T LOunge for May 26th, 2023

Posted on May 26, 2023

Oliva Restaurant – Corfu, Greece

Don’t even think about being responsible or productive today, darlings. It’s FRIDAY and your all-day table awaits.

King Charles’s Coronation Features in a New Exhibition of Britain’s Crown Jewels
The display also explores the controversial origins of some of the jewels in the priceless collection.

When staff at charity Historic Royal Palaces started to work on a new exhibition for the Crown Jewels four years ago, they did not know the circumstances in which it would be unveiled. However, when Queen Elizabeth died last September it quickly became clear that they would be showcasing these gems right as the world had seen them in action in the first coronation for 70 years.
A new display opens at the Jewel House in the Tower of London on May 26 exploring the priceless collection from a new perspective. Featuring images and footage from coronations including King Charles III’s, the exhibit showcases Queen Camilla’s coronation crown for the first time – which was made for Queen Mary in 1911 and adapted for the 2023 ceremony. And it also explores in greater depth than ever before the controversial history of the Koh-i-Noor and Cullinan diamonds.

 

Inside the surreal costuming of The Little Mermaid
“It was so mind-boggling on so many levels,” costume designer Colleen Atwood says of bringing the beloved underwater world to life

While there is a love plot in the new adaptation (in theatres everywhere 26 May), the romance plays second fiddle to Ariel’s intellectual curiosity. There’s a reason the film’s first trailer features King Triton scolding his daughter for breaking the rules and visiting humans in “the above world”—and Ariel responding, “I just want to know more about them.”
It’s also partially why the animated film’s seashell bras are not seen in this adaptation. The film’s costumes were brought to life by prolific designer Colleen Atwood, whose numerous credits include Netflix’s recent hit Wednesday, Sleepy Hollow (1999), Into the Woods (2014), and the forthcoming Beetlejuice 2 (2024), which began shooting in London this month. We caught up with Atwood to discuss not just the infamous shells—or lack thereof—but also all of the costuming decisions she made to help us feel like part of Ariel’s world, as well as how she makes this fantastical teenage mermaid feel like part of ours.

 

“I’ve grown to distrust tidy narratives”: author Emma Cline talks inspiration, literary ‘vibes’ and forging anti-heroes
The acclaimed writer has just published her first novel since her astonishing 2016 debut, The Girls. Here, she discusses why she’s drawn to exploring the extremes of human nature

It was The Girls which firmly established Cline as one of the most exciting new literary talents. The novel was a New York Times bestseller and one of the most talked-about books of the year: an eerie depiction of one lost girl’s Californian summer in 1969 as she finds herself embroiled with a group that may or may not be inspired by the infamous Manson Family. She was in many ways an inheritor of Joan Didion’s style and subject matter; a writer who herself covered the Manson murders in 1969 and who was also drawn to ‘extremes’.

 

How to sugar-proof your skin from glycation
The not-so-sweet truth about glycation (and how it ages skin)

The sticky relationship between sugar and skin isn’t as well versed as that of how sun exposure, smoking or pollution can accelerating ageing. But the implications of sugar for our skin are significant.
It’s down to a process called glycation, “where sugar molecules attach themselves to collagen and elastin and form damaging by-products, known as advanced glycation end products (AGEs)” explains Dr Wassim Taktouk, a leading aesthetic doctor based in London. AGEs turn flexible proteins rigid and brittle, he tells us, “making newly glycated collagen lose its critical regenerative ability”. Once formed, these damaged proteins cannot be repaired or replaced, meaning prevention – where possible – is key.

 

‘House of the Dragon’ Star Paddy Considine Details How His Personal Loss Inspired King Viserys’ Tragic Decline
Over his two-decade career, Paddy Considine has played cops, ex-cons, priests, architects, struggling actors, union organizers and rock band managers. But when his agent told him that Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik wanted him to play King Viserys I Targaryen in HBO’s “Game of Thrones” prequel series, “House of the Dragon,” he couldn’t quite believe it was real.
“I said, ‘Who’s turned this down?’ Because I’m cynical that way,” he says. “My agent was like, ‘I assure you, they’re just coming to you for it.’”
Part of Considine’s disbelief was due to his feeling that the industry at large had only ever seen him as the working-class striver he made his name playing in the 2000s, in films such as “In America,” “My Summer of Love” and “Cinderella Man.”

 

Why Tina Turner’s Mega Mullet Was A Symbol Of Rebirth
This week the world lost a beacon of style, soul, and resilience. Tina Turner passed away at the age of 83, leaving a legacy of powerful music and the sort of presence that legends are made of — factors evidenced by her award-winning music, ever-evolving fashion, and that symbolic, iconic hair.
“Tina Turner’s hair is so iconic that it’s entirely and instantly identifiable, even out of context,” says Rachael Gibson, also known as The Hair Historian. “You see that shaggy, supersized, spiky-but-soft shape, and it couldn’t be anyone else.” That hair, though — particularly the aforementioned style that represented her personal and professional renaissance — was all down to wigs, a tool on which the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll relied on for versatility, though the original choice was born of necessity.

 

Stevie Nicks Is The Ultimate Summer Hair Muse
In the ’70s, long before neon-splashed plaits and glitter-dusted roots were crafted for the theatre of Instagram, summer hair was something entirely different. The decade’s rock ’n’ roll musicians and showgoers alike were letting their manes run wild and free. And at the forefront of this devil-may-care hair attitude was none other than witchy goddess Stevie Nicks, who turns 75 today. For Fleetwood Mac’s frontwoman, there was no such thing as a bad hair day.

 

How ‘The Last of Us,’ ‘House of the Dragon’ and ‘Rings of Power’ Composers Crafted Scores Fans Would Enjoy
Fantasy show composers Gustavo Santaolalla (“The Last of Us”), Bear McCreary (“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”) and Ramin Djawadi (“House of the Dragon”) knew going in that their respective projects had built-in audiences — and that those fandoms should be kept in mind while creating their scores.
“The Last of Us” showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin told Santaolalla that music needed to be “another character” for the HBO series adapted from the video game he previously scored. Rather than create new themes, Santaolalla organically transitioned the music to TV. The South American instrument called “the ronroco,” which he used to write “The Last of Us” theme, was integral in keeping that connectivity for fans who had experienced Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie’s (Bella Ramsay) journey before.

 

Pamela Anderson’s First Swimwear Collection Is A ’90s Dream
The OG Baywatch babe shares exclusive details with InStyle on her new line.

Celebrity fashion lines sometimes make us scratch our heads, but Pamela Anderson and swimwear? That doesn’t just make sense, it’s a celeb fashion match made in ’90s high-cut heaven. In fact, we could hardly believe that the universe hadn’t given us a swim line from Anderson until now. But, according to the OG Baywatch babe herself, her first foray into swimwear arrived not a moment too soon.
“I have been wanting to do this forever, but timing is everything, and it was worth the wait,” Anderson says of Pamela Anderson x Frankies Bikinis, the 22-piece collection that dropped on Thursday, May 4. As the newly minted bikini designer exclusively tells InStyle, the partnership was just as much of a dream come true as the swimsuits themselves.

 

‘She Survived Everything Imaginable’: Lily Gladstone on the Real Story Behind Killers of the Flower Moon and Working With Marty, Leo, and Bob
The 36-year-old Native American actor, who worked alongside countless Osage performers in the film but is herself from Montana’s Blackfeet Nation, has delivered moving turns in Kelly Reichardt’s Certain Women and Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi’s Reservation Dogs, but this is unquestionably the role that will change her life. As her awards campaign kicks off, she tells us about the unimaginable strength of the real Mollie, shaking in the presence of DiCaprio and De Niro, and how she’ll approach the next few months as the buzz continues to build.

 

The Story of Why Over 500 Pubs in the United Kingdom Share the Same Name
On latest count, there are 514 pubs across the U.K. that share the same moniker.

In England, it’s not hard to stumble across a place to grab a pint. From any vantage point, there’s practically one within eyesight wherever you go. But one thing that does seem to be in short supply? Names. Hundreds throughout the country and the entire UK share the same moniker — 514, to be exact. But why?

 

Food Takes a Starring Role in These On- and Off-Broadway Plays
Go behind the scenes with the people who make food-centric plays like ‘Sweeney Todd,’ ‘Fat Ham,’ and ‘Sancocho’ so delicious.

Have you ever tried to sing after eating a meat pie? Or maybe perform a dark and brooding monologue? Or maybe you’ve tried dramatically spitting that meat pie across a stage while a hot spotlight shines on your face? At Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, these are daily occurrences — twice a day if you count Wednesday and Saturday matinees.
Sweeney Todd is one of a handful of on- and off-Broadway shows that place food center stage. What and how the characters consume is crucial to the plot, but dealing with actual prepared food on stage can be tricky. It has to blend in with the set and story, be easy to replicate for each performance, and safe to eat, which is a difficult feat considering an entire cast is bound to have differing dietary restrictions. But with careful consideration from the director, writer, and a very talented props team, food can become a character of its own.

 

The World’s Most Expensive Ice Cream Costs Over $6,600 Per Serving
The gelato features white truffles, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and gold leaf (of course).

The website for Cellato, an ultra-luxe Japanese ice cream brand, brags that its gelato is so good, it will “delight even your cells.” That may be true, but the company’s high-end desserts may not exactly delight your wallet.
Earlier this week, the Guinness Book of World Records confirmed that Cellato set a new record for the World’s Most Expensive Ice Cream. The ice cream, called “Byakuya,” is a combination of white truffles imported from Alba, Italy; Parmigiano Reggiano cheese; and sake lees, a byproduct of the sake production process. The resulting frozen dessert costs an absolutely eye-watering ¥873,400 ($6,696) for a single 130 mL (4.4 ounce) serving.

 

People Are Selling Trappist Beer for Five Times the Price — These Monks Aren’t Having It
Multiple schemes involving the resale of Trappist beer at sky-high prices have forced a centuries-old Belgian monastery to take action.

Some of the world’s highest-quality beers are a product of monasteries in Europe. Brewed by Trappist monks (cloistered monks belonging to a Catholic religious order), Trappist beer is produced by traditional methods using natural ingredients and classified by strict guidelines. These small-batch beers are made using an infusion brew method, thus the rarity and demand of these beers has spawned a resale industry with inflated prices, particularly in Belgium and the Netherlands.

 

The History of Nepo Babies Is the History of Humanity
From ancient dynasties to modern fortunes, family has long defined our past, present, and future.

What if world history more resembles a family tree, its vectors hard to trace through cascading tiers, multiplying branches, and an ever-expanding jumble of names? This is the model, heavier on masters than on plot, suggested by Simon Sebag Montefiore’s “The World: A Family History of Humanity” (Knopf), a new synthesis that, as the title suggests, approaches the sweep of world history through the family—or, to be more precise, through families in power. In the course of some thirteen hundred pages, “The World” offers a monumental survey of dynastic rule: how to get it, how to keep it, how to squander it.

 

Have we hit peak canine culture? Richard Caring’s George, complete with mascot, is a high-end hound heaven
Ahead of George – sibling to Annabel’s and Harry’s Bar – reopening after a seismic revamp, Tatler gets a sneak peek and a sniffs out just how far hound-luxe has gone

With George’s aesthetic revamp, we’ve officially hit peak ‘elevated canine’. The private members’ club owned by King of Mayfair Richard Caring takes Crufts culture to a whole new level. ‘Elevated canine’, of course, refers to the surprisingly ubiquitous pawsecco, dog hotels and dog therapy; not to mention the two Goldman Sachs bankers who left to set up Butternut Box (a sort of ‘Hello Fresh’ for dogs). Plus there was the inaugural GoodWoof (which launched the concept of ‘barkitects’), and the Wallace Collection’s five-star show, ‘Portraits of Dogs’. But George really takes the (dog) biscuit.

 

What Disney changed (and didn’t) in The Little Mermaid remake
The original Little Mermaid is a perfect movie. Disney thought it could make improvements.

The problem when recreating a beloved, classic movie like The Little Mermaid is that more things can go wrong than right. That’s what happens when the source material is pretty close to perfection. Each change feels glaring, and implicitly comes with a question: Does this tweak actually improve what was there before? If the answer is no, then there’s another question, an existential one: Why does this change exist?

 

Target giving in to conservative pressure on Pride is not a great sign
Companies have been embracing Pride for years. Why is this year hitting different?

Pride Month is upon us. It’s a time to celebrate and defend LGBTQ equality and rights. It’s also a time for corporate America to lean in on the rainbow branding, to let the queer community know that they’re with them — or at least they would like them to think they are for the month of June. But this year’s Pride is hitting differently, due to the current political climate in the United States and the anti-trans sentiment sweeping much of the American right.
Conservative angst about brands being too “woke” has been on the rise, specifically when it comes to appealing to queer people and, more specifically, trans people. Bud Light inadvertently kicked up a firestorm in early April when it sent a handful of beers to transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

 

‘Never a Reason to Take Off Your Socks’: A Flight Attendant’s 12 Etiquette Rules
Air travel is going to be busy this summer. With some common sense and courtesy, could flying be … pleasant?

After 21 years as a flight attendant, I’ve seen it all. The pandemic heightened tensions on board, with the most extreme incidents of bad passenger behavior escalating to violence. More commonly, though, I see discourteous behavior lead to verbal disagreements, or a general unpleasantness.
As we enter the busy summer season, it’s worth discussing some of the common courtesies that could make flying, dare I say, pleasant.
Here are my airline etiquette rules, which aim to strike a balance between your own reasonable comforts and thoughtfulness to those around you.

 

19 Ice Cream Sandwiches That Are Just Like Your Childhood Favorites—Only Better
These recipes are even easier if you start with store-bought ice cream.

A vendor created this genius treat in the 1940s so rushed New Yorkers could eat their ice cream on the go, smashing the frozen treat between two large cookies. Since then, the ice cream sandwich has been the object of our summer affections. Backyard barbecues, playground trips, picnics in the park, outdoor concerts, and summer camp just wouldn’t be the same without that sweet moment when you pull the sticky paper wrapper from your ice cream sandwich and take a bite.
There’s no need to settle for the plain vanilla versions available at the grocery store when you can craft your own sweet treat at home—and buying ready-made ice cream reduces the amount of time you’d spend making it. You can experiment with flavor combinations that will please both kids and adults. Invigorating, refreshing, and joyfully sweet, these ice cream sandwiches will bring new meaning to old memories, especially if you share them with someone who loves them as much as you do.

 

How to Create an English Cottage Garden Wherever You Live
Whether you live in the city or the suburbs, look to this idyllic, sustainable landscaping trend if you want to bring romance and drama to your yard.

A perfectly manicured lawn with bright green grass and pretty flower beds is a suburban mainstay, but homeowners are increasingly shying away from ultra-manicured landscaping in favor of personalized, rustic designs. Enter the English cottage garden, which is enjoying a rise in popularity across the United States.
Landscaping companies, such as Yardzen, say they’ve seen a 100 percent increase in demand for “cottage gardens,” along with a notable uptick in requests for details such as quaint cobblestone pavers and whimsical garden benches. You’ll also see this carefree, earthy aesthetic across social media via images of walls climbing with ivy, stone birdbaths, and a rainbow of wildflowers bending in the wind. Here, discover how to turn your yard into a slice of the English countryside, wherever you live—and why you should.

 

5 Ways to Stop Your Dog From Ruining Your Lawn and Yard
Keep your best four-legged friend happy—and your grass free of holes, urine burns, and wear spots—with these expert tips.

Sharing your outdoor space with your dog is fun for both you and your pet—but not always for your lawn and landscaping. From digging and trampling to leaving burnt grass spots from urine and worn-out pathways, your dog’s daily activities can leave your lawn looking less than lush.
But while the right grass, enclosed areas, and activities for your pet can help you build a backyard that’s fit for man’s best friend, remember that teaching an old dog new tricks takes time. “By redirecting your dog’s energy and offering appropriate outlets for play, potty, and digging, you can help prevent future damage to your yard,” says Shawn Kingzette, arborist with Crystal Lake Davey Tree. “But the backyard is not a dog sitter, and it is not an alternative for a good walk with your dog or playing fetch. By spending good, quality time with your animal and stimulating their mind and body, damage inside and outside of the home can be lessened.”

 

But First, Sketch
Consider the sketchbook, small enough to tuck into a pocket or bag, as the artist’s version of the personal diary

Leonardo da Vinci was known to pull a sketchbook from his pocket and set down ideas in quick drawings.
Although this may seem unremarkable today, Leonardo was, in fact, part of the first generation of European artists trained from a young age to make rapid, spontaneous sketches and to preserve them in a bound volume. Paper was a valuable commodity, but as it became more widely available, artists increasingly took up sketchbooks to capture and store their first sparks of inspiration.
Artists still love sketchbooks—for jotting down visual ideas, seizing a sudden burst of inspiration, experimenting with different concepts, or recording what they see around them. Sketchbook drawings can be informal and highly personal, allowing us to peer over an artist’s shoulder and follow a creative journey.

 

 

 

[Photo Credit: olivacfu.com, gagos.gr]

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