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

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.

It’s Time for Girl’s Night Out, CRAVE Style!

March 5, 2010 by Melisa | Comments (0)

Looking for a night on the town with the girls? We’ve found you the best places to sip, savor and hang out on a Friday night in Toronto. Cheers!

BerBer: Resto. Bar. Lounge.
49 front street east
416.860.9000
http://www.berberlounge.ca/

The BerBer lounge will take you back to a magical time when the Berbers of North Africa bestowed exquisite gifts of urban living on medieval Europe. You will be surrounded by artisanal hand-made luxuries transported back from the winding alleys of the Moroccan Medinas. The smell of rose water will fill the air and the mystical sights and sounds will take you away to a place of sheer delight. Enjoy their home and indulge in their tantalizing cuisine conjured by 1000 years of cultural clashes and influences stretching across North Africa, Southern Europe and the Middle East. Let the BerBer give you a few hours of laid back luxury, service, and overall good will.  Be prepared for a unique brand of subterranean mayhem!!

House of Commons
bookings@mabelgrey.ca for reservations
http://www.mabelgrey.ca/how-to-book/

The House of Commons is an underground restaurant. It is a hidden intimate affair set around a large harvest table, botany, and other curiosities. They serve up home-grown, home-cooked dinners and Sunday brunches. Chefs from all around the city drop in to showcase their big talent in the House of Commons’ small kitchen. They often organize E&C’s (entrance and champagne) to other bars/lounges/dance clubs on the weekends after their dinners, for late night revelries. They love late night revelries. The house always has room for one more and never runs out of cocktails, cocktails, cocktails. Password Required.

Cocktails by Gâteau
647.989.8585
info@cocktailsbygateau.com
http://www.cocktailsbygateau.com/ 

cocktails by Gâteau is a new breath in the pastry world offering modern and classic hybrid creations featuring France’s old world flavours made with artisanal liquers, North American inspired combination and fresh ingredients sourced locally. Their goal is to capture the essence of today’s cocktail and cupcake culture along with chocolate decadence and beautiful fruits in a mosaic of imaginative desserts. Just in case their selection does not peak your interest or you love exclusivity, contact them for their “leave it up to us” selection that is guaranteed to satisfy your palette. Cupcakes and cocktails, anyone?

The Time Has Come for De-cluttering!

February 24, 2010 by Melisa | Comments (0)

February is on its way out and spring is just around the corner. That could only mean one thing. No, not warm weather, not blossoming flowers… spring cleaning! It’s time to de-clutter your house and if you wait any longer you’re only going to regret it! But we all know that getting rid of clutter can be an intimidating task. It’s messy, it’s complicated and it’s exhausting. But the rewards will certainly outweigh all the work when you’re home is spotless and all your neighbors are jealous. So we’ve asked the experts and found some de-cluttering tips to help you get through the war known as cleaning!

This is what Toronto Interior Designer, Architectural Planner and Organizational Coach Erica Swanson, has to share on the subject:

I detest the word ‘clutter’; it’s a misnomer that fails to get to the heart of the issue.  Clutter isn’t so much about our stuff as it is about how we feel about our stuff.  Until we get honest about our relationship to the things we own, our things will continue to own us. If we spent half as much time critically thinking about our purchases as we did storing, cleaning, rearranging, insuring and generally complaining about our belongings, we’d have a whole lot of time left over to focus on the things that matter most.  And who doesn’t want that?

Getting real isn’t easy but think about this: stuff doesn’t just mysteriously appear in your closets, your cabinets, your front hall closets, your junk drawers, under the bed, and in your desk drawers.  You let stuff creep in. There are thousands of books on the market that do a phenomenal job of teaching you how to strategically purge your stuff.  Set aside the time.  Be ruthless.  Divide and conquer, baby.  But next time, when you’re standing in the checkout line with yet another jar of face cream, box of doodads, or fill-in-the-blank shiny new toy, ask yourself if it’s something you really need.  I mean, really need.  Because ultimately, clutter control is simple; stop filling your home with things that don’t fill you.

Erica’s website, www.ericaswansondesign.com will be up in April.

Another Toronto Interior Designer, Carol Reed had these great tips to offer:

Having a place for everything is key and the right type of storage organization is also key. Assess what it is that is out of control and that will help determine what type of storage you need to keep it contained, accessible and neat looking. It sounds basic but these are things that people overlook.  Acquiring shelving and buying organizing accessories is something we rarely intentionally go shopping for.

Unsightly items should be concealed behind doors, or inside cabinets (textbooks, files, media components) and attractive items or collections can be stored (displayed) openly. Select furniture that has shelving or drawers or hidden storage compartments, i.e. end tables with lower shelves or ottomans with flip tops. Avoid end tables, hall tables and night tables that have no shelves or drawers. Control visual clutter by going neutral. If you’re the type of person that has lots of ‘things’ and likes to keep them on display or likes an open shelving style kitchen, than keep the rest of the space neutral. Lots of colors plus lots of things on display will create visual clutter. 

These are my favorite ways to organize clutter. They are all inexpensive, easy to do and look good:

Trays: My favorite ‘clutter’ accessory. These are a must on surfaces, they contain your clutter and make your things look organized and appear more like they’re on display. Use them on coffee tables, entry hall tables, console tables, bathroom vanities, the back of toilets and even the kitchen counter.

Baskets: After trays, this is my next favorite clutter accessory. Not only do they add natural organic texture to a space (which I think every space needs,) they can fit under tables, on top of armoires, on closet shelves or on bookcase shelves. You can use the kind with lids or without. Today you can find a wide assortment of sizes, shapes, colours and styles from chunky and rustic to tightly woven tailored looking. Ikea, West Elm, Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel are great sources for these.

Interior Dividers: They go in your drawers, they are super inexpensive and you can fit twice as much in a drawer with these and things are easy to find.

Hooks: I’m hooked on hooks these days! They are super inexspensive, easy to install and lots of styles can be used in almost every room, hooks can go at your entry door for canvas shopping bags, in the bathroom for towels, in the bedroom for necklaces, in the mud room for keys, leashes, coats or hats, in the kitchen for pots and pans. I’m seeing a beautiful selection of hooks around in all styles and finishes. Some of them are so pretty you don’t want to cover them up!

Canvas Shoe Holders: These are a great storage device for the inside of closet doors for all kinds of things.

Vintage: If you run out of closet space to store your stuff away, antique crates and old suitcases are great for off-season or seldom used items and can double as side tables.

Wire Management: Visual clutter! It drives me crazy to see a mess of media wires or computer wires in a space. There are lots of wire management accessories in the electrical department at the building centre.

Tech Gadgets: One of my favorite tricks is to store the media components behind doors in a media cabinet or bookcase. You can buy a simple device that switches your remote controls from IR to RF (infra red to radio frequency) which means you can operate them even when they are behind doors.

Rechargables: Imagine how many cell phones, digital cameras and iPods you can find in the average house- you can buy great looking docking stations for all your rechargeables that contain the cords and that house all the other paraphernalia that go along with them.  

Cupboards: Kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanity cupboards without any pull-outs are a really poor use of space. Install pull-out wire organizers, pull-out shelves or recycle bins that let you take advantage of the cupboard’s depth and keep it all easily accessible. A wide assortment of these are readily available in building centres.

Great resources for organizational accessories: Ikea, Kitchen Stuff Plus, Solutions, West Elm, Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel.

Interview with Liz Parker of LizPR

February 19, 2010 by Melisa | Comments (3)

Liz Parker is a  Toronto-based publicist specializing in classical musicians. Liz has vast experience promoting classical musicians and concerts to the media, and has also promoted jazz, world, and folk music.  Crazy about makeovers, she ensures her clients look and feel great for their photo shoots; and yes, she offers clothes shopping as a service.  She LOVES encouraging musicians to raise their game with their presentation off-stage, to match the magic they create on-stage.

What is your motto, slogan, or theme song?
“Follow your bliss.”  My father drummed that into my head from an early age, and he sat me down when I was a teenager to watch Joseph Campbell discuss “The Power of Myth”, where I heard this message from the man himself.  Since then, I made a pact with myself to do what’s right for me, however unconventional to others.  It’s the greatest gift my dad gave me.
 

What’s the best advice you’ve been given?
“Figure out what you’d die for, and live for it.”  I just read this recently somewhere, and I thought, “whoa.”

What’s your favorite fashion must-have or must-NOT-have?
Must-have: boots.  I’m a boot slut.  Tasteful, outrageous, sexy, elegant, doesn’t matter – I LOVE BOOTS.  I just walk differently in ‘em.  Must-NOT-have: horizontal stripes.  So unflattering.  

In a past life you were…
A flamenco dancer in Spain.

How do you relax?
“Drool in front of the TV” is a common phrase I quip to describe needing to veg out.  I’d love to say I practice yoga on top of a mountain or go for walks in the park, but let’s face it, I just drool in front of the TV.

What’s a place that inspires you and why?
Vancouver.  It’s my hometown and every time I visit I look at the mountains and oceans and get all verklempt.  I’m sitting here at my mom’s condo, gazing at the mountains as I type (so sorry for any type-os), taking in the Olympic vibe … the scenery is crazy-phenomenal.

What makes you feel most CRAVE – able?
Apart from wearing sexy boots, I’d say my confidence.  When I’m on, I’m fierce.  (When I’m not, I eat dark chocolate.)

What’s a cause you are passionate about and why?
Not so much a cause but a sense that everyone must be true to themselves.  I see way too many people keep up appearances.  People aren’t leading the lives they’re meant to lead.  It takes great courage to be true to yourself, and that’s why I support people who go through great lengths to lead an authentic life.  I’m very passionate about this.

If you weren’t running this business, what would your life look like?
My life has been so wrapped up in promoting musicians I can’t imagine another way of living, but if I weren’t running LIZPR, I’d be walking dogs in the country.  I know, totally different scene….

What makes you laugh so hard you cry?
English slapstick.  John Cleese as Basil Fawlty comes to mind.  Let alone David Brent’s (BBC’s The Office – the original) infamous dance for charity. 

In 10 years you want to be…
…as impish and silly as I am today.

If you could time travel where would you go?
Oh, without question, the Art Deco era, New York City.  Man, everything was stylish: the people, the clothes, the martini sets, the buildings, the decor, the furniture….EVERYTHING!

Go Ga Ga for Babies in Toronto!

February 17, 2010 by Melisa | Comments (0)

At some point everyone needs to find a baby gift for a shower, and often times it’s last minute. If you’re looking for something really special we’ve found some stores for you to browse that are really worth a look.

My Bump
944 Kingston Road
416.698.6625
mybumpmaternity.com

My Bump provides you with an inviting comfortable atmosphere to ensure an easy shopping experience. They have searched long and hard for the finest of designers and gifts so you don’t have to. My Bump has a wide variety of maternity gifts, perfect for the expectant mother. If you know the mother well enough you can get her fashionable maternity clothes or you can get her anything for the baby from baby body foam to a changing mat to a variety of adorable baby blankets. You can even get her a hooter hider to breast feed in public after the baby arrives. There are also a lot of great sale items and if you’re not sure what to get her you can purchase a gift certificate.

Kids at Home
2086 Queen St. E
416.698.9726
kidsathome.com

If you’d like to go a slightly different route than the typical baby shower gifts like new baby supplies or new mother gifts you can try looking at Kids at Home. Kids at Home is the perfect place to find unique decorating pieces for the new baby’s room, like beautiful lights, adorable art and even rugs. They also sell impressive furniture if you’re looking to buy a more important gift and they also carry a lot of toys, baby clothes and traditional baby shower gifts. When you give your great gift from Kids at Home you can remind the new mother that their website has some really helpful tips for decorating the new bundle’s bedroom. Kids at Home is must see if you’re searching for a classy baby shower gift.

Baby on Board Apparel
416.829.2459
babyonboardapparel.com

The founder, Ali McEwen has this to say about BOBA; “I was visiting Brooklyn and stumbled upon this amazing t-shirt shop. In a brief conversation with the gentleman who was working the shop that day I blurted out the idea of blasting an ultrasound picture across a maternity tee.  And from that random thought I realized my calling to develop cool, fashion forward maternity tees that can be worn during pregnancy and after. My tees are a custom pattern and were developed through fit samples and listening to what felt good on the pregnant women.” BOBA is an online store that sells comfortable maternity t-shirts with unique designs that say things like “Made with love,” Signed, sealed, delivered” and “Baby Buddha.” This is a good place to look for a humorous, but also handy gift for an expectant mother to wear something comfortable during this undoubtedly uncomfortable time.

I hope this helps in your search for the perfect baby shower gift!

Valentine’s Day – Find Cupcakes in Toronto

February 10, 2010 by Melisa | Comments (0)

Valentine’s Day is just a few days away and if you’re tired of giving chocolates or candy, try cupcakes! Cupcake shops are a growing trend and they can often be an extraordinarily delicious and often times beautifully decorated gift. Sometimes a whole cake is too much, especially for a holiday like Valentine’s Day where a small sentiment is more appropriate. Whether it’s for a spouse, a significant other, a best friend… or yourself, try these great cupcake bakeries to find the perfect treat!

Sugar Baking
647.669.9754
sugar-baking.com

Sugar Baking is a cupcake, cake and cookie delivery service. You can call or order online and they will deliver your cupcakes to any location in the greater Toronto area just when you want them. In order to ensure your cupcakes come on time, place your order at least two days in advance. And if you would like a custom design, order at least a week in advance. Sugar baking is a special shop because it offers unique flavors and custom cupcake/frosting combinations. Flavors like MMMango: A generous swirl of smooth mango buttercream that rests on your choice of classic vanilla or infamous chocolate cupcake. Or Banana rama: a moist cupcake bursting with bananas and laced with chopped Toblerone chocolate. This little treat is a single-sized portion of banana bread, without having to commit to the whole loaf. Indulge plain, or topped off with a swirl of Nutella or chocolate buttercream. With many delicate delights to taste, Sugar Bakery is a must to check out.

Cupcaketionery
416.910.0761
cupcaketionery.com

Cupcaketionery is also a delivery service. They care about people, animals, and the environment. They use only the finest ingredients that were made or procured without cruelty to animals or injustices to workers. They also use organic and fair-trade ingredients where they can, as long as it is vegan and allergen-free. Cupcaketionery has cupcakes that are rich in protein, omega-3, amino acids, antioxidants and healthy fats. You can indulge without ruining your health or breaking out your EpiPen! If you’re looking to treat someone who is health conscious or environmentally conscious, this is a great choice. But just because these cupcakes are healthier than the rest, it doesn’t mean they don’t taste just as good! Cupcaketionery has a long list of exciting flavors sure to please anyone. Matcha Match, Chai Tea, and Mint Condition are just a few of their fun flavors.

Sugar Plum Sweet Creations
1028 Kingston Road
416.693.4747
sugarplum.ca

If you really want to make a statement via cupcake this Valentine’s Day, come to Sugar Plum. Their specialty is decoration. Sugar Plum’s cupcakes are adorned with painstaking detail with colorful flowers or holiday themed decorations. They also sell cakes and cookies and a good selection of gifts and greeting cards for any occasion you would like to give for. Another good thing about Sugar Plum is that you don’t have to order in advance. You can come in and pick out a gorgeous cupcake on the day you need it, or if you just have a delicious craving! But don’t come in at the last minute for Valentine’s Day! These beautiful creations are sure to fly out the door.

Now that you have a hankering for the perfect cupcake, go out and bite into one! Oh yeah, and get one for that special someone on Valentine’s Day too…

Hometown Olympians

February 3, 2010 by Melisa | Comments (1)

Here at CRAVE we like to tell you about strong, smart women doing remarkable things and athletes are no exception. Now that February is finally here, we thought we’d fill you in on some of the local Toronto women to lookout for who have earned their way to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games, beginning Friday, February 12.

Veronika Bauer – Freestyle Skiing – Toronto, ON
Although she now lives in Calgary, Bauer was born and raised in Toronto. Over her career, Bauer has placed on the podium at World Cup events 18 times, with four of these being victories. Her most successful season came in 2003, as she placed 3rd overall in the World Cup standings. That season saw her claim three of her four titles, two at Mt. Buller and one in Fernie. She has made the podium twice at the World Championships. She won a gold medal at Whistler in 2001, then finished less than three points behind Alisa Camplin to earn silver in 2003. Even though she is an athelete in a winter sport, she says that she does not like winter and would like to live somewhere warm someday. Her favorite food is sushi. Go Veronika!
Info

Gillian Apps – Hockey – Brampton, ON
Gillian Apps is a forward who played for Ivy League school Dartmouth College and then after graduation, returned to her Toronto roots to play for the Brampton Canadette-Thunder. While she was at Dartmouth she was one of 10 finalists for the Patty Kazmaier Award, which goes to the top female hockey player in U.S. college hockey. She won a gold medal with Canada at the 2006 Olympics, and in her five World Championship appearances, she has tallied three gold medals and three silvers medals. Gillian Apps has got stars in her eyes and she is not going to stop till she wins gold for team Canada!
Info

Heather Moyse – Bobsleigh – Toronto, ON
As a dual national sport athlete in bobsleigh and rugby, Heather Moyse is a remarkable example of passion and dedication to sport and life. After being recruited to the sport of bobsleigh in August 2005, in her first season together with pilot Helen Upperton, Heather won the Canadian Championships, finished 2nd overall in the World Cup Circuit with 1 gold, 2 silvers, 1 bronze, and push-start records on five international tracks. Her bobsleigh season culminated in a 4th place finish at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy where she and Helen set another push-start record. Although Moyse is originally from Summerside, PE, she now resides in Toronto.
Info

Now that you know who to root for, go Team Canada!

Absolute Best in Cruise Wear

January 27, 2010 by Melisa | Comments (0)

If the glum January weather is dragging you down a little too much, maybe it’s time to get away and bring a little more summer into your life. Did you know that winter is actually the best time of year to go on a cruise because you are more likely to get incredible deals and save loads of money while still escaping to somewhere with plenty of warm weather and sunshine? Now’s the time. If you need some summer clothes and accessories to go with that lovely cruise, check out these stores.

Almost Naked – 479 Queen Street West – almostnaked.ca- 1.877.360.8203

Almost Naked is a specialty retail and online store offering the latest in underwear, swimsuits, fitness, loungewear and accessories for men and women. Their goal is to offer the broadest selection of unique, stylish and previously unknown brands to the Canadian marketplace. They are dedicated to providing you with a shopping experience where you are treated as an individual and to provide attentive service so that they can help you find what fits and makes you feel great. Although Almost Naked sells mostly underwear they also have a cute and unique selection of swimwear. If you’re looking to find swimwear any time of the year, Almost Naked is the place to go.

Girl Friday – 740 Queen Street West – girlfridayclothing.com – 416.364.2511

Avid shoppers have come to rely on Girl Friday to indulge their shopping fantasies. The warm and inviting environment is filled with delectable pieces that are hard to pass up. Girl Friday fans flock to the store for the label’s impeccably fitting dresses, perfect for all occasions. Feminine, but never fussy, Girl Friday dresses flatter a variety of figure types. Clean lines and timeless silhouettes, the Girl Friday look never goes out of style, and Girl Friday pieces become favourite pieces in a fashionable-girl’s wardrobe. Girl Friday has loads of light bright dresses for exploring the deck of the ship or heading out onto the island for dinner.

Pho pa - 698 Queen St West – phopa.ca – 416.979.9444

The same shop we recommended last week for great evening wear is also a good place to find cute colourful tops and casual dresses. Pho pa does not disappoint with its selection of unique finds. This boutique carries Canadian designers who are just establishing themselves so it keeps prices lower than you would expect for most pieces. Pho pa offers a unique concentration of fashion, jewelry and accessories designs. It would be hard to make a fashion mistake here- the concept is smart, well-made basics with subtle twists, edgy and hip. The accessories are fantastic and it’s also a great place to find the perfect belt or a one of a kind piece.

Now you know where to go to prepare yourself, book that ticket already!

We CRAVE Couture!

January 20, 2010 by Melisa | Comments (0)

Do you have post-Golden Globe depression because your closet is missing that incredible dress your favorite star walked down the red carpet in? Or do you just wish you could show up to a party with the kind of couture that will undoubtedly turn heads? We’ve gathered a couple of suggestions for where you can shop in Toronto to find that perfect unstoppable dress and the right accessories to compliment it.

Pho pa – 698 Queen St West – phopa.ca – 416.979.9444

Pho pa does not disappoint with its selection of unique finds. This boutique carries Canadian designers who are just establishing themselves so it keeps prices lower than you would expect for most pieces. Pho pa offers a unique concentration of fashion, jewelry and accessories designs. It would be hard to make a fashion mistake here- the concept is smart, well-made basics with subtle twists, edgy and hip. The accessories are fantastic and it’s also a great place to find the perfect belt or a one of a kind piece.

Hush Couture – 98 Forest Hill Road (by appointment only) – hushcouture.ca – 416.505.9126

Co-founders of Hush Couture, Jennifer Koffman and Yael Panet came together with an idea to respond to the emerging needs of women, mothers, socialites, charity event goers, prom queens, and party girls alike who all have one thing in common. They all want to look stylish and cutting edge without spending a fortune. Their collection of current designer dresses are available to lease at an affordable price. You never have to wear the same dress twice. It allows you to expand your wardrobe without taking up valuable real estate in an already cluttered closet. Whether it’s a black tie formal event, a conservative work function, a casual chic party or just a night on the town, they offer their clientele the ideal outfit for any occasion.

Peach Berserk – 507 Queen St West – peachberserk.com – 416.504.1711

Peach Berserk is a totally unique and vibrant shop that creates and sells slik-screened dresses. The flare, color and prints of these dresses provide a statement so bold you’ll picture them on edgy leading ladies as they strut the red carpet. You can even take silk-screening classes so you can learn to master the art yourself. When you are in Toronto be sure to visit their amazing Store/Studio. You can even get a gorgeous custom made Peach Berserk dress for your special event as long as you order a minimum of 5 days in advance of your event. They can make something just for you!

Made You Look – 1338 Queen St West – madeyoulook.ca – 416-463-2136

Made You Look is Toronto’s hub for contemporary, innovative, unique, creative, one-of-a-kind, local, handcrafted jewellery. Their Queen West Stores showcase the work of over 100 local Toronto Jewellery Designers, with a huge range of original jewellery to choose from. There are 20 self-employed designers who manufacture on-site in their large studio, which makes for a unique retail shopping experience.

We hope this helps you find your long lost personality statement. After all, you don’t need an occasion to be the best (and certainly most shiny) version of yourself.

Witness the Fitness – Tips for the New Year

January 13, 2010 by Melisa | Comments (0)

Getting fit can be one of the most challenging tasks you face because it affects every other choice you make each day. Do I take the elevator or the stairs? Do I choose the cookie or the apple? Not only does it take constant will power, it also requires knowledge of your body and what is good for it. Here are a few tips from personal trainers in the Toronto area who are helping women every day to get to the shape they’d like to be.

Davelle Morrison and Funk Roberts, personal trainers from Fit Firm ‘n Fab: Fitness, Nutrition and Wellness for Women have some great tips to offer you to stay in shape.

1. Work some aerobic exercise into your life, it will reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is the world’s largest killer, claiming 17.1 million lives a year. It involves the heart or blood vessels, affecting the lungs, the brain, the kidneys or other parts of the body. If you gradually work up to a cardiovascular session every other day that lasts 20-30 minutes, you will achieve the maximum benefits. Your session should include a five minute warm up and cool down, therefore, prior to exercise, the body can adjust slowly from rest to exercise and after your body can gradually recover.

2. Meditating for at least 10 minutes in the morning can help to reduce stress levels. What she recommends that you do to fight stress in your life is to find a quiet place in your home, sit cross legged on a pillow with your hands on your knees, palms facing upward with your index finger and thumb touching, close your eyes and inhale and exhale. It’s an ancient practice called meditation and its’ really quite simple. You don’t need a special course or a special place, just yourself. You already possess all the tools that you need.

3. Get 7-8 hours of sleep every night. It can help you to lose weight. According to Women’s Health, people who slept at least 7 hours a night were less likely to put on weight than those who didn’t. Sleep loss has been shown to affect the secretion of cortisol, a hormone that regulates appetite. People who do not get enough sleep may feel hungry throughout the day and crave sugary foods during the afternoon. How can you enjoy a better night’s sleep? Add a yoga class into your workout routine. Yoga’s soothing poses and breathing will help give you a good night’s sleep.

Kaleena, a Toronto area personal trainer, says that Yoga will also improve strength, flexibility, balance and coordination and the more you improve the better you can get into poses and learn about the way your body works and moves. But you don’t always have time in your day to work around a class schedule at the gym. Kaleena has some useful advice for home Yoga.

1. Practice!: If you are serious about strengthening your yoga routine it’s essential that you practice for at least 20 minutes two to three times a week. This is primarily important for muscle memory and retaining achieved flexibility. It’s important to build momentum with any exercise routine.

2. Listen/Read: Whether you learn yoga from a DVD, book or online it’s helpful to constantly review your material. Even basic poses such as the warrior or strength exercises like the squat need constant form reviews to be perfect. If you practice yoga to a DVD listen to instructions carefully, as the most subtle movement or placement in yoga can make a world of difference. Practicing on your own requires more in depth research and persistence to make the most of your sessions. She also finds it to be extremely helpful to watch videos online from yoga blogs, YouTube and podcasts.

3. Hire a home yoga teacher: It’s a great idea to hire a yoga instructor periodically. A teacher will help to correct form and to make sure you are on the right track. She would recommend seeking extra help every other month or so. About a week before your session, start to write down any questions or concerns that come to mind during your practice to make the most out of a professionally trained yoga teacher.

We hope this leaves you with the inspiration you need to getting on the path of good health in 2010.