I tend to think of myself as a warrior princess. Buried beneath layers of this ambitious, trail-blazing rebel lives an inner beauty queen. When you’re a thirty-something mom, you tend to put that inner beauty queen on the shelf to manage more important things like boo boos and homework.

 

Even so, don’t let the sweatpants and bun look fool you. I still drool over things that sparkle and shine. Today, I was given the opportunity by Walt Disney Pictures and JCPenney to take that inner princess to a whole new level at the JCPenney Glam Ball.

 

Haven’t seen the Cinderella Trailer yet?

 

 

The JCPenney Glam Ball: My Cinderella Moment 

 

I had been dreaming of this weekend ever since I saw the invite to my inbox from Walt Disney Pictures. Never in my wildest warrior princess dreams had I ever imagined I’d be stepping foot onto a world premiere red carpet, much less being glammed out by a hair stylist and makeup artist, followed by a stylist consult to accessorize my red carpet look.

 

Yet, there I was with twenty-four other brilliant, and ambitious mommy bloggers from all parts of the U.S. lined up on the 20th floor of the Hollywood Loews Hotel. The anticipation was excruciating as I stood there trying to peek around the corner past the double doors where the JCPenney Glam Ball was waiting for us to arrive.

 

 

Ladies, welcome to the JCPenney Glam Ball.”

 

I heard as I turned the corner to see a fairy tale set up of hair stylists, makeup artists and JCPenney fashion stylists joined by a handsome group of “Prince Charmings”. The room was lavishly decorated with opulent furnishings, flowers, and an array of high tea delectables.

 

The lounge areas looked like something from Marie Antoinette’s dressing room with sofas trimmed in gold. I was so mesmerized by the glitz of it all, it took my eyes a moment to make their way past the decadence and over to the floor-to-ceiling windows which made up the entire back wall of the suite.

 

Immediately my jaw dropped at the panoramic view of the Hollywood Hills. It was crystal clear, so clear it seemed as though I could just reach out and grab one of the lush palm trees or bajillion dollar mansions that peppered the hillside. I was so mesmerized, it’s as if time just froze.

 

 

My Prince Charming

 

Christa, Christa”

 

I heard a voice say as I snapped out of my fairy tale moment. “This is your Prince Charming, he’ll be taking care of anything you need while you’re here.” Now if anyone reading this knows me, I’m not one to turn down the prospect of a Prince anything, much less a “Charming”.

 

I turned to meet my prince as my eyes climbed a very tall blue-eyed man dressed like a runway model. He was flawless on every account with a smile that nearly sparkled. Talk about a “wow” factor. I mean aside from the dashing prince of course, we were all assigned Prince Charmings to dote on our every need while we spent the afternoon being pampered and wined.

 

 

Fashion Stylists are Awesome 

 

I couldn’t believe this moment! It was literally like something from a fairy tale. My handsome prince lead me past a baby grand piano and flocked framed mirrors to the stylist room where he introduced me to a professional JCPenney stylist.

 

 

There were shelves upon shelves of lavish jewelry to choose from. Necklaces, bracelets, earrings and clutches all sparkled as the California sunlight bounced off their jewels. I had no idea JCPenney had such beautiful jewelry. The stylist picked out two perfect bracelets to complete my red carpet look. They were absolutely stunning. Note: You can purchase these in any JCPenney Center Court where their jewelry counters and accessory kiosks are.

 

My Glam Ball Hair and Makeup 

 

Just after I found my amazing bracelets, I was lead by my prince to a hair stylist for a perfect red carpet style. I’ll admit, I didn’t think the stylist could pull it off. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Before I knew it she was spinning me around to reveal an absolutely gorgeous side pony. It was perfect for my look. I was completely blown away. I felt just like a princess.

 

I quickly made my way over to the makeup artist and showed her a pinterest photo of the look I wanted. In just 10 minutes she had it nailed! Again, I was completely floored. This was the first time ever that a hair and makeup artist made me 100% happy with my look!

Putting the Look Together

I couldn’t imagine this day getting any better and I hadn’t even made to the red carpet yet! I had my prince, a glass of white wine, perfect hair, flawless makeup and two stunning bracelets to complete my red carpet look. I took one last glance at the Glam Ball and the breathtaking panoramic view, gave my prince a hug goodbye, and hurried to my room to get into my dress. The red carpet world première of Cinderella was just two hours away!

 

I was so excited to get my look together. My hair was rockin’, my makeup was flawless, and with my new bracelets I knew I would be bringing the glam. I was feeling pretty good about my princess look. I finished the final touches of my head-to-toe style, took one last glance in the mirror, and made my way down to the Disney group. I was ready to rock!

 

 

The Pre-Premiere Reception and Costume Exhibit Hosted by JCPenney

 

Katniss Everdeen couldn’t cut the excitement with an arrow. Here we were, a group of twenty-five mommy bloggers, dressed to kill and on our way to the Red Carpet World Premiere of Cinderella. We were in heaven. Each one of us undoubtedly felt like Cinderella. We made our way to the famous El Capitan Theater across the street and into the Pre-Premiere Reception and Costume Exhibit.

 

 

The chatter of twenty-five giddy princesses was lulled to a gasp when we walked into the costume exhibit. Every single person in the room was completely floored at the sight of the Cinderella costumes. Genius costume designer Sandy Powell made Cinderella beyond fabulous with her fairy tale meets couture creations.

 

From Cinderella’s exquisite blue butterfly-trimmed ballgown, to the jaw-dropping glitz of the Swarovski glass slipper, there was no detail left unturned. The Fairy Godmother’s dress even lit up with LED lights!

 

 

I was standing there, just marveling at the details of the fabric and their tiny waistlines when we finally got word it was time to make our way to the red carpet. This was it, It was finally happening! I found myself yet again wanting to pinch myself. I looked down at my sparkling heels against the red carpet beneath me and exhaled,

Here we go!”

To be continued…