T LOunge for January 14th 2024

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PinThe Milsom Restaurant and Bar – Bath, UK

It’s TUESDAY and we still find ourselves in the mood for a bunker in which to spend the day. This LOunge will do nicely. All awards season activities are currently on hold due to the wildfires, so content will be sporadic for a bit. Still, we’ll do what we can to keep you nice and distracted. Settle in.

‘The White Lotus’ Season 3 Will Be ’Supersized’, According To Its Creator
The long-awaited third installment of ‘The White Lotus’ is finally almost upon us, and its creator, Mike White, has well and truly whet our appetite by teasing that it’s set to be the most ‘supersized’ series yet.
It’s the series that culture buffs the world over are waiting with bated breath for. Ahead of The White Lotus season three’s long-awaited release on February 16 (mark those calendars, if you haven’t already), its creator, Mike White, has been whetting fans of the show’s appetites by claiming that the upcoming series will be ‘supersized.’
‘It’s going to be a supersized White Lotus,’ White told Entertainment Weekly. ‘It’s going to be longer, bigger, crazier. I don’t know what people will think, but I am super excited, so at least for my own barometer, that’s a good thing.’

This ‘And Just Like That…’ Character’s Return May Reveal Carrie And Aidan’s Fate
It’s the rekindled flame we all want to believe will burn bright, but if recent evidence is to be believed, all might not be as it seems in the Big Apple for Carrie Bradshaw and Aidan Shaw in the third season of ‘And Just Like That…’
In the season two finale, Aidan was seen telling Carrie that, despite their reignited love, he needed to pause their frisson to focus on his children. ‘The only thing that I love more than I love you is my boys. I made a commitment to them. But I won’t lose you again,’ he said, before reiterating that the break would go faster than a click of his fingers.
Except fans have now deduced that that one moment may well have marked the demise of Carrie and Aidan as we’ve known them in their 2.0 era.

Beyoncé Donates $2.5 Million to California Wildfire Relief Efforts
The Malibu home of her mother, Tina Knowles, was among those destroyed by the blaze.
Beyoncé has pledged $2.5 million to helping those impacted by the ongoing wildfires devastating the Los Angeles area, she announced Sunday via the Instagram page for her charitable foundation, BeyGOOD.
“Los Angeles we stand with you,” the caption on the post began, before announcing the creation of the organization’s own LA Fire Relief Fund, starting with the singer’s contribution. “The fund is earmarked to aid families in the Altadena/Pasadena area who lost their homes, and to churches and community centers to address the immediate needs of those affected by the wildfires.”

The ‘ice cream manicure’ is the softest way to wear Frenchies
A soft scoop we can get behind.
New year, new me, new mani. I don’t know about you but I’m feeling a clean, fresh-start design with a little extra presence. Luckily the ice cream manicure is here to fill the assignment.
We spotted the look on luxury celebrity manicurist, Harriet Westmoreland’s grid, just in time to carry us through grey Jan. The nail artist, whose clients include Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Zendaya, has made elegant, minimal manicures with a modern twist her signature, and this latest design already has the girls in the comments booking it in for their next appointment.

38 Valentine’s Day makeup looks to fall in love with
From tonal pink to romantic grunge.
Whatever your plans are for V-day, there should always be room for a gorgeous Valentine’s Day makeup look. You’ve got to love yourself first, right? So playing with products and feeling phenomenal is a smart way to start. When it comes to self care, you can’t beat 40 minutes of solo time with your makeup bag, if you ask us. So, whether you’re going out with your significant other, meeting friends, adding some sparkle to a regular Friday or simply staying in to complete Netflix, we’d recommend looking like your best self – however you see fit – while doing it.
As for Valentine’s Day makeup inspo, we’ve already started spotting a few themes that are standing out. Off the back of the monochrome, or tonal makeup look, tonal pink is having a real moment. The trend sees variations of the shade applied across eyes, cheeks and lips for a pretty, cohesive and co-ordinated makeup look.

28 best Netflix date night movies (for when you actually want to watch, not chill)
Films you’ll both enjoy.
Date night movies are our favourite when it comes to beating the cost of living crisis and settling in with our dates or partners for a fun night in.
Whether you want to make it a romantic affair or just sit in silence on the sofa, finding a good film is the perfect scene setter. But we get it: finding a movie to watch that you’ll both enjoy can be a struggle. You’ll be lucky if your movie tastes align perfectly, and in the early days, you don’t want to force them to watch The Notebook and send them to sleep (or creep them out).

No Reformer? No problem — these are the best wall Pilates exercises for beginners to try at home, according to pros
Grab a wall and prepare to begin.
Here’s a question for you: what do you do when it’s January, it’s cold and you don’t want to leave your home to exercise? If social media is anything to go by, you roll out a mat and try out the best wall Pilates workouts for beginners, of course.
In 2025, wall Pilates, it seems, is here for the long haul. Often likened to Reformer Pilates (as the wall can mimic the use of a foot bar), according to instructors, this low-impact variation—which involves performing Pilates exercises with the use of a wall—is loved for a number of reasons. For starters: “Wall Pilates can be done anywhere you have a wall,” specialist sports movement coach and master Pilates practitioner Amy Cooke explains. “You don’t need expensive kit and if done correctly, it can give fantastic results.”

Dolce & Gabbana’s ‘Du Cœur à la Main’ exhibition takes over the Grand Palais
A behind-the-scenes look into ‘La Dolce Vita’
After a highly successful debut at the Palazzo Reale in Milan, Dolce & Gabbana’s Du Cœur à la Main exhibition has landed in Paris. Situated in one of the city’s biggest high-fashion hubs, the Grand Palais, from January 10th to March 31st, 2025 –– this is not one to miss.
Designed to welcome attendees to the world of Dolce & Gabbana with over 200 of the fashion house’s bespoke creations, the exhibition covers a series of 10 rooms, all designed to showcase motifs that are dear to Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana’s designs. From sources of inspiration to Italian culture, it traces through the duo’s ideas from conception straight into its spectacular realisation.

Baby Bangs Make a Major Statement—Browse 20 Looks That’ll Inspire You to Try The Cut
The high-rise fringe is inescapable.
The high-rise fringe of a baby bang adds a layer of visual interest to any look. Unlike the softness from a curtain bangs or the structure from a blunt bang, baby bangs can lend a touch whimsy or edge, depending on the particular cut. The versatility and malleability of this micro trim is why the look is becoming more and more popular. There’s a style for everyone to enjoy—regardless of your hair type or texture.

How Kate Middleton Will “Reevaluate” Her Royal Style Amid Return to Public Duties
The princess learned”the power of her fashion choices” over the past year.
Kate Middleton has always been a style icon, even catching Prince William’s eye in college while walking the runway in a now-iconic see-through dress. While Kate’s style has taken a more demure twist since she becoming a senior member of the royal family, the queen-to-be deviated from her classic and structured sartorial M.O. in favor of more casual appearances as she battled cancer in 2024. And according to royal style experts, Kate is planning to “reevaluate her royal wardrobe” for the coming year amid a changing dynamic with the public.

Irish Coffee
This cozy cocktail is like a long, warm hug on a frigid night.
Irish Coffee combines freshly brewed coffee with Irish whiskey and sugar, and is topped with a dollop of lightly whipped heavy cream.
Though the Espresso Martini has been having a moment in recent years, Irish Coffee remains the most famous boozy coffee drink. People have been adding liquor to coffee for more than 100 years and coffee cocktails have been enjoyed throughout Europe since the mid-19th century.

A Good Bowl of Borscht Can Change Your Life
T.S. Eliot’s J. Alfred Prufrock measured out his life in coffee spoons; I map out mine in bowls of borscht.
The best borscht I ever had was in a punk house the summer before I turned 18. At that point, I’d been on my own for nearly two years, living with whoever would take me after my mom left town, sustaining myself on a diet of whatever vegan food I could find. It was the thinnest I’d ever been; I pretty much tried to belie the idea that man cannot live on bread alone, sustaining myself on a steady diet of carbs. When a place I planned to move into fell through, a friend’s older brother took pity on me, saying I could stay at the place where he was living as long as I needed. The caveat was that everybody would probably end up getting kicked out soon.

Pomelos Are Grapefruits’ Sweeter Siblings — Here’s How to Use Them
This volleyball-sized citrus has a lot to offer.
With more than 2,500 types of citrus worldwide, it would be a shame to limit your larder to lemons and limes. Luckily, many grocers also stock seasonal stunners like Sumo mandarins, yuzu, and pomelos.
The latter are at their peak from late October to the end of February. A diverse fruit, pomelos come in a range of colors and sizes, and go by all sorts of regional and varietal pseudonyms. You might see them labeled as shaddock, pummelo, or Chinese grapefruit.
Whether you’re a lifelong pomelo lover or a citrus enthusiast looking for your next favorite, here’s everything to know about this bright, sweet fruit.

Wildfires impact wildlife and pets, too. Here’s how you can help them.
Los Angeles is home to a diverse ecosystem of animals. Now their lives and homes are at risk.
In just four days, blazing wildfires across Los Angeles neighborhoods have put 150,000 residents under evacuation orders, burned over 30,000 acres, destroyed more than 10,000 structures, and, as of Thursday, killed killed 10 people. Experts say it may be the costliest wildfire in US history. The fires are still ongoing, and the toll of destruction is still far from a final tally.
But it’s not just human lives and homes that have been taken and are still at risk. A reporter and a photographer helped a Pasadena woman rescue her chickens from her burning home. Another journalist interviewed two residents evacuating with their horses while surrounded by flames. On social media, people have posted videos of animals like dogs and deer wandering alone amid the fires, confused and distressed.

Has TikTok made us better? Or much, much worse?
The case for and against TikTok as a cultural force.
TikTok is inherently different from Instagram, YouTube, Twitter (now X), Facebook, Snapchat, or any of the other social apps begging for our attention. What do we lose if we lose TikTok? I’m not talking so much about the people whose livelihoods are tied up in it — those people will surely lose business and clout, but many of them will or already have pivoted to other platforms. I’m talking more about the things you can’t quantify: the explosion of creativity you’ll see in just a few scrolls spent on TikTok, the bringing together of hundreds of cultures, the ways in which TikTok does and doesn’t act as a democratizing force. Have we been asking the wrong questions about TikTok the whole time? Whether or not you’re being spied on, was the app ever even worth using at all? Here, the cases for and against TikTok.

You Can Have ‘Sex and the City,’ Just Not on the Front Stoop
The real-life owner of the Manhattan building where Carrie Bradshaw lived wants to erect a gate to deter overzealous fans from trespassing.
According to a letter submitted by the building’s owner to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission and first reported by Emily Sundberg in the Substack newsletter FeedMe, living in the historic brownstone has been less idyllic than it may appear onscreen. That’s because, as the letter states, since the show’s 1998 premiere, the front steps have become a “global tourist destination,” with a never-ending stream of visitors whose excitement has at times overridden their respect of the building’s residents.
“At any hour of the day or night,” reads the letter, “there are groups of visitors in front of the house taking flash photos, engaging in loud chatter, posting on social media, making TikToc (sic) videos, or just celebrating the moment.”

How to Declutter Your Clothes Once and For All, According to Professional Organizers
Get your closet in order for the long haul.
If there’s one area of your home that is bound to accumulate clutter, it’s your wardrobe. Since each piece of clothing typically doesn’t take up much space, it’s easy to amass far too many clothes without even noticing it—only to one day realize your closet is stuffed to the brim.
Decluttering an overflowing closet can be daunting, but breaking the process down into a handful of simple steps can make it much simpler. (And, dare we say, even a little fun?) We asked three professional organizers to share a step-by-step method for decluttering clothes. With their advice, you’ll efficiently and effectually declutter your clothes and get your closet in order for good.

How to Dry Flowers for Beautiful Blooms That Last Longer Than a Season
Keep your garden’s most beautiful blooms on display year-round.
Whether it’s the flowers growing in your cut garden or the ones arranged in a sentimental bouquet, we can all agree that flowers should have a longer lifespan. Fortunately, there is one way you can make your favorite varieties last for months on end: dry them.
The subtle shades and lasting appeal of dried flowers can bring a bit of springtime beauty to your home during any season. Common techniques for drying flowers include air drying, pressing, and drying with silica. These methods work best when you choose the right flowers, cut them at the opportune time, and place them in a prime spot after they’ve dried. Ahead, experts share their best methods and tips for drying flowers.

How to Make a Junk Journal (and How They’re Different From Scrapbooks)
The perfect mix of creativity, nostalgia, and resourcefulness.
In a world full of fast, disposable everything, there’s something undeniably satisfying about reusing tactile materials and creating something with your own two hands. Enter junk journaling. A practice that has exploded in popularity in recent years, junk journaling is a hobby that invites you to dive into the world of collage and scrapbooking—all while sustainably using materials that might otherwise end up in the trash and keeping the pressure and effort low.
Think of it as a fun and artistic form of recycling. “You take bits and pieces of everyday life, things that might be considered ‘junk,’ and transform them into something beautiful and meaningful,” explains artisan Christina Argonish.

This Small Oregon Town Makes the Best Cheddar Cheese in the World — and It’s the Perfect Day Trip From Portland
Find the best cheddar paired with stunning views in Tillamook.
Oregon is known for its lush forests, jaw-dropping waterfalls, and rugged coastline. It’s also the top-producing state for countless crops, including blueberries, hazelnuts, and onions. Now adding to that list, Oregon is home to what has been recognized as the best cheddar cheese in the world, and you can find it in the small town of Tillamook.

This New York City Train Station Was Named the Most Beautiful for Its Stunning Interior Design
With artwork from Yayoi Kusama and Kiki Smith, New York City’s Grand Central Madison is more than a hub — it’s also a gorgeous destination.
For decades, New York City’s transportation hubs have been notorious for their outdated infrastructures and painful commutes. But one by one, they are seeking revenge with their renovations earning some of the world’s most coveted awards, including the prestigious world architecture and design award Prix Versailles, presented each year at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.
In 2021, LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B captured the top prize in the airport category and Moynihan Train Hall won the top title for passenger station. And then in 2023, Newark Liberty International Airport scored the special airport prize for its exterior. Now, following in those footsteps is the Grand Central Madison Terminal, which earned the prize for its interior in the passenger station category.

[Photo Credit: thenanugroup.com]

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