Light Magazine

tree centerpiece $5

DIY YOUR HOLIDAY PARTY on your budget goodwill glassware $15 glass ornament $1

fresh. sophisticated. practical nov // dec 2011

contents: nov/dec 2012

feature presentations:

millenials: understanding our generation 25 diy guide to 29 your christmas holiday music party holiday gift guide The old folks say we lack soft skills, require way too

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much attention, and were overpraised as children.

Punch up your holiday soundtrack.

Something for everyone on your list

and everything's under $50.

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care and keeping of new year's resolutions This year, resolve to be better at your

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resolutions. Here are a few tips to make

6 steps: stop over-thinking your life Are you lost in thoughts about what you

could have, would have, should have done

differently? Here are directions to help

you find your way out.

1 路 nov/dec 2012

sure your good intentions stick around until 2012 closes (or the world ends).

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images via feedprojects.com & weheartit.com

Table settings, confetti, party favors and more.

cover photography from thelennoxx.com

the usual: fashion// 3 holiday pieces under $50 diy glitter heels for NYE

art// 11

affordable prints from etsy.com free tear-out from Nate Duvall

weekend project// 15 Paint a wall sized family tree.

self// 17 14 days to a happier, healthier you!

Job interviews: how to answer “What is your biggest weakness?”

images via etsy.com & pitchfork.com

money// 27 Investing for dummies.

Managing student loan debt.

reads// 38 music// 53 Love and Shame and Love

Bon Iver's new sound new releases you'll love "drinkify" cocktail generator timeflies

fitness// 55 Plan your ski trip on a budget.

relationships// 57 Do your friends make you better?

light magazine ·

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music

sounds // we dig Bon Iver (self titled) if you like: M. Ward Iron and Wine Fleet Foxes

Peter Bradley Adams (between us) if you like: Pete Yorn Joshua James John Mayer

The Naked And Famous (passive me, aggressive you) if you like: MGMT M83 Temper Trap

bon iver’s new groove

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Matthew Perpetua

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· nov/dec 2012

images via mog.com & amazon.com

Songwriter Justin Vernon’s debut album as Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago, was about as stark and minimal as records get. With his second album, simply titled Bon Iver, he’s gone in the opposite direction. The disc’s first single, “Calgary,” is full of rich sonic detail, from dreamy synthesizer washes and rumbling percussion to gnarly distorted guitar and assorted bits of noise. Despite all the changes, his band’s essential appeal remains the same – it’s still all about Vernon’s gorgeous, understated voice and his skill for nailing a particular, deeply resonating sort of melancholy.

music

drinkify.com recommends cocktail recipes for any music

What alcoholic beverage pairs best with the Beatles, the Glee soundtrack, or another artist or band you’re listening to? Drinkify is a new site that’ll tell you. The drink recommendations are served up by connecting Last.fm, the Echo Nest (which provides terms and genres as well as speed for artists’ tracks), and a proprietary drink database, according to the webapp’s developers.

Some of the suggestions make sense: whiskey and Johnny Cash, for example, while others might have you scratching your head (scotch for the Glee soundtrack and merlot for Frank Sinatra; to me, they seem better switched). Still, it’s fun and interesting playing around with the site just to see the drink-and-music pairings. Maybe Drinkify could inspire your next cocktail party.

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Melanie Pinola

download it: timeflies

images via drinkify.com & timefliesmusic.com

Timeflies is a music duo consisting of 23 year-old Cal (vocalist) and 22-year old Rez (producer), which formed in October 2010. Using elements of pop, hip-hop, electro, dubstep, and rock, Timeflies aims to escape genre limitations to create expressive music.

Cal freestyles, drawing inspiration from newspaper headlines.

In late September, Timeflies released their debut album, The by Vanity Fair, every Tuesday, the from playing concerts at colleges Scotch Tape, which proved to be guys make a video for their fans. and venues across the country, a huge success. Only 24 hours “Timeflies Tuesday” has been a growing their fan base and after its release, the album soared great way for the fans to get a spreading their music. Read more to #8 on the iTunes overall chart look into whats going on in the at www.timefliesmusic.com. and #2 on the iTunes Pop chart. world of Timeflies, and for Cal Dubbed “musical masterminds” and Rez to get a quick break Carey Ward

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light magazine ·

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fashion

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Want to make last year’s little black dress the hit of this season’s party without anyone remembering it’s the same dress?

We’ve got a super-affordable, super-easy transformation that will take you from “meh” to unforgettable in an instant.

It’s time to invest in a pair of patterned tights, ladies! And by “invest,” we mean “skip two mornings of lattes,” because you can find these babies at practically every price point (lots for less than $10!). Go for polka dots, lace, even bold colored s wirls or paisleys, and turn a boring black dress into a totally wow outfit (and yes, you can still wear your simple black pumps from last year, too!).

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Tracey Lomrantz

holiday pieces under $50

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· nov/dec 2012

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1. bow top, modcloth, $39.99 2. necklace, forever 21, $9.99 3. earrings, kate spade, $39.99 4. peplum top, shopruche, $34.99 5. tights, express, $16.50 6. purse, MNG, $24.00

how can I pull off the animal print trend?

fashion

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Matching colors and prints is very common in styling. However, not only does matching too much create a trying hard kind of obsolete way of styling, it’s considered a big NAY when it comes to animal prints.

Choose one large part of your outfit that’s wild. If your top is a leopard/ tiger/zebra print, let the tights/skirt/ pants be non-animal print. If it’s your dress that has the print, then let your shoes be plain black or nude.

A touch of the same print on your footwear only works when the black, beige or white shade is dominant.

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Carey Ward

& deals on dresses plus we love this blazer!

Dorothy Perkins, $27

+ diy glitter heels page 52 Lulu’s, $41

Nastygal, $40 light magazine ·

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art

p. 26

this print is free for you! from Janice Jong (look her up on etsy.com)

affordable prints // <

letterpress on atlas: $40 www.etsy.com/shop/ amyriceart

“I had been painting on and with antique maps, atlases and globes for a few years, exploring direction (and my inherent lack thereof ) so this series of song lyrics about direction on antique atlas pages has been an interesting addition to my more painterly work.” (Amy Rice)

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screen print on book page: $10 http://www.etsy. com/shop/CrowBiz

These fit standard 5”x7” unmatted frames, or standard 8”x10” matted frames. Custom requests are always welcome. (CrowBiz)

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embroidered print: $30 www.etsy.com/shop/selflesh

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· nov/dec 2012

images via etsy.com

“A perfect way to celebrate those places and people you love! This is a made to order custom star map embroidered print made with vintage star maps, and embroidered with red thread. You choose two constellations / astrological signs. They will be included in each heart. Thread will radiate out to general areas like the example.” (Shannon Rankin)

art light magazine 路

<I

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II millenials: understanding our generation

Mitch Goodman is similar to any other Millennial. He is a young professional who landed his first job right out of college at American Airlines, where he works as a yield analyst. As a 24-year-old employee, Goodman takes every opportunity to learn new methods of doing things at work and adapt to changing technologies regularly.

Goodman says that many of the younger employees he works with have the same mindset, but tend to clash with the company’s older generations who prefer sticking to existing or older methodologies.

Goodman is a member of the Millennial generation, which includes anyone between the ages of 16 and 25 in 2011. While Pew Research describes Millennials as “confident, connected, and open to change,” members of older generations are more critical of the millennial generation, and tend to clash with its members in the workforce.

According to Lisa Tran, a career coach at the SMU Hegi Family Career Development Center, Millennials have even been known to use this informal and grammatically incorrect communication style in cover letters and applications to internships and jobs.

After texting friends and using Twitter to communicate quick, 40 character messages all day, “it can be hard to mentally switch from one style of writing to another,” says Tran.

original artwork from deliver.com

Older generations’ issues with the Millennial communication style does not stop at the written word, however. Many believe that younger members “Neither generation is better, but I have noticed there is a big of the workforce also lack “soft skills,” which include difference in working and communication style [between Millennials professional appearance, knowledge of business and older generations],” said Dave Foster, chief executive officer of etiquette, and ability to have productive face-toAvreaFoster, an advertising agency in Dallas. face conversations in the workplace. A challenge my clients talk about Older generations accuse millennials of lacking "I have n oti ced th ere is a frequently are the communication skills, having an entitled attitude, number of young and lacking focus in the workplace. Many employers bi g d i fferen ce i n wo rki n g adults entering the chalk these things up to simple generational an d co m m u n i cati o n style workforce who differences, but the dissimilarities can cause a strain between M i llen n ials lack face-to-face in the workplace. Foster, for example, has had to relationship building an d o ld er gen erati o ns." terminate a Millennial employee’s contract due to “a skills,” says Barry. lack of understanding that they needed to change “For a lot of young adults, it’s difficult to look someone in their communication style.” the eye and have a conversation.”

Many believe this happens because social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter combined with frequent texting has created an abrupt, informal, and unprofessional form of communication among members of the generation. As a result of technology, Millennials have mastered the art of writing in abbreviations because of the number of text messages they send,” says Nancy Barry, author of When Reality Hits: What Employers Want Recent College Graduates to Know and Generation Y Expert. When Millennials enter the workforce they need to learn how to communicate more professionally. Millennials tend to take this abrupt, casual style from texting one another and incorporate it into professional e-mails, Foster says, which is not well received by older generations who expect a certain standard of written communication in the workplace.

Tran notes that although a lack of professionalism or workplace etiquette experience could simply be a symptom of youth and inexperience, regardless of generation, it is also possible that Millennials especially lack these skills because they are used to communicating with others from behind computer screens, rather than in person.““In my opinion, it’s all about the soft skills,” says Barry, who adds that any manager asked to describe their “dream life employee” would list soft skills above all else as the most important attributes. While these skills are invaluable to a company’s elders, Goodman suggests that it may not be that Millennials don’t know how to do these things, but rather that they don’t find them quite as important.

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resolutions:

CARE & KEEPING

e d i t o r i a l e d i t o r a t R E L E VA N T m a g a z i n e

image via weheartit.com

alyce gilligan

Sometime between cleaning the Christmas wrapping paper off your floor and gathering to watch a blinking orb descend into Times Square, there is an internal shift. December begins to feel heavy, stifling you with the weight of the year behind it. Whatever those months held, good or bad, you imagine it can’t compare with what awaits you after Jan. 1. The new calendar year represents a fresh start, each blank date a gleaming opportunity for improvement. And naturally, you begin to mentally craft a version of yourself capable of seizing this newer and better year. Next December will be different. By next December, you’ll be a more exciting, intelligent and likable person—and, of course, in great shape.

10 ways to make your

good intentions

LAST

this time

Yes, everybody is good at making resolutions.

Unfortunately, it’s the keeping of resolutions that actually counts—and that’s where most of us have difficulty.

This year, resolve to be better at your resolutions. Here are a few tips to make sure your good intentions stick around until 2012 closes (or the world ends).

1.

Make them well-rounded esolutions. There’s a reason people who work out often focus on a different muscle group each time they go to the gym. Progress limited to one area is lopsided and possibly damaging to the rest. When you draft your list of resolutions, find areas for improvement in your physical, spiritual, professional, personal and social life, even if t’s just something minor

2. Less is more. Set a cap for

your amount of resolutions. It’s OK if you don’t learn a new language, get out of debt, start writing a book, cut out sodas, visit Europe, bike every day and lead a small group all in the same year. Your list should be inspiring, not daunting. Be realistic about your time, money and abilities. By making diverse, meaningful and few resolutions, you limit the opportunities for failure and add more value to the goals you can commit to.

3. Think timely. What experiences

are unique to 2012? Try to find goals that apply to them, and you’ll be more likely to achieve them within the time constraints.

Given the election year ahead, perhaps you can resolve to be more informed and engaged in politics.

Aim to read The Hobbit or The Hunger Games before their film counterpart reaches theaters. Be in better shape by the time you sit down to watch the Olympics.

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Do you have a milestone awaiting you this year—graduation, marriage, new job, big move? Craft strategies that will enable you to reach it on time and with excellence.

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR 2012?

4.

Set goals—and schedules.

The best way to bridge the gap between creating a goal and checking it off the list is to plan as much as possible. Don’t just get a big idea and then leave it up to chance and timing. Write up your workout routine, make appointments with that shelter you want to volunteer at or arrange weekly phone calls with people you want to keep in touch with more.

5. Use the buddy system. If

possible, see if you share resolutions with your friends, family or spouse.

Does your sister also want to get more involved in a church?

Carpool every Sunday. Is your husband trying to go vegetarian this year too? Do all your grocery shopping together. Are you and a coworker both hoping to read 10 books? Pick the same titles so you can set deadlines to meet and talk about them.

6.

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7.

Establish penalties. Don’t beat yourself up when you break a resolution—but don’t let yourself off the hook either. Predetermine some sort of consequence. Why not make it something beneficial?

Commit to cleaning up your hedges, waking up early for some sort of community service or redistributing your month’s entertainment fund to a deserving charity. You might feel bad about the initial failure, but you’ll feel good moving forward.

HOW ARE YOU BEING INTENTIONAL ABOUT ACHIEVING THEM?

9. Learn from the past. It’s

impossible to have a clear view of an upcoming year in January. Think of the many unexpected events of 2011, on both a global and personal scale—what can you learn from them? Can last year’s stock market, best-sellers list, sermon series or trending topics contribute to your vision for 2011? Perhaps you’ll make room in your budget to give in times of crisis, like last year’s tsunami in Japan or tornadoes in Joplin. Maybe you won’t allow this year’s controversial headlines, faith topics and family problems provoke you to Facebook debate.

10. Don’t hide your resolutions.

It might be intimidating, but publicize your resolutions. Post them on a blog. Tell your friends.

Write them on a marker board on the refrigerator. Seek accountability.

While some resolutions may relate to a private matter, you still want at least one person to know what you are trying to achieve. Secret failure is still failure. Public vision is more motivating—and easier to coursecorrect in community.

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8. Create checkpoints. Choose a

date in June to give yourself a midyear review and track the progress you’ve made. If you’re feeling brave, pick a monthly date to evaluate how far you still have to go. Make it an official meeting with yourself and don’t push it back.

image via pixmule.com

Establish rewards. To accompany that sense of satisfaction you’ll feel when you achieve a goal, plan to reward yourself tangibly.

Establish this reward system from the start and stick to it. It could be something simple—a nice dinner

out, a new iTunes purchase, a day off. Or it could be something extravagant—a road trip, an e-reader, concert tickets for your favorite band. Just make sure your rewards don’t interfere with the progress you’ve made; while it sounds fun, pigging out for a weekend because you’ve been eating healthier doesn’t help you in the long run.

festive glitter pumps in 12 hours or less

fashion

holiDIY

December is officially here which means that holiday party season is upon us! Although I am not a big fan of the cold (growing up in Wisconsin was killer) I do love getting dressed up and sipping on festive cocktails. I tend to stick to LBDs in the winter months, and jazz up the look with sparkle elsewhere. For my December column in InStyle I tried out the absolutely amazing Krylon Glitter Blast to bedazzle a pair of pumps.

I was blown away by how easy it was to use.

1 Supplies: Pumps in your price range Krylon Glitter Blast Clear Sealer 1. Place Strips of masking tape over the body of the shoe so only the heel is left uncovered.

2

2. Hold the can of Gold Glitter.

Blast eight inches from the heel and spray.

3. Let dry for 10 minutes, then repeat.

4. Once the second layer of glitter is dry, spray sealant on the heel.

Allow to set overnight, then remove tape.

â&#x2014;&#x2030;

images via

Jenni Smith

light magazine ¡

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“My generation sees almost no difference between an e-mail, phone call, text message, or face-to-face meeting, where the older generations value a face-to-face meeting or phone call over any electronic communication,” says Goodman.

Another one of the big issues older generations have with Millennials is entitlement, which is an attribute many members of older generations blame themselves for. “We have been evil as parents of Millennials by constantly telling them they can do anything they want and that they can make anything they want happen. We have been very encouraging and sort of aided that,” says Foster.

Indeed, according to Pew Research, the Millennial generation is the most confident generation. The Millennial generation has also been referred to as the “trophy generation,” according to Barry, because parents from the Baby Boomer generation gave their children a trophy for everything growing up. These Millennials may also be familiar with the remarks of outraged older folk who claim to have been denied supper or forced to sleep outside in the winter, rather than awarded, if their team lost.

“Millennials are the most praised, recognized generation in living memory. It’s no wonder they have a bit of an entitlement attitude,” says Barry.

Although confidence is generally a good thing, having an entitled attitude in the workplace means that Millennials don’t seem to work as hard as oldergenerations, and think they deserve more of a balance between work and their social lives, which historically has not been the case with older generations. Jeff Harnett, a manager at Vintage Car Wash, says that he notices this attitude among his employees. “The older generations are more

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· nov/dec 2012

traditional and work harder, and the younger generations don’t work as hard,” says Harnett. “You have to work with them and train them and develop them as you go along.”

Although this kind of entitlement attitude could be due to the amount of recognition and praise Millennials were awarded with growing up, Barry suggests it Millennials’ attitudes may stem from fear of turning out like their Baby Boomer parents.

“Millennials have seen their parents work 50 plus hours a week forever and they don’t want to be as stressed out as their parents,” says Barry. “They have seen their parents work for the same organizations forever, and then get downsized or laid off.”

after watch i n g th ei r parents stress an d livi n g th ro u gh events su ch as th e 'cru m bli n g an d co rru pti o n' o f En ro n, barry says it's n o wo n d er that m i llen n ials want i nstant grati fi cati o n an d wo rk-balan ce.

After watching their parents stress and living through events such as the “crumbling and corruption” of Enron, Barry says it’s no wonder that Millennials want instant gratification and work-balance. The challenge for Millennials is to attain that work/life balance without appearing indifferent and lazy or unmotivated to other generations at work. Although each generation brings something different to the table, Foster warns that failure to adapt to or respect the ways of generations already established in the workplace could severely limit a Millennial’s career.

A different factor that may be limiting Millennials’ careers is the lack of focus or commitment members of the generation have for particular companies, or even particular fields or industries.

“If a young associate chooses to leave, they are leaving the manager, not the company,” says Barry.

Older generations could likely understand this kind of decision, but it simply has not been communicated.

According to Pew Research, 66 percent of Millennials say that they want to switch careers some time in their life, while 62 percent of Generation X members and 84 percent of Baby Boomers say they would prefer to stay at their current job for the rest of their lives. This extreme difference in opinion makes Millennials seem less attractive as hirable employees in the eyes of older generations.

“We prefer long tenured employees who have stuck with us and been loyal,” said Foster. “It appears that a lot of Millennials don’t think that one path is the answer. This is a problem because the commitment isn’t there.” Goodman, a Millennial himself, says that he would advise Millennials to view each potential company they interview with as a career, not just a stepping stone.

As is true in any kind of relationship, a noncommittal attitude is unattractive to older employers, who focus on the long-term growth and success of the company. Tran says that employers want to see consistency in their potential employees, but more importantly, they want to know that a potential hire has learned enough from their previous experience.

Because the typical learning curve for a new job takes about a year and a half, according to Tran, if someone leaves their job before or close to this amount of time employers may be unsure that the applicant’s stint in the working world was enough to give him or her experience salient to a new working environment.

The frequency with which Millennials change jobs makes them appear unfocused and less than loyal.

However, according to Barry, Millennials are loyal to people, not organizations.

While employers of Millennials can be critical about the generation’s skills and tendencies in the workforce, many admit that they do bring valuable abilities and experiences to a company.

Barry describes Millennials as “techno-savvy, optimistic, independent, entrepreneurial, collaborative, resourceful, innovative thinkers who love a challenge.”

Foster says the generation has valuable knowledge of current technologies and is extremely productive due to an increased ability to multi-task.

The Millennial generation is very familiar with social network sites that companies are still attempting to harness for marketing and public relations purposes, and employers value their input on the subject.

Furthermore, Pew Research describes Millennials as “open to change,” which allows the generation to pioneer new methods and ideologies and uses of technology in the workplace to advance the work and productivity of a company.

Although Millennials have their strengths, Barry says that it is important for the generation to compromise and get along with older generations to be successful.

In her book, Barry writes, “There are four generations in today’s workforce…If your communication style is different from that of the people at your company, you need to be the one to adjust. I know it’s not what you want to hear, but it’s true if you want to be successful in your career.”

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www.sixwordstoryeveryday.com