What You Need
Doilies (easily found at your local Vinnies)
Fabric Stiffener (you can make your own -equal parts glue and water)
A bowl, or many bowls

Step 1
Turn your bowl upside down

Step 2
Soak the doily in fabric stiffener

Step 3
Drape the doily over the bottom of the bowl

Step 4
With your fingers, smooth the doily out over the bowl to remove any wrinkles and excess fabric stiffener. Leave on the bowl overnight and voila! They’ll be dry and ready to use.

Too easy! Why not try other different sizes, and if you want to go crazier check out the full instructions for this DIY project and many more at Freepeople.

Happy DIY-ing!

Head to fuente-australia.com for more information.

For your chance to win Truffle by Fuente Shampoo and Conditioner answer the following question in 50 words or less: Who is your hair hero and why?

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Competition is open to Australian residents only. Starts 24 May, 2013 and ends 7 June 2013. This is a game of skill and entrants must tell us in 50 words or less: “Who is your hair hero and why?” The most creative answer will win. Total prize pool value $350. Entries will be judged on 8 June, 2013 at nextmedia Level 6, 207 Pacific Hwy, St Leonards NSW 2065. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. All email addresses collected in the entry form will be added to the Yen Newsletter database. You may unsubscribe from this free service at any time. Winners will be announced in the ‘Winners’ section of the Yen website and prizes will be sent to the postal address provided on the entry form or contacted via email about collection.

You know the way a film that’s anything other than Hollywood-sterile is referred to as “gritty”? How it’s insinuated that anything aesthetically visceral or thematically true to life’s sometime darkness is cloaked in filth? It’s overused and undercooked, but wait one second because buried in the heap there are films that deserve the title of “gritty”, and not just for lack of a better word. They are the rough, the dark and demanding, and The Place Beyond the Pines is one of these. There’s enough grit here to fog the lens.

Derek Cianfrance (My Blue Valentine) teams up with the thinking woman’s pin-up Ryan Gosling for an intense crime drama. Grungy James Dean-ish motorbike stunt rider Luke Glanton (Gosling) discovers he has an infant son with ex-lover Romina (Eva Mendes) and embarks on a bank-robbing spree to provide for the baby, with whom he has felt an immediate connection. Imagine his train of thought: “I love you, son, but instead of going all Cats-in-the-Cradle, my way of showing love is stealing money at gunpoint then hightailing it on my motorbike at a speed that will turn me into flying mince at the slightest mistake! What could possibly go wrong?” It doesn’t make much sense, but we all know bad decisions make good films – and wicked chase scenes.

This story interweaves with the life of Avery Cross (Bradley Cooper) a policeman tortured by his conscience, all while raising his own infant son with his wife Jennifer (Rose Byrne). Cooper’s Avery comes off as two-dimensional against the excitement and stone coolness of Luke. C’mon, Avery, just a little badassery is all we ask. The tensions and emotions of the protagonists’ stories will have a lasting effect on the lives of both men. So we have character and feeling and action, does it all work? Well… almost. This film is captured best through a line you know made the writers high-five each other after they thought of it: “If you ride like lightning, you’re going to crash like thunder.” That loss of momentum happens – sure, thunder is good enough, but I think we all prefer lightning.

The proverbial lightning of this film is the first third, with Cianfrances’s deft hand blending stunning visuals by DOP Sean Bobbit and designer Inbal Weinberg to create atmospherics and character within seconds, the best example being the swing-bang-humdinger of a opening shot tracking Luke through a seedy carnival to the tent where he performs. Succinct version: it’s fucking awesome. Besides these strengths, Ryan Gosling shines. His Luke is an enigma; his face tells us everything and nothing at the same time – we know all about the pain he is in, but none of how he came to be that way. Gosling also did most of his own stunt work, as if he wasn’t annoyingly perfect already. Besides being burdened with glorious talent, Gosling is also working with a stellar screenplay by Cianfrance, Ben Coccio and Darius Marder. They sketch character and feeling perfectly, and in refreshingly few words. Credit also goes to Erin Benach’s costume team for transforming Ryan “Mr Dream Boy USA” Gosling into a passable mix of carnie hick and bohemian punk.

Gosling’s stellar performance is given solid backup by a satisfyingly glammed-down Eva Mendes (whose journey as a woman in pain is palpable) and the young Dane DeHaan. To tell you who he is will spoil the fun, but be assured his intensity rivals a dubstep bass drop. The let down, most unfortunately, is a strained and impassive Bradley Cooper as the insipid Avery, locking the film’s engine. To make multiple protagonists work, they have to be as interesting as each other, and that simply doesn’t happen here. For all their skill in crafting conversation and character, the screenwriters don’t know how to handle a plot, particularly one so sprawling with difficult emotion and moral tragedy. The whole business is just about saved by the performances and undeniable coolness, but there’s still something missing. Cianfrance took on such a passionate and complex story about humans trying to deal with what life gives them, even if he doesn’t quite manage it perfectly. He messed up at doing something unique rather than adding another conventional story to the pile, and for that, for this film, he should have our respect. (He also opens with a close-up of Ryan Gosling’s abs and let’s face it, that is worth the entire price of your ticket. NOPE WE DIDN’T JUST SAY THAT, BYE.)

Rating: 3.5/5
The Place Beyond The Pines is in cinemas now.

An extended version of this review can be read at Celluloidoxygen.

Very easy to paste your own face over Mendes’.

FIRST PRIZE: Short story published in Yen issue 65, $500 Gorman clothing voucher, $500 Bloomsbury book bundle, $500 Bailey Nelson optical and sunglasses voucher, $500 Pigeonhole pack including Polaroid camera, bag and jewellery and 1-year subscription to Yen Magazine.

FOUR RUNNERS-UP: Short story published on Yen Online, $100 Pigeonhole jewellery pack and 1-year subscription to Yen Magazine.

TO ENTER
You must be female, 35 years or under and an emerging writer. Complete the entry form below and upload your 800 -1000 word short story featuring this year’s signature item, a suitcase.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
Information on how to enter and prizes form part of these Conditions of Entry. Registration for and/or participation in this competition is deemed acceptance of these Conditions of Entry. Acceptance of these Terms and Conditions is a condition of entry. 2. Entry to this competition commences at 9.00am 24 MAY, 2013 and closes at 5pm on 15 AUG, 2013 AEST. 3. Entry to this competition is open to Australian and New Zealand residents who are female and aged 35 and under as of 24 May, 2013 AEST. Employees, suppliers, agencies and partners associated with this promotion (and their immediate friends and family) are ineligible to enter. 4. To enter the competition entrants must visit the Yen Magazine website, register as an entrant, upload their short story, fill in the entry form online and submit it to the Yen Short Story Competition. 5. The Promoter reserves the right to refuse any entry which is deemed explicit, offensive, derogatory, defamatory. (ii) The short story must be between 800 – 1000 words. (iii) All entries must be original work of the entrant. (iv) The uploaded short story must feature the signature item of a suitcase.  (v) Only one entry per person is permitted. 7. The promoter reserves the right to vet all entry entries prior to them going live on the website and reserves the right to remove any entries at any time in their absolute discretion. The promoter is not responsible for any entries uploaded to the site and visitors to the site view it at their own risk. 8. The Promoter reserves the right, at any time, to verify the validity of entries and entrants. Without limitation, entrants agree to provide identification to the Promoter upon request. The Promoter’s decision in relation to all aspects of the promotion is final and no correspondence will be entered into. 9. The Promoter is nextmedia Pty Ltd. Level 6, 206 Pacific Highway, St Leonards NSW 2065 ABN 84128805970. Judging and Finalist Selection: Finalists will be selected by the judges of this competition. All entries will be viewed and selected by the judges online. Judging will take place between 15 – 23 August, 2013. This is a game of skill and chance plays no part in determining the winner. Each individual entry will be judged by the Judging Panel. The judges are seeking creative and innovative works that demonstrate the writer’s skill and imagination. No further correspondence will be entered into. The Judging Panel consists of: Annie Sebel, Yen Editor and Jana Roose, Yen Writer. Only 4 finalists will be published on Yen Magazine’s www.yenmag.net website from Sep 18, 2013 and will be contacted by phone or email. Please do not contact Yen Magazine to see if your story has been selected. All entrants consent to the use of their name and story for the purpose of promoting, publicising or marketing this competition including any outcome. The work selected by the judges is final, and no correspondence will be entered into regarding their decision. In the event of a dispute regarding the interpretation of these Terms and Conditions of Entry, the decision of the judges will be final. The Winner: The Winner will be announced on 18 September, 2013. The Winner’s name will be published on the site and in Yen Magazine and on the Yen Magazine website. Copyright: The Promoter reserves the right to publish the submitted works for the purpose of documentation and promotion in any medium and on any other promotional material indefinitely. The information entrants provide will be used by the Promoter for the purpose of conducting this promotion and, in the case of the winner and finalists, in relation to the conduct of the Promoter’s marketing and publicity campaigns. The Promoter may disclose Entrant’s personal information to agents to assist in conducting this Promotion, to communicate with Entrants and to State and Territory gaming authorities.

The Iconic showcases the best in Australian and international labels, all from one easy location. The best part? They have free, yes free, overnight shipping in major cities, 100 day free returns and 3-hour delivery in Sydney metro areas.

The Iconic have packaged up one stylin’ outfit for us to give away. The outfit includes:

• Spurr Universe Boots
• RES Denim Trashqueen Skinny Jeans
• Hunt No More Jacket
• ATMOS&HERE Fortitude Oversized T-Shirt in Vanilla
• Quay Eyeware Sunglasses
• ATMOS&HERE Bracelets
• ATMOS&HERE Bag

For the chance to be the one lucky duck to add these amazing items to their winter wardrobe/floordrobe, all you need to do is answer the following question in 50 words or less: “Where would you wear your new outfit to and why?”

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TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Competition is open to Australian residents only. Starts 24 May, 2013 and ends 18 July, 2013. This is a game of skill and entrants must tell us in 50 words or less: “Where would you wear your next outfit to and why?” The most creative answer will win. Total prize pool value $534.60. Entries will be judged on 19 July, 2013 at nextmedia Level 6, 207 Pacific Hwy, St Leonards NSW 2065. The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. All email addresses collected in the entry form will be added to the Yen Newsletter database. You may unsubscribe from this free service at any time. Winners will be announced in the ‘Winners’ section of the Yen website and prizes will be sent to the postal address provided on the entry form or contacted via email about collection.

Cosy up with our winter issue, jam-packed with delicious illustrated recipes, our home wares wish list, and your very own winter soundtrack, thanks to a free CD. We also chat to Imogen Poots, James Blake, Vampire Weekend, and look at the youth of Hawaii through a photographic lens. Plus we want you to put pen to paper for our first ever Short Story Competition for emerging writers.

Bunker down for winter with issue 63, on sale Wednesday 22 May. Here’s a sneak peek!