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Suffering from Skin Damage this Summer? Fight it with these Foods!

August 16, 2010 by Jenny P. | Comments (0)

We all want beautiful skin, especially during the “skin showing” months of summer. So how do we get it without spending a fortune at the Clinique counter? By eating antioxidant rich foods, that’s how. Your skin, just like every other organ in your body, needs antioxidant laden foods to keep it healthy and toxin free. Here are some of the most important foods to eat for beautiful skin. Try to get these delicious foods into your diet as often as possible and I promise you will love the results.

Foods for beautiful skin:

Sunflower seeds, Swiss chard, and almonds- What do they all have in common? Vitamin E! Vitamin E works to protect skin from ultra violet rays and rejuvenate the cells. Sauté swiss chard with garlic and olive oil and top with a mix of toasted almonds and sunflower seeds. Vitamin E never tasted so good!

Cauliflower, walnuts, and cabbage- Did you think wild salmon was the only place to get Omega 3 fatty acids? Well get excited because they are in vegetables too! Omega 3’s are essential in creating beautiful skin for they help maintain cell membranes. It is these membranes that act as barriers for the body, letting water and nutrients in, and keeping toxins out. Make an easy cabbage slaw topped with walnuts then steam cauliflower and serve with a lemon tahini sauce (also packed with Vitamin C). After these two dishes, your skin will be good to go!

Carrots, Kale, and Apricots- Not only are these foods quick and easy to get your hands on, they also serve up a giant does of Vitamin A (aka Beta Carotene). Vitamin A is involved in the repair and growth of body tissues, which is particularly beneficial when dealing with sun damaged skin. Stir-fry carrots and kale with garlic, ginger, and soy sauce for a great side dish. For the apricots, try throwing them on the grill for a great summer dessert!

Bell peppers, broccoli, and strawberries- Loaded with more vitamin C than an orange, these foods work to create collagen in the skin and protect your lovely epidermis from oxidative stress. Best ways to eat them? Grill the peppers and broccoli or eat them raw with hummus. As for strawberries, just pop them in your mouth (or put them in a crisp).

Shitake mushrooms, cod and shrimp- Mushrooms (both shittake and crimini), cod, and shrimp are chock full of selenium, a potent nutrient that promotes skin elasticity and quality. Broil cod with a fresh tomatoes and basil. For the shrimp and mushrooms, toss them into an easy Thai curry. So good!

*This post was written by Jamie Dougherty for the Please feel free to contact Jamie with questions or to share your health, wellness and foodie stories. Email: jamiegd@jamieliving.com Facebook: JAMIE LIVING Twitter:JAMIE LIVING

Fabulous Finds for Fall!

August 11, 2010 by Jenny P. | Comments (0)

Here in L.A. we have great boutiques that are ready for the upcoming season. Fall is almost here which means time to grab the new must haves for fall! From the outfits, shoes, to accessories; they have everything you need to look your best.

1. For fall we are CRAVEing fabulous jackets that can be paired with all kinds of outfits. Our favorite picks came from Lake boutique. They have jackets for all types of weather and their styles are unique and fun.

2. Every girl loves a great graphic tee for the fall season. KC Tees has exactly what you need to show your individual style in choosing your next graphic tee. Their goal is to inspire integrity, respect, and self esteem that have messages we can all embrace.

3. Fall this year is all about exaggerated bracelets and jewelry. We found some fabulous accessories to compliment your fall apparel at Arcade Boutique. They are the perfect way to spice up any outfit and make it complete.

4. What better way to finish up your look then with a perfect pair of shoes. We found an unlimited amount of must-haves at Beige. They offer the perfect pumps for fall that will leave your feet extremely happy.

Bloggers To Watch Out For: Fashionistas

August 2, 2010 by Jenny P. | Comments (0)

From runway show recaps to laid-back street looks, the world of fashion blogging is a vibrant virtual scene. It’s not necessarily about the newest, hottest, or spendiest trend — it’s about the textiles, color palettes and silhouettes that make us feel gorgeous.

For a jolt of wardrobe inspiration to pull you through the dog days of summer, bookmark Jazzi McGilbert, Sally McGraw and “Miss” James Kicinski. While their personal styles may diverge, their message is the same: get dressed, and get going!

Jazzi McGilbert of JazziMcG.com

Thrift store scenester? Or haute couture hound? Jazzi McGilbert (aka Jazzi McG) confidently struts straight down the center of the spectrum. Her blog traipses through the world of high fashion, throws the spotlight on intimate “intern confessionals” and shares a few DIY treasures (Alexander Wang sock garters, anyone?). As Jazzi puts it, her mission is to “let everyone know that the fashion industry can be tackled without a trust fund”. Can I get an amen, sister?

Sally McGraw of Already Pretty
Can one personal stylist change the way women view their bodies, and themselves? Sally McGraw thinks so. The lovely McGraw elevates her passion for chic clothing with an outspoken commitment to body acceptance. Blog posts like “What IS Flattering?” provide commonsense insights into topics that have frustrated shoppers since the dawn of time. And her weekly contests and giveaways — which range from cotton scarves to summer frocks to hefty gift cards — are not to be missed.

“Miss” James Kicinski of Bleubird Vintage
Chic baby mama. Vinyl record collector. Frilly knicker designer. Miss James is a retro inspiration — and a drop-dead gorgeous one, at that. In addition to writing about her latest Etsy obsessions and selling dreamy vintage-inspired collections through her online shop, James also blogs over at N.E.E.T. magazine. Best of luck as she stylishly feathers the nest for her new baby (due in July). What a busy little bird!

*This post was written by Alexandra Franzen for the CRAVE company:

ALEXANDRA FRANZEN is a writer + editor + organization freak. She designs rockstar resumes, leads personal branding jam sessions, writes marketing copy and teaches wallflowers how to hustle like a gangsta’. You can find her blogging up a storm at Unicorns for Socialism and tweeting away @alex_franzen.

Connections Galore!

July 14, 2010 by Jenny P. | Comments (0)

When running a business (or just running your life), you are constantly making new connections. Whether you are heading up an event, composing a website or publicizing your blog- you are building up your network of people you need to know. We are constantly CRAVEing assistance from professionals that can give us good advice and help us grow. We have scoured the L.A. area and found some women owned businesses that will do the trick!

Wildfire PR & Branding
LA based, Dana Sarbeck and Crystal Gryniuk have established a beauty, fashion, and lifestyle public relations and marketing agency with global reach. Through collaboration with clients, they use a 360 degree approach that generates brand awareness while increasing retail revenue. From an independent boutique to a nationally-recognized brand, they ignite the buzz that builds brands! To find out more about them see their website.

LA Glam Events
Creative and stylish, LA Glam Events is a full-service firm specializing in design and production of events ranging from small dinner events to large-scale fund-raising galas. Owners Erin Preuss and Christina Kaye Murphy have more than 15 years of experience producing beautiful, legacy building events for individuals, corporations, and non-profit organizations.

Success for Solopreneurs
Encouraging and knowledgeable, Katy Tafoya empowers small businesses and solopreneurs to reach beyond just having a website and basic social media. She helps clients create their online strategy and claim their expertise to gain control of their online presence.

CRAVEable Bachelorette Gifts!

July 7, 2010 by Jenny P. | Comments (0)

Ladies! Summer weddings are in full swing, which means gathering the gal pals and having a fabulous bachelorette party to celebrate your friend’s finals days of freedom before they take the plunge. There are many different ideas as to what is included in a bachelorette party, but one thing is always consistent. Lingerie! No lady can have enough, therefore we have scoured L.A. and found some places we CRAVE to get our next set of delicates from as well as other gifts for your bride-to-be!

Faire Frou Frou
This is the ultimate luxury lingerie boutique. They specialize in unique intimate apparel and lounge wear.  This award winning shop is a visual treat showcasing the world’s top lingerie designers. Your bride-to-be will love any of the delicates offered here. They are sophisticated as well as sexy and comfortable. What more could you ask for?! To find out more about them see their website.

Jenette Bras
Now ladies if the bride-to-be is an exceptionally busty gal, then this is the place to find what she needs! They offer LA’s finest selection of D-K cup brassieres. They are sweet, sassy, and extremely comfortable. Make an outing for the experience and go in with some gals to get fitted. Its a fun way for your friend to find the perfect fitting lingerie. To see more check them out here!

Strip Waxing and Lingerie Boutique
This boutique offers an array of sexy lingerie for your special bride-to-be as well as another fabulous service, waxing! Grab a gift certificate and your bride will truly be thankful for your sweet gift. They provide the best and least-painful waxing experience, which is something every woman CRAVEs. To see more about them, look on their website here.

Daddy’s Day is Almost Here!

June 14, 2010 by Jenny P. | Comments (0)

Father’s Day is around the corner and every year its the same. We ponder WHAT to get our dear dads for a gift. We all know that whatever we hand them they’ll be thankful for; but we always want to push the envelope! When we are pressed for time and don’t have the effort left to make something extremely sentimental, here is some advice from your friends at CRAVE on what to do that will make him smile.

Try and remember what your dad is passionate about. Is he an outdoors-man? Cook? Tech-savvy? Music lover? With some passion he has in mind its always easier to direct your gift towards a certain theme and come out successful. It will help you avoid spending hours shopping with no clue of what to get as well as guaranteeing that he will appreciate the gift and the thought you put into it.
If still stuck on where to begin with finding a gift, maybe go in a different direction then a simple gift from the store. Does you’re dad love a certain comedian or band? Grab tickets to a concert.

Dad’s love knowing you want to spend time with them, so if time allows, do an activity that involves doing something together. Time spent is more precious than any other gift money could buy!

Remember first and foremost that its your dad’s day! All that matters truly matters is that you make sure to tell him he’s special and you love him.

It’s World Cup Time!

June 6, 2010 by Jenny P. | Comments (0)

Ladies! The World Cup is on this week, so why not throw a fabulous party to celebrate! Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and throwing a party will be just another fun reason to sit around the TV with the gals and drool over men in jerseys.

So what are the three key items necessary for throwing a great party? Friends, food, and some fun drinks. With those elements you’re bound to have fun.

First, lets start off with friends. Invite your best gal pals over (probably 8 to 10 ladies) and ask them to previously pick a team to cheer for. Then suggest they wear the colors of their team to the party. It will add a small hint of competition to the group and keep your ladies having fun screaming for their men during the game.

Second, it may be a soccer party but the snacks don’t have to be the typical game food of chicken wings and burgers. For your ladies, whip up a batch of cupcakes or if in a time crunch grab some from your local grocer and decorate them with the colors of the teams playing. As for the other snacks, everything needs to be decent at room temperature, since once the game starts the attention will be focused more on the TV. Perhaps some bruschetta and caprese salad would be yummy finger food that will leave your guests happy and satisfied. If feeling too crunched for time on the snacky goods, ask your gals to each bring something small and yummy with them when they come. It will help relieve some of the stress and you know then you’ll have plenty of food to go around.

Third, but just as important are those drinks! Decide to make some of your favorite cocktails or bubbly that will keep the girls having fun throughout the game. Perhaps a drink that includes the colors of the teams! Drinks are always fun but no one wants to bust their budget on buying alcohol that not everyone will like, so let your girlfriends know you will be providing some drinks, but suggest they bring more if they have a specific or picky preference.

So no more excuses and procrastinating! You now have all you need for a successful party! All that’s left is letting the gals know and start getting caught up on your knowledge of the teams and the gorgeous men playing. Games start June 11th so get your head in the game and get your party started!