DJ Valley: Pandora Perfection

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Stuck in a musical rut? We found the perfect Pandora stations for every occasion. Tune in and rock on. 

When the weather’s cold and you’re stuck inside 

Pandora station: The Black Keys

The Black Keys have made a name for themselves with their bluesy rock vibe. Whether you’re doing work or simply relaxing, the band’s station’s deep, cozy vibrations will keep you warm.

When you’re getting ready for a night out

Pandora station: “4th of July (Fireworks)” by Kelis

Kelis started out as a brash hip-hop artist (“Milkshake,” anyone?) but reinvented herself as an energetic dancehall songstress. This station boasts party favorites like Ke$ha and David Guetta, among others. You’re in for a good time.

When it’s warm outside and you’re hanging with friends

Pandora station: Phoenix

Most of this music is light and airy, and Phoenix frontman Thomas Mars’ buoyant voice enhances these songs’ radiating summer feel. Grab your shades, your friends and a spot by the pool and get ready to have some summer fun.

When you’re feeling a lil’ bit weird

Pandora station: Crystal Castles or Gorillaz

Both of these bands are a little off their rocker, and the playlist definitely reflects it.  That’s OK!  If you’re looking for something a little bit different, this is the way to go.

When you’re working out

Pandora Station: Robyn

Robyn is truly queen of the Euro-pop kingdom. Her tunes, as well as the others played here, are energetic and electric. This station will give you the energy needed to power through your weakest workout moments.

 

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Smart Style: Torrance Does It Big (with Accessories)

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Name: Torrance Shepherd
Age: 21
Year: Junior
Major: Broadcast journalism and theater
Hometown: Pittsburgh (Cranberry Township)
What she’s wearing: Shirt and vest, H&M; Necklace, Forever 21; Hat, Macy’s; Gloves, American Eagle
Go big or go home: She loves accessories — hats, scarves, necklaces, big rings that cover two fingers, big sunglasses. “They’re not sunglasses if you can see your eyebrows.”
Go-to look for class: “I love jeans and a good sweater and boots.”

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Model Casting Call

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Valley is currently looking for new models to be featured in the upcoming Spring issue of the magazine, as well as for our Spring fashion show!

Stop by Monday, Jan. 23 any time between 4 and 8 p.m. in 306 HUB to fill out a quick application and have your picture taken.

We are looking for people who photograph well and like to be in front of a camera. No prior modeling experience is required, but it’s a plus.

Both girls and guys are welcome!

Please contact Morgan Domsohn at mdomsohn@gmail.com or Molly Ferguson at mollferg32@gmail.com with any questions.

Hope to see you there!

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Spotlight on: Isis, the Penn State Women’s Ultimate Frisbee Team

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You bleed blue and white. You attend sporting events, read up on them and flaunt your undying devotion to Penn State athletics through the clothes you wear and the words you tweet. But while Nittany Lions in the spotlight are scoring touchdowns, winning matches and taking penalty shots, some unsung heroes of PSU sports are throwing discs forehand and backhand up at Bigler Field three nights a week.

Named Isis after an Egyptian goddess of healing and magic, the Penn State Women’s Ultimate Frisbee club team gears up in both the fall and spring semesters. Like other club sports, they travel all over the East Coast for their tournaments. And they have a tendency to win.

For the past three years, the team has consistently remained in the top five teams of the region. Next season, hopes are high for making it to nationals.

“The fall season is pretty much when we teach everyone how to play and welcome [them],” explains President Kelsey Baumes. “The spring season is competitive.”

Though Baumes, a sophomore, picked up ultimate frisbee in high school (and founded her school’s team), many of the girls are new to the sport when they join Isis.

In the fall, they perfect throwing the disc and other basic skills, including the “stack,” an offensive technique, as well as various types of defense. Baumes describes the fall as a “clean slate.” It’s still competitive, but the spring is much more serious — only the top 18 girls will compete in spring tournaments.

Reflecting on last spring, Baumes insists it was a fluke that the team didn’t make it to nationals. She says that she knows the girls have definitely learned from mistakes made in the deciding game and that they’re ready for this spring.

After five starting seniors graduated, the team managed to pull in a bunch of freshmen, and everyone has stepped up, Baumes says. The fall season went well — the team was victorious in a couple of tournaments. And even though its last tournament was in early November, the team continues to practice. Now that the weather has begun to turn, its practices are based on conditioning to stay in shape for the spring.

“When it gets cold, we just condition,” Baumes says. “[We] just run and run.”

For more information on Isis, visit its website.

Photo courtesy of Stephanie Stewart

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Be Our Spring 2012 Cover Girl!

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Every semester, Valley looks for a smart, driven and fashionable student leader to be on the magazine’s cover.

We look for students who are exceptionally involved at Penn State, both in academics and extracurricular activities. Being featured in our magazine is a great way of recognizing your hard work and achievements during your time on campus.

Go here for more details and to find out how to apply!

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Mix and Match, Fix and Patch Your Ripped Jeans

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We all have those favorite jeans that are worn in just right, but what happens when they get a little too loved and holes start to surface? No need to call the denim doctor. Instead, transform the rugged denim into some fancy pants with these stylish ideas.

Smells like Jean Spirit
Multiple rips call for lots of mending, but one of the easiest ways to cover holes is with patches. Rummage around the attic or your grandma’s house for old varsity, Girl Scout or military-style patches. Just iron them on for a quick-fix solution.

Under-Cover Pop
For a pair of ripped jeans that have too much character to alter, put a pair of printed tights or lace leggings underneath for a pop of color that will keep your legs cozy in the colder weather.

That’s Jean-ius
When a rip at the knee continues to grow, it’s time to make amends. Prevent it from expanding by using a machine or hand sewing the hole around the edges. To create your own patch, use a printed or textured piece of fabric and cut a rectangle piece that is roughly an inch bigger and wider than the hole. Fold the edges of the piece under and pin on top of the hole. Sew the patch into place to give jeans a trendy renovation.

Behind the Seams
Traditionally, denim is patched up with more denim and can be good for a less-noticeable fix. For a more exciting approach, cut a patch of denim from the side seam of an old pair of jeans. Then sew the patch underneath the hole, showing off the seams to add a subtle yet stylish twist.

Are You A-frayed of the Dark?
When the bottom of your pants drag around too much, there is no need to be a-frayed. Sewing a plaid fabric piece inside is a fun way to hide the distressed bottom. Simply sew a strip on the inside and roll them up for a cheerful touch.

Photo by Nina Abbott

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No Money? No Problems: DIY Holiday Gifts on a College-Student Budget

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The prospect of shopping for Christmas gifts can be dismaying when your wallet is thin from skipping work to study, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a way to show friends you care! We delve into a world of cheap and holiday-sweet DIY gifts with little to no effort, but with 100 percent love and flair.

Personalized cookies
Supplies: Pillsbury Christmas cookies, cookie icing

Everyone loves a sweet snack during finals, and with Pillsbury cutout Christmas cookies, half the decorating is already done for you! These unbaked cookies cost under $5, and with a $3 icing kit, you have instant personalization. Spell out friends’ names or holiday phrases onto the cookies, and then place them in a baggie for a yummy present.

Personalized, DIY tree ornaments or stockings
Supplies: Christmas ball ornaments and/or stockings, puffy paint, markers

Penn State stockings and bulbs are for sale all over downtown, and with a little puffy paint, your friends can have a one-of-a-kind gift to hang in their dorms! You can also buy bulk holiday candy and fill the stockings with some delicious stuffers before gifting this holiday surprise!

Handmade, self-laminated snowflake cards
Supplies: Colorful paper, scissors, wax paper, iron, markers and card decorations

Christmas cards are cute, but why spend $3 on something when you can create a winter masterpiece from items you already own?

To start, fold your paper into an eight-fold snowflake pattern. Check out this slide show of how to do the easy fold.

Cut the snowflake into desired shape and open. Use the markers and decorations to adorn the paper portion of the snowflake. Make sure all decorations are flat on the snowflake — otherwise lamination will not be possible.

While decorations dry, heat the iron and tear off 2 sheets of wax paper — make each an inch larger than the snowflake on all sides. Lay the snowflake in the center of one wax sheet on a flat surface. Lay the second sheet of wax paper on top. Take a towel or piece of fabric and place it over the snowflake pile, careful not to move the wax paper. Then, lay the hot iron on the towel and iron gently, not pressing hard, for 5-10 minutes, being sure to get all corners and press out any air bubbles.

Remove towel and allow snowflake to cool. Once cool, cut off excess wax paper and voila! Laminated snowflake perfection.

               

Photos by Jennie Lichtenstein and Kaitlyn Knopp

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Ho-Ho-Holiday Playlist

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Classes are winding down. The holidays are just around the corner (YAY!). You’ve been invited to at least 3 ugly-Christmas-sweater parties on Facebook. It’s time to lay down the books and pick up your ear buds — these songs are guaranteed to put you in the holiday mood.

*NSYNC – “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays”
As millennials, nothing says (excuse me, sings) a good time quite like a boy-band throwback jam. “It’s a wonderful feeling, feel the love in the room from the floor to the ceiling.” With lyrics like that, how couldn’t this song pull you into the holiday mood?

Lady Gaga – “Christmas Tree”
Nothing these days seems complete without a dose of Gaga. True to Mother Monster’s signature naughty style, the song is loaded with innuendos. Definitely not parent-approved.

Jack’s Mannequin – “The Lights and Buzz”
On the track, while not a holiday song per se, Andrew McMahon sings of the therapeutic qualities of the season and home. A Christmas in the band’s Southern California hometown would definitely be paradise when compared to Happy Valley’s weather standards.

Mariah Carey – “All I Want for Christmas is You”
Our generation was raised on this song. A classic, childish theme of knowing exactly what you want for the holidays translated into something we can all empathize with (being in love!) — and a killer beat to boot.

Matisyahu – “Miracle”
Matisyahu’s modern-day version of a Hanukkah song speaks to more than just religion. His uplifting lyrics declare the power of faith and redemption, and makes this a song sure to fill your head with positive thinking and holiday cheer.

Bing Crosby – “Winter Wonderland”
No holiday season is complete without a Bing Crosby jingle. His recognizable and wholesome holiday music is adored by generations past and present.

Which songs would you add to the playlist? Tell us in the comments.

Photo by Ian Lopera

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Do-It-Yourself Beauty: Avocado-and-Honey Facial Mask

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Not only can the remnants of stress leave us feeling overwhelmed and fatigued, it can also display itself on the outside — on our skin!

As college students, how we treat our skin and health can sometimes take a back seat to our busy course load and other miscellaneous activities. With finals and last-minute papers around the corner, the semester is drawing to a much-anticipated close. Many of us have been left to waddle in our very own sleep deprivation, anxiety, hair pulling, forehead rubbing and nail-biting stress! In the midst of that, we may not always have the time to obey our normal skin-care regimen, let alone indulge in luxurious spa-like practices.

But keeping our skin healthy and refreshed is just as important — if not even more — in stressful periods. Not only can stress worsen acne and other skin problems, it can also leave the skin dry and with a collection of dead skin cells.

So relax! Take a load off, do some deep breathing and show your skin a little extra attention with a reviving avocado-and-honey facial mask.

Let’s look at the pros: Avocadoes and eggs are excellent moisturizers because of their high fat content. Baking soda has an interesting softening effect on the skin. And with most of the other ingredients found not too far from a kitchen or the nearest supermarket, you’ll be sure to dive into finals feeling refreshed, revived and ready to go!

What You’ll Need:
1 egg
1/2 avocado
1 tsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. baking soda
2 drops orange essential oil

Directions:
Puree the avocado, egg and mayonnaise in a blender, adding the honey and other ingredients as you go. These ingredients blend well together, so if you would like to beat them by hand instead that works just as well. Finish your mixture by adding the baking soda.

Note that this concoction does not have a very long shelf life and is best used all at once. Feel free to use the excess on your neck and chest area.

Whether you’d like to avocado-and-honey it up for before or after finals — or even both — you’ll be sure to leave your skin feeling healthy, soft and replenished!

Photo by Lindsay Lipovich

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Start Your Holiday Gift Hunt with Downtown Deals

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Get a head start on your holiday gift shopping (or treat yourself to a finals-week splurge) by stopping by these downtown State College stores.

Dwellings is “all about giving back”
Dwellings (358 E. College Ave.) is asking for donations for its Toys for Tots toy drive. Donate a new toy for a well-deserving tot, and receive $15 in-store credit. Use your credit to peruse through Dwellings’ fun and festive colorful knit head warmers, or be charmed by its adorable seasonal bracelets. Sniff through the store’s collections of incense and oils, ranging from delicious aromas of Mint Mojito to sweet blends of New Mown Hay, a mix of classic lavenders and refreshing lemongrass.

Don’t have a new toy to donate? No worries — stay toasty and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate, provided by Dwellings, while you shop from now until Christmas. The downtown store has a bit of something for everyone and doesn’t shy away from giving back! It’s all about the children and loyal customers this time of year.


Barefoot & UGGs

Give your feet a bit of TLC, and treat them to a discounted pair of new UGGs. Stop into Barefoot (130 E. College Ave.) and receive $10 off any UGGs. Whether you’re looking for a pair to trek through campus, or if you’re pondering over holiday gift ideas, the cozy boots can keep your toes warm during the frigid days ahead.


Urban outerwear
Who doesn’t love to keep warm and look oh-so-chic while doing it? Go into Urban Outfitters (234 E. College Ave.) to receive 30 percent off all men’s and women’s boots and outerwear. Deck the halls with stylish wedged booties or stay warm, cozy and fashionable with a trendy new winter jacket.

Photo by Stefan Choquette

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