Violet Gaynor - The Glow: An Inspiring Guide to Stylish Motherhood

Published in 2014 by Stewart, Tabori & Chang
An imprint of ABRAMS

Text copyright 2014 Violet Gaynor
Photographs copyright 2014 Kelly Stuart
Art on copyright Curtis Kulig
Art on copyright Jemima Kirke

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013945649

ISBN: 978-1-61769-068-6

Editor: Rebecca Kaplan
Designer: Rachel Willey
Production Manager: Erin Vandeveer

Stewart, Tabori & Chang books are available at special discounts when purchased in quantity for premiums and promotions as well as fundraising or educational use. Special editions can also be created to specification. For details, contact specialsales@abramsbooks. com or the address below.

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CONTENTS

FOREWORD

aving my picture taken is my least favorite thing in the world but when my children, Kit and Gigi, and I were photographed for The Glow, it was easy, fun, and to this day, they are my most cherished photos ever.

Kelly and Violet have been able to capture being a mom in a way thats never been done before. The women in this book are all different, living totally different lives, but the common thread of motherhood connects them. Magical moments throughout show us its not about the stuff; its about the love, the relationship, and the bond.

I like to think of motherhood as a great big adventure. You set off on a journey, you dont really know how to navigate things, and you dont know exactly where youre going or how youre going to get there. There are always great surprises, and things unfold that inspire you to learn and grow.

I always found it funny that being called Mommy makes you feel incredibly special while on another level its the most common name in all of human history. Home is another one of those termsits so generic, yet it has a completely different, deep association for everyone who utters it. Where you live, how you live: These are expressions of who you are at the most functional, complicated level. Its your bomb shelter, your nest, your clubhouse, and your sanctuary.

Theres a connection you feel as a mom and a kind of magic in discovering who your kids are. Some aspects of their personalities are directly traceable to relatives, while other things they do come right out of left field. Like when my little one invented skipping backwards and I realized kids are the perfect cover for all those things you want to do but might otherwise look crazy doing as an adult... swinging, playing tag, hula-hooping.

Its ironic to me that as a New Yorker, where life travels at light speed, when I get home I wish I could make time stand still like the moments youll see in this book. Theres a comfort you get from reading the stories of motherhood on these pages. Every woman here feels the overwhelming joy of being a mom. The experience is universal.

Cynthia Rowley

INTRODUCTION

hen Kelly and I first created The Glow, we were both thirty-one years old and more than a little overwhelmed by the idea of having children and how we could possibly balance motherhood and our beloved careers. For us, creating the site was a way to explore motherhood before actually becoming mothers. We put our hearts and souls into making the most inspiring guide for expectant mothers, new moms, and also women like us who were excited and a little terrified of what motherhood actually looks likeinside and out.

Kelly and I met in our late twenties while working together at ELLE.com (as photo director and senior fashion editor, respectively), and shared many striking similarities. To start, we are both incredibly passionate about our careers and have spent years working tirelessly to achieve our desired goals. Also, and not at all insignificant, Kelly and I both grew up in female-only householdswe each have sisters and were raised by single moms. Women ruled our worlds. Strong, capable, empowered women at that. Despite our rock-hard role models, we both struggled with the increasingly baffling question: How could we do it all (or even attempt to)? Thriving yet demanding jobs, meaningful friendships, lasting love, thoughtfully curated homes, and effortless style?

Kelly and I realized that accomplished, multi-tasking, smart, dynamic women, who also happened to be moms, surrounded us. We started The Glow to find out how they did it. As we met, photographed, and interviewed these inspiring, super-successful women, the picture started to come into focus. The designers, stylists, actresses, and entrepreneurs we profile have opened their home and their hearts to us, and revealed their secrets to stylish motherhood.

The Glow is not about perfection, or having it all. The women in this book, and on our site, all have one thing in commoneach is striving to create an inspired world for themselves and their little ones. Another thing they all possess? Power. Not only in the business sense of the word, but in their sheer strength. As every woman knows, when you become a mom, you also become a super hero overnight. The Glow represents modern motherhoodits the delicate mix of trying to balance a passion for career with an equal passion for creating a rich home life, while still honoring the all-important relationship we have with ourselves.

When I started to write this book, I was newly pregnant. When I hit send on the manuscript, I had just started to go into labor, and now as I write this introduction, I am a new mom. Throughout the process, Kelly and I have experienced some of lifes most meaningful and transformative moments. Hours before hopping on a plane to London to shoot for our book, Kelly got engaged. As we completed the book, she married the love of her life. One year later, we are wholly different women than when we started.

As with everything we do, Kelly and I have worked obsessively to bring you the very best advice and visual inspirationwhether youre a seasoned mama or just trying to figure out how to make the dream of being a working mother a realityand we hope this guide will bring you inspiration and clarity. Two things every woman deserves.

CHAPTER ONE