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

Planning a Fun in the Sun Picnic

May 17, 2010 by Jennifer L. | Comments (0)

Food always seems to taste better when enjoyed outdoors and in the company of great friends and family. So, pack your picnic basket, grab a blanket, bring some companions, and take advantage of the sunny warm weather the spring and summer months have to offer with an al fresco dining experience! Don’t sweat, planning a picnic doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Here are some fun and fuss-free ideas for planning a picnic in the fresh air and sunshine!

1. Pick a Location:

• At the Park: Whether you’re on a grassy spot in the sunlight or under the shade of a tree, a park is the perfect place to gather for a picnic! If you’re feeling guilty about leaving your beloved pooch at home, there are plenty of pet-friendly parks so you can bring Fido along!
• On a Beach: Sun, surf, and sand is the ideal combination for a picnic on the beach! Just make sure you enjoy each element separately to avoid melted, soggy, or grainy grub.
• At a Drive-In Movie: CRAVing a romantic night with your sweetie? Dinner and a movie underneath a blanket of twinkling nighttime stars is a perfect date night combination. Don’t forget to bring popcorn and candy!
• In Your Backyard: Want to enjoy a meal outside but don’t feel like hauling a basket or cooler full of food around? No problem, a picnic in your backyard can be just as fun and probably less stressful if you happen to forget the napkins!
• On a Roof-top Patio: For those of you dwelling in the concrete jungle, many apartment and condo buildings have a roof-top patio for their residents to enjoy. The only difference? Rather than being surrounded by trees, you have adjacent skyscrapers to provide shade.

2. Picnic Menu Items:

We encourage you to be creative, but to also keep things simple with your picnic menu! Remember, you have to schlep these baskets around with limited heating or cooling available, and food poisoning is never included in the recipe for fun. Pack your picnic baskets with these simple palate pleasers, bon appetit!

• Savor: Definitely use your left-overs when you can! Roasted chicken can be used to make a yummy pasta or Caesar salad. You can also make some simple PB&J or turkey sandwiches the night before and refrigerate them until you’re ready to head out. Soft bagels with cream cheese are also a great and effortless menu option. Here are some other easy picnic recipes to consider.
• Sip: Class up your picnic with a bottle of wine to sip while you savor your meal, which is ideal if you’re enjoying a laid-back picnic on your backyard porch. For public parks and beaches, we recommend some bubbly and refreshing sparkling apple cider instead. Lemonade is also the classic beverage of choice for a sunny spring/summer picnic.
• Sweets: You can’t go wrong with brownies and cookies, which are crowd-pleasers for any age. A fresh fruit salad is delicious and nutritious, and also surprisingly portable! We generally don’t recommend packing anything that melts quickly, but if you’re having a backyard picnic you can get away with serving ice cream and popsicles!

3. Picnic Essentials NOT to Forget:

• Sunscreen/sun block: Don’t ruin your outdoor picnic with a painful sunburn, keep yourself sun protected! As the people from the land down under would say, “Slip, Slop, Slap: slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, and slap on a hat.”
• Insect repellant: A good idea if you’re going to be outdoors long enough for the mosquitoes to come out for their own picnic.
• Big quilt/blanket: If you’re going to be dining on the grass, sit on a big quilt or blanket to protect yourself from ants in your pants, or even worse, in your food!
• Eating utensils: Finger food is always fun, but if you plan on serving something that requires a fork, spoon, or knife, eating with your bare hands will get messy and complicated.
• Plastic bag(s): Be considerate of others and the park in which you are enjoying your picnic and clean up any trash or food waste. Also, if your pooch joined you for your picnic, please pick up behind your pawed pal as well.
• Anti-bacterial hand gel/wipes: Ahh, germs! Need we say more?
• Entertainment: Don’t dine and dash, stay a while! Bring some playing cards, a Frisbee, or play bocce ball while your tummies digest.

Get Your Color on with rouge cosmetics

May 7, 2010 by Aubry | Comments (1)

Ann Supple Massey and her team of estheticians and makeup artists at rouge cosmetics won’t recommend anything to their customers that they don’t love themselves. From their Salem location, which “glows pink,” Ann brings Boston-area residents the best in cosmetics. Whether you CRAVE long, lovely and elegant lashes for you wedding day, luscious lips for your night on the town with the girls, or some sweet, smooth skin, rouge is your go-to source.  This Mother’s Day, choose the perfect colors as a pair – with mom, that is.  Rouge is offering “2 for 1″ lessons for Mother’s Day!  So head on over to rouge to bring some color into your life.  You’ll be putting your freshest face forward in no time!  For more on Ann, makeup maestro, keep reading:

You’re on a desert island.  You can only choose one beauty product; What do you choose?

Definitely mascara.  Nothing makes you look alive more than your eyes.  Mascara is the quickest way to wake them up!  I love Stila Multi-Effects Mascara since it’s the perfect all-around thickening and lengthening mascara with a brush that naturally curls your lashes.

Any women in your life who have inspired you?

My mom.  She raised me and my 4 siblings as a single parent and worked very hard to support us all.  She is always there to help and  is very generous with her time and energy.  Today she enjoys spoiling her 10 grandchildren and 5 step-grandchildren!

What is the most fulfilling part of your work?

Empowering girls and women to look and feel more beautiful and confident.  Some people look at makeup as superficial, but I see it as a way to empower women to go out into the world feeling fabulous about themselves.  We love doing makeup lessons!

Any cosmetics trends for Spring/Summer 2010?

Coral on the cheeks and lips and an unexpected pop of turquoise on the eyes are great for summer.  These colors can be a sheer hint of color or bold and bright!   Coral and turquoise are also great to bring to that pedicure to brighten up your toes! Stila Long Wear Lip Color in Outragious, NARS Lipstick in  Love Devotion and Eye Shadow Duo in Burn it Blue, as well as Deborah Lippmann Nail Lacquer in Supermodel, are a few of my favorites, all available at rouge, of course!

rouge cosmetics

322 derby street

salem, ma 10970

www.rouge.com

Bond with these Activites on Mother’s Day

May 3, 2010 by Aubry | Comments (0)

It’s that time of year – it’s all about mom. You know as well as we do – with a hectic lifestyle, sometimes traditional alternatives have to do the trick (isn’t it the thought that counts?). But with all that mom has done for you, we’re guessing you probably CRAVE some creative mother/daughter bonding activities this Mother’s Day. So take a break from the craziness of the day to bond with the number one woman in your life. Whether you’re a “like- mother-like-daughter duo” or have completely different tastes, you’re sure to find a fabulous way to celebrate your mom in style with our irresistible options! Get ready to make some memories!

Rediscover Family Recipes
What better way to celebrate the women in your family than with a day dedicated to the culinary queens that have graced your family over the years? We all have recipes stashed away in a drawer in the kitchen that we always talk about with family members during holiday time. How many times have you reminisced about Grandma Marie’s outrageous chicken Marsala or Aunt Susan’s legendary lemon meringue? It’s time to pull out those recipes and cook them up with mom! Be sure to recopy those recipes that are written on paper that is little worse for wear, organize them and swap memories as you savor your hard work. So, if CRAVE something spicy or sweet and want to share special memories of the wonderful women that have paved your way, get cooking with mom. Who knows, you might even make some mother-daughter recipes of your own!

Other ideas for the the crafty mother-daughter duo:

- Organize family photos in scrapbooks or photo albums.
- Transfer old family tapes to DVD.
- Take an art class together.

Mother-Daughter Massage
What better way to say goodbye to stress and pamper the number one woman in your life than with a mother-daughter massage and spa treatment? Sometimes, the unspoken shared moments in life mean the most. With a little time to meditate, make muscles melt and mend your bodies, you and mom will be bonding in no time. Take some time together to choose your lineup of indulgences for the day. Whether you and mom CRAVE some hot stone therapy, aromatherapy or holistic skin care, your Mother’s Day Spa date is sure to be one to remember!

Other options for mothers and daughters looking to chill:

- Take a yoga class together.
- Safely score some rays of sunshine at the beach.
- Pack a picnic lunch and your suits. Find the perfect place to swim, enjoy the water and indulge in some homemade picnic classics!

Generational Clothing Swap:
Admit it – you have always wanted to raid mom’s closet (maybe you already have!) for some of those classy vintage outfits she has saved over the years. She’s probably had her eye on some of yours! Now is your chance to share style secrets that span a few more decades. Spend the days discussing style and sharing trends that have come in and out of both your lives. You might find some similarities you would never suspect – styles always seem to come back! After you swap chic secrets, you might even want to have a generational fashion show. Whatever decade you and mom each CRAVE when it comes to style, the creative possibilities are endless when you put your heads together in the name of fashion!

Alternatives for moms and daughters with fashion in their blood:

- Get out there for some retail therapy, but here’s the catch – pick outfits for each other. You could be pleasantly surprised, or you might be laughing the entire time you’re in the dressing room!
- Score mother-daughter style makeover consultations.
- Go on a fashionable date – check CRAVE and other local listings for fashion shows and other styling events in your city.

No matter what you CRAVE and how you choose to celebrate mom, enjoy your time together. Happy Mother’s Day from all of us at CRAVE.

Beautiful, Bright, Blissful – We’re Craving These Blooms

April 14, 2010 by Aubry | Comments (0)

As hibernation comes to an end, what better way to celebrate the sun than with a bunch of your favorite flowers?  Whether you’re after the perfect peonies for mom, a carnation corsage for your prom-goer, a budding bouquet for that springtime wedding, or a pick-me-up for yourself, the greater Boston area is blooming with fantastic flowers.  Be sure to check out these flower shops we CRAVE.  With so many budding options, you’ll be smelling the roses all spring long!

Fiddlehead Flowers - fiddlehead-flowers.com

Simplicity, elegance, style – at Fiddlehead in Salem, owner Jacqueline Albanese takes pride in each and every arrangement that goes out her doors.  Jacqueline and her team use the highest quality flowers and unique containers in their hand-crafted creations.  In addition to the breathtaking blooms you take home in their arrangements, the Fiddlehead crew brings their beautiful buds to you with patio gardening consults and plantings.  Whatever your flowering needs may be, Fiddlehead Flowers is sure find the florals to fit you.

Bow Street Flowers - bowstreetflowers.com

With her focus on “beautiful flowers,” owner Shelley White and team cater to each and every customer’s floral fantasies with Old World artisan style and standards from their Somerville home base.  Be sure to check out the spring collection at Bow Street, which features gorgeous peonies, sweet pea, hydrangea, lilacs, freesia and ferns.  Take some time to visit Shelley’s store, where her creations are displayed with her personal collection of rustic antiques.  At Bow Street Flowers, blooms are always bold, beautiful and bountiful.

Mimosa – mimosastyle.com

Teresa Fung brings her vision to Mimosa, located in Boston’s South End.  Characterized by “clean lines of Asian design,” “the lushness of European bouquets,” and “the natural beauty of fresh flowers,” you’re sure to find top-of-the-line blossoms for all your floral needs.  If you’re after sophistication tailored to your taste, you’re sure to find just what you’re looking for at Mimosa.  Stop by for a visit to experience Teresa’s talents for yourself.  You won’t be disappointed!

Spring (Baby) Showers

February 17, 2010 by Suzanne N. | Comments (0)

We all know spring brings showers! So if you are attending a baby shower this season, stop by one of these fabulous Boston boutiques for chic itsy-bitsy apparel for baby and find some fun goodies for mom, too!

Mulberry Road This stylish baby boutique in the heart of Boston offers an exclusive selection of adorable clothing, tiny accessories and shoes, and fun toys and sweet gifts like the Baby Memory Book. Whether you are searching for the perfect shower gift or stocking up on baby gear for your own little one, you are sure to find all you need and more among Mulberry Road’s extensive selection. For traditional showers gifts, check out the hand painted wooden piggy banks. Less conventional? Don’t miss the tiny “Elmo is my Homeboy” tee!

Chulamama Calling all soon-to-be mommies! Creating a life is a lot of work! But searching for maternity clothes that fit, feel, and look great shouldn’t be. This is why Chulamama (translation: Cool Mama) was created. They are devoted to bringing you only the best maternity, nursing and baby clothes available — the softest fabrics, the coolest styles, and the best brands out there! While you’re there, check out their line of baby clothes! Searching for a shower gift? Don’t miss their line of organic baby products and gifts!

Magic Beans At Magic Beans, husband and wife team Eli and Sheri Gurock have created a retail experience designed for both kids and parents. Here you will find a handpicked selection of inspirations toys, colorful baby gear and modern nursery furniture. Every Magic Beans store also includes a Playscape where their youngest customers can relax while parents browse the selection. And, Magic Beans also hosts many unique in-store events ranging from Story Time to Arts and Crafts to Stroller Speed Dating!

Hatched Boston’s first 100% organic baby store, Hatched, specializes in finest organic fiber clothing, eco-friendly toys and cloth diapering supplies. Hatched’s selection, however, is not hempy or hippie – the clothes are brightly colored and the fabrics are fine, nor course or woven. At Hatched, you are guaranteed that every toy, every onesie, every diaper, everything you purchase is completely natural, and made without and dangerous lead dye practices. Don’t miss their plethora of earth-friendly diaper products, as well as practical kiddie gear. And check out the kimono inspired onesie before your next baby shower!

Hands of Time

February 12, 2010 by Suzanne N. | Comments (0)

You are a savvy urban gal trying to do it all – but unfortunately there are only 24 hours in a day! For those of us striving to accomplish ever-growing to-do lists, Carolyn Kraut founded Hands of Time, a personal concierge company providing almost every kind of service to busy people and businesses in Boston. As your concierge, Hands of Time can manage all your personal, household and business needs, giving you more time to focus on what you enjoy! Their services range from Personal Shopping and Event Planning to Pet Sitting, Travel, and Home Management, plus an array of everyday tasks and special requests. Carolyn’s goal is to help you make the best use of your time, so sit back, relax and let Hands of Time do the heavy lifting for you!

Continue reading to learn more about this savvy businesswoman who will be featured in our upcoming CRAVE Boston Guide!

How would you describe your business in exactly three adjectives?
Organized, Energetic, Creative

People may be surprised to know…
That we will take on any task as long as it’s ethical and legal.

What are your most popular products or services?
Our services are so diverse, but it’s the everyday tasks that keep our homes and lives humming that are requested the most. These include pet care, gift shopping and arranging for home repairs.

How do you spend your free time?
Reading, taking pictures, going to museums, and checking out local events.

Indoor Fitness – Pilates, Yoga, Dancing…Oh My!

November 24, 2009 by Gina | Comments (1)

Summer is over but that doesn’t mean your workout routine has to be. Keep in shape this winter indoors. It’s nice to be able to run and exercise outside but with the winter weather approaching take it to the studio instead. We’re not just talking gyms, we’re talking yoga studios, pilates classes, etc. Here is a list of some indoor fitness studios we CRAVE.

• With a modern approach to pilates, one that blends the best of all the training schools with what works best for you, visit Modern Pilates (modernpilatesboston.com) within BodyScapes Fitness on Beacon St Boston. Modern Pilates offers equipment classes which can be private solo or private duet or trio, pre and post pardem pregnancy classes, and rehab classes.

• Core de Vie (coredevie.com) is Boston’s most unique full service lifestyle center. Offering a range of services from acupuncture, spa services and a movement studio, Core de Vie has everything you need for a healthy lifestyle under one roof. Classes include Gyrotonic®, Gyrokenisis®, Pilates and Yoga. Also pick up your workout gear at the Core de Vie store.

• “Feed your soul” at North End Yoga (northendyoga.com). Try the new community vinyasa class to combine breath with movement for only $5. Also offered is Ashtanga yoga, Mysore style Ashtanga, Yin yoga, Pilates, and Pilates Fusion. North End Yoga also offers private sessions. Owners of North End Yoga recently opened MODA, an athletic apparel store where you can get all your yoga gear.

• Another fun way to stay in shape is through dance. Check out DanceFit Studio (dancefitstudio.com) in Brookline. Owner Gina Fay offers classes in Ballet, Ballet Pilates Fusion, Cardio Dance, Hip-Hop w/ Abs, Pilates Stretch, Stretch and Tone, and Fit Abs in 15. If you love to dance this is the place for you to get fit!