Gorilla

i'm becoming more of a bruno mars fan every day. and i loved his performance last night on the vma's of "gorilla." and this is major because i'm not a fan of monkeys, apes, gorillas - you get the picture. but for now, i have this song on repeat for today. it's my afternoon jam. enjoy!

Matchmaker Cafe

i've lived in nyc for 8 years, and i'm not surprised by much in this city. but it still happens from time to time. the latest interesting foray gracing the city landscape is a little pop-up shop in the financial district called the matchmaker cafe.

the premise: you go to their pop-up cafe where you not only get a tasty beverage, and then they'll also take your photo, upload to their iPad and then find you other singles to be matched up with. the cafe's goal is to get people offline (and by the way, this topic is a story i secured with cnn.com earlier this year called "the lost art of offline dating.") and face-to-face. so far, they've had 5,000 people sign up. sounds like a lot of singles in manhattan are looking for love!

would you ever try finding love through a matchmaking cafe? what are some other interesting ways you've tried to find love? comment below or shoot me an email at kandidkendra@gmail.com!

image credit: glamour

Kids with Swag

have you heard the latest trend about parents taking pics of their style-setting tykes and posting them online? these kids have major style, wearing looks that you'd likely find in ads and magazine fashion spreads. some popular sites includee planet awesome kid and my imaginary well-dressed toddler daughter.

check out some of the viral pics below. for those of you with kids, do you dress them up for photo shoots? do they have better style than you? these kids - they grow up so fast these days!

image credit: planet awesome kid and my imaginary well-dressed toddler daughter

Can You Take The Heat?

when i did public relations for victoria's secret back in 2011, i was mainly working with the models, booking their interviews. as such, i got to work with one of their top talents candice swanepoel. sorry to disappoint, but this woman is gorgeous in person. and so tiny, it was hard to believe that anyone could have such a little waist.

well, she's currently gracing the latest cover of harper's bazaar, and the images are amazing. the magazine's photo and booking editor emily rosser recently told levo league that candice's shoot is one of her favorites.

and it's not hard to understand why. just look at the pictures. they really are stunning. and i'm loving the 60s-style look she's sporting in some of the shots.

image credit: fashion gone rogue

Love At Any Age

love is a powerful thing. it seems like everyone's searching for it, but it really is hard to find. especially when you're given extra stress that you need to find love by a certain age. society starts the clock on your countdown in your 20s, and if you haven't found it by your 30s, you're given the impression that anyone you might end up with have been the leftover scraps, because you know, all the good ones have been taken already. but love can come along at any age and at any time. it may not be everlasting love, but it's still love. and it can be nice to hear stories of people finding love later in life to remind us that there's really no clock that counts down to zero.

i read a story on sunday in the wedding sections about the marriage of author joyce maynard (famously known for her relationship at the age of 19 with "the catcher in the rye" author j.d. salinger). i actually worked with joyce a few years back when i was a book publicist. i handled media for the paperback release of her book labor day.

joyce met her husband on match.com two years ago. both previously had marriages and children from those unions. this weekend, they married at the age of 59 (her) and 61 (him). this story is such a great reminder that not only can you not sit around just waiting for love to come your way, but you're never past the point of enjoying such a wonderful experience in life.

congrats to joyce, and to all the romantics out there, never give up.

image credit: new york times

Linking Around

the weekend is right around the corner, and with so many of you enjoying summer fridays (jealous!), i know you'd much rather procrastinate with me on the web to help the day go by faster. check out some fun links below!

first fun link - my 10 question drinkware survey! share with me what you love about cocktails (you can see more details from my post earlier this week)

jimmy kimmel interviewed michael jordan - you know, if jordan looked exactly like kristen wiig

a parody combo of game of throne's and gotye's "somebody i used to know"

would you buy your bald baby a wig?

what would happen if you gave an oreo to that cute guy?

dream of rv travels? check out the caravan of the future!

do a good deed today and donate to glamourgals by becoming a gg visionary!

a 10-day entrepreneur program for high school girls ... wish this was around when i was younger!

so sad losing this young, beautiful, 13-year-old youtube beauty artist

nicholas cage as disney princesses

the 15 heaviest coffee drinking professions (mine is #2!)

did you know tina turner has swedish citizenship and just married her beau of 27 years? she makes getting older look good!

Work/Life Balance for Moms

it's really unbelievable that in 2013 we're still debating whether a woman, especially a mother, can have it all. the truth is that not every woman wants the same things, and that's ok. just because one chooses to stay home doesn't mean that she lacks ambition in life. if a woman wants a career, it doesn't mean she devalues family time. and if a woman decides that motherhood isn't for her, nothing is wrong with her! everyone makes choices that are best for them, and at the end of the day, if you don't agree with how someone is living their life, guess what? it's their life! live yours the way you want to, and as long as your choices make you happy, that's what's really important.

i personally have found that my desires as a female have changed quite a bit over the years. at 25, i really felt impartial to marriage and kids. i always thought, if it happens, great. if it doesn't, it's not the end of the world. i have several generational female family members who have had no kids, or have been single moms or have never been married. and seeing how they lived life and found ways to be joyful made me think, everything happens for a reason, and that's ok.

but by the time i was about 28 or 29, i started to feel differently. i thought, hmm, maybe i do want to get married. and despite being absolutely terrified by child birth, i'd like to have a kid (or two, which will depend on how hard it was pushing out the first one). now that i've entered my 30s (where has the freakin' time gone?!), i feel more strongly than ever that i really want these things. and that's why being an entrepreneur has been an even more influential factor in my life than i thought was possible. don't get me wrong, it's not always easy. but i have a vision for my future, and the most important element i'm working toward is flexibility.

how do i see my life 10 years from now? if i don't feel like working one day, i can take off. if i want to go to my kids' soccer game at 2pm on a tuesday, i can do it and not have to ask for anyone's permission. should i want to travel the world for a few months, i can grab my laptop, cell phone, a plane ticket and be on my way.

i'm really hoping more women in the near future can find the life/work balance they desire, especially as the debate still rages on. just recently cnn.com ran a piece about moms mudslinging each other and the new york times had a piece about women requesting more options to work from home.

i'm still figuring out this working-for-yourself gig day by day. but i'm confident i'll figure it out - at least, figure out what's right for me.

also, since i'm hoping my drinkware will help me achieve the future flexibility i desire, would greatly appreciate it if you set aside a minute to take my 10 question drinkware survey. and feel free to share with your friends!

She's Not Cuckoo

have you heard the buzz about robert galbraith's "the cuckoo's calling"? it's getting rave reviews and being called a must-read. but what's really impressive is that robert doesn't exist. he's made up. and who exactly is behind this so-called phenomenal debut novel? oh, that would be none other than billionaire author j.k. rowling. clearly, this woman knows how to make lightening strike more than once. just when you thought she wouldn't be able to find literary success outside of the harry potter world. you go, girl!

image credit: hypable

Linking Around

"a cinemagraph is an image that contains within itself a living moment that allows a glimpse of time to be experienced and preserved endlessly."

in other words, we're talking about moving pictures, people. moving pictures! you have to check out the site to see what i'm talking about. some of the photos are beautiful and stunning, and others have a bit of an eerie, creepy factor. but they're definitely worth checking out.

here are some other cool links from around the web!

clear nail polish on the inside of your rings gets rid of green stains, and other cool tips!

jay-z performs for 6 hours straight at nyc art gallery

ladies, let adrienne bailon show you how to give yourself a vajacial (aka vajayjay facial)

this prank is so mean, but so funny!

i'm not the only fan of lauren conrad and her ever-growing empire

all i need to find is a silver sequined jacket and this will be my go-to date night look

the secret garden is one my favorite books, and this couple incorporated the theme perfectly into their wedding

a model who doesn't condone young girls modeling and became a TED talk sensation

this woman taught herself to dance in 365 days

check out the trailer for the upcoming elizabeth taylor tv movie featuring helena bonham carter

image credit: cinemagraphs

Social Media Explained

if you're like me, it can be overwhelming trying to stay on top of the latest social media platform. don't believe me? you're probably now getting acclimated with twitter's vine and instagram video, or will be very shortly.

well problem solved as i came across this photo that easily breaks down how the most popular social media sites work. and the best part - they use donuts in all of their examples. definitely got my attention!

image credit: careerealism

Success After 30

nowadays, the younger you become successful, it seems the more intriguing your story. just because you're not a 13-year-old kid who just launched an iphone app from your bedroom doesn't mean that you can't find success later in life. while i launched my pr agency at 29, i'm still working to launch a product business while in my 30s. the only factor that really matters is that no matter how old you are, you don't give up on making your dreams happen. i came across a post from hellogiggles that features 11 famous people who didn't find success until in their 30s. you can check out the full list below!

• jon hamm
• vera wang
• jenna fischer
• julia child
• amy poehler
• tina fey
• j,k. rowling
• alan rickman
• leonard cohen
• hillary clinton
• kelly oxford

image credit: deviantart

The New Yorker

image credit: the new yorker

bert and ernie finally get their day. buh-bye DOMA!

States of Pride

image courtesy of maps on the web

check out this awesome map of the u.s. that shows where some of today's most popular brands started. i personally grew up in pennsylvania, right near hershey park. interestingly enough, when a popular hunting store chain named cabela's opened up in the state a few years back, it became the largest tourist attraction around. there's a reason people call pennsylvania, "pennsyltucky."

i'd love to see a more modern version of this map, broken down by brands that have been launched by young entrepreneurs in the last 10-15 years. who knows, maybe i'll make the map myself in the near future - highlighting my soon-to-be-everywhere glassware, of course!

A Lego Wedding Dress

have you ever heard of designer duo daisy balloon? i hadn't until this morning, but loving their whimsy aesthetic. one part of the duo is a balloon artist (how do these people get these awesome jobs?!).

for the world heritage exhibit built with lego brick, they contributed two wedding dresses made of legos. seriously. oh, and they built a lego vase. check out the pics below!

images courtesy of daisy balloon

Drinking Like There's No Tomorrow

in new york city, when hanging with your friends, most options lead back to two roads: eat or drink (and in many cases, our outings include both). it does seem like a challenge to go out with friends and not enjoy a cocktail or two. but what happens when the drinks aren't only enjoyed while out with others. do you find yourself craving a glass while at home? do you soon realize that you'll pop open a beer or wine bottle and catch up on your dvr as a means of relaxation? i know i do. and for the most part, i never felt guilty for it. but then i did start realizing that i was having at least one drink almost every day. and by drinking every day, i'm talking about a glass or two, not drinking to the point that i black out and find myself working the next morning with a hangover.

nowadays, it's quite common for women to drink just as much and as often as men. but is this becoming a problem? there's a story on cnn.com about why women are drinking more. i think if you're getting drunk every day to the point where you're damaging your body, passing out and even possibly putting yourself in dangerous situations, then yes, that's a problem. but i also have to wonder if having a glass everyday is a problem too. it's something i've become more aware of in the past few months, and i even find myself saying, "no, i don't need a glass of wine tonight. i'll just have water instead." i guess the question is, should i have to pat myself on the back for not having a drink?

to be honest, i didn't have my first full drink until i was in college, and even then, i didn't get drunk until after my 21st birthday (it was during my college newspaper bar crawl!). i think of the times when i was able to have fun and relax without a drink, and i know it's possible, so why does it seem that every day i'm thinking about going to a bar or making a cocktail at home?

i'm always down for a good happy hour, and certainly have an interest in enjoying the spirits. after all, even my side current business venture is cocktail-oriented. i'd love to know how others feel about drinking. do you find yourself doing it everyday? thinking about it everyday? is our society become more judgmental about it than previous generations? let's not forget that it was common for office employees to have drinking lunches or for families to turn on tv and watch shows like dick van dyke, where a bar cart was strategically placed in the living room set.

i do have concerns about drinking since alcoholism has affected some of my relatives. i like to think i have more self-control, but sometimes when i pass a liquor store and i'm tempted to go inside for a bottle, i'm not always proud that i have to convince myself to walk away.

Veruca Salt 2.0

in case you missed it last year, a young woman had dreams of going to college at the university of texas. unfortunately, she experienced the downside to the college application process that so many others have gone through as well ... she didn't get accepted.

sure, it's devastating to not get into your dream school, but she took it one step further and claimed that the only reason she didn't get in was because of her race. she's caucasian, and in her mind, her rightful seat had been given away to a minority to fill the school's racial quota.

it's an interesting argument, and one we should expect to hear from more and more from today's young generation - a group of people who have grown up feeling so entitled to everything that they don't have the mindset of earning what they get, but feel they deserve anything they want. these are the same people who are leaving college and expecting to skip over assistant positions with the offer of a six-figure salary. it's truly a sad situation.

it never crossed this young woman's mind that maybe, despite her best efforts and her great grades and diverse range of extracurriculars, there are thousands, nay millions, of others with the same qualifications. competition is stiff, and just because you think you've done everything right doesn't mean that society should bow to your every whim.

can you just imagine the fuss she'll put up when she's applying for jobs? what next, she'll sue that she was the best candidate and yet passed over again so that a company can fill its "insert what you please" quota? this woman is in for a really rough ride if she doesn't soon figure out that nothing is owed to her. sorry chica, not even veruca salt got her golden egg.

ultimately, her case is on a crash course for failure on the grounds that - shocker - she wasn't denied admission because of her race. for a woman who felt she was top-notch candidate, she didn't even graduate in the top 10% of her class, so where exactly her entitlement comes from is a mystery to me.

you can read more about this news story and current updates in this atlantic wire piece.