairdressing industry across the globe--

one may never guess that the TONI & GUY brand has been around 

for over 50 years!! (talk about forever young!)

this amazing british brand, which began in 1963 with the four Mascolo brothers,

 has expanded to include sons, daughters, nephews and wives, as well as expanding

across the globe to over 500 locations, is fully committed to:

"upgrading the hairdressing industry 

one stylist, one salon, one academy

 at a time."

with their inimitable business model, TONI & GUY is not just a salon- but an academy.

providing their stylists with continuous education & training  in cut & color means that 

they are constantly evolving and responding to client needs, 

creating trends as they go.

the salon itself reflects the always-contemporary TONI & GUY aesthetic, with lots of stark

black and white against a vibrant wall of TIGI professional products (which i had no idea

they had a hand in creating!)  and an awesome wallpaper collage made up of the brand's

creative photographs and images! LOVE!!!

before sitting down for my haircut, my hairdresser, leonor pilsmaker, 

(remember my interview with her here?), and i brought up pictures of what we think

would look good this time around and were surprised and delighted to see that

we were on the same page!

the haircut i selected is on TONI & GUY'S latest billboard (heading into boston!)

 and is called the "OLIVIA." it's a razored shag with the brand's signature

square layers. LOVE!!

and here's how it came out! i am so excited to play around with it

 and style it with different products, like TIGI's texturizing molding wax,

 manipulator matte! :) i feel like a new girl!

TONI & GUY is located at 92-98 Derby Street
Hingham, MA 02043

**i was provided with a complimentary haircut from TONI & GUY,

but all opinions expressed are my own. **

wintertime is hard on the skin.

 the combination of dry heat and alternately biting cold air makes it nearly

impossible to maintain a balanced complexion- without a bit of help!

for a chance to win,  follow the prompts below:

Win a selection of the Tree of life beauty products #14 , 
 a winner will be chosen by february 26th,
and the products will be shipped directly to you! good luck!

as a self-proclaimed lipstick addict, it is funny for me to admit that i have never 

worn a lip stain before!! while i usually lean towards creamier matte formulas in bright colors,

there is something about a berry-stained lip that looks so effortless and appealing to me.

thus, when given the opportunity to try a lip product from younique, where my friend, jill, 

offers a unique array of absolutely gorgeous makeup and skincare products, 

i had to go with the stiff upper lip stain in the color sultry.

(check out jill's facebook page for the latest offerings!)

giving the effect of having eaten a juicy red popsicle, (in the middle of winter no less!),

this lip stain is a bright rinse of color that clings to the lips and lasts a long time,

without needing to be re-applied! i made sure to exfoliate my lips beforehand,

so that the color would not seep into cracks and crevices, and i am happy

to report that the lip stain does not stray outside of the lip line, 

as you may expect from a more liquidy product. 

with all the extra time on my hands spent not thinking about my lipstick-

i am wondering what other must-have products i need to pick up from younique?!

stay tuned! xo

happy 2017, darlings!!

i have been in total hibernation mode since last month, and have not found any suitable

 daylight in which to take pictures, or anything of note to write about, and so i have

not bothered to post at all. 

luckily, blogs are marvelous things that float around on the internet somewhere 

and wait for your blessed return, to pick right up where you left off, 

whenever you want.

last year, one of the resolutions i actually stuck with, was to be more

committed to my blog. after giving birth to henry, my free time has minimized,

but my blog wife, lei ann, and i did a pretty good job attending events and photographing

 of our always oddly-matching-yet-never-planned-outfits!

this year, i am aiming to continue with our efforts, 

but mostly, i would like to be more kind. the dalai lama once said,

"i'd rather be kind than right. you can always be kind." 

my bratty personality would always rather be right- so i am hoping this year

to curtail that fiery need to have the last word and remember to choose kindness first.

today, lei ann and i mustered up a little resolve, scouted out a tiny patch of sunlight,

and i dialed into a little bit of denial (winter's over--right??), to get a photo of me

in my latest, favorite party look. (technically, i was at work, but you get me.)

audrey hepburn style a-line dress with pockets c/o eshakti

 + 

hot pink gucci-inspired shoes by asos!

+

pink metallic wallet by kate spade!

+

 cat ears by aldo

 =

 love!

a few weeks ago, henry, nick and i had the joyous opportunity to see Jose Mateo's 

Nutrcracker for the second year in a row at the Cutler Majestic Theater! 

equally as riveting, compelling, beautifully choreographed, well-designed 

and downright entertaining, this season's Nutcracker did not disappoint! 

 (read about our first experience here!)

as i watched the dancers onstage and engaged with the audience that evening,

i was reminded of the importance and significance of having a diverse cast, something which

directly correlates with the colorful community that came to enjoy that night's performance. 

as a mom, it means so much for me to put Henry in situations where he can celebrate people's

differences, and to appreciate how magical it can be when people from all different walks of life

come together to make something beautiful, and what better way to do so than an evening at the theater?

i recently had the chance to interview the artistic director and creative genius behind

the nutcracker, jose mateo, and wanted to share his amazing responses with you-

may you enjoy reading his insights into dance and life as much i did!