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Homemade Halloween Costumes

Monday, October 11th, 2010

Halloween is the one day of the year where you can dress up as anything you want. A doctor, Lady Gaga, Batman – the list is endless. This year I’ve decided to bring out the Martha Stewart in me and home-make my Halloween costume.

Even if you cannot sew (neither can I), you can still create a costume just by mixing and matching some of the items in your own closet. As I started picking through my clothes to generate some ideas of what I can be this year for Halloween, I came across many options. My choices are: a prom queen, baseball player, or a…man using my boyfriend’s suit and tie. Re-creating my senior prom night by slipping into my prom dress (hope I still fit in that size 3) and taking a piece of a sheet and marker to create a ‘Class of 2010 Prom Queen’ sass. I can pull out my old baseball uniform, glove and bat and be a zombie baseball player by adding some effects with make-up.

Make-up will be the number one key in creating your look. With make-up you can transform your face into a cat, zombie or a glamorous beauty queen. This is when too much make-up is encouraged.

This Halloween consider making your costume with the clothes in your very own closet. Be sure to add the effect to your look with dramatic make-up that will scare the socks off the other ghouls!

Happy Halloween!

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Posted in Style, Sustainable | No Comments »

In the Mood for Zoo Boo

Thursday, October 7th, 2010

As the countdown begins to the scariest day of the year, October 31, Halloween activities fill Tampa Bay. Not all of the boo-ri-fic events are suitable for young boys, girls and ghouls.

Thankfully, Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo presents ZooBoo, a family-friendly Halloween time event. It gives kids and adults a fun, spooky, and safe place to celebrate. Enjoy a night of haunted houses and trails, animal encounters, light displays, music, free rides and much more. This is fun for the whole family.

ZooBoo is going on now through October 31st on select nights at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo located at 1101 W. Sligh Avenue, Tampa, FL 33603. The spooky rides, haunted houses and trails are all designed with the entire family in mind. ZooBoo has a “Skull” rating system that lets parents know how “scary” something is so the kids (or you) don’t get too spooked!

As your little goons and goblins watch scary movies and get ready for trick or treating, enjoy a night of fun and thrill for the entire family at the Lowry Park Zoo…ZooBoo!

For more information and tickets visit LowryParkZoo.com

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Posted in Events | 2 Comments »

Hey There, Cupcake!

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

Pull out the red carpet, these cupcakes are show stoppers. That’s right, Frostings Etc. has some of the most unique cupcakes in the Bay area that any sweet tooth would CRAVE!

Located in the heart of Hyde Park, one of Tampa’s trendiest neighborhoods, Frostings Etc. offers cupcake delights fresh daily using the finest ingredients. Port wine, bananas, local strawberries and even Guinness beer are some of the ingredients you will find in their cupcakes.  Upon entering this sweet treat heaven, the décor of zebra stripped walls and a glass case that houses some of the most beautiful cupcakes I have ever seen.

As I got the opportunity to chat with co-owner Sharon Tabasco, she shared with me her inspiration and process for creating these unique cupcakes. Sharon finds inspiration from her love of cooking. When she first started Frostings Etc in 2009 with co-owner Joe Barbato, she was inspired by everyday cooking and popular cooking shows. As a former real estate agent, Sharon sought out to realize that her true happiness was in the kitchen. She stated that, “people eat to live, well I live to eat…and bake.”  Her passion is expressed through her cupcakes. Each cupcake is made from scratch and is topped off with fine aesthetics.

Are you in the mood for a Bellini? Try it in a cupcake. The Champagne Pear Bellini cupcake is infused with pink champagne, chunks of pears draped in a light champagne cream cheese frosting and crowned with an edible organic flower.

Hey guys need a beer? Try a Guinness cupcake. A rich chocolate cake infused with Guinness beer that is then dipped in a rich chocolate ganache, swirls of white chocolate butter cream, and garnished with a chocolate covered pretzel. Add this to Monday night football!

You will also find Frostings Etc. ‘’regulars” such as chocolate chip cookie dough, traditional red velvet, and black and white cupcakes. Finish off your experience with a cookie dough shot!

Each cupcake can also be turned into a cake. They specialize in birthdays, weddings, and showers along with occasion specific events. Having a pasta party? Meatball and spaghetti cupcakes are just what you need. Although they do not taste like meatballs and spaghetti, they sure look like the dish.

Although each cupcake seems complex, there is no right or wrong way to eat a Frostings Etc. cupcake. I asked some of their customers how they eat their cupcake and got so many different answers. I chose to eat mine with a small spoon and started with the frosting working my way down to the cake. How do you eat your cupcake?

Frostings Etc is located at 500 South Howard Avenue in Tampa, Fl 33606. Open Monday-Saturday, closed Sunday. For more information visit frostingsetc.com

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Posted in Sip / Savor | 4 Comments »

411 on Tampa Bay Fashion

Monday, September 20th, 2010

It’s that time of the year again ladies for fashion and fun! Tampa Bay’s most anticipated fashion event of the year Fashion Week Tampa Bay is just days away. The Bay and surrounding area’s most talented fashion and accessories designers will come together to showcase their 2011 Spring/Summer collections.

The four day event will begin on Wednesday, Sept.22 with the VIP Model Behavior Soiree at Clearwater Audi, Fashion Week Tampa Bay’s presenting sponsor.  Attendees will enjoy hors d’ oeuvres, cocktails, special car demos and photo opportunities with Tampa’s very own fashion designers and featured models.

That’s just the beginning on day two, Thursday, Sept. 23 enjoy a night of shopping, fashion and fun for a good cause. Fashion Week Tampa Bay, in connection with Glitz, Glamour, Fashion II, will celebrate at Neiman Marcus, for a night of fashion and giving back to the community. The annual Fashion Week Tampa Bay events encourage community involvement to support and improve the lives of others. The proceeds will benefit the PACE Center for Girls.

On Friday, Sept. 24 the exciting fashion runway shows are featured, along with stylish boutique exhibitors from Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay will showcase its style with some of our well-known designers, including Essence Flowers, Audrey Pat McGhee, and newest addition, Kimberly Hendrix. Don’t miss Fashion Week Tampa Bay 2010, Tampa’s most fashionable event of the year!

For a full schedule of events and tickets, visit www.fashionweektampabay.com. This event is open to the public.

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Something Scary, Something Sweet

Saturday, September 18th, 2010

Have you ever thought about giving your Halloween costume some added enhancements?

Tampa’s professional make-up artist, Allison Tolle specializes in special effects make-up that can make any simple Halloween costume look as if it belongs on the set of Resident Evil. With some latex skin and a few strokes of her foundation brush, your face can be transformed to look 50 years older, bald, or even turned into wolverine.

Alli graduated from the Joe Blasco’s Make-up Center in Orlando, FL. There she studied make-up artistry and learned everything from special effects, simple beauty, glamour, and bridal. She is truly a jack-a-lyn of all trades when it comes to make-up art.

When Alli isn’t turning people into zombies, she’s painting that smile on a bride’s face, adding some fun to that prom queen’s night or creating simple, yet elegant beauty for editorial. Her rates are customizable and are based on the occasion. Also, Alli comes to you. Her portable service especially benefits a bride on her wedding day. The last thing a woman wants to do on her big day is drive all over town. To ease the nerves and keep the bride comfortable, she prefers to come to you in the comfort of your own element.

So ladies, if your fairy tale wedding is approaching or you just want to scare the socks off someone this Halloween, Tampa’s professional make-up artist Allison Tolle will give you the look you crave!

For more information and to contact Alli, visit designbyallit.com

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Fall Into Fashion

Monday, September 6th, 2010


The warmer climates of the sunshine state tend to confuse our wardrobe choices as we reach summer’s end. Although it’s scorching outside there are still ‘fashion rules’ to abide by for each season. Here is a useful guide to help you fall into fashion.

Footwear, is often misused, especially when the temperature outside has a common pattern. Regardless, each season has its front runners and don’ts. This fall, designers are squaring off the heel. Wedges and square-heeled pumps will make its way through corporate offices and shopping malls. Studded platform wedges by Celine have been a popular purchase to start off the fall. They are open-toe sling backs and should be worn only for fall. Then, cover up those toes ladies for the frigid winter.

Strut into the office wearing a tailored business suit in polished plaids and textured tweeds, portraying the ultimate fifties look. If it’s casual Fridays or just shopping day with fellow CRAVE ladies, sport a form-fitting cardigan with a pair of skinny jeans and some tall, lace up boots from Guess.

Although a heavy coat is not necessary for Tampa Bay, there are other options of trendy outerwear. The boyfriend blazer will have a sequel and return to this fall’s line-up. Along with that, fitted trench coats are a ‘must-have’ for women. They will be offered in all kinds of fabrics and finishes. The trench coat will be a fall and winter trend. Oversized knitted sweaters are great for a day of running errands or just lounging around the house.

What colors to wear for fall? You will see the traditional fall themed colors such as browns, mustard yellow and deep reds but also vibrant colors such as green, orange, purple and turquoise will be another way to help women stand out.

A look is never completed without accessories and your survival bag, in other words, handbag. Sculptural pearls are reborn as cool accessories from designers for the fall. Yet, they have an edgy look and shape as opposed to your traditional “tea-party” pearls. Embrace a modern-day romance era with feathers in a creative way on handbags and shoes.

This fall is all about standing out with vibrant colors or showing a woman’s worth with tailored business suits that scream, Girl Power! Ladies, what fall trend do you CRAVE?

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Capturing the Moment

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

In life we experience some great moments we never want to forget. Even so, our minds tend to draw a blank as the years go by. Memories are best remembered through a photograph. That’s why one of CRAVE’S women entrepreneurs, Nicole Gellar has taken her photography sessions to the next level by capturing the moments naturally. In other words, with kids and pets being her specialty, she believes that letting a child be a child will help to create photographic moments to share in the future.

I can imagine how difficult it can be to perform petrography. Getting your little pooch to stay, strike a pose and not chew on the set can be challenging. I have had past experiences with my dog, Lola and photography. She chewed Santa’s beard last year…ugh poor Santa! Nicole has a way with photographing pets and capturing the happiness in their faces and other nonverbal expressions. This year, Lola will be going to see Nicole!

Nicole has recently developed a new program for high school seniors called “Tampa Teen Connection.” This is an educational and teen board program that gives high school seniors a chance to learn more about themselves, local Tampa businesses, and a chance to model for newspapers ads or magazine ads. The program is designed to introduce seniors to life after high school.

If you’re looking to capture life’s precious moments, spend some time in Nicole’s studio with pictures you’ll love forever! For more information visit: nicolegellerphotography.com

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Posted in Details, Enhance, Pets | 1 Comment »