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

Give your home a Fall Makeover: Wonderbucks

September 7, 2010 by Mina | Comments (0)


Summer has come and gone.  Ladies, you know what that means!  Time to redecorate our home to cozy it up and get it ready for the fall.  We know it’s much needed but how are we supposed to give our humble abodes a wonderful make-over, especially after our summer travels and long nights out on local patios? (I don’t know about you but my wallet definitely suffers more in summer time!)

I’ve got an answer for you!  Make a trip to Wonderbucks!  They have all the essentials to complete the wonderful-ification process – from candles to furniture and even cute baskets to store away your summer decors until next year.  You can find everything you need here; no need to visit a million different stores!  And the best part is that your bank account won’t suffer!  Wonderful items for wonderful prices – at Wonderbucks!  Oh, how delightful.

I’ll for sure be stopping by soon to pick up a little something-something for our CRAVE office!

The Urban Girl’s Manifesto is back!

July 12, 2010 by Arpen T. | Comments (1)


Attention to all the chic, savvy and stylish women in Vancouver! We at CRAVE Vancouver are proud to announce that the newest edition of our Vancouver guidebook will be hitting shelves soon (Fall 2010 to be exact). For those of you who don’t know, CRAVE Vancouver is much more than a guidebook. CRAVE Vancouver, also known as “The Urban Girl’s Manifesto”, is a savvy one of a kind lifestyle guide devoted entirely to the most prominent local businesses, owned by women. Punctuated with descriptive text and photos full of colorful energy and stylish spark, reading CRAVE is like opening a door to your very own party and fashion show. With only the best of the best and nothing less, the third edition of the CRAVE Vancouver guidebook promises to exceed and go “to infinity and beyond” your expectations! We can’t wait (really we can’t!)  to announce the newest additions to the 3rd edition of our Vancouver guide:

  • CRAVE guides are officially going green! All of our books are now locally printed, FSC certified and printed with soy ink on elemental chlorine-free paper with 10% recycled material.
  • A brand new “Intellegensia” section will be added. This section includes business-to-business service providers such as Marketing Consultants, Public Relations Specialists, Lawyers, Graphic Designers and much more!
  • Two words: CRAVE Savings. Now, each guidebook will come fully equipped with an entire page of exclusive discount offers from various businesses featured in the guidebook (who doesn’t crave to save?!)

With such great additions to the guidebook we can barely contain our excitement. And now that you’ve had a little sneak peek on what’s to come, we hope you’re just as excited as us here at CRAVE Vancouver. Remember, the CRAVE guide is always on the hunt for chic, stylish and inspirational women in business. If you or someone you know fits the bill, please don’t hesitate to contact us at arpen@craveparty.com

Vancouver’s Awesome Blossoms

April 14, 2010 by Karina | Comments (2)


Now that we have finally escaped the icy cold grip of winter, it’s about time we bring that spring back into our step. And around this time of year, there is hardly a better way to get back your bounce than with a fresh, vibrant bouquet of flowers. With exciting splashes of colors and garden-fresh fragrances, an arrangement of pretty petals is the perfect way to celebrate spring’s return. We’ve scoured the city – and asked you – to find out which Vancouver shops are offering the most CRAVE-worthy blossoms. Here are just a few of our favorites, just in time for Mother’s Day, graduations, and of course, wedding season. But we think one of the best ways to enjoy spring’s natural renewal is with a lovely bouquet, just for you. Just because.

Set in the trendy Yaletown district, Divine Vines (1066 Mainland Street, Vancouver ) certainly fits in with their cutting-edge, contemporary floral compositions. Combining local and internationally grown buds, each arrangement presents an eclectic mix of exotic and familiar favorites for a look that is altogether unique and perfectly pleasing. The boutique serves as a one-stop-shop for every type of botanical need, from corporate designs to weddings to holidays and even single bouquets. Each order is personally customized, and each flower hand-picked with artful expertise to match a client’s vision and event’s theme.  That kind of exquisite detail will not be missed in the decadent arrangement you bring to your office, party, home, or special someone.

Garland Florists ( 2950 West Broadway Vancouver) approaches flowers like an avant-garde painter would approach a canvas, with an eye for the dramatic and modern. Their design team utilizes bold colors and eye-catching accessories to create contemporary expressions fit for a range of occasions and settings. A trip to their shop on West Broadway will throw your senses into overload, with an endless array of botanic options. They even offer custom-made planters for your home gardens, and an incredible range of fresh greens to choose from. Garland Florist’s team happily shares their knowledge and tips for keeping your blossoms beautiful, so even if you’re thumb is not the greenest on the block, your neighbors would never have to know. Unless you tell them, of course!

If your love for flowers goes beyond mere appreciation, you may need to visit the Academy of Floral Design & New Westminster Floral Company (335 E Columbia St, New Westminster)where you can become trained in the art of botanical design while also gaining firsthand experience in a bustling business environment. The Academy’s certified and comprehensive program covers several aspects of floral composition, technique, and design, offering a unique and real-world environment in which to hone their skills. If you would rather leave the arranging to the professionals (and budding professionals), the shop’s historic location in Sapperton of New Westminster provides exceptional floral design for every occasion. A shop that teaches what it preaches – that’s a business approach we definitely CRAVE!

Celebrate Earth Day April 22

April 12, 2010 by Melisa M. | Comments (0)


Earth Day is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment, held on April 22. It is celebrated in many countries and has been receiving added attention in current years with the newfound popularity of going green and our increased consciousness of how we are harming the planet. As active motivated women, we, here at CRAVE, think Earth day is a wonderful chance to help women discover new ways to help our earth and conserve it for generations to come. The Nature Conservancy has some wonderful tips to do just that, pertaining to activities a lot of women deal with in their everyday lives.

Use reusable totes

You can help save oceans when you use reusable shopping bags instead of plastic bags. Sure, it’s a small step — but it can make a big difference in the health of our oceans. Unfortunately, 90 percent of the debris that washes up from our oceans are man-made and shouldn’t be there. Most of it has – unfortunately – come to be expected: derelict fishing equipment, disposable plastic bottles, plastic bags, cigarette butts, bits of unidentifiable plastic, Styrofoam. To help encourage others, share where you take reusable bags or where you’ve found your favorite tote.

Eat food

Just like you, conservationists, fishermen, chefs and consumers are working together to find new ways of living off our oceans and waters while keeping nature healthy. In a day and age when many of us “harvest” most of our meals by filling a grocery cart or skimming a menu, it can be easy to overlook nature’s role in putting food on our tables. This is especially true when it comes to seafood. For centuries, the oceans’ bounty seemed inexhaustible. Now, as scientists unravel the intricate relationships between fish and the vast lands below the water’s surface, we’re gaining a clearer picture of how humans have altered our oceans’ ability to provide for us. The Conservancy is tackling the problems by working with communities to restore degraded habitats and rebuild depleted fisheries. But sustainability also depends on how fish are brought to market. A service called FishPhone is Blue Ocean’s sustainable seafood text messaging service that instantly puts sustainable seafood information at your fingertips. To find out about your seafood choice, text 30644 with the message FISH and the name of the fish in question. They’ll text you back with their assessment and better alternatives to fish with significant environmental concerns.

Green your gardening

Even while you’re gardening in your very own backyard, you can make a big difference in the health of the ocean. Fertilizers and other chemicals used in conventional gardening are washed into watersheds and eventually to sea, where they can harm coral reefs and other marine life. To help cut back on pollution, go native! Native plants require much less water and fertilizer than non-native plants do. Make your own compost! Composting kitchen scraps is a great way to create (free!) all-natural fertilizer. Set your mower to a cutting height of 2”-3” — which will eliminate undesirable weedy plants. Don’t rake your clippings; leave them behind as fertilizer. You can even try square-foot gardening. This method uses 90% less water and 95% fewer seeds than a traditional backyard garden and requires no chemicals!

You can find all the details on these tips and plenty more at earthday.nature.org

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?

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 C. | 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!