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Design*Sponge at Home

September 30, 2011 by Amanda | Comments (0)

Last night, we had the pleasure of meeting Grace Bonney from the design blog Design*Sponge at the Seattle book launch for her new book, Design*Sponge at Home.

On a daily basis, Design*Sponge demonstrates the importance of visual design in all aspects of life. From interior design and flower arrangements to web and packaging design, Grace’s blog has been a guiding light for thousands all over the world. She also has a popular column called Biz Ladies, which addresses just about every topic you can imagine that has to do with running any kind of business!

Design*Sponge at Home, includes 70 home tours, 50 DIY projects, step-by-step DIY basics tutorials, 50 before & after makeovers submitted by readers of Design*Sponge, and essential tips on modern flower arranging, with 20 arrangements.

Throughout the years, Grace has been a huge inspiration for many members of the CRAVE team. Not only is she stylish, thrifty, imaginative and smart, she is humble about her successes and extremely down to earth. Meeting Grace—if only for a minute!—was an absolute dream.

Buy the book on Amazon, or click here for a full list of stores.

LKc Style on Playing Dress Up with Men (and Women!)

March 7, 2011 by Amanda | Comments (1)

Laura Knepper owns LKc Style, an affordable personal shopping company specializing in men’s clothing. Men’s clothing, you say? Indeed, she dresses up dashing gents for a living, and she is darn good at it! (Don’t worry, she works with gals now too.) Read on to learn more about this unique fashionista and what makes her tick.

What made you decide to do men’s styling?
The initial idea was simply that women had many personal shopping options but men had few options that focused specifically on their needs–along with the idea that men often have a difficult time shopping or just don’t want to take the time to do it, and much more so than women. So, there was a HUGE market that was being significantly under served. With those realizations, I did a lot of research on the industry and the market to ensure this was a financially viable path for the company.

What are the most common challenges you find with taking on someone’s personal statement?
Many men (and women too) are brave enough to come to us knowing they need a little help…or some times a lot of help. That is a great first step. We often find resistance in either getting rid of clothes due to emotional or financial attachment even though it might not fit properly or be stylistically current. Or they are resistant to wearing new clothes that look great and are comfortable but “not something they’d usually wear.” It is hard redefining who you are and what you wear–and letting LKc Style take the lead in this department is tough some times. We often have to remind our clients that that is why they called us in the first place and that we won’t steer them wrong! Usually when we can provide a full length mirror and three or four good reasons to do something, that moves us along.

Who do you look to for inspiration?
I have taken a deep interest in reading about men’s style in a wide variety of places. There are a lot of bloggers and photographers I look up to and admire for their ingenuity and forward thinking–The Sartorialist, Gilt MANual, Magnificent Bastard, Selectism; but I also think that the style, or more specifically the clothes, featured on many of these sites are out of reach for the common man. Who buys shoes for $3000? Not too many people. So, I also look to writers who feature style in an affordable or offbeat way–Put This On, Urban Weeds, The Silentist, and Nerd Boyfriend. Personally, I am inspired by my every day ol’ pals–teaching me creativity, sincerity, and craziness that I could never cultivate on my own.

What designers are you looking at this year? What are your current obsessions?
I am really digging GANT by Michael Bastain, Rag & Bone, and Ovadia & Sons this year. Past favorites and still on the watch are Tom Ford and Salvatore Ferragamo. Current Obsessions???? Thank you for asking–I’m loving solid knit ties, sleek Timberland boots, color of any sort (bye bye black and navy), and just about anything with stripes.

What’s your favorite success story?
OOoooooo! My favorite success story is of a Chicago client–a young guy still in college. When we first met, he was wearing a sweatsuit, slightly overweight, single, and disorganized. His career path is to be a film producer so he was looking for a hip, professional casual style–but we started from the ground up. This wasn’t just a wardrobe restyle–this was a life restyle! We made a list of goals to be accomplished while we worked together over the next six months; the list included getting better hygiene, losing weight, eating better, learning how to style his hair, working on foreign etiquette and interviewing skills and much more. Over time, we set him up with a nutritionist and a hair stylist. He got down to his goal weight and started growing out his curly locks. We’d meet every two weeks to chart his progress. So, the fun part was going through his closet and getting rid of old clothes that didn’t fit any more as well as a lot of “college” clothes that made him look young and careless–he was so open to this change I was thrilled. We were able to go on several personal shopping outings where we found appropriate and fun clothes and also talked about fit, color, and matching items together. Now, he’s practically a pro. He now has a full-time hottie girlfriend (I picked out his first date outfit for him…they’re still together!) and is ready to graduate with confidence and poise. His mom reached out to me to say how well he was doing since we started working together.

You make it very easy to access your skill set, by offering webcam closet consultations and offering instant feedback to picture text, what gave you the idea to take such a technical route to styling?

First, no one else is providing these services which is very exciting; I hope we can stay on this forefront.

Second, many of our clients are already utilizing webcam, e-mail, text and other tech medias–if men aren’t often reaching out for style in traditional ways, why not reach out to them in ways that makes style easier and more available?

Third, these services allow us to work with anyone in the world–style for every one!! Personal shopping is exactly what is says: personal; however, we use the same tools to get to know our clients and get them what they need no matter where they live. Many medium sized and smaller cities don’t have a personal shopper within driving distance–LKc Style can get affordable style delivered right to their door! How cool is that?!

What has it been like to open your client base to now include services for women?
It’s hard to say no to new business, right? I was getting so many requests from females looking for personal shopping and image consulting services that I’ve opened our doors to the ladies as well. Right now, I’m still focusing on direct advertising for men as we continue to seek being in a niche market–but, I am working to duplicate the entire LKc Style process that’s been so successful for our men, with a few changes–because women think so differently about clothes, their bodies and their budgets. It’s a whole different psychology! It seems our female clients are just as pleased with their results so far which is exciting. I’m keeping a very open mind and am thankful for the additional business.

What risks are you going to take this year?
Some times it seems like every step you take is a risk–since owning a small business is literally not just a passion but a way to put your food on the table, I am very calculating on the moves I make. Having said that, I am looking at a pretty significant jump in national advertising to capture our eWardrobe and Webcam Closet Consultation clients (gulp!!).

The second risk is contracting part- and full-time style consultants. As the client base increases, especially nationally, I would like to be able to utilize a style team to work around the clock. It’s difficult to put my trust into even the best go-getters because LKc Style is my baby and all my ideas and all my time–but redistributing some responsibility will be a great way to grow the company and provide affordable style to all.

What is your advice for us trying to get our men to call you? (I just asked my husband what he would want to ask a stylist, and he said, I’ve never thought about it) How can we bring it up in a positive way?
It’s hard to tell some one that they “need help” in any way, including in their style. So, I like to take the approach that it’s fun, easy and that they won’t have to go to mall any more!! Also, our initial consultation is always complimentary, so before spending a dime, we can discuss the process, answer questions and get them excited about looking good. The last word is that we can usually save our clients a significant amount of money by finding sales, building a wardrobe that’s fully mix-and-matchable, and providing codes for shipping and other discounts!

Interview conducted by CRAVE writer Harmony Johnstone-Reeser.

Hot and Bothered: Keeping cool in Extreme Heat

September 16, 2009 by Amanda | Comments (0)

The recent heat has got us hot and bothered. Keeping cool when temperatures reach record highs isn’t just about comfort. Dangerously high temperatures can result in heat-related illnesses ranging from heat cramps to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. The following tips via MedicineNet help you keep cool all summer long.

1. Alter your pattern of outdoor exercise to take advantage of cooler times (early morning or late evening). If you can’t change the time of your workout, scale it down by doing fewer minutes, walking instead or running, or decreasing your level of exertion.

2. Wear loose-fitting clothing, preferably of a light color.

3. Cotton clothing will keep you cooler than many synthetics.

4. Fill a spray bottle with water and keep it in the refrigerator for a quick refreshing spray to your face after being outdoors.

5. Fans can help circulate air and make you feel cooler even in an air-conditioned house.

6. Try storing lotions or cosmetic toners in the refrigerator to use on hot, overtired feet.

7. Keep plastic bottles of water in the freezer; grab one when you’re ready to go outside. As the ice melts, you’ll have a supply of cold water with you.

8. Take frequent baths or showers with cool or tepid water.

9. Combat dehydration by drinking plenty of water along with sports drinks or other sources of electrolytes.

10. Some people swear by small, portable, battery-powered fans. At an outdoor event I even saw a version that attaches to a water bottle that sprays a cooling mist.

11. I learned this trick from a tennis pro: if you’re wearing a cap or hat, remove it and pour a bit of ice cold water into the hat, then quickly invert it and place on your head.

12. Avoid caffeine and alcohol as these will promote dehydration.

13. Instead of hot foods, try lighter summer fare including frequent small meals or snacks containing cold fruit or low fat dairy products. As an added benefit, you won’t have to cook next to a hot stove.

14. If you don’t have air-conditioning, arrange to spend at least parts of the day in a shopping mall, public library, movie theater, or other public space that is cool. Many cities have cooling centers that are open to the public on sweltering days.

15. Finally, use common sense. If the heat is intolerable, stay indoors when you can and avoid activities in direct sunlight or on hot asphalt surfaces. Pay special attention to the elderly, infants, and anyone with a chronic illness, as they may dehydrate easily and be more susceptible to heat-related illnesses. Don’t forget that pets also need protection from dehydration and heat-related illnesses too.

Blackberry Bonanza: Ultra Low Cost Girl Date

September 16, 2009 by Amanda | Comments (0)

Blackberry bushes are going wild right now, producing glorious high antioxidant morsels jam-packed with polyphenols and anthocyanins—the excellent cancer and heart disease defense chemicals found in some plants. We recommended taking advantage of nature’s bounty by grabbing your girls and heading out for a day of blackberry picking followed by cooking and cocktailing! Check out a few seasonal recipes we are loving right now:

Blackberry Mojito via Foodchannel.com
Ingredients: 6 each mint leaves, 5 each fresh blackberries, 1/2 part simple syrup, 1 part fresh lime juice, 1 part white rum, 1 part crème de cassis, 1 part club soda. For garnish: 1 sprig mint, 1 each fresh blackberry speared with cocktail pick
Preparation: In a Collins glass, muddle mint leaves with blackberries and simple syrup. Add lime juice, rum and crème do cassis and stir to combine. Fill glass with ice, top with club soda, and stir to combine. Garnish with mint sprig and blackberry.

Blackberry Chicken via tasteofhome.com
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup fresh blackberries, divided, 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, minced, 3/4 teaspoon paprika, divided, 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5 ounces each), 4-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Directions: In a small bowl, mash 2 tablespoons berries. Add 1/4 cup broth, brown sugar, vinegar, oil, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon paprika and cumin. Place chicken in an 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray; pour broth mixture over the top. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, pepper and remaining paprika. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until chicken juices run clear, basting occasionally with pan juices. Remove chicken and keep warm. Skim fat from pan drippings. In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch and remaining broth until smooth. Gradually stir in drippings. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with chicken; sprinkle with remaining blackberries. Yield: 6 servings.

Blackberry Salsa via Nikibone.com
Ingredients: 2 chipotle peppers, dried, 6 serrano peppers, finely diced, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon ground oregano, 1/2 cup water, 12 ounces blackberries, fresh or frozen 3 tablespoons chocolate syrup, 2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Directions: Place chipotles in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cover, and boil until tender about 15 minutes; drain. Set aside to cool. Finely dice the rehydrated chipotles and combine with serranos, sugars, salt, cinnamon, oregano and water in a medium saucepan. Bring mixture to a low boil. Cook until thickened slightly about 7 or 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add blackberries and cook until they start to break up but not disintegrate. You want the salsa to have a chunky texture. Remove mixture from heat, and stir in chocolate syrup and pecans. Chill thoroughly, and serve over ice cream.