aurora magazine

AURORADecember 2011

WINTER SURVIVAL GUIDE

L A D I E SN I G H T

F A V O R I T E

G I F T SH I M & H E R

ACCESSORIES LIKE WHOA!

AURORAMAG.COM

$4.99 US $5.99 CAN

F O R 2 0 - S O M E T H I N G S . . .

2 • AURORAMAG.COM • D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 1

O N T H E C O V E R !

4. LADIES NIGHT 6. ACCESSORIES LIKE WHOA! 8. FAVORITE GIFTS HIM & HER13. WINTER MUST-HAVES

IN EVERY ISSUE:

LETTER FROM THE EDITORBEHIND THE SCENESSHOPPING GUIDEMY 10 FAVORITE THINGS

December 2011AURORAMAG.COM

WINTER SURVIVAL GUIDEPG. 8

NIGHT-OUT

I T ’ S L A D I E S N I G H T !

Sometimes it’s not what you do but who you’re with.

Hanging with the girls are some of the best times and

here are some ideas to get you started:

SEE THE LATEST...

Head to the theater and see that chick flick you’ve

been waiting for, or make it a marathon night of your

favorite flicks.

MANI-PEDI...

Relax and chat as you pull out the nail polish. Make

it a night of do it yourself or spend that money you’ve

been saving at your nearest spa.

DRINKS AND DESSERT...

Don’t save the best for last. Head to your favorite

place and order drinks and dessert only, or maybe

broaden your tastebuds and try out some of the local

places you’ve never been to.

MY DANCING SHOES...

Strap on your heels and head out for a night on the

dance floor. It’s a great time where you can stick with

the girls or maybe meet someone new.

THE WEEKEND IS HERE AND YOU AND YOUR GIRL FRIENDS ARE READY TO HIT THE TOWN

Dressing up can be the best part

about girls night. Whether youre

feeling casual, crazy or dressing to

impress you have your girls to back

you up. Sed ut perspiciatis unde

omnis iste natus error sit volupta-

tem accusantium doloremque laudan-

tium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa

quae ab illo inventore veritatis et

quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta

sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam vo-

luptatem quia voluptas aspernatur

aut odit aut fugit, sed quia conse-

quuntur magni dolores eos qui ratio-

ne voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Porro

quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia

dolor sit amet, consectetur, So pull

that closet open get ready and head

out for some fun.4 • AURORAMAG.COM • D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 1

NIGHT-OUT

I T ’ S L A D I E S N I G H T !

Sometimes it’s not what you do but who you’re with.

Hanging with the girls are some of the best times and

here are some ideas to get you started:

SEE THE LATEST...

Head to the theater and see that chick flick you’ve

been waiting for, or make it a marathon night of your

favorite flicks.

MANI-PEDI...

Relax and chat as you pull out the nail polish. Make

it a night of do it yourself or spend that money you’ve

been saving at your nearest spa.

DRINKS AND DESSERT...

Don’t save the best for last. Head to your favorite

place and order drinks and dessert only, or maybe

broaden your tastebuds and try out some of the local

places you’ve never been to.

MY DANCING SHOES...

Strap on your heels and head out for a night on the

dance floor. It’s a great time where you can stick with

the girls or maybe meet someone new.

THE WEEKEND IS HERE AND YOU AND YOUR GIRL FRIENDS ARE READY TO HIT THE TOWN

Dressing up can be the best part

about girls night. Whether youre

feeling casual, crazy or dressing to

impress you have your girls to back

you up. Sed ut perspiciatis unde

omnis iste natus error sit volupta-

tem accusantium doloremque laudan-

tium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa

quae ab illo inventore veritatis et

quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta

sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam vo-

luptatem quia voluptas aspernatur

aut odit aut fugit, sed quia conse-

quuntur magni dolores eos qui ratio-

ne voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Porro

quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia

dolor sit amet, consectetur, So pull

that closet open get ready and head

out for some fun.

CHECK-OUT

A C C E S S O R I Z E Y O U R A C C E S S O R I E S

SUNGLASSES, NOT JUST

FOR SUMMER...Style it up all year long with some

shades, that keep you fun or hide your

inner self and make you mysterious.

COMBINE IT ALL...Some days your look becomes all about the accessories. Put them all together for a fabulous, fun look.

HAT & BOW TIE...

Not just for men! This is a great way to

spice up your look, with so many new

hats and scarfs you’ll look great.

THESE ARE SOME MUST HAVE ACCESSORIES TO BRING YOU INTO THE NEW YEAR.

Lets check out some of the best from

2011. Combining the ankle socks with

the heel is sed ut per spiciatis

unde omnis iste natus error sit

voluptatem accusantium doloremque

laudantium, totam rem sunt explica-

bo. Now as we head into the new year

you’ll be ready and to know what the

enim ipsam voluptatem unde omnis

iste natus quiaatione etur.

IF IT’S CLOTHES THAT “MAKE THE MAN” THEN IT’S THE ACCESSORIES THAT SET AN OUTFIT APART

CLUTCH...This is perfect for that date night when

you need an on the go bag just big

enought to hold your lip gloss.


CHECK-OUT

A C C E S S O R I Z E Y O U R A C C E S S O R I E S

SUNGLASSES, NOT JUST

FOR SUMMER...Style it up all year long with some

shades, that keep you fun or hide your

inner self and make you mysterious.

COMBINE IT ALL...Some days your look becomes all about the accessories. Put them all together for a fabulous, fun look.

HAT & BOW TIE...

Not just for men! This is a great way to

spice up your look, with so many new

hats and scarfs you’ll look great.

THESE ARE SOME MUST HAVE ACCESSORIES TO BRING YOU INTO THE NEW YEAR.

Lets check out some of the best from

2011. Combining the ankle socks with

the heel is sed ut per spiciatis

unde omnis iste natus error sit

voluptatem accusantium doloremque

laudantium, totam rem sunt explica-

bo. Now as we head into the new year

you’ll be ready and to know what the

enim ipsam voluptatem unde omnis

iste natus quiaatione etur.

IF IT’S CLOTHES THAT “MAKE THE MAN” THEN IT’S THE ACCESSORIES THAT SET AN OUTFIT APART

CLUTCH...This is perfect for that date night when

you need an on the go bag just big

enought to hold your lip gloss.

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 1 • AURORAMAG.COM • 7


S W E A T E R S N O R D I C S T Y L E

N E W Y E A R S D O N ’ T B L O W I T

H O L D A Y S C R A F T I T U P

M A K E F O O D J O I N M O M I N T H E K I T C H E N

T O D O ’ S W I N T E R B R E A K O F F U N

▶

▶

▶

▶

▶

OWN THE HOLIDAYS SO THEY DON'T OWN YOU

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!

F A V O R I T E G I F T S : H E RW W W . U R B A N O U T F I T T E R S . C O M

LOMOGRAPHY DIANA + DREAMER CAMERA $65.00

DEER HEAD JEWELRY STAND$29.00

KIMCHI BLUE ACCORDION WALLET$20.00

LEATHER WOVEN BAND WATCH$38.00

FINE LITTLE DAY MUGS$24.00



Nordic 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

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.

N O . 1S W E A T E R S

N O R D I C S T Y L E

$245 WWW.DKNY.COM

$69 SHOP.NORDSTROM.COM

$32.80 WWW.FOREVER21.COM

BY ∙ ANDREA TANNER



BY ∙ TIM DOWLING

New 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 post-Apocalyptic 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.

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

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.

N O . 2N E W Y E A R S E V E

D O N ’ T B L O W I T

F A V O R I T E G I F T S : H E RW W W . U R B A N O U T F I T T E R S . C O M

STANLEY CLASSIC FLASK$28.00

REWORKED LEATHER POCKET WALLET$44.00

CROSLEY SPINTRONIC PORTABLE USB TURNTABLE$170.00

NIXON TIME TELLER P WATCH$60.00

O’HANLON MILLS 13” NATIVE PRINT LAPTOP CASE$29.00



BY ∙ EMMY CASTILLO

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!

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.

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!

N O . 3H O L I D A Y S

C R A F T I T U P

PAINTED MUG

FABRIC PENNANT BANNER

PINECONE GARLAND


HOMEMADE CHEESE STRAWS

B E C L A S S Y !

I N G R E D I E N T S

ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR, for work surface

PUFF PASTRY, made through the fourth turn

12 OUNCES PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO CHEESE,

grated medium-fine (about 4 cups)

1 LARGE EGG, lightly beaten

COARSE SALT

D I R E C T I O N S

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.


N O . 4M A K E F O O D

J O I N M O M I N T H E K I T C H E N

BY ∙ MARTHA STEWART

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.

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.

H O W - T O F O L D A N A P K I N H A N D K E R C H I E F S T Y L E


W I N T E R M U S T - H A V E S

WWW.BURTSBEES.COM$3.00

WWW.JCREW.COM$44.00

WWW.UGGAUSTRALIA.COM$150.00

WWW.YANKEECANDLE.COM$25.99


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. HOST A HOLIDAY MOVIE MARATHONPrepare a spread of some holiday snacks (like these easy-to-make chocolate-

covered 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. VOLUNTEERWhy 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 PARTYPull 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 SANTAThis 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 HOUSEAnd 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?)

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3

1

N O . 5T O D O ’ S

W I N T E R B R E A K O F F U N


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