‘Want to give you a little insight into the origin of the Ageless Glamour Girls lifestyle brand, its name, and its purpose – which is all centered around my wonderful late mother. Growing up, she called me “Glamour Girl.” I thought it was cool. You see, two years after the birth of my big brother, I became the firstborn daughter, and the pressure was on – with everything from making the perfect bed… to the perfect egg… to ironing the perfect shirt… to making sure I brushed my hair, first thing after getting out of bed.
I remember as a child, my mother often wore red lipstick. Of course, as “proper” women did, she switched to lighter lipstick in the spring and summer. Coral was her summer jam. Naturally, I, too, grew up loving red lipstick. I still love red lips, and to this day, to me – red is a neutral color. It was also my mother’s favorite color, which she said was lucky.
Like many moms, she had big plans for me and my baby sister, who is four years my junior.
Still, on her mission of making me in her image, but better – and in anticipation of eventually living her life vicariously through mine (like many mothers), in my early 20s, she gave me an interesting book: “The Allure Book: Be Irresistible in 21 days.” Really, Mom? (More on this, in a future blog post.) Years later, Hubby Jerry had no idea what he was getting into when we met. Thanks, Mom!
My Mother was an impeccable dresser and once graced the cover of a St. Louis magazine, a few years after she and Dad were married. But aesthetics aside, she knew – and stressed to us to “use your brain, and always be a lady.” She taught us that beauty is skin-deep — that it starts from the heart. She also continually stressed the importance of education, careers, and having “your own.” One of her favorite sayings was: “God bless the child who has his own.”
Her challenging childhood, having been raised in Mississippi – the base of the Jim Crow south, meant that she had a lifetime of stories and lessons to share with her three children.
Love was always at the center of everything in our lives. One of her favorite sayings was the hugely popular “beauty is as beauty does.” I’ve always loved that, and live by that, today. She also stressed the importance of common sense.
After graduating from high school, my mother attended business college and began her career as a secretary, before later securing a job as a Computer Analyst with the federal government, from which she retired, after winning several awards. She was a math whiz. And like her mother, she also loved to sew. As a seamstress, she often made outfits for my sister and me, when we were kids – matching patterns, but different colors. She continued to sew outfits for me throughout my early twenties.
She was also a precise housekeeper and an amazing cook. I recall while working in NYC, during one of Mom’s early visits from home, she made a cheesecake for my colleagues. Why yes, of course, it was a hit. I remember a colleague begging Mom to meet with his friend who owned a restaurant in Harlem. But she didn’t bite. We could have been rich! But I digress…
This career go-getter, wife, and mother of three, grandmother of two, and now recently – great grandmother of one (her namesake), had a full plate and was a true Super Woman, my Hero. Hats off to Mom, Dad—and the pinch hitter, my grandmother. It takes a village, indeed. #blessingsgalore