Halfstack Magazine by Halfstack Magazine

THE magazine

HALFSTACK

ROCK VOTE

Who is

Archer Townsend?

CHICAGO’S

JOEY VILLAGOMEZ Meet

Spruce Up Your

ENTREPRENEUR SPOTLIGHT - JESS LC

LIGHTS ALIVE

Nails

With

LVX Halfstackmag.com 1

interview with 12 branka tomic

table of contents

every issue

local heroes

products for him & her

dreaming through the deluge

perform the perfect shave

save a life with lolc

the culture spotlight

top 10 cars of 2012

editors note

fall makeup looks

meet the team

retrospect mad libs

contributors

08 music musts

local acts

joey da clown

Halfstackmag.com

retrospect

fall concerts

continued on next page

features

rock the vote

interview with lights alive interview w/ concetta cipriano

the wild one archer townsend

fashion

ask a stylista

wtf style lowdown

sex & health

42 health & fitness the hard truth

the dl on crossfit

Halfstackmag.com 3

Hey readers! Wow, it’s crazy how time flies. We are into issue 3 and only have 1 more before Halfstack turns a year. Fall is always a time for transition for many of us out there. For me, it’s almost a time of renewal. The summer is ending and with that comes the closing of many memorable days and moments. It’s a bit bittersweet as this summer has been one of the best ones in quite a while for me.

THE FOUNDERS OF HALFSTACK MAGAZINE LEFT TO RIGHT: KATE - JENNIFER - MARIANA

Editor’s Letter FALL ISSUE 2012

Halfstackmag.com

As we transition into fall – My eyes are opened to the transitions that are happening in the world around us as well as within the relationships we are building. This issue definitely marks the transition of myself, Mariana and Kate into full fledged business owners. We’ve seen some difficulties in our transitions, but we’ve fought through it. Running a business with friends can be hard, but in the end love conquers all, right? As a business, we firmly believe in this ideal – especially as our business is our passion and love. We know that our love of what we do – will continue to push us in the right directions as we attempt to grow this little indie zine into something amazing. The most wonderful thing about that is that we are continuing to focus on those just like us – up and coming brands, designers, artists – all who are in it for more than just the notoriety, but for the passion of it. Yes, they are hustling to make sure they can pay their bills on time, but that adds to their passion. It’s almost as if their drive pushes them to greater heights in their creativity. Brands like LVX, musicians like RETROSPECT & LIGHTS ALIVE and young designers like Concetta Cipriano and Archer Townsend show all of us that drive is what pushes them to create beyond what is expected of them. Even small non-profits such as Have Dreams – who have faced so much turmoil this year – continue to prosper through their creativity and the love of the community around them.

There are also so many transitions happening in the world around us. This issue launches just a few weeks before one of the most major occurrences in the free world. The presidential election this year is on Tuesday November 6, 2012. Whatever side you land on – we genuinely suggest you do your research, know the causes and each candidates positions on issues that directly effect you AND VOTE. We were lucky enough to have talented writer – Cody Golub – give us an indepth & snarky overview of each candidate to help better prepare you for the decisions you will make at the polls this year. We are so proud of this recent issue and the beauty it brings with it. We hope it inspires you & gets you ready for the colder days of fall. This issue also brings on our first interns in the Art Department! We want to send out a special thanks to Erin Murray and Kate Besenjak for their mad graphic skills in this issue as they helped bring beauty to the pages you are reading! We are also excited about some of the new contributors on board – check out our newest writers & copy editors in our extended family section. Stay class Chi-city!

jenny Lezan Editor-in-Chief & Co-Founder

Halfstackmag.com 5

jennifer lezan eic @ chicLezan

kate roth art director @ kateroth1031

mariana quaranta fashion director @ missjacob40

jason m c aloon creative director @ jasonmcaloon

Halfstackmag.com

founders

jennifer lezan

editor-in-chief

mariana quaranta kate roth

fashion director

art director

writers

justin wilhoit daniel pulak

stella estrella jerome thomas

jennifer pontrelli

teresa espinoza

krysta hill

justin wilhoit

andrei pagsishan

amy struckmeyer

jen bartels

Cody golub

copy editor

anna garner

sophia sanchez

creative director

jason m c aloon

graphic designers

heather blazek

sarah gaynor

erin murray

kate besenjak

Halfstackmag.com 7

SOPHIA SANCHEZ Wordsmith with the Latin flavor.

STELLA ESTRELLA Beauty queen, mommy, fashionista & blogger.

JEROME THOMAS Music lover & Proud Daddy!

DANIELLE PULAK Beauty know it all, fashion diva to the max.

JUSTIN WILHOIT Nutiritionist, trainer & Health Nut!

AMY STRUCKMEYER Fashionista & blogger at large.

JENNIFER PONTRELLI

ANDREI PAGSISIHAN

Lover of the written word! Daddy, writer, owner of

Bass or Boost Car Services.

JENNIFER BARTELS

EXTENDED FAMILY 8

Halfstackmag.com

TERESA ESPINOZA

Daddy, writer, owner of Chi-town fashionista Bass or Boost Car Services. & style maven

KRYSTA HILL

Small town girl with big city dreams - East Coast Contributor.

political thoughts

ROCK

the

VOTE

WRITTEN BY: CODY GOLUB LAYOUT BY: JENNIFER LEZAN

Ah, it is that special time again. You, being ever civic-minded, decide to enthusiastically jump into the political carnival that is the 2012 election. But who is your guy? (Yes, they’re all men) Assuming you have a little interest in politics, here is a roadmap to the election. I suppose with only two major political parties and a few meagerly represented independents the choice really is not all that difficult. Let us meet the candidates. On the Democrat side of the ledger, we have the current President of the United States Barack Obama running with Joseph Biden as the VP. For the Republicans, it’s the ex-Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney for President, along with a Wisconsin Senator Paul Ryan for VP. Outlining policy can be a long and complex undertaking, unless the person you are talking to is a hack. Which, clearly I am. So here is an absurdly brief summary of each party’s platform. For the Democrats, as viewed through the eyes of a Democratic Party operative: Improving the economy via targeted investment into the ‘Green Jobs” sector; achieving energy independence through investments into the zero-emission sources such as wind and solar energy; putting additional regulations into place in the financial markets; slash budget costs via implementing Afford Healthcare Act; and generate additional taxable revenue from taxation of the wealthy.

Halfstackmag.com

For the Republicans, as viewed through the eyes of a Republican Party operative: Decreasing government regulations on business in order to encourage growth thus stimulating the job market; achieving greater energy independence through increased domestic oil exploration as well as clean coal technology; slashing budget costs by repealing the Affordable Healthcare Act, along with a number of other government programs, and generate additional tax revenue by stimulating the job market. See? That was easy. But to be perfectly equitable let’s try this in reverse: For the Democrats, as viewed through the eyes of a Republican Party operative: Four years of dismal growth numbers; widespread unemployment hovering over 8% despite the multi-trillion dollar rescue; investing billions of dollars into the lowest efficiency energy technologies; throttling an already struggling job market with needless and expensive regulations resulting in even more anemic employment numbers; passing the biggest and most expensive Federal entitlement program since Medicare during the worst economic crisis since Great Depression; increasing taxes on the high earners leading to stunted growth, since a lot of these people own their own businesses.

For the Republicans, as viewed through the eyes of a Democratic Party operative: Four years of obstructionist policies that resulted in a largely ineffective House of Representatives which put party interests before those of America; inability to move away from fossil fuels – locking us into some degree of foreign dependence and contributing to further ecological damage; pandering to the same corporate entities which directly lead to the devastating economic implosion of 2009-2010; trying to cut entitlement programs which target the most vulnerable segments of the population at the worst possible economic time; looking after their own in protecting the rich from any tax increases; It’s all a matter of perspective, you see.

Halfstackmag.com 9

Joey Da Clown

south side comedian

BRINGS STREET FLAVOR TO

THE WINDY CITY INTERVIEW & LAYOUT BY: JENNIFER M. LEZAN

Joey Villagomez brings some well needed comedic relief to the tough streets of the windy city. He’s a comedian on the rise with big dreams, a heart of gold and a desire to make sure his family is cared for - while still taking a crack at them now and again. He grew up on the South Side of Chicago - an area known for gang activity & drugs, but he didn’t allow himself to become a victim of his circumstances. His surroundings only strengthened his spirit as well as his funny bone. His story shows that hardwork and a good sense of humor can take you far in life. Read on for the interview and make sure to keep your eyes peeled for this up and comer - He’s LA bound and ready to leave his mark.

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1. How did you begin your career in comedy?

I began my career in early 2005. I was 25 years old, father of two and I was at a point in my life where I felt I had to take a chance at something. Whether it be school, learning a trade, getting a better job or trying to do what I’ve wanted to do since I was 18, stand up comedy. I talked about it with my friend Alan at work all the time. I did some research, signed up for a comedy writing class. I met some comedians and found out where the open mics and comedy showcases were at. Four Budweisers and two shots of tequila later, I was on stage telling jokes about how my dad smoked a joint with me on my 14th birthday. I had an awesome set that night, I then hooked up with Mikey O Comedy productions a few months later and it just never stopped!

2. What has been the hardest thing about breaking into the industry in Chicago?

The hardest thing about breaking into the industry in Chicago is that the industry isn’t really here. It is now getting some recognition because of several local comics who are doing really big things like Hannibal Burress who wrote for SNL and 30 Rock and T.J. Miller who starred in several major films but even they had to move to Los Angeles or New York to really work and get on the big networks. Chicago is saturated with great new comedians but there aren’t too many A-list comedy clubs to really break out at. We do have Zanies, The Improv and now the Laugh Factory but those are usually booked with big, national headliners and it’s not easy to get on their new talent showcases. I do think that Chicago is the best city to get started in. There are more than enough open mics and showcases that are produced and booked by local comics. That’s where you go to really test yourself. Some don’t make it out alive! That seems to be the MO here in Chicago since it is so hard to get booked on the big club’s showcases. We do the work ourselves from producing the show, to booking it and promoting it. If you’re funny and you link up with the right people, it really pays off!

3. How has growing up in Chicago affected your career, life and did you face any hardships? If so, how did you overcome them?

I grew up on the south side in the Back of The Yards neighborhood so it was rough but I think growing up in an environment like that and coming out alive with a high school diploma made you a strong person at a young age. It was all up to you from there. We weren’t poor but we weren’t rich. My parents worked everyday and raised us right but at the same time, my brother and I grew up around street gangs and all kinds of criminal activity. I got my girlfriend pregnant at the age of 18 and I still didn’t learn! I can’t lie, smoking blunts and drinking forties at the age of 16-17 is what we did in that neighborhood but that’s where I found my funny bone. I used to have the whole block cracking up and even though I was the skinniest, palest kid on the block, no one wanted to go head to head with me when it came to roasting. I was a beast! I guess having a sense of humor and always finding the bright side of things is how overcame them.

4. What are some of the funniest encounters you have had with fan? There are so many I don’t know where to begin. Most of the time it’s with someone who is drunk out of their minds. Once after a show, some drunk guy comes up to me at the bar and tells me how funny I was and congratulates me. I thank him and I introduce him to my friends and my wife. When he met my wife the guy fell in love. That’s where it all began. He bought us all rounds for the next two hours but I had to hear this, “Bro, I’ll take care of your wife! She’s beautiful. You can go off on the road and do what you do and I’ll take care of her. You have nothing to worry about. I’ll pay the bills and everything bro!!” I bought him two shots of tequila and 30 minutes later, the guy was sleeping on the floor on the side of the bar. That’s how I took care of that!

5. In terms of your journey, what are some key steps you have taken to further your comedy career?

I’ve done a lot here in Chicago and in the midwest while working a full time job so it was kind of easy. The journey is about to begin. I’m leaving the family here in Chicago in mid Sept. to find some real work in Los Angeles. My plan is to move the whole family out there by mid 2013. This is the key step that I am about to take. It’s a scary step to take when you have kids that depend on you but if I don’t do this now, I’ll never know where it’ll take me. Let’s talk in a year and see where I’m at. Hopefully not back in Chicago managing a Chuck E. Cheese pizza joint or something!

6. Did you think you would be where you are today when you were growing up? How has being a Latino hindered your progress in your career? What would you tell other young Latinos out there about following your dreams?

To be honest with you, growing up where I did and with the people I chose to hang with, many of us were just happy to get to see the age of 21. I really had no idea where I was going with my life until I started doing stand up comedy at the age of 25. I’ve always worked to make money because I had a kid at 18 but as far as a life time career, I had no clue. I stayed in school and got good grades but at the same time, I was on the street with the wrong people most of the time. I was working for the City of Chicago at 21 which was a great job but it was a regular day job and I wasn’t happy. No one wants to have a regular day job, they suck! I won’t say that being Latino has hindered my progress but it has put me in a box where they only call you when it’s a Latino themed show. You email and bug the hell out these promoters and club owners, you hear nothing for a year then you get this, “Hey, we’re doing a Latino comedy night. We’d love to have ya!” I want to make all walks of life laugh. I’m used to very diverse audiences so my biggest test was when I did a whole week at Crackers Comedy Club in Indianapolis last year. Well, the club is called Crackers for a reason!! I did 7 shows and I think I only saw 4 black people total but didn’t see any Latinos. I do stay true to myself and talk about me being Mexican-American but I had to adjust some of the jokes. I had an awesome week and I really felt like I accomplished something for a Latino comedian

from a big city like Chicago. I feel I’m ready for mainstream audiences now! I would tell young Latinos comedians out there to keep chasing that dream. Latinos are doing big things in the entertainment world. Especially for comedy. I really never thought I’d be doing this but like I said, try it and if you love it, don’t stop! The key is to be happy doing what you do. I’m not making a lot of money now but I love doing this. The payoff can be huge if you put in the work. I say surround yourself with good people, be creative, stay humble and focused and good things will happen. Oh yeah, and pray a lot, praying works!

7. What kind of topics does your act typically cover?

I talk about my own personal struggles. Like having children and married at a very young age and the financial problems we went through. I do talk about growing up Mexican in Chicago and all the struggles that I see my people go through. Sorry, but Mexicanos are the hardest working people in this country whether they’re legal or not. The people that yell, “They need to get the hell outta this country” do not appreciate all the services that Mexicans provide for them in their everyday lives. From the fruit they eat to the fancy dishes that they order at their favorite upscale restaurants, a Mexican probably had something to do with it! I also talk about current events. I like to let the audience know that I’m paying attention. I try to stay observant and creative as much as possible. Also, I have two daughters and one of them just turned a teenager so I have some fresh material coming on that soon!

8. Do you ever face writer’s block? If so, how do you overcome it?

Yes! Writer’s block happens. As a comedian, we put pressure on ourselves to be as unique and as creative as possible. Especially when you go to a local showcase or open mic and you see young comics come up with brilliant stuff. It makes you want to write the cleverest stuff you can possibly think of but the ideas are just not there sometimes. I really don’t know how I overcome it. These crazy ideas will start popping up in my head or I’ll be out with friends drinking and topics just come out of the blue I guess. I watch a lot of television too. I pay a lot for cable so I watch every channel that I possibly can. Even the church channel! There’s lots of material there. That’s why I love my Notes app on my iPhone. It’s filled with crazy stuff. There’s material in there that I haven’t even gotten to yet!

9. Do you have any advice for people who are interested in starting a career in comedy - tips on how to start improv, classes to take, places to experience ?

I tell this to all new comics I talk to. Get on stage as much as possible! Try to host a lot early. Aside from writing, being comfortable and confident on stage is a huge factor. When you audition for clubs, they want to see polished comics, your timing and transitioning is key. Go to a lot of open mics and try to video tape yourself. Watching yourself on stage either killing or bombing helps a lot. That’s how I would edit my material by seeing how it goes over in front of different crowds. And DO NOT hack jokes! That means stealing jokes. That will bury you quick! Facebook and Twitter is making it so easy to find out where the open mics are at. Chicago has a large underground comedy scene so there are plenty of rooms and stages to go to. If you have some extra money to spend, look into writing, improv or small acting classes. There is Second City, Annoyance Theater, Act One studios to name a few.

10. Where can we learn more about you? (Website, social media, etc.)

My website is being constructed now which will be www.joeydaclown.com. For now you can keep up with me on Facebook and Twitter so follow me or like my fan page. You’ll get all of my crazy life updates and upcoming gigs.

check joey out online!

www.facebook.com/JoeyThaClown twitter.com/JoeyDaClown

Halfstackmag.com 11

INTERVIEW WITH LVX

FOUNDER: BRANKA TOMIC INTERVIEW & LAYOUT BY: JENNIFER M LEZAN

Many young men and women have aspirations of following their ambitions and starting a business of their own. It can be a daunting task, but if done right - embarking on the journey of launching one’s own company can be extremely fulfilling. Branka Tomic is a local entreprenuer who brought her dreams into fruition through the launch of her cosmetics line LVX. She’s one smart cookie with business chops and is just getting started. She recently took some time to sit down with Halfstack and share her story along with tips for other young people interested in taking the leap into entreprenuership! 1. Can you tell me a bit about yourself and how you got your start? I was born and raised in Chicago, a city known globally for its entrepreneurial environment. With that being said, as a teenager, I always dreamt about becoming an entrepreneur. Some people, however, may wonder how I had such high aspirations at a young age --I think it all happened that way since I was privileged enough to travel with my family every year back to our home country in Europe. I knew that one day the luxury of leaving the U.S. for weeks or months on end wouldn’t be possible if I were to be tied down to a job. So I found my solution—create a business of my own and be my own boss, which would ultimately allow me to work from anywhere in the world.

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2. What led you to start your own business and has your past experience helped with this endeavor? As I mentioned, my love for travel helped prompt some serious thoughts about launching my own business. I have a background in Fashion—I went to Columbia College in Chicago and studied Fashion Management. I’ve been able to utilize knowledge learned from every course I ever took— from merchandising to entrepreneurship to visual arts. The Fashion program is great at Columbia and if you’re looking to go into Fashion Business, I highly recommend checking out Columbia. I’ll also tell you something, you can only learn so much from school—take full advantage of reading books and speaking with others within your industry if you really want to challenge yourself and expand your knowledge!

3. How did you discover your passion and can you give tips to young people trying to find theirs? I have a passion for Fashion and Beauty and always have. Everyone has a passion (or multiple) in life and sometimes it can be hard to position and focus that passion into something with momentum. There can be a lot of fuzzy and gray areas when it comes to trying to discover doing something that really makes you happy. After college I was listening to a lot of motivational audio CDs as well as reading books in an effort to discover what it was I wanted to do with my passion. (Hint: if you haven’t read the Secret by Rhonda Byrne, go grab a copy!) All I can say is, it’ll come to you like a cliché Hollywood movie light bulb epiphany! 4. What is the best part about your job? The best part of my job is living, breathing and doing Fashion! What I love most about being an entrepreneur is being able to create something for the market that did not exist before. It’s amazing to know that this idea that I had in my head for so long is now touching so many people! People really appreciate the fact that I created a product driven with passion and focus rather then dollar signs being the motive for this drive to success. I do this because I love and believe in it. 5. What is the most difficult part about being an entrepreneur? The most difficult part about being an entrepreneur is dealing with negativity from others and being able to be your own biggest motivator. I say negativity in the sense that others may doubt your potential success and question your motives to move forward with a business idea. If you think of a business idea and you yourself are confident in it, all I can say is run wild with it and don’t let anyone stop you. If you truly believe you will succeed, trust me, you will. 6. What does a day at the office look like for you and your business partner? Our days at the office are never consistent. We’re still in the early phases of the business and there is so much to do and keep up with. Some days consist of researching future color trends for hours on end, while others consist of event planning and marketing. It can be difficult to discipline yourself and be your own boss. I’ve found it’s most effective to make a detailed daily “to-do” list every night or every morning. This helps keep you focused and on track for each day. 7. What was the process like starting your cosmetics business and how did you learn the ins and outs of running a business? It wasn’t easy but it was well worth all of the hard work that went into creating the brand. I first came up with the preliminary concepts for a cosmetics business over a year ago. From the first day I received that epiphany of launching a nail polish line, I did not stop researching, learning, and working toward the launch for a year straight. I am grateful that I have my brother as a mentor (who is also now my business partner for LVX). He has been running his own business for about 3 years now and was able to guide me throughout the entire process. Everyday I learn something new and everyday I learn on how to improve the brand more and more. Starting your own business and learning the ins and outs consists of trial and error and never giving up. 8. Can you highlight a bit about your brand and who the customer is that you create for? LVX, meaning light in Latin, fuses emerging runway trends with timeless color palettes. I wanted to create a deeply devoted nail polish line that brought customers the feeling of luxury and opulence all while evoking personal style. Our philosophy is shaped around analyzing the

latest fashions and trends from renowned designers to determine the top shades that define each season. Our colors are carefully selected to be not only the season’s top colors but to also exude a timeless essence. We created the brand for fashion conscious consumers, who want only the best product. 9. What is your creative process like when it comes to creating your product? I am very meticulous in choosing the colors that define each season and each collection. When creating a seasonal collection, the process consists of watching runway shows, reviewing thousands of collections (roughly 20,000 images of fashion designs!) from all designers and reading fashion and color reports. I find inspiration in everything— home décor, cars, music, film, art. But in the end it all boils down to defining the color trends as they are presented on the runway and in Fashion. Naming the colors, well that’s a whole other world of immense research and creativity. 10. What advice do you have for budding entrepreneurs out there? Fellow entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs: never expect success unless there is passion behind your ideas and goals! Never let money and status become reasoning for creating a business. Utilize the Law of Attraction throughout your creative process and keep in mind that focusing on positive thoughts will bring you positive results. Set high goals for yourself and don’t stop until you achieve your dreams. And most importantly, NEVER let anyone discourage your dreams or stop you from doing your thing. It’s easy to be affected by negative people, so learn to listen only to people who motivate and inspire you.

Just for fun: What advice would you give your 16-year-old self?

“

I would tell my 16-year-old self to read more! I became a reader later into and after college. There’s just so much out there to learn about and discover. There are things that go beyond the content you are taught in school.

”

Halfstackmag.com 13

health & beauty

3 4

MEN

WRITTEN BY: DANIELLE PULAK LAYOUT BY: ERIN MURRAY

TOP FIVE

3. Gillette Fusion Pro Series Thermal Face Scrub

This thermal scrub is perfect to use right before shaving your face. With its special formula that warms up the face, softening the facial hair making it easier for a nice, easy and smooth shave.

1. Nivea for Men Sensitive Face Care Gel Moisturizer-This face moisturizer is specially designed to

4. C.O. Bigelow Chapped Hands Remedy Let’s face it

2. Jack Black’s Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25

5. Vo5 Hot Oil Shower Works Moisturizing Treatment Now I know most men don’t think to take care

improve skin’s defense over time. As well as absorbs quickly and deeply moisturizes.

This special lip balm contains conditioners and antioxidants that help soothe and moisturize dry chapped lips. A little bonus to this is that it contains mint to help freshen your breath.

1. Dove Invigorating Dry Shampoo Target - www.target.com $4.49 2. St. Ives Gentle Apricot Face Scrub Ulta - www.ulta.com $3.99 3. Loreal EverCreme Nourishing Leave In Spray Ulta- www.ulta.com $8.99 4. Mary Kay Satin Lip Set Mary Kay- www.marykay.com $18.00 Olay Regenerist Regenerating Lotion With SPF 15 Target - www.target.com $18.99

WOMEN

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guys your hands get really dry and rough. This special lotion is designed to heal and moisturize super dry hands.

of their hair but this treatment is so effective and easy why not use. It is so easy that you just apply it right after you shampoo you hair in the shower and it only has to stay on for a minute. How easy it that?

1.Nivea for Men Sensitive Face Care Gel Moisturizer Target-www.target.com $4.89 2.Jack Black’s Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 Ulta- www.ulta.com $7.50 3. Gillette Fusion Pro Series Thermal Face Scrub Target - www.target.com $6.99 4. C.O. Bigelow Chapped Hands Remedy Bath &Body Works- www.bathandbodyworks.com $14.00 5. Vo5 Hot Oil Shower Works Moisturizing Treatment CVS -www.cvs.com $6.49

MEN

With the cold weather laying ahead it is very import-

WOMEN 1. Dove Invigorating Dry Shampoo this is great to

use in the fall. Over shampooing can really damage you hair so it key to skip a wash here and there. This dry shampoo is the best I have used thus far. It not only smells good but gives amazing results. Make sure to follow the directions on the back of the bottle.

2. St. Ives Gentle Apricot Face Scrub-This scrub

is amazing. It gently removes all dead and dry skin while replenishing our skins surface. Just make sure that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t overuse this product. I would recommend using this once a week.

ant to be prepared for the change in weather. For both men and woman, the colder weather can do a number on our bodies. It is very important to keep not only yourself well moisturized and protected. The key things for both men and women that are affected by the weather is our hair, skin and lips. Our hair and skin gets easily dried out from the cold and gusty winds that lay ahead in fall so it is very important to keep your everything well- nourished and moisturized. With that said the cold also does a number on our lips making them dried out and chapped. I mean who wants to kiss someone with chapped lips? Have no fear check out these top beauty products for women and men to ensure that you will protected from cold weather.

TOP FIVE 3. Loreal EverCreme Nourishing Leave In Spray-This

leave in conditioner is a great spray to restore moisture back into your hair as well as help detangle and smooth out your hair.

4. Mary Kay Satin Lips Set This set is hands down the best lip treatment. The satin mask exfoliates and removes all dead and chapped skin. Then the lip balm restores moisture back into your lips.

5. Olay Regenerating lotion with SPF 15-This lotion is

formulated with special vitamins that helps renew your skin. This also contains SPF which is important as you should protect your face from the sun during all seasons.

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section text

1. Before you start to shave, you want to make sure that exfoliate. This will help remove all of the dead skin and allow you to shave on a clean healthy skin. True Blue Spa Invigorating Spa Scrub, is just the scrub to remove all dead and dry skin. With it sea salt and Eucalyptus formula this scrub give you the ultimate at home spa experience.

WRITTEN BY: DANIELLE PULAK LAYOUT BY: ERIN MURRAY SKIN TYPE

RECOMMENDATION

DRY

Gillette Satin Care & Olay Shave Gel Perfect for dry skin since this has oil of olay moisturizer built in. This special ingredient helps restore moisture back into your skin while shaving.

SENSITIVE

Aveeno Positively Smooth Shave Gel This shave gel is made with all natural ingredients that helps soothe and condition your skin. It also helps prevent nicks and razor bumps.

NORMAL

Skintimate Signature Scents Moisturizing Shave Gel in Raspberry Rain This shaving gel not only smells good but also contains 11 moisturizers including vitamins and antioxidants. With it special moisturizing formula it helps protect your skin against nicks.

2. Now it is time to apply the shaving cream. Please I beg do not use your body wash or soap. Please use shaving cream, they are designed to help achieve perfect results. When choosing your shaving cream make sure you get one that will work best for your skin type.

Intuition Renewing Moisture Razor Venus Embrace

Schick Hydro Silk

This razor contains a moisturizer solid that will lather and moisturize while shaving. Therefore there is no need for shaving gel. This 5 blade razor is created to get every hair and provide an ultra-close shave.

for sensitive skin.

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All the prep work is done it is time to start shaving. Make sure that when you are shaving your legs to start down at your ankles and work your way up to your thigh going against your hair growth.

This 5 blade razor is designed for a close shave and protects skin with water- activating moisturizing serum.

Great for a no fuss shave. Can be used in Close Curves Wet/ Dry Ladies Shaver by the shower or whenever it is convenient for you. It is hypo-allergenic blades are great Panasonic

Schick Quattro for Women Disposables

It is the great Schick Quattro razor that gives a great clean smooth shave but disposable. Perfect for the girl that is on the go.

4. The perfect shave would not be complete without the finishing touch with your body lotion. It is actually best to apply your favorite body lotion onto wet skin to help your skin absorb the lotion better.

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Written by :Danielle Pulak

Sephora Pro Brow Brush #20 Sephora www.sephora.com $14.00

Maybelline Ultra Brow Brush on Color Ulta www.ulta.com $6.49

Every girl should own at least one bold lipstick (in my case, I own too many to count. I mean one can never have too many red lipsticks). For best results, apply liner when wearing a bold lip. Now to some people liner is a scary word, but with the right one, it will become a necessity. Try Smashbox The Nude Lip Liner in Fair. It literally matches the color of my lips. When applying this liner make sure to outline your lips and then fill them in completely. Do this and you will be wearing your lipstick for the whole day. Not sure which bold color is right for you? Start with a berry color and then work your way up to red and hot pink.

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Purple eye shadow is something that every girl should own in their makeup bag. To wear this trend, apply purple eye shadow all over the lid. However, before applying the shadow make sure to use some kind of eye primer. This is to ensure that the shadow stays put and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fade or crease throughout its wear. I highly recommend MACâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Paint Pot in Painterly when applying the eye shadow; just apply it all over on the bottom of your lid to crease. Try using Urban Decay eye shadow in Psychedelic Sister or Jemma Kid Hi-Design Eye Color in Modernist. Apply some eye liner and mascara to finish off this look.

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TOP FALL

CONCERTS 1

Written by :Jerome Thoma

SILVER WRAPPER PRESENTS... CONSPIRATOR W/ BOOMBOX, ABAKUS, CINNAMON CHASERS November 3rd House of Blues. If you like “rollin’” and dancing to flashing lights, this alternative indie / electronica concert is for you.

Barbra Streisand 2012 Tour

October 26th at United Center. As one of the most successful personalities in show business, Babs is coming with her millions of faithful fans for what will most likely be a sold out show. Hurry!

Justin Bieber and Carly Rae Jepsen

October 23rd Allstate Arena. Mr. “Baby Baby” will be here to steal the heart of teens. Plus he brings Ms. “Call Me Maybe.” If you wanted to get an early Christmas present for your kids, here it is.

The 2050 Tour

ft Wiz Khalifa, Juicy J, Chevy Woods, Lola Monroe, Berner, and Tuki Carter October 24, UIC Pavilion. Add smoke and a skin person, and you’ll have Wiz Khalife and his crew coming through. Weed stocks will increase after this concert.

5 LAYOUT BY: ERIN MURRAY

Dethklok, All That Remains, Machine Head, Black Dahlia Murder

Friday, November 16, Aragon. Anybody who watches Adult Swim knows that Dethklok rocks. Add four more kickass rock bands, and I believe the devil himself will enjoy this party.

John Legend Tour

November 11 The Chicago Theater. Chicago’s own brings it home for the ladies and the fellows. Bring your girl out on a nice date for some smooth tunes, and you may get some bonus points.

Carrie Underwood Tour

December 12, United Center. The blond bombshell will be sealing hearts of the country fans. There’s nothing like watching a beautiful woman in some country boots.

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DOS : Green Day November 13th

Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1 : Lupe Fiasco September 25th

Lightning : Matt & Kim October 2nd

ALBUMS

Red : Taylor Swift October 22th

for fall

Due to global warming, I expect a warm Fall season. So why not enjoy the beautiful weather by chillin in front of a camp fire blasting the best music. HALFSTACK has found the best music for you to play before frosty the snow man shows up in December. Dancing in the fall is Ellie Goulding with “Lights” reached its peak position of number two on the Billboard Hot 100 nearly a year and a half later since it was released in the US in March 2011. Brother Ali is an Rhymesayer from the North with a Southern soul. His album “Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color” hit the stores September 18. It’s expected to be a highly social and political album. The Brooklyn-based indie rock band, Grizzly Bear, fourth EP “Shields” dropping is categorized as psychedelic pop, folk rock, experimental, and is dominated by the use of vocal harmonies. Back on the scene is No Doubt with their sixth studio album “Push and Shove”. The first single “Settle Down” has already got 6 million hits on Youtube. Need I say more. The amazing British singer Leona Lewis is releasing “Glassheart” on October 12th. Speaking of 2012, metal supergroup, AxeWound, has Post Apocalyptic Party as one of the track on their debut album “Vultures”. For my dancers, will.i.am is dropping “#willpower”. He is working with David Guetta, Swizz Beatz, Audiobot, Sebastian Ingrosso, and John Legend. It will be KRAZY! As John Burroughs say How beautifully leaves grow old. Enjoy the Fall.

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18 months : Calvin Harris October 29th

TOP

RETROSPECT When it comes to life, Quotes thinks you shouldn’t try to fit in, but stand out from the rest and follow your dreams. Def Poet ACTION

LIFE MOTTO

says to Carpe Diem “seize the day”. Were they to use kinds of LIFE MOTTO

ice cream to describe themselves, Quotes says he would be FOOD

mint chocolate chip, because he stays fresh. Def Poet would be FLAVOR

cookies and cream with caramel on top and strawberry, FLAVOR

representing all flavors. They’re two artists who aren’t afraid to ADJ.

be themselves. If their lives were a movie, they would both play themselves, because, as Def Poet said, “Nobody can do me like me.” TELL IT LIKE IT IS

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RESPECT RETROSPECT

A SESSION WITH CHICAGO’S FRESHEST LYRICAL DUO--QUOTES AND DEF POET

BY: JEROME THOMAS What do you call two brothers from different mothers? I call them RETROSPECT. To me they are the Rush Hour of the music industry in Chicago.

“THEY WILL CONTINUE TO STRIVE FOR WHAT THEY FELL IN LOVE WITH IN THE FIRST PLACE. MUSIC.”

Retrospect is comprised of two lyrical artists, Quotes and Def Poet. Their music technique follows leaders such as A Tribe Called Quest, Kanye West and Blackstar, just to name a few. By extracting and compelling music core fundamentals set by legendary artists in music history, keeps Retrospect two steps ahead. This ideology shows the audience that Retrospect is here for the long hull. I find myself reciting every lyric and placing myself in their shoes through each song. Retrospect brings the life, love and inspiration back into the Chicago hip hop movement. Quotes and Def Poet know that success is never final, and they will continue to strive for what they fell in love with in the first place, Music. But as Def Poet put it “blowing up overnight wouldn’t be bad neither”.LOL. They are the new age superheroes of Chicago. I chilled with them at Classick studio, and everybody in their camp showed a deep passion for music like I had never seen before. Retrospect’s most current project is homage to Hip Hop music, Retro 1. This LP brings a brilliant radiant beauty to their vision and devotion of the world of music. “Abella”, their first single off Retro1, is old love mix with new love. Not only is the song BANGING, the video is hot as &^%&. Retrospect’s latest single, which will be on their upcoming fall EP “The Breakout” is heat for streets. Keeping it 100% Chicago, Retrospect reached out to another Chicagoan, Brandun Deshay to produce “We Came Last”. Plus they are opening for MGK and KID INK on Oct 30th at the Congress Theater. My final words are respect RETROSECT.

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Are You a

Wishful

Thinker?

Interview with Wishful Thinker’s Isabel Lee. Wishful Thinker is a t-shirt line that is inspired by the greatest city aroound, Chicago. To check out more merchandise visit www.wishfulthinkerclothing.com. HALFSTACK: Tell us a little bit about Wishful Thinker?

Shirts?

WISHFUL THINKER: Wishful Thinker is centered around positivity and creativity. Throw in some fun designs, talented friends, and a hardworking crew...and boom...a dream come true. Wishful Thinker, just by the name in itself, is a self-established sponsor of pep talks, daydreams, shooting stars, and lucky pennies.

WT: The new fall/winter line will include some long sleeves and hoodies. But down the line, we would love to incorporate our own cut-and-sew merchandise. Skate decks are also on the to-do list.

HS: We really love the designs of your shirts, what made you want to start Wishful Thinker?

WT: The biggest hurdles to starting up were money and working alone. This is where my partners, Henry Menson and Charles Wartemberg, come into play. Before they joined me, it was just me putting out a new design once every 9 months because I couldn’t afford it, nor did I have as much of a drive to push things. These boys are the game changers. They push the line to be better at a much faster pace and quality than I was working without them. And sometimes, even when it’s your dream, you still need a kick in the butt.

WT: I’ve always been a t-shirt and jeans kinda girl. I also grew up in a culture where brand loyalty to skate/ surf brands was prominent. Although I never really considered myself an artist, I had ideas for shirts that I didn’t see elsewhere. So, here we are, giving it a go. HS: Where do you hope to see wishful thinker in the future? WT: We are such big fans of Johnny Cupcakes. We would love for Wishful Thinker to be on some sort of parallel level to that community. If it were up to me, we would be putting out new shirts constantly, produce cut-and-sew lines, travel the country with pop-up shops, and start a few brick-and-mortar stores. The sky’s the limit, and that’s where we want to be. HS: Do you plan on expanding the line other than T-

HS: What are some hurdles you came across while starting up your line?

HS: Do you have any advice to give to those who want to start a line of their own? WT: Commit and persist. Don’t be lazy when it comes to designing and sourcing, because people can tell. Research and learn constantly from other businesses. Take what you learn and run. Work hard because it is a commitment and will require a lot of time and dedication. Andmost importantly you should be genuine,gracious, and kind.

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LIG

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GHTS

ALIVE And Wishful Thinker Clothing

Photography By: Mike Hammond Halfstackmag.com 25

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INTERVIEW WITH

LIGHTS

ALIVE BY: KATE ROTH

HALFSTACK: Alright, bare with me on this I am sure you have been asked so many times… Where did you guys get the name for your band?

learn them and play them in our band. Adam 2 and Jim actually joined of their own free will. They found us on good ol’ Craigslist when we were searching for bassists and guitarists. HS: What is your style of music? LA: Dave: Rock music from the year 2125! We like to think our music has a very futuristic feel to it with influences ranging from pop-punk to classical arrangements. If we had to narrow it to a certain genre I think it would be called Stadium Punk. HS: What, aside from me, inspires you guys?

LIGHTS ALIVE: Dave: We wanted something positive and uplifting. We had been throwing around names for months and Lights Alive finally stuck.

LA: Devon: Lyrically, I like to tell stories. Some stem from my own life and experiences, and some don’t. I love storytelling in music.

Devon: Our music is kind of outer-spacey and has a positive vibe, so we were just putting spacey/positive words together and came up with that one. It’s actually also an 80’s toy, the lesser known sibling of the Light Brite. Some runners up were “Ignite the Light,” (the guys found out it was a Katy Perry lyric and nixed it), “Chasing the Light,” and “Perfect Unknown” (this one was nixed because our acronym would have been PU).

Adam I: The thing that inspires me the most is definitely other music. From my favorite bands, to symphonies, to music from video games. When I hear certain things in music that really move me, I try to incorporate those things into my own song writing.

Adam I: Another runner up was “Light the Fuse”, but that just turned into a song name. HS: What do you guys all play? And how did you all come together to form Lights Alive? LA: Adam I: Devon sings, Dave drums, Adam 2 plays bass, Jim does guitar and Steve plays keys. I play guitar and do some background vocalization. I’ll try to avoid the long boring bio here: Dave and I have been making sweet music together… yea, I’ll stick with that wording… for at least a decade and a half now. We met Devon when we were living in the Los Angeles area. She became my personal groupie and I eventually rewarded her by making her take over for me on vocals, which is good because she has a much better voice than me! We’ve been friends with Steve since high school, so when we moved back to Chicago and started adding more synths and strings to our music we made Steve

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HS: What are some bands that inspire you? LA: Devon: Amanda Palmer, Kimbra, My Chemical Romance, Queen, Etta James, Regina Spektor. I get super crushes on theatrical performers. I love big emotional performances and gravitate towards singers with pretty or unique voices. Dave: Alkaline Trio, MxPx, Unwritten Law, Angels and Airwaves, Green Day, A.F.I. and Paramore to name a few… I think everyone in this band has a different list but I’ve been inspired mainly by bands from the punk/ pop-punk genre. Adam I: Similar to Dave, my early influences were mostly pop-punk bands. The biggest ones for me the last few years have been Angels and Airwaves, Jimmy Eat World and Paramore. Lately I’m also very heavily influenced by orchestral movie and video game music… my favorite composer is Nobuo Uematsu, who scores (nerd alert) Final Fantasy games.

Lead singer Devon Carson wearing Wishful Thinker T-Shirt. Halfstackmag.com 27

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HS: Where do you guys hope to be 5 years from now? LA: Adam 1: I’m still holding on to the silly dream that I can make a living doing this. I’d like to be able to be a full time touring band and keep making music for years to come. Dave: I hope this band will have at least a couple suc-

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cessful albums released. As for our live show, I would love for it to be at a point where our budget allows us to have endless possibilities and to create a show that is like a musical and rock show put together. Adam 1: P.S. – We’re in the process of recording a fulllength album right now and hope to have it out in a few months! HS: Where do you guys normally play around town?

HS: Tell us about a typical rehearsal day and what are they like? LA: Devon: Adam is the task master, though I do wish he would bring a whip or something to make it more sexy. We go through the songs, fix stuff that’s not working, and everyone adds their own flairs. Usually by the end though we are all switching instruments and playing Kiss or Green Day or New Found Glory. Dave: Yea, we usually go over the set for upcoming shows. Aside from that, we work on ways to improve our show by creating intros, outros and transitional parts. HS: Do you guys have any strange or unique experiences while performing? LA: Adam: Not too many so far with Lights Alive, but Dave and I have a few from our 15+ years of doing this together. When we were pretty young we played a 12 year-old girl’s birthday party. That was pretty awkward! Also many moons ago, we showed up at our first “city of Chicago” gig and the stupid bar we were playing didn’t have a PA for us to use and forgot to mention that in advance… so we taped a crappy microphone we had to a cymbal stand, spliced some wires to plug into a cheap karaoke machine they had and proceeded to play the worst gig of our lives. Now it’s a great memory!

Guitarist and Vocalist Adam Instefjord, drummer Dave Vazzano, and bass Adam Schifler wearing Wishful Thinker T-Shirts. LA: Dave: We actually haven’t played at a venue twice yet with this lineup, but we have played at some great venues… Beat Kitchen, Bottom Lounge, Subterranean, and Cobra Lounge. Adam I: The Tonic Room was a fun show too. And by the time this issue is out, we will have played Goose Island in Wrigleyville as well.

Devon: Every performance is unique, every crowd has a different vibe. Sometimes they dig us and sometimes they don’t, but it’s always a good time on the stage. HS: So you guys have a huge #1 fan over on the west coast, would you like to make a shout out to her? LA: Dave: We don’t know anyone on the west coast… j/k, Casey Roth! We love you and miss you! Hope to see you soon! Devon: CASEY WE LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU COME BACK NOW LA SUCKS. Adam: Devon, you do realize that “LA” is our band acronym?!

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FIRE ROUND Backstreet Boys vs. NSYNC NSYNC, I suppose. Hotdog vs. Burger Burger – The options for a tasty burger are endless, mmmmm Kuma’s Corner. Coke vs. Pepsi Coke – Santa drinks Coke. And nobody ever says, can I have a Jack and Pepsi. Team Edward vs. Team Jacob Dave: Both… at the same time! Devon: Team Edward Scissorhands! Adam: What sport is this?

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Guitarist and Vocalist Adam Instefjord, drummer Dave Vazzano, keys Steve Gedzyk, and bass Adam Schifler wearing Wishful Thinker T-Shirts. Not pictured guitarist Jim Bizios

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DREAMING THROUGH

THE DELUGE WRITTEN BY: JENNIFER PONTRELLI LAYOUT BY: JENNIFER M. LEZAN

In what has become a very tumultuous time for the state of education in the Chicagoland area, the fall of 2012 has brought a new, privileged meaning to the phrase â&#x20AC;&#x153;back to school.â&#x20AC;? As politicos, teachers, students and parents have all become disenfranchised in a very wary state of disagreement and disappointment, one community has banded together in an effort to get one educational institution up and running after a devastating freak occurrence.

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On July 9th, 2012, a water main burst underneath the Evanston facilities of Have Dreams, spewing over a million gallons of muddy water into its offices and classrooms bringing all programs to a soggy halt. Established in 1996, Have Dreams is an organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and families affected by autism through educational programs. It has become a beacon of hope for Chicago-area families touched by this curious and enigmatic condition. In dealing with the various symptoms of autism, a spectrum disorder, the staff and students at Have Dreams find themselves facing unique sets of problems that require various solutions, but on July 9th, an immense problem washed itself up into the facilities, putting the very future of the organization at a delicate, and potentially devastating, standstill. Looking back to only about 23 years ago, executive director of Have Dreams, Kris Johnsen recalls a time when autism remained a largely misunderstood disorder even as the prevalence of autistic children in the public school system began to become more and more prevalent. One summer, early on in her career as a special education teacher in a local school district, Johnsen received a class list comprised entirely of autistic students. With this first cluster of autistic students, Johnsen began to understand the need for more education on this complicated disorder, and she began

Established in 1996, Have Dreams is an organization dedicated to improving the lives of children and families affected by autism through educational programs.

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LOCAL HEROES

“autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first three years of life ” attending informational sessions at a clinic at the University of Chicago that specialized in the research and treatment of autism. As Johnsen furthered her own expertise in the field, she began to recognize the issues faced, not only by the autistic children, but by their families as well. “I asked myself what challenges are these families facing now and what challenges will they face in the future as the children grow into adults,” Johnsen explains. These very questions became the impetus for the founding of Have Dreams. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first three years of life and affects the brain’s normal development of social and communication skills. Autism is a spectrum disorder, meaning that it can affect different individuals in different ways and is commonly referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD. There is no known cause or cure for autism, and while autistic individuals are often highly intelligent, they might also require special needs and education in order to function in their daily lives. As her understanding of autism grew, Johnsen quickly recognized that these needs were not being met in the special education programs in the public school system. With the help of parents and two other visionary professionals in Dr. Catherine Lord and Dr. Kathleen Kennedy Martin, she started her own program in the early 1990s. Meeting every Monday in a room above the Oakton Ice Arena, gifted to the group by the city of Park Ridge, Johnsen and seven founding students formed the very first social skills and communications class. In 1996, with generous donations from local philanthropic organizations, the city of Park Ridge and the moral support of families and communities affected by autism all around the Chicagoland area, Have Dreams was officially approved by the state of Illinois as a nonprofit organization. With a home base facility located in Park Ridge, the newly minted

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organization immediately became an invaluable resource to the community in providing life-changing educational programs and skills training for autistic children as well as training for autism professionals. In a few short years, Have Dreams outgrew its home base in Park Ridge and looked to expand to another location in order to provide more resources to more communities. “We recognized that the spectrum was very broad and we wanted to expand our services for a wider range of ages as well as deepen them,” Johnsen says of the plan to branch out to other communities, “So we looked for locations where there was an unmet need and two jumped out at us immediately, Chicago and Evanston.” Ultimately Evanston became the ideal choice due to its ease of access from Chicago through public transportation, so Johnsen and her staff set to work by slowly integrating with the community and feeling out their presence. The response from the Evanston community was tremendous, and in 2010, with the help of an extremely generous and involved donor, the facility at 2020 Dempster Street was fully realized into an autism-friendly facility. It became the primary location for classes and services with the Park Ridge facility remaining as a site for business operations. “This wasn’t a facility that we had to squeeze into, this was a place where we could design the environment to fit our specific needs,” Johnsen says. This design involved adding kitchen and laundry facilities in order to simulate living conditions for life skills classes and creating stimulating yet comfortable class areas where children are encouraged to come out of their shell and interact with their teachers and peers. The sprawling Evanston facilities also allowed for even more expansion of Have Dreams services as the staff planned to open a nonpublic special education school for adults aged 18 to 22-years-old.

The school was originally slated to begin operation in August 2012, but in the wake of a devastating deluge, that deadline would swiftly drift away into an uncertain limbo. On the morning of July 9th, 2012, as summer programs were running as usual, Johnsen was working in her office near the front of the building when she heard a strange, rushing commotion coming from another part of the facility. “I heard something going on and initially I thought that someone was having a seizure,” Johnsen recalls. She immediately leapt into action, running out into a common area, expecting to find a medical emergency but finding only further chaos and confusion. “The kids and the instructors were rushing around and then all of a sudden a wave of water just came at my feet,” Johnson dreadfully remembers. A water main located directly underneath the Have Dreams space of the building had burst, spewing water and mud from the ground below into the pristine facilities. By the time the Evanston fire department was able to respond and turn off the rushing water less than an hour after the eruption, about one million gallons of filthy water flooded into the Have Dreams facilities as well as into some surrounding businesses. For the next few days high powered jet driers blasted air heated to over one hundred degrees throughout the building in an effort to dry out the walls and floors. In the days-long squall of hot air, any mud or ground debris that had settled on the floor during the flood wafted up into the air and soiled everything else that had been yet untouched by the two foot high wave of rushing water from the main. Programs at Have Dreams were immediately halted as the rebuilding process began a few days after the devastating flood. While the construction and cleaning of the facilities became an important priority for the staff, the main concern remained for the well-being of

the students. In the days following the July 9th flood, the Have Dreams community linked together in order to form a stronger-than-ever unit. Schools such as Northwestern University, other nonprofit organizations, and the city of Evanston have been a tremendous help in offering facilities for Have Dreams to temporarily hold their programs in addition to providing volunteers for the cleaning and re-creating of materials that were destroyed in the flood. After eight trying weeks of rehabilitation and construction, Have Dreams in Evanston finally reopened in somewhat limited capacity on September 4th. Some professional training programs continue to be temporarily suspended and the opening of the nonpublic special education school has been pushed back to October or possibly November. Despite all that has been lost in the flood, Johnsen maintains that much more has been gained. “With a greater understanding of the challenges that we have faced comes a greater willingness to accept autism,” she proclaims. Johnsen’s enthusiasm for progress is clearly palpable as with the continued support of the Chicagoland community, the Have Dreams organization becomes stronger every day in its mission to create a future for children and families affected by autism that is no longer marred by misunderstanding, but brightened through education and enlightenment.

Keep the dream alive! If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation that will assist Have Dreams in completing construction and starting exciting new programs in autism education, please visit: www.havedreams.org.

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PRESENTED BY:

Live Life Out Loud Sherrie Gearheart established Live Out Loud Charity (LOLC), a non profit organization focused on suicide awareness and prevention through core character development. She established this organization one year after losing her childhood friend to suicide.

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HOW TO DEAL WITH

THE PRESSURES OF LIFE WRITTEN BY: SHERRIE GEARHEART LAYOUT BY: JENNIFER M. LEZAN

With the pressures of school, family life, work, relationships and financial hardships, people are finding it difficult to keep their spirits high. Many are becoming depressed, while some are even becoming suicidal. The rate of suicide is especially prevalent in youth ages 15 to 25, and it is often associated with the pressures of life. How can highly successful individuals deal with high levels of stress and still remain focused? We have provided seven simple steps to help release some of that anxiety youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re coping with on a daily basis.

Step 1 WRITE OUT YOUR FEELINGS Often times we want to express ourselves when we are angry—whether it is with our boss, our significant other, parent or friend. But we simply can’t go off the deep end due to the dynamics of the situation. Therefore, write your feelings down on paper, read it to yourself and rip it to pieces. This allows you to release those pent up feelings, without getting yourself into trouble.

Step 2

PRAY

It has been proven that people with religion are happier. Pray when you feel down and also be thankful for your blessings. The nice thing about prayer is it can be done anywhere including the comfort of your home.

Step 3

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS In times of sadness or stress, we can easily forget all of the wonderful things in our life. Count your blessings out loud so you can realize all of the things you do have. Feel thankful for these things.

Step 4 COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS Seeing the big picture can really help you forget about the petty things bothering you. Stay focused and live in the present moment. Highly successful people can easily become stressed due to being pulled in a million directions. Learn to set aside time for yourself, your family and loved ones. More importantly, learn to let go of work-related problems when spending this quality time with others. Remember the big picture. You have one life to live and worrying all the time will get you nowhere fast. Enjoy yourself. Taking me time is perfectly ok and healthy. In fact, it will help clear your mind of unwanted clutter so you can continue to be successful at a faster rate.

Step 5

FIND A COUNSELOR Highly successful individuals rarely spend time with themselves. They run from Point A to Point B often with barely enough time to take a breath. However, in order to create balance and enjoy a longlasting and highly successful life, you must deal with that left over baggage that you are carrying around. Find a counselor near you, so you can let go of unwanted emotional leftovers from previous relationships. This will help you shed off any negativity and become a more focused, positive individual. To find free or affordable counseling sessions near you, call this 24-hour hotline, 1(800)273-TALK. Making the call is free and confidential.

Step 6

GET PHYSICAL

That’s right, work out. You can choose to dance, walk, run, stretch, jump rope, do yoga, play a sport, or so much more. Whatever you choose, it is a sure way to relieve stress and release endorphins (which make you happy.) No one is asking you to run a marathon or use this workout time to become competitive. Instead, we recommend that you find something fun to do for your workout. A popular choice nowadays is Zumba. This is a very fun and effective way to burn calories and let go of stress while having a blast. Don’t make this a competitive portion of your day. Instead, use this as a way to relax.

Step 7

ORGANIZE! ORGANIZE! ORGANIZE! We cannot say this enough. The key to continued success is to be as organized as possible. Make a list of things that really need to get done. As each project is completed the more your mind will relax. The only way that will happen is by taking care of those old projects, piles of papers, and by recycling your junk. Donate your excess clothes, and free up space in both your living and work areas. If you are unsure of how to file your papers or organize a specific area in your house, then search for organization videos on youtube. Once you have created space, you can create a dream board to post all of your visions and goals with a timeline. Posting your goals in a visible place allows you to stay motivated and encouraged.

Seven easy steps can help you deal with the pressures of life. Now we will share with you three easy steps to save a life through suicide prevention. Did you know that there are over one million suicides every year worldwide? This information is taken from the QPR Institute. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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HOW TO SAVE A LIFE OVER ONE MILLION SUICIDES EVERY YEAR

Sherrie Gearheart President of LOLC www.liveoutloudcharity.org

WORLDWIDE

WRITTEN BY: SHERRIE GEARHEART LAYOUT BY: JENNIFER M. LEZAN It is important to know, according to the QPR Institute, there are only two causes to suicide: depression and substance abuse. It is perfectly ok to question those at risk of committing suicide. It is acceptable to ask someone outright if they are thinking of committing suicide. However, less direct approaches are available and understandably more comfortable, such as “Are you thinking of hurting yourself?” or “Do you feel the weight of the world is too much to bear?” Explaining to the individual that you care about them and their well-being is important to stress. You must come from a place of compassion. Never be judgmental in your approach. Remain calm and compassionate during this process, and remember three easy steps can save a life. Now that we taught you how to question an individual at risk of committing suicide, you must move to step two which is PERSUADE. You should persuade the individual there is hope by sharing some of your hardships and how you overcame them. Finally, refer the individual to the appropriate hotlines to call, like the easy to remember 1.800. SUICIDE. You do not have to be suicidal to call. You can feel upset, worried, in need of someone to talk to, or simply depressed. This 24-hour hotline is free and confidential.

“

There are only two causes to suicide: depression and substance abuse. 38 Halfstackmag.com

You can call anytime and speak to trained staff that will find the necessary resources in your area so you or your loved one can advance on in their lives. This hotline can provide you with information on free or affordable counseling services near you and give proper insights for your given situation. I always encourage a person to call for their loved one. Sometimes when facing depression it can be hard to pick up the phone. Therefore, pick up the phone for your loved one and find out where they can go for help. Call the hotline today to find help! There is hope you just need to believe and be willing to call. Three easy steps can save a life. Live Out Loud Charity is also partnered with the Power to Change organization. This organization produces Truth Media Mentors. This is a free and confidential email service anyone can sign up for and in turn they receive an email mentor that guides them both religiously and personally. I highly recommend this service to anyone in need regardless of the situation. An email mentor is a great way to find encouragement and peace in your daily life.

To learn more about an email mentor please visit powertochange.com. To learn more about Live Out Loud Charity, please visit www.liveoutloudcharity.org

The Culture

Spotlight

By Stella Quimby

The Field Museum FASHION EXHIBIT: Maria Pinto Fashion and the Field Museum….a combination that is usually not linked together, now is teaming up to showcase a world-famous Chicago Designer and her inspiration behind her remarkable pieces. Get a sneak peek into this new, oneof-a-kind exhibit called Fashion and The Field Museum Collection: Maria Pinto. Opening on September 14 and running through June 16, 2013, this exhibition explores the world of design, mixing clothing hand-selected from the Museum’s collections by esteemed Chicago fashion designer Maria Pinto, and contemporary pieces created by Pinto and exclusively displayed at The Field Museum. The exhibit is all about the inspiration behind designer Maria Pinto’s pieces. Maria Pinto chose 25 Museum garments and an adornment attracted by their form, texture, and colors that inspired her own designs. Maria then drew connections between these pieces and her own designs, seven of which are featured in the exhibition. So onlookers will not only be wowed by Maria Pinto’s

designs but also will be provided an inside look into what inspires this world-renowned designer. Maria Pinto, a Chicago native, graduate of Chicago’s School of the Art Institute, opened her first boutique in August of 2008. Being a true Chicagoan, her boutique was located in Chicago’s West Loop, which created a major scene with the U.S. fashion scene. Her collections also have been featured in major fashion publications, including Vogue, WWD, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar and InStyle. She has received many prestigious design and fashion awards throughout her career, including the opportunity on two occasions to design costumes for the Joffrey Ballet, the Best of Fashion Award, Chicago Magazine (2000), and the Gold Coast Fashion Award, previously awarded to Anne Klein, Donna Karan and Bill Blass (1998). Lastly, in 2009, Pinto was honored by the Anti-Defamation League as the recipient of their Women of Achievement Award, and the School of The Art Institute’s Legend of

The Field Museum is located at 1400 S lake Shore Drive. For further information, visit fieldmuseum.org.

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Fashion Award. Unlike other exhibits, visitors are invited to engage with these objects and examine details they may not have noticed otherwise. This exhibition asks visitors how they can be inspired in their own creative pursuits by thinking of any Field Museum object as an object of beauty. Best of all, this exhibit is free with basic admission to the Field Museum.

GET INSPIRED!

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Displayed at Chicago’s World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893, this ceremonial head ornament was created by an unknown Zaparo artist from the upper reaches of Peru’s Amazon River. The headdress is made of human hair, clamshells, toucan feathers, beetles’ wings, and monkeys’ teeth. John Weinstein © The Field Museum

The Eva Top

The Eva top from Pinto’s Spring 2009 collection. © Photograph by Nathan Beckner

This Chinese theatrical headdress was created with pearls, blue kingfisher feathers, pompons, and other luxurious materials. Its rich colors and textures inspired Pinto to create an entirely new ensemble of women’s wear. Picture by John Weinstein © The Field Museum

The Kayla Dress This beautifully brocaded Mongolian silk tunic is called a “deel.” This beautiful piece can inspire anyone. John Weinstein © The Field Museum. Maria Pinto’s pink sequined Kayla dress. Maria’s version of the armor vest. © Photograph by Nathan Beckner.

A handcrafted armor vest from Cameroon, this masterpiece is made of crocodile skin. Inspirational piece for Maria. John Weinstein © The Field Museum

These “hot pants” Traditionally worn with tall boots by the Angmagssalik people of Greenland, they nearly disappeared when Danish missionaries arrived and thought them immodest. Although they were relived in the 1970’s and most currently this summer by teenagers. Picture by John Weinstein © The Field Museum

The Tema Dress

The Tema dress from Pinto’s Spring 2010. It was inspired by the Inuit intestine dress. © Photograph by Nathan Beckner

This Inuit raincoat is made of translucent Seal intestines, meticulously stitched together with red and blue thread. An inspiration piece for Maria. Picture from John Weinstein © The Field Museum

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techTOYS tech must haves WRITTEN & LAYOUT DESIGN BY: DWIGHT BEJEC

Polaroid Z2300 10MP Digital Instant Print Camera Amazon.com

Logitech Cube Mouse (910-002516) Amazon.com

APPLE Iphone 5 Attt.com

Celluon Magic Cube Laser Projection Keyboard and Touchpad Amazon.com

Dropcam HD Wi-Fi Wireless Video Monitoring Camera Amazon.com Halfstackmag.com 41

fall 2012

section text

Selects by: Dwight Bejec Layout by: Dwight Bejec

iConvert Scanner for iPad Tablet Brookstone.com

Kindle Fire HD 7â&#x20AC;? HD Display, Dual-Band Dual-Antenna Wi-Fi, 16GB Amazon.com

Boogie Board Rip 9.5-Inch LCD Writing Tablet Amazon.com

Luvvitt (R) iPad Aluminum Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard Case iPad 3 Amazon.com

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Aftershokz AS300 Wraparound Sport Headphones with Bone Conduction Technology Amazon.com

WISHFUL THINKER CLOTHING www.wishfulthinkerclothing.com

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B e e s h t T

Written by: Andrei Pagsisihan

Toyota Camry $20,995-25,995

Where to start with Toyota? The carmaker has come a long way from what happened in the past few yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;what with the bad brake pedal and the sticking gas pedal? But they pulled through and built a nice sporty reliable car, the Camry. Its overall appearances has changed so much, a sleeker look, new ground effect, new alloy rims and nice leather seats. The SE Limited Edition and the base SE have mpg is 25 city and 35 highway.

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Honda Accord $21,995-35,995

With the new look and beefy motors, Honda is still in the running for the first place spot, but with the pricier the base model, the Accord stays in the second place spot for now. Honda, as we all know, will run forever with amazing gas mileage (mpg 17 city/26 highway) and overall performance, but it’s got the upper hand in the looks department. The EX-L coupe comes with the big V6 motor and its 271 HP will get you moving. Meanwhile, the EX-l comes with leather seats, navigation and the choice of automatic or 6-speed, which is a hell of a lot more fun. To save a bit more on gas, you can get the ex-version with the 4-cylinder with the 2.4 liter. Additional features also come with I-vtec, which comes in the 5-speed

Toyota Prius

$24,500-31,500

Once again, Toyota did it with their first hybrid car. If you want speed, keep looking. If you’re looking for up to 42 plus miles, then this is the whip for you. The car comes equipped with a CVT Trans, and other cool features include a weather reading, battery consumption, gas mileage and so on.

Toyota Corolla/Matrix $18,000-26,000

Here is another favorite of the Toyota family, the Corolla. What makes this compact family sedan great? It’s the comfortable ride, quiet interior and solid safety ratings. If you’re looking for a budget car this is the one. It’s decent on gas but very sluggish with the 4-speed automatic. Mpg is 27 city/34 highway.

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Honda Civic

$21,500-25,500

An all-time favorite car for gearheads. The Civic is easy to work on and has tons of aftermarket parts. Good for commuting, has a decent amount of room for groceries, mostly great on gas (26 city/32 highway), reliable and lasts forever. Interior in the SI comes with suede racing-style seats, but even the exterior body of the 2012 Honda Civic has changed a lot compared to the prior years. The rear end is bulkier, sits a little lower and has HFP rims.

e h T Chevrolet Malibu $17,800-27,800

The powertrains on the Malibu are very smooth, the 4-cylinder has good fuel economy, refined ride quality, but the v6 lacks the sporty feel, also the v6 gas mileage lags (23 city/33 highway which isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t bad for a full-size Sudan). The car has a decent size back seat and trunk for your groceries and sport equipment needs. You can get the option of cloth or leather seats, and the exterior is plain and simple.

Ford Fusion

$18,500-28,500

The Ford Fusion has great gas mileage numbers (18 city/25 highway ), a firm fine ride and great handling. With a nice aggressive look and sleek wheels, this car has Bluetooth, HD radio, sony audio, real time traffic information and navigation system. The truck space is big enough for two golf bags and a subwoofer box. On a good note, the hybrid model earns 36 city/41 highway.

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Best

Nissan Altima $20,995-32,995

Besides good handling, comfortable interior and strong 6-cylinder acceleration, the Altima is one of the best looking mid-size cars. The push button feature starts whether you want it to or not, and the safety score falls a bit shy. If you go with the SL model you get the big boy v6 3.5L, nice leather heated seats and a sportier look. Mpg is 23 city/32 highway.

Volkswagen Jetta $15,500-28,900

This one is for the euro gears heads. The GLI has the nice turbo thrust, better rear suspension, spacious back seats, great handling and an extremely huge trunk. The GLI and the TDI versions are arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t much less expensive than before. Mpg for GLI is 24 city/34 highway, while TDI gets 30 city/42 highway. Exterior has an amazingly new body style and sportier rims.

Chevrolet Camaro With a punchy standard v6 and a decent ride quality, the Camaro still has that muscle car look. The Camaro has very bad visibility out the front window, no head room and crappy interior in the v6. Mpg is 17 city/28 highway. Now the ZL1 has 580 HP from a supercharged 6.2L v8 which is fast as hell, it will knock the doors off your dodge challenger with a hemi in it.

layout by: Erin Murray

$23,200-62,000

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Time Pieces section text

<$100

WRITTEN & LAYOUT DESIGN BY: DWIGHT BEJEC

Buying a watch can sometimes be a daunting task especially with all of the options available today. Wearing a watch is a great way to communicate to people your sense of style as well as sense of responsibility. Getting down to the basics of what to search for will definitely make this task fun! There are a few trends that will always be tried and true, so sticking with them will provide a watch that will not only look great when in at a corporate atmosphere, but will look great while lounging around in casual wear. You will want to stick to simplicity, as well as styles that have the retro flair and 70s feel. It’s possible to find these characteristics without breaking the bank, here are a few to get you started.

Swatch Feature Steel Irony Big Watch YGS737 Amazon.com Invicta Men’s 8932 Pro Diver Collection Silver-Tone Watch Amazon.com

Skagen Men’s 233XLTTM Titanium Watch

Casio Men’s GA110C-7ACR G-Shock Large White Analog Sport Watch

Amazon.com

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Diesel Men’s Brown Not-So-Basic Basic Analog Light Blue Dial Watch Amazon.com

It’s possible to find these characteristics without breaking the bank

Kenneth Cole New York Men’s KC1754 Classic Rectangle Tank Analog Watch Amazon.com

Casio Men’s AMW330D-1AV Dive Chronograph Stainless Steel Watch Amazon.com

Diesel Watches Not So Basic Basics Amazon.com

Bulova Men’s 98H51 Strap Calendar Strap Watch Amazon.com

Invicta Men’s 8928 Pro Diver Collection Watch Amazon.com

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A LITTLE BIT OF ITALY IN CHICAGO’S FASHION An Exclusive Inside Look into Designer Concetta Cipriano’s life. By: Stella Quimby

Cettina, a new clothing line

launched by Italian-American designer Concetta Cirpirano, is making headways in the Chicago Fashion industry. This minimalistic, classic and feminine but yet attention-grabbing collection allows for women to be sexy, comfortable, chic and center-of-attention. Being a fan of this designer since she was in residence at the Chicago Fashion Incubator at Macy’s, having this meeting with her at her new Cettina Showroom, located at 7748 W. Devon Avenue in Chicago, was phenomenal. First, the showroom is small and elegant with many of her garments in display such as in any retail shop. In the back of her store was her workroom, where she actually makes many of her own garments, unlike many designers these days. Taking time off her extremely busy

“

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schedule filled with appointments, meetings and upcoming shows, Concetta takes a seat and chats with Half Stack about her life, inspiration and about fashion. Concetta is a Chicago girl, born and raised in the Chicago Suburb of Norridge. Both of her parents

migrated from Italy to American to pursue the “American Dream.” Being first generation American, her parents took advantage of all the opportunities they received in America. “My parents were always adamant that me and my 2 sisters pursue higher education and follow our dreams,”

Concetta remembers the drive that her parents placed upon her and her siblings. As a child she was involved in everything from singing, guitar, piano, and dance lessons, but always, her favorite was drawing and sewing. A designer from the start, her interest in fashion was sparked by watching her mother sew at home. Concetta was even given her first toy sewing machine at the age of 12 and have been sewing ever since.

”

The Cettina brand focuses on women’s fashion, which even includes plus sizes. “I work on clients that are all sizes” she stated, women don’t come in just one shape or size. Looking around at her garments, they are very flattering to not just the thin model looking women that we all tend to envy, but also the petite (Concetta is petite) women, and even curvy women such as

myself. This line is made for women of all shapes and sizes, which is rare in a market of clothing designed for a standard model size 6 which doesn’t translate over to the real women purchasing them. When asked why did you choose Chicago to pursue your line, “I was born in Chicago and have been here my entire life. I wanted to be able to pursue my passion in a place that I love and call home” was Concetta’s reply. In a city where many great designers are made but leave, this designer is here to stay.

layout by: Erin Murray

This busy bee is preparing for upcoming events which include the prestigious Fashion Focus-The Designers of the Chicago Fashion Incubator Show on October 17th, and Style Chicago’s Designer shopping event at Millennium Park on October 20th. Along with chatting on how excited she is to participate in Chicago’s Fashion Focus (Chicago’s Fashion Week), we started talking about the Chicago Fashion Industry as a whole. Concetta describes the industry as a little family!! “I love it and so happy to be considered to be a part of it!” She exclaimed.

“Everyone I have come in contact with is extremely supportive of one another and everyone knows what it takes to make it Chicago and there is definitely a sense of comradely amongst the people you meet here.” Along with being a part of the industry she was a part of the exclusive Chicago Fashion Incubator. “I really enjoyed being a part of the 2011 Chicago Fashion Incubator class” Concetta explained, “being a part of the program gave me the push I need to start designing full time and to take my business to the next level; I wouldn’t be where I am today in my career if it wasn’t for the Incubator.” Another benefit that Concetta received during her time with the incubator was working with amazing Chicago Fashion designer Lara Miller. “Lara is an amazing person and I am extremely grateful to have been able to have Lara as a mentor during my time at the Chicago Fashion Incubator”

Halfstackmag.com 51

C O N CETTA CIPR IANO

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Concetta stated. As everyone knows Lara is a support tool for many Chicago fashion designers and one of the nicest people ever (hard to find these days). Her knowledge of the industry and willingness to share it with upcoming designer’s makes her essential to the Chicago Fashion industry and a go-to person for upcoming designer’s such as Concetta. Any expansions throughout the country in store for Cettina? “I have custom clients that live all over the US, but currently my store is in Chicago. Right now, I don’t see myself opening up more stores. I like the personal aspect of my current space; the back half of my space serves as my studio and workspace, where the front is the retail space and showroom. Since there is only one of me I cannot that exact concept anywhere else” Concetta giggles. “However, I don’t know what the future holds and would not rule the idea of opening up more store out completely, you never know.”

Concetta Cipriano

What is in store for Cettina in the next 10 years? The same thing, but on a larger scale, Concetta explains. “I would like to expand the wholesale side of my business and sell to other retailers across the country” she mentioned, but never ruling out that she will continue doing what she loves best, designing So what does this Italian-American beauty do on her free time (if she ever has any?), “For me spare time usually means sketching and coming up with inspiration for the next collection!” she stated happily. Although having any real spare time is rare for this designer, whatever she gets she loves to spend it with my family, friends and the boyfriend. Whenever she can, she also enjoys running, bike riding, and reading. Any last advice to future designers out there scared to enter the industry? “I know this is something everyone says, but it is true; work hard and don’t give up. The fashion industry is full of its up and downs, but it is important to always look ahead and stay positive” Concetta advises. Never giving up is the key. Finishing up our interview I shopped around her store, loving the quality and fabric and then I realized that there are not many Concetta’s out there today. Cettina, a clothing line in a league of its own; Chicago born and made. Chicago is proud to be the home base and priority for this stellar designer that in a few short years the country, world will know by name.

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Stay comfy and in style with a camel colored sweater and cords. Layer with a denim button up for extra warmth.

Spruce up your office look this Fall with a stylish sweater and trend setting mustard yellow shirt. Play it safe with khakis to keep it office appropriate.

ALL CASUAL MEN’S STYLES CAN BE FOUND AT H&M STORES OR AT WWW.HM.COM/US

ALL OFFICE MEN’S STYLES CAN BE FOUND AT H&M STORES OR AT WWW.HM.COM/US

Dark Camel Sweater: $29.95 Burgundy Corduroy Pants: $29.95 Denim Shirt: $29.95

run-of-the-mill jeans for a trendsetting look. When going all out on top, make sure your pants or jeans stay toned down. If you’d rather rock mustard colored cords, then keep to a simple colored sweater.

Office Men GET READY TO BUNDLE UP THIS FALL, CHICAGO, IT’S GOING TO BE A COLD ONE OUT THERE! Office Women

A sweatshirt/biker jacket combo is just the thing you need for Fall. Pair with Fall colored skinnys and a simple tank for a casual but well thought look.

ALL CASUAL WOMEN’S STYLES CAN BE FOUND AT A’GACI STORES OR AT WWW.AGACISTORE.COM Leatherette with French Terry Sleeve Moto Jacket: $29.50 Fall Colored Skinny Jean: $24.50 Seamless Racerback: $5.50

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Mix up your office routine with a long sweater, contrasting long sleeve tee, and comfy dress pants. You’ll stay warm in the brisk Fall temperatures while still looking office appropriate.

ALL OFFICE WOMEN’S STYLES CAN BE FOUND AT A’GACI STORES OR AT WWW.AGACISTORE.COM Kimono Sleeve Cable Knit Sweater: $19.50 Lighter Weight Ponte Pant: $18.50 Burnout Long Sleeve Tee: $6.90

FALL TRENDS

By: Amy Struckmeyer

Leather jackets are great for playing it cool when it’s cool out. Keep your tees simple and jeans as well. You don’t want to deter from the amazing jacket.

ALL CREATIVE MEN’S STYLES CAN BE FOUND AT H&M STORES OR AT WWW.HM.COM/US Jacket: $69.95 Boot Cut Regular Jeans: $39.95 Mint Green T-Shirt: $9.95

Creative Men This year’s fall trends consist of sweaters, cords and bomber jackets. All three are very versatile items. Sweaters can be worn out, to work or for just bumming around, and bomber jackets come in handy when the nights become chilly. Sweaters make you itch? Just layer them

with a plain colored dress shirt or a long-sleeved basic to block the not-so-fuzzy aspect. Cords are great because they come in a wide variety of colors. With colored skinny jeans fading out of the scene, fall-colored cords are ready to jump in as their replacement. Camel-colored

Creative Women

Casual Men

cords are great for work, keeping you warm indoors and out, while burgundy cords are great for a lunch out with friends. Do not be afraid to mix and match trends this season, anything goes! Found the perfect teal sweater but only have a tan bomber jacket? Combine the two with

Casual Women A bomber jacket is essential for your Fall wardrobe, especially in a wild color like this red. Matched with a simple tunic and faded jeans for a comfy yet unique look.

ALL CREATIVE WOMEN’S STYLES CAN BE FOUND AT A’GACI STORES OR AT WWW.AGACISTORE.COM Snap Pocket Bomber: $29.50 Asymmetrical Dolman Tunic: $22.50 Extra Light Wash Skinny Jean: $22.50

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Dorm & Apartment Must Haves By: Amy Lynn Let’s face it, most places you will live in during your twenties will be small and you will have to make the best use of your space by limiting your decorations and accessories. Do not become discouraged however; this Fall’s must-haves for your tiny space are sure to appease your abode as well as your pocket book. When purchasing for your tiny space, think about usage as well as visual appeal. Something that can sit out, yet still be used is a purposeful prop. Decorative coffee mugs for example. You use them daily, but then they can also sit out

as counter decoration. This saves space in your ever so tiny cabinets and also saves you money since it acts as two things in one. Fall’s decorative colors center around neutrals which allows for many of your Fall decorating purchases to be used year round. Vintage is also in this season. When purchasing vintage styles items, it is not always necessary to pay an arm and a leg at big box retailers, instead hit up your local thrift shop for a few amazing finds. An old lamp can be repainted in this season’s ever so popular mustard yellow to make it look good as new.

"When purchasing for your tiny space, think about usage as well as visual appeal." 56 Halfstackmag.com

11.

This mug doubles as a counter decoration when not in use and with its versatile brown colors, it can be displaced year round.

Kotobuki Brown Owl Mug // Stash Tea Online $15.00

12.

The Path Owl Lamp is a great statement piece for your living area. Its neutral color goes with just about any dĂŠcor.

Patch Owl Lamp // Target (Online) $59.99

13.

A throw is great addition to any couch. It changes the look without having to spend a fortune on new furniture.

Patch Throw in Olive // Target (Online) $34.99

14.

Pillows are a great way to spruce up an old or outdated piece of furniture. This pillow demonstrates all the colors of Fall.

Diagonal Stripes Pillow // Pier 1 Imports (Stores or Online) $34.95

15.

An end table is great way to save space. The bottom shelf can be used for books or a few candles while the top can sport your new owl lamp.

Brown Rosewood Tall End Table // Target (Stores or Online) $29.09 Halfstackmag.com 57

TAKE A BITE OF SOMETHING

RANDOM

By Jenny Bartels What to eat, what to eat? Grab something from the fridge, empty. Go to the store, too lazy (who really likes self-check outs anyway they make it seem easy). Stop by that world famous golden arched drive through eatery for a # 6 with a diet coke, nah the grease gives you heartburn. Where can you go that has good food, not over-priced, in a cool setting that you have never been or heard of before? I was thinking there has to be some unusual places to eat good food in and around this city, a Laundromat or a gas station that has great food unexpectedly. This is the 3rd largest city in America, is it not? We are not like the fake-nbake plastic real house wives of CA, or the socialite nanny/dog-walker/personal driver-having mom-sters of NY. We are creative, the most real of the big cities, Midwestern hospitality and all that. There

must be some not-so-usual eateries in this city. I tried the usual Google search and did get some good ideas, really how many ways can you try unusual places to eat in Chicago? Thinking maybe on the 20th page I might find something that I could work with. Being a suburban girl I pretty much only get out to the city for Bears games and an occasional shopping trip or play so word of mouth was not really going to work for me. Google was my main research tool. I was actually thrown a few scraps by the Google gods. I found a laundromat, cafĂŠ & bar that seemed perfect it was decorated in kitschy laundry memorabilia and had a bar and restaurant so that there was something to do as you wait for your undies to get crispy. This was perfect, but why were there no reviews on Yelp or a website or anything? As it turns out the

TOMMYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GUITAR & CAFE SPRINKLES CUPCAKE ATM

2548 W. Chicago Avenue, Chicago 60622 www.tommysguitars.com

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50 E. Walton Street, Chicago 60611 www.sprinkles.com

article was from 1987! The restaurant was no longer in business. Another Google search revealed that this same address was now a spa boutique. Why does this always happen to the good ones? There were some gourmet gas stations, unfortunately for me they were in Arizona! I tried libraries with good food, fire stations, banks, admittedly I was grasping at straws with this one, truck stops, nothing that was mind blowingly unusual or random. I was able to find some unusual places to get good through various means including my Google search, Facebook and my own experiences. The list as follows is in and of itself a random list brought together by sheer randomness and hopefully one day you will randomly stumble upon one of my random finds!

M BURGER

161 E. Huron Street, Chicago 60611 www.mburgerchicago.com

TOMMY’S GUITAR & CAFE Setting is the key word with Tommy’s Guitar and Café. Walking in there are the usual café tables a counter with a register above that is the menu, and a fridge with soft drinks. The unusual part of all the usualness was on all the surrounding walls and throughout the whole back of the store hung guitars. Guitars of every kind and color that you can think of, all for sale there was even a guy testing out an accordion at the counter. The juxtaposition of the café and the guitar section is entirely unexpected and yet super cool! Let’s get to the food. I ordered a chicken focaccia sandwich because it was the first thing I saw on the menu and I was drooling over all the guitars not necessarily the food. I don’t play the guitar and I don’t know anyone else who does so actually seeing that many guitars up close is like a heavy metal guitarist visiting a natural history museum…probably doesn’t happen that much! Not for those trying to lose weight but definitely delicious the focaccia bread was the best part of the sandwich, with gooey melted cheese and slathered in mayo the sandwich was tasty, added bonus free bag of chips. Pricing was under $7 for the sandwich and chips, very affordable. Tommy’s won’t win any originality awards but the food was delicious and the surroundings were cool and unexpected. I put my order in and the guy, I am assuming the actual Tommy, disappeared I couldn’t figure out where he went until he came walking up stairs that I hadn’t seen at first. When I went to pay I could see the kitchen downstairs in the middle of the store through windows located behind the back counter, kind of a cool element. If you are into guitars and even if you aren’t come up with some excuse to get to Tommy’s Guitar and Café the surroundings are totally unique to anything you have ever seen and the food is perfect to satisfy your hunger cravings.

SPRINKLES CUPCAKE ATM This is what I love about Facebook, a “friend” of a “friend” posted a picture of this and I knew it was not to be missed an ATM that actually dispenses cupcakes instead of cash. Located on Walton Street in Chicago Sprinkles is a cupcake bakery that has various other locations around the country and known for being the very first of its kind. The Cupcake ATM was installed just outside of its store earlier this year. In operation 24 hours and already creating long lines during the day this Cupcake ATM is something we all wish we would have thought of! With 12 different varieties including Gluten Free Red Velvet, Vegan Red Velvet, and even a Doggie Cupcake it is impossible to find one that is not to your liking. We happen to get there after a night celebrating a friend’s birthday let’s just say there were no lines at 12:30 in the morning! I was so excited to try them that I didn’t even take pics of them before I started digging in! Oops! We tried the Strawberry, Milk Chocolate, Red Velvet and Chocolate Marshmallow. The Strawberry cupcake had a strawberry cake with a strawberry cream cheese icing was too sweet and strawberryish for me. It could use a less tart icing but the cake and the icing alone are amazing. The Red Velvet had a cream cheese icing and was awesome and each cupcake was topped with a little cute sugar candy! The Milk Chocolate and Chocolate Marshmallow were great and I am not a huge fan of chocolate cake it always seems too dry for me. These were moist and not over the top chocolate tasting. The Chocolate Marshmallow was a gourmet version of the Ho Ho and who doesn’t like a Ho Ho. One thing I have to mention is that each cupcake comes in its own little cardboard box. Probably one of the cutest packaging I have ever seen. Downside to the Cupcake ATM is that it is credit card only, no cash/change. There is only one transaction for each cupcake. If you want to try several different cupcakes you have to start over and swipe your credit card each time. Each cupcake is $4.00 not bad if you want to try 1 or 2 but this can add up. If your ever out cruising the Chicago streets and get the munchies forget going to the 24 hour gas station, those are creepy anyways, stop by the Sprinkles Cupcake ATM to quench those sugary cravings. I think I want one now after writing about it! Note to self never write an article about cupcakes on an empty stomach.

M BURGER This burger joint doesn’t fit the “random” criteria, but there was a random element to it that will be explained further. M Burger is owned by the Lettuce Entertain You group and has a few locations all over the city, been reviewed online a ton and overall pretty mainstream. As its name implies they mainly sell burgers and sandwiches with fries, shakes and fresh squeezed lemonade. Not unusual in the least but I wanted to give it a go. We got there a bit before 11am only to find out that they open exactly at 11. There was already a line when we got there, good sign right? Small easy to read menu with I noticed nothing over $5.00 directly put on the front window along with pictures of the shakes so that I am assuming while you wait in line before they open you can decide on what you want and even if you didn’t want a shake you want one now! We paid more to park in the parking garage across the street than on the actual meal. Against the back wall was what I came in for, a window that opens to an entire full on restaurant kitchen. This kitchen wasn’t part of the M Burger kitchen; the kitchen for M Burger could be seen behind the registers. I found out later that this is the kitchen for Tru restaurant. While you eat your humble burger and fries you can watch a professional chef prepare a gourmet meal. This is class separation at its finest if you really want to get political about it the lowly burger eaters watch while a gourmet meal is prepared for the upper echelon. Why get negative, another way to think of it is what a great little spot to people watch or chef watch. If you are one of the lucky few to grab a seat near the kitchen window you are open up to a whole view that you never would have been able to see unless you went to a culinary school. We were there early so nothing was going on in the kitchen but I did feel like I was in an episode of Top Chef. One could only imagine what you see through that window at about 7pm when dinner service really picks up. Finally to the food! I had a chicken sandwich. The bun was very light and fluffy. The chicken was good there was a green sauce on the bun which I’m pretty sure was guacamole. I love guacamole so this was an added unexpected element that was good. There were pickles on my sandwich mixed in what the guacamole and I also wasn’t expecting those as I am not a huge pickle fan. Once those were removed the sandwich was great. My lunch companion had the “Hurt Burger” which has a spicy barbecue sauce and pepper jack cheese, right up his alley. The spice would “hurt” me as the name implies but he loved it as he is a spicy kind of guy. The fries were fries, kind of hard to mess up, nice and salty the way I like them. The burger, sandwich and fries were packed in a carrying box inside of a bag in a more “on the go” way. Which I am sure is the point due to the lack of available seating. To sum up M Burger in one sentence not necessarily worth a trip from the suburbs but I would come there if I lived in the city, best part in my opinion is the little window that opens to the other kitchen.

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ASK A

stylista By: Teresa Espinoza

2. For the Girls 1. Oxblood obsession The color of fall 2012! Used in everything from jackets, to coats, to tees and pants. There is no holding back the versatility of this color. The color can take on a dramatic toughness but in turn can be very delicate and feminine. It’s easy to transition this color into your wardrobe by just pairing it with items you already have in your closet that are a compliment to it. Grey’s and gold’s look amazing with this color and gold tone accessories make it really pop. 2.Baroque Opulence Less is more? Not with this trend! This trend lends itself from a time period where it was all about gold, brocade and jacquard fabrics, intricate metallic prints and even

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1. Skater Dress with Chiffon Collar and Belt : $37 : Asos Collection 2. Baroque Printed T-Shirt : $36 : Zara 3. Alice Wine PU Jacket with Gold Zip : $70 : Boohoo.com 4. Skinny Jean in Ecru : $59 : Zara 5. Utility Blouse : $59.00 : Asos Collection

velvets. It’s a lot of look indeed! The best way to transition into this trend is to stick to one piece to center your look around. Try a metallic printed blazer with black skinnies and black booties. 3. Leather Love Guilty as charged! Yes, I’m an obsessed leather lover and this fall this trend makes a big splash. It’s easy to hit a bull’s eye in this trend because so many women already have leather (or the pocket friendly faux leather) pieces in their closet. If you are a little hesitant to try it, go for pieces with leather detailing instead. A combined leather sleeve blazer, jacket or even a sweater are good choices. Leather can look a little on the tougher side so try and keep a balance by combining it with something more delicate such as lace or chiffon. My fa-

vorite leather piece this season? A black pleated leather skirt! It’s so versatile, you can combine it with a simple graphic tee for a more relaxed look, a white blouse for a more classic look and my favorite, a denim button up shirt. 4. White out No white after Labor Day right? Wrong. Throw out what you think you know about wearing white right now! The best way to make this look work is to use whites of different hues. Again, it comes back to layering. Use those white tees that you have in your closet already and pair it with an ivory sweater and top it off with a scarf in a different tone of ivory. The key here is to use different white hues and even different textures to make it all balance. Top it off with a black boot or bootie to make it all come together and

pop. If you’re hesitant to go full on white try a monochromatic look by using variations of black and white in your outfit. 5. At attention Military is a revolving trend that tends to make its appearance particularly in the fall. Designers love this trend! This season the trend emerged with a more feminine tone. It’s all about the details here; gold embroidery, buttons and patchwork. The silhouette is fitted and very tailored. Make the best of a perfect military jacket by pairing it with a basic pant or pencil skirt. The never fail way to ease into this trend is to apply it to the most basic and essential of items for the fall, a coat. A great way to make a military coat even more stylish is to belt it.

There’s just something about fall that makes even the seasoned fashionista overly excited! Time to nestle away your summer wardrobe and swap it out for those comfy sweaters, vintage jackets and boots. Let’s be honest though, it can be a daunting task to change up your wardrobe! What trends to try? What to keep? What to tuck away? So many decisions, so little room in that closet! Here are the trends that are worth making an appearance in your wardrobe this fall!

1. Jacket with Diecut Shoulder : $229 : Zara 2. Denim Jacket with Aztec Yoke : $77 : Asos Collection 3. Messenger with Two Buckles : $59 : Zara 4. Merino Zip Sweater : $98 : J.Crew 5. Lived-In Slim Khaki in Crown Gold : $60 : Gap

For the Guys 1. Varsity Blues If oxblood was the color of the fall for women, then “black-blue” is the color of the fall for men. Let’s face it, bright colors are not every guy’s cup of tea even though their girlfriends would love to change their mind (including yours truly)! Blue is something every guy can appreciate. Incorporate this trend into your wardrobe by selecting items such as a shirt that will transition well into different occasions. Try pairing different hues of blue to really make a statement as well. 2. Print and prime This season menswear is printed from head to toe! Everything from suits to jackets and pants to hoodies are doused in print. Az-

tec patterns are a big print trend. Try a printed sweater that translates easily for work or play when layered. If you’re more into dressing down you don’t have to go crazy with the trend just try a printed cardigan or hoodie on top of a basic tee and combine with a denim-cuffed jean and voilà!

messenger. Another sure option is a leather jacket. It translates well into the rest of your wardrobe, virtually wearable with any pair of denim or pants that you already have in your closet. Stick with basic black, tan or give ones of this season’s favorites, burgundy, a try.

4. English at heart The London Olympics are long gone but not without leaving us with this trend that pays homage to the wonderful host! Plaids, stripes, and classic tweeds are what make this trend so much fun. The proper way to make this trend work is to pair various patterns together. Pair a plaid or checked shirt with a striped V-neck sweater on top and an oxford shoe. The key is to combine these classic English inspired patterns to bring the look together.

Leather,

leather

and

more leather Yes guys you’re in on this trend as well. Designers showcased everything from leather pants to leather bomber jackets, coats, and even a full leather suit care of Hermes. Okay, so it’s totally not practical to believe that most guys will go for a full head to toe leather look but it’s easy to incorporate this trend into your wardrobe this fall! You can start small with a simple accessory. My suggestion is a cross body leather

5. Rusty and Dusty Colored pants and jeans have been around for the last few seasons, most notably this Spring. This trend trickled over into the fall 2012 season. The two hues that were seen the most were in rusty burgundy tones and dusty yellows and mustards. The trend for the fall is to cuff those pants up so just enough of your socks are seen. Pair your colored pant with an oxford or loafer shoe and a structured jacket for a work appropriate look or combine with a plimsoll or sneaker to dress it down.

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China Chow

Steven Tyler (A.K.A: Pirate of the... don’t know???)

First Victim (A.K.A Star): China Chow….with that name I wouldn’t be wearing that. IS that WHY there isn’t a sequel to the movie UP yet? You are wearing the fur of Kevin??? So what are we going to tell our kids? No sequel to Up because a celeb thought she would look good wearing Kevin’s fur?? Not only is it repulsive to look at but what is even worse is that the colors of the “THING” under her navel get very dark, making it seem like she is showing some long hoo-ha hair there. China, next time try not to be inspired by Disney and the Grudge at the same time before going to an awards ceremony where you will be seen by people.

We all know that Steven Tyler is a HUGE fan of Pirates of the Caribbean, since he is playing tribute with this “look.” Steven is known for being chill and cool, but with this look he also looks homeless. He looks like he has been in a garbage can for days (maybe rooming with Oscar the Grouch), then decided to take a stroll with anything that he found in the garbage for clothes. Man, you are the LEAD singer of Aerosmith. You CAN afford clothing. As for rooming with Oscar, I promise you that you have a house, probably in the posh Hollywood Hills, so please go there and groom. Last thing America needs is another homeless looking singer on the streets.

WTF?

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__ layout by Sarah Gaynor

__ ___

By: Stella Quimby

An Examination of Star’s Modas.

We all know that the “DIVA of all DIVA’s” Christina loves to be the center of attention everywhere, even in front of a convenience store. First, it looks like Christina got into a fight with her dress and started ripping it apart, but then stopped. Naturally, she ripped sections of the dress that normally cover essential parts. To make matters worse, she wears the dress that fought her and added fuchsia stilettos to make sure everyone knows about her defeat of the dress. Girl…your outfit is for nighttime hookers. So remember when it is LIGHT outside, you don’t come out to work the streets. DARK out…ok time to work. And for your pimp (the bat), hide him… you’ll get more clients.

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X-Tina Aguilera (I’m guessing she is going after Adam Levine with that bat?)

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(I’ll hardly call her a star)

Kim Kardashian (you know we always have one of those here)

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Where do I start? KIM….there is a reason why we DON’T WEAR WHITE AFTER LABOR DAY! It should apply to dresses too. You look like you just popped out 30 kids and then put on a dress to show off those baby-popping hips. To balance out those hips then you decided to wear the black top that your 30 kids destroyed to pieces? I know you feel that it is Avant garde, but honey, it is plain UNFLATTERING. Your hips look like smashed play dough spread wide apart. Next time, black on bottom and white on top (no ripped tops either….makes you look poor(which we all know you don’t like).

Ok, we know you LOVE to be naked. I mean, literally ALL your ads are of you naked hiding your junk behind one of your products. So since you can’t be naked for a red-carpet event you wear something that allows you to be seminaked? And, so you don’t blend in (because you are Marc Jacobs), you decide to wear a pair of white boxers to give your look a pop of color?? What are you even wearing? An old women’s long lace blouse? And since you ARE Marc Jacobs, you wanted to add some bling with your buckle circa 16th century shoes? Just horrible. The International Council of Fashion Designers should literally put you away for this catastrophe of an outfit. On the bright side, your body is muy caliente! Marc Jacobs (with that look, I question if he is a designer)

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Contrary to what others may tell you, thigh-high boots are making a come back. Don’t be alarmed as many may cringe at the thought of city goers everywhere adorning their legs with ‘hooker’ boots. This time, it’s in the most fashionable and classy way possible. Less Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, more Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada.

Altuzzara

By NAME KRYSTA HILL

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Less Helmut Lang

Look

F OR

The release of The Devil Wears Prada in 2006 marked the beginning of the fashion phenomenon where fashion interns go unpaid and landing a fashion job in the industry is just as hard and prestigious as landing a spot on the VIP list to the Academy Awards. This movie set out to recreate the world of fashion, uncovering all its hidden secrets and revealing the dark, cruel side of the ‘glamorous’ job working at a fashion magazine. The most memorable part of the movie was when Anne Hathaway walked out in those mind-blowing thigh-high leather Chanel boots. Who could beat that? Patricia Field has so rightfully earned her title as a Fashion Goddess. This season, it’s time to show her what you’re made of and rock those thigh high boots!

Stella McCartney : Net-a-Porter : $1,215

Pleasure Electra Lycra : Sears.com : $69

layout by Sarah Gaynor

THE LOOK : Thigh high boots

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Chanel Iman

Taylor Tomas Hill

LAYOUT BY: ERIN MURRAY

ith fall here and the leaves making their change it is only right that our nail and lip colors to reflect this change. This fall, the nail color trends are very right on for changing of the season. The nail color trends for this fall are deep purple, blood red, metallic and beige. These are perfect colors variation so that every girl can partake with a trend color. Lip colors for this fall are also very similar to fall nail colors in the sense that there is a color for every type of girl. For the fall lips are mostly about making a statement. Trend colors for lips are matte red, deep plum and berry. Nude is also a trend color this season that should be worn with a bold eye. Now keep in mind not all the trend colors are right for every girl. It is important when partaking in any trend that you make sure that the trend is right for you. I believe that with these fall nail and lip color trends that there is a color for every type of girl.

Essie Penny Talk is the perfect metallic bronze nail color for the fall. The name says it all; this color reflects perfectly the shade of a shiny new penny.

Essie Penny Talk Nail Polish www.ulta.com Ulta - $8.00

L’Oreal Color Riche Nail Color in Breaking Curfew is just the right deep shade of purple that is perfect to wear this fall. It is such a deep shade that is almost looks black but surprise it isn’t.

Loreal Color Riche Nail Color in Breaking Curfew www.target.com Target - $4.99

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Fast Dry Nail Color in Cinna-snap is that dark shade of red that is just right for this upcoming fall. This is the perfect color for that girl that loves wearing red polish all year long.

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Fast Dry Nail Color in Cinna-snap www.walgreens.com Walgreens - $4.99

OPI Don’t Pretzel My Buttons is just the right shade of beige that is perfect for a very natural yet trendy nail color. Unlike other natural colors this polish will go on without streaking.

OPI Don’t Pretzel My Buttons part of the Germany Collection www.ulta.com Ulta - $8.50

MAC Russian Red is the best red lip color I have ever owned and worn. It not only has a great matte finish but with the right lip liner it will last all day on your lips. You will literally have to scrub it off at the end of the day. Talk about long lasting color.

MAC Russian Red Lipstick www.maccosmetics.com MAC Stores & Counter - $15.00

Too Faced La Crème in Nude Beach is the right shade of nude to wear with all the bold eye looks this fall

Too Faced La Crème in Nude Beach www.sephora.com Sephora - $21.00

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Va Va Violet is definitely a color that can only be pulled off by the right person. This lip color is very bold and probably scares a lot of girls but it is ok that you don’t feel comfortable wearing such a bold color.

Revlon Super Lusterous Lipstick in Va Va Violet www.target.com Target - $4.99

Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Color in Blissful Berry is the perfect lip color for the girl that isn’t quite as daring when it comes to her makeup looks but wants to be able to try a trend color.

Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Color in Blissful Berry www.target.com

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Target - $5.54

Written By :Danielle Pulak

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section text ith fall here and the leaves making their change it is only right that our nail and lip colors to reflect this change.

LAYOUT BY: ERIN MURRAY

This fall, the nail color trends are very right on for changing of the season. The nail color trends for this fall are deep purple, blood red, metallic and beige. These are perfect colors variation so that every girl can partake with a trend color. Lip colors for this fall are also very similar to fall nail colors in the sense that there is a color for every type of girl. For the fall lips are mostly about making a statement. Trend colors for lips are matte red, deep plum and berry. Nude is also a trend color this season that should be worn with a bold eye. Now keep in mind not all the trend colors are right for every girl. It is important when partaking in any trend that you make sure that the trend is right for you. I believe that with these fall nail and lip color trends that there is a color for every type of girl.