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PRETTY IN PINK
A DAY WITH STAMFORD’S MOST GLAMOROUS MOMMY-DAUGHTER TEAM b y j o e y m a c a r i
W
e take for granted how many firsts we create with our children every day. All moms remember the first time their child gave them a scribbled drawing of the two of you with “Mom and Me” labeled in chunky lettering or the first time they saw their child enjoy their favorite childhood activity or movie. But what about the first time you and your child created your own business? That is the unique experience of Khandice O’Kelley and her sevenyear-old daughter, Taylor. Born out of the desire to enjoy mommy-daughter manicures in a quarantine world, Khandice and her daughter founded PINK CHAWKULIT (pinkchawkulit.com), a nail polish line featuring shades of Taylor’s favorite color, pink, and mom’s not-so-guilty pleasure, Chawkulit (chocolate). “This is a real-world example of turning lemons into lemonade, Khandice explains. “Challenges are often an opportunity to grow. Challenges
MOTHER’S DAY AGENDA
In honor of Mother’s Day, Khandice describes her perfect MommyDaughter date around Stamford. SLEEP IN A perfect Mother’s Day date with Taylor would involve me getting a chance to sleep in and let the morning light peeking through the curtains wake me up, rather than Taylor’s heavy footsteps running into my room and jumping on my bed. I actually love that she does that, but a little extra sleep is always a special Mother’s Day treat. BITE TO EAT Taylor and I would get dressed in something comfortable and cute and take our toy poodles, Coco and Chanel, for a long walk around the neighborhood. I would have a coffee in one hand, my double dog leash in the other and Taylor and I will talk about her plans for the future. She wants to be everything when she grows up. She loves talking about each role. We would come home from our walk and go to Lorca, where I would get a half Nutella almond milk latte and a manchego sage sandwich and Taylor would get a s’mores hot cocoa and a grilled cheese. We would sip and talk and eat until both of us are done. A MANI, OF COURSE When we return home, we would paint nails in anticipation of something special Daddy has planned for Mommy. First thing, we need a base coat—this extends the life of the mani and our formula is infused with argan oil so it provides nourishment for the nail. Taylor would choose ‘Piggy Bank’ and remind me that she named it and that all of the polishes she names are best sellers. She would decide she wants a little sparkle, so I would use ‘Kaleidoscope,’ our holographic top coat that transforms her mani into sparkly fun. I would choose ‘Toy Poodles’ and do some simple nail art over it with a dotting tool, using ‘Boo Thang.’ I would use our glossy top coat ‘Keep Shining’ to seal and save my creation.
TIME TOGETHER My dream Mother’s Day may sound normal or regular. I am blessed to have had several days like this, and these are the days that I cherish the most.
stamfordmag.com
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PORTRAIT BY CARI BATTISTA, BELLA GRACE PHOTO; PRODUCTS BY LYNDA NORGAARD, A FIREFLY STUDIO
above: Cofounders, mother-daughter Khandice and Taylor O’Kelley
can create opportunities for yourself and others. I want my daughter to live a life where she can learn, create and grow while creating opportunities for herself and others.” Each bottle of Pink Chawkulit is handcrafted with ingredients sourced exclusively in the U.S., are nontoxic, vegan, quick dry and chip resistant as well as infused with argan oil to ensure each bottle is crafted to consistency. As if the business name is not cute enough, Taylor helps Mom name many of the polishes, from glittery options like “U Fancy Huh?” to delight any age as well as rich tones like “Sophisticated” for all the Boss Babes out there. The brand also helps Taylor outside of the green-screen home classroom; cultivating good math skills by helping Mommy count the bottles in the inventory set up at home. Shoppers can order any of Pink Chawkulit’s products on its website, including the newly launched cuticle oil, new cream colors and first-ever sheer polish. Be sure to also check them out on Instagram @pinkchawkulit for updates and adorable, pinkalicious inspiration.
