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

Peek into the CRAVE Closet

February 25, 2010 by Sarah Clise | Comments (0)


Our very own Melody Biringer had her closet raided! MyCloset.com, a website dedicated to airing people’s dirty laundry (literally), recently featured the CRAVEcompany founder in its scintillating Celebrity Closets installment. Among the hangers and hampers, a myriad of wardrobe gems were unearthed from all over the world. Woolen leg-warmers from Amsterdam, Ilse Jacobsen rain boots from Seattle, a bold purple dress from Vancouver, BC… how can that much cuteness exist in one closet? Lucky for us, Melody divulged a few of her shopping secrets and we can all check out her fashion favorites for ourselves. Below check out some of her most-cherished boutiques.

Moscow (moscowdesign.nl)
Runstraat 8, 1111 AA, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Horseshoe (horseshoeseattle.com)
5344 Ballard Avenue Northwest Seattle, WA 98107

Lambs Ear (lambsearshoes.com)
3516 Fremont Place No.inesgloves.com Seattle, WA 98103

Ines Gloves (inesgloves.com)
Oudezijds Achterburgwal 132 1012 DV Amsterdam, Netherlands

JC Studio (jcstudio.ca)
46 West 6th Avenue Vancouver, BC V5Y 1K1

sonja | clothes to live in (sonjatacoma.com)
2701 N 21st St, Tacoma, WA 98406

Switch Shoes (switch-shoes.com)
7871 Southwest Capitol Highway, Portland, OR 97219

For a truly in depth look into the world of women-owned boutiques, check out the CRAVEguide for a city near you. These books are brimming with local women you need to know, whether you want to satisfy a craving for your closet, appetite, business, or piece of mind.

Organize your Life

February 24, 2010 by Emily | Comments (1)


Sometimes our lives become overwhelmed by the mounds of papers from work and the never ending process of checking emails or the clutter of magazines, coats, shoes, and mail. Your unorganized life can create an enormous amount of stress. Take some of these tips into consideration to create a happier and more organized life for yourself!

OrganizeNY (organizeny.com)

According to OrganizeNY founder, Juli Oliver, organization is a skill that can be learned through a process of decisions. Since 2005 she has been helping clients by using her skills to creatively sort, dispose of, and control clutter. OrganizeNY is not afraid to tackle anything new. They are committed to providing long term solutions for short term problems.

Practice some of Juli’s tips for a more organized home:

  • For everything that comes in the door, something must go out.
  • Open you mail as soon as you get it. Recycle the junk, anything that’s not important or that will be sitting around and take things out of their envelopes
  • Never underestimate the uses for over the door shoe bags. They make great storage for your coat closet- gloves, scarves and hats. Bathrooms supplies and toiletries. Even kids arts and crafts. Just remember to place objects that are heavy in the bottom row.

Gotham Organizers (gothamorganizers.com)

Lisa Zaslow, founder of Gotham Organizers, never forgot what she learned as an 11-year old Girl Scout: Leave a place better than you found it. Since 2002, she’s helped hundreds of people and businesses make the most of their space, stuff, information and time, so they can focus on the things in life that are really important. Lisa’s Less Mess = Less Stress™ workshops and teleclasses have taught thousands of people how to do more in less time. Gotham Organizers doesn’t preach the conventional organizing “rules” (Lisa has yet to figure out how to touch every piece of paper only once and has clothes in her closet that she hasn’t worn in over a year); she takes a customized approach, working with each client’s specific needs, values, and space, to create environments and systems that truly work for them.

Practice some of Lisa’s tips for a more organized office:

  • Prevail over e-mail. Try to check and respond to e-mail at designated “sessions” rather than continuously throughout the day. Mute the incoming mail chime to make it easier to ignore each new message.
  • Minimize interruptions. When you really need to get something done, make yourself unavailable–no calls, e-mail or visitors.

Do you have any organization tips that you CRAVE to share?

Home is Wherever You Hang Your Hat

February 23, 2010 by Lynn Edwards | Comments (0)



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 (0)



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!

Oh, baby baby!

February 17, 2010 by Emily | Comments (0)


With bouncing bundles of joy on the way, baby showers are bound to be coming as well. What to get a mother-to-be can be a tough decision. Do you opt for something cute and classic like a onesie? How about a toy or game? With so many options to choose from, we have found some shops to CRAVE to pamper a mother-to-be, and maybe pick up a little something for you too!

Magic Windows (magicwindowskids.com)

When you think charming boutiques and high end shopping, there is no place better than Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Magic Windows has been and UES fixture for over 25 years, and offers the finest collection of classic children’s clothing and accessories. They also create beautiful and luxurious layettes for mothers-to-be, and assist you in selecting from their extensive selection of newborn and infant items to create the most memorable gift for any expecting mother. So whether you’re looking to create a gift basket or pick out a special outfit, Magic Windows is a must. They also specialize in personalization and monogramming of the items they sell, we love that!

1186 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10028

Thérapie New York (therapieny.com)

Whether you’re looking for plush toys or warm baby booties, this Upper West Side luxury lifestyle emporium has all the necessities to pamper a mother-to-be. Filled with books, toys, cute little onesies, and so much more, the treasures to be found at Therapie are endless. However, the owner and founder, Renee Chow, brings more to this fun boutique than simply shower gifts. This treasure trove knows no bounds. It’s the one stop shop for your face creams and other beauty products, fabulous headbands and funky hats, and you can pick up an extra pair of Spanx on your way out. It’s the perfect little place to buy everything you need and plenty that you want. We surely misplace many precious hours browsing all that Therapie has to offer.  It is truly retail therapy at its finest!

309 Columbus Avenue (Between 74th and 75th Streets)
New York, NY 10023


EcoBabyBuys (ecobabybuys.com)

If you’re looking for the best in eco-friendly baby products, then look no further than EcoBabyBuys. They are committed to ensuring the four following criteria in the products they sell–the use of non-toxic materials and dyes, organic and/or recycled materials, eco-friendly packaging, and a commitment to the standards of fair-trade. Featuring everything from dolls to puzzles to diaper bags, EcoBabyBuys covers all the mom-to-be necessities in a super fabulous, eco-friendly way! Shop them online.

A New Twist on the Theme Song

February 15, 2010 by Jade S. | Comments (0)



A Theme Song. Normally when you think of a theme song you think of the first 30 seconds of a TV Show or news broadcast. That annoying thirty second melody that plays over and over in our heads days after we have watched the show. But this week we take a new look at the theme song. We asked around on Twitter and Facebook and came up with a fabulous list of songs people consider their “theme songs” for life.

These are songs that lifts you up and makes you feel good. Songs that starts a fire and keeps you going. Songs that you dance around in your bedroom listening to while you sing into your hair brush. These are the songs that define us. Everyone has one hidden some where inside of them. It might be your phone ring or the song that plays in your headphones while you work out or before a big meeting – whenever you use it and however it makes you feel we thank you all for sharing your themes.

Here is a complete list of the suggested theme songs:

For your listening pleasure go to the complete playlist on the blip.fm page titled CRAVEThemeSongs.

And next time you need a pick me up or inspiration, crank up one of these tunes and sing out – you might be surprised just how good it makes you feel!

Valentine’s Day – Pink Themed Recipes

February 12, 2010 by Madeline C. | Comments (0)


There are so many pros to going out to dinner on Valentine’s Day and we can think of a lot of cons to staying in and cooking. But with the following recipes, staying in and making a home-cooked meal with your sweetheart might just look like the best idea ever!

Rack of Lamb with Herb and Olive Crust
For a pink themed menu, let’s start with a delicious lamb recipe. It comes from Caroline in Chicago’s blog (hwhippedtheblog.com). Our mouths are watering already!

1/3 cup coarsely chopped olives – kalamata, picholine or Manzanilla
1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh thyme
2 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
2 racks of lamb (7-8 ribs each, trimmed or frenched)
salt and pepper
3/6 cups breadcrumbs

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine olives, parsley, thyme, garlic and red pepper in a food processor or mortar. Make a rough paste. Stir in mayo. Set aside. Trim lamb so only a thin layer of fat remains. Heat a heavy skillet (NOT a nonstick) over high heat. Season racks with salt and pepper. Set in skillet fat side down and cook for about 2 minutes. Spread breadcrumbs on a plate. Coat the surface of the lamb with the olive paste then dip in the crumbs to coat. Put bone side down in a roasting pan. Cover the bone tips with foil so they don’t burn. Roast until instant read thermometer is 120-125 degrees for rare or 130-135 for medium. It will cook another 5 degrees when out of the oven. Let the lamb rest for 5 minutes. Cut apart between the bones and serve.

Strawberry Cupcakes
Amy Sherman, a San Francisco-based author, writer, and developer of all things food, shares an amazing strawberry cupcake recipe on her blog (cookingwithamy.blogspot.com). Cupcakes and strawberries are the key to any beau’s heart.

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 large egg
6 ounces Dannon® All Natural Vanilla Lowfat Yogurt (or any other fruit flavor of yogurt)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup fresh strawberries, diced

Frosting:
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 fresh strawberries, about 2 Tbsp. mashed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. With an electric hand mixer, beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the egg, Dannon® All Natural Vanilla Lowfat Yogurt and vanilla, blending until smooth.
2. Measure the dry ingredients into the bowl and blend, then fold in the strawberries.
3. Divide the mixture equally between the 12 paper-lined cupcake cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
4. Beat together butter, powdered sugar, and mashed strawberry in medium-size bowl until creamy and smooth. Chill frosting for 15 minutes or until thick. Frost cupcakes with a spatula. Keep cupcakes in the refrigerator loosely covered.
Yield: 12 servings

French Kiss
To accompany your beloved meal (cupcakes are a meal, right?), the Wedding Paper Divas have some suggestions for romantically festive drinks (blog.weddingpaperdivas.com). May we recommend the French Kiss? It’s just the perfect shade of pink to match you cupcakes…we mean cheeks!

Âľ oz Chambord
Âľ oz Peach Schnapps
Âľ oz Vodka
Splash orange juice, pineapple juice, cranberry juice
Serve straight up in a martini glass

An Interview with Jillian Wright of Jillian Wright Clinical Skin Spa

February 12, 2010 by Ashley B. | Comments (0)


Jillian Wright has dedicated her life to the pursuit of healthy, gorgeous skin. Over the last decade as a clinical aesthetician and spa owner, she has based her aesthetic practice on a trilogy combining her heart, mind and hands. Jillian believes that successful skincare practices need this exact recipe to deliver superior facial and massage treatments.  Jillian and her staff offer an array of skin and body therapies that are corrective yet, pampering in nature. Her mantra is that skin therapy is successfully delivered by achieving soft, strong, well-balanced, nourished skin – entrust your skin to her and we’re sure you’ll be pleased. Learn more about Jillian below…

How would you describe your business in exactly three adjectives?

Innovative, results-oriented, downhome-luxe

What are your most popular products or services?

Microdermabrasion, LED, Microcurrent Lifting, acne treatments, pigmentation treatments, therapeutic massage and waxing services.

People may be surprised to know…

I funded the spa 11 years ago on my credit cards!

What or who inspired you to start your business?

My father inspired me indirectly throughout my childhood.  He moved here from Germany at 18, learned English and became a professional photographer.  He has been working now for 40 years.

Who is your role model or mentor?

Dawn Gantt from Bioelements.  Her wealth of aesthetic knowledge is awe-inspiring.  My secret role model is Erica Gragg who founded Escape to Shape.  She combines travel, fitness, culture and spa services and brings her guests to unique locations all over the world.  She’s my hero!

What business mistake have you made that you will not repeat?

Bigger isn’t always better.  A smaller, more controlled environment allows for better service, more creativity, superior therapists and refined hospitality.

How do you spend your free time?

I have two small children so most of my time is spent with them – going to the park, bowling, exploring Manhattan, going to the zoo, trying new restaurants and playing.  If I’m on my own, I love hiking, getting pedicures, going to the movies, cooking, reading and wine tasting.

What is your indulgence?

When I think of indulgence, I think of two ways to enjoy life.  The first is at the Plaza Hotel, drinking Krug Rose and enjoying caviar.  The second would be a retreat with Escape to Shape.

Where is your favorite place to go with your girlfriends?

I love going to dinner at least once a month.  We usually pick a tapas restaurant like Pipa to catch up with each other.

What do you CRAVE? In business? In life?

In business I CRAVE a well-balanced environment for my staff and clients that isn’t stagnant and is backed by honesty, loyalty and trust.  In life, I CRAVE living life outside the lines with new cultures, adventure and always pushing my emotional and spiritual well-being for greater balance and wisdom.

Visit www.jillianwrightclinicalskinspa.com

The Best of Cupcakeries… just in time for Valentine’s Day!

February 10, 2010 by Emily | Comments (2)


With Valentine’s Day at the end of the week, many of us are looking for sweet treats to give our beau.  If you CRAVE cupcakes like we do, you might find the perfect gift for your sweetie this year in these CRAVE-worthy cupcakeries.

Kumquat Cupcakery (kumquatcupcakery.com)

Devouring eight mini cupcakes seems to make us feel like we are consuming fewer calories than if we were to just eat one normal sized cupcake, but with calorie counting forgotten, there is nothing that would prevent us from eating as many of these cute and tasty mini cupcakes as we can possibly get our hands on.  Owner, Keavy Landreth, has made an impact on us with her cute little cupcakes with big bold flavors.  We just can’t get enough of them!

What makes them unique?  These bite-sized cupcakes feature a variety of unique flavors that result in a mind-blowing experience that leave your taste buds craving more.  Not sure about maple bacon or coffee caramel bourbon cupcakes?  Just pop one in your mouth and savor the sweetness because there will be no going back.

You can order Kumquat’s cupcakes online or find them every Saturday and Sunday at the Brooklyn Flea Market.  If you’re planning on picking up a few for Valentine’s Day, they have a PopUp Shop open February 11th-14th at 170 Franklin Street (between Kent and Java) in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

sugar Sweet sunshine (sugarsweetsunshine.com)

With an idea in mind and a name that was taken from an etching on the cement that said “sugar Sweet sunshine, Love” in a big heart, this delectable cupcakery came to life.  It’s hard to decide what we CRAVE more about these cupcakes—the light, fluffy, moist cake or the sweet, creamy, delicious icing?  We’ve come to settle on the fact that it must just be the beautiful collision that happens when the two come together.  They have hit the spot with serving up perfected recipes of the classic cupcakes that we all love!

What makes them unique?  Set up more like your grandma’s cozy and out-of-date living room, sugar Sweet sunshine offers a comfortable and fun place where people not only pick up yummy tasting treats to go, but can hang out as if in their own space.  Decorated with old furniture from the owners’ apartments and thrift shop finds, this cupcakery creates a cozy atmosphere that many shops in NYC miss out on.

126 Rivington Street
New York, NY 10002
212-995-1960

Sweet Revenge (sweetrevengenyc.com)

After being laid off from a job in the corporate world, Owner/Founder Marlo Scott got her sweet revenge by forgetting the life of working for “the man” and started a business that she could love and enjoy.  With the unique concept of bringing tasty desserts and alcohol together, Sweet Revenge is not your granny’s cupcake shop.

What makes them unique? Aside from unique flavors and the wacky concept of a cupcakery and bar all in one, Sweet Revenge offers a list of beer and wine pairings to go with the cupcakes.  You beau will be totally tantalized by the fact that he can have his cake and eat it too… and have a beer to go with it.

62 Carmine Street (Between Bedford and 7th Ave)
New York, NY 10014
212-242-2240

11 Ways To Be Single on Valentine’s Day

February 9, 2010 by Sarah Clise | Comments (0)


Single, taken, or “it’s complicated”… regardless of your relationship status, Valentine’s Day can frankly be very obnoxious. If you’re with someone, you’re pressured to partake in extravagant displays of lovey-dovey cuteitude against your will. If you’re single, it’s even worse. You’re brutally reminded that those millions of cheesy greeting cards with kissing puppies on the front simply aren’t meant for you. Of course Valentine’s Day isn’t all bad, but it can be tough to go solo on a day when the rest of the world seems madly in love. In an effort to give single gals out there some solace, here’s a smattering of ideas from women (and two men) on what to do on February 14th if you’re single.

  • Get all your single girlfriends together for a fun-filled night of vino and good music… that’s what I’d do. Oh and shopping too (hell make an entire day of it)! -Phaedra, Taken, Los Angles [A Very CRAVE V-Day]
  • Two words: Southern. Comfort. Now you have advice from lady AND gentleman – Corbin, Taken, Washington DC [Best "Drink Your Sorrows Away" V-Day]
  • Celebrate the Chinese New Year! -Jocelyn, Single, Woodinvile [Best V-Day Replacement Holiday]
  • I heard the trick is to not make Valentine’s Day about loving a person you are in a relationship with, but to make it about loving all the people you love. If it isn’t about one person than it can be less disappointing when you spread out the love! – Courtney, Single, Santa Clara [Sweetest V-Day Idea]
  • Remember that it’s easier to be single on Valentine’s Day than stuck in a relationship that’s going nowhere fast. -Mike, Divorced, London [Best V-Day Reality Check]
  • This might be an LA only thing…but going to Disneyland with friends is awesome, as is going to Amoeba Records by yourself. – Natasha, Single, Los Angeles [Most LA V-Day]
  • Offer to babysit for your friends with kids! -Deborah, Taken, Woodinville [Most Charitable V-Day Idea]
  • I loved my single Valentines the best! Having a dinner party (with yummy cocktails) is fun with your single friends, or taking a little trip somewhere- the ocean, a cabin, a movie- with a few friends is wonderful! Just celebrating the people you love is what it’s all about! – Carly, Taken, Camano Island [Best Girlfriends V-Day]
  • If I were single on VDAY I’d go to Vegas for sure. But that’s just me… – Ashley, Taken, Los Angeles [Best V-Day for Ladies on the Prowl]
  • It’s two weeks away…. whose to say you will be single? Also… I hear having a bonfire is great fun… and if things go awry, a fireman comes over to visit – Adrienne, Single, Santa Fe [Hottest V-Day Idea]
  • Valentine’s Day is just another day…I would go to brunch and buy yourself some flowers. – Jess, Taken, San Diego [Best "Celebrate Yourself" V-Day Idea]

So there you have it. Booze, babysitting, brunch or bonfires – whatever you do, you definitely do not need a beau to enjoy your Valentine’s Day this year. Have fun!

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