FOR 20-SOMETHINGS...
December 2011
AURORA WINTER SURVIVAL GUIDE
LADIES N I GHT ACCESSORIES LIKE WHOA!
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G I F T S HIM & HER
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December 2011 AURORAMAG.COM
WINTER SURVIVAL GUIDE PG. 8
ON THE COVER! 4. 6. 8. 13.
IN EVERY ISSUE: LE T T E R F R O M T H E E D I T O R BE H I N D T H E S C E N E S SH O P P I N G G U I D E MY 1 0 F A V O R I T E T H I N G S
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LADIES NIGHT A C C E S S O R I E S L I K E W H OA! F A V O R I T E G I F T S H I M & HER WINTER MUST-HAVES
NIGHT-OUT
IT’S LADIES NIGHT!
THE WEEKEND IS HERE AND YOU AN FRIENDS ARE READY TO HIT THE T with. who you’re t u b o d u d o not what y est times an b ’s e it s th e f o m e ti e Som are som ith the girls w rted: g in g n a H get you sta to s a e id e m here are so e . flick you’v LATEST.. k ic E h c H t T a E SE your nd see th on night of e theater a th a th r a to m d a a e it H ake g for, or m been waitin ks. favorite flic . Make DI... nail polish e th t u o ll MANI-PE u’ve t as you pu t money yo a a h c th d d n n a e p x s Rela self or f do it your o t h ig n a st spa. it your neare t a g in v a s been . e ESSERT.. D D N our favorit y A S to d K a N e I H DR last. aybe the best for t only, or m r e s s e d al d Don’t save n e of the loc er drinks a m d o s r o t u d o n a y e tr plac s and ur tastebud o y n e d a . o r b ever been to n e ’v u o y s place S... e night on th NG SHOE I a C r N fo t A u D o d MY nd hea ck with our heels a you can sti y e r n e o h p w a e tr m S t ti . . It’s a grea meone new dance floor o s t e e m e b may the girls or 4 • AURORAMAG.COM • D E C E M B E R
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ND YOUR GIRL TOWN
Dressing up can be the best part
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about girls night. Whether youre
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feeling casual, crazy or dressing to
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impress you have your girls to back
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you up. Sed ut perspiciatis unde
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dolor sit amet, consectetur, So pull
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that closet open get ready and head
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out for some fun.
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CHECK-OUT
ACCESSORIZE YOUR ACCESSORIES
IF IT’S CLOTHES THAT “MAKE THE THE ACCESSORIES THAT SET AN OUT Lets check out some of the best from
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2011. Combining the ankle socks with
bo. Now as we head into the new year
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you’ll be ready and to know what the
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iste natus quiaatione etur.
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THESE ARE SOME MUST HAVE ACCESSORIES TO BRING YOU INTO THE NEW YEAR.
SUNG LASS ES, N FOR OT J SUM UST M Style i t up al ER... ly shades , that k ear long with ee s inner s elf and p you fun or ome hide y make y ou ou mys terious r .
to .. TIE. great way W a O w &B his is ny ne HAT t for men! T with so ma t. s , Not ju p your look ll look grea u u’ spice d scarfs yo n hats a
MAN” THEN IT’S TFIT APART CLUT C This is H... p you ne erfect for tha ed an o t n the g date night w enough h o t to ho ld you bag just big en r lip gl oss. COMBINE IT ALL... Some days your look becomes all about the accessories. Put them all together for a fabulous, fun look. D E C E M B E R
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FINE LITTLE DAY MUGS $24.00
KIMCHI BLUE ACCORDION WALLET $20.00
LOMOGRAPHY DIANA + DREAMER CAMERA $65.00
DEER HEAD JEWELRY STAND $29.00
LEATHER WOVEN BAND WATCH $38.00
FAVORITE GIFTS: HER WWW.URBANOUTFITTERS.COM
WINTER SURVIVAL GUIDE OWN THE HOLIDAYS SO THEY DON'T OWN YOU S W E A T E R S N E W
Y E A R S
H O L D A Y S M A K E T O
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S T Y L E
D O N ’ T
C R A F T
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F O O D
D O ’ S
N O R D I C
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J O I N
W I N T E R
B L O W
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U P
M O M
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B R E A K
T H E O F
THE HOLIDAYS ARE HARD. FINALS, FAMILY, AND FUN, SOMETIMES. SO OWN THE HOLIDAYS BY BUYING A NEW SWEATER, HAVE A NIGHT TO REMEMBER (NOT ONE YOU’LL REGRET), AND MAKE AWESOME SHIT!
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K I T C H E N
F U N
WINTER SURVIVAL GUIDE
NO. 1 SWEATERS NORDIC STYLE
$32.80
N
patterns emerged as people decided to combine function with fashion and wear their Nordic sweaters to social events such as church. They even added brighter colors and silver clasps (now usually pewter) for decoration. Historically, Norwegian women used Nordic sweaters to attract a husband. They would knit their loved one a Nordic sweater as a sign of affection. This in turn would result in a proposal for marriage.
SHOP.NORDSTROM.COM
ordic sweaters have an interesting history. Originally, Nordic sweaters only came in black or white. These were the natural colors of sheep’s wool. Soon some Nordic people began combining the black and white, and started making v-shaped patterns called ‘lice’. This v-shape stitch helped make their Nordic sweaters warmer. Next knitters began experimenting with patterns, but only on the very top of the sweater because Nordic people tucked their Nordic sweaters far down into baggy pants. More intricate
$69
$245
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BY ∙ ANDREA TANNER
D E C E M B E R
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WINTER SURVIVAL GUIDE
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ew Year's Eve is the most problematic night out in the calendar. While the pressure to have a good time is immense, the end result is often underwhelming, if not downright depressing. Worse still, it's one of the few holidays that doesn't reward personal effort. The more you put into New Year's Eve, the less you seem to get out of it, and the most ambitious plans are also the most easily thwarted. The best New Year's Eves, by contrast, seem to come about largely by accident. There is no guaranteed way to make it a success – but here are a few tips to help you make it through the night . . .
1.
APPROACH THE EVENING WITH THE LOWEST POSSIBLE EXPECTATIONS New Year's Eve is never really that much fun, and it has the potential to be absolutely disastrous, so it's important that your hopes never rise. If you imagine the evening ahead being the equivalent of an endless night spent negotiating your way through a postApocalyptic landscape full of zombies in search of the world's last taxi, then your attitude on the night should be roughly in line with the likely outcomes.
NO. 2 NEW YEARS EVE
2.
DON'T DRINK TOO MUCH This may be obvious advice – and among the least likely to be heeded on New Year's Eve – but it's worth pointing out that tonight is absolutely the worst night of the year to end up at A&E. It will be completely overcrowded, jammed full of well-dressed
DON’T BLOW IT
but shamefully disheveled people, all of them groaning, shouting and talking gibberish. In fact, A&E will probably look a lot like the party you've just just left, but with harsher overhead lighting.
3.
NEW YEAR'S EVE IS DRESSY, NOT FANCY-DRESSY No rabbit ears, elephant trunks, hats with lights, hats with horns, tinsel scarves, giant 2011-shaped glasses or masks of any kind. Don't, in short, go out of your way to look a fool. Imagine yourself waking up on an empty train 12 stops past home, and think about what you'd like to be wearing when you ask the guard where you are.
5.
WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T SUDDENLY DECIDE TO GO SKATING You'll thank me for this.
6.
MAKE NO RESOLUTIONS UNTIL TOMORROW, OR POSSIBLY THE NEXT DAY A lot of people regard tonight as the final deadline for new year's resolutions. Don't be cajoled into making any hasty announcements about quitting smoking, taking guitar lessons or being more socially committed, especially if it's just for the sake of joining in. Last-minute resolutions are often impractical and undesirable. And besides – you don't want to find yourself committed to any statements you made while lying face down in a pile of dirty snow.
Happy New Year.
BY ∙ TIM DOWLING
FAVORITE GIFTS: HER WWW.URBANOUTFITTERS.COM
REWORKED LEATHER POCKET WALLET $44.00
NIXON TIME TELLER P WATCH $60.00
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CROSLEY SPINTRONIC PORTABLE USB TURNTABLE $170.00
O’HANLON MILLS 13” NATIVE PRINT LAPTOP CASE $29.00
STANLEY CLASSIC FLASK $28.00
WINTER SURVIVAL GUIDE
NO. 3 HOLIDAYS CRAFT IT UP BY ∙ EMMY CASTILLO
PINECONE GARLAND First, bake them in the oven at 250 for 20 minutes to kill the spiders/bugs/nasty fungus stuff that might be living in them. Cover them with spray adhesive and glitter and hang them up. Wrap the stem ends in yarn and make a garland. TA-DA! You just wasted your entire day making pointless pinecone crafts!
PAINTED MUG Porcelain mug (mine is from CB2) Pebeo Porcelaine 150 outliner (available at Dick Blick) 1. Make sure your mug is clean and dry. 2. Paint! I tried using a tiny brush, but it didn’t work very well. I found that squeezing the paint straight out of the tube and onto the porcelain worked best. It looks a little gloopy in places, but I really like the overall effect. If you mess up just wipe the paint away with a wet paper towel. 3. Once you’ve finished your masterpiece let the paint dry for 24 hours. Then, bake your mug according to the paint package instructions. After baking turn off the oven and leave the mug inside until it has gradually cooled to room temperature.
FABRIC PENNANT BANNER First cut your rectangles. Next, iron the triangles to some fusible interfacing. Instead of cutting loads of interfacing triangles. Next lay out your line of triangles and sew them to bias tape. Then you just sandwich the triangles inside that fold and sew along the top. Here you can kind of see that:
Here's the line of stitching. You could probably just hot glue them in, but I like the look of the stitching... That's it! It really went together pretty simply. And now it can be used over and over again. Go try it!
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WINTER SURVIVAL GUIDE
NO. 4 MAKE FOOD
HOMEMADE CHEESE STRAWS INGREDIENTS
ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR, for work surface PUFF PASTRY, made through the fourth turn 12 OUNCES PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO CHEESE,
grated medium-fine (about 4 cups)
JOIN MOM IN THE KITCHEN
1 LARGE EGG, lightly beaten COARSE SALT
DIRECTIONS
BY ∙ MARTHA STEWART
BE
CLASSY!
HOW-TO FOLD A NAPKIN HANDKERCHIEF STYLE
1. Fold napkin into a square. 2. Starting at the most open and decorated corner, bring the top layer toward the closed corner. 3. Repeat with the subsequent napkin layers, bringing each corner slightly lower than the previous one so that none of the trim overlap.
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4. Turn the triangle over, smooth side up. Take one of the narrow corners and fold it halfway over; repeat with the other corner. 5. Flip back over for an architectural fold.
1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry dough to a 9-by-20-inch rectangle. Sprinkle 3/4 cup cheese over center of dough. Starting at the near short end, fold dough into thirds, enclosing cheese. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate 1 hour. Repeat. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. 2. Cut dough in half; wrap half in plastic, and refrigerate. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half the dough to a 12-by-15-inch rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. (Do not press too hard on edges.) 3. Using a pastry brush, dust off excess flour; brush beaten egg over dough until well moistened. Sprinkle 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cheese and a pinch of salt over lower half of dough. Fold top half over cheese-covered half. Gently press to seal. Brush top of dough with beaten egg; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cheese and a pinch of salt. 4. Trim dough to 12 by 6 1/2 inches with a pastry wheel or knife. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough, cheese, and salt. 5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a pastry wheel, cut dough into 3/8-by-12-inch strips; twist into spirals. Space 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets. Press ends onto sheets to prevent straws from straightening. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes. 6. Bake until golden and cooked through, about 18 minutes. Loosen straws from sheets with a thin spatula; transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 day.
WINTER SURVIVAL GUIDE
NO. 5 TO DO’S
1
WINTER BREAK OF FUN The last thing you want to do during winter vacation is sleep through it and wonder where the time went. If you're not lucky enough to be taking a real vacation, though, it can be hard to figure out what to do. Let this list of fun, cheap winter vacation activities be your guide.
1.
3
HOST A HOLIDAY MOVIE MARATHON Prepare a spread of some holiday snacks (like these easy-to-make chocolatecovered candy canes & pretzels), pick up some holiday movies and veg out in front of the TV with some friends. You can get ideas for movies from this list of fun holiday classics and this list of Christmas comedies. (Though as far as I'm concerned, no holiday movie marathon would be complete without A Charlie Brown Christmas.)
2. VOLUNTEER
Why not? Thanks to the holidays, you'll already be in the giving spirit - and with school out, you have no excuse not to give a little love to your community. Get some inspiration from this list of community service ideas.
3.
HAVE A SNOWMAN-BUILDING PARTY Pull together a pile of old winter accessories, buttons and carrots (for decorating, of course). Then invite over all the friends (or siblings, or neighbors) you can, pair up and build some snowmen! Hand out awards for the biggest, the funniest and the most original snowmen. (Be sure to take lots of photos!) Cap it all off with some hot cocoa and gingerbread cookies.
4. SEE SANTA
5
This one's for the teens who aren't afraid to dork out a little. But seriously, how fun would it be to tell Santa what you want for Christmas for old time's sake (and get a picture to prove it)? If you're too embarrassed to see him at your regular mall, trek to the mall two towns over.
5. MAKE A GINGERBREAD HOUSE
And then eat it. Bonus points if you make it with your mom or dad. Double-bonus points if you sing along to holiday music while you work. (You don't have anything against getting into the holiday spirit, do you?)
WINTER MUST-HAVES
WWW.BURTSBEES.COM $3.00
WWW.JCREW.COM $44.00
WWW.UGGAUSTRALIA.COM $150.00
WWW.YANKEECANDLE.COM $25.99
D E C E M B E R
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