12 /13 a fashion and lifestyle tasting menu
HORS D’OEUVRE Masthead Contributors Letters On Set From the Desk of the Editor
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BEAUTY & WELLNESS Gift of Glam: The look you need this holiday season to stun them! The Skinny on Health: Our newest column with gorgeously smart Lisa Eberly is all about the insider tips you need to stay well. {Beauty} Trick to Try: This simple fix will keep your makeup on through all those eggnog-filled parties. Love Yourself This Season: Don’t let seasonal blues get you down. It’s time to love yourself and love yourself right!
ARTS & LEISURE Pages: This new novel by London-based MGM Villar is all about finding love and finding yourself. Good Eats: Keep it warm and toasty this season with great holiday drinks and treats. Made: Deck the halls—and your table—with this awesome centerpiece. A Few Words: What is it like to be an aspiring actress? This poem powerfully tells all.
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FASHION & FEATURES
You&Me: Was all the Isabel Marant for H&M hype for nothing? We weigh in. Share Your Where: We hit the streets of London to bring you the hottest local art. Share Your Wear: Zeffiria by Vittoria Faccin is full of handcrafted pieces that are great for your outfit as well as the environment. Holiday Stunner: Stun at every gathering this season! A Tipsy Treat: A booze-infused cupcake? We’re all ears (and taste buds!)… We chat with Prohibition Bakery and pair their awesome creations with the gifts you need to give this year.
Always end with something sweet
CAROLINE A. WONG Editor-in-Chief
BRANDON GAMBLE Creative Director
FASHION AND FEATURES Fashion and Beauty Editor BREANA POWELL Features Editor AMANDA CHI Features Writers LINDY TOLBERT
ARTS AND LEISURE Arts and Leisure Editor MOLLIE MCKENZIE Arts and Leisure Writers MARIA EUBANKS & DANIELLE ROBBINS
BEAUTY AND WELLNESS Beauty Editor COLETTE CHOI Wellness Editors LISA EBERLY & EMILY VAN GUILDER Assistant Wellness Editor BECCA KANTOR
ART Photographer ALEXANDER HERMAN Assistant Photographer HAIL NOWAK West Coast Editor ROSIE RYAN UK Editor JENNA ANDERSON
Assistant Wellness Editor Becca Kantor is calling a stop to body bashing. She says, “Your body is beautiful—regardless of whether you have curves or think you have too many of them.” She wrote “Love Yourself This Season” for this issue.
CONTRIBUTORS
December 2013
Lisa Eberly of The Skinny on Health site is the newest addition to the Tastevin family. This month, she has some great news for drinkers in her debut column for our magazine.
UK Editor Jenna Anderson is living the life in Scotland. With her love for stories, it only makes sense that she sat down to chat with Londonbased author MGM Villar about Villar’s debut novel, It’s Him! Amanda Chi’s love for literature brought her to London. This month, she brings us in on her British adventure and gives us a tour of the city for some great London street art.
Megan McKenzie is a Los Angeles-based actress and shines a candid light on the audition process in her poem for this issue’s “A Few Words.”
Fashion & Beauty Editor Breana Powell is all about style this issue. She put together some spectacular looks for all your holiday parties this month in “Holiday Stunner” and photographed our editorin-chief in “You&Me.”
Brandon Gamble is our fabulous New York office head and got a chance to sample some tasty treats from Prohibition Bakery for this month’s cover story and gift guide! Danielle Robbins is a Seattlebased designer who designs great projects for us every month. This issue, try making the perfect holiday centerpiece in our “Made” column.
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Tastevin Magazine December 2013
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Is there something you’d like to see in the pages of an upcoming issue of Tastevin? Are you an awesome fashion designer or an up and coming musician looking for exposure? We want to hear from you! Send your thoughts on the December issue (and any other thoughts you might have!) to letters@tastevinmag.com or go to www.TastevinMag.com and fill out the form on the Contact page. All submissions become the property of Tastevin Magazine and may be edited, published, or otherwise used in any medium. And if you think you have what it takes to write a column for our magazine, show us what you’ve got! Send your resume along with three column proposals and a writing sample to editor@tastevinmag.com for consideration.
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Tastevin Magazine December 2013
Behind the Scenes Go behind the scenes with the Tastevin team. This issue, we scoped out the launch of Isabel Marant’s collection for H&M. Check out some picts from the “You&Me” shoot with editor-in-chief Caroline A. Wong! Photos by Caroline A. Wong We love that the collection came with custom hangers. The clothes look good on your body AND in your closet! We used this necklace from Ily Couture for the shoot near LA’s The Grove. All purchases made the day of the launch were bagged in this cute (complimentary!) Isabel Marant tote. By 6:30 in the morning, the line of excited shoppers for the Isabel Marant x H&M collection stretched down the street at the Beverly Center.
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from the desk of the
EDITOR
Happy Holidays, Tasties! It’s inevitable that we have a holiday issue, but for you Grinches out there, just remember that it’s not ALL about the commercialism. It’s just a yearly reminder to spend time with the people you love—family, friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, pets…you name it! And yes, for some of us it means even more than that. For some, it’s a reminder of faith, of culture, or even of things lost. But it can also be a reminder of renewal, and we urge you in this season to just hold onto that hopefulness for the future. For many, this has been a good year and a bad year, all in one, but no matter how you felt about the past twelve months, there’s always a new year around the corner.
This issue, we decided to do something a little different. We spoke with our friends at New York’s Prohibition Bakery, the awesome possum bake shop that infuses their cupcakes with alcohol…you’ll find their story on page 68. But we were so inspired by their holiday-themed cupcakes that we decided to create our own little gift guide to, yes, support the economy, but also to suggest little ways to communicate to the people you love how much they mean to you. We know you can do this a variety of ways and that it doesn’t always have to include buying something, so we’ve also added some DIY tips for you to give back to the people and causes that matter to you most. As always, we’d like to hear what you think. Shoot us a line at letters@tastevinmag.com. Otherwise, have a great one, Tasties!
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Tastevin Magazine December 2013
blackmilkclothing.com
Gift of Glam
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by Breana Powell
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Cinnamon Spice Eye
Candy Cane Ombre Lip To make the luscious lip look from the previous spread, start off by lining your lips with a burgundy or deep-red lipliner. Then, using a dark lipstick, fill in your top lip and the outer rim of your bottom lip. Next, apply (in a semi-oval shape) a lighter shade of red (or pink) to the inner rim of your bottom lip. If needed, use a small lip brush to carefully blend in the area where the two lipsticks meet to create a gradient effect. 12 Tastevin Magazine December 2013
NATALIE DAVIS AND KAYLA LOPEZ; CAROLINE A. WONG (still life)
Pick out two shades for your top lid. Here, at right, a matte color was applied to the entire lid and then a shimmery, darker color was blended on to the creases and outer corners. Make sure to blend, blend, and blend to create a soft effect. Next, coat your top lashes with a thin layer of eyeliner and mascara. (Add false lashes if you please!) Then, use a shimmery eyeliner (or eyeshadow) to line the inner corners of the eyes. Finally, line your waterline with black eyeliner and blend a gray or black eyeshadow on to the outer corners of your lower lash lines.
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FITNESS + FASHIO
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ON + FUNCTION
BodyRockSport.com
Tastevin would like to welcome Lisa Eberly of The Skinny on Health site to our family! In this newest column, Eberly shares her nerdy love for science and health. She has some good news for you drinkers out there—and just in time for the holiday season. So read on, drink up, and be merry!
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L
et’s start from the top: Being an alcoholic (or drinking more than four drinks everyday) is bad. That said, who has ever heard that drinking is actually good for your health? For the wine connoisseurs out there—or just those who enjoy a nice drink with dinner— I’ve got good news and great news for you. The idea that red wine is good for you is not necessarily a new one and comes from the notion that the resveratrol in wine is beneficial for your health. Resveratrol is a stilbenoid, which is a potent antioxidant. Antioxidants are amazing—and necessary!—for your health. They fight toxins and infection, preventing everything from that icky feeling associated with a common cold to cancer. Red wine prevents cancer? Yes, I will have the carafe, thank you! So, red wine contains resveratrol, and resveratrol is good for you. However, resveratrol is also in grape juice—and tons of other things. Why is red wine in particular associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular
issues (read as: heart trouble) and disease? It’s the resveratrol, right? It’s not. It’s the ethanol. Having one or two glasses of red wine a day has been scientifically proven to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease in addition to its other health benefits (the good news!). But, having one to two glasses of white wine per day will also decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease (the great news!). Then, having one or two glasses of ANY alcoholic beverage will also decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease (the awesome news!!).
the science:
You may be wondering how ethanol could possibly be beneficial in small doses if it is so destructive in large doses. It may have something to do with its effect on fibrinogen. Reducing the amount of fibrinogen also reduces coronary artery vasospasm, thus increasing blood flow and reducing blood pressure. Think of it this way: Fibrinogen helps 17
make your blood clot more easily, clots are ultimately what cause heart attacks, and moderate alcohol consumption decreases clotting. Therefore, as I mentioned, the protective effects of red wine are independent of the resveratrol. So whether it’s red wine, whisky, vodka—whatever your drink may be—a small amount of ethanol per day is associated with a decrease in your risk of cardiovascular disease! Enjoy Friday night happy hour and down that holiday Cosmo! XX,
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P.S. Don’t grab that shot glass too fast. This ONLY applies for ethanol in moderation. It has the exact opposite effect once you exceed moderation and either binge drink or drink more than a glass or two. Excessive drinking not only contributes to weight gain—especially if you’re using sugary mixers or highly caloric drinks—but also liver cirrhosis, cancer, malnutrition, and cardiovacular disease. In essence, binge drinking is REALLY bad for you. Don’t be crazy.
Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes You’ll need:
• 2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (about 8 cups) • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup • 2 tablespoons butter, melted • 1 tablespoon lemon juice • 1/2 teaspoon salt • Freshly ground pepper, to taste
To make:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. • Arrange sweet potatoes in an even layer in a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. • Combine maple syrup, butter, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in small bowl. Pour the mixture over the sweet potatoes and toss to coat. • Cover and bake the sweet potatoes, stirring every 15 minutes. • Continue until tender and starting to brown, about 60-65 minutes total. Per serving (makes about 12 servings):
96 calories; 2 g fat (1 g sat , 0 g mono); 5 mg cholesterol; 19 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 2 g fiber; 118 mg sodium; 189 mg potassium.
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{Beauty} By Colette Choi
Trick to Try
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HUBSPOT
Over the holidays, you’ll be spending long hours going from office party to family party to after-hours party to wee-hours-of-themorning party, not to mention you’ll be standing way too close to those damn hot holiday candles. A makeup meltdown is inevitable. But it doesn’t have to result in an emotional meltdown too! You don’t have to go the whole nine yards and try to stuff your whole makeup collection into your itty bitty party clutch. Simply keep your face fresh by lightly misting your face with toner, then patting gently with a tissue. Follow up with a dusting of loose or pressed powder for a smooth finish, and you’re good to go. So go ahead and sit by that fireplace! Your makeup will be fine.
Love Yourself This Season
HAIL NOWAK
It’s easy to get caught up with weight gain over the holidays, and sometimes it’s easier said than done to love your body. But Becca Kantor has a message for all of you out there, and it’s as simple as being smart and cutting yourself some slack. ‘Tis the season for good eating: Christmas hams, potato latkes, gingerbread man cookies, and the houses they live in. Around this time, the temptation is piled high. There’s too much to resist. My advice? Don’t! I’ve this dance before, and I’ve read the articles on how to deal with holiday eating. My main rule when it comes to the holidays is moderation: Eat that cookie. Eat two, if you want. Just don’t eat fifteen in one sitting. That’ll make you sick, and you won’t have room for the sumptuous dinner your mom made you. Nowadays, holiday eating is represented as its own separate plate of guilt. Don’t eat too much or you’ll feel badly for ruining your figure. Have to stay healthy, right? But what exactly is healthy? Fitness magazines and the media at large would have you think healthy translates to glistening abs, no fat on your body, small waist, small hips—am I right? The definition of fit and healthy these days is a narrow one. This message pervades fitness magazines and articles and commercials, and sometimes we forget that the fitness industry is exactly that: an industry. It’s selling us a manufactured image of health. I’ll admit that it’s hard to see these kind of images. Sometimes, all you can see is how you don’t measure up. You’re too big or too skinny, too curvy or not curvy enough. Even seeming paragons of beauty like Jennifer Lawrence and Katy Perry don’t live up to the expectations set by the media. It’s unfair what we’re put through. It’s unfair how we’re compared. It’s unfair that when I was twelve, I had no sense of self-worth, that I
figured nobody would see me, like me, love me until I was thin. It’s unfair that some girls aren’t seen as desirable because their boobs aren’t big enough. It’s unfair that slogans like “real women have curves” and “fat girls need love too” exist. It’s unfair that girls become body-conscious to the point of regulating their weight at the age of nine. It’s unfair that doing so is considered good for them, is considered healthy. Here’s what healthy means to most people: weight loss. But here’s another thing: you can be healthy even if you’re overweight. Studies have shown that obese people can be metabolically healthy, and that there seems to be no significant difference between the metabolically healthy but obese and the metabolically healthy, normal weight participants. The point is that health isn’t as narrow a term as the fitness industry would have us believe. Healthy doesn’t mean stick thin. Healthy doesn’t mean glistening abs. Healthy doesn’t mean an hourglass figure. These are only variations of healthy, not the definition. Being healthy can mean your organs are working well and you’re not at risk for diseases. Being healthy can also mean—and should also mean—loving your body. Your body is not a burden. Your body is not your enemy. So this holiday season, embrace body positivity. Your body is beautiful, regardless if you’ve got a flat stomach or rolls of love, regardless of whether you don’t have curves or if you think you have too many of them. Look in the mirror. Love and appreciate the skin you’re in. It is, after all, the season to be thankful.
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Pages:
It’s Him!
Georgina Wallace has everything a girl could wish for—she’s beautiful, smart, educated, and well-traveled. But she’s never fallen in love. After a move from sunny Los Angeles to foggy London, Georgina quickly attracts the attention of more than one eligible potential-first-love. But who will she fall for? It’s all in It’s Him! UK Editor Jenna Anderson sits down with author MGM Villar to chat about the inspiration behind Villar’s debut novel. And This is just an example the new many unique though she mightofbe to the literature scene, Villar speaks about the items you can find at a flea market. Who writing like a seasoned wouldn’tprocess want this Tim Burton-esque statue?veteran! 26 Tastevin Magazine December 2013
COURTESY OF THE SUBJECT
Author MGM Villar with the London Bridge behind her.
Tastevin Magazine First of all, congratulations on
completing your first book! What an accomplishment. How does it feel to cross that one off of your bucket list? MGM Villar Thank you! Writing was a fun experience for me. I really feel happy about this book. I’ll be entirely honest… I always wanted to write a book, but I hadn’t taken any writing courses except English literature in college so I wasn’t confident that I could actually finish one. I wrote It’s Him! as a challenge for myself when friends of mine told me I could write a book from the stories I had told them. So whilst on holiday, I started writing and actually finished this in two weeks. I had a journalist friend who asked me a very important question. She asked, “What is your purpose in writing this book particularly?” That was what really made me think hard and motivated me to choose the things I wanted to include in this book. As a novice writer, I know little about plotting. So as I wrote each chapter, I got really excited because I actually just had my characters, my experiences, and my imagination direct me on how to unfold the story. When I finally got my final draft, it was like holding my baby. I was ecstatic. It was worth every effort and sleepless night. TM Obviously you love to write. What else do you do in your spare time? MV When I can, I love to travel. My most frequented place would be Scotland. I just love that place! I also love the art scene in general. I go to art galleries a lot. One of my upcoming books will actually be about two artists. Also, trying out restaurants is one of my favourite past-times. My two favourite restaurants would be Clos Maggiore in Covent Garden and Dinner by Heston—both in London. London is full of activities and events, which is why I love living here. My social calendar can be completely overwhelming at times, but extremely enjoyable. Last week I attended a charity ball with fireworks for the Guy Fawke’s Night. The other thing I do in my spare time is intense reading. If there is one piece of great advice my writer friend told me, it was: “Read three books a month at least.” That advice alone has definitely improved my writing.
TM The “which-one-will-she-pick” format in fiction has seen many variations lately—most notably the 2008 film Definitely Maybe. Were you intentionally capitalizing on that trend while planning and writing It’s Him!? HO I have not seen that movie! I have not seen a whole lot of mainstream movies to be honest, because I prefer watching indie and foreign films. I don’t even own a telly, but whatever movies I do watch would be good love films which aren’t very current. I made a controversial choice towards the end of the book by adding a third person into the mix—obviously to shake the official pair. His character is based on a real person, and I thought that a twist like that would be fun. TM In your “Acknowledgements” section, you admit to basing certain characters off of real people. How much of Georgie’s personality and experience is based off of your own? MV Gosh. Just for the record, I do ask my friends for permission when my characters are inspired by them. When it came to the male characters… well, those who read It’s Him! can speculate all they want. But truth be known, there was one particular person I really thought of whilst writing this book. If you asked me what inspired me, I’d say, “It’s him.” As much as I would love to have a story like Georgina’s, this book is still fictional and wishful thinking for the most part. Let’s face it—falling in love is perhaps the best memory we all have. Love is such a powerful thing. It makes us stupid, blind, powerless, and at times crazy. But personally for me, love need not be complicated, need not be a game. I am inspired by that idea that two people in love can also be good friends. The personality of Georgina is her own. It is hard to write fiction when you think of the character as yourself. That is where my imagination and creativity come in. Although I would say that the experiences in the settings are real, the actual scenes are not. In some ways it was much easier to write and describe the scenes that I had already experienced, say Wimbledon, Ascots or the ball than it was to write the scenes which were fictional. The book is simply an amalgamation of reality and imagination.
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TM You’ve lived in a lot of places. What made you choose London as the backdrop for your story? MV First of all, London is my favourite city in the world! The fog and rain don’t stop me from loving it, either. While I was thinking of why I love this city, I found myself walking along the street that holds the Shard, the Gerkin, and St. Paul’s Cathedral within view. It is amazing that the Shard, considered to be Europe’s tallest building, is juxtaposed by St. Paul’s Cathedral, which is one of Christopher Wren’s masterpieces and dates back all the way to the 1600’s. The Gerkin, of course, in itself is just an unconventional piece of architecture, but it is also within view and smell of a French café on the corner and the Savoy Hotel across the street. These things are simple reminders of why I love this city. London has the charm and romance of Paris, the quirkiness of Tokyo, the diversity of New York, and the glamour of Hollywood. TM London seems to have made quite an impression on you. How important of a role would you say setting plays in storytelling? MV It is very important. People can feel like they’ve been in a city by just reading a book. My next book will be set in various cities around Europe: Rome, Paris, Salzburg, Switzerland, and Barcelona. To be honest, I have read books that are set in places we usually do not talk about, and I love how exotic these places are. I have seen movies set in India, Japan, China, or South Korea, and I get lost in a dream when I see them. Japanese manga writers also provide me with wonderful fantasies. They really have such brilliant imaginations. While I love to read stories set in faraway locations, I love to write about places I have actually tasted and seen. At some point in my life, I do plan to relocate to Tokyo and Seoul to do more thorough research of those cities. Living in a place unfamiliar to you, experiencing it and then being able to share that experience with readers is a wonderful feeling. I absolutely loved it when one of my readers told me I had made them taste the rain and snow in London and see the beautiful hats in Royal Ascot. London in particular is a great setting. A few years back, we had a British inva-
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sion of films, didn’t we? So, setting is important. For novice writers like myself, a place you know is always a good start. The restaurants are real. I am fan of Marcus Wareing and Heston Blumenthal. I am also a regular at Wimbledon. I’ve gotten to experience some wonderful things in my life, and I wanted to let my readers experience them as well. TM Which aspect of the writing process did you find to be the most difficult? Were you surprised at any point by the process. MV As I mentioned before, prior to writing this book, I had not really taken a course on writing. I simply love to tell stories. The hardest part for me is really in the editing. When you’re the writer, you often lack the ability to realise your mistakes. I am forever thankful to my beta readers who sent notes. I was very pleased when my friend wrote back, telling me that I “wrote and sounded English.” There was a line that Georgina says, which is, “I am quite ill, and I can’t be bothered.” My friend reminded me that Georgina is American, and asked me, “Why can’t she sound like one?” I recently took a short writing course to help me with refining the plot. My Los Angeles-based editor is also awesome. Alissa just seems to understand my characters as much I do, and we worked well together despite the time difference. TM For those of us who aren’t familiar with all forms of social media, can you talk about the blurbs at the beginning of each chapter? MV I was once obsessed with social media, to the point that I got my news from Twitter rather than CNN or BBC. I would have definitely agreed with the saying, “Once it’s trending, it must be true.” I also admit to being a Facebook regular because that is the only way I can keep in touch with my friends from around the world, although I will always prefer old school meetings face-to-face. My friends often joke that I am always online, so I thought that if I started each chapter with social media, it would really make it more realistic. Let’s face it—we are on a form of social media most, if not all, of the time. At first the social media bit at the start of each chapter was intended to poke fun at people who love to check into a place or tag people, but after a while I found that it became
more personal. I had started using it as something to set the mood or indicate what would happen in each chapter. TM Why did you emphasize those forms of social media? MV To be honest, those are the only ones I use. Initially, Instagram was also included in my first draft. I decided to take it out in the end because it was rather daunting to post pictures in each chapter. More importantly though, I found that the pictures often became redundant. TM Did you find it helpful to effectively set each chapter to music? MV Music was incredibly helpful in piecing together the mood of my book. It allowed me to experience the snow while writing pages during sunny days. It also allowed me to experience the pain, the excitement, the longing, the happiness each song brings. Sometimes music can also bring back a memory. If you asked me for one song to encapsulate the entire book, I would say, “I Could Write a Book” by Harry Connick Jr. in a heartbeat!
It’s Him! by MGM Villar is available on Amazon as a Kindle edition. Check Tastevin’s Facebook and Twitter this month for details on how you can score a complimentary copy!
blackmilkclothing.com
Good Eats
by Maria Eubanks
Peppermint, Spice, & Everything Nice! The Holiday Drinks
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s Winter Dream Lattee
Winter Dream Tea Latte.The initial sweetness awakens your taste buds, then an array of cinnamon and spice arrives to warm you up, leaving you with a sweet and spicy sensation. With each sip, a bit more of winter creeps into your imagination. Visions of you wrapped in a warm scarf, walking through a nice park with drink in hand come to mind. The Winter Dream Tea Latte is, hands down, the best tea I have had from The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, but that isn’t the only holiday drink they have up their sleeve. For those of you who have a sweet tooth, the Toffee Nut Ice Blended and The Red Velvet Hot Cocoa are for you. The Red Velvet Hot Cocoa is a light, subtle drink. It is full of red velvet cake batter flavor, but it is not too thick. From cold and sweet to warm and spicy, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has an array of holiday flavors that are sure to satisfy any customer looking to cure their seasonal cravings. 30 Tastevin Magazine December 2013
Starbucks’ Peppermint Mocha On a chilly Saturday night, I ordered a peppermint mocha from my local Starbucks Coffee shop. After the first sip from the steaming signature red cup (#redcup is a trending hashtag on Twitter), I excitedly said, “It tastes like an Andes Candy!”, the small rectangular chocolate morsel with a creamy mint flavored center. Memories of Christmas Eve, chocolate candies, and sitting around a glowing tree immediately surfaced. I generally don’t indulge in peppermint flavored things, but Starbucks has truly captured Christmas in a cup with this one. I see why the Peppermint Mocha is one of their best selling Holiday drinks. It’s pure nostalgia. In addition, Starbucks also offers a Caramel Brulee Latte that is great served cold or warm. It’s topped with a caramelized sugar candy, which gives it a surprising crunch factor. Lastly, they, of course, haven’t forgotten the Egg Nog Latte for you eggnog lovers or the Gingerbread Latte for those of you who like to leave a treat behind for Santa Claus! Tastevin’s editor-in-chief is partial to the Peppermint White Mocha, which is a little creamier than the traditional mocha drink.
MARIA EUBANKS
With every season comes something new to anticipate. For some, it’s the change of weather or the new selection of fashion items. For others, it’s the change of flavors, drinks, and sweets at their local coffee shop. Before Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) craze had a chance to fade, a new breeze of flavors blew in for an early holiday celebration. The day after Halloween, holiday retail decorations went up and aromas of peppermint and spice were drifting from all Coffee Bean and Starbucks storefronts. When announcements of the arrival of seasonal flavors hit social media, it became official: It’s that time of year again.
Holiday Recipes
Peppermint Bark
Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
12 oz chocolate chips 12 oz white chocolate chips 2 teaspoons oil 2 teaspoons of peppermint extract ½ cup of crushed peppermint candy canes
Instructions:
1. Grease your pan of choice 2. Line the pan with wax paper 3. Place a glass bowl over a saucepan on low heat and use a whisk to continually mix the chocolate chips until they are melted 4. Add 1 teaspoon of oil and 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract 5. Pour mixture into the lined pan, place in a refrigerator, and allow it to cool completely 6. Repeat steps 3-5 with the white chocolate chips 7. Pour the mixture over the cooled chocolate in the pan 8. Sprinkle the peppermint over the top before placing the pan in the refrigerator to chill again 9. Once it is set, unmold the peppermint bark, remove the wax paper, and break into chunks
1 ½ cups of plain flour 1 teaspoon of baking soda 2 teaspoons of ground ginger ½ cup of butter ¾ cup of brown sugar 1 large egg 4 tablespoons of corn syrup Royal icing
Instructions:
1. Sift the flour, soda, and ginger in a large bowl 2. Add the butter and brown sugar, mixing until it is the consistency of breadcrumbs 3. In a separate bowl, beat the egg and golden syrup with a whisk until well mixed and then add it to the flour mixture 4. Keep mixing until all of the ingredients come together to create a smooth dough, occasionally adding flour if the dough gets too sticky 5. Pat the dough down to a thick disc and place in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes 6. Preheat oven to 300 degrees 7. Roll out the dough and cut it into your desired shapes (we like traditional holiday shapes that you can easily make with a cookie cutter) 8. Place the cookies on a baking sheet, put it in the oven, and bake for 10-12 minutes until the cookies are golden 9. Remove the cookies and allow to cool completely before icing.
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e d a M by Danielle Robbins 34 Tastevin Magazine December 2013
Holiday Candle Centerpiece When I think of the holidays, I think of all those gaudy trinkets people have all over their houses. And that can be a little overwhelming! Let’s take it down a notch and create something simple and festive for our holiday dÊcor. Here is an easy and cheap way to make your holiday dinner table look a little bit more elegant. All the items can be found at a dollar store except for the tree fronds. You’ll have to do some sneaky foraging to get those!
Materials:
Slender glass vase Spray adhesive Scissors Tree fronds Candle
I
Spray the backside of the tree branches with spray adhesive.
Place branches around the glass vase making sure they are securely glued in place. Let dry.
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II III
Cut excess branches off at the bottom of the vase
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Place candle inside and light. You’re done!
For an interesting alternative, you can also spray paint the fronds silver or gold prior to adhering them to the vase.
DONE!
Audition By Megan McKenzie We are such stuff as dreams are made on What will you Be when you grow up?
When I was young I’d dream to inhabit the Genie, the astronaut, the mermaid I was Robin Hood, the fox, in the Sherwood Forrest outsmarting the sheriff of Nottingham Peter Pan, flying through Neverland Mary Poppins sliding up and down banisters. I out-swam the sea witch, granted wishes, danced with fairies I was the wacky clown basking in the laughter of my parents, doing anything for a giggle from my sister I was myself.
now i wait in cold rooms crowded with blonde heads my blue eyes reflected back at me in another’s face a face so beautiful, i want to turn around and go home some faces i recognize their eyes blank with detachment no acknowledgement allowed in this frozen cell others hard eyes sharpen with judgment as they assess me like a vegan appraises a rare steak
sit and wait, wait and sit i watch the others float above their chairs like plastic barbie dolls so still, so polished, so flawless i see myself— back slouched, legs twitching, fingers drumming and wonder at what point my dream became a vulnerable child needing to be guarded continuously
i hear my name called and i follow down stale hallways entering florescent rooms of glass eyes and tight lipped smiles
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filled with half attentive Hi how are yous as they pound the screens of their technology the light of the camera flashing blood red i hear a voice unconnected to a face Whenever you’re ready. fear vibrating between my shoulder blades dripping like sweat down my chest breath caught in my dry throat i try to remember how to speak to move my lips and utter words words that represent a dream a dream i left at home so it wouldn’t get hurt.
sometimes i let my dream out of its box and remember remember what it was like before fear before the opinions of others mattered before boys were boys and girls were girls called to be perfect unflawed creatures void of human spark before the terms can’t and failure became the food i’d vomit out after hearing thank you very much or we’ll be in touch i long for the time when words were truth when people believed in me without doubt when I believed without doubt in the magic and wonder of imagination. What will I be when I grow up?
A dreamer. A lover. An observer. An actor. An explorer. Myself?
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On a crisp November morning, hundreds of women and men lined up along the street outside of the Beverly Center in Los Angeles for a chance to fight the throng vying for pieces from H&M’s latest coveted collaboration designer—Isabel Marant. They all waited with bated breath. Did the queen of hobo chic deliver?
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he Tastevin team hit the streets in both Los Angeles and New York to check out the buzz surrounding Isabel Marant’s collection for fashion powerhouse H&M. The lines were surprisingly decent…around 6:30 in the morning, our team reported about 80 people in line at the Beverly Center, and by 8:00 in New York when most stores were slated to open, the line—save for a dozen stragglers—had already moved inside in a civilized fashion, thanks to Marant-inspired colored wristbands. But inside…inside was where the true madness lay. Despite H&M’s strictly imposed four-per-style maximum (to prevent resale on sites like eBay) and allotted shopping times that allowed staff to restock merchandise, women still clawed their way through the clothes, knocking over displays and ripping down signs in efforts to grab Marant’s highly antici-
Black lace top, Forever 21. Skirt, Isabel Marant for H&M, $80. Shara booties, Paper Fox, $55. Bloom necklace, Ily Couture, $70. Sunglasses, Karl Lagerfeld. Metallic clutch, Marc Jacobs for Neiman Marcus X Target. Rings, editor’s own.
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pated pieces. The men’s and children’s departments did not have the same allotted shopping times and were instead a free for all; the stock was picked over in the first twenty minutes of opening. As far as the clothes...I was mildly surprised at the quality in that certain pieces were underwhelming in lookbooks and were stunners in person while coveted looks fell short. Snaps came off of the leather pants—perhaps helped along by a too-vigorous shopper—and biker jeans ran two sizes too small (and take note that H&M pants typically run a little small to begin with). I was disappointed in items like the much-hyped pièce de résistance jacket, crowned in ethnic beads per Marant’s trademark style and yet seemingly blasé and the illfitting dressed that gave my 5’2”, 103-lb frame more lumps than a pregnant Kardashian. But surprises came in the form of well-made t-shirts of much better material than typical of H&M basics and the metallic bomber jacket, special because it can reverse to a very Marant print. Marant surprised us all in good and bad ways, but ultimately, I have to commend the collection for staying so true to Marant’s style. Kudos, Ms. Marant. Now send me some of your sneaker wedges!
The Skirt
Everybody expects metallic for the holidays. It’s chic. It’s luxe. But it can also feel a bit overdone, so keep it fresh with chunky booties and an unexpected cropped top. If you’re not celebrating in sunny California, throw a large furry coat over it all to stay warm and in line with Marant’s boho-chic vibe. Is a cropped top too daring for you? Keep a lean silhouette up top—especially if you have such a full skirt—and opt for OPPOSITE PAGE: See previous. THIS PAGE: Reversible pilot jacket, Isabel Marant for H&M, $150. Black lace top, H&M. White denim shorts, Imperial Star. Black studded booties, Aldo, $120. Sunglasses, Karl Lagerfeld. Red purse, H&M.
a body suit. Still self-conscious? Honey, invest in some Spanx.
The Jacket
The great thing about reversible pieces is obviously their versatility. I wore Marant’s jacket silver-side-out for a friend’s birthday party, but when the night’s turns brought us to a dark hipster bar in Los Angeles, I flipped to the Marant-print side for that Californian hippie feel. Yes, it would be very tempting to wear your sneaker booties—after all, Marant really launched the movement—but just don’t. It’s too much. Toughen up your look with some studded booties, and your billowy bomber jacket instantly goes from retro to on-trend.
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Share Your Where London Street Art
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By Amanda Chi
AMANDA CHI
If you’ve ever heard of the British street artist Banksy, you might’ve heard about his month long residency in NYC called “Better Out Than In.” In a constant state of flux, street art is no longer dominated by hooded miscreants using spray paint. Men and women of all ages decorate the streets, using different mediums. While most art manifests as wall paintings, some can even be sculptures atop roofs or light posts. Unfortunately, since street art is always changing, I sadly didn’t come across any Banksy pieces during my London adventuring., but that doesn’t mean London is deprived of great artists! Ten years ago, Banksy might have been the catalyst for street art, but today this community has reached a global status with artists from Belgium to LA frequenting the walls of London. Contrary to popular belief, graffiti and street art are two separate practices. NYC Mayor Bloomberg may think that criminal-inspired street art and graffiti are interchangeable, but I say otherwise! Aside from letterbased versus pictorial-based designs, one major differentiating factor is the legality of the two. Graffiti is typically done with spray paint or paste-ups and is associated with tagging, usually when gang members quickly throw up their work in an effort to mark gang territory as well as avoid being caught by authorities. Graffiti has the misfortune of being identified as vandalism whereas street art has more legitimate credibility. While not all street art is legal, most have acquired permission from the landlord of the building they intend to design. They may be two separate worlds, but many street artists derive from graffiti. So in actuality, without graffiti you wouldn’t have the art you see today. The city of London is made of little pockets of communities, each with their own identity. The area with the most proliferate works is in the East End near Brick Lane and Fournier Street. Here, Banksy painted many of his famous pieces, but today you can see ones from Jonesy, Stik, Roa, Space Invader,
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Guy Denning, La Pandilla, Cranio, Beau Stanton, El Mac, and Vhils. With street art, artists usually sign their pieces. Sometimes the signature is obscure, sometimes obvious. And why is the East End so engulfed in street art? It’s really due to the history of the area. The neighborhood of Brick Lane has housed the most diverse groups of people. In Victorian London, it used to be the worst of slums, once associated with Jack the Ripper, the serial murderer that preyed on local prostitutes. Originally home to the French textile industry, the area was eventually re-identified as a Jewish community. During WWII, the area was bombed by the Germans and rebuilt by immigrants. Today, if you walked through Brick Lane, you’d see Banglatown (Little Bangladesh) with 53 of its curry restaurants lining the street. The one building that really speaks of the area’s diversity is the Jamme Masjid, which went from a French Protestant church to a Catholic church to a Jewish synagogue to an Islamic mosque. The reworking of identity throughout hundreds of years has formed the liberal and multicultural community that you can experience today. If you’re looking at Banksy as the standard, you can be surprised at the various forms that street art has taken. Artists such as Jonesy and Christiaan Nagel create sculptures and place them on posts and buildings. Many people walk straight past the art! You even see other mediums like watercolor; combinations of charcoal, spray paint and stencils; and mosaics. A Portuguese artist by the name of Vhils has also established himself by plastering walls and jackhammering the image into a relief, a method that has proven to be very difficult to remove. And while methodology and colors make the work aesthetically pleasing, there is the underlying political message that some (not all) works have. A piece by Guy Dennings of a girl wearing a hijab can be interpreted as commentary on the Arab uprising or of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl who was shot by the Taliban for promoting educa-
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tion. While the message may not be spelled out, it’s meant to get people thinking, and the interpretation is up in the air for spectators like you and me. As you walk past these decorated walls, you might think they’re rather pretty or eclectic and pass right by without another thought, not realizing how much it might be worth. On a side street off of Brick Lane, painted next to a door, are two stick figures holding hands. One is wearing a burka, and the other is a rather plain stick figure [ref pic P1]. This is done by the artist known as Stik, and like his name suggests, he paints stick figures. His latest work of art sold for £10,000—roughly $16,000—at Christie’s Auction House! The works on these wooden, cement, and brick walls are all noncommissioned though, and most artists make their money in galleries and prints. But the price tag of a canvas shows us that the artists gracing the East End of London are actually world-renowned. Ask local street artists what the threat to their work is and they’ll say gentrification. If you take a look around, you can see various sleek and windowed apartment buildings being constructed throughout the area. They may not seem threatening, but a one-bedroom apartment would cost around £400,000 (about $650,000). With the increase in property value, locals become driven out of the neighborhoods because they can’t afford to live there anymore. Districts such as East End have a unique flavor, albeit mostly curry-flavored, that run the risk of becoming bland. With the stationing of these monolithic, standardized buildings, the area is no longer special or diverse, but homogenous. The local coffee shops that have been there for decades become replaced with Starbucks, and the corner sandwich shops have to compete with Subway. Of course, gentrification can have its positive side effects as well. The evolution of street art itself can be seen as a mode of gentrification, giving locals an identity and something of which to be proud. It can act as a
“Ask local street artists what the threat to their work is and they’ll say gentrification.”
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catalyst for social inclusion with its proactive messages of the community and can engage viewers in political and educational discussions. But beauty is often in the eye of the beholder. Street art can be fun, quirky, thought provoking, and colorful. So the next time you pass by a work of art, especially in London’s East End, be sure to pause and take stock of its social commentary and cultural creativity.
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Share Your Wear Zeffiria by Vittoria Faccin
COURTESY OF THE DESIGNER
Tastevin Magazine
How did Zeffiria get started? Victoria Faccin It was summer 2009, and [it] was a turning point in my life. That year I spent a few weeks visiting India, and I was fascinated by this country made of opposites. It had such a variety of coexisting cultures, religions and realities. What really caught my attention was the determination of the few women running their own micro-businesses to provide for their families with very little to nothing at their disposal to work with. I was deeply impressed by their strength and determination. When I went back [to America], after ten years [of other work] in the fashion industry, I decided it was time to follow my dream of creating my own collection and start my jewelry line.
By Caroline A. Wong
TM Was it hard to start out doing something new? VF It wasn’t easy in the beginning. There were
people who told me I was crazy to leave a great job to start an adventure from scratch—totally on my own and with a really small budget. But after seeing those women [in India] it seemed totally doable to me. TM What hardships did you encounter? VF When you start a new project by yourself, you need to establish relationships with new suppliers and that’s not always easy. Not because they don’t like you, but because you are simply too small. Also, with a limited budget, you constantly need to come up with ideas on how to get things done. 59
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TM Zeffiria uses natural horn in its designs. Last month, the United States crushed nearly six tons of ivory in a historic statement against illegal poaching. How do you view this move? VF I’m really happy they are doing this! I actually believe all customs should be stricter with their controls. Thousands of elephants get killed every year for their tusks, and that ivory doesn’t remain in Africa. If you think that the Wild Life Agency collected six tons over 25 years and that every year the Wild Aid organization estimates that 25,000 elephants are shot, it means that there is much more ivory out there. It’s one thing to use recycled material; it’s another to kill an animal for personal vanity or false beliefs. I was given an offer to buy mammoth ivory, but I refused it. TM Have you always been fashionable or did it develop over time? VF I was born in a family devoted to fashion. Zeffira is my grandmother’s name [For trademark reasons, the brand was changed to ZEFFIRIA]. I was very close to her, she always supported me. I liked the name and the idea to name my project after her. My mom was a model, and my older sister is a designer. When I was a kid, I was always around them, listening to what they were saying and looking at them with curiosity—fascinated. I decided to take another course of study [in college] and pursued a degree in business, but immediately after I got my degree, I moved to England, where I worked in a fabric factory. It was one of those very old factories in the middle of England, with a long tradition. I loved that experience as I had the chance to see and learn a lot about the looms, the yarns, and the different fabrics. It was then that I decided to go back to my path and took some design courses that eventually brought me to the Valentino fashion group in Italy, where I had a great experience. TM With an intensive background like that, where do you look to for inspiration? VF Everything can be a great source for inspiration—objects, situations, architecture. I like to go to the Alps, where I grew up. I go there every time I can, that’s a very creative moment. TM Once you’re inspired, how do you develop
that into a collection? VF Every season there is a theme I work around. For example this fall it was a punk theme. Season after season I associate different materials and gems to horn. I develop new styles while keeping [up] the high quality of the handcrafted work and materials as well as [focusing] attention to detail [from] the starting and ending point of every single piece. TM Do you feel you have a definitive moment when you can say you “made it”? VF If there is such a moment, then that moment hasn’t arrived yet. It’s always a work in progress. There are always so many things to do before I can start to think about it. Every time I see someone on the street that is wearing one of my pieces, 61
I feel like I have done something good. That is a big satisfaction and gives me great energy to go ahead. TM That’s awesome that you’ve seen your pieces out and about on fashionable people. Do you exclusively wear your own pieces? VF Oh, no. There are many talented designers and artists, and wearing their creations is like celebrating them. TM What plans do you have for celebrating your own brand moving forward? VF The collection is expanding its distribution internationally, and we will keep working to improve it. I’m also working on a new limited edition collection that will be presented next year, but I can’t give you any details about it yet! Shop finely handcrafted horn jewelry from Zeffiria by Vittoria Faccin at www.zeffiria.com
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by Breana Powell
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A Tipsy Twist on Cupcakes Interview by Rosie Ryan 69
Tastevin Magazine
Why booze? Why cupcakes? Leslie Feinberg It started out as a gift for a friend, then became a way to make some extra money, then we were catering for Google—it really happened that quickly. As evidenced by all of the other food-stuff-plus-alcohol businesses popping up all over the city, New York City loves booze all the time, at every meal, in every form. Cupcakes are the perfect ratio for interpreting cocktails. Think of the cake as the mixer and then you go from there. TM What’s a typical day at the bakery like? Brooke Siem I’m not sure what it looks like to an outsider, but I can tell you that it smells really good. LF At this point, it’s a well-choreographed dance of baking, emailing, invoicing, filing, scheduling, and whatever else comes up. [It’s all] often punctuated by one of us dropping or spilling something, very often all over ourselves. It’s pretty entertaining. TM With so much craziness going on, how do you divide up the responsibilities? BS Everything started so small that it was easy for both of us to know everything that was going on. As we grew and kept trying to both know everything, it got problematic and tense since we were each unnecessarily doing our job and also the other person’s job. We eventually realized that was very, very stupid and that we both just needed to trust each other and bring necessary issues to each other when we need to but that it’s also okay to make decisions without always checking in and discussing. LF It took us a year and some change, but eventually we realized the divisions we had planned on were not going to work. As it turns out, the business stuff is pretty boring to me, while Brooke loves it. Although I don’t have the culinary training, I have a lot more interest in the baking and recipe creation.
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BRANDON GAMBLE (still lifes); SIEM AND FEINBERG: COURTESY OF THE SUBJECTS
C
upcake shops used to be a novelty. They were something you would travel miles for to get your fix or even make it a must-do when traveling to another city. But now cupcake shops seem to be popping up on every corner to the point that they’ve lost their alluring luster. That’s where Prohibition Bakery comes in to assure us that all hope is not lost. This Manhattan cupcake shop is turning our favorite boozy beverages into tasty confections. We talked with the brains behind the operation, Brooke Siem and Leslie Feinberg, to find out more about their tipsy creations.
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“ We were working on a Tipsy Arnold Palmer and just couldn’t get the flavor we wanted.” 71
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With all the experimenting that you’ve done, what’s each of your favorite cupcake creations so far? LF Maybe the Mint Julep or the Shiny Apple. Really, all of our fall and winter flavors are fantastic. BS I’m pretty proud of the Pretzels & Beer and Scotch & Cigar. I particularly enjoy creating conceptual cupcakes. TM Are your favorites also customer favorites? What’s the most requested flavor? BS Pretzels & Beer, by far. We could probably just sell that and easily stay in business. TM And have there been any that didn’t work out? BS I can’t recall a complete 100% awful flop. The most common failure is when we’re creating something new and it just tastes too subtly of the cocktail and too much like a traditional cupcake. Those ones get scrapped. We were working on a Tipsy Arnold Palmer for spring this past year and couldn’t get anywhere near the flavor we wanted. Leslie ended up making a Pimm’s Cup for shits and giggles and it was so delicious on the first try that we ditched the Arnold Palmer and put the Pimm’s on the menu. LF There was a Michelada cupcake I was working on for last Cinco De Mayo that didn’t come together in time. I haven’t given up on that one yet… TM You mentioned New York’s obsession with all things boozy—and let’s be real, all of us enjoy a good cocktail. And cupcakes. But are there any plans to make other types of dessert “boozy”? BS It’ll happen for sure, but it has to be perfect first. LF We’re working on a few products, and hopefully we’ll be releasing some new things in 2014. TM
Bikini bottoms, Xhilaration
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Prohibition Bakery treats can be ordered online at www.ProhibitionBakery.com for delivery within Manhattan or shipment to anywhere within the contiguous United States. We’re thinking holiday party treats!
AVAILABLE NOW! Get it on the iTunes store or at www.jaydentonmusic.com
Gifts We Love for Those You Love Yes, we know that gifts aren’t the only way to express your love to the people that matter, but it’s tradition and everyone likes to know that you’re thinking of them. So we did all the work for you this year and pulled together some great ideas for the rock stars in your life. And for those on a tight budget, we have some great budget and DIY gifts because we realize you don’t always have to buy something to show you care.
By Caroline A. Wong
For Your Fitness Fanatic Sister
STOCKING: HUBSPOT; THROUGHOUT: COURTESY OF THE BRANDS
She always has a yoga mat strapped to her back, but you’re tired of her showing up at brunch in sweats Glam up her gear with these stylish pieces from our friends at Body Rock Sport! The Angelina sports bra, Body Rock Sport, $135, BodyRockSport.com The Alexis booty shorts (also as capris), Body Rock Sport, $25, BodyRockSport.com
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On a budget? At a crazy-affordable $24, Body Rock Sports’ Alexis Halo bra is also a great choice. It has an awesome Y-back and matches the booty shorts! 77
For Your Boho Diva Bestie This obsidian skull and arrow necklace is a showstopper. She’ll love the chic tribal feel while also appreciating that this stunner can go with everything from a simple white tank to a shimmery gold top for her family’s Christmas nosh. Tell her she can throw on some jeans and heels so the skull does the talking! Obsidian Skull & Arrowhead necklace, Kesha Rose by Charles Albert, $600, KeshaRoseByCharlesAlbert.com On a budget? The Cast Teeth floating ring, $60, is still luxe and will leave enough in your wallet to get yourself something from Ke$ha’s line with the famed jeweler Charles Albert.
For Your Boyfriend’s Fashionable Sister Let’s be real…the holidays are just another opportunity to get in good with the family. Appeal to his sister’s eclectic side with this Icelandic fashion pick. It’s edgy and sexy at the same time without being appropriate. She’ll be Team You for sure!
Mundi knitted jumpsuit, LastaShop, $900, LastaShop.com On a budget? The Helicopter sexy cozy dress in black, $165, is a basic piece that she’ll get a lot of wear out of, and yet the piece still has that edgy Reykjavík vibe so characteristic of LastaShop.
For Your Randy Cousin She wants to spend New Year’s in Vegas, but you have your hesitations (i.e. you were holding her hair above the porcelain throne last Christmas because she had too much eggnog). Make it a worthwhile trip with VIP tickets to see our friends (read as: your new friends) from Thunder From Down Under at the Excalibur! VIP Seating tickets, Thunder From Down Under, $65 each, Exalibur.com
On a budget? Tell her you’ll do Vegas next year and give her the Thunder From Down Under 2014 calendar, $20, so she can count down the days.
For Your Niece and Nephew Rarely is there a one-size-fits-all when it comes to kids, but this series from our favorite hot young author W.A. Fulkerson has action, romance, and sibling rivalry. You might want to get two of each so the kids don’t have to share copies… (For the record, we keep telling Fulkerson this, but we have to make it clear… When it comes to Rosae, we’re Team Gladius!) Starfall by W.A. Fulkerson, $15, Amazon.com Star-Crossed by W.A. Fulkerson, $15, Amazon.com
On a budget? Read them an excerpt from Fulkerson’s first novel in our June issue. It’ll be some sweet bonding time, and then they’ll bug their own parents for copies of the whole story. You can also read them the excerpt and accompany it with a few cheap notepads so they can get creative and write their own books!
For Your Frumpy Coworker We’ve all been there. You stroll in to work in your new Marc Jacobs wedges and your coworker is wearing…Toms. And with wet hair, no less. Give her a subtle hint to get her act together (it is an office, after all) and she won’t even know the real reason why she’ll be thanking you (but your boss will know… and your boss will probably give you a raise for boosting at-work professionalism!). Eye Shadow Collection in Girl Next Door, Rain Cosmetics, $38, RainCosmetics.com
On a budget? Try our DIY sugar scrub! It should help freshen up her look—or at least get her to take better care of herself. See Something Sweet on page 83 for details on how to mix it up.
For Your Jetsetter Boss Your boss already has enough to worry about with her three kids—packing for the office sales convention shouldn’t be another thing she has to add to her list. This great reversible piece from Diane Kroe is super versatile and can be worn 22 different ways! Reversible resort dress (available in a dozen colors), Diane Kroe, $235, DianeKroe.com On a budget? The Endless top, $70, has “endless” possibilities for your boss, from oneshouldered top or ruched tank to maxi skirt or strapless dress that she can wear under a blazer. It seriously is a traveler’s dream!
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For Your Stay-at-Home Neighbor If your neighbor seems to have nothing better to do than knock on your door to shoot the breeze, this vegan cookbook from our favorite culinary sisters at Spork Foods is a great choice. At least when she shows up the next time, she’ll likely have some yummy goodies in tow! Spork-Fed by Jenny Engel and Heather Goldberg, $20, Amazon.com
On a budget? Get the book for yourself and make your neighbor something! Or use the yummy slider recipe provided by Spork Foods featured in Tastevin’s September issue.
For Your Classy Mom She already has everything in the world. Go earthy and pick up a piece of handcrafted natural horn jewelry from Vittoria Faccin’s Zeffiria line (see “Share Your Wear” on page [INSERT PAGE]). The Creta bangle is a conversation starter that she can wear to all her parties for the upcoming year! Creta bangle, Zeffiria, $350, Zeffiria.com
On a budget? Your mom just wants to know you’re safe and can take care of yourself. Print her out your monthly budget so that she knows that you have things under control— because she refuses to accept that fact despite how you’re now working at your third job.
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For Your Boozy Boyfriend or Girlfriend Prohibition Bakery’s holiday flavors, mulled wine and (other flavor name TK), are just the boozy pick-me-up your almost-alcoholic better half is craving. Infused with spirits like whiskey, rum, or vodka after the baking process, the cupcakes are still alcoholic and are for those 21 and up (fancy that - an ID-checking baked good!). So the two of you can feel extra snazzy and adult-like when you indulge. And awesomely for you, Prohibition Bakery ships all over the contiguous United States! Two dozen mini cupcakes, Prohibition Bakery, $40 plus shipping, ProhibitionBakery.com
On a budget? To satisfy your sweetheart’s thirst-pangs, Epica Whiskey Chilling rocks, $25 at Amazon.com, ensure that glass of whiskey stays purely whiskey, none of this watered-down-with-melted-ice crap. When you present these drinkers’ wonders, your honey will surely help you deck your halls this year!
For Your Has-Everything Dad He may not wear cowboy boots, but he’s a good ol’-fashioned dad with a grill in the yard and a beer in his hand. But you can teach an old dog new tricks when there’s a bit of classic thrown in. Cue: Jay Denton, Nashville’s freshest young music artist. Introduce your pops to some pop/ rock/acoustic tunes from Denton’s newest EP, Building Up. Building Up by Jay Denton, JayDentonMusic.com On a budget? Wash his car. Really, it’s that easy.
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You don’t have to BUY a gift to give a great one. Every month, Tastevin features simple do-it-yourself projects, from dip-dye ombre shirts and canvassed stencil art to personalized Sharpie mugs and chic custom cake stands. Just flip through our past issues to get inspired or flip to page 34for this month’s cool holiday centerpiece perfect for your hostess-with-the-mostest friend!
Something Sweet This is a great (and SIMPLE) gift you can make at home with stuff you already have in your kitchen. Mix up a huge batch to give to all the ladies in your life. Let’s face it—we all need a little rest and relaxation. This sugar scrub is the perfect way to pamper those you love!
Ingredients:
• • •
6 tbsp olive oil 4 tbsp honey 1 cup sugar
What to Do:
• In a clean container, mix the olive oil, honey, and sugar, in that order. • Stir well with a metal chopstick or cocktail stirrer. • Add a ribbon and a little label if you want to be fancy, and you’re done!
Tips and Tricks:
• DON’T put this mixture in the fridge. It’ll stiffen up and be gross. Keep it in the bathroom, where you can apply and easily rinse off. You can store it for about a month. • To use, clean your face and scoop a little scrub into your hand. Scrub as you would an exfoliating cleanser. Leave on for a min ute, then rinse and pat dry. • For those with sensitive skin, as with any exfoliating scrub, use sparingly!
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