COVER MOM INTERVIEW
Liz Ornellas: "I can dress women and make them feel more confident about themselves."
01. Dear Liz, introduce yourself to our glam mom readers.
I’m Liz Ornellas, 40 years old, married with my best friend for almost 20 years. He is the love of my life. I’m mum of the coolest little boy in the world Lue Akin and the eldest daughter of two younger brothers. Daughter of a writer, painter mom and a freelance painter papa.
Working with fashion for more than 20 years, it has helped me to understand how I can dress women and make them feel more confident about themselves. Before becoming a mother, I would tell you that this kind of job would be my greatest love. But after Lue has come, I’d not be able to compare this strong and pure love with any other feeling that I have felt in my entire life. Mums understand what I mean, right?
02. What's the biggest difference you see between Europe and South America?
I can surely tell you the first difference for me – The weather “HAHAHA” I love sunny days and sunny countries. Summer is my season, and I can explain you why; I was born in December in my country. To tell you the truth, the cold weather and long dark days, make me feel depressed sometimes. Other difference I can definitely say is, it involves the cultural aspects. People here are more reserved than us, and I can say, they smile less, they are less receptive if they do not know the people. We want to help anyone who needs our help, and we are always happy. Maybe the sun gives us a high intensity of serotonin. Heheh!! But nowadays living here for a long time, this is no more a problem for me. From one side we are more open, here people are safer. I consider this also important!
03. You are a celebrity stylist and a very influential person in Brazil. Tell us more about that!
I believe that women are powerful, but sometimes they don´t trust in what they are able to do and waste their time doing things based on what other people do or say. I think about myself, and I use this power to encourage other women to find their own way. I like to introduce a touch of European style in my outfits, without losing my Brazilian essence. This is for me very important, and I trust it is a good way to show women, how they can be themselves whatever they do or wherever they go.
04. Are you a daily glamorous mom or occasionally?
Hahaha!!! I´m only glamorous in front of the cameras!!! Normally I´m a casual mom, but always stylish! Generally, I try my best to feel self-confident and of course, as a person who works with stylists, even if I look casual, I out the stylist mum who lives inside me. I´m always my best version!
05. What´s the first thing you do when you wake up?
I´m going to say the truth, right? Hahahaha…. Usually, I go to the kitchen to prepare the breakfast for my family. After setting the table for breakfast, I sit down together with them to have breakfast. I love a beautiful set breakfast table and eating together with them is the best part!
06. What´s the most memorable moment with your son so far?
If I describe all these moments, you will be tired typing down all these wonderful experiences, but I will mention only the magical one. The first time he called me mum, was amazing to me!
07. Fashion Week Paris, how can you describe this experience for us?
It is my second fashion week, but in Paris my first time. For those who work in this fashion world, it´s a great experience, because we are able to develop our better critical sense and understand a little bit more about what means fashion. Of course, I can also say it´s having a lot of fun!!! I enjoy it!!!
08. One thing you would advise to all mothers!
Always respect yourself! You are special, you are the only one. Be able to change if you need. Experience this moments step by step
Motherhood is the beginning of a new life, therefore your body, feelings and priority can change, but anyway, just enjoy and give yourself what you deserve!
09. How was your experience with the glam mom team on the glam mom shooting day?
Such an amazing experience. The way that my son, my mum, and I were welcomed, made me feel at home. The team was so nice to my son, amazing!! It was a memorable day for me! Thank you all!!!
In the middle of the centre of Ghent and not so far away from the Cornmarket you find brasserie “Pakhuis”. A pictoresque alley is the gateway to brasserie” Pakhuis”, a restaurant full of character and situated between the towers of Ghent.
It was a former warehouse along the docks of the main river in Ghent during the middle ages.
It became an enormous hall that takes your breath away. Thanks to the architect, the Portugese Pinto, this warehouse gets a second chance. It is a unique combination of more than 600 square metre of warehouse and specially designed features.
As a visitor you are able to admire the architecture while enjoying a fabulous meal. It is gastronomy and architecture at the same time !
SUMMER BRAZILIAN VIBES
Mouna's Story
Summer, what is there not to like about summer. The most beautiful time of the year. The last two years we have learned to deal with it differently. Covid, lockdown, borders closed, vacation at home. It has changed my perception of cozy balmy hot summer days.
It’s slowly getting warmer again, the strict measures around Covid have stopped, outdoor cafes are open again. Delightful! You really notice that people are opening up again. I live in the center of the city and then you notice that the streets are filled with walkers, tourists, local people enjoying the beautiful weather, having a nice glass of wine together on a terrace. I have a ritual that during the day I go for a walk alone and sit somewhere on a terrace or a bench and read a book in the sunshine. It’s nice as a self-employed person that I can divide my time and arrange my me-times.
Every summer vacation I went abroad with my son. When Covid started my son was 12 years old. An age where it is still nice to travel with your children. We are almost 3 years later, and my son has built his own little world with friends and his own hobbies. He is no longer so eager to travel alone with his mother. We have few common interests which makes it very difficult to choose the ideal destination that both he and I can fully enjoy.
He was talking to me the other day about how he would love to go on a trip with his friends and of course I wish him that, it’s just that 15 years old is just too early. The children of these times grow up so fast, want to leave the nest or part of it so quickly. As a parent you have to be able to let go. Difficult for a single mother. But I try to see the benefits of this like the expensive periods I can avoid during the school vacations. Within 2 years, he will be capable of taking a week off-season to look after himself and be home alone so I can take nice trips at affordable prices. Hopefully by then we will grow closer again and be able to take trips together. But for now, this kid is pubescent and I have to wait patiently.
Because I have only been self-employed for 2 years, I have not yet been able to build a financial buffer to make big trips in the coming months. This is just part of the process. For my son it is easier. Since he is a skater all he needs is his friends and a skate square. Whether that is abroad or here in our town. He always enjoys himself.
Anyway, it is good to have nice prospects in life. It makes the less pleasant moments a lot more bearable. And a warm sunny day makes this even more pleasant.
SLIGHT TASTE OF SUMMER
Kamila's Story
Warmer, nicer, sunnier! I feel the summer breeze already. Three weeks of summer holiday sounds great! No work, no worries and social media dimmed to almost level zero. Golden sand, azure water and blue sky. I am so longing for this. But enough of laziness, last year I bored myself in Cyprus. Kids were delighted. Runya (11) and Nastazja (4), my two lovely daughters enjoyed the hotel facilities to the maximum but for me it was too much of doing nothing. Extremely hot as well.
Craving for adventure and exploring, this year we intend to expand the number of countries I’ve visited with the Baltic states: Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. There’s also a quick connection from Talinn in Estonia to Helsinki in Finland, so it is very tempting to take the ferry from Estonia to Finland. I love cruises, you can put me on any kind of boat and I’ll be overjoyed.
Show me your local honey! Such a plan means visiting 4 new countries where I haven’t put my feet on yet. 4 countries mean 4 languages, 4 different nations with their culture, history, legacy, habits and yummy…cuisine! Being abroad I’ll search for local honey. It can vary in colour, taste and texture. These three things will tell me a lot about the country’s climate and vegetation as the colour, taste and texture of the honey depends on the floral source. Same as bread. Every country has its own type of bread and baking. Unleavened bread (flatbread) which is the yeast-free bread, so typical for the Eastern cultures or regular European bread with crunchy crust and chewy interior. What kind of flour has been used for the bread? What about the filling? Only by sniffing the smell in the bakery I am so enriched with knowledge and experiences.
Swapping hotel to road trip around the Baltic sea. Summer of 2022 will be different from the high-standard and convenient way of travelling. No all-in fancy hotels with five pools, located by the sea. Summer holiday of 2022 will be luxury swapped for a dynamic escapade. This time it is about euro trip or better said road trip and visiting countries around the Baltic sea. Risky travel? Hitting 2500 km towards the east is exciting but these days it is something to think about twice. I really hope I’ll be able to fulfill my road trip through the Baltic States.
With love and regards!
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@kamila__janiszewska – my personal account
@edugandawa – Polish School EduGandawa
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Pozdrawiam ciepło * Vriendelijke groeten,
Kamila Janiszewska
MAMA'S FOOD SERVICE
Feijoada
The most famous of all Brazilian dishes, Feijoada is eaten in every corner of the country. This rich, hearty stew consists of black beans cooked with different cuts of pork, supplemented with tomatoes, cabbage, and carrots to round out the flavor. Traditionally, it’s made with slow-cooked offal such as trotters and ears. Brazil’s national dish is served with fried kale mixed with bacon bits, rice, farofa (toasted cassava flour), and a slice of orange.
Ingredients
- 1 (12 ounce) package dry black beans, soaked overnight
- 1 ½ cups chopped onion, divided
- ½ cup green onions, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 2 smoked ham hocks
- 8 ounces diced ham
- ½ pound thickly sliced bacon, diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 bay leaves, crushed
- ⅛ teaspoon ground coriander
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro (Optional)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley (Optional)
Directions : How to cook
Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add 3/4 cup of chopped onion, green onions, and garlic; cook and stir until softened, about 4 minutes. Pour in the soaked beans and fill with enough water to cover beans by 3 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered for 2 hours, or until tender.
While beans are cooking, place ham hocks in smaller pot with 1/4 cup of the chopped onion. Cover with water and simmer, until meat pulls off of the bone easily, about 1 hour. Drain and add to the beans.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place ham, bacon, and remaining onion in a baking dish. Bake 15 minutes or until mixture is crispy.
Drain the bacon and ham mixture, and add to the beans. Season with bay leaves, coriander, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes more. Stir in chopped cilantro and parsley just before serving
…and like we say in Brazil, bom apetite!
GOODBYE SCHOOL! HELLO, SUMMER!
The Lawyer Mom: Dagmara's Story
Hello my fellow mommas!
Summer holidays is the time of the year that most of us are waiting for. Welcoming the summer has a taste of our effort to forget the bad moments and purify our body and soul into salt water. It also brings the well-needed holidays and our days off work, so summertime turns into a carefree season. It’s a time to let negativity go, enjoy ourselves and start all over again, just as in January. So, welcome, summer!
For me, summer spells loads of fun, long, lazy days by the beach, cocktails, road trips, summer barbecues. For parents it often means: no school and alternative arrangements for our kids. For me summer also means my daughter’s and my birthday. Yaay. As summer is two long months and mamas like me are always striving to strike the balance between development and fun, it can really become increasingly chaotic. So before you start getting frustrated keep calm and relax. This summer I have compiled a list of summer programmed for our two little munchkins. It is great that there are so many options to keep your toddlers (or older kids) active and happy in the summer.
As you probably know the last summer we went to Dubai and we had a lot of fun, but this year we want to go to the Caribbean islands or maybe to South America. The only less positive thing about it is the long flight. We’ll have to survive… So this summer, no matter where we go to, I want to find the balance between choosing some fun activities to do, visiting nearby destinations, spending time at the pool, and eating all sorts of yummy summer treats with my kids. I want my kids to discover our neighborhood and play games in our backyard on the days we don’t go anywhere.
My oldest son Leon and I created a bucket list and he told me the things that were meaningful to him. I added a few things that I wanted my kids to experience and before long, we had a simple summer bucket list. Since my children are still small, it’s difficult to do something spontaneous. That’s why we made a list. Our bucket list contains positions as: drive-in Movie Theatre (we wonder if there is something like that in Belgium or Netherlands). Visit an aquarium. Go to a children’s museum. Go to a water park. Visit A Zoo. Attend A Free Kids Workshop. Ride our Bikes. Go Mini Golfing.
In my next article I will tell you if we managed to do all the things that we’ve put on the list and which country we’ve visited this year. Until next time my sweet mommas! I wish you a happy summer holiday. Enjoy the summer with your close ones.
Xoxo
Dagmara
Follow me on Instagram
@dagisakura – my mom’s journey
@advocaat.dd – my professional account
SUMMER BODY
Selina's Story
Hi there glam moms!
Welcome in my new article. An article about my summer body, which is made in the winter, literally in my case. You know I had planned a tummy tuck! In February the big surgery took place. I’ll tell you all about it in this article. It was something I was thinking about for like 8 years. I had a gastric sleeve 9 years ago and I always wanted to do something about that loose skin, and that can only be removed by surgery. I weigh 113kg when I was only 19 years old and after trying everything and never succeeded, I decided to get a gastric sleeve. But I knew I wanted kids, so I waited for my tummy tuck until my wishes of having kids was fulfilled. And that was this year! So, let’s dive in how it went.
I’ll be honest, the first two weeks after the surgery were intense. My tummy tuck was combined with liposuction, I think that was the worst! The tummy tuck was actually not that bad, I suffered a lot more pain in my tummy after my cesarean section. Now I felt the most pain in my back where they did the liposuction. The first two days I had to stay in bed, and I could not get out, I was thinking oh my god, I will have to stay here in this bed forever. The first time I had to get out of bed I was so scared, the scar is so big, and I was scared that if I stood up straight it would get open or something. I don’t mean to scare you moms because now comes the great part! Because after day 4 I already went home, and the more I tried to move the better it went. Yes of course the first two weeks you still have pain but with the right amount of pain medication you’ll get through that. I even started working two weeks after my surgery. I can only recommend it, if it is something you’re doubting about, and you want to do it so badly… Just do it, self-confidence is priceless, and it is so important you are happy and in love with yourself. Your whole environment will experience the benefits of you being happy with yourself.
Luckily, I had my parents who were there to help with the kids, the first 6 weeks after surgery you are not allowed to lift heavy weights. My mom helped me out to get Emilio out of bed and to put him in bed at night. Romy already has a ‘big girl’ bed so I could do her myself. Meanwhile I’m already healed up very well. And waw… my confidence got such a big boost! But now that I did such an intense surgery, I want to do more. It is time for me to get up my lazy ass and go to the gym.
Emilio started school in March, so now that he is also getting more independent, I want to make some more time for myself and my body. Which is also important as a mom. No more excuses, I signed in at a local gym. It is so close to my house, like one minute walking. I am very dedicated, and I already made myself a nice schedule. My plan is to hit the gym 3 times a week, on Mondays when the kids are at school and also on Wednesday and Friday evening when the kids are in bed. I live next to my parents, so they hold the baby monitor and keep an eye on Romy and Emilio while I am working out. Yes, it is a blessing that we live next to each other. We help each other a lot.
Everything is going smooth at the moment. Still busy at my nail salon, I am so glad everything went so good after the surgery and that I could go back to work so soon. Now we are really looking forward for good weather, bikini’s, cocktails, and a lot of fun in the pool with the kids! And of course, some amazing summer nails!
Already curious if I can keep it up at the gym? I’ll keep you guys posted in my next article!
Xoxo
Selina
DOG DAD OF THE MONTH
Yorgo
Yorgo is described by the art press as the “Interstellar Neo Peter Pan”. An emblematic character of Brussels nightlife, Yorgo, nicknamed Prince YorgoLand, is not at his first attempt. This Greek-Belgian DJ was the first to be able to cover a title from the Queen of Pop Madonna, “Dress You Up”, a real hit in the 90s. He then chained the successes with “Proud”, “Velvet Kisses”, “Feline Beat”, “Money”, “My Crime”, “Superstar”, “Callate” and many others who, like his debut album THE G-SPOT, reached number one on the Belgian, French, Greek and Irish dance charts.
A multi-talented artist, Yorgo is a singer, dancer, choreographer and model (notably for Diesel and other creators including Elvis Pompilio). His creativity is exemplified on many levels. In particular, he won two official remix competitions: one for the famous group Gossip and the other for singer Christophe Willem.
He was also approached by Guy Oseary (the famous manager of U2 and Madonna) to make 2 remixes for the queen of pop.
Yorgo has fun exploring several horizons…
After having successfully exhibited his artworks/paintings in Knokke, he can now be found in Brussels within the Bram’s collective and other galleries.
Yorgo has a veritable little zoo… pony, donkey, goats, chickens, rabbits and Samoyed breed dogs (since 20 years) which he considers his best friends and the most beautiful thing that has happened to him in his life.
As he loves snow, he had to adopt sled dogs which remind him of snowy regions. Their teddy bear appearance makes them crack. 3 of the fluffy dogs are international champions, models for magazines, music videos and other commercials. Members of the fairy furry gang are from Canada, Italy, France, Poland and Serbia.
For the happiness of our dogs, we decided to leave the city. We live in Moerkerke/Damme in a pretty farmhouse. Knokke is not far. Theo, Yani and Chloé love the sea. As I am of Greek origin, I gave my angels Greek first names. Theo comes from Serbia he is 5 years old, Yani comes from France. He is 3 years old and has a particularity he has blue eyes which is extremely rare for this breed of dog. Chloé arrived a month ago from Poland, she is 4 months old today. They get along wonderfully and love the other animals of the family and are especially crazy about children! They accompany us everywhere by car or by plane. They know Greece and Ibiza too. I get stopped in the street because everyone wants to take pictures with them. I’m not going to lie, I’m so proud of them! I would like to have 101 dogs like in the Disney film “The 101 Dalmatians”… I can do it. And it’s scary for my friends. Two of our former dogs have been adopted. They had been treated badly and it was important for me to get them out of there and give them a wonderful end of life.