We take inspiration from other women business owners, especially those making it happen close to home. That’s why we asked Seattle entrepreness and designer Tara Sauvage of Rocco e Dante Handbags to answer a few questions about her business and personal life.

How would you describe your business in 3 words or less?
Crazy, crazy, fun.

What are the most popular or best selling products or services?
The rocco bag and the Olivia bag.

People may be surprised to know…
I do everything myself, including design product, development, find the factories, source the leather, sales, travel overseas, everything but the books. I have a CPA to help with that.

What was the inspiration or motivation behind starting your business?
I have been designing handbags, belts and fashion accessories for major companies for over ten years, so when I moved to Seattle in 2006 I decided to start my own line because it was hard to find fashion jobs in Seattle that were steady. Now I do freelance design for other companies in the USA and Canada and also have my own line. I like being in charge of my own schedule and work life. I work a lot of late nights (until 2am!) emailing overseas to my suppliers, but I like that. I love the flexibility and the ability to make my own decisions. I have always been fiercely independent even when working as a full time employee. I was never at my desk at 7:30am, I was always late, but worked hard. My former employers would leave me alone because I worked hard for them – they knew I was just not a morning person and I did not need to have my hand held. Those are things that make a person an entrepreneur!

Who is your role model or mentor?
I don’t have a role model in the fashion industry right now. I learned most everything about design and manufacturing from when I was working on the job. In starting my own fashion company, I did not have a role model. I do it myself and make my own mistakes.

What mistake have you made in your business that you will not repeat?
I will work with factories that have lower minimum order quantities.

How do you spend your free time?
I have a four-year-old, a husband, two pugs and my own business and clients, so I don’t get much free time. When I do, it’s usually when I am in Italy or on a business trip and I have some down time to myself.

What is your indulgence?
Travel and shoes. I believe in good quality Italian leather shoes and handbags. I also like good quality coats and jeans.

What is your favorite place to go with your girlfriends?
I like to go have a glass of wine with my girlfriends, but it rarely happens with my busy life.

When it comes to our holiday shopping, it’s sometimes a case of “one for you, one for me.” Especially when we’re buying for fitness-minded friends since we love the same things. Here is FatFighterTV‘s list of 10 cool fitness gadgets to give… or get!

	Freestyle MP3 Player This waterproof/shockproof MP3 player lets you enjoy your favorite tunes while exercising in your favorite way. Whether you’re swimming, paddling, surfing, kiting, wakeboarding, etc… it has you covered!
	Garmin eTrex Venture HC hiking GPS Find your way off the beaten path with this hiking and geocaching handheld GPS. It tracks your progress from the starting point to a programmed destination, creating a digital breadcrumb trail you can use on your way back.
	Toning Ball Workout Kit The medicine ball is one of our favorite pieces of exercise equipment. This workout kit comes with a 35-minute DVD with drills and intervals to help you increase your strength, power, agility, balance and coordination using the 4-pound medicine ball.
	ThinQ Pocket Pedometer Pedometers have been around for a while, but with this one, there’s no more clipping electronics to your waist belt. Just slip the credit-card-thin ThinQ into your pocket and you’re good to go. It gives you feedback about your steps, distance, and calories burned.
	Calorie-Counting Jumprope by Tanita This jump rope not only counts the number of jumps, it also calculates the amount of calories you are burning. It’s battery operated. Just turn it on and start jumping. The rope takes care of the rest.
	Gliding Discs For those cold, winter days when you want to workout at home, try these gliding sliding discs. They let you do smooth movements with no impact as you get both a cardio and strength workout. Comes with three workout videos.
	Tanita Duo Scale Plus Body Fat/Body Water Monitor This is not just your ordinary scale. This one calculates your weight, body fat, and body water percentage. It also compares current weight and body fat readings to previous ones. Stores readings for up to two users.
	HydraCoach The intelligent water bottle that thinks while you drink. It calculates your personal hydration needs, tracks how much you drink in real-time, paces you throughout the day, and motivates you to stay hydrated.
	SoftGrip Hand Weights Easy to grasp and grip, these are a great alternative to metal dumbbells. They are color coded based on weight and range from 1/2 to 7 pounds.
	Polar F4 Women’s Heart Rate Monitor Watch This is something I don’t exercise without. I love my F4 heart rate monitor! It displays your target heart rate zone and where your heart rate is within that zone. It also calculates how many calories you are burning as you exercise as well as your accumulated calories during several exercise sessions so you can set daily and weekly goals.

Want more healthy gift ideas? Check out FatFighterTV’s 10 Under $20 – Fitness and cooking gifts on a budget.

Several years ago when I was knee-deep in the gourmet food industry, I got to know Ari Weinzweig, co-owner of the famous Zingermans in Ann Arbor Michigan. At the time it made sense to get on a plane and go through his new Zingtrain workshops to learn how to do business “the Zingerman way.” I learned about vision, sharing with employees, growing a business but staying local, partnering with great people to grow your business, and got to sample the yummy food they serve.

Flash forward 10 years… I am in a completely different field of business, but Zingerman’s has my
attention again. I am always thinking about ways to grow the CRAVE business. Should I go big (worldwide)? Should I keep it local? Should I go worldwide and run it locally? Should I partner? Should I franchise? Of course I have tried most of the above, but as technology evolves and I put my toe in many waters, I continue to ponder the next move. Since it is the end of the year and I finally have time to reflect on all of this, I want to share with you this inspiring article on the Zingermans.

As 2009 approaches, we’ve been considering creative ways to mix up our style for the new year. We are firm believers that bold accessories are a great way to make a statement. And we all agree that stylish, well-fitting glasses are the biggest bang for your buck… they are functional, instantly refresh your look, and always make you appear more confident.

We talked to Judy at 4 Your Eyes Only Optical in Wallingford, a perennial Seattle favorite for new specs, about the latest trends in eyewear and information about their incredible boutique.

Judy told us that coming into the New Year they are finding it’s all about color. Shades of gray are replacing browns as the neutral color of choice. Jewel tones are super hot. Vibrant blues are going to be BIG in 2009… Not the turquoise of the past year or two, but beautiful peacock blues. Rich raspberry and purple will also be popular.

Big, almost oppressive frames are back! Remember the 50′s? G-Men, two-tone combinations, and lots of attitude and style. Details are in the temples: beads, rhinestones, and crystals are all coming back.

In addition to distinctive, funky, colorful and current frames for you to choose from, 4 Your Eyes Optical also carries frames that are a bit more elegant and refined to complement your work or professional needs.

Their experienced opticians understand that a great frame fit and appropriate lens style is of the utmost importance. They integrate fashion and technology to ensure that are you looking stylish but that you have the best optics suited to your needs.

4 Your Eyes Only Optical stocks eyewear you’ll totally fall in love with. Check out their website for information about brands they stock, services offered, and pertinent deets about sales and events.

Dish about the best pair of glasses you’ve ever owned and what made them so fab.

DRY Soda is refined flavor, lightly sweet, and all natural. The DRY tasting room and company store offers samples of its flavors and the opportunity for customers to purchase DRY and related goods. DRY’s modern “soda jerk” can recommend DRY pairings for your next evening of entertaining, or which hot, new dining spot to check out on your next might on the town. DRY offers six delectable flavors: kumquat, lavender, lemongrass, rhubarb, juniper berry, and vanilla bean. But it’s really all about genius proprietress Sharelle Klaus. We featured her in our CRAVE Seattle book, where she took some time to answer our questions about her business.

How would you describe your business in 3 words or less?
Modern. Sophisticated. Refreshing.

What are the most popular or best selling products or services?
They actually sell equally across the board!

People may be surprised to know…
My first job was selling Christmas wreaths door to door in office buildings.

What was the inspiration or motivation behind starting your business?
As a mother of four young children and a food lover, I realized during my fourth pregnancy that there was a need for a sophisticated beverage that was all-natural, less sweet and non-alcoholic. Something to drink that serves the same purpose for many people as wine–either a great pair with food or as a refreshment on its own. From that idea DRY Soda was born.

Who is your role model or mentor?
Dan Ginsberg, former CEO of Red Bull, North America and Peter Cheney, former CEO of Mars.

Domo Tea is an independent, Canadian-owned and operated business, based in Vancouver BC. Owners Anne and Tammy were featured in our latest CRAVE Vancouver book, and served our Vancouver book launch party guests these delectable CRAVE-tea-nis.

Here are some of our favorite Domo holiday cocktail recipes. Remember: They might be martinis, but as long as you include Domo tea, you’re enjoying as much as 200 times the antioxidants of regular green tea. Good times, guilt free!

After the sun goes down (and occasionally while it’s still up) we bend Domo to darker purposes. These green tea martinis taste great and are actually good for you.

Drunken Pumpkin
Cinderella got down and dirty after one too many of these:
• 1oz of vodka
• 1oz of pumpkin spice syrup
• 1tbsp of Domo Ginger Kiss
• 1/2 cup of skim milk or soy
Garnish with a cinnamon stick. Best drunk from a glass slipper after midnight.

Cocoamint Fling
• 1oz of vodka
• 1oz of peppermint schnapps
• 1tbsp of Domo Chocolate Ecstasy
• 1/2 cup of skim milk or soy
Garnish with a dark chocolate mint stick. You’ll wake up tomorrow with no regrets.

Sugar Daddy (Cool)
• 1/2 oz of vodka
• 1/2 oz of Baileys
• 1tbsp of Domo Vanilla Cloud
• 1/4 cup of water, skim milk or soy
Shake with ice, pour and garnish with a lollipop to keep the illusion of your innocence intact.

Ginger Kiss
Wet your lips with a taste of the exotic:
• 1oz of vodka
• 1tbsp of Domo Ginger Kiss
• 1/2 cup of skim milk or soy
Garnish with hot lips candy and a sense of anticipation. Almost as memorable as your very first.

Crave Holiday Shopping Party! from Jen Knoedl on Vimeo.

The holidays, the cold weather, spending extra time with family… there’s something about this time of year that makes us want to donate more than ever. That’s why we can really get behind the T’s for Teens fashion event next week. Join us Wednesday, December 17th at 8:00pm for a fun evening filled with fashion from top t-shirt designers and accessory companies. Tickets are just $5 at the door with proceeds from shirt and raffle ticket sales benefiting The Mitochondrial Research Guild of Seattle Children’s Hospital. Due to the location (Last Supper Club) this is a 21+ event. Hope to see you there!

Good friend and business-savvy gal Nancy Mudford (of Le Petit Spa and SpaBoutique.ca) was one of our inspirations for starting the CRAVEbusiness and CRAVEcrush blogs. We caught her dishing on her experience with blogging in this motivating video.

What inspires you to blog?