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Archive for June, 2010

It’s World Cup Time!

Monday, June 7th, 2010

Ladies! The World Cup is on this week, so why not throw a fabulous party to celebrate! Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and throwing a party will be just another fun reason to sit around the TV with the gals and drool over men in jerseys.

So what are the three key items necessary for throwing a great party? Friends, food, and some fun drinks. With those elements you’re bound to have fun.

First, lets start off with friends. Invite your best gal pals over (probably 8 to 10 ladies) and ask them to previously pick a team to cheer for. Then suggest they wear the colors of their team to the party. It will add a small hint of competition to the group and keep your ladies having fun screaming for their men during the game.

Second, it may be a soccer party but the snacks don’t have to be the typical game food of chicken wings and burgers. For your ladies, whip up a batch of cupcakes or if in a time crunch grab some from your local grocer and decorate them with the colors of the teams playing. As for the other snacks, everything needs to be decent at room temperature, since once the game starts the attention will be focused more on the TV. Perhaps some bruschetta and caprese salad would be yummy finger food that will leave your guests happy and satisfied. If feeling too crunched for time on the snacky goods, ask your gals to each bring something small and yummy with them when they come. It will help relieve some of the stress and you know then you’ll have plenty of food to go around.

Third, but just as important are those drinks! Decide to make some of your favorite cocktails or bubbly that will keep the girls having fun throughout the game. Perhaps a drink that includes the colors of the teams! Drinks are always fun but no one wants to bust their budget on buying alcohol that not everyone will like, so let your girlfriends know you will be providing some drinks, but suggest they bring more if they have a specific or picky preference.

So no more excuses and procrastinating! You now have all you need for a successful party! All that’s left is letting the gals know and start getting caught up on your knowledge of the teams and the gorgeous men playing. Games start June 11th so get your head in the game and get your party started!

Hot Summer Nights Event at LYNNSteven Boutique!

Monday, June 7th, 2010


Ladies, listen up! Gastown’s jewel, LYNNSteven Boutique, is hosting a fab party this upcoming Wednesday and you don’t want to miss out! Shop with an exclusive 20% discount at LYNNSteven while enjoying champagne cocktails & appetizers and mini makeovers by BeautyMark!

BeautyMark ,Vancouver’s premier beauty boutique, is thrilled to partner with LYNNsteven for the Hot Summer Nights event on June 9th from 5:30pm – 8:30 pm. To find out the latest & greatest beauty brands, events and exclusive offerings, subscribe to their newsletter before June 9th and you’ll be automatically entered to win a $50 BeautyMark gift card! Just send an email to info@beautymark.ca with LYNNsteven as the subject and you will be entered!

To find out more about Gastown’s hottest fashion boutique, subscribe to their newsletter before June 9th and you’ll be automatically entered to win a $200 LYNNsteven gift card!  Just send an email to events@lynnsteven.com with BeautyMark as the subject and you will be entered to win!

Q&A with Meena Sandhu of ING Direct

Saturday, June 5th, 2010

Meena Sandhu knows what it takes to make a business thrive. As a Regional Marketing and Sales Manager for ING Direct, she helps bring vital resources and information to women business-owners throughout Vancouver.  We met her at the CRAVE 2010 Symposium and decided we needed to pick her brain just a little bit more. Here, we talk to Meena about her role providing assistance to entreprenesses and her tips for creating a business to CRAVE.

How does ING Direct support women entrepreneurs?

We’ve targeted individuals and small businesses. We do a lot of workshops and classes offered, for example budgeting and savings workshops and sometimes have special speakers. And we’ve found that women are much more receptive to our workshops. We get a lot of response from women and they are very much engaged. ING Direct used to have a partnership with Smart Cookies. They also rent out their boardrooms to different companies. All these workshops and classes are complimentary, no charge.

What did you enjoy most about being a part of the CRAVE Symposium 2010?

I just thought it was a great opportunity to meet all these women in various aspects of the business world. Saw a network forming that you just know was going to continue, very motivational and great for everybody. Sharing of knowledge was the most important part of the symposium I would say. It was very beneficial and really, a great thing.

What are the top 5 tips you have for women who own their own business?

1. Women need to let their brand represent their own personalities. If they are the brand they will be most successful.

2. Always great to write mission statement, vision and values. Although it’s in your head, it’s always good to have it as a reference point to keep your vision always close to you.

3. Use the resources that are available to them like Bizplan pro and Quickbooks. These are all low or no cost resources that make the administrative side of a business so much easier. Don’t need to do all the admin work themselves.

4. Always set a budget and make sure you always set aside at least 10% for miscellaneous. That’s one of the smartest things to do in regards to financial planning.

5. Have fun and share knowledge with others and inspire one another between various small businesses. It’s truly one of the greatest things about being a business owner.

ING Direct Canada
vancafe@ingdirect.ca

Slip into summer!

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

Women are known to be particular when it comes to certain things: our morning latte’s (must be piping hot), our toilet seats (must be down), our fabric softeners (must be REALLY soft), and our shoes, which must be not only amazing but able to stick with us as we jaunt, jog, and journey around town. As one of the few things that can inspire either rapturous joy or sorrowful pain (goodbye four-inch heels with no support), picking out the right pair can be a daunting task. Luckily, our city is full of women who understand the importance of a good shoe and have made it their business to offer up the best of the best to the rest of us. Here are a few of our favorite spots to find your perfect pair – or pairs – in which to take on the city in full force!

Kalena’s Shoes & Accessories (1526 Commercial Drive)
A CRAVE gal will always be proud to support local enterprise, but she also know that when it comes to shoemaking – nobody does it quite like Italians. For over 40 years, the owners of this trustyworthy boutique have bridged the seven-thousand mile gap between Vancouver and Italy to bring us the best of the country right here at home. Considering the country is shaped like a boot, shoes are a natural business there!
www.kalenashoes.com

Lola Home and Apparel (1076 Hamilton Street)
This charming boutique brings “French whimsy” and “English eccentricity” to Vancouver’s Yaletown district. Though it’s not exclusively a shoe shop, and in fact carries a wide range of chic gifts, apparel, and home items, the place has been known to carry rare gems like a pair of silver sequined sneakers we found two years ago. Check in regularly for a constantly evolving selection including feminine flats with jewel details we’ve been eyeing for weeks.
www.lolahomeandapparel.com

Misch (2960 Granville Street)
Clean, crisp, classic, chic. Misch is a boutique that feels like a breath of fresh air each time we walk in. The shoes (and the rest of the goodies) are all a mix of understated elegance and style from a mix of emerging and well-established designers. We love that all the shoes carry just the perfect amount of attitude to let us add in our own personality without overdoing it. A real treat for summertime style.
www.misch.ca