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

Best Places to Find Inner Peace

March 10, 2010 by Jade | Comments (0)

“Breath in, breath out…” “Count to ten and take a deep breath. Sometimes these age old mantras aren’t enough to get you through the stressful moments at work and in life. It’s not abnormal to break down when the pressures of life and work get the most of you, it happens to the best of us. Even the fabulous Jessie Spano on Saved By the Bell broke down when the drama of Bayside High got to be too much.

To keep the pressure at a minimum and avoid a “Jessie Spano Freakout”  it is important to practice “self love” on a regular basis. To help assist you in practice of “self love” we have compiled a list of Best Places to Find Inner Peace and “detox”.

• The Inn at Langley – take a stroll out on one of the decks and enjoy the beautiful view!
• Banya 5 – an urban spa and health facility which offers a unique blend of old world wellness rituals in a friendly contemporary environment
• Urban Yoga Spa – your support and sanctuary; a place to release your stress and what doesn’t belong, a place to clear your head and simply work on you and whatever you want to accomplish with your life!
• Seattle Insight Meditation Society (SIMS) – try an Introductory Meditation Class w/ Rodney
• The Wild Pacific Coast Trail - located on Vancouver Island this seven phase trail system skirts the rugged cliffs and shoreline of the beautiful island.
• Seattle Parks and Recreation – we are very lucky to live in a place with such a gorgeous and amazing landscape the is easily accessible through one of our many city parks and trails. Grab a buddy and hit the trails or a blanket, a coffee and a good book and snuggle up in one of the parks.
• Clear Awakening Massage - treat yourself to a relaxing massage and feel your worries melt away.

Sometimes simply walking around and enjoying the sites and sounds of nature is all it takes to “detox” your life and get you back to a relaxing state of inner peace. Namaste.

The Best Movies to Watch with Your Girlfriends

March 9, 2010 by Ashley | Comments (0)

What would we do without our girlfriends? They keep us sane when things get crazy, offer a shoulder to cry on when things get tough, encourage us to buy those shoes we just can’t live without, pig out on junk food with us after a bad breakup, and always, always make us laugh. One of our favorite things to do with our best gal pals is to pile onto the couch with plenty of buttered popcorn and indulge in a chick-flick movie-fest. Check out our picks for the movies to watch with your best girlfriends and start planning your next girl’s night in!

Beaches
Grab your tissues for this one. Its a tear-jerker but its also the story of a friendship that lasts a lifetime – CC and Hilary were totally BFF.

Thelma and Louise
Two best friends on a wild adventure, together until the end, and Brad Pitt? Sign us up!

Steel Magnolias
This one is another sob-story, but we love the story of this group of women who are there for each other through all of life’s ups and downs.

Bridget Jones’ Diary
Because Bridget’s kooky antics make us laugh every time and remind us everyone does silly things from time to time.

Fried Green Tomatoes
A testament to the strength of a woman and what she’ll do for her friends.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Because we all love Audrey Hepburn and we all have a little bit of Miss Holly Golightly in us.

Grease
A true guilty pleasure that we love to sing along to with our girls – a definite pick-me-up.

Sixteen Candles
Because we swoon over Jake Ryan and every girl’s high-school fantasy come true, every time we see it.

Dirty Dancing
Another guilty pleasure and classic that we know by heart and can watch with our girlfriends, time and time again.

Mean Girls
It may not be might not be your typical girl-power, female bonding kind of movie, but we all learn a lesson in the end – to support the women in our lives. Plus, its hilarious.

We could go on and on, but we’ll stop here and let you start planning which flicks to view at your next girl’s night. Hooray for girlfriends!

Celebrating Women’s History Month

March 8, 2010 by Melisa | Comments (0)

Did you know that March is Women’s History Month? Women’s History Month can be traced back to 1911 when the first International Women’s Day was celebrated. But it didn’t become a month long celebration until 1987. The popularity of women’s history celebrations continues to spread as more people are becoming aware of the contributions of women and girls. A President’s Commission on the Celebration of Women in History in America recently sponsored hearings in many parts of the country. The Women’s Progress Commission will soon conduct hearings to promote interest in preserving areas that are relevant in American women’s history. Some of the groups promoting this interest are state historical societies, women’s organizations, and groups such as the Girl Scouts of the USA. CRAVE would like to celebrate Women’s History month by selecting five women who have made a positive impact in the last ten years.

Hillary Clinton
During the last decade, she was First Lady, Senator, serious presidential candidate of a major political party, and Secretary of State, First former First Lady to hold major elective office, January 2001 (Senator from New York); first woman candidate for U.S. president to almost win a nomination from a major political party (declared candidacy January 2007, conceded June 2008) and first former First Lady to serve in the cabinet, in her capacity of U.S. Secretary of State, confirmed January 2009. All of this after her presidential husband cheated on her for the whole world to see. Need I say more?

Oprah Winfrey
Oprah was the first black billionaire, as reported by Forbes in April 2004. Although she is not in politics or changing laws, her power and conviction is known the world over. She has used her power again and again to shed light on good causes on everything from women who are sold into slavery to animal cruelty. Her latest endeavor is getting people to stop talking and texting on the phone while driving. She puts massive amounts of money into charitable causes and her show is now approaching an unbelievable 25 year run. In 2009 she announced that the The Oprah Winfrey Show will end in 2011. It’s hard to find a woman who doesn’t know who she is.

Melinda Gates
Melinda Gates is the co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which is the largest transparently operated private foundation in the world. The foundation is “driven by the interests and passions of the Gates family.” The primary aims of the foundation are, globally, to enhance healthcare and reduce extreme poverty, and in America, to expand educational opportunities and access to information technology. The foundation, based in Seattle, Washington, has an endowment of US$35.1 billion as of October 1, 2008. The scale of the foundation and the way it seeks to apply business techniques to giving makes it one of the leaders in the philanthrocapitalism revolution in global philanthropy. In 2007 its founders were ranked as the second most generous philanthropists in America. Bill and Melinda were also named Time magazine’s Persons of the Year in December 2005.

Michelle Obama
Because Michelle is the first African American first lady and the first wife of an African American President, she has an influence and gets attention that prior first ladies may not have received. Michelle represents the loving, working mother who came from difficult circumstances, had the opportunity to attend an Ivy League school, and achieve great things in the causes that she’s taken on as a lawyer, and now, as a first lady. Even her fashion sense is turning heads because she tends to wear little known designers, giving them well-deserved attention, instead of going for the more typical pricier names that everyone would expect. When Michelle decided to grow a vegetable garden outside the White-House, all of a sudden it was all the rage. Right now she is taking on reducing childhood obesity and encouraging children to have a healthy active lifestyle.

Ellen DeGeneres
Though it is easy to argue that Ellen doesn’t have half the achievements under her belt as any of the rest of these women do, her talk show and her name have become so synonymous with positivity and acceptance, it seems that laughter really is the best medicine. Besides being widely adored and accepted as an openly gay woman, Ellen and her talk show have won the daytime Emmy for Best Talk Show and talk show host 4 years in a row and the show averages about 3.0 million viewers per episode, according to daytime television ratings, which makes it one of the highest-viewed daytime shows. The refreshing style of her humor and the unyielding extent of her kindness make her a stand out woman of the last decade.

Information from wikipedia.com.

Interview with Kerrie and Michele of Olive

March 7, 2010 by Jade | Comments (0)

Join Olive on Tuesday, March 9th from 7PM – 9PM for their first monthly Girls’ Night Out. Nothing says spring like new fashions, fabulous jewelry, fresh make-up, a little bubbly and tasty treats. Learn more at olivetoshop.com.

The staff at Olive greets you with a smile and warmth that makes you feel welcome the minute you walk in. Olive features many local designers with a combination of casually chic to fun trendy pieces. Their selection of clothing is perfect for those who are looking to spice up their unique and personal style. Think light beer to martinis.

How would you describe your business in three words or less?
Fun, Educational, Challenging

What are the most popular or best selling products or services?
Susana Monaco, Citizens of Humanity, Prairie Underground

People may be surprised to know that…
We are even out here
We are a clothing store and not a food or olive store

What was the inspiration or motivation behind starting your business?
We wanted a store that was convenient and offered an alternative to mall-shopping where everything looks the same.

Who is your role model or mentor?
Joan Kelly of Joan and Jared Events has definitely been our mentor.  She has great insight into the retail business side as well as the retail/fashionista customer.

What mistake have you made in your business that you will not repeat?
Getting caught up in all the great items we can purchase for the store and not staying true to our budget.

How do you spend your free time? What is your indulgence?
Spending time with our families. Movies, popcorn and milkshakes….

What is your favorite place to go with your girlfriends?
Anywhere! Our group of friends make where ever we go a “favorite”.

Favorites and Why?
Best place to get a manicure/pedicure?
Gene Juarez, Redmond, WA

Best place to find gifts?
Paper Trail, Redmond, WA

Favorite Salon?
Simplicity, Kirkland, WA.  Great staff and they always do an amazing job- from cut to color.

Best place to buy shoes?
Nordstroms. They have a larger selection with styles you don’t always see on the eastside.

Best place to buy clothes?
Olive, of course.

Best local designer?
Pine IV Denim.  They fit fantastic and they also donate a tree for every pair of denim sold. / Other favorite would be Twisted Heart – great casual pieces with amazing style.

Best gym, fitness club?
Gold’s Gym, Redmond.

Where to find:
23535 NE Novelty Hill Road
Redmond, WA 98053
425.836.4298

www.olivetoshop.com

Best of Happy Hour Joints

March 7, 2010 by Jade | Comments (0)

There is nothing better than connecting with girlfriends over $4 Sliders and $3 Martini’s during Happy Hour – but finding just the right spot can be tricky sometimes. So to help out with the Happy Hour dilemma we have compiled an excellent list of can’t miss Happy Hour spots around the city. This way when 4 o’clock rolls around and your itching for the work day to end you can look forward to an hour of happiness sharing, celebrating and connecting with friends. Whether you prefer dim-sum or an extensive wine list, our list has it all.

Look no further, the Best of Seattle Happy Hours:

Lucky Strike – Bellevue, WA
Daily: 4PM – 7PM
$3 Drafts, $House Wines, $4 Absolut Drinks, 1/2 Price Food Specials

Palomino – Seattle, WA and Bellevue, WA
Seattle Location – Daily: 3PM – Close
Bellevue Location – All Day, 7 Days a Week in the Bar!

Pesos – Queen Anne, WA
The City’s Most Visited Happy Hour

Barolo – Seattle, WA
Daily: 3PM – 6:30PM and 10PM – Close
50% Off Bar Menu, $3.5 Select White, Red, Rose, $3 Pints, $14 Bottle of Red White or Rose

Black Bottle – Belltown, WA
Daily: 4PM – 6PM

O’Asian – Seattle, WA
Daily: 4PM – Close
$5 Appetizers and Drink Specials

Sazerac – Seattle, WA
Monday thru Saturday: 4PM – 8PM
Eats and Drinks from $3

Nijo’s Sushi Bar & Grill – Seattle, WA
Daily: 4Pm – 7PM, M/W: 10PM – 11PM, Fri/Sat: 10PM – 12AM
Drink specials and discounts on small plates and sushi!

ART Restaurant and Lounge – Seattle, WA
Sunday thru Thursday: 5PM – 7PM
$5 After Five, Specials on cocktails, wines, beers and food!

List – Seattle, WA
Daily: 4PM – 6:30PM, Sun thru Thurs: 10PM – Midnight
All food items are 50% off, $14 bottles of wine, $3.75 wine, $2.95 beers on tap.

Ravish – Seattle, WA
Daily: 5PM – 7PM
A changing menu of specially-priced small & shared plates, wines and cocktails.

Purple Cafe & Wine Bar – Bellevue, Kirkland, Woodinville and Seattle, WA
Bellevue Location – Daily: 2:30PM – 5:30PM

Umi Sake House – Seattle, WA
Daily: 4PM – 6PM, 4PM – 8PM every day in front porch and cocktail bar
Late Night: 11PM – 1AM (Sun – Thurs)
Discounts on sushi, drafts and sake!

Oliver’s Twist - Seattle, WA
Monday thru Saturday: 5PM – 7PM
$2 off twist and classic cocktails, $1 off draft beer and wine by the glass, $1 off all food

“The only thing happy about this hour is you”…and your girlfriends of course! Enjoy!

Interview with Christy and Sarah of Coastal Surf Boutique

February 26, 2010 by Jade | Comments (1)

Coastal is a Seattle Boardsports Boutique that carries lifestyle apparel, accessories, swimwear and sandals from brands like Roxy, Billabong, Hurley, Reef and more. What started in 2003 with 400 square feet of women’s clothing has grown to a larger store on Alki Beach that now offers the lifestyle to men and kids. Owners Christy Pudduck and Sarah Steere strive to make Coastal a fun and comfortable place to shop, where you can find new styles or just hang out!

How would you describe your business in three words or less?
Fun, Friendly, Fashion!

What are the most popular or best selling products or services?
Reef Sandals, Swimsuits and Casual Industrees tees.

People may be surprised to know that…
In addition to our women’s and men’s clothes, we now have an adorable kids section!

What was the inspiration or motivation behind starting your business?
We wanted to create a place where people could find the cute clothes and lifestyle of the boardsports industry (snowboarding, surfing, skateboarding) without an intimidating environment. We also knew we both wanted to have careers that supported a hands-on family balance, and we think we’ve found that with Coastal.

Who is your role model or mentor?
Any woman or mother who takes on raising a family and running a business at the same time!

What mistake have you made in your business that you will not repeat?
Overbuying! It’s hard with such cute clothes to choose from, but having too much inventory is a recipe for retail disaster! We learned that the hard way…once.

How do you spend your free time? What is your indulgence?
Sarah: Besides going to the Zoo with my daughter, I like to check out new boutiques around Seattle when I have time to browse.  There are so many great hidden spots out there!
Christy: Being outside! Seattle has great parks and green spaces we love to frequent, I love spending time working in my yard and garden, and of course hanging out with my family!

What is your favorite place to go with your girlfriends?
Sarah: The movies, or just out on the town to enjoy the good company.
Christy: Tapas bars with great drinks, or just on good long walks with a cup of coffee.

Favorites and Why?
Best place to get a pedicure?
Christy: Frenchy’s in Madison. Love the Parafin dip. And selling sandals all summer, our feet need to look good!
Sarah: Elegant Nails in West Seattle.  They are so friendly and can always get you in for a pedicure!

Best place to get a manicure?
Christy: Julep. Though with kids and work, manicures aren’t the most practical indulgence in our lives anymore!

Favorite Salon?
C & S: Elliot Salon on Alki.  It’s quaint, stylish and we always walk out happy.

Best place to buy shoes?
Christy: Edie’s on Capitol Hill
Sarah: Clementine in West Seattle.  I love the sale they have at the West Seattle Street Fair!

Best place to buy clothes?
Christy: It’s ridiculous and seems self-interested, but I love shopping at Coastal as a shopper. I think when I stop shopping there I’ll know we’re not doing it right anymore!
Sarah: I’m going to have to concur with Christy on that one

Best local designer?
Christy: Suzabelle – I discovered her at a CRAVE party and am such a fan of her coats!

Best gym or fitness club?
Christy: The Promenade on Alki…running or walking outside along the water is better than any gym, especially in the Summer!
Sarah: Alki is the best spot to work out.  Greenlake is my 2nd favorite running path.

Where to find:

West Seattle
2352 Alki Avenue SW
Seattle, WA
206.933.5605

coastalseattle.com
Coastal Seattle on Facebook
Coastal Seattle Blog

Peek into the CRAVE Closet

February 25, 2010 by Sarah C. | 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.

Best of Baby Shower Gifts

February 24, 2010 by Jade | Comments (0)

Nothing is quite as special as welcoming a new baby into the world. And well it can be easy and fun to shop from the traditional baby registry – many new moms CRAVE a different approach. For this week’s Best of we compiled a list of shops around the area that provide a unique selection of gifts for baby and mom. The Best of Baby Shower Gifts is sure to bring a smile to the face of the new baby – and the new mom of course!

Kate Quinn Organics – perfect for the earth friendly mom. Kate Quinn Organic sells 100% certified organic baby clothes and fair trade certified garments. They also feature organic baby bedding and clothes for mom! Located in Downtown Kirkland, it’s your one stop shop for children’s eco-chic!

Curtsy Bella -  offers a wide variety of humorous and practical gifts for the “new human” in your life. Complete with career prediction t-shirts and a labor and delivery survival kit – Curtsy Bella gifts are sure to entertain – some gifts can even be customized!

Fireworks – with a fabulous combination of children’s accessories, blankets and bedding, tableware, apparel, diaper bags and toys/games, Fireworks has a fabulous selection of whimsical gifts for children and baby. Celebrate art in life!

Bundle Love – the name says it all! Bundle Love offers a wide variety of baby gift bundles for babies with dreams of all shapes and sizes – the rock star, the alum, the bookworm, the foodie and the princess are a few of the fabulous bundles you can choose from to give the baby a “lovely” start!

Queen Anne Dispatch – the perfect one stop shop, Queen Anne Dispatch is fabulous. Choose from a unique selection of baby gifts and children’s toys and then have your selection gift wrapped and shipped all without leaving the store! This is perfect for a out of town baby shower!

Clover Toys – located in the Ballard neighborhood, Clover Toys offers wooden toys, baby clothes, stuffed animals, dolls and puppets. And for the indecisive shopped they offer gift certificates that are available in store or over the phone!

Willow and Bloom – in the heart of Fremont, Willow and Bloom offers a variety of customizable gift baskets that can include custom gifts, accessories, flowers and gourmet foods in a luxurious container. Specializing in premiere flowers they also carry a line of fabulous knit baby caps. With a “it’s a girl” bouquet and a strawberry patterned knit cap – it’s the perfect way to welcome home the new bundle of joy!

Whether “it’s a boy” or a girl – these shops are sure to have a one of a kind gift for baby’s and moms of all styles!

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 | 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!

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