T LOunge for April 1st 2024

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PinFlorentine Bar and Restaurant – Stockholm, Sweden

GRANDIOSITY! You’re soaking in it, darlings. And why not? It’s MONDAY, after all. If you can’t get a little grandiose on the worst day of the week, well when can you? Plant yourself under your favorite god or emperor and call it a day.

The cast of Dirty Dancing: Where are they now?
Grab your watermelons and find out where Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swayze, and other stars twirled off to after having the time of their lives.
In August 1987, Dirty Dancing swept moviegoers off their feet with the upstairs-downstairs romance between an earnest daddy’s girl (Jennifer Grey) and a macho dance instructor (Patrick Swayze) at the fictional Kellerman’s resort in the Catskills.
Despite tensions on set — thanks to their experience working together in 1984’s Red Dawn — the chemistry between Grey and Swayze propelled Emile Ardolino’s romantic dance drama into a worldwide phenomenon. Along with its killer soundtrack selling more than 32 million units, the film earned $214 million at the global box office and became the first movie to sell over one million copies on home video.

51 best ’80s songs that stand the test of time
Best. Playlist. Ever.
The best ’80s songs are somehow equal parts timeless and very of their time. After all, this was a decade of excess — big hair, big shoulder pads and big egos — so it makes sense that the music of the period still makes an impact so many years later.
The 1980s were an extremely transformational time for the music industry, and we continue to feel its effects today. Remember, this is the decade when MTV launched and introduced the concept of Music Video As Art. And every DJ topping the charts today should thank the ’80s for making synthesizers and other digital sounds mainstream. Rap and hip hop also made huge strides in the ’80s, paving the way for your favourite artists today.

We’re All Still Obsessed With the Hair in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Twenty years later, Clementine’s hair in the beloved film continues to set beauty inspiration boards on fire
Kayla Casey, a hairstylist based in Los Angeles who wears her hair bright red, recently re-watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a film revered for its use of unconventional hair color. “The way they portrayed hair color in the film and how they switched it up so often was so ahead of its time,” she says.
It’s been 20 years since Kate Winslet played Clementine Kruczynski, setting beauty inspiration boards on fire with her eye-catching rotation of hair colors.

“Marge Has Some Ulterior Motives”: Dakota Fanning On Stepping Into Gwyneth Paltrow’s Shoes For Netflix’s Darker, Thornier Ripley
In 1999’s The Talented Mr Ripley, Gwyneth Paltrow’s Marge Sherwood is, in many ways, the eyes of the audience – sweet and somewhat naive, she welcomes Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) into the idyllic life she’s built with her boyfriend Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law) in ’50s southern Italy, before the former secretly murders the latter, adopts his identity and sets off on a grand tour on his dime. When she later catches up with him, she’s deeply suspicious, but there’s still a certain fragility to her – desperate though she is to bring him to justice, she knows there’s little she can actually do.
Now in Ripley, Steven Zaillian’s icy, eight-part Netflix retelling of Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 classic – the latest in a long line of adaptations for stage and screen – Dakota Fanning is inheriting that part from Paltrow.

22 reality TV shows that will leave you 100% hooked, from Vanderpump Rules to House Of Sims
From the genius to the downright bonkers.
Reality shows are just what we need sometimes. And luckily for us, we have been spoilt for choice thanks to fan favourites such as Love Island, Too Hot To Handle, and Love Is Blind.
Our round-up includes the likes of The Big Flower Fight, where people compete to have their floral installations displayed at London’s Royal Botanic Gardens. Bloomin’ exciting! There’s also a group of young adults being forced to stand up on their own two feet while surviving the wilderness in Snowflake Mountain.

Is Altering Vintage Really That Bad?
There’s a scene in 27 Dresses where Katherine Heigl’s character, Jane, makes an unfortunate discovery. Her younger sister, Tess, has cut up their late mother’s wedding dress in order to make her own. It’s an heirloom that Jane had hoped to wear when she walked down the aisle one day herself. Jane is left incensed: it’s unfathomable to her that Tess would alter the dress so drastically. A similar situation took place this week.

37 best Apple TV+ shows to watch for your next Sunday sofa session
Move on over, Netflix.
Apple TV+ has upped its game with an impressive line-up of binge-worthy TV shows, so move on over, Netflix!
The platform has brought out so many big guns (and names), with shows fronted by Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston (The Morning Show), Tom Hiddleston and Clare Danes (The Essex Serpent); and one of the most star-studded casts we’ve seen in a long time in the environmental crisis drama, Extrapolations.
When it comes to newer releases, we recommend adding Palm Royale – starring Kristen Wiig, Laura Dern, Kaia Gerber and Allison Janney – and the upcoming second season of Loot, executive produced by Maya Rudolph, to your watchlists.

Lizzo has an emotional message for her critics: ‘I QUIT’
The singer says she’s “tired of putting up with being dragged.”
Lizzo is “tired” of being dragged on the internet. On March 29, the 35-year-old musician slammed “lies being told about me for clout & views” in an emotional, yet cryptic Instagram post.
“I’m getting tired of putting up with being dragged by everyone in my life and on the internet,” she began. “All I want is to make music and make people happy and help the world be a little better than how I found it. But I’m starting to feel like the world doesn’t want me in it.”

I didn’t believe in magic until I visited this Maldives resort
Escapism in its purest form.
The sun’s warmth on my back, as I lay floating in the impossibly clear Indian ocean, I found myself more present than I had been in months, totally transfixed by the dance of the manta ray that glided effortlessly below me. No responsibilities, no emails to respond to, just gazing in unrestrained awe at the gentle giant in front of me.
I was three days into my stay at Intercontinental Maldives Maamunagau, a place where you inevitably leave puzzling over whether everything you just experienced was simply a dream. Beyond the most perfectly turquoise sea you’ve ever seen and flurries of fish in every colour of the rainbow mere metres from the shore, time seems to stand still here.

Eating Like a Salmon Is Better Than Eating Actual Salmon, Study Finds
Eating lower on the food chain may mean massive nutritional gains for humans.
Thanks to the fatty fish’s dense nutritional profile, consuming salmon has generally been considered essential to a healthy human diet. But eating like salmon may very well be the actual key to health beyond the famed Mediterranean diet.
A new peer-reviewed study published in Nature Food journal challenges the perception that simply eating salmon is the healthiest choice. Instead, the analysis, which was conducted by researchers at the University of Cambridge, Lancaster University, University of Stirling, and the University of Aberdeen, found that eating what salmon typically consume — small wild fish such as mackerel, anchovies, and herring — is more nutritionally beneficial to humans.

I used to hate running — here’s how I learned to actually enjoy it
If your attempts at jogging have been absolutely miserable or just painfully boring, I get it.
Ah, running. Most of us know at least one person who swears by their morning runs — and makes them look easy-breezy. But every time I tried to jump on the bandwagon in the past, in the hopes of reaping the mind-body benefits of running, I instantly regretted it. My muscles ached, I ended up gasping for air, and I couldn’t help but wonder why anyone would willingly subject themselves to this particular type of torture.

These Strawberries Cost $780—Are They Worth It?
The Japanese kokota, awayuki, and pearl white are now available to Americans — if you can afford them.
Produce is expensive these days, but these luxury fruits are on a whole other level.
Ikigai Fruits — a new retailer of hard-to-find, luxury Japanese fruit — now ships its so-called “cream of the crop” to the United States: flawless strawberries, oranges, and melons in Pantone-ready hues packaged like precious gems.
Unlike that tempting yet seemingly overpriced bushel of organic strawberries at Whole Foods, Ikigai’s fruits are priced more like Michelin-starred meals.

The History Behind the Iconic Hermès Kelly Bag
The Birkin’s chic older sister.
Trends come and go, but a select few iconic pieces have consistently stood the test of time. Consider the Hermès Birkin (introduced in 1984), the Chanel Classic Flap (1955), the Gucci Jackie (1961), and The Lady Dior (1995); these are not merely accessories, but pieces of fashion history. These handbags routinely appear on lists highlighting “it-bags,” “best investment bags,” and “most classic bags” a testament to their unwavering popularity and iconic status. However, it’s important to acknowledge the original that set the stage for all others: the Hermès Kelly. Introduced in 1935, the Kelly bag pioneered the concept of the luxury “it-bag.”

Who Needs Time Travel? These 10 Historical Fiction Books Are Brilliantly Transporting
If you could travel back in time, where would you go, and when? For readers of historical fiction, there’s no need to settle on just one place or period when journeying into the past. At their best, these literary works are deft and authentic—rigorously researched but effortlessly executed. They introduce you to figures whose concerns feel immediate and true, their individual stories carving channels into history. Allow yourself to be transported by 10 of the best historical fiction books of the last several decades.

The Royal Family Attends Easter Mass—Without the Prince and Princess of Wales
This morning, the royal family attended their annual Easter mass at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor.
It was a smaller group than normal—the Prince and Princess of Wales, as well as their three children, sat out this year’s service. The family is spending the holiday privately after the princess revealed she is undergoing treatment for cancer.
However, King Charles III did make a noticeable appearance.

The Daily Habit That Nutritionists Say Can Drastically Improve Your Diet
Whether its walking to work (a fantastic habit for all-round health) or ensuring you get enough light in the mornings (improves your sleep, mood, and focus), sometimes small, simple things can make a big difference to our lifestyle. One of the most effective tips I’ve picked up from my time working with nutritionists and other health experts is also super simple: Keeping a food diary can pay when it comes to understanding your diet.

10 Best High-Protein Vegetables to Add to Your Plate
Meat isn’t the only way to get in protein, trust us.
When you think about protein-filled foods, vegetables probably aren’t the first thing that pop to mind. But there are actually quite a few veggies that provide at least a little amount of protein, so making these picks part of your regular rotation can help you in your mission to get enough of it. “Even though they don’t add a super dose of protein, I love highlighting the fact that nutrient-dense vegetables do have some — and that’s one great reason for people to eat more veggies,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, media dietitian, creator of BetterThanDieting.com and author of Read it Before You Eat It — Taking Your from Label to Table.

Revealed: the sentimental story behind the very rare brooch worn by Queen Camilla at the Easter Day service
Queen Camilla has opted for a number of rarely seen royal brooches inherited from her mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II, during recent outings
The royals are often know for their love of sentimental jewellery with a poignant history – but Queen Camilla has, in recent weeks, showcased a number of brooches which have rarely been seen before.
The 75-year-old has been seen wearing a series of pins which belonged to her late mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II, but were not amongst her favourite brooches. The jewels appear to have been given a new lease of life when they were inherited by Queen Camilla.

Madonna and Barbra Are Fans. Broadway, Meet Lempicka.
A new musical aims to restore the reputation, in life and art, of the ambitious yet undervalued painter Tamara de Lempicka.
After years of development, “Lempicka,” a biomusical by Kreitzer (book and lyrics) and Matt Gould (book and music), opens on April 14 at Broadway’s Longacre Theater. It is a work of recuperation, aiming to restore the reputation, in life and art, of a queer woman and an ambitious painter, who has often been undervalued, in the art market and beyond.
“She wanted everything,” Rachel Chavkin, the musical’s director, said of her heroine. “She wanted more from life and ultimately life lost interest in her.”

Salt Is Hiding Everywhere. Can You Spot It?
See if you can identify which foods are higher in sodium with this quiz.
Did you know that a tablespoon of ketchup has more sodium than 20 Cheez-Its? Or that two slices of Gouda can have more sodium than 55 Goldfish?
Most people in the United States consume far more sodium than federal health officials recommend, which is no more than 2,300 milligrams per day. Exceeding that, they say, can increase your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.
But cutting back can be challenging, since most of the sodium we consume comes from packaged and prepared foods. Think you can spot the biggest salt bombs? Take our quiz to find out.

6 Kitchen Backsplash Trends Designers Are Loving This Year
The latest backsplash trends prove that this kitchen design staple is anything but boring.
Few elements of your home pull double duty quite as effectively as a kitchen backsplash. Not only does a backsplash protect your walls, but it also serves as a focal point of kitchen décor. A backsplash has the power to completely transform the look and feel of your kitchen, and there are a few emerging backsplash styles that are giving classic white subway tiles a run for their money. We asked interior designers to weigh in on the latest backsplash trends that are bound to inspire your next kitchen renovation.

Our 20 Best Avocado Recipes, From Tacos to Ice Cream
From tacos to ice cream, this beloved ingredient makes its way into some of our favorite recipes.
When you have a ripe avocado, time is of the essence—one day the avocados are hard as a rock, and the next day it’s time to use them or lose them. It’s easy to mix them with lime juice and onion into tasty guacamole or mash them up for your morning avocado toast, but avocados are good for much more beyond the ordinary.
They may not be what comes to mind when you think about staple ingredients, but in our kitchens, avocados are one of our favorite ways to incorporate healthy fats, fiber, and so many other vitamins and minerals into our daily routine. And while they’re delicious as a taco or sandwich filling, they’re also versatile enough to add something special to sweet treats like muffins and ice cream. Give one of these recipes a try and discover how delicious avocados can be.

[Photo Credit: naifdesign.com, florentinerestaurants.com]

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