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

Best of Wedding and Event Planners

March 31, 2010 by Jade S. | Comments (0)


Tis the season for celebration! Many people around the area are getting ready to celebrate new beginnings and happy endings. Whether you are celebrating Dads, Grads, anniversaries or weddings take the stress out of the process and invest in a Wedding and/or Event Planner. For this week’s Best Of we have compiled a list of fabulous Wedding & Event Planners from around Seattle who can help make your celebration a huge success. Cheers!

The Adventure School - The Adventure School is an event planning company that creates immersive adventure environments. The fabulous ladies of The Adventure School believe in advenutre, and they work with businesses, communities, individuals and other key partners to create visionary spaces, legendary parties and happiness.

La Belle Soiree - A memory made for a lifetime. Your event should be as unique as you are. Allow La Belle Soiree to handle every detail so that you are able to savor your day.

Half Past Lavish – From sophisticated elegance to urban chic, or perhaps a bit eclectic, Half Past Lavish is here to assist you in the planning and production stages of your event. We are your support network to help you plan the event of your dreams. One that you will remember for years to come with satisfaction and pride.

Little Black Dress Events and Productions – Little Black Dress Events & Productions is a full service event company. We are at your service providing you with all your event planning needs- Little Black Dress Events & Productions specializes in fashion shows, product/boutique launches, corporate parties, and personal celebrations such as weddings, anniversaries, bridal/baby showers, and birthday parties. We are also experienced in producing promotional events and fundraisers.

Event Success – Weddings, corporate and special occasions. Step one is to get to know you and your goals and needs for your event. Once we understand your wishes, we help you create a flawless and memorable experience for all those in attendance. Event Success has built relationships with high quality vendors and venues througout the Northwest. By calling on these resources, we can be sure to meet your wishes and your budget.

Lilies & Lemon Drops – A custom floral and event design studio in Seattle. At Lilies & Lemon Drops, our passion & drive comes from within and our inspiration comes from our clients.  We are constantly striving for perfection and we never settle for anything less than the best.

Taylor’d Events – Made for you…wedding education and wedding and special event planning. Whether you’re planning your wedding yourself and want some feedback, or leaving all the details to someone else, Taylor’d Events by Jennifer offers a variety of solutions.

Thank you to everyone who contributed suggestions. If there is someone we have missed who you think deserves to be mentioned let us know and we will add them to the list. Until next time – savor your celebration and let the pros take care of business. Salute!

Add More ~ing To Your Life

March 29, 2010 by Sarah Clise | Comments (1)


In her debut book, Add More ~ing To Your Life, motivational speaker and life coach Gabrielle Bernstein takes readers on a fun and fulfilling journey to happiness in 30 days. She promotes writing, meditation, and movement as ways to combat ego and release romantic illusions. For every goal in her book, she lays out an Equation with multiple steps packed with reflection and perspective. Some of her unique blues-blasting concepts include compiling a Compassion List, creating a Personal-Shift Statement, and ceasing to Future Trip. By the end of the book she’s created an arsenal of happiness-promoting exercises to conquer negative thinking and create personal change. Read on to learn more about this gifted guru and what she craves.

What is your motto, slogan, or theme song?
Expect Miracles

What’s the best advice you’ve been given?
The best advice I was ever given was from my mother when she told me that meditation would guide me to serenity.

In a past life you were…
A preacher in South America.

How do you get ready to write?
I clean my desk. Then I meditate. Following my meditation I write an outline. I’m a mess without an outline. I turn off my phone and I unplug the Internet. Then I start writing.

What’s a place that inspires you and why?
 The place where I’m most inspired is in Abadiania Brazil. I travel to Abadiania, the home of psychic surgeon and spiritual healer John of God. When I am in Brazil with John of God and his team of mediums I feel my strongest sense of inspiration.

What makes you feel most CRAVE – able?
 My authenticity. What you see is what you get.

What’s a cause you are passionate about and why?
 I feel deeply connected to helping people overcome addiction and more specifically the issue of teenage suicide due to prescription drugs. I am a recovering drug addict and I am very transparent about my sobriety in order to help others recover. I plan to write a book on overcoming addiction in all areas of life.

What makes you laugh so hard you cry?
So many things. I don’t know where to begin…

In 10 years you want to be…
In 10 years I plan to be known as the messenger for happiness for the next generation. I will have a television show and several published books. I will be a mother and dwell in New York City and in a warm weather climate.

Describe yourself in 5 words.
I am spirited, loquacious, alive, connected, love

* This publication was sent to the CRAVEcompany for review

Interview with Sharelle from DRY Soda

March 26, 2010 by Jade S. | Comments (1)


DRY Soda: refined flavor / lightly sweet / all natural. The DRY Tasting Room & Company Store offers samples of its flavors and the opportunity for customers to purchase DRY and related goods. DRY’s modern “soda jerk” can recommend DRY pairings for your next evening of entertaining or which hot, new dining spot to check out on your next evening on the town.

How would you describe your business in three words or less?
Modern. Sophisticated. Refreshing.

People may be surprised to know that…
My first job was selling Christmas wreaths door to door in office buildings.

What was the inspiration or motivation behind starting your business?
As a mother of four young children and a food lover, I realized during my fourth pregnancy that there was a need for a sophisticated beverage that was all-natural, less sweet and non-alcoholic.  Something to drink that serves the same purpose for many people as wine – either a great pair with food or as a refreshment on its own.  From that idea DRY Soda was born.

Who is your role model or mentor?
Dan Ginsberg, former CEO of Red Bull, North America and Peter Cheney, former CEO of Mars

How do you spend your free time?
I spend it with my husband and kids.

What is your indulgence?
Going to great restaurants.

What is your favorite place to go with your girlfriends?
Crush, Chef Jason Wilson has developed an amazing and innovative menu – plus Crush was one of the first restaurants to carry DRY!

Favorites and Why?
Best place to get a manicure and pedicure?
Julep

Best place to find gifts?
Elliott Bay Books

Favorite Salon?
Studio 904

Best place to buy shoes?
Nordstrom

Best place to buy clothes?
Barney’s

Best local designer?
Luly Yang

Best gym, fitness club?
Actually,  I have personal training by SassyFit!, which trains people in their homes or places of work.  Workout sessions typically last an hour and my trainer gives me “homework” to do between sessions.  I’m also an avid runner.

Where to find:
410 1st Ave S.,
Seattle, WA 98104
206.652.2345

www.drysoda.com

Best of Pet-Friendly Places

March 24, 2010 by Jade S. | Comments (0)


As the weather in Seattle improves and we head into spring it’s a perfect time to take Rover for a walk. Fortunately, the days of leaving “Rex” at home are far behind when you check out one of these fabulous Pet Friendly destinations. Sure to excite and entertain you and your pooch our Best of Pet Friendly Places features eateries, hotels, parks and shops. Whether your dog likes to relax or prefers a riveting game of fetch he or she is sure to be satisfied with one or all of these destinations worth a “tail wag” or two!

CAPERS Home
If you are shopping for furniture CAPERS offers a pet-friendly place to shop. They welcome pets in to approve furniture and gift purchases and dogs of all sizes regularly accompany their owners on shopping adventures.

Northwest Cellars
If you or your dog have more refined tastes you can bring them into the Northwest Cellars Tasting Room in Kirkland. Sip on some fabulous Currently Available Wines and enjoy great appetizers. Open on Saturdays and Sundays from noon – 5pm it’s a great place to hold a dog friendly event or private tasting.

CitySearch Dog Friendly Destinations in Seattle
CitySearch took the guess work out of pet-friendly with their comprehensive list of pet friendly destinations in Seattle. Check out the list below or see for yourself on Citysearch.com.

Know of a fabulous pet-friendly locale that didn’t make the list? Let us know we’d love to share it.

We hope you and your pooch enjoy our list. Woof! Woof!

Fashion Sense is a Relative Term

March 24, 2010 by Lynn Edwards | Comments (0)


In honor of the recent Fashion Week hoopla, I thought I’d share my fashion “sense” and I use that term quite loosely. For those of you that have read the CRAVE Crack Up blogs, you’ve quickly come to learn I am “challenged” in many areas of my life that include domestically, home interiorally, culinarily, and more. Fashion is no exception….I have narrowly escaped being featured in the black-boxed face photo in many a fashion magazine.

Every Spring I am inspired to clean out the closet, buy some colorful shoes and skip around looking cute. I pledge to wear a pretty floral print dress just because they look so dang fun on the TV ads but then realize I would actually have to shave my legs.

I adore all the fabulous sunglasses but find myself still sporting the $3.99 pair I bought at the Ritzville AM/PM after a long night. I vowed to never buy expensive eyewear because I was sure I’d lose or break them…these signature shades I picked up near the corn dogs have lasted me five years, naturally!

Each April I travel to Las Vegas for some much needed girl fun. One year I committed myself to having the right “Vegas” shoes, so I splurged. I found just the right pair of smoking hot black strappy pumps. When I got there, I made it from my room to the elevator in the hotel before I had to return to the room for my flip flops. They looked super cute in the pre-func party pics though.

A southern friend once sent me a Spring purse set. By “set” I mean that it looked like one of those Christmas dolls that you open and find 15 more mini-Christmas dolls inside, only this had a matching wallet, sunglass case, etc., it had a million pieces. I had no idea what to do with all of them but they sure were cute. Don’t be surprised that I don’t have a purse “set”…I just recently realized you should have more than one bag for different seasons.

Speaking of seasons, when I lived in the south I was outcast due to my major faux pas of wearing white heels before Easter. Silly me, it had been 80 degrees since New Year’s Eve so I figured white shoes with my cute floral skirt would work. The fashion police literally showed up and locked me in a dressing room at Dillard’s until Easter for that high crime.

You might say I am a “function over form” kind of gal. I am all about comfort and all my jeans have to do is at least accommodate my cell phone and lip gloss.

I do love coats, it’s a strange addiction but I must have a hundred in my closet. Ok, 50% are fleece, but I do dig the outer layer action. Funny thing is I am always so warm, I rarely wear them, not just because most of them would look ridiculous with my floral dress but also because I don’t want to be bothered with carrying one around. I would probably leave it in some coat check somewhere and lose it….like my $3.99 expensive eyewear.

Here’s to putting on a pretty floral dress and skipping around looking cute this Spring!

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?

Interview with Kelley Moore

March 19, 2010 by Jade S. | Comments (0)


Come meet Kelley Moore and learn from her entrepreness experience at this month’s CRAVE chat. Space is limited – register today.

Kelley Moore is the Pacific Northwest’s foremost Lifestyle & Entertaining expert with a mission to inspire people to connect with each other. Kelley’s creative passion, combined with her gregarious personality, wins her clients and fans. She is truly a triple threat; not only coming up with concepts for books, magazines and TV, but also writing, producing, and starring in her own projects.

Describe your business in three words or less.
Focused. Passionate. Authentic.

What was your motivation behind starting your business?
I began my career as a social worker, which required me to inspire people to make positive changes in their lives. I recognized the importance of relationships and community in that position, and my passion to support people led me to volunteer with nonprofits to execute events. As a result, I built an event business creating well-designed environments to connect others and strengthen relationships. I have built a multimedia platform in my mission to inspire people to share what they are passionate about through the way they entertain and design their lives.

How do you spend your free time? What is your indulgence?
Hanging out with my friends, a glass of red wine, and a selection of rich, creamy cheese.

Learn more about Kelley Moore and how she became an “Emerald City Entrepreness” join us for the March CRAVE Business Chat.

Where to find:
206.691.9979

kelleylmoore.net

Kelley on Twitter: @kelleylmoore

Kelley Moore Creative Media on Facebook

Best of Local Bloggers

March 18, 2010 by Jade S. | Comments (1)



Seattle is filled with fabulous lady bloggers who contribute to the amazing heartbeat and energy of the city. We wish we could feature them all but for this week Best of Local Bloggers we would like to call attention to a few special ladies who help make the Seattle blogosphere ROCK. We took a minute to provide a brief overview of the fabulous blogs and had the bloggers share with us what they CRAVE. Check out the fabulous things they have to say.

Sydney of Seattle Boutique Blogspot - Sydney is a Seattle fashion insider who has her finger on the pulse of all things fashion.  She works full-time in the industry going Global Sourcing for the Menswear Private Label lines at Zumiez Inc., and serves as the PR Liaison for Seattle’s Fashion Group International.  Sydney regularly blogs about local designers and boutiques on her site Seattleboutiqueblogspot.com. You can also find Sydney at Sydney Loves Fashion.
What do you CRAVE? I crave all things fashion! Covering local fashion for my site is my way of giving local designers and boutiques the exposure they deserve!

Kam of needleplusthread
Kam started needleplusthread almost a year ago as a way to keep moving, keep inspired and keep interacting with her city as she got older. She loves living in seattle and has worked most of her professional life in the Seattle clothing design industry.
What do you CRAVE? I think my blog is a visual reference to a lot of what I crave- I take photos of people who inspire me either in style, demeanor, or creativity.  also pretty little bits I find in and around seattle- relating to retail, food, neighborhood and of course, pooches.  I also crave chips, but I don’t take photos of them, or me eating them.

Andrea of Skinnypurse
Andrea is an ex-marketing professional turned full-time mom, with a 2nd baby on the way.  She’s always loved fashion and shopping, and created Skinnypurse.com as an outlet to post her current obsessions in clothes, shoes, handbags, etc. The site evolved into a fashion and style blog, which now features things like fashion trends, beauty product reviews, designer profiles and promotions from online merchants.
What do you CRAVE? Currently, I’m craving: sleep, more hours in a day, and a foot massage.

Nadine of Girl’s Guide to Seattle
Girl’s Guide to Seattle is an online resource for the young, fabulous, and fashionable female on a budget. It’s a site dedicated to providing fresh Seattleites with tips of what’s hot, what’s not, and all the city has to offer! It is run by Nadine, a young marketing/PR professional and Seattle transplant, who moved to the city wanting to embrace every aspect and share the experience with her peers.
What do you CRAVE? I crave soaking up the city life and thoroughly enjoying every opportunity it provides, from fabulous restaurants or deliciously authentic hole-in-the-wall delis to breathtaking views and kind, open-minded people. I crave meeting Seattle’s movers and shakers – the people dedicated to keeping this city spectacular and learning what inspires, motivates, and drives them. I crave making connections.

Three to four sentences doesn’t begin to explain how phenomenal these ladies are, if you want to learn more you will have to check out their blogs for yourself. Thank you again ladies for all you do, keep up the blog work! :)

Cheers!

CRAVE up your St. Patrick’s Day

March 16, 2010 by Jade S. | Comments (0)



St. Patrick’s Day is tomorrow and whether you are of Irish heritage or not, it is a great excuse to dress up in green, drink Guinness and eat corned beef and cabbage. In case the traditional Irish feast isn’t your thing we have come up with a few cool ways that you can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with your girlfriends. So grab your green, your “Kiss Me I’m Irish” sticker and a few gal pals and celebrate with us! Erin Go Bragh!

Coordinate a cocktail party with you gal pals using this fabulous party guide from Girlfriend Celebrations. Get cocktail creative with green drinks that aren’t beer. Pair these with fabulous green snacks and appetizers. Finish off the Irish ambiance by playing Celtic music in the background. As a fun party activity everyone can plant individual clovers and each guest can take home a pot to remind them of their fabulous friends.

Not into food and games? Coordinate a gift exchange with girlfriends and require that everyone purchase something that is authentically Irish. Set a spending limit so everyone gets something fun.

This year the holiday is celebrated on a Wednesday so if you aren’t in to going out and partying hard consider spending a night in watching movies. Use food coloring to dye your popcorn green and pop in a Irish “chick-flick” like PS I Love You, Tristan and Isolde , or Leap Year. All St. Patrick’s Day rules still apply so make sure your PJ’s are green!

If you want to go all out and spend the night on the town check out this fabulous St. Patrick’s Day event guide and find out what fun St. Patty’s festivities are happening in your area.

We wish you the “luck o’ the Irish” this year as you celebrate with friends. And no matter where or how you celebrate remember the old Irish adage “Before you call for one for the road be sure you know the road.” SlĂ inte

Interview with Kerry of Holiday Golightly

March 12, 2010 by Jade S. | Comments (0)


Holiday Golightly is your ultimate Girlfriend Getaway resource. We take the research and planning out of your busy hands – and book fantastically unique getaway trips that match your groups’ interests and style. Arrive armed with your Getaway Guide of insiders’ tips to your destination and head out to your cooking class, wine tour or yoga/surf camp. You deserve it!

How would you describe your business in  three words or less?
Guaranteed great getaway

What are the most popular or best selling products or services?.
Our most recent customers enjoyed a week-long trip through Tuscany and Umbria – complete with a truffle hunt, cooking class and an intimate dinner with wine pairings prepared and explained by a local celebrity chef.

People may be surprised to know that…
Sadly, only 24% of US women have taken a Girlfriend Getaway trip in the last three years – even though women acknowledge that such getaways make them feel “more self-confident, adventurous and relaxed”. Of those who do take the trips, a full 95% recognize that taking future girlfriend getaways are as or more important than ever. C’mon ladies- take care of yourselves and take a getaway!

What was the inspiration or motivation behind starting your business?
A friend told me she and her sisters had “the time, money and the inclination” to take a girls’ trip together, but they just never got organized and did it – whereas I could “write a book on the topic”. Having that very day coordinated a girls’ weekend to Portland and booked a villa in Italy for an upcoming group trip, I realized I really could create a business doing what I was already doing for fun… and help women take those much-needed trips that so many women neglect to do for themselves. And as we grow, I intend for the company to provide support to woman-focused non-profits – both financially and through social enterprise themed getaways.

Who is your role model or mentor?
Every day, I am increasingly impressed with the community of entrepreneurs around me who have turned their ideas into successful profitable companies. I feel lucky to belong to several local groups (NWEN, Ladies Who Launch, Women Business Owners) where I can learn from others who have succeeded – and receive the support and inspiration to do the same with Holiday Golightly.

What mistake have you made in your business that you will not repeat?
As a really early-stage start-up, I’m not sure we know what mistakes we’re making yet. What I am sure of is that we’re making some. I hope we have the presence to admit them, adjust and learn from them!

How do you spend your free time? What is your indulgence?
Not surprisingly, I love to travel and spend time with my friends. I will give up new clothes or shoes for a plane ticket and a few free days to go explore somewhere new (or indulge in somewhere known and beloved). (But truth be told, I’m also a sucker for fabulous handbags…and deep tissue massages).

What is your favorite place to go with your girlfriends?
We love to try new places and lately have been enjoying a tour of the new wine bars opening up around Seattle. Anywhere there’s an excuse to put on our fancy shoes… (Ok, admittedly we do that even at the dive bars).

Favorites and Why?
Best place to get a pedicure?
Frenchie’s – because they have the flutes ready for that champagne bottle you and your girlfriends just brought in.

Best place to get a manicure?
Somewhere with hot paraffin wax – my place stopped doing it but I hear the Spaahh at Hotel 1000 is doing this – and how can you not love the name? I’m relaxed already.

Best place to find gifts?
A stroll through Ballard – between local artists’ productions at Venue, quirky products at Duque and all the fun home accessory and clothing stores, there’s something for everyone.

Favorite salon?
Tamara Hamry at Aria Salon in Cap Hill – I’ve referred about 5 women there and for all of us… “best haircut ever”.

Best place to buy shoes?
DSW, baby! (The one in Factoria) Who can resist a great pair of Stuart Weitzman pumps marked down to $30?! And with the sizes marked right there on the boxes, you can quickly scan the aisles and walk out with a whole season’s worth of shoes on your lunch break!

Best place to buy clothes?
I’m partial to independent boutiques in new cities when I’m traveling. I love wearing a piece and remembering where I was and what we did on the trip when I bought it.

Best gym, fitness club?
Zum. Nothing hurts more than the day after a “Hard Core” class if you’ve made the mistake of going on vacation. But that’s how you know it’s working, right? All the staff at this intimate gym know everyone… and what they’re doing. Trainers and classes are great – and the gym even has style!

Where to find:

877-GRL-FRND

www.holidaygolightly.com

Next Page »

SEARCH

CATEGORIES