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

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:

Do you have any home DIYs plans for spring?

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!

An Interview with Tamiko Hargrove of Helen Julia

January 29, 2010 by Ashley B. | Comments (0)


After growing up in a household full of inspiration, and learning what  fashion really was through her style icons, her mother and grandmother, Tamiko Hardgrove developed a desire to make people both look and feel good. Combining her creativity and flare for crafts and fashion, Tamiko developed a line of scented candles called Helen Julia that can give any overworked, tired and stressed out mom and business woman the feeling of peace in a hectic world. With unique scents like Terrycloth Robe, Sexy Suede and Soft Mink, she has created a business and product that provide inspiration and beauty to many!

How would you describe your business in exactly three adjectives?
Luxury. Classic. Natural.

What are your most popular products or services?
Our most popular products are our hand-poured beautifully packaged scented soy candles. A particular best-seller is our Cashmere Cloud Soy Candle scented in Amber, Jasmine and Musk.

People may be surprised to know…
The name Helen Julia was inspired by my grandmothers; Helen and Julia.
What or who inspired you to start your business?

Having a passion for both beauty and candles, I had no luck finding great scents combined with beautiful packaging. Therefore, I was forced to create my own.  And thus, Helen Julia was born!

Who is your role model or mentor?
My role model is my grandmother, Julia Annette. I am blessed to be able to listen to her wisdom on life. Grandma knows best… “When you receive love, you give love.” -Julia Annette


What business mistake have you made that you will not repeat?
Saying “No” to a project that I thought wouldn’t be worth my time. Turns out, I should have said “Yes”. It was worth my time to work on a celebrity client’s candles. The client wasn’t revealed until after I said “No”.

How do you spend your free time?
I spend my free time with my family. My two year old niece is the cutest to watch as she explores and discovers what she’s capable of doing.

What is your indulgence?
My indulgence is shopping at my favorite apparel store for new designs (hopefully on sale).

Where is your favorite place to go with your girlfriends?
My favorite place to go with girlfriends is Sunday brunch. There are so many great places in NYC. We just have to pick one on a nice early afternoon for girlie chat!

What do you CRAVE? In business? In life?
I crave being happy doing what I love! Life is short and I intend to make it sweet!

Favorite Places:
Soho Sanctuary Day Spa (the eucalyptus sauna is heavenly!), Hotel Gansevoort Spa for a mani and pedi, and Soho House to end the day for an upscale social scene.

Favorite Things:
My blackberry – I never leave home without it, my Louis Vuitton Speedy (my quick grab and go bag), Ugg boots because they are the most comfy to run errands in, and my black leggings that are super comfy to wear with my Uggs.

Visit on the Web: helenjulia.com

An Interview with Gillian Rose of Color Our World

January 22, 2010 by Ashley B. | Comments (5)


Color makes the world go ’round…or at least it does for us – and for Gillian C. Rose, an interior and color designer, and owner of Color Our World. Using a unique blend of color psychology and an exquisite color palette, Gillian and Color Our World will create YOU, in COLOR. She will make the rooms of your home represent you. Her patented process delves into the hows and whys, through personality and color, to create the surroundings that you want to be immersed in, everyday. As Gillian says, its your space, your colors and your feeling of well-being. Below, a few tips and tidbits from the queen of color herself.

How would you describe your business in exactly three adjectives?
Enlightening, harmonious and beautifying.

What are your most popular products or services?
Paint colors that create a sense of well being and reflect who they are created for.

People may be surprised to know…
Pale colors are not actually soothing or relaxing.

What or who inspired you to start your business?
9/11 made me delve into what I have to offer people – and that’s COLOR!

Who is your role model or mentor?
Claude Monet, Henri Matisse, Vincent Van Gogh.

What business mistake have you made that you will not repeat?
Not marketing enough.

How do you spend your free time?
Going to museums. Relaxing over a home made meal with friends.

What is your indulgence?
Vintage colored glass.

Where is your favorite place to go with your girlfriends?
The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What do you CRAVE? In business? In life?
Bringing the perfect color to each & every person. Becoming an international company. Finding my soulmate.

Favorite Places: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Sculpture Garden; Georgica Beach, East Hampton; Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.

Favorite Things: Vintage Murano Glass; Lafco Peony Candle – Powder Room; Colors.

Advice for Women Starting their Own Business: Nurture every relationship.

www.colorourworld.com