T LOunge for March 13th, 2024

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ARE YOU SUFFICENTLY STIMULATED, DARLINGS? It’s WEDNESDAY, but more importantly, it’s Day Three of our non-stop Oscars coverage. Settle in!

The House of the Dragon season 2 release has finally been confirmed – and it’s sooner than you think
Following Game of Thrones’ meteoric success for eight years and equally as many seasons, House of the Dragon aired in 2022 to critical acclaim. Fans of George R.R. Martin’s fantasy world were as excited as they were sceptical about the arrival of a prequel, but the show managed to retain elements of its predecessor while creating its own texture – and as a result, 9.3 million viewers tuned in to watch the finale.
Although a number of popular TV shows were impacted by the Hollywood strikes last year, House of the Dragon was permitted to continue with production as a result of separate UK labour laws. Now, a Warner Bros Discovery President has finally confirmed when the series two release will be – and you may be surprised at just how soon it is.

Netflix is ‘in the process’ of a new deal with One Day author David Nicholls
The Netflix adaptation of One Day may have landed on the streaming platform just a few weeks ago, but it has already been a huge success. With Leo Woodall and Ambika Mod at the helm, it has reportedly been watched by over 15 million people since it was released and viewers want to know everything from what was happening behind the scenes to how the actors found their chemistry on screen. […] One source has claimed that Netflix bosses are currently working on obtaining the TV rights for David Nicholls next book, which is still yet to be released. The novel, You Are Here, is due for release on 23rd April 2024 and producers are reportedly keen to adapt more of the author’s work following the success of One Day.

The Pressure To Be Perfect
A manipulated Mother’s Day family photograph has caused a real royal catastrophe for the Waleses’ – but it’s also proof that even royalty is not inoculated from the forces of fame and its accompanying pressure to be perfect.
But if a picture tells a thousand words, what exactly did the Princess of Wales intend to say with, not just a photograph of her young family, but a highly edited one? Was the concern that we’d see Kate, a working mother-of-three in her early 40s, as she really is? That she may still be suffering from, and showing, the effects of her recent surgery? Or perhaps the most simple explanation: was it that only a picture where all three children were beaming in perfect unison would do? That the royal family must, at all times, appear to be perfect?

The Best Fall 2024 Nail Trends Straight from the Runways
Go ahead and schedule a nail extension appointment now.
Fans of long nails are in for a treat come fall 2024, because the runways in New York, London, Milan, and Paris just cemented press-on or gel nail extensions as a must-have for the season. But what’s painted on the nails is just as vital as the length. Polish shades of red, black, gold, and silver are still trending, as are more interesting takes on neutrals like deep navy and coffee. Ahead, check out the coolest nail looks straight from the runways that are sure to be everywhere come fall.

Michelle Yeoh Explains the Real Reason Behind Emma Stone’s Awkward “Snub” at the 2024 Oscars
Some viewers accused the Poor Things star of ignoring Yeoh, who presented the award
There’s no bad blood between Best Actress Oscar winners Michelle Yeoh and Emma Stone—despite what some viewers may have thought.
Shortly after the 96th Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday, fans speculated that Stone had snubbed Yeoh onstage while accepting the Oscar for Actress in a Leading Role. The awkward snafu saw Stone seemingly pass over Yeoh, who carried the golden statuette, to embrace Jennifer Lawrence, who appeared to grab the award from Yeoh to hand to Stone.
“Emma Stone passed award presenter Michelle Yeoh, and Jennifer Lawrence handed her the award as if she were the presenter herself,” one user tweeted.

Al Pacino Is Writing a Memoir
Sonny Boy “is the memoir of a man who has nothing left to fear and nothing left to hide.”
The iconic actor will tell his story in the forthcoming Sonny Boy, to be published this fall by Penguin Press. “I wrote Sonny Boy to express what I’ve seen and been through in my life,” he told People. “It has been an incredibly personal and revealing experience to reflect on this journey and what acting has allowed me to do and the worlds it has opened up.”
Per Penguin Press, “Sonny Boy is a revelatory account of a creative life in full, and Pacino details all of his great roles, his essential collaborations, and his important relationships.”

What an Interesting Time to Drop a Queen Camilla Barbie
She’s just having an existential crisis.
The royal family is well aware of the “where is Kate Middleton?” Tweets and TikTok theories, and their PR department is working overtime to course correct via Photoshop efforts and Prince William appearances. The firm’s most recent endeavor is nothing if not inspired. Given the worldwide obsession with all things Barbie, they tapped the woman (er, doll) of the year for a publicity win.

Sleep Divorce: The Technique That Could Save Your Relationship
A 2023 The American Academy of Sleep Medicine survey found that 31 percent of women wake up feeling tired—almost double the amount compared to men. The exhaustion could be related to a number of issues: insomnia disorders, a hectic work schedule, anxiety, eating habits, and potentially, your partner.
Actor Cameron Diaz recently spoke on a topic with an aggressive sounding name—“sleep divorce”—that might be the solution. “We should normalize separate bedrooms,” she declared on Molly Sims’s On the Rim podcast.

Natural Cold Plunges Are the Latest Wellness Travel Trend—Here’s Where to Try One
Cold plunging, or cold water therapy, involves lowering yourself into a body of water with temperatures below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The amount of time you spend submerged ranges, and people should consult their doctor before trying, as these sessions can be a serious shock to the body.
Historians theorize that its origins began in ancient Greek and Roman frigidariums or cold baths.

The Rise of the Country Western Wedding
As with so many moments in the cultural zeitgeist, Beyoncé played a major part. In May 2023, the Renaissance tour began, and thousands of Beyhive members mirrored the icon’s album cover by donning shimmering silver cowboy hats in the crowd. A few months earlier, Kevin Costner won a best actor Golden Globe for his role in the hit neo-Western show Yellowstone, which has been beaming classic cowboy style across the nation since 2018. When Pharrell Williams dropped his second menswear collection for Louis Vuitton in January 2024 complete with nods to Black and Indigenous cowboy style, it was solidified that the Western look had entered the high fashion lexicon. Then, the final shoe dropped as Beyoncé donned a white Stetson at the Grammy’s and released two songs from her upcoming country album in a Super Bowl commercial. Country Western has officially become a major trend for 2024.

Cut Kate Some Slack—Royals Have Been Tweaking Their Image for Centuries
Throughout history, kings and queens have wanted to be seen as impressive to both their subjects and their rivals, so it’s unsurprising that their royal portraits showed them in their best light. After all, centuries ago it’s not as though there were many who could dispute the accuracy of their image—there were no cameras, television, or social media then. “When Elizabeth I was in her 60s, she was being painted with the so-called ‘mask of youth’,” shares Gristwood. “Charles I was painted to look taller, George IV was probably painted to look slimmer—if you look at pictures of him and then hear the stories—and Henry VII undoubtedly was painted to look more impressive. Painted portraiture has always been the artist’s vision of the monarch, tempered by what the monarch wants them to see. It was just considered a realistic part of the PR machine. The idea of spin isn’t new—what’s new is the idea of spin being called out.”

Want financial security in America? Better get married.
Couples get hundreds of legal and economic privileges single people don’t. If that feels unfair, it’s because it is.
That system grants married people more than 1,000 legal benefits that single people cannot access, according to DePaulo. These include tax breaks on inheritances; the ability to open a spousal IRA and draw on it without tax penalty; immigration rights; and the ability to jointly adopt children.
“No one should have to get married in order to have access to the hundreds of benefits and protections that married people get just because they are married,” DePaulo said in an email.
The push to disentangle American economic and social policy from compulsory coupledom is more urgent than ever as Americans marry later — if they marry at all.

“We’re Never Doing This Again”: What It Took for These Parenting Influencers to Pull Their Kids Offline
Millennial content creators built massive platforms—and fortunes—from splashing their children’s lives all over social media. But now some have had a change of heart. Here, we find out why.
When Annalee Grace, 32, was pregnant with her second child, she started routinely making videos about motherhood to upload to Instagram and TikTok—she wanted to share honestly about all the joy and loneliness she experienced while raising her two daughters, from postpartum anxiety and intrusive thoughts to dinnertime toddler meltdowns. Like many young millennial moms who came of age instinctively publishing every other part of their lives online, she didn’t think twice about posting her children.
If you had come across her page back then, in 2021, you would’ve known her children’s names, their birthdays, and when they took their first steps.

When Canceling Your Reservation Costs as Much as Dinner
Fed up with no-shows and last-minute cancellations, restaurants are increasingly charging fees as high as $100 a head. And some diners are pushing back.
To celebrate his wife’s birthday in 2022, Brian Azara, a mechanical engineer in New York City, booked a table for two at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Brooklyn. But when their son was suddenly hospitalized with severe asthma, Mr. Azara had to cancel the reservation. A few minutes later, he checked his credit card account and saw a $200 fee.
“It was probably 23½ hours before we were supposed to be there,” Mr. Azara said, yet the restaurant refused to reverse the charge, citing its 24-hour cancellation deadline. While he sympathizes with the financial challenges restaurants are facing, he said the charge “really kind of stung.”

30 Wall Décor Ideas Designers Swear by, From Hanging Plates to Oversized Artwork
Add color, texture, and interest to blank spaces with these simple solutions.
Adding wall décor to a space is like adding accessories to your favorite outfit—it provides the perfect finishing touch to polish your overall look.
But facing an empty wall—with no clear idea of how you want to fill it—is not for the faint of heart. But fear not! The ideas on this list offer a variety of inspiration to match any decorating style—maximalist gallery walls, understated natural textures, simple paint techniques, couldn’t-be-easier potted plants, and more—so you can find a pretty, practical, and painless way to fill your home’s blank spaces.

9 Delicious Ways to Use Stale Bread
From French toast and casseroles to croutons and meatballs, there are so many ways to give new life to old bread.
It’s bound to happen: you can’t always make your way through an entire loaf of bread before it starts to dry out. Stale bread is often seen as a disposable item, but we’re here to say don’t toss it! Stale bread is a versatile ingredient in so many recipes, from soup and meatloaf to sweet and savory casseroles.
Repurposing ingredients that are usually thrown out is a great way to reduce food waste in your home kitchen, whether you’re turning vegetable scraps into homemade broth or using pickle juice to shake up a unique cocktail. If you’ve been wondering what to do with that old loaf, you’re in the right place. Ahead, discover ways to make use of your dried-out bread.

What Are Truffles—and Why Are They So Expensive?
Experts share why fresh black and white truffles have a hefty price tag. Plus, the best ways to enjoy this luxury food at home.
Some of the most prized and priciest dishes on restaurant menus feature truffles. A few shavings over a plate of pasta, for example, can wow your tastebuds—and cost you a pretty penny. Lumpy and strange-looking, truffles have always been highly sought-after. Once treasured by emperors and kings, they’ve attained near-mythical status thanks to their limited supply and fantastic flavors. Learn what makes truffles so precious and elusive, plus some of the best ways to enjoy this delicacy at home, according to experts.

I Climbed the Highest Peak in the Americas — Here’s How You Can, Too
An expert hiker takes on Argentina’s Aconcagua — and shows that reaching the summit is actually achievable, even for hikers without technical climbing experience.
For the uninitiated, the climbing world can seem daunting (and dangerous). But you don’t have to be on the level of Free Solo’s Alex Honnold to safely push your limits in the planet’s highest places. Plenty of mountains around the world are accessible to beginner mountaineers, individuals without much more than a strong pair of legs, healthy lungs, and some determination.
In fact, the tallest mountain in the Americas, Aconcagua, falls into this category.

[Photo Credit: bigmammagroup.com]

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