Okay, it's almost officially winter in Chicago. For us, December delivers temperatures in the 20s and 30s with blustery winds that could chill anyone to the bone. But we've found a way to heat up your cold December nights with this installment of the SE newsletter. As an early gift to you, we asked a few of our SE beauties to share some of their favorite holiday memories with us. So from the entire SE staff-have a safe, happy and, of course, sexy holiday season!

MINNEAPOLIS CASTING Playboy Special Editions is coming to town. We're making our list and checking it twice, looking for girls who are naughty and nice. So if you are a hot and sexy holiday girl with great jingle bells who would like to pose for Playboy, come to an open audition in Minneapolis on Tuesday, December 9th. Arrive decked out in sexy festive holiday lingerie (be careful where you hang those ornaments!) and your test photos could end up online in Playboy's Cyber Club-the perfect gift for your honey this holiday season! Call 1-800-665-0913 for more details and to schedule an appointment.

ON SALE DECEMBER 16:

WET & WILD
There's nothing hotter than a beautiful woman who can pull off sexy when she's soaking wet, but we took the idea one step further: We selected 21 nude knockouts -- including cover girl Dana Dicillo, Samantha Joseph, Havana Ulrich, Andrea Lowell and Holly Laar -- and let them go wild! So whether you like your ladies slightly slippery or thoroughly drenched, dive right into this issue of Wet & Wild -- the water is sublime.

JAN/FEB LINGERIE
This hot holiday issue delivers a sexy package you won't want to miss. First, because it contains the Readers' Choice roster of the top 20 SE supermodels from which the 2004 Model of the Year will be chosen. Second, because this sexy lineup includes the past three Lingerie MOYs -- Heather Christensen, Amy Miller and Kitana Baker-as well as fellow contenders Erin Connor, LaTasha Marzolla, Kimberly Nicole Cameron, Lauren Michelle Hill, Jennifer Walcott and Lindsey Vuolo. As an added bonus we've unwrapped 10 fresh-faced newcomers who you'll want to keep an eye on in 2004.

ON SALE DECEMBER 23:

HOT SHOTS 2004
If you buy only one Special Edition issue all year, this is the one to get! This hot collectors' edition features the SE editors' picks of the best and sexiest photos of 2003, with the hottest Playboy models in some of our favorite pictorials. This spectacular issue highlights SE favorites Alley Baggett, Samantha Joseph, Heather Christensen and Kitana Baker, plus Playmates Petra Verkaik, Tiffany Taylor, Buffy Tyler and Jennifer Walcott and fresh new faces like Stacy Hetrick, Renee Marie, Susie Lin and Hiromi Oshima. We also pay homage to several of our contributing photographers who light, style and shoot these remarkable pictures. The perfect gift for anyone on your holiday shopping list!

ON SALE JANUARY 27:

NATURAL BEAUTIES
Waterfalls, forests and glaciers have always been considered among earth's most amazing natural creations, but we've uncovered some of Mother Nature's spectacular wonders that rival any of her previous work. We guarantee that Natural Beauties won't disappoint, with 30 incredibly gorgeous all-natural women -- from cover girl Tara McKenzie to Eleicea Brandolini, Kimberly Holland, Sara Jelly, and Ryann Michele Clark-plus five brand-new girls who've never been published before in Special Editions. So peek into this organically grown sample of simple, unenhanced beauty and sex appeal.

SEXY 100 2004
Last year when we compiled our first-ever list of the sexiest 100 Playboy models, past and present, we racked our brains and our photo archives to assemble the final lineup. This year we asked you to tell us which of your favorite girls should be included in 2004's hot 100 list. Thousands of letters, postcards and online votes poured into our office with your personal recommendations. So we married the list of your top vote-getters with some of our picks and came up with this ultimate alphabetical collection of Playboy's most beautiful women. From Mia Acevedo to Nicole Whitehead, this Sexy 100 issue is a keeper.

THE BUZZ:

Have you watched Playboy TV lately? If so, you may have caught a glimpse of SE natural beauty Andrea Lowell making her debut as the weather girl on The Weekend Flash. If you liked what you saw, let us know so Andrea can keep forecasting sunny skies. In the meantime, you can tune in to see all of her in Wet & Wild on-sale December 16 and again in Sexy 100, available January 27 .... Kitana Baker hasn't let the grass grow under her feet since her July/August Lingerie cover and Model of the Year honors. Since then she's appeared on several episodes of Wild On E!, in Windy City Heat, a Comedy Central movie and was recently named the new face for the classic comic book heroine, Vampirella. This month, she shares the spotlight on the Jan/Feb Lingerie cover with Jennifer Walcott and Kimberly Nicole Cameron. Check out the issue when it hits newsstands on December 16 .... Unless you've been on a deserted island for the past few months, you know that PLAYBOY is celebrating its 50th Anniversary. To commemorate this amazing achievement, a huge party with 50 beautiful Playmates, past and present, is happening tonight in New York City. Speaking of PLAYBOY, have you seen the incredible 318-page 50th Anniversary issue yet? We may be biased, but any collector or first-time buyer must count this issue among his most valuable possessions....

SE INSIDER

'Tis the season to be sexy...uh, jolly. For most of our SE models sexy is always in season, but especially around the holidays many of them glow with the spirit of giving and receiving. So we asked Erin Connor, Susan Henson, Jenny James and Kimberly Nicole Cameron to share some of their most treasured memories of Christmases past and their plans for this holiday season.

What's your favorite childhood Christmas memory?

EC: One year we got a new dog, and when we woke up in the morning the puppy had ripped opened tons of presents during the night! I wasn't even upset -- I thought it was really cute-but my parents were not amused!
SH: Going to bed Christmas Eve, anticipating what's to come in the morning-it's such an overwhelming feeling of excitement and happiness. Walking into the living room in the morning and seeing the presents was unimaginable every year.
JJ: Making and leaving cookies for Santa.
KNC: When I woke up in the middle of the night and caught my mom putting my gifts out! I knew I was right about Santa.

What's the best gift you ever got from a boyfriend?

EC: A poem he wrote and framed. Beautiful words melt my heart.
SH: Diamond earrings. They were such a surprise to receive, and knowing that he took the time to invest in something so beautiful for me really meant a lot.
JJ: A three-carat diamond necklace.
KNC: Shoes! He knew my exact size and what I wanted. I love shoes!

What's the best gift you ever gave to a boyfriend?

EC: I like to make really meaningful gifts, so I've given him a personalized pillow, a memories scrapbook and a box full of 100 reasons why I love him. I like to get those types of gifts, and they feel good to give.
SH: I try to listen all year for clues about things he might mention he'd like to have and then surprise him with them on Christmas morning. And, of course, I always try to incorporate some very sexy lingerie into one of his gifts for me to wear.
JJ: Me wrapped up in a big red bow!

What's on your wish list this year?

EC: A foot bath! I would love to just soak my feet and relax as the bubbles massage me.
JJ: A new computer and good health for all my family and friends
KNC: I have my eye on a new car!

What's your idea of a perfect New Year's evening?

EC: Getting together with a close bunch of friends and reminiscing about the past year. This would, of course, include lots of alcohol and passionate kissing at the stroke of midnight.
JJ: Spending it with everyone I know and love -- or being at the Mansion, whichever. This year it's the Mansion!
KNC: I'm planning to bring in the New Year with several of my friends at a nice intimate party in the city.

How do you escape the holiday madness?

EC: I don't get stressed out by the holidays -- I actually enjoy them and use them as an escape from reality. I love giving gifts and I find it fun to search for something that's just right for that special someone.
SH: Everyone tends to stress out a little bit, but as long as you try not to do everything at once, it all falls into place. The best remedy for me is to leave crowded shopping malls and go home, fill the tub with bubbles, light some candles and just relax in the bath.
JJ: Everyone gets stressed out by the holidays, but it's definitely worth it. I chill out by getting massages.
KC: I don't get stressed. I love the holidays -- they're my favorite time of year.

BULLETIN BOARD:

Voice Your Choice '04: It's that time of year again -- your chance to voice your choice and have a say in which of the 20 spectacular women featured in the Jan/Feb '04 Lingerie issue (on sale 12/16) you'd like to see as the 2004 SE Model of the Year. So, will you choose a long-time fan favorite or a college girl? Will a Playmate get your vote or will you take a chance on a fresh faced-newcomer? Either way, it's up to you! Cast your vote online at www.playboyse.com or send a postcard to Special Editions, Model of the Year, 680 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60611. Votes must be submitted on or before Friday, March 5 with your name, address and phone number. Only one vote per person, please. The SE Readers' Choice Model of the Year will be unveiled in the July/August Lingerie, on sale June 29.

2004 Playboy Special Editions Calendars Make Great Gifts! It's not too late to order your 2004 Playboy calendars -- the perfect holiday gift for anyone on your list. You can choose from Voluptuous Vixens, Exotic Beauties or Girlfriends and they are available exclusively from the Playboy Store -- www.playboystore.com. Save $6 if you order all three! Or drop by your local bookstore for copies of the new Playboy College Girls and Girls of Canada calendars -- also available online.

College Girl Candidates: Is your classmate hot? If you think she's Playboy material, encourage her to take some shots and send them to us via e-mail (specialeditions@playboy.com) or by regular mail (680 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60611). Professional photographs aren't necessary, but we provide some helpful tips on our website (www.playboyse.com) on how to pose, light and shoot for best effect in the "He Shoots, She Scores" section of FAQ.

Older -- But Hotter: The response has been positive for a Cyber Club or SE section devoted to 30+ women. You can help make this concept a reality by sending us a list of your favorite models from past SEs who you'd like to see make a post-30 encore, or by sending in photos of qualified candidates of your personal acquaintance. (Ladies, self-timers are made for moments like this. Take the initiative by taking and sending in your own photos. See "Modeling Opportunities" below for submission procedures.) Check our website or the Outside pages for further announcements.

Modeling Opportunities: At whatever age, from whatever part of North America, we make it easy to break into the exciting world of modeling. If you are, or know someone who is, a beautiful girl, 18 years of age or older who'd be perfect for College Girls, Natural Beauties or Voluptuous Vixens, you can audition by mail. Send us recent color snapshots or Polaroids that clearly show face and figure, personal data such as age, height, weight and measurements, and copies of two forms of ID (birth certificate, driver's license, passport or school ID. One piece of ID must include a current photo.) Submissions will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. E-mail submissions are also accepted at specialeditions@playboy.com.

Finding Special Editions: If you're having trouble tracking down our magazines, send an e-mail to specialeditions@playboy.com with your name, address and zip code and we'll try to direct you to a retail store in your area that carries them.

Damaged goods: We maintain the highest printing standards, but an occasional goof gets by our eagle-eyed quality-control manager. If you receive a torn or misprinted issue, return it to us (Playboy Special Editions, 680 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 606011) and we'll send back a pristine replacement and reimburse postage costs.

Subscribe to Lingerie!
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Feedback: Your opinions count, so send your rants, raves or general comments about SE issues to specialeditions@playboy.com. Playboy Boards: If you want interaction with fellow SE readers, log on to The Naked Truth (http://boards.playboy.com/).

© Playboy 2003. Playboy Enterprises is a brand-driven, international multimedia entertainment company that publishes editions of Playboy magazine around the world; operates Playboy and Spice television networks and distributes programming via home video and DVD globally; licenses the Playboy and Spice trademarks internationally for a range of consumer products and services; and operates Playboy.com, a leading men's lifestyle and entertainment website.

If you had trouble viewing any of our previous newsletters, please visit the following pages:
April - http://www.playboy.com/commerce/email/specialeditions/03_28_03/
May - http://www.playboy.com/commerce/email/specialeditions/05_08_03/
June - http://www.playboy.com/commerce/email/specialeditions/06_10_03/
July - http://www.playboy.com/commerce/email/specialeditions/07_10_03/
August - http://www.playboy.com/commerce/email/specialeditions/08_07_03/
September - http://www.playboy.com/commerce/email/specialeditions/09_04_03/
October - http://www.playboy.com/commerce/email/specialeditions/10_02_03/
November - http://www.playboy.com/commerce/email/specialeditions/11_06_03/