What does “winter” or “the holidays” mean to you? Maybe snow angels? Maybe partying it up on New Year’s? Maybe all the resolutions you failed to keep in 2010?

Regardless, we want to see it! We want to see what “winter” (specifically, December through February) means to you, whether it’s the holidays, New Year’s, even Valentine’s Day! You just might get your photo into the next issue of Audrey Magazine!

Submit your photos that in some way reflect the Asian American experience as well as the theme of “winter.” You don’t have to be a pro, so submit your photo by October 15, 2010. To submit, please see instructions below.

We’re looking forward to seeing your work!

Submissions

Images should be in digital jpeg format, at least 300 dpi resolution and 2400 pixels on the long end. Along with each image, please include your name, location and an explanation of how your image relates to the theme. Only submit photos that you’ve taken yourself. Please do not digitally alter your photos, besides cropping and applying basic tonal adjustments. Send your photos to EDITOR@audreymagazine.com, maximum three entries per person.

Legal & Releases

By submitting, you are granting Audrey Magazine permission to publish your submitted photos online and/or in print with your photo credit. You must be 18 or older to submit; if you’re under 18, a parent or legal guardian can submit on your behalf. We cannot accept photos of “recognizable” people in your photograph without a personal release signed by the person, authorizing our publication of the photo.

So this feather ring by KidViskous is pretty awesome. Two fingered rings are all the rage these days anyway but the brand takes it up a notch with a cute feather design. Coming in gold, silver and black, this is a great accessory for all the writers out there. Even though we don’t use that outdated mode of writing anymore, it’s still good to wear as a fashion statement. You feel me?

Btw: is it just me or does it also look like a mustache? Just me? Just me? Ok.

The Next Food Network Star season 6 winner, Aarti Sequeira

Time spent with Aarti really is a party. The season six champion of Food Network’s number one series, The Next Food Network Star is full of life; from her cascading waterfall of dark curls to her lyrical British accent. Aarti Sequeira was born in Bombay, India and grew up in her mother’s kitchen. Though her mom’s flavorful Indian spices had always surrounded her childhood, Aarti didn’t try her hand at cooking until she got married and moved to LA. Instead, the TV personality worked as a journalist for many years, producing for CNN in Chicago and New York. After taking some classes at a local cooking school, Aarti knew that she wanted to make food her career. But how to go about it? Aarti decided to combine her love of journalism and food together- creating an online cooking variety show and blog called Aarti Paarti. The show caught Food Network’s attention and the rest is history. Or just starting. After winning the reality show, Aarti’s show Aarti Party premiered on August 22 for six episodes that ran through the end of Sept. to great audience feedback. 13 more episodes for a new season are currently in production. From conjuring up the perfect summer picnic to warming up a cold rainy day, Aarti brushes up classic American dishes with a touch of her Indian heritage. Audrey caught up with the next food network star in Culver City, CA, fresh from shooting her first season.

Audrey: So Aarti, you started as a journalist, what made you switch career paths?

I started working at CNN a week after I graduated from university. I loved working there. There’s so much integrity and intelligence there but when I moved to LA, I really had to hustle for freelance jobs. I realized that I’m not a lazy person but I don’t really have that drive anymore for journalism in that form. A couple of years after I moved here, I worked with a Peabody award winning director on a documentary about Darfur that ended up being bought by HBO. That made me feel like, “okay, this is what I was supposed to be doing.” The same journalistic ideals and we’re going deep, deep, deep into it figuring out what is going on. But right around that time, the economy was starting to tank and no one wanted to make docs about Africa anymore. So that was when I started cooking it became the highlight of my day. It really helped me realized that no matter what was happening in my life, when I was in the kitchen, that was my safe place, that was my quiet place. That’s where I could control things.

Aarti and her husband Brendan

Audrey: How did your online cooking show and blog catch the attention of Food Network?

Food Network started doing their casting for The Next Food Network Star and people popped up randomly telling me to audition for this show. I was really hesitant. I didn’t think I had the culinary chops to compete with these people and the challenges that were requiring you to cook in 15 minutes or something. But my husband said to me, “listen, we’re going to make a video, we’re going to send it in and we’re going to see what happens. You have nothing to lose. And so we did and that was it.

Audrey: It seems like your husband is very supportive of you.

My husband has always been my champion. We’ve been together 14 years and he’s always seen so much in me that I don’t see in myself. When I happened upon this cooking show idea, he hopped on it. He’s an actor-director and he understands forging your own way and trying to do what you want to do until someone comes knocking on your door and says, “I like what you’re doing and I want to pay you to do it.”

Audrey: As artists, did you guys ever struggle financially? How did that reflect in your cooking?

Aarti spices up her dishes

Brendan and I have definitely struggled. A year ago, I wasn’t even sure if we could make rent so we’ve really had to make a lot of sacrifices. But it’s been entirely worth it. So that kind of thinking is always going to pop up in my show anyway. Even in the competition, they would give us a budget and I would always spend the least money out of everyone (laughs). Even though I was making these things that were- for lack of a better word-exotic, I always came up really under budget. That’s just the way I cook. With Indian food, at least the kind that I grew up eating, there are so many vegetables, lentils, beans and things in the cuisine- it’s really a budget friendly way of cooking.

Audrey: Speaking of Indian spices. How does your Indian heritage influence your cooking?

I think what I’m trying to do is open the door for Indian cuisine for America. There are people out there who have been championing Indian cuisine for years. What I’m trying to do is take those traditional Indian flavors and wrap them around some classic American dishes so they’re not that intimidating. Here is a whole new way to enjoy Indian spices without overextending yourself. I try to use the spices that you can find at the regular supermarket- tamarack, cumin, and oleander-all those things. I’ve been kind of astonished actually by how many people have run out, bought the spices, come home, made what I made and would upload pictures. I’ve just been floored by that.

Tandoori Chicken from aartipaarti.com

Audrey: If you get a season 2, where do you think you will take your food to?

I’m always on my Facebook page. So I post on there, “what do you guys want to learn how to make?” I got 300 comments within a couple of hours and people are asking how to make these really traditional Indian dishes. They weren’t asking for fusion, they were asking me for the authentic stuff. That was so encouraging to me, I was like, okay, after this season, god willing if I get season 2, there’s an appetite out there. People are willing to order the ingredients online. Or they’re willing to hunt them down in Indian stores.

Audrey: Being a cooking show host is partially about the food but partially about the host’s on-camera personality. Have you always been this telegenic?

My husband is an actor and he would take these improv classes. I would go to his shows every week and I was floored that there were so many things about improv that was affecting his personality in a really helpful way. The great thing about improv is that there are so many things you can completely carry over into real life. Focusing on other people more than yourself or just making a decision and trusting your gut. So I took these classes and it really gave me a sense of confidence. It helped me realize I really do have good instincts and I just have to trust them. That helped in being willing to improvise in the kitchen and trusting my palate. It really helped with my personality because it pulled me out of my shell and it made me feel like I was worthy of being heard, I guess.

Judging from the positive reviews the show has been receiving, it would seem like the rest of America feels like she’s worthy of being heard as well.

Check out Aarti Party Sundays at 12PM ET/PT on the Food Network. You can also read more about Aarti at www.aartipaarti.com

For those of us who weren’t blessed with long, thick, seductive eyelashes I have some big news: our savior is here in the form of LashFood’s Conditioning Mascara (in black or brown).

LashFood Conditioning mascara, with Nano-Peptide Technology gives you gorgeous, full, long eyelashes with just a couple swipes of the brush. That means you can don it while watching a weepy Korean drama or take a lap around the pool and still look beautiful.

The mascara is infused with LashFood’s Nano-Peptide Technology conditioning serum and conditions the root of lashes to transform frail and brittle lashes to become healthy and strong with every stroke!

Hallelujah!

The Asian American Music Festival 2010 (AAMF) is an event not to be missed this fall. You’ll have October 15, 16 and 17 to choose from, so there’s no excuse for missing out on the international music festival featuring concerts, dance and educational programming. The festival will be held at Los Angeles’ Japanese National Museum.

Jake Shimabukuro.

The AAMF is the world’s leading festival celebrating Asian American music, from jazz, pop, world music, hip-hop and electronica. AAMF celebrates the artistic and creative achievements of Asian American, Asian, and Asian Pacific Islander artists in all genres of music. This year, headliners include ukulele legend Jake Shimabukuro, groundbreaking hip-hop artist Shing02 (“Shing-Oh-2″), and international songstress Charmaine Clamor.

Charmaine Clamor.

These superstars will be joined by an eclectic lineup of Asian American virtuosos including Jon Jang, Dana Leong, Kero One (we featured his amazing video “On Bended Knee”), Gary Fukushima, Abe Lagrimas, Jr., Noel Okimoto, Emi Meyer, Shanghai Restoration Project, and Sachal Vasandani.

Kero One.

“As a promoter, the only thing better than having a sold-out festival is having a sold-out festival filled from start to finish with music I love. And I really love this festival’s lineup!” says festival founder and director Paul Im. “I’m extremely proud of our programming this year. We’re presenting the most current, culturally relevant, and artistically engaging artists of Asian descent in the world today, all together in a cohesive format. ”

This year’s festival will be celebrated in five movements:

Dana Leong.

Movement 1 (Friday evening, 10/15): Urbanisms features west coast hip-hop star, Kero One, opening for Dana Leong’s Milk & Jade project which fuses electronica and hip-hop. Movement 1′s headliner is Japanese rapping sensation, Shing02.

Movement 2 (Saturday afternoon, 10/16): Generations is a direct tribute to the Asian American jazz legacy and the API consciousness movement with performances by two generations of leading Asian American pianists, Gary Fukushima and Jon Jang. Movement 2 closes with the world premiere of “Concerto for Jazz Orchestra and Taiko” composed by Jon Jang, performed by The New Asian American Jazz Orchestra directed by Gary Fukushima.

Emi Meyer.

Movement 3 (Saturday evening, 10/16): Stars of the Islands is Hawaiian music night with international pop superstar Jake Shimabukuro headlining. Abe Lagrimas, Jr. and Noel Okimoto open with their vibraphone and drums quartet.

Movement 4 (Sunday Afternoon, 10/17): Angles features Japanese American pop-jazz superstar Emi Meyer opening for Undercover Culture recording group, Shanghai Restoration Project, in a multi-media hip-hop and electronic performance.

Movement 5 (Sunday evening, 10/17): Identity closes AAMF with two stars of unique artistic and cultural identities: singers Sachal Vasandani and Charmaine Clamor in two performances of jazz with world influence.

Sachal Vasandani.

“This year’s Asian American Music Festival, an evolution from the Asian American Jazz Festival, reflects our decision to celebrate all expressions of music by API artists, no matter the genre,” says Im. “Asian American artists have had rich histories in hip-hop, jazz, world and electronic music. The festival celebrates diversity while focusing on Asian American cultural identity and the API artists who share this connection.”

DETAILS

October 15-17, 2010

Japanese National Museum, 369 East First Street, Los Angeles, CA

Online ticketing is now available through the festival’s website www.AsianAmericanMusicFestival.com

I don’t know where you live but I live in LA and the weather has been CRAZY these days! Cold like it’s Canada one moment and hot like it’s Miami the next. I don’t even know how to dress for the weather anymore because it keeps changing on me! I packed away all my summer clothes already but should I bring them back out? Well, this Barbie Clone Zipper Tank in Dimepiece Designs is perfect whether the weather is hot or cold. It’s extra baggy so it’ll be breezy for the hot days but the black and white minimalist side makes it good for layering during the colder times. Sure a bunch of doll heads on your shirt could seem a little creepy but people would definitely remember your shirt.

We were excited for former Audrey contributor Shannon Goss when she landed a (dream) gig writing for ER, but sad to see her leave for greener (and well-paid) pastures. Now that ER has ended, she’s back to sharing her writing skills with us, this time with a regular column looking into her life as a writer, a hapa Asian American, and all-around modern woman.

I was asked to kick off my bi-weekly columns with an introductory piece. For anyone who has visited my website knows, I’m not big on the “About Me” page.

So what follows is an essay, which is my veiled attempt to get you – the reader – to like me, read me and clamor for more.

One of my high school classmates was convinced that I, with my non-white skin, was not an American. He was equally convinced that my fair-skinned best friend was. He was wrong.

My nationality? American.

My best friend? A green card-holding Canadian.

My ethnicity, which he confused with my nationality, is half Japanese; the other half equal parts Irish, Scottish, English and Welsh. In Hawaii, where I was born, I am known as a hapa, that is, a “half.”

Despite growing up in small town Oregon (read: not a Japanese restaurant in sight), I identify more with my Japanese side than my British Isles side, thus writing for Audrey magazine and not, say, Irish Lass Monthly.

My annoyance over the misuse of “ethnicity” and “nationality” probably has to do with the fact that I was raised by parents who were teachers. In our house, words and how you used them mattered. This supports the life assumption that we can blame pretty much anything on our parents.

Fear of abandonment? Thanks, Mom and Dad. Although in my case a little unwarranted considering I’m basing this entirely on the time I thought my parents boarded a cable car without me. Spoiler alert: They didn’t, something I realized after successfully chasing down the trolley with no money to pay my fare, what
with me being 8-years-old and all.

Inability to wake up early? Totally my parents’ fault, despite my mom’s best efforts to wake me from my teenage slumber by threatening to spray me with a water bottle and/or sing Chinese opera (she is neither Chinese nor an opera singer).

Comical confusion between rights and lefts? I want to blame this on my parents because I don’t know how else to explain my consistent ability to say, “turn left” when I mean, “turn right.” My boyfriend has accepted this as one of my adorable (my word) foibles despite the fact that when I make this error he’s generally at
the wheel of a moving automobile.

In my parents’ defense, however, I also take responsibility for my hang-up about words because I am a writer. Most of the time word choice is a matter of taste. Was she agitated or incensed? Overjoyed or jubilant? This changed while on the writing staff of the show ER where one wrong word could be the difference between life and death (in a fake TV show way).

So yes, words and how they are used matter to me. But hopefully not in a pretentious, you want to punch me in the face way. More of a I’m-laughing-with-you-because-you-misused-the-word-“literally” way.

– Shannon Goss

I think earrings are the ultimate accessories. Dress up or dress down, with long hair or short, they make any face look just a little bit better. The right pair of earrings are not always easy to find. If you get one that’s too big, it might make you look a little big. Sometimes, ones that are too small can seem too casual or prim and proper. But these dagger drops in black garnet have just the right touch of class and sass. Drop earrings are great because they slim your face down and black matches…everything. Plus they look a little vintage. And we all know vintage is so now.

Deciding what to wear to an event can be a grueling task. Do you overdress? Underdress? Do you wear your favorite classics or try something trendier?

And in the case of a fashion show, the age old question can be, do you go with black or color?

Through my red carpet corresponding, I’ve found most celebs sticking to the classic black for the evening. Nevertheless, some found great ways to spruce up a basic. But is it better than donning a bright hue? Let’s take a look at the competition.

The Blacks:

Serena Yang sassed up her LBD with geometric gems on the shoulder blades and killer shoes.

On any other man, this outfit would look a bit frumpy and hobo-ish but Jack Yang is not any other man. Blackjack!

Pro ping pong player (dude, I know,right?) Soo Yeon Lee kind of has this Halloween witchy costume thing going on but she’s dang gorgeous so she pulls it off.

Love Karin Anna Cheung’s blingin’ chains and hot skirt.

Same for Kavi Ladnier

Lina So looks classy and elegant…and kind of out of place at this event!

Nikki Soohoo’s white stripes brings a stark contrast to her black strapless.

The Colors

Ashley Jones supports designer Jenny Han with a jewel-toned purple cocktail that looks comfy and stylish.

James Kyson Lee had a flight to NY that evening which may explain why he was so warmly dressed for the warm evening. Nonetheless, shnazzy scarf!

Lynn Chen sports a casual maroon top. We were more in love with her fabulous professional do. The first time she ever got her hair done for an event!

Mayleen Ramey looks super Californian cool in this breezy sundress and flat sandals. ROck ‘em girlfriend!

Michelle Phan’s blue gem-toned cocktail was a nice contrast to the red carpet.

Paperdoll’s unique style is shown through each members’ different fashion choices.

Sheetal Sheth rocked her gunmetal gray jumpsuit.

So what do you think? Is it cooler to stay in edgy black for the evening or don a bright hue? If you want my opinion…

I wore this for the evening (pictured here interviewing Justin Chon).  So I say: viva la color!

Why? Why?????

Why can’t we just all get along?

My heart is breaking.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/09/bias_charge_is_considered_for.html