No.
January 2010 ÂŁ1.80
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FASHION Second-hand Style HOW TO..
Sew in a shoulder pad FOOD Budget Dinner Party HOW TO..
Make chocolate cheesecake brownies CRAFT HOW TO
Make a hair bow clip SEX Striptease artist or Stripper? DIY HOW TO..
Fix a bicycle puncture MONEY 15 ways to save
Editor’s Letter
As a girl my most prized possession was my all-in-one deluxe kitchen, from which I was known for rustling up the best home-made pies, cakes and treats. When I wasn’t ‘cooking’ I adored my Barbie dolls and longed to be able to live in the perfectly pink palace I had created for them out of old cereal packets. Of course I grew up, and with teenage mood swings came a rebellion against anything remotely girly – I blamed my absurd expectations of future life on deeply rooted gender stereotyping as sold by my once-beloved toy kitchen, and vowed from then-on to be free from those restraints (cue bra burning). Now, frankly, I don’t care. Hand me a pinafore and a mixing bowl and I’m away once again. Don’t get me
wrong, I don’t ever wish to be a housewife; in fact the idea makes my spine arch in distaste, but I do enjoy a well kept living space, and – I’m going to say it – I do love to throw a dinner party. While I’m no longer into painting everything Barbie pink, my enthusiasm for a bit of DIY home improvement still retains all the vigour of my inner child’s. But what has changed is my willingness to learn how to deliver results when it comes to the more practical problems in life, such as knowing how to change a tyre - whether that be on a bicycle or a car - I wouldn’t know where to start. Speaking to some of my friends, it seems that I’m not alone. One friend in particular spoke of her mortification at having to ask two male passers by to change her tyre after it got a puncture recently. So our handy cut-outand-keep guides should help you make a start. The current lack of money is still making itself known, and for many of us with a University degree this isn’t a situation that will be resolved by the ending of the recession. So spending the pennies you do have on things that look great, but don’t cost the earth is a skill we’ve all had to develop. No.12 is a fashion and lifestyle magazine for savvy young women who want to be
thrifty and fashionable. As a generation our imaginations have been captured by the trend for ‘older pursuits’ and we want to be self sufficient but stylish. That’s why No.12’s domesticDIY advice will be accompanied with exciting fashion stories and engaging features, along with the most affordable and covetable shopping. And we won’t sacrifice substance in our aim to bring you a stylish guide to living, as young writers present their inquisitive and considered thoughts on issues from the Sex and the City generation to the ‘art’ of Burlesque in this month’s issue. No.12 is a magazine for the woman who laughs at the idea of a housewife: your rented room is your distinctively fashioned living space, inviting your mates round for dinner is a fabulous frugal dinner party, your handmade hair clip is a bespoke accessory, and your wardrobe is your most treasured possession; No.12 is a fashion and lifestyle magazine for a younger generation. Let the residents at No.12 guide you through…
Liv Olivia Fisher, Editor. 5
Meet the residents The Homebody
Ms. Maker
The Foodie
The Domestic God
Miss Knowitall
The Cash Queen
The Fashionista 7
Strictly
dinner party on a budget
FLAT 1. THE FOODIE’s
come eat with me
Everyone loves a challenge. Everyone loves food. No-one’s got any money. So why not combine all of these massive generalisations and host a dinner party, on a budget.
Split into four teams, the eight guests are contributing £5 per head for a four course meal; the four courses actually being three, with a cocktail round for added fun. Each team of two is responsible for providing a different course. With two vegetarians on the invite list, this makes the challenge all the more difficult, with the “chefs” having to provide a vegetarian option too. Sounds like it’s just as well we’ve got a cocktail round included.
Starter
ZOE + GARETH Gareth is an artist and illustrator, who currently orders stationery for a family planning clinic. Zoe is a tortured artist, when she’s not working on her latest masterpiece she welcomes shoppers to the store she works in.
Main
TONY + OWAIN Tony ‘the rock god’ is in a band called the Kins of Leon. They impersonate the Kings of Leon. Owain is an actor by trade, but is currently working as a teacher. ‘Nuff said.
Dessert
BETHAN +CHRISTIANA Bethan is a Vet Nurse. She has a special voice that she only uses when talking to the animals. Christiana is an administrator by day and a burlesque dancer by night. All clothes were kept on in the making of this feature.
Coctails AMY + OLIVIA Amy likes Vodka. Olivia likes Gin.
Left: The dinner guests attempt home-made pizzas
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FLAT 1. THE FOODIE’s recipes
Grilled Red Pepper and Goats Cheese Quiche with a White Wine sauce
Individual Chocolate Mousses with an Orange Crème
GRILLED RED PEPPER & GOATS CHEESE QUICHE
THE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
Ingredients (To feed a dinner party of 8): 4 red ramero pointy peppers (80p), local grocery 6 eggs (£1.42), 250g goats cheese (£2.52), local grocery lettuce (42p), shortcrust pastry (£1.81). (Total: £6.97) In the cupboard: 1 cube veg stock, olive oil, oven proof dish.
Ingredients: 175g dark chocolate (54p), 1 egg yolk, 4 egg whites (£1.42 for 6), 25g sugar (93p/kg), splash of milk. (Total: £6.07)
Grill the peppers whole until the skins turn black. When the skins are completely black, place the peppers in foil and leave to sweat. Line your quiche dish with foil – this makes it easier to remove when cooked. Line the bottom of the quiche dish with pre-rolled pastry, which will form the base of the quiche. Crack 6 eggs into a bowl and whisk. Add a splash of milk and season with salt and pepper. Once the peppers have been left for 5 mins, remove from foil. Peel off the skin to reveal the fleshy part of the pepper and remove seeds. Slice pepper into bite size pieces. Carefully layer slices of goats cheese and the pre-grilled pepper in the quiche dish. Pour in the whisked eggs and place in the oven on gas mark 5/180 for 30 mins.
WHITE WINE SAUCE Ingredients: 1 shallot (22p), 2 cloves of garlic (10p), 1 onion (16p), mini bottle of white wine (£1.89). (Total: £2.37) Finely chop the onion, shallot and 2 cloves of garlic and add to a pan with a small knob of butter. Once the onions start to become translucent, gradually add the white wine. Add a sprinkle of sugar and reduce over a low heat to remove the alcohol smell. Add ¾ cube of oxo and a pinch of salt and pepper.
ASPARAGUS AND FIGS Ingredients: local grocery baby asparagus tips (90p), 6 fresh figs (£1.00). (Total: £1.90) Boil the asparagus for 5 mins until tender – don’t over cook it. Add a couple of tips to the plate for decoration. Add a scoop of fresh fig and a curl of celery to decorate.
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Gently melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over some simmering water. Alternatively, melt it gradually in a microwave – but try not to burn it. Add a splash of milk to your melted chocolate. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until peaky. (Test from the foodie: you should be able to hold the bowl upside down without the mixture falling out). Add the sugar little by little, still whisking. Fold about a quarter of the whites into the cool melted chocolate, whisk briefly then add the rest of the egg whites. Spoon into individual ramekins, leave to cool then place in the fridge for 2 hours until set.
THE ORANGE CRÈME Ingredients: 600ml of double cream (£1.68), 250g sugar (93p/kg), juice and zest of 5 oranges (£1.50). (Total: £4.11) Boil the cream in a saucepan then simmer. Add the sugar, gently stirring while it dissolves. Simmer until thick then add the juice and zest from the oranges. Simmer for 30 mins. Leave to cool then place in the fridge overnight to allow it to set. Once set, spoon a small scoop on to each individual chocolate desert.
ORANGE AND POLENTA BISCUITS Ingredients (makes around 25): 170g/6oz butter (69p), 170g/6oz sugar (£1.28), 255g/9oz polenta (57p), 100g /3 ¾ plain flour (43p), zest of 2-3 oranges, finely chopped (45p), 2 large eggs (£1.42 for 6). (Total: £4.84) Rub the butter, sugar, polenta and flour together before mixing in the orange zest and the eggs. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for an hour until slightly firm. Place a large square of greaseproof paper on a baking tray and spoon small teaspoons of the mixture in lines 5cm/2” apart. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 190 degrees/Gas 5 for around 5-6 mins until the outside edges of your biscuits are slightly golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 15 mins before eating. 17
FLAT 2. THE HOMEBODY’s
The comfiest purchases for the January blues
An expert on being a lady of leisure
Creature Comforts 03
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Everyone has a different opinion on the true meaning of ‘living.’ For some it’s money, for some its adventure but I would imagine that more often than not, the notion of good living is associated with comfort – and style. When both of these factors come together you might imagine that you’ve struck the perfect combination. Designer Sophie Goodenough seems to have done just that with her redesign and renovation of her beloved VW camper van. She talks to us on page 26 about her very personal style and the challenge of ripping apart an old van in order to make something quite beautiful. While Sophie talks about an adventurous life on the road, writer Laura James considers women in a very different context in her article, ‘Sex and the City?’ (page 34). She questions the so-called liberation of the SATC generation and the re-emergence of the celebrated housewife. I give some words of advice in my monthly column on page 32, and opposite I offer some indulgent purchases to cushion the effects of the January come-down. 24
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01.Panda beanie hat, £12.99, River Island. 02.Luxury faux fur cushion, £15, www.very.co.uk. 03.Toffee almond body glaze, £2.49, Bayliss and Harding. 04.Tan and black leopard beret, £16, Accessorize. 05.Cupcake bath fizzers, £3, Asos. 06.Star robe and socks, £35, House of Fraser. 07.Jack Russell cushion, £29.50, Marks and Spencers. 08.Ben de lisi dog cushion, £15, Debenhams. 09.Bobble hat, £15, Asos. 10.Chunky knit pocket scarf, £5, George at Asda. 25
A living space with a difference
FLAT 2. THE HOMEBODY’s
Dream
camper van
A living space with a difference
FLAT 2. THE HOMEBODY’s
The vw camper van has a certain power that might just urge you to shun your nineto-five in favour of a life on the road. Sophie Goodenough tells the homebody how she completely renovated and re-designed her camper van in order to sell this dream.
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There’s something about a VW camper van that makes the possibility of being free from the daily grind, those ever-growing bills, and the responsibility to stay awake during that mid afternoon meeting with the boss from hell so much more plausible. It asks you to imagine roadtripping through Southern America, enjoying the freedom of vast landscapes and living life on your terms.
I
t’s the ultimate drive-off-intothe-sunset dream.
Following a group road trip to The Burning Man project (an annual experiment in a temporary community dedicated to radical selfexpression held in the Nevada desert), recent LCC graduate Sophie Goodenough decided to buy her own camper van and completely do it up using her own designs for her final university project. It was Sophie’s road-tripping experience to The Burning Man in 2006 that provided much of the inspiration for her camper van project.
‘Because [the festival’s] so big everyone has cars to travel around, and they were completely crazily decorated. Like there was a pirate ship on wheels with a band playing - huge jelly fish, little cars the most insane things I’ve ever seen. But I didn’t really consciously think, ‘Oh I’d love to have one of those.’ It wasn’t until a couple of years later that Sophie decided she would love to have a van of her own to travel to festivals in. ‘I called all my tutors and said, please tell me this is a good idea, because I really want to do it.’ Their response was encouraging but they were also concerned that no-one had ever done anything quite so, in Sophie’s words, ‘insane and huge’. ‘It got to the beginning of the first term back and one of my tutors said, “don’t do it”. Saying that to me made me so determined to do it. It was a real kick up the backside.’ When Sophie first bought the van, before it started its transformation, it was a less than eye catching burgundy red colour with school-room grey carpet tiles glued onto the interior ceiling and walls. The furnishings comprised of a makeshift bed, old kitchen units, and what Sophie describes as a really nasty sink and fake wooden floor. Not exactly 29
Sex
the return of the celebrated housewife
FLAT 2. THE HOMEBODY’s
and the city?
Laura James considers the socalled liberation of the Sex and the City generation and the return of the celebrated housewife.
HBO’s wildly successful television series, ‘Sex and the City’, caused something of a stir when it was broadcast on our screens from 1998-2003. Much has been made of the ways in which it liberated female sexuality and attempted to grapple with the problematics of abortion, HIV and marriage. Conversely, many critics have also voiced deep-seated concerns over the show’s portrayal of women’s sexual relationships with men and the ways in which the programme
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often pays only lip service to those issues, such as HIV and abortion, which in the US at least, would very rarely play a role in a prime time television show. Whilst I do not want to attempt to re-explain the controversies of what has, undeniably, become an important narrative within our cultural psyche, I do wish to focus on the ways in which the show essentially creates a number of binaries for its lead female figures: to marry or, quelle horreur, grow into an old spinster; to have children or to not have children (but constantly angst over the fact that they have not procreated). What I am attempting to pinpoint is the fact that the show simply exacerbated the lack of choice females (and this is specifically females within the developed world) face within the trajectory prescribed for them via narratives of cultural and social norms, without, it seems, really grappling or challenging these clichéd routes written for women. Whilst the programme may
‘I can do multi-tasking’
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15Ways
penny pincher
FLAT 4. THE CASH QUEEN’s
to save money
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Follow these simple tips to keep your purse full and your pennies plentiful.
Make a shopping list
When you go to the supermarket only buy what you need. You can help yourself by planning your meals ahead; try lovefoodhatewaste.com for weekly meal plans.
Swap-shop
Also known as ‘swishing’, get a group of your friends together, all bring an unwanted item and swap party pieces to your heart’s content. Don’t limit yourself to clothes and have themed nights like books or home-ware. It’s a good idea to bring a few things each to avoid any swishing squabbles.
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Buy own brand goods
OK, so own brand bread at 19p isn’t the most appetising or particularly nutritious option, but canned goods and frozen food can be a bargain. Aldi do a great range of continental meats and cheeses, also their famous anti-ageing face cream is a steal at £1.89 and it has been widely celebrated by beauty journalists.
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4
Take a packed lunch to work
Dig out your plastic Barbie lunchbox and call it retro. If you add up the £5 you spend on lunch a day that’s £100 a month. In 5 months you could have saved enough to buy this wonderous Chloe daytripper, £475, net-a-porter.co.uk and have enough for change.
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Sell unwanted items
Go to a car boot sale with a few boxes of junk and you’ll be surprised at what people will buy – just don’t be tempted to bring home any tat with you. Find your nearest at carbootjunction.co.uk
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Revamp
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Make Soup
Making soup is really simple, costs so little and will keep you going for either lunch or dinner for at least three days. Find tasty soups at soup-aholic.blogspot. com
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Use your local grocers
In London most high streets have a diverse selection of fruit and veg shops with produce from all over the world. Make the most of these and pay their very cheap prices.
Check out craftynest.com for great ideas on how to reclaim and re-decorate on a budget.
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Ask for a ‘short’in Starbucks
There is a little-known size of coffee that is available in Starbucks that is smaller than their smallest advertised coffee – a tall – and is 20p cheaper.
Start a Dinner Club
Save money by buying bulk and have a dinner party on a budget by starting a weekly supper club. Take it in turns to visit friends’ houses and make dinner for each other.
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Switch your energy provider
Jaw-dropping gas and electric bill? That moneyman actually knows what he’s talking about. Visit uSwitch.com to compare prices and get yourself a cheaper deal.
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Good Morning Midnight Vintage-inspired lingerie that’s worth waiting for Photography by Sean Collymore Styling by Olivia Fisher Hair and Makeup by Katrin Rees Model Katya S at Profile
Coat, Vintage Nicole Farhi Diamond Van Doren bra £30, Diamond Van Doren briefS £18.50 suspender belt £31, Kiss Me Deadly Stockings £6, Flirt at Fairy Goth Mother
Virginia bra, £80, suspender belt £70, Mademoiselle Fred at Fairy Goth Mother Delacroix silk briefs, £17.50, Kiss me Deadly Black silk robe, sourced from second hand
La red choc box bra ÂŁ70, Miss La La presents at Fairy Goth Mother Delacroix silk French knickers ÂŁ25.50, Kiss me Deadly
Gypsy Rose Lee bralette £20, Gypsy Rose Lee knickers £17.50, What Katie Did White frill robe £80, ‘In Bloom’ at Fairy Goth Mother
HOW TO SEW IN A SHOULDER PAD
FLAT 5. THE FASHIONISTA’s
HOW TO..
sew in a
shoulder pad
A simple guide for giving your existing pieces this season's shoulder silhouette
STEP 1:
You can buy a wide range of shoulder pads in various sizes, try John Lewis or local haberdashery stores for the best choice. Tailor your choice to the look you want to achieve. Balmain – punchy and bulbous, Gucci – strong and sharp, Marc Jacobs – over-sized and powerful.
Step 2:
Fold the shoulder pad in half lengthways and mark the fold with a pin at each end. Make sure the head of the pin is on the outside edge of the shoulder pad so that you can remove it when the pad has been placed in the garment.
Step 3:
Put the fold against the shoulder seam on the garment (or where the seam would be if there isn’t one). Pin the pad to the material at each end of the shoulder seam. Take out the original marker pins.
Step 4:
At one end of the seam, sew a few stitches into the pad, through to the fabric. Secure the thread. Sew six or seven stitches into the pad at this spot, then secure the thread before cutting off the tail end.
Step 5:
Do the same at the other end of the shoulder seam, then repeat the process with the other shoulder.
Step 6: Voila! Shoulders to rival the best of the season.
lost &
found
You don’t have to spend a million dollars to look a million miles from thrifty in these second-hand finds. Photography by Arved Colvin-Smith Styling by Olivia Fisher Model Zara at Profile Makeup by Lina Dahlbeck (using MAC) Hair by Michael Jones Boots by Christian Louboutin All other pieces sourced from second hand
HOW TO FIX A PUNCTURE ON A BICYCLE
FLAT 6. THE DOMESTIC GOD’s
HOW TO..
fix a puncture on a
bicycle
Since cycling is the stylish way to travel du jour, before long we’ll all be poised on our bicycles without a clue what to do if disaster strikes. Beware, the streets are a minefield of debris waiting to strike you and your tyres down at any given moment. Don’t forget to pack this handy how-to guide in your pannier before you set off and you’ll be prepared for the worst.
Tools you will need: 1 x pliers / adjustable spanner,
You may have quick release tyres if you have a particularly swish bicycle, if not you’ll have to ask a friendly neighbour to borrow one.
2 x cutlery, Surprisingly not for a mid-fix snack but rather you can use the blunt ends of your knives and forks as handy tools. 1 x puncture outfit,
I wonder what accessories come with this so-called puncture ensemble? Not overalls and a headscarf unfortunately, although I can imagine it could look quite chic styled in the right way. Get your kit from Halfords or your local bicycle shop, it contains the glue and patches you need to repair the puncture.
Instructions: 1) Using the pliers undo the nuts on the wheel (unless you have quick release wheels) and take the wheel out from the bicycle frame. 2) Place the blunt end of your spoon/fork under the rim edge of the tyre. Pull back the tyre and hold down towards the spoke area (as the pesky tyre will try to spring back).
3) Place the blunt end of
another spoon/ fork approx 3 inches away from where you started. Pull
back the tyre and repeat around the circumfrence of the wheel. Now you can access the inner tube.
4) Undo the valve screw to the inner tube, (you can do this with your fingers) and push the valve inside the hole in the rim in order to pull the inner tube out. 5) Get a bowl of water or fill your sink with water. 6) Pump air into inner tube using a bicycle pump so there is enough air to inflate it. Place the inflated tube in water and you will be able to see where the air is leaking out. 7) Dry the inner tube and circle the puncture with some chalk (from your puncture outfit).
8)
Take a
patch from your repair kit putting glue on both the patch and the area around the puncture. Leave to cure before placing the patch on the tube. Put something heavy on top for 10 mins approx while it sets. 9) Replace the inner tube putting the valve in the rim first. 10) Replace the tyre with the blunt end of the cutlery, being careful not to pinch the inner tube. 11) Before replacing the wheel re-inflate the tyre to check it has been repaired fully. Put your tyre back on and cycle off into the Caz Nicklin, founder of cyclechic.co.uk
sunset (or just along the high st).
Striptease FLAT 7. MISS KNOWITALL’s
artist or stripper?
Cabaret chanteuse Amy Dowd discusses the confusion surrounding cabaret, variety and burlesque and the taboo of stripping. For the past five years I have been searching for a type of theatre that is intimate, provocative and predominantly late night. During this quest, in Britain alone, I have witnessed a woman climb into a toilet, a woman pull a handkerchief from her vagina, a woman push a sword through her tongue and a woman meow like a cat, live on stage. What unites these women is that they all claim 100
to be cabaret performers and confusingly have all been billed under the blurred terms of cabaret, burlesque and variety. The term cabaret instinctively conjures up images of back streets in European cities hosting dark, underground bars, cafés or strip clubs that provide an intimate form of entertainment. Through popular contemporary images of cabaret our interpretation is distorted from the reality of the cabaret genre that thrived at the turn of the century in Europe. Under the umbrella of cabaret the words variety and burlesque both play a prominent role and perhaps the main problem with the alternative entertainment scene in the UK is that we get the terms confused. Through my quest to understand these three performance types, which I believe are entirely separable, I have been faced with some conflict when understanding the intentions of the performance genre dubbed burlesque. I began to wonder what afforded these burlesque artists such a glamorous term.
Marguerite Delish performs Hot Farmer
Were they not just well (un) dressed strippers? The three subgenres of cabaret, variety and burlesque are constantly changing, and perhaps this is the main reason that very little definite categorisation has been accomplished and therefore the terms have become confused. In short I believe that cabaret is an intimate performance genre that consists of entertaining satirical skits, songs, and/ or improvisations and most importantly must break down the fourth wall to engage with the audience. Variety, however is the name given to the overall evening’s performance and can often consist of singers, burlesque, and circus acts performing all in one night. Cabaret can exist in a variety show but variety cannot exist in cabaret. As soon as one includes a juggler, for example, into a cabaret performance it immediately becomes variety. This considered, from what I have witnessed in performance, the assumed sub-genre of burlesque does not belong under the term cabaret. Within the contemporary cabaret scene in Britain today burlesque is perhaps the buzzword that has caused the most confusion. Missbehave, a noted mainstream cabaret performer believes that ‘cabaret has almost become a British