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Celebrate Earth Day April 22

April 12, 2010 by Melisa M. | Comments (0)

Earth Day is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment, held on April 22. It is celebrated in many countries and has been receiving added attention in current years with the newfound popularity of going green and our increased consciousness of how we are harming the planet. As active motivated women, we, here at CRAVE, think Earth day is a wonderful chance to help women discover new ways to help our earth and conserve it for generations to come. The Nature Conservancy has some wonderful tips to do just that, pertaining to activities a lot of women deal with in their everyday lives.

Use reusable totes
You can help save oceans when you use reusable shopping bags instead of plastic bags. Sure, it’s a small step — but it can make a big difference in the health of our oceans. Unfortunately, 90 percent of the debris that washes up from our oceans are man-made and shouldn’t be there. Most of it has – unfortunately – come to be expected: derelict fishing equipment, disposable plastic bottles, plastic bags, cigarette butts, bits of unidentifiable plastic, Styrofoam. To help encourage others, share where you take reusable bags or where you’ve found your favorite tote.

Eat  food
Just like you, conservationists, fishermen, chefs and consumers are working together to find new ways of living off our oceans and waters while keeping nature healthy. In a day and age when many of us “harvest” most of our meals by filling a grocery cart or skimming a menu, it can be easy to overlook nature’s role in putting food on our tables. This is especially true when it comes to seafood. For centuries, the oceans’ bounty seemed inexhaustible. Now, as scientists unravel the intricate relationships between fish and the vast lands below the water’s surface, we’re gaining a clearer picture of how humans have altered our oceans’ ability to provide for us. The Conservancy is tackling the problems by working with communities to restore degraded habitats and rebuild depleted fisheries. But sustainability also depends on how fish are brought to market.  A service called FishPhone is Blue Ocean’s sustainable seafood text messaging service that instantly puts sustainable seafood information at your fingertips. To find out about your seafood choice, text 30644 with the message FISH and the name of the fish in question. They’ll text you back with their assessment and better alternatives to fish with significant environmental concerns.

Green your gardening
Even while you’re gardening in your very own backyard, you can make a big difference in the health of the ocean. Fertilizers and other chemicals used in conventional gardening are washed into watersheds and eventually to sea, where they can harm coral reefs and other marine life. To help cut back on pollution, go native! Native plants require much less water and fertilizer than non-native plants do. Make your own compost! Composting kitchen scraps is a great way to create (free!) all-natural fertilizer. Set your mower to a cutting height of 2”-3” — which will eliminate undesirable weedy plants. Don’t rake your clippings; leave them behind as fertilizer. You can even try square-foot gardening. This method uses 90% less water and 95% fewer seeds than a traditional backyard garden and requires no chemicals!

You can find all the details on these tips and plenty more at earthday.nature.org

Do It Yourself Design Inspirations We CRAVE

March 22, 2010 by Lilla | Comments (0)

Spring is finally just around the corner. We are gearing up to do all our regular spring cleaning tasks – flip mattresses, wash curtains, and finally organize our junk drawers. One of the highlights of spring is rebirth and getting a new lease on life . Well, how about doing the same for your home or an old piece of furniture? Small changes are sure to make a large difference in any home! We love to turn to designspongeonline.com for inspiration and really love the before & after posts. Check out some of our favorite makeovers:

• From gloomy kitchen to apple green colored charmer
• From boring and granny-like rocking chair to modern rockin’ chic
• From an apartment that belongs in a Golden Girls flashback to a place that Carrie Bradshaw can call home!

Do you have any home DIYs plans for spring?

Home is Wherever You Hang Your Hat

February 23, 2010 by Lynn Edwards | Comments (1)

For those of you who have read my Rachel Ray blog you know I’m culinarily challenged, but love those food shows. I’m equally as inept at home design & décor but I love me some Design on a Dime (although I don’t actual DO either). I love the word “home.” I grew up in a small rambler with seven people, one bathroom and no dishwasher, but it was home. My Dad still lives there and it’s amazing how it feels sleeping in that house. It’s awesome when we all go home with our families, the bathroom line is just a little longer now with 23 people. After college I became a vagabond and lived all over the world, followed by 18 years as an army spouse. The Army has this cute little sign that says “Home is where the Army sends you.”

Needless to say, my “home” has been a stinky room the size of a closet, a grass hut in the middle of a rice paddy, an apartment on the 75th floor, a condo near a strip mall, a large sprawling tudor style, and approximately 5000 hotel rooms. I love all that cool stuff you get for your home when you get married but I made a critical mistake and had a really small wedding. Turns out I received three place settings of my formal china. When we’d have another couple over the fourth person had to eat off a plastic power ranger plate. I’m so home décor challenged I have lived for months with no pictures on the wall, have gone 20+ years without buying window treatments and I don’t have more than two bath towels the same color. When people ask me what “theme” I have decorated my homes I answer with a mid-modern century “pot pourri”.

As a joke one year my friends bought me an entire set of holiday plates. I now have salt & pepper shakers with snowmen on them…so stinking cool! I think chicks that wear hats are fashion forward stars, those with holiday-themed china are domestic goddesses….now I’m one. There are some staples I love that seem to make a house a luxurious home…a million pillows on your bed & lots of thread count sheets, a system to organize your plastic wear & lids, real flowers on your kitchen island, and that’s living. Oh, and whoever invented that electric fire place switch needs a raise…big time! I love huge tubs but have spent little time in them. The time I did spend was usually jockeying around to get comfortable around all those hot wheels in there with me. I did build a water feature on my deck once. I loved it, yeah for Lowe’s. I looked like a landscape architect genius just by putting part A into part B and firing up the hose. It was great to fall asleep to but it made me have to get up and pee all night long.

Oprah says make your home an oasis…take a look around and think about what you can do to make your house a little more “homey”…even if it’s just a $2 apple pie scented candle.

Put a Spring in Your Step with these Hot Colors

February 22, 2010 by Madeline C. | Comments (1)

When we think of spring we think of pastels and floral prints, but those just seem a little too passé and boring. What will you be wearing this spring to spice up your wardrobe? Here are some of the color trends that you won’t want to miss out on. Pick up a few bright accessories that are both trendy and timeless.

Turquoise – We’re pretty sure this is on EVERYONE’S hot-list, along with other aqua-colored hues. This vibrant color turns every outfit up a notch, making you just exude that cool confident aura that will make you the center of attention. Splurge on a Jamie Joseph brightly colored stone ring. We love this Sea Blue Chalcedony Ring for a beautiful eye-catcher.

Light Pink – More specifically, champagnes and corals are two “light pinks” that won’t have you gagging on pastel and cotton candy. Champagne is the closest you can get to a nice neutral color while adding a little pop! And for coral, try some of Cara Lyndon’s hairpins, we recommend Coral Wheel . Whether your hair color is light or dark, this feminine flair will turn heads.

Yellow – In every shade and size. Add a dash here or there or a big bright bag to have everyone around you smiling. Evoking sunshine and happiness, everyone could stand to integrate this cheerful color into their wardrobe or even their home. Try a bright throw pillow to add to your living room, we like the yellow Gloria pillow from Henry Road. The great thing about throw pillows is, when spring is over, you can just throw them back into the closet until spring comes again!

Finding Light in the Dark Months

January 18, 2010 by Melisa M. | Comments (0)

Our definition of winter is more or less “the dark time”. Clouds, rain and 4pm sunsets have a way of draining all the energy out of you until you almost can’t remember what the brightness and warmth of the summer months felt like. If you happen to live in a northern country, you probably know exactly the feeling. We spend a majority of the fall months gathering, celebrating and being thankful with family, good food and colorful warm lights. What a perfect time of year for whole cities to light up and fight the darkness. But come January 2^nd, the plug is pulled. The family is gone, the diet starts, the work resumes, the lights go out and you’re left alone. Some people even suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, a mood disorder that causes depressive symptoms in the winter months. Here are just a couple of ways to bring the light back into the dark months.

Your home is the most important place to fill with warmth and light. It’s where you go to get away from work or errands or anything that leaves you dealing with stress and the dark outdoors that always seem to encroach on your happiness. Don’t leave your home too dark. It’s easy to leave a light bulb unchanged for weeks  after it’s burned out because you just can’t seem to get around to it. You may be able to live with it, but you’d be surprised to realize how much the change in light actually affects your mood. Some psychologists suggest using full-spectrum lighting to help treat SAD. Full spectrum is a type of light that covers the entire electro-magnetic spectrum from infrared to near ultra-violet. This is the closest type of artificial light that man has been able to produce to emulate natural sunlight.

Stay connected with your friends and family. Have a summer-themed party in your home with tropical drinks and bright outfits to help remind yourself that summer is coming and your attitude is what you make it. You have the power to make yourself optimistic and so do your friends. When you’re down, shop in indoor malls or go to the movies and see a bright comedy (nothing gets you down more than watching a dark depressing movie in a dark theater in the middle of a dark nasty winter). Take a hot yoga class or just exercise at the gym instead of fighting the weather.

Exercise! It’s been proven scientifically that the lack of light and the cold temperatures of winter cause some people’s bodies to go into a sort of hibernation response where they are more fatigued, find themselves hungrier and actually have more trouble burning fat. Not only does exercise fight off the extra weight but the added oxygen flow to your brain is crucial in raising energy levels, stimulating your mind and boosting your mood.

Or if you’re like some of us you’ll just keep the Christmas tree up till February and leave the shades closed so the neighbors can’t tell. Whatever you do, the most important thing is to keep a positive attitude because spring always follows winter.

“Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” –Chinese Proverb

Spend the Holidays with Your Girlfriends

December 7, 2009 by Gina | Comments (0)

The brisk air is upon us, lit trees line the streets, and the feeling of giving is all around us. Oh, and did we mention the traffic, packed malls, and hectic shopping scene? This season, spend time with friends and family without any worries. Our advice: stay away from the malls and head out for some quality holiday time with your girlfriends. Here are some activities and ideas you can try this season for some holiday cheer.

Ice Skating
Most cities and towns open an outdoor ice skating rink surrounded by lights and holiday music. This is a great idea to do something active outside. You can usually rent skates at these locations, so don’t worry about bringing your own.

Tree Lightings
Check your community newspaper or online to find out when their tree lighting ceremony is. There are usually refreshments available, and of course, some great lights and holiday cheer!

Holiday Cocktails
Some restaurants during the holidays will have one or more special holiday drinks. Grab your girlfriends for a night on the town!

Holiday Shows
Whether it’s the classic Nutcracker or White Christmas, check to see what’s playing in your area and head to the theater. Make a night of it by going out for dinner first. Maybe the Rockettes are in your town—don’t miss that show!

Holiday Party
Throw a holiday party for a group of your girlfriends. Make cookies, egg nog, and holiday-inspired cocktails. Get the ingredients to make gingerbread houses and you can all make your own. Play Secret Santa or a Yankee Swap. A Secret Santa is when you put all your girlfriend’s names in a hat and you each pick a name. The name you get is the person you buy a gift for. Then at the party you exchange gifts. A Yankee Swap is when everyone buys a gift and brings it to the party. Then you put numbers 1-10 (or however many people you have) in a hat. Each person picks a number. Number 1 picks a gift first from the pile of gifts and opens it. Number 2 picks a gift from the pile and opens it, then has the opportunity to keep the gift or take Number 1’s gift. This goes on until you get back to Number 1 who then gets to pick from everyone’s already opened gifts.

Decorated Houses
Have a low-key night with your girlfriends. Take a warm drive around your neighborhood (cocoa in hand!) to see who has decorated their houses in lights. Some people go all out with so many lights you wonder what their electric bill is!

Holiday Shopping
Everyone has some shopping to do during the holidays, whether you’re treating yourself or giving to others. Avoid the malls, with their long lines and crazy traffic, and instead visit locally-owned shops this year. Some local boutiques have such unique gift ideas, including great clothes and accessories. Grab your girlfriends, map a route, and explore some local shops! Grab a CRAVE book to guide you along!

We hope these ideas inspire you to go out and enjoy this time of year with your best friends! If you and your girlfriends have any other holiday traditions, let us know by commenting below.

Happy Holidays!

Beyond the Bottle: Hostess Gifts

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

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)

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)

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?

Lit Shades—Interview with the Artist

July 29, 2009 by Amanda | Comments (1)

Great lamps can completely invigorate an otherwise drab room, but are often impossible to find. Luckily, Dawn Bassett of LitShades is around to craftily rejuvenate, restore and transform lampshades to match your aesthetic desires. Dawn recently sat down with us to dish about her glorious work. Read her energizing interview below:

What was the inspiration behind starting your business?
Have you seen the lamp shades out there? Not much to choose from, some one had to change that!

What was the biggest surprise you have had as a creative entrepreneur?
That it’s all about attitude. That people around you get as excited as you do. That a sole proprietorship involves a whole lot of people who want you to succeed.

What is your idea of fun? If given a choice to skip work for a day, how would you spend the entire day?
Making a new lamp shade out of some fantastic Osbourne and Little fabric-skip work for a day? Me and my pint-sized Papillion puppy ride my scooter down to the beach in Madison Park where we swim and sunbathe till sundown, then on to Captain Black’s for a cold drink and some onion rings…anyone is invited to come along for the ride.

Share some ways you stay motivated, encouraged or brave.
A “small business” can have fairly daunting problems. But I like to remember that a “small business” revolves around the small things; a cup of tea with the shop owner next door, a lamp shade made out a woman’s wedding dress to be used in her little girls room, the feeling of knowing only I can fire myself.

Share something you are excited about right now.
Besides a perfect Seattle summer?! Okay, I am to-die-for excited about a show I am collaborating on with Russian born artist, Alexander Kirillov, who makes these amazing lithographs that we are going to turn into a light sculpture/lighting installation. The show is set for August 13th and it will be epic.

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