NYC Archives - Glamamom®

Orly Genger in Madison Square Park {Guest Post}

May 14, 2013 in NYC

Hi, all! I’m Monica from Ciao, Chessa! and I’m so thrilled to be a contributing editor here on Glamamom.

It doesn’t happen often as a mom of a toddler but I always feel like a new person whenever I have some time alone. I don’t always get the chance to do it but when I do I want to make it count so last week, for no particular reason, I visited Madison Square Park – one of my favorite places in the city.

I had read about the new art installation by Orly Genger and I was so intrigued. The project, titled simply Red, Yellow and Blue, features 1.4 million feet of layered, painted, and knotted rope – enough to span the length of Manhattan nearly 20 times! The rope, collected from up and down the Eastern seaboard, is covered in over 3,000 gallons of paint, and weighs more 100,000 pounds. The park, a really beautiful and small oasis in the middle of one of the busiest intersections in New York, seems completely transformed with this unique project making its way around the cityscape. I love how it seamlessly winds its way around the periphery of the park and how they planted the flowers to almost hug the edges of the rope.

The work is up through September 8th and if you’re in the city it’s not to be missed. Madison Square Park also has a fantastic playground so take your kiddos to see this and then take a ride on the swings. When we lived in the area I took my daughter to this park all the time and I can’t wait to show her this unique project (followed by a trip to Eataly for gelato of course).

Monica Shulman is a photographer and she writes Ciao, Chessa! – a photography and lifestyle blog. She lives in New York City with her husband and toddler daughter.

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Cocktails, Lashes & Lips

March 23, 2013 in LIFESTYLE

jane iredale, the makeup line with skin care benefits, unveiled its new collection of PureGloss^™ lip glosses and naturally nourishing mascaras at a quaint mixology class at Haven’s Kitchen in NYC last month. Cocktails and makeup, a fine combination!

The new formula of glosses has been repackaged in longer, sleeker tubes and is available in 18 colorful shades that impart a natural-looking, sheer tint of color for a fresh, pretty Spring look.

Its three formulas of mascara contain natural ingredients such as sea minerals t0 condition and thicken lashes and encourage growth, and sweet almond oil to soften and moisturize. Longest Lash Thickening & Lengthening Mascara has been relaunched with a new plush wand to separate, define, and build bold luscious lashes.

Three cocktails inspired by the jane iredale’s new line were served throughout the evening, perfect for Spring entertaining:

Snow Berry: Prosecco & St. Germain with Asian Pear
Red Currant: Bourbon & Antica Formula with a handful of Red Currants
Beach Plum Fizz: Greenhook Ginsmith Beach Plum & Seltzer with a slice of Lemon

{I was not compensated for this post. I received a goodie bag for attending the event. All opinions expressed herein are my own.}

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Mode Monday | Bright Like a Diamond

March 18, 2013 in LIFESTYLE

[mark & james by badgely mischka mini sequin pixie dress: c/o rent the runway | heels: j.crew | clutch: diane von furstenberg | nails: opi "suzi skis in the pyrenees" | airbrush tan: gotham glow | on bryce gruber of the luxury spot: badgely mischka barbuda beach gown]

[with kat griffin of corporette and lara eurdolian of pretty connected]

Last week I had the exciting opportunity to present at Style Coalition’s Fashion 2.0 Awards celebrating online innovation by fashion brands. My old pal Robert Verdi hosted the evening and Simon Doonan gave the keynote speech. Alongside Kat Griffin of Corporette, we gave out the award for Best Fashion Startup (Of a Kind).

Other winners include: @DKNY for Best Twitter, Marc Jacobs for Best Facebook, Anthropologie for Best Pinterest, Saks POV for Best Blog by a Fashion Brand, Saks for Best Website, Gilt on the Go for Best Mobile App, and Marc Jacobs for Top Innovator. The awards made The Wall Street Journal and I even got a mention, which makes really me laugh. All those years in finance and Glamamom is in the WSJ. Life…

Rent the Runway received the Visionary Award and outfitted all the presenters for the evening. As soon as I saw this Mark & James mini sequin pixie dress, I knew I wanted to wear it. I was gaga for all the metallic beaded dresses at the Oscars.

It was my first time using Rent the Runway and now I can’t figure out why I waited so long! The process is impeccably simple. When the clock struck midnight, just like Cinderella, the dress was no longer mine. I dropped it in the mail the following day and that was it. No expensive dress hanging in my closet glaring at me wondering when it’s going to be worn again.

Have you tried RTR?

Have a glamorous week!

If you’re linking up with #MondayMingle, the linky is being hosted by Momtrends this week with a chic little Brahmin Giveaway! “Monday Mingle” is a weekly fashion/personal style link-up rotated between Momtrends, BonBon Rose Girls, and Glamamom.

{I was not compensated for this post. All opinions expressed herein are my own. Post contains affiliate links. Photo 1 via Patrick McMullan, photo 2 via Shaun Mader.}

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22nd Annual Bunny Hop at FAO Schwarz

March 17, 2013 in MOTHERHOOD

Every now and again, an event pops up for media coverage that I just know will be the perfect date for Sebastian and I. The times I’m able to combine my passion for social media with raising awareness for important causes while simultaneously spending time with my family, are pinch-me moments.

Last Tuesday, Sebastian and I attended the 22nd Annual Bunny Hop at FAO Schwarz hosted by Tiffany & Co. and The Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center’s Associates Committee’s to benefit the Pediatric Family Housing Endowment. The fund pays for overnight stays at special nearby accommodations when children an their families come from out of town for treatment at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center’s renowned Pediatric Department and are unable to afford the expense.

We arrived at the GM Building with time to kill so naturally we rode the glass elevator at the Apple store up and down repeatedly.

Inside the Bunny Hop, guests got to run wild through FAO Schwarz after hours, which was really an extraordinary experience. I can’t help but think of the movie “Big” every time I enter the famous toy store.

The activities were certainly centered around the little guests and included: games by Kids In Sports; face painting by BongarBiz and Faces by Derrick; cookie decorating by The Cookie Party; Freeze Frame Giant Piano Photos; costume dress‐up areas provided by Let’s Dress Up!; sand art by Craft Studio; live animal presentation by A Touch of Nature; entertainment by Magic Al the magician; Sammie and Tudie; Miss Pinkie’s Playhouse; Todd Neufeld’s Twisted Balloon Company; musical entertainment by MME Entertainment; Wendy the Pipe Cleaner Lady; and a live musical performance by Broadway Babies.

I’m pleased to report the Bunny Hop raised over $311,000 for this incredibly worthy cause! Thank you to the hosts for including us. It was a magical and memorable date night for S and I as well.

{I was not compensated for this post. Slideshow photos via Farrell.}

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Having a Ball at Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella On Broadway

March 12, 2013 in NYC

Before the popularity of Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, and Manolo Blahnik, there was a Fairy Godmother and a shiny pair of glass slippers, arguably every little princess’ first introduction to the transformative power of beautiful pair of shoes.

My memories of Cinderella are that of the 1950s Disney animated version and while there is no Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo in the new Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella on Broadway, I appreciated it just the same.

For the princess averse, the new musical is a modern retelling and Cinderella comes across charmingly confident and in control despite her circumstances. Instead of losing her glass slipper racing to beat the clock to midnight, she takes it off and hands it the prince, as if she already knows the outcome of the story and is just playing along. The ending of course is the same. It is a Cinderella story after all.

Set in the forest, the scenery is lush and dreamy, and the costumes are jaw-droppingly beautiful. Cinderella’s transformations occur seamlessly, almost magically, much to the audience’s delight. There were audible gasps followed by loud applause each time the Fairy Godmother waved her wand.

The show is one of the most child-friendly I have seen as of late, more so than Elf and even Annie, despite how they’re marketed. The minimum age allowed in the theater is 4 years old but I kept imaging how much Sebastian would enjoy it. The singing and dancing had me in a happy trance and the evil stepsisters aren’t all that evil. Not to mention the central theme is as relevant now as ever: stand up for what you believe in and let your heart love who it chooses.

My fabulous date for the evening, Kristan, is friends with the gorgeous and talented Laura Osnes who plays Cinderella, so we too snagged an invite to the ball, I mean backstage, to meet Cinderella and her prince and marvel at the cool props.

K and I were ravenous after the happy ending and trudged through the rain to 5 Napkin Burger for late night buffalo chicken sandwiches and girl talk. We chatted about leaving the city and went back and forth listing all the reasons why life would be calmer and more manageable in another place. Not 5 minutes later we were scheduling our next Broadway date (Kinky Boots!).

{Thanks to The MOMS for including us in the press preview. I was not compensated for my attendance or this post. I received complimentary tickets for review purposes. All opinions expressed herein are my own.}

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Mode Monday | The Power Trip

March 4, 2013 in LIFESTYLE

Decades before E.L. James had everyone hot and bothered with Fifty Shades, Jackie Collins began perfecting her signature literary formula of sex, power, and violence, landing her on the New York Times Best Sellers list a whopping 29 times (yep, every single book she’s ever published).

During New York Fashion Week, I had the opportunity to spend some quality time with Ms. Collins at a launch party for her latest novel, The Power Trip, hosted by my darling Lara Eurdolian of Pretty Connected and Jamey Giddens of Daytime and Pop Confidential.

Quite honestly, it was the highlight of my week. Ms. Collins is even more fabulous than you could imagine. Not only is she an incredible story-teller but down to earth, current, and FUN. She loves reality television and all things pop culture, which she demonstrated during the trivia competition part of the evening. Oh yes, Ms. Collins and I went head to head…while enjoying fruity cocktails! It was an absolute blast and a very inspiring evening.

Here’s the premise and inspiration behind The Power Trip as Ms. Collins shared with us:

I was on a fabulous trip going from the South of France to Sardinia on this billionaire’s yacht. One night I was lying in the cabin with my fiance. While he was snoring away, I thought, “Where are we?” So I went up to see the captain to ask where we were and he said, “In the middle.” “In the middle of what?” I asked. “It’s 5 hours of clear water. There’s no land,” he responded. Suddenly I thought to myself, “Five hours on clear water? What if we were pirated?” And that’s how the idea came to me. But of course in “The Power Trip,” it’s a Russian billionaire and his beautiful supermodel girlfriend who invite 5 very powerful couples to join them on this fantastic trip to Cabo San Lucas…

I want you to feel that you’re there. That you’ve got the sun and the sand and the sea, that you’re drinking the champagne and eating the caviar. It’s sexy. Especially the scene where the Russian billionaire and the supermodel are getting it on under the waterfall and the politician is hiding under a palm tree doing unspeakable things…

There’s a cheating politician and his very miserable wife; an African American footballer, very famous, with his designer wife; a 50-something movie star with his 20-something girlfriend but he never wants to get married; there is Luca, who is this gorgeous, blonde, Latin singing god who is married to a woman 10 years older than him, he’s very famous in Latin America, and one day he says to her, “I’m coming out of the closet” and she allows him to go off with this older English guy, he’s horrible…he’s my villain.

There’s also an upstairs/downstairs element. Although I have all these affluent famous people on the boat, there’s also people below deck like the entertainment director who’s gay and Mercedes who’s been put on the boat by her Mexican gangster father.

Writing the book I just had the best time. These characters are so true to life. People keep asking me, “Come on! Who is the movie star? Is it George Clooney? Ryan Gosling? Bradley Cooper?” It could be a little bit of all of them or it could be none of them.

I’m guessing you’ve stopped reading at this point and have clicked over to Amazon to buy The Power Trip (I’m a few chapters in and already hooked on trying to guess which famous celeb each of the characters is based) but I also wanted to share Ms. Collins’ advice to aspiring writers: “Write one page every single day and in a year you will have an entire book.” Simple enough, right?

If you’re linking up with #MondayMingle, the linky is being hosted by BonBon Rose Girls this week with a Kate Spade giveaway! “Monday Mingle” is a weekly fashion/personal style link-up rotated between Momtrends, BonBon Rose Girls, and Glamamom.

{I was not compensated for this post. I received a goodie bag for attending the event. Post contains affiliate links. Photo 1 via Get Red PR, photos 2&3 via Lara. All opinions expressed herein are my own.}

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#HowIStroll with Baby Jogger | Video Journal 3

February 19, 2013 in MOTHERHOOD

With the kooky winter weather we’re currently experiencing here on the East Coast, we’ve had to get creative about strolling around Manhattan and getting our little guys outside to blow off steam.

Fortunately, we live near Chelsea Market, the old Nabisco factory that’s now an urban food court and shopping mall. It’s an ideal spot for weekend grocery shopping, brunch with kids (it’s super noisy), and people watching.

Here’s the third installment of my four-part #HowIStroll video series for Baby Jogger showing how we manage to get our errands accomplished with two small children and freezing temps:

You can check out videos 1 here and 2 here and follow along on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram with the hashtag #HowIStroll.

SAVE THE DATE: Baby Jogger is having another Twitter Party February 27th. More details to come!

{Thanks to Baby Jogger for sponsoring this campaign. All opinions expressed herein are my own. Royalty Free Music by http://audiomicro.com/royalty-free-music.}

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Fashion Week Pampering With Glam Media

February 16, 2013 in LIFESTYLE

Thanks to the Glam team for inviting me to its Fashion Week pampering party at Le Meridien! We toasted over blowouts by Drybar and manis by Tenoverten. It was a fabulous start to the week and a great opportunity to catch up with my glam girls!

{I was not compensated for this post. I received a gift bag for attending the event. All opinions expressed herein are my own.}

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HowAboutWe.com for Couples

February 14, 2013 in NYC

I just discovered really cool site that makes it remarkably simple to add a little oomph to your relationship and it just happens to have the perfect last minute Valentine’s Day gifts.

HowAboutWe for Couples provides a monthly curated catalog of great dates in New York City, ranging from a boozy art class in Brooklyn to a five-course tasting menu in Midtown. It’s a great way to break out of your routine and try something you normally wouldn’t.

It’s free to sign up and browse the DateBook. Here’s an example of the current offerings to give you a flavor for the dates:

Membership costs $22/month and gives you access to free HowAboutWe Dates, members-only experiences, sold-out tickets, Couples Rewards (buy one, get one free, and discounts at local establishments), early booking on new dates, and up to 75% off every HowAboutWe date in its collection. Membership requires no commitment and you can pause or cancel at any time.

Dates can also be purchased as a non-Member, without the Member discount and other perks.

I already booked one– we’re having a chef come to our home and cook us an Italian dinner. No babysitter, no stress getting out the door. Just a nice meal, at home after the babies go to bed, taken care of by someone else! I’ll let you know how it goes but that sounds pretty romantic to me.

{I was not compensated for this post. I received a discount to book a date for review purposes.}

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22nd Annual Bunny Hop at FAO Schwarz 3/5

February 13, 2013 in NYC

Join me next month at the 22nd Annual Bunny Hop at FAO Schwarz Fifth Avenue, a family event with activities for kids such as face painting, magicians, costume dress-up and even live musical performances, hosted by the Associates Committee of the Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Tiffany & Co.

All funds raised are going towards the Pediatric Family Housing Endowment, which assists families with the cost of overnight stays associated with their cancer treatment at MSKCC’s Pediatric Department.

This year’s event is co-chaired by Alexandra D. Edwards, Nina Garcia Conrad, Melissa Meister and Marcie Pantzer, with Debra Messing serving as Honorary Chairman.

Who: The Associates Committee of The Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
What: 22nd Annual Bunny Hop
When: Tuesday, March 5, 2013, 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Where: FAO Schwarz (767 Fifth Avenue, at 58th Street)
Honorary Chairman: Debra Messing
Sponsor: Tiffany & Co.
Tickets: $200 Adults, $80 Children
More Information: Charlotte Reardon | The Society of MSKCC | 212-639-2103 | reardonc@mskcc.org | www.thesocietyofmskcc.org

{I was not compensated for this post. I was invited to the event for media coverage.}