HORS D’OEUVRE Contributors: Who’s who! From the Desk of the Editor: Fresh for fall! Things We Love: Editor obsessions Behind the Scenes: What happened on set with cover girl Jeannie Mai
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BEAUTY & WELLNESS Fifty Shades of Bernadette: We chat with celebrity manicurist Bernadette Thompson about her new line The Skinny on Health: Just because bikini season is ending, it doesn’t mean you can stop the fitness hustle {Beauty} Trick to Try: The RIGHT way to apply your face creams
ARTS & LEISURE Made: Emily Van Guilder is back with this HOT burnout skyline Puppy Diaries: What has Teddy Rex been up to now? Good Eats: She’s my cherry pie! We’ve got the treats to get you geared up for fall
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FASHION & FEATURES
Essay: Sometimes the return home is the trip to the unknown You+Me: Zac Posen takes a break from Project Runway to design for David’s Bridal Share Your Where: Is Scotland truly the home of Harry Potter? Share Your Wear: ashlyn’d brings playfulness back to clutches The Real Jeannie Mai: As the co-host of an upcoming daytime talk show, Jeannie Mai gets REAL
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 Writer LINDY TOLBERT
ARTS AND LEISURE Arts and Leisure Editor EMILY VAN GUILDER Arts and Leisure Writers ERICA MAU & MARIA EUBANKS
BEAUTY AND WELLNESS Beauty Editor COLETTE CHOI Wellness Editor LISA EBERLY
ART Photography Director ALEXANDER HERMAN Assistant Photographer HAIL NOWAK West Coast Editor ROSIE RYAN UK Editor JENNA ANDERSON
Contributors 08 /09 2014
Wellness Editor Lisa Eberly knows how to hustle. This issue, she keeps you hustling toward your health goals! Check out her site, www.TheSkinnyOnHealth. com
Emily Van Guilder is back as our Arts and Leisure Editor, taking over the “Made” column again with this issue’s awesome burnout skyline. Texas has not taken the craftiness out of this California girl!
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Fashion and Beauty Editor Breana Powell never sleeps. This time, she went behind the camera, photographing the EIC for the “You and Me” shoot in record time! She also sat down with ashlyn’d’s trendy designer for “Share Your Wear.”
Erica Mau may be our newly minted Arts and Leisure Writer, but she’s a tried and true puppy mom! Check out her column, “Puppy Diaries,” every issue for a glimpse into the charmed life of Teddy Rex the Westie!
Avery Canty is a Los Angelesbased photographer and went poolside for this issue’s cover shoot with Jeannie Mai. Canty was impressed at Mai’s knack for remembering names!
This is one of Creative Director Brandon Gamble’s favorite issues because August/ September signifies the end of New York’s heat and the chance for him to break out more of his favorite blazers. You are welcome to send him Zara Man gift cards.
Tastevin Magazine August / September 2014
blackmilkclothing.com
from the desk of the
EDITOR Just because fall is fast approaching, it doesn’t mean you should fall out of bad habits (hah). For this issue, we’re all about keeping it fresh for fall and keeping up your fitness kick even as the weather cools down. Lisa Eberly, one of my most glamorous and playful friends, brings us yet another round of health inspiration in her column, “The Skinny on Health” (also the name of her site where she gives awesome advice and helps people on their way toward fitdom). I’m one of the first to let workout habits slide...I went from working out nearly every day to skipping four weeks altogether. But no more! I’m taking Lisa’s advice and getting my hustle on—even if bikini season is over! (And fingers crossed for those warm Indian summers in California!)
This issue’s cover girl, Jeannie Mai, is also all about keeping fit. This girl is a hoot and a half, and I had an awesome time hanging out with her for our cover shoot. At one point during the day, she mentioned, “Dress like you need no introduction!” Staying healthy and feeling good about yourself is definitely a part of that. She posed poolside in some awesome workout gear from Wear Me Out….so fresh! Check out more of her great advice for women in the cover story, and be sure to tune in on September 15 when her daytime talk show, The Real, launches! Let us know how you’re keeping it fresh for fall! We’d love to encourage you along the way!
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Tastevin Magazine August / September 2014
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Things We Love Emily Van Guilder Arts & Leisure Editor Face Cleaner “My discovery of Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics led me to a face cleanser unlike any I’d ever tried. They only use natural ingredients like almonds, chamomile, and lavender so you can exfoliate your skin without stripping it down with harsh soaps. Double bonus: in the 30+ years they’ve been in business, Lush has been a huge player in the fight against animal testing, both in practice and active campaigning.”
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Tastevin Magazine August / September 2014
The Tastevin editors share their monthly obsessions.
Caroline A. Wong Editor-in-Chief Necklace “I’m not a festival kid by any means, but the Jules Smith Coachella necklace ($85) has been my piece of choice lately. It’s at once edgy and elegant, and the fringe adds a sense of movement to any outfit!”
Brandon Gamble Creative Director Tawny Port
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: EMILY VAN GUILDER; CAROLINE A. WONG; TAYLOR.PT
“Port isn’t always on a menu, but if it is, order a glass (or two). It’s a complex wine with brandy/spirt notes, and is usually served with dessert (it pairs perfectly with dark chocolate). My favorite brand of Tawny Port is Taylor Fladgate, and it’s typically available in 10 ($32), 20 ($52), 30 ($90), and 40 ($150) yr. vintages.
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Behind the Scenes Our August/September cover girl, Jeannie Mai, arrived on set after a run that morning, so it was no surprise that she fell in love with the Wear Me Out gear pulled for our shoot. Per Tastevin’s cover tradition, Mai did her own makeup for her feature. After chatting with Editor-in-Chief Caroline A. Wong, Mai joined photographer Avery Canty poolside, showing off her active, playful side. Upon the shoot’s wrap, Mai headed out for a manicure before a flight to Vegas, taking her new Wear Me Out gear with her. Catch Mai (along with co-hosts Tamera Mowley-
Photo by Mia Rose Wong
FIFTY SHADES OF BERNADETTE THOMPSON By Colette Choi
Tastevin Magazine You have such an amazing list of clients! How did you get involved in the industry? Bernadette Thompson Well, I started by working with Mary J. Blige, who was a close friend at the time. She introduced me to P. Diddy and to fashion photographers. My passion was always in fashion. TM So what was it that inspired you to start your own polish line? BT Ultimately, I wanted to create a luxury treatment brand that also captured colors that were current in the fashion world. The names of each shade were inspired by the book Fifty Shades of Grey.
TM Hence the “50 Shades of Greatness” collection
name! How has working in the fashion influenced your work? BT When I’m at a show, an event, or even just flipping through a magazine, I am consumed by inspiration—from colors, patterns, and textures to silhouettes and lines. Fashion has always been my first love. Most of my influences are fashion related. TM Being in the fashion world as a manicurist, you’ve used all kinds of nail polish. Why create another brand?
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COURTESY OF BERNADETTETHOMPSON.COM
If you’re looking for an impressive résumé, look no further than that of celebrity manicurist Bernadette Thompson. From Beyoncé to Madonna, Gwen to Gisele, Charlize to Uma, her clients are household, first-nameonly superstars. And if you need any more evidence of her expertise, Thompson has worked with Revlon, Clinique, Estée Lauder, and M.A.C.— essentially a handful of the biggest brands in cosmetics. Inspired by her impressive dabblings in fashion and beauty, Thompson launches Bernadette Thompson Nail Care and Color. We sat down with Thompson to discuss her newest venture!
BT I do feel the [nail polish] market is very saturated, but I’ve found that formulation and quality seem to take a back seat most of the time. I heavily focused on formulation and quality just as much as I did color selection when I created [my] line. TM Okay, now for the nitty gritty. What’s the best way a girl can care for her nails? BT Wear gloves when washing dishes, always moisturize at least twice a day, apply cuticle oil every night, use non-acetone nail polish remover, always use a base coat, and stay away from overlays
if you can! TM We’ve all seen #ManiMonday pictures on Instagram where girls have new nail styles all the time. Should we really be getting manicures every week? BT Yes! I suggest every seven to ten days. This will keep your manicure looking fresh and clean.
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by Lisa Eberly
It’s fall ! Time for getting into that productive groove at work and for transitioning from relaxing summer days to real life again. And don’t fret! The holidays will be here in the blink of an eye! In the meantime, here are my lifestyle tips to get your hustle on this fall and totally kill the game. Whether you’re starting a new job, kicking off a new workout plan, or if you’re just in need of a little autumn boost, follow these for some guaranteed success in every facet of your life. Because after all, it is all. about. that. HUSTLE.
Realize that it’s not about having time to do things; it’s about making the time to do them
Most people don’t ‘have time’ to go to the gym in their routine. You can’t rely on having free time lingering in your day to make things happen. You have to make the time for them. I use …every second of time in my day, even if it’s only 20 minutes between classes or just waiting in line for a sandwich. You have to change your mentality about time to see it
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in a new light. There are 24 hours in a day, 16 of which are healthy to use. USE THEM.
Take a breather
Take at least two hours a day to yourself and at least one day of the weekend. I know this sounds crazy—two hours?! That’s a long time! I know it is, and you need it, deserve it, will be much better off with it. I take one hour for yoga and one for reading, cooking, or watching tv. You need to take some time to relax and enjoy life every day, otherwise you’ll just be consumed with work and miserable. I also make sure that if I have to work the weekend (which I do, every single weekend), I only work one day, not both. Make sure to do something really fun at least one day of your weekend! Oh, and smile. A lot.
Stress is pointless
This one is hard to control, but should be easy. I
have trouble listening to people freak out about how much work they have to do. I’m totally a venter—sometimes I’m sure I totally annoy my friends by telling them how much work I have to finish, but I never fully stress about it. Venting is one thing, but we waste so much energy and time being anxious and stressed about stuff. Think about how exhausting it is to be stressed out! All that ATP our body is making to feel that could be put toward being productive instead. Try to channel your stress toward healthy behaviors, like organization.
On that note, be organized!
You need a planner…and a calendar…and a to-do list. I have it all. I have a list for each list. A list for all the lists I have to make. I color coordinate my lists. My to-do list is organized by type of work (TSOH, The Skinny Docs, schoolwork/studying, TAing, research/thesis/practicum, miscellaneous, calls/emails) and color coded. I’m a organization monster. The feeling of checking things off at the end of the day feels like a high. It may or may not be a problem.
Be pleasant
I know this sounds really off topic, but hear me out for a sec. This falls in line with the whole don’t stress out thing. I make it a point to be super friendly and nice to strangers, no matter how late or busy I am. A lot of busy people tend to run around with their heads down focused on what they’re running off to next. But, by taking the time to smile at people and appreciate small interactions like that, you are boosting your mood and energy, de-stressing. You’re literally multitasking by being nice. Plus, you’re being nice! So when you get your morning coffee, order it with a smile and ask the barista how his morning is going. Trust me, it’ll not only make his day, but it’ll give you an extra boost. This also applies to anyone you meet at school or work. You want to be the employee or student that everyone loves, because trust me, when your mentor is getting emails about how much everyone wants to work with you, that extra mile will be soooo worth it.
Eat healthy Especially breakfast! Whoever said ‘you are what you eat’ was not messing around. I can feel it when I don’t eat well. When I eat my usual weekday breakfast (a big green smoothie with whole grain granola on top & cup of green tea), I feel amazing. I feel energized and ready for the day. If I skip it for a bagel and cream cheese I feel awful, and usually tired by 10 am. Making sure you’re getting your fruits and veggies and healthy protein and fats is SO essential to feeling good, and feeling good is SO essential to productivity. Unhealthy foods make you tired, overeating makes you lethargic, and not getting enough essential nutrients makes you fuzzy. All those totally suck, it’s so not worth it.
Workout
Exercise is a serious, serious natural mood enhancer and stress reducer. I get so stressed out when I miss a workout. I feel all crazy and off balance. Making sure you get at least some exercise in daily will boost your mood and keep you pleasant, while destressing you AND keeping your body healthy and fit. Triple win? Yup. It is a great way to take a little break from work and get some clarity and time for yourself.
Sleep!
No matter how busy you are or how crazy your schedule is, losing sleep is never, ever worth it. Even if I have a massive assignment due, I always prioritize getting at least 6-7 hours of sleep minimum. If you think about it, staying up all night actually makes you lose productivity time. You’ll stay up really late, get a couple hours of work done in a tired, caffeine-induced workcoma, and then pretty much lose the whole next day to being a zombie with their shoes on the wrong feet. A lack of sleep also increases stress and promotes weight gain, both total bummers. Make sure you don’t procrastinate so much you’re pulling all nighters, that shit is for amateurs. You’re a badass hustler. 15
Put yourself together Looking good is much more important than most people think. This may sound silly, but I’m sure you can relate—when I put myself together in the morning (you know, a little makeup, nice hair, cute outfit), I have a little extra spring in my step and actually feel like being more productive. Not only do my colleagues and superiors notice it, they subconsciously notice the spring. Who would rely on/hire/trust/ etc. the girl who looks disheveled and showed up in yoga pants with wet hair when you’re standing next to her looking flawless and well-rested? As much as people love to deny this, appearance is important. You don’t have to show up for class looking like a supermodel, but a little touch of poise goes a long, long way. There’s actually been research that proves people naturally trust women wearing a little bit of make up more so than those with nothing on. Jusss sayin’. My motto: If you don’t look like you’re totally drowning in work and on the brink of your mental stress breakdown, you won’t be.
Don’t settle
We are only here for the tiniest blip on the universe’s radar. You’re itty bitty when it comes to the grand scheme of things. That sort of blows, doesn’t it? The most we can do while were here is make some noise. Make your parents proud. Make yourself proud. Make. Some. Noise. Being ordinary or falling in line with the pack is BORING. You are special enough to stand out, to push yourself farther, to be the one that’s going to shake things up and make a real difference. Growing up, I didn’t just say ‘I want to be a doctor,’ I said ‘I’m going to cure cancer.’ Even if that’s obviously a stretch, I still think in that light. I don’t want to be a run-of-the-mill dietitian who helps a couple hundred people, I’m going to be the dietitian that changes millions of lives and (more realistically, helps to) prevent and cure cancer. Don’t ever, ever, EVER settle for being ordinary. Be fucking extraordinary (excuse my French). xo
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{Beauty} Trick to Try
By Colette Choi I never watched Gravity. I only know there are spaceships involved and Sandra Bullock is in the mix (Growing up after the Cold War, I didn’t have an interest in space beyond the freeze dried “astronaut” food you could buy in health stores... Freeze dried ice cream is actually not too bad). My point is...the only thing I know about gravity is that it’s BAD for your skin. Wrinkles and downturned smiles are no fun, my friends. But you can’t fight gravity, can you? Well, you can to a point.
This method helps to keep your skin taut and counteracts the number that gravity does pulling on your face. After all, Ms. Bullock is 50 (congrats!) and could still pass as a 29-year-old. Take that, gravity.
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FREEDIGITALPHOTOS.NET
First, the proper order of skincare is serums first ALWAYS. Before moisturizer. Before sunscreen. Serums are the bitchy chick that cuts in line. The best way to apply this to your face is to pump the serum into your hand, dab onto your T-zone and cheeks, then sweep into your skin in an upward motion. Don’t rub in circles and don’t smear it in downward or tug on your skin. Begin with your fingers tight together and flat like a paddle. Then start from your nose, move out toward your ears, and wing up toward your temples. For your forehead, start at your brows and sweep up toward the hairline.
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by Emily Van Guilder
Wood Burning City Skyline Silhouette I have always been a huge fan of utilizing stencils to create beautiful, and sometimes complex, silhouettes, but I recently decided that I wanted to play around with my mediums. I switched out a standard canvas for a “wood canvas” made of three pieces of non-uniform wood planks and switched paint for a wood burning tool.
Supplies Needed: • • • • • •
Flat piece of unfinished wood/wood canvas (I found mine on Etsy) Small piece of wood for practice purposes Wood burning kit (found at most craft stores) X-Acto knife Pencil Tape
Instructions: • Thoroughly sand your piece of unfinished wood/wood canvas. The smoother the better. Unlike paint, wood burning is more sensitive to surface irregularities. • Print out a to-scale stencil of your project. Since it was my first time with wood burning, I chose a silhouette of Dallas because of its mostly straight lines.
• I actually gave my stencil two separate layers of different burn-degrees to add a bit more depth to the finished product.
• Cut out areas of your stencil with the X-Acto knife. • Tape your stencil to the “wood canvas” and trace the cut out areas. • For my two-layered project, I cut out the gray areas first and black areas second. I slightly shaded the gray areas so I’d remember to create a different burn pattern. Heat up the wood burning tool to its highest setting (usually takes 5-7 minutes).
Safety note: It’s best if you set the tool and its stand on a surface that won’t easily burn (for obvious reasons). Additionally, work outside if possible, wood burning emits a fair amount of smoke that isn’t healthy to breathe in. • Begin burning your design: In most wood burning kits, several types of “tips” will be provided, each with a different use. You should always play around with the different tips to get a feel for them before you begin your real project. Better to iron out the kinks ahead of time. • Trace the edges and fill in areas, moving from smaller to larger.
• For the gray areas, I would recommend lowering the heat setting, or carefully applying delicate strokes to create a lighter burn. As you can see, the lighter areas burn along grain patterns, so you can retain the wood’s texture in your final product.
Safety note: Turn off the heat each time you need to change out a tip. Only change the tips when they’re completely cool to touch, and use a set of pliers.
Done!
Puppy Diaries
by Erica M 26 Tastevin Magazine August / September 2014
s
Mau
I
I’ve been told by many—trainers and civilians alike—that my puppy, Teddy Rex, is very smart. Truth be told, he’s my first pup, so I really have no clue if that’s the truth. Telling someone that her puppy is smart isn’t obligatory by any means—unlike the compulsory, high-pitched “Aww” after being shown a photo of anyone’s pet (or baby, etc.). This makes me think Teddy is actually of above average intelligence. That is, until we actually train together. My “smart” dog’s behavior often leaves me befuddled after attempting to teach him a trick or two. So, is he really that smart? I don’t know, I’m no expert in dog psychology. The process just isn’t as simple as the Dog Whisperer makes it seem in his hour-long segment. Patience aside, I think I might be missing something. There are typically five stages in the process, not so far off from the five stages of loss and grief. As in, I am grieving over the aggravation of training my puppy. I mean, why can’t you just speak English, dawg?
where I consider investing in a robot dog with an American-English language feature. To introduce the trick, I’ve used several tactics. First, if the trick is a state Teddy may be in already (like sit or down), then I’ll label it when he does it on his own. “Good down, Teddy!” when he’s resting. Second, force tactics. From a sitting position, I will pull his front legs out so he lies on the ground, after saying “down” and using the hand signal. Praise, of course, follows. Paw-ty in the house! (See what I did there?) The only problem is that Teddy often does not want to just let you pull out his legs from under him (who would?). This usually ends in either, “What a fun game! Now I will bite you!” or, “What
Stage 1: I didn’t sign up for doggy sign language! What am I going to teach Teddy? What word will represent this action? What hand signal will accompany the word? Why do I have to come up with all of these things just to teach a dog a trick? You’d be surprised how fast you run out of hand signals…ones that won’t offend anyone in public, anyway. One of the first things I’ve attempted to teach Teddy is to lie down. The winning word was “down,” and I put my flat hand, palm down, on the floor. This step gets harder as you try to add more complicated tricks. Again, I’m running out of appropriate hand signals.
Stage 2: Why can’t you read my mind?
You can’t just tell ‘ole Teddy Ruxpin that “’down’ means lie with your stomach and paws on the ground,” now can you? This is the point
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the [chew toy], man, you can’t just touch my legs like Stage 5: Psych. that! Now I will bite you!” Okay, so maybe there’s only one outcome. The next day, I try to show off Teddy’s new skills to my boyfriend. “Teddy, down!” I say, in the Stage 3: You should really get this by now… same tone, with the same hand gesture. “PSYCH!” he barks to me, as he proceeds to run around the At this point, I try to get Teddy to do the trick room like a rabid animal, “I dunno what you’re talkon his own, with no force tactics involved. Here’s where ing about! That word means nothing to me!” Serithe befuddlement comes in. Teddy loves praise—and ously though, can you tell me if this is normal? treats—so you’d think he’d just want to copy what he Perhaps the genius of Teddy Rex is that he was doing over and over to keep getting praise and so cleverly knows how to make me look dumb. Postreats. But he just stares, blankly, and does a different sibly, he’s so smart that he understands when not trick that he already knows. “Teddy, down!” [Sticks out obeying will most frustrate me. Possibly, it’s as pay his paw to shake.] “Teddy, down!” [Jumps up to play.] back for leaving him home while I’m at work all Like…what are you doing, boy? I don’t even know. day. Maybe the Tedster is such a bright canine that he’s playing the games with me, not the other way Stage 4: We’ve reached faux-success. around. Perhaps, possibly, maybe. A few days later the faux-success stage usu- But then again, I could just have a dumb ally occurs, where Teddy will do the trick correctly on pup. So, back to stage 1. command several times in a row. “Yes!” I think, “I’ve successfully taught my dog a new trick!” Fists pumping the air triumphantly, I rationalize that it must simply take a few days for the knowledge and repetition to soak in. “I have a smart dog!” I tell myself. “Teddy learned a new trick!” I text my boyfriend. Excitement ensues. Teddy gets treats.
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good eats Sweet & Simple
by Maria Eubanks
For the days when you have a taste for something cute and sweet, Mini Apple Pies go perfectly with lunch or when you are looking to serve individual pies at a dinner. The great thing about these pies is that they give you the freedom to do a variety of flavors in a single baking session. In addition to the sweet apple pie recipe, we’ve provided you with a simple tomato, basil, and mozzarella wrap recipe to complement it. These recipes will leave you wanting to make pie and wraps for yourself and all of your friends!
Mini Apple Pies (makes 6 mini pies)
Pie Crust
Filling
1 ½ teaspoons sugar ½ teaspoon salt 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 ½ teaspoons vinegar 1 egg (for brushing crust) Kosher salt
1 ¾ pounds apples chopped into pieces the size of dimes 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour ½ cup sugar ¼ teaspoon cinnamon ⅛ teaspoon salt ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg ⅛ teaspoon allspice 1 ½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice ½ teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions
1. Combine water, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl and stir until dissolved then transfer mixture to freezer. 2. Mix the flour and cubes together until they resemble a coarse meal. (Hands work best for mixing this) 3. Combine liquid and flour mixtures until the dough just comes together and let it chill for at least one hour in the fridge. 4. Roll out the dough out the dough to about ⅛”thickness and use a bowl or cutter that is about 4” in diameter to cut six circles. 5. Carefully transfer cut circle to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and chill for 30 minutes. (You can use the scraps to slice thin
strips for lattice tops). 6. Grease the muffin with butter and then fit the circles into a cupcake or muffin tin. Place in the refrigerator to chill while you make your filling. 7. Preheat oven to 350°F and sprinkle the lemon juice over the apple slices to prevent browning. 9. Mix the flour, sugar, and spices together and add to the apple slices. Then add the lemon zest and butter, and mix. 10. Add the apple mixture to a baking dish, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for approximately ten minutes until the apples are barely fork tender. Place in the refrigerator or chill 11. Fill all the the crusts all the way to the top with the apple filling. Then weave the strips of lattice 31
horizontally and vertically across the tops of each pie. 12. Brush all exposed crust with egg wash and sprinkle liberally with coarse sugar. At this point, if the pastry has gotten a bit warm, place directly into the freezer for 5-10 minutes. 13. Bake pies for 25-30 minutes and removed when the tops have browned 14. Remove the mini pies from the oven, allow
them to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then use a sharp knife to go around the edge of the pies and loosen them. 15. Enjoy! Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if your sweet tooth calls for it. Secret tip: To make this sweet recipe simple, purchase pre-made pie crust and filling that you can just season to your liking or leave as is. Your prep time will be cut in half!
Tomato, Mozzarella & Fresh Basil Wraps (makes 4 wraps)
Ingredients
Cooking Instructions
½ cup non-fat, whipped cream cheese (hummus can also be used instead) 2 tablespoons finely chopped, sweet onion or garlic ½ cup of freshly chopped basil leaves 4 large flour tortillas 8 slices mozzarella cheese 2 cups of shredded 8 thin slices of a large tomato salt and pepper to taste
1. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, onions, and basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. 2. Lay the tortillas out and spread 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture on each of them. 3.Place two slices of mozzarella on each tortilla and spread the remaining cream cheese mixture on top of the mozzarella. 4. Place two slices of tomato on each wrap. Divide the shredded lettuce among the tortillas and tightly roll each tortilla into a cylinder, ending with the seam side down. 3. Cut the wraps in half on the diagonal or into 3 or 4 slices for circular pieces and serve!
Special add-ons: This wrap is also great with any sliced meat or your choice or avocado!
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FITNESS + FASHI
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ION + FUNCTION
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Perspective on the Return Home by Jenna Anderson 38 Tastevin Magazine August / September 2014
PORBITAL/FREEDIGITALPHOTOS.NET
Objects in Mirror Are Closer Than They Appear
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ast month I left the cozy confines of Scotland to travel back in time. It was a perilous journey. I had to withstand the squealing of small children and a meager selection of films as I careened through space from 30,000 feet above the sea. The journey lasted roughly fourteen hours. Near the middle, I celebrated the first half of my vast achievement with shoestring fries and ranch dressing in New Jersey. If coming home had a taste, I think Ruby’s Diner at Newark Liberty Airport would win first prize. It’s a predicament many people face at one time or another: returning to a place from your past. It’s a risk. You ask yourself questions like, “Do I remember street names?” and “Will I sound funny to other people?” and “Will I fall into the same old patterns, even (and especially) the ones I don’t like?” You hope that you remember how to be yourself. You hope you know what that even means. You fear that you may come and go and no one will care anymore because they are used to you leaving by now. And somewhere beneath the hopes and fears that somewhat resemble those I have just described, you desire comfort and recognition and all these things that a place can’t give you, as much as you wish it would. People tried to warn me, and I even tried to warn myself before returning to Southern California for these two weeks. I said things like, “Don’t be surprised if people change,” or “Don’t expect everything to be how you left it.” Despite my provisions and hesitancies, I found myself surprised… only in this instance, by how little had changed since I left almost two years ago. Yes, friends got married. Some people had moved far away to make lives for themselves in the Grand Elsewhere. Some people’s hearts are broken that were full of life when I left them, and some people’s hearts have mended with time. Some dear friends have even grown up, the most dramatic change of all. But in terms of the cities that I used to call home, nothing has changed really. There are new restaurants. Construction takes place in new areas
and traffic happens at different times than I thought it did. That’s about it. Life has gone on as much as it always does for everyone else… and I have spent much of the past two years living life separate from my closest friends and family members. Maybe I’ve changed so much that the rest of my old world in Los Angeles appears the same when it is really just far away and blurry now. I was worried when I left that Southern California would outgrow me… but perhaps the truth is that it’s the other way around? Maybe it has always been the other way around. Like most things in my life, I can’t be sure. Maybe you simply endeavor to find a place of your own and that becomes hope to you. In the great stories of humankind, we see that the journey away is always preparing for the journey home. A similar lesson for me is learning that adventure is more about discovering people than places. And I think that’s what I learned on my perilous journey home. Los Angeles isn’t home because it has the Hollywood sign or because that’s where I spent four years of college. It’s home because that is where I am known by wonderful people. And I can search for new experiences and meet new faces and find out things I never knew, but home is where my people are. And home is where the heart is.
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Wedding season is ending. What to do with those half dozen bridesmaids dresses? Caroline A. Wong turned to Truly Zac Posen at David’s Bridal for inspiration. Photos by Breana Powell
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merican designer Zac Posen is an enigmatic persona to be sure. Yes, he’s allowed us more intimate glimpses of his personality as a judge on Project Runway, but what do we really know about Posen? We know he has a reputation for being “famously well-connected”— to the point that some has questioned whether his launch to fame was due to talent or networking—and that Ashley Olsen interned with him the year before her line with sister Mary-Kate, The Row, first appered in Vogue. We know that his fan base includes such notables as Beyonce, Natalie Portman, Rihanna, and Amanda Seyfried and that his gowns are red carpet regulars. And we also know that he’s not above collaborations. He worked with Target in 2008 and, just this February, joined the ranks Vera Wang as a designer collaborator for David’s Bridal.
Tank top, Jonathan Adler for Uniqlo, $20. Knit shrug, ILY Couture, $50. Shorts, American Eagle, $40. Jammie motorcycle boot, Harley Davidson, $120. Fedora, Forever 21, $20. Purse, London Fog, $150. Gold tone ID 41 bracelet, Tastevin Magazine / September 2014 Ettika, $70. Rings,August editor’s own.
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Worn throughout: Embellished lace dress, Truly Zac Posen by Zac Posen for David’s Bridal, $195. Blouse with cropped sleeve, Zara, $40. Cat-eye sunglasses, Betsey Johnson, $60. Gold-plated bar necklace, Belcho USA, $50. Rings, editor’s own.
One of the reasons I was excited to pull looks from the Truly Zac Posen line is that I am a total Coco Rocha fan and the lithe model showcased Posen’s gowns on the cover of Brides when the line first launched. Rocha wore one of the mermaid-shape pieces, and she wore it well. Posen has since released new bridal looks for the line, but what of the bridesmaids’ dresses in the collection? I decided to explore. While Posen’s bridal collection for David’s Bridal ranges anywhere north of $1250, his bridesmaids’ dresses are decidedly more flexible for formal occasions in the $200 range. The pieces are well made—I’d say more so than the White by Vera Wang bridesmaids’ dresses at David’s Bridal—but do run on the smaller side so if you’re concerned, order one size up and tailor if necessary. The exceptional point of Posen’s designs is that they are not strictly bridal, and the shorter dresses would work perfectly for a special dinner out on the town or for seeing a show. Thanks, Posen! Whether or not your bride selected Posen for her nuptials, you undoubtedly still have your bridesmaids’ and/or guest dresses from the never-ending cycle of weddings this past summer. They don’t have to go to waste a la Katherine Heigl in 27 Dresses—I promise! Here’s one of my tips for taking your formal dresses beyond wedding season: the crop top. Short, boxy tees are so in right now, as I’m sure you’re well aware. Women are wearing them everywhere and in a multitude of ways, from pairings with cutoffs for brunch to matching crop/skirt ensembles at the office. The secret is to keep the top loose and to go with a highwaisted bottom or slip it on over a dress like I did with the Posen dress here. With a dress under the crop top, no skin shows so the look is still appropriate for more conservative work environments. Switch out different cropped tees and you’ll get many more miles out of that bridesmaids’ dress, especially with a versatile piece like Posen’s!
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Share Your Where Edinburgh
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By Amanda Chi
t may have been 17 years since Harry Potter was first published, but I still firmly believe that I should’ve gotten my letter from Hogwarts. Or at least have had the chance to be in the movies as Cho Chang, the only Asian character in the series. Now that I’m 23, anything related to that magical world is a nostalgic reminder of my childhood. Waiting for each book to come out filled me with a sense of excitement. When the books and the movies finished, it was a melancholy feeling, as my childhood seemingly ended. But with every online Harry Potter quiz, every Harry Potter related Buzzfeed article, and the increasing possibility of visiting Harry Potter World, I know that the child in me lives on. So when I recently visited Edinburgh, I remembered that it was actually the birthplace of Harry Potter! While J.K. Rowling was in dire straits and unemployed, she lived in this popular Scottish city, known famously for its castle, which was previously occupied by the infamous Mary, Queen of Scots. My friend and I quickly set about wandering
With every online Harry Potter quiz, every Harry Potter Buzzfeed article, and the increasing possibility of visiting Harry Potter World, I know that the child in me lives on.
these locations to see what inspired the author. While the “magic” wasn’t exactly replicated like Harry Potter World in Florida or the pricey studio tour in London, the entire Old Town of Edinburgh had its own mystical feeling. Many of its famous historical monuments, even its small local streets, inspired the settings of the books. As J.K. Rowling sat in the Elephant House on George IV Bridge, a café that often boasts itself as the birthplace of Harry Potter, she was able to overlook the
Edinburgh Castle, drink a cup of tea, and write her stories. High atop the rest of the city, the castle’s landscape is similar to Hogwarts, but its fortress not as tall. Looking upwards from Princes Street, you can’t help but stare and compare the imaginary with the inspiration if you’re a Harry Potter fan like me. Wandering the roads of Edinburgh, you might come across Victoria Street. Its narrow, vertical brick buildings located on the winding street inspired the look and feel of Diagon Alley. The highlight of our meanderings was our visit to “Voldemort’s grave.” Located close to the Elephant House is an old cemetery called Greyfriars Kirkyard that hosts Scottish poets, literary figures, and old Scottish families. Many of the names found in the series actually came from those very headstones and grave markers! While I did not have time to wander the entirety of the cemetery, I was able to spot a Black, however common that may be, a McGonagall, a Moodie, and a Scrimgeour. Finally we stopped at a huge plaque dedicated to the memory of Thomas Riddell. Hopefully without taking offense to the real Riddell
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family, the gentleman’s name lives on in the Harry Potter series, but the grave has existed since 1806. For those of you who have not yet read Harry Potter, [spoiler] Tom Riddle is the birth name of Lord Voldemort. Looking at the ground, you can tell that the grave has been frequented by tourists, some of who have even left flowers. While the cemetery may have inspired names, George Heriot’s School, a private Scottish school located right next to the cemetery, actually inspired the houses
of Hogwarts. Though it is a day school rather than a boarding school, students are separated into houses. The names of the houses are named after places in Scotland, but the colors are similar to that of Hogwarts: Lauriston as green, Greyfriars as white, Raeburn as red, and Castle as blue. After J.K. Rowling published her books, she sent her second daughter to the renowned school. It may have been a coincidence, but her daughter was sorted into Raeburn (aka Gryffindor)! After visiting other localities that have now been made famous by J.K. Rowling, it’s easy to feel how magical Edinburgh can be. Even without knowing Edinburgh’s influence on Harry Potter, you can still appreciate the beauty of the city. Luckily enough, I visited when the weather was gorgeous and sunny. As my host was kind enough to point out, this was not the norm, as Scotland
is typically known for its gray and overcast weather. While picking up my ritual postcard from each city I visit, I found one with a view of Edinburgh Castle shrouded in fog. It easily reminded me of the scene where Hogwarts comes into view as the first year students set eyes upon their future school. So whether you or not you love Harry Potter, Edinburgh is still an amazing place to visit. But if you’re like me and love all things magical, the city is just for you.
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Share Your Wear ashlyn’d
By Breana Powell
First thing’s first: “The fashion industry can be brutal.” This is how Ashlee Nik, Chief Executive Officer of fashion brand ashlyn’d, begins her advice to any aspiring fashion entrepreneur. She continues: “Do not let anyone bring you down. If you have an idea that you think is a strong one, go for it, and do not give up. Work harder than you think you need to and more than you ever have before and it will pay off.” In a sea of sameness, of copycats and tired themes, this advice is critical. As brutal as the fashion industry can be, it certainly demands people who go for it despite the critics and naysayers. And that’s exactly what Nik and her team did. Ashlyn’d was founded by Ashlee Nik, Denise Lewinstein, and Victoria Kochamba. (The playful brand name is a fusion of the names of the founders: Ashl is for Ashlee, lyn is Victoria’s middle name, and the D is for Denise.) All hailing from fashion backgrounds, the ladies felt that the industry was missing unique and affordable clutches and evening bags. Nik explains, “The inspiration behind the brand has truly been the idea of creating clutches that are entirely unexpected. Using acrylics that look like marbles, shells, and woods with custom exotic finishes have allowed us to achieve this look.” Other styles of clutches are inspired by the designs of snow globes—filled with various items for an awesome effect. “I think that the difference between an ashlyn’d clutch and another brand is that ashlyn’d bags are all truly conversation pieces. From the movement of the 53
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bags that are filled with sand and pearls to the quirkiness of styles made of real chalkboard that you can write on, ashlyn’d clutches distinguish themselves by being truly unexpected but still wearable,” says Nik. Affordability in order to be attainable to the average customer was another goal. And most importantly, delivering quality was a crucial part of the brand’s DNA. Nik states, “I always had a fond appreciation for quality goods that were handcrafted as opposed to having a machine-made assembly line produce the bags. In an attempt to help bring manufacturing back to the United States and maintain quality control, the ashlyn’d team chose to work with Los Angeles-based artists to construct our clutches.” Although this manufacturing choice has proven to be a struggle for maintaining affordable price points, this is something that ashlyn’d team is admirably committed to and invested in. Nik elaborates: “I think it’s really sad that most products are now made overseas and are predominantly machine made. I love the story behind the artist who spent hours creating a product that we can all truly be proud of and appreciate its beauty.” And beauty is what the brand delivers. With hopes of the online shop launching by the end of 2014, the brand invites fashion lovers to visit the site and fill out the order form. (“We are happy to try and fill your order,” says Nik.”) So what’s next for the brand? Nik shares, “This next line we have coming out is definitely my favorite. It has kind of this gothic fairytale vibe to it with a lot of regal accents and new developments like straps, etc.” The buzz on ashlyn’d is growing steadily. With such refreshing designs, it’s easy to see why. The CEO dishes on the support the brand has received thus far: “I am elated with all of the support and positive feedback we have received from not only retailers but also consumers, stylists, celebrities, and even friends! I think the industry saw the niche we were hoping to fill and it has been a fantastic journey!” Learn more about ashlyn’d at www.ashlynd.com!
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Designed in NYC see the collection at berryjewelry.com
The Real Jeannie Mai If you haven’t heard of Jeannie Mai, then READ UP cause things are about to get Real! Playful and flirty, Mai, 34, sat down with Caroline A. Wong to give Tastevin readers the scoop on her new show—The Real— premiering September 15th, how she got her start, and what it means to make a first impression.
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Tastevin Magazine So you have a show coming out in September. Congratulations! Jeannie Mai Yeah! It’s called The Real. It’s a super fun, urban, girl chat, but it’s a talk show. It’s myself and four other co-hosts [Tamar Braxton, Loni Love, Adrienne Bailon, and Tamera Mowry]. It’s just a huge honor to be part of something like this with such great chicks. We talk about current events, but we also talk about what’s going on in our lives. We pretty much are just chillin’, hanging out together. It’s almost like being with your girlfriends without the drinks—just cause we’re on TV! We talk about everything from marriage, sex, vajacials, great sex positions, what’s going on in the news today, how we really feel about pop culture. It’s cool. TM So how does your show differ from shows like The View? JM Honestly, it’s just five reasons: me, Tamar, Adrienne, Loni, and Tamera. That’s completely it. We don’t even bother comparing ourselves to other people, and I love that because I grew up being so focused on what I do. I learned that if you ever are running a race or a relay and you’re concentrating on, like, that other person behind you, you actually [lose] your focus and your speed because you’re concentrating on other elements. Like, I have no shade on The View. I watch it too. I really relate [to] it. But the women are in a different place in their lives, and I’m excited to have something where other women my age can relate to what we’re talking about. TM You’ve been on other shows on big networks like E!, Lifetime, TLC…You seem like you have a lot under your belt. How would you say you’ve come to the place where you are now? JM Well, I grew up in the Bay Area. I’m from San Jose, California, and my upbringing was very instrumental to who I am today. I grew up in a three-bedroom home with fifteen family members. My mom and dad immigrated here from Vietnam two years before I was born. As soon as we were financially
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sufficient, we sponsored the rest of the family that couldn’t escape by boat [from] Vietnam. That right there was like the story of my life. The fact that the only reason why I live here in the states and eat as much food as I need, have the education I wanted, and could dream big was because my parents made that escape. So when you have that mentality, anything can happen. TM What’s your family’s take on your success? JM So let’s be very clear. Obviously, I’m Asian. I’m not going to paint you a picture of [how] Asian people are going to want you to do anything less than be a lawyer or doctor. I’m not going to be a doctor or lawyer! I just could not see myself going the path that my parents wanted, so there was a moment where I had to break away from the family because they were so on me for chasing a career that doesn’t have a proven path. But I didn’t shut them out. All I did was give them the pros of what was happening. Today, now that they’re seeing that I’m able to pay off their house, buy them cars…you know, for my family at least, it’s not about money. It’s about stability. That’s what motivates me to take my money and make good choices, and because my parents know that, they’re cool with what I’m doing. TM How else has your family influenced your career? JM My mom told me to have a voice of empowerment through the way that I look. I learned from a very young age that people take [fewer] than eight seconds to judge who you are just by looking at you. We weren’t rich, we weren’t loaded, we weren’t famous— but we had a lot of swag. It was almost as if, “Dress like you need no introduction.” I didn’t really struggle with confidence growing up. I mean, I had my struggles with it, but I knew how to fight it immediately. The second, like, I woke up in the morning and I was anxious about a date or, you know, a first job, I knew how to dress to kind of armor myself and to go out and take it on and conquer it.
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All clothing courtesy of Wear Me Out. Sports bra in Cockatoo, $35. Cinchback capris in Black/Cockatoo, $60. Tank in Lavender, $30. Cinch-back capris in Turbulence/Lavender, $60.
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TM
And you translated that confidence into your first jobs? JM I started up setting up these classes teaching self-confidence because I knew how to do makeup and styling. So it would start with, like, a group of five—my girlfriends— and moved on to ten. It was neighbors and baby sitters; people would talk to each other. It would go up to, like, thirty or fifty. And that was where I started to realize I needed a voice to kind of, like, deliver how important confidence is [communicated] through the way that you look. So I started to pitch myself to different media outlets. I wanted to tell women how to dress for success and all these different things. [During] that time of pitching myself, the founder of M.A.C. Cosmetics Frank Toskan, he kind of met me on an airplane. And he saw, I guess, something about me and he offered me a training job at M.A.C. Cosmetics. I [have] never stopped working since. TM What is the biggest piece of advice for someone looking to follow in your footsteps? JM I would say it’s three things. Number one: Passion. Whatever it is you decide to do, it has to be something you crave and yearn for so badly that even if you were placed in the most horrible conditions or you were never paid a penny in years getting there that you wouldn’t mind it because you love doing it so much. I like making women feel good and have them look in the mirror and recognize that they’re worthy. So I can style body after body for five, ten years, and if I don’t make money off of it, at least I feel fulfilled. I can be smarter about making money off of it, but you know what I mean. Passion has to be something you literally do not mind working day in, day out to do because you just love it. TM And number two? JM Dress for success. You dress like you need no introduction. Always. Whether it’s workout clothes or a job interview, you’ve got to stand out. And it’s got to represent your style, not the trend. You don’t want to look like the mannequin in the store. You
don’t want to look like what’s up there on the runway. You’ve got to look like the very best version of you. And number three is, I would have to say, relationships. It is so important to make people feel good and valuable for helping you along the way, recognizing people, thanking them—an attitude of gratitude. Expect nothing; appreciate everything. I have that mentality today, and it’s helped me so much in getting where I am. At the end of the day, the relationships are what lasts—not the opportunity, not that job offer, not that one moment in time when the door was closed on you. How you treat that person is going to follow you because this industry is really small. TM Have you found that race has played a part in helping you move forward—or not move forward—in your career? JM Yes! Does a heel make a skirt look better? Yes! The answer is yes all the way, of course. Well, it’s changed a lot today. It’s people like Julie [Chen], Lisa Ling, people like myself, all of the notable amazing women, whether they’re in media, movies, blogs. I mean, gosh, the blogosphere—my girls are tearin’ it up. However, when I first started, totally it was different. I remember walking into so many different auditions, and it was a lot of white faces. But I never felt it was a hard thing. I always saw it like, “I’m exotic!” And I rocked it. I have a very optimistic perspective so it was not a problem to me. Being Asian is who I am, but does it define me? No. I think upbringing defines me, my family, my style, my swag— it’s all that. It’s not my color that defines who I am. TM From where you’ve started you’ve come a long way, and now you’re super busy! How do you work fitness into your busy schedule? JM I sometimes can only have five or thirty minutes. I don’t have eleven hours. I’m digging workout apps. I’m into CrossFit, WOD— Workout of the Day—this one app called Skimble on my phone. It’s sick. You put in however many minutes you have; it can even be six minutes. You say if you want moderate 67
or, like, intense. You put in the body part and boom. You’re on the floor. You’re sweating like crazy. You’re planking with your legs on the wall. You get it in there and you maximize that time however you can. The second app that I’m playing while I’m doing my workout is OverDrive. I’m obsessed with OverDrive. It’s basically an app to connect you with all the public libraries in the US. And I put the books that I’m listening to on audio, so instead of listening to music, I’ll listen to a lot of the books I’m reading. I’ll just put that on as I’m doing my six to thirty minutes of workout. TM So you’re keeping busy. You’re working out. What’s next? JM The Real is going to take up a huge chunk of my life because we are shooting 180 episodes for the next nine months, so the only other thing I can equate to a nine-month term is having a baby. I feel like this is going to be coddling and growing and nurturing this baby. That’s number one. Number two is that I have a really exciting project that’s coming up that’s going to allow me to connect more with my fans on Facebook, Instagram, and it’s going to be through the power of fashion. Just continue following me on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook—I’ll be able to connect you. I also have a really cool opportunity coming up with Colgate and Walmart. We, nationwide, searched for a person most deserving of a makeover and a reason to smile. We found this really cute woman who’s kind of rediscovering herself. So I’m going to take her to a local Walmart and do a whole fantastic makeover, pamper her for a day. Things like that really excite me. Follow Mai on Twitter @jeanniemai and Instagram @thejeanniemai to get Real!
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SOMETHING SWEET
Something Sweet
Be More Heroic is a pro-compassion movement dedicated to energizing communities toward positive and courageous action. Tk In October of 2011, seven independent artists and activists decided to make it their mission to create a more compassionate world, one free of injustice. After traveling the country with their two-part School Tour program, they decided to step it up. In July of 2014—alongside allies at the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding—Be More Heroic hosted Camp More, a weeklong camp geared toward empowering youth and evoking positive change, and created a documentary to spread the word even further. The film follows these everyday people as they use their gifts and personal stories to inspire and mentor a group of seventeen diverse teenagers from across the country. Be More Heroic is the story of how one passionate idea caught fire and became a movement.
COURTESY OF BE MORE HEROIC
Be more heroic. Be more involved. Join the movement at www.bemoreheroic.org
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