CRAVE CRUSH the urban girl's blog to all that you CRAVE

A+ Accommodations: AirBnB.com

November 16, 2009 by Jessica P. | Comments (0)


AirBnB

Finding killer airfares to exotic locales is easy, but securing last minute accommodations can be totally stressful.  Thankfully, AirBnB exists.  From treehouses in Paris, to luxe LA penthouses and Italian villas, this site offers it all at shockingly low prices.

Airbnb.com is the “Ebay for space.”  This amazing online marketplace allows anyone from private residents to commercial properties to rent out their extra space. The reputation-based site allows for user reviews, verification, and online transactions, for which Airbnb takes a commission. As of July, 2009, the San Francisco-based company had listings in over 1070 cities in 76 countries.

Grab your girls and book your fall fiesta now!

Have you ever used this site?  Please share experiences here.

Beyond the Bottle: Hostess Gifts

November 9, 2009 by Jessica P. | Comments (0)


hostgift

You don’t have to break the bank on an expensive bottle of wine to show appreciation for your hostess.  All you need is a little creativity to come up with a fab gift. Here are just a few ideas to get the juices flowing:

1. Veggie bouquet made up of delicious garden delights. Pick beautiful fresh herbs, greens and veggies from your garden and place them in an old glass pickle or salsa jar.  Jars make a charming vase for your bouquet and are an environmentally sound way to recycle.

2. Custom mani-pedi set.  Put together a kit containing of all your favorite polishes of the moment.  Include manicure tools like tweezers, a large nail clipper, a small nail clipper, small scissors, a folding nail file, a nail cleaner, 2 eva foam white toe separators and an emory board nail file/buffer.

3. Infused Vodka.  (Recipe via about.com) Ingredients: 750ml bottle of premium vodka, 1 sprig of rosemary, 2 sprigs of lavender and infusion jar with tight sealing lid.  Preparation:  Rinse the herbs and place them a clean mason jar or similar jar with a tight sealing lid.  Pour the vodka over the herbs and shake a few times.  Seal the lid tight and store the jar in a cool, dark place for 3-5 days.  Test the flavor of the infusion everyday, beginning on the second day. Once the lavender and rosemary flavor is to taste, strain the herbs from the vodka using a fine strainer or coffee filter.  Wash the jar and return the flavored vodka to it.  Store as you do other vodka.

What is the best hostess gift you have ever received?

DIY Barware

November 2, 2009 by Jessica P. | Comments (0)


diyglass

Hand-painted wine and cocktail glasses make excellent gifts and are super fun to make.  Invite your girls over for a night of creative camaraderie and follow the simple instructions below.

Step 1 Purchase inexpensive clear wine, martini or highball glasses, a variety of paint brushes, and paint designed for decorating glass. Most craft stores carry special paint that can be set by heating painted glass in the oven.  Find stencils, and and cut out clip art imagery you would like to apply to the glasses.

Step 2 Wash glasses thoroughly and stick stencils or clip art to the inside of the glass you are decorating with clear tape.

Step 3 Apply paint in a free form manner or follow the lines of the clip art you taped to the glass.

Step 4 Remove clip art and heat according to paint instructions.

Step 5 Let cool in oven completely before use. Wash by hand and they are ready to go!

pictures from www.girlygirlgifts.com

Party Blueprint: Preparing For Autumn Entertaining

October 26, 2009 by Jessica P. | Comments (3)


fallparty

Dawn Sandomeno and Elizabeth Mascali are lifestyle experts and partners in Party Bluprints Inc, the first ever website to provide online electronic party plans – Partybluprintsblog.com.

Recently the talented entertainment mavens provided a killer blueprint to help ready your home for Fall entertaining. Check out excerpts below, or the full post.

1. First impressions are important – address your front door and entrance. Bring life to your entrance by planting flowers in the same vibrant hues as the changing landscape. Be selective in your plantings and they should last you through Thanksgiving. If needed, give your door a fresh coat of paint and accessorize with “door decor” (flowers, wreaths, plaques,etc.). Finally, provide an attractive welcome mat – stylish and functional what a winning combo.

2. A new season can inspire a fresh vibe in your home. Freshen up your interior by simply tweaking a few existing elements. Change the color of your candles and make sure you have plenty of them throughout the house – there’s nothing like candlelight to warm up a space (it also hides a multitude of sins). Given the “coziness” of the next two seasons, if you have a fireplace, make sure it’s ready to go (have it cleaned annually). Accessorize your hearth & mantle which are focal points.

3. Bring out cozy throws, we love faux fur blankets in chocolate and camel.

4. Swap your summer tablecloth and/or placemats for ones in a richer fabric and palette.

5. Spruce up your powder room by changing the color/pattern of your hand towels. Keep this “private room” smelling sweet with a scented candle in pumpkin or fall spice.

6. If you don’t have them already a “big bang for your buck” purchase is a variety of glass jars/urns. You can fill then with candles or seasonal items like, flowers, produce, candy, etc. and arrange them as a focal point. Small apples from the local orchard will be featured in ours. In a few weeks, the apples will be turned into homemade applesauce and fun candy will fill the containers for Halloween, just remember, the smaller the candy, the more you need to buy! As the season or your mood changes, it’s easy to swap out the contents for an instantly fresh look. These foundational “accessories” are extremely versatile and will serve your home well throughout the seasons and the years.

What are you doing to ready your home for Fall?

10 Hot Cocktails for Fall Fetes

October 19, 2009 by Jessica P. | Comments (2)


falldrinks

When days grow longer and nights cool off, its time to trade tank tops for turtlenecks and mojitos for hot toddies. As entertainment season warms up, we recommend serving these festive beverages exploding with rich flavors.

Recipes links via Fineliving.com

What’s your favorite cold weather cocktail?

Currently Craving: Halloween Costumes

October 12, 2009 by Jessica P. | Comments (0)


costumes

Halloween is just around the corner and everyone is dishing about costume ideas. Here are our some of our top picks for non-typical outfit options.

1. Kardashians
In 2009 these spunky sisters replaced Sex and the City girls among friends playing the “which character are you” personality test game. Life-of-the-party drama queens can dress as Khloe.  Seductive entrepreness types are a good fit for Kim.  And subtle seductresses make fab Kourtneys.

2. Cougars
Confident older women who love hot, young men are hilarious contemporary pop culture staples.  Grab a pack of your fiercest girls and wear towering heels with sultry low cut dresses.  Tease your hair, spray tan your skin and don’t forget to accessorize with a giant martini.  Or, dress as an actual cougar!  Rent furry digs from your local costume shop.

3. Tributes
Honor Charlie’s late angel Farrah Fawcett with a bodacious tribute costume.  Swayze fans can celebrate his contribution to entertainment by gathering an entourage decked out in Dirty Dancing finery.  And MJ enthusiasts can remember the good days of the King of Pop’s reign with sequins and leather.

4. Game Show Contestants
Who didn’t love Supermarket Sweep?! Think pairs of friends in solid crew neck sweaters, high-waisted jeans, white Keds, large name tags, huge hair and blue eyeshadow. Push around a children’s sized grocery cart full of plastic foods for kicks.

5. Beauty Contestants Gone Wild
Great for large groups!  Everyone in your party wears disheveled dresses with sashes that say things like “Miss Construe,” “Miss Diagnosed,” “Miss Behaving,” Miss Deameanor,” “Miss Conduct,” “Miss Communication” etc.

6. Empowered Female Athletes
Dress as your favorite real life female sports hero, or if your group is large, consider dressing as Rockford Peaches, the personality packed, fictional women’s baseball team from A League of Their Own.

7. Tired Ladies
Wear pajamas, robes, slippers, and sleeping masks over very messy hair. Let mascara run down your faces.  Carry a coffee cup, a magazine in the pocket of your robes, and carry a pillow.

8. Robert Palmer Video Girls
The back up dancers in Robert Palmer’s iconic Addicted to Love video are the ultimate sex kittens in thigh-skimming skirts, killer heels and ultra smoky eye makeup.  Grab four of your girls and recreate the magic.

9. Sunburned Tourist
Dress like a tourist with Hawaiian shirt, Bermuda shorts, cameras around your neck, black socks with sandals, etc. Use makeup and self tanner to give yourself a bright red sunburn.

10. Self-Absorbed
Ideal for the narcissist in all of us. This one is simple, just hot glue or sew standard kitchen sponges all over a monochrome outfit.

What was your best Halloween costume?

Time Saving Solutions: Dry Shampoo

October 5, 2009 by Jessica P. | Comments (2)


dryshampoo

Who really wants to wash their hair every day? For years I used my mother’s second day hair ‘trick’ of sprinkling baby powder on my crown to absorb excess oil. The technique is fine in a quick pinch but the heavy white residue can leave embarrassing flakes on your clothing and look messy under bright lights.

Thankfully a new generation of dry shampoos exist that enable you to sleep in longer, preserve a blow out or get a mid-day volume lift.

Check out our favs below.

The All Nighter is made with natural plant-based ingredients and natural minerals, gently scented with essence of tangerine (to freshen without being too perfume-y). The All Nighter Styling Powder also contains real silk powder to add manageability to hair, and it imparts a luxurious satiny feel. It’s even available in six shades which is great news for brunettes.

Lulu Organics hair powder is made with white clay, baking soda, USDA Organic corn starch and rice powder, and Oregon Tilth Certified Organic horsetail powder and essential oils. This earth friendly formula is available in four delicious, distinctive scents: Lavender/ Clary Sage, Patchouli/ Amber, Jasmine and Tuberrose.

Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo is based on softening, protective oat extract, cyclodextrins and natural polysaccharides to clean the hair without washing, as often as required. Your hair regains volume and lightness within minutes. It’s a bit pricey and hard to find in stores, but it’s worth it for the scent, and lack of residue this project leaves.

Ever use a dry shampoo, dish about it here?

Girl’s Night In: Back to School Blast

September 28, 2009 by Jessica P. | Comments (0)


nightin

It’s time to celebrate fall and the kids’ return to school! Why not get the party started with a time-warp, school themed, girl’s night in?

Party Supps:
Use Netflix for a selection of popular tv shows and films from the decade you attended high school. Create a dinner music playlist comprised of tunes from that era as well. Have your girls email you some choice high school pics and create a simple slide show via iphoto or picasa.com to watch when they arrive.

Dinner:
Order some vintage speckled Melmac cafeteria trays. They are gorgeous, inexpensive and easy to find on sites like Ebay and Etsy. Place a napkin and silverware in the utensil compartment of the lunch tray. Make Adams Apple cocktails by combining a 1/2 shot Vodka, 1/2 shot Galliano and apple juice into a brightly colored plastic, highball sized cup. Place in the ‘drink’ compartment of the tray.

For food, think gourmet cafeteria classics. Make sure to have a vegetable, protein, carb and dessert to place in remaining sections of the tray. Click on the hyper-links to view our recipe recommendations.

What’s your fav way to celebrate fall?

Blackberry Bonanza: Ultra Low Cost Girl Date

August 17, 2009 by Jessica P. | Comments (0)


Blackberry bushes are going wild right now, producing glorious high antioxidant morsels jam-packed with polyphenols and anthocyanins—the excellent cancer and heart disease defense chemicals found in some plants.  We recommended taking advantage of nature’s bounty by grabbing your girls and heading out for a day of blackberry picking followed by cooking and cocktailing!  Check out a few seasonal recipes we are loving right now:

Blackberry Mojito via Foodchannel.com
Ingredients: 6 each mint leaves, 5 each fresh blackberries, 1/2 part simple syrup, 1 part fresh lime juice, 1 part white rum, 1 part crème de cassis, 1 part club soda.  For garnish: 1 sprig mint, 1 each fresh blackberry speared with cocktail pick
Preparation: In a Collins glass, muddle mint leaves with blackberries and simple syrup.  Add lime juice, rum and crème do cassis and stir to combine.  Fill glass with ice, top with club soda, and stir to combine.  Garnish with mint sprig and blackberry.

Blackberry Chicken via tasteofhome.com
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup fresh blackberries, divided, 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, minced, 3/4 teaspoon paprika, divided, 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5 ounces each), 4-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Directions: In a small bowl, mash 2 tablespoons berries. Add 1/4 cup broth, brown sugar, vinegar, oil, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon paprika and cumin.  Place chicken in an 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray; pour broth mixture over the top. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, pepper and remaining paprika.  Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until chicken juices run clear, basting occasionally with pan juices. Remove chicken and keep warm.  Skim fat from pan drippings. In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch and remaining broth until smooth. Gradually stir in drippings. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with chicken; sprinkle with remaining blackberries. Yield: 6 servings.

Blackberry Salsa via Nikibone.com
Ingredients: 2 chipotle peppers, dried, 6 serrano peppers, finely diced, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon ground oregano, 1/2 cup water, 12 ounces blackberries, fresh or frozen 3 tablespoons chocolate syrup, 2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Directions: Place chipotles in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil.  Cover, and boil until tender about 15 minutes; drain.  Set aside to cool.  Finely dice the rehydrated chipotles and combine with serranos, sugars, salt, cinnamon, oregano and water in a medium saucepan.  Bring mixture to a low boil.  Cook until thickened slightly about 7 or 8 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add blackberries and cook until they start to break up but not disintegrate.  You want the salsa to have a chunky texture.  Remove mixture from heat, and stir in chocolate syrup and pecans.  Chill thoroughly, and serve over ice cream.

COOPeration: Urban Farming 101

June 10, 2009 by Jessica P. | Comments (0)


From Beacon Hill to Brooklyn, people are buzzing about the joys of raising chickens in an urban environment. Seattle Urban Farm Company says,

“Many people don’t believe it possible to have this experience in the city, but laying hens’ small space requirements and pleasant dispositions make them a wonderful addition to any backyard. Managing your own chickens is an extremely rewarding experience. You’ll have a source of fresh, nutritious eggs right out your back door; and the satisfaction of knowing that your hens are fed a healthy, well-balanced diet and have plenty of space to roam and eat bugs, weeds, and grass. Chickens make a great pair with a garden, as they love to eat your vegetable scraps and leftover greens. Chicken care is a fun and educational experience for children, and will give them a connection to their food that they’ll never forget.

Chickens don’t require much space for a happy and healthy life. The more space you provide for them, the better; but 3 laying hens can live comfortably (with plenty of room for scratching, exploring, and roosting) in a 3 by 10 foot space. Many people are concerned that a chicken coop will have a strong odor, but a properly managed coop has almost no smell other than that of fresh straw.”

Interested in building a coop for your yard? Consult the experts:

Seattle Urban Farm Co. offers services ranging from planning and design to installations to monthly maintenance. They are happy to help you learn how to manage and care for your hens, and can provide you with local sources for organic feed and bedding.

Portland based readers can attend the 6th Annual Portland Tour de Coops on Saturday, July 25, 2009 from 11:00am-3:00pm. This tour is designed to educate Portland chicken lovers on urban chicken keeping and provide ideas for new and creative ways to house chickens in your backyard.

The Natural Gardener in Austin offers a wide range of helpful classes. Attend “Raising Backyard Chickens” with Carol Ann Sayle on May 16, 2009 at 9:00am.

Already on the bandwagon? We want to hear about your coop!

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