T LOunge for December 5th 2025

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PinPetrino Restaurant – Crete, Greece

There she is. There’s your patch of sky for this FRIDAY. Sit under it, lean your head back, and get your daily recommended allowance of Vitamin D. Cocktails are forthcoming.

Netflix to acquire Warner Bros. film studios, HBO, and HBO Max in $82.7 billion deal
The streamer promises to maintain current Warner Bros. operations, including theatrical releases.
Netflix has was won the massive bidding war to acquire fellow Hollywood titan Warner Bros.
“This morning, Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery announced they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Netflix will acquire Warner Bros.,” a representative for the former said Friday in an email statement distributed to Entertainment Weekly.
The deal, at a reported enterprise value of around $82.7 billion, includes Warner Bros.’ film and TV studios, as well as streaming service HBO Max and TV network HBO.

From Soaps To Superstardom, 9 Of Margot Robbie’s Most Memorable Roles To Date
Margot Robbie is on the cusp of one of her most high-profile projects to date: next Valentine’s Day, we’ll see her play the Cathy to Jacob Elordi’s Heathcliff in Emerald Fennell’s madcap take on Wuthering Heights. Before then, and as she appears on the cover of British Vogue’s January 2026 issue, we look back at the 35-year-old Aussie’s most memorable performances to date.

What to Know About the Cast of ‘The Abandons,’ Netflix’s Star-Studded Western Series
Lena Headey and Gillian Anderson lead the gritty drama as two matriarchs facing off in the Wild West.
Blood ties, land, and motherhood are the most important factors in The Abandons, Kurt Sutter’s new Netflix Western series set in the fictional town of Jasper Hollow. Facing off over a land dispute, the latest from the Sons of Anarchy creator (who, we should mention, left the series late in production over creative differences) finds aristocrat and mining mogul Constance Van Ness (Gillian Anderson) in an ugly battle with Fiona Nolan (Lena Headey), a childless woman who has taken in a band of loyal orphans, for the future of their town. But what starts as a business disagreement soon turns both personal and fatal.
Many familiar faces join both Headey and Anderson onscreen for this seven-episode face-off between the two matriarchs in the Wild West—including a few Game of Thrones cast reunions.

Jackie Kennedy’s Historical Election Night Coat Is Up For Auction
Months after the sensational multi-million dollar Birkin sale, another high-profile piece of fashion history is ready for bidding.
First, it was Princess Diana’s black sheep sweater. Next, it was Jane Birkin’s own Birkin. Now, Sotheby’s is auctioning off another piece of fashion history: the purple dress coat Jackie Kennedy wore on JFK’s election night. A photograph from the historic moment appeared on the November 21, 1960 cover of Life Magazine. The headline? “The Victorious Young Kennedys.”
“This coat was cherished by our mother, but with our mother’s passing, we feel it’s the right time to entrust the coat to someone who will appreciate and preserve it as our mother had, helping safeguard Jackie’s legacy,” the coat’s anonymous donor tells Vanity Fair.

The One Perfume I’ve Asked For Every Christmas For The Last 7 Years
Seven years ago, around this time of year, in a bar in Madrid with brick walls and velvet sofas, I discovered the perfume that would end up being my signature scent for almost a decade. It was by chance that a friend of a friend came to say hello to the table and introduced himself to me. I don’t remember his name, nor his face, but today I could list from memory the notes of his perfume, which shortly after would also end up being mine: myrrh, myrtle, oregano, rockrose, pine, laurel, thyme and rosemary.

Be Cold Snap Ready With A Nostalgic Fair Isle Knit
Wrap up in this season’s cosiest knitwear
Fair Isle knits are a chic winter win. Whether you’re looking for an easy way to update your après ski style, want to tap into a cosy countryside moment, or simply just refresh your favourite jumper and jeans combo, there’s a style for every occasion.
In keeping with Autumn/Winter 2025’s heritage printstrend, Fair Isle knits are back in time for the cold snap. From celebrities to editors, the style set knows that this nostalgic choice of knitwear is an effortless way to add interest to a classic monochrome or neutral winter outfit.

Light Blue Jeans Are The Breakout Denim Trend This Winter. Here Are The 9 Best Pairs To Buy
Strike out against usual sartorial intuition with December’s most unexpected denim trend.
When you think of winter dressing, it is usually dark colours like warm burgundy or bitter chocolate that spring to mind. The palette usually centres around moodier hues that prioritise the densest of shades for the coldest of months. Right now, however, change seems to be afoot as a lighter shade of denim seems to be appearing as an alternative to the usually-worn indigo denim that trends as we reach for ‘jeans-and-a-nice-top’ outfit formulas.

I Tried A Brain Massage And It Was Genuinely One Of The Most Effective Treatments I’ve Ever Had
What to expect
Whenever I’m hungover, I fantasise about opening a flap at the top of my skull so I can lift out my brain and rinse it under cool water. I just feel like that sensation would hit just right. So when I received an email from Rituals alerting me to its new Brain Massage at the recently opened Mind Oasis on Oxford Street, I was quick to book in. If I couldn’t literally wash my brain clean, this felt like the next best thing for de-stressing.
The Mind Oasis is pitched as a first-of-its-kind wellness space—think futuristic spa, but instead of hands-on therapists, the work is done by slick, science-led technology to aid in relaxation and mental reset. The Brain Massage is one of its signature treatments.

The Coolest Ways to Warm Up With Hot Chocolate This Winter
Caviar bumps have come for your hot cocoa.
While you may not remember the first sip of hot chocolate you ever had, there’s a good chance the experience of that moment is still etched in your memory. My earliest hot chocolate memories all involved a green Stanley thermos, filled with an instant cocoa mix that left chunky clumps of powder on the surface, even after a good stir. My parents brought that thermos camping and got it out on snow days (okay, ice days) in Texas after we’d finished sledding around on trash can lids and metal cookie trays. My older sister would count out our mini marshmallows to make sure we got equal amounts and then she’d wait patiently for her marshmallows to melt while stirring her mug with a candy cane (an 8-year-old culinary prodigy, I know). I, on the other hand, could never wait long enough. For me, a burned tongue and raw throat was just part of the experience.

Around the World in Holiday Celebrations
Here’s what to taste in winter destinations with festive holiday season traditions.
The holiday season manifests magic in myriad ways around the world with traditions based on foods, drinks, and sweets. Festive lights and decorations bring each flavorful experience to life at these feasts for the senses.
In the United States, vacation destinations decorate with tree displays and gingerbread mansions, serving fireside s’mores and festive cocktails for every winter holiday of the season. Wineries host dinners with pairings, vineyard lights, and artisan markets. In New York City and beyond, delis, diners, fast-casual joints, and fine-dining restaurants fry up latkes for Hanukkah.

Rachel Zoe Is Back on Bravo—and So Is Her Fab Vintage Style
The only thing better than meeting a whole new cast of Real Housewives? When a familiar face is thrown back into the Bravo universe. Tonight, Rachel Zoe—an OG Bravolebrity, thanks to her hit aughts show The Rachel Zoe Project—made her debut on Season 15 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, joining the likes of Kyle Richards, Erika Jayne, Dorit Kemsley, and Jennifer Tilly. And Zoe’s highly-anticipated return to our television screens did not disappoint.
It’s no secret that Zoe is great on camera. Her day job may have been as a Hollywood stylist, but over The Rachel Zoe Project’s five seasons, from 2008 to 2013—the early days of reality TV—Zoe’s eclectic style (filled with vintage designer items) and memorable quips (“ba-na-nas!” “I die!”) cemented her as a true TV star. A dozen years later, she’s as effortlessly charismatic as ever—even if, to hear her tell it, Bravo fans are meeting a very different Rachel Zoe.

The Hair and Makeup in Wicked: For Good Is a Masterclass in Subtle Storytelling
The film’s hair and makeup lead talks us through the complex (and mostly handmade) prosthetics used in its transformations—both small and large.
It’s been a year since I first spoke with Frances Hannon, the Oscar and BAFTA award-winning hair and makeup designer who had a large undertaking with the Wicked films: Not only did she have to create believable green skin on Cynthia Erivo, transform Ariana Grande from a pop star into a Glinda the Good, and outfit hundreds of extras in Oz and Munchkinland—she had to depict growth in both lead characters while filming the two separate movies simultaneously (sometimes they’d even film scenes from the first movie the same day as scenes from the second).

Spritz Cookies With Citrus Buttercream
Spritz cookies are nostalgic, beautiful, and fun to make. You typically need a cookie press to shape them, but this recipe from cookbook author Zoë François works whether you have a cookie press or not.
“Ultra-buttery spritz cookies piped into rosettes were a staple in my grandmother’s holiday cookie tins,” says François. She explains that “the soft dough can be easily squeezed through a piping bag fitted with a decorating tip — or you can use a special cookie press, if you have one.”

7 Foods That Are Healthier Chilled, According to Science
Good news for those who meal-prep: Not only is it time-saving, it might be healthier than you think. As it turns out, chilling certain foods before eating them amps up their benefits.
When rice, pasta, potatoes, or oats cool, their starch changes into something called “resistant starch”—a fermentable fiber that has been linked in numerous studies to more stable blood sugar, longer satiety, and happier intestinal flora.

Philip Khoury’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Is Pure (Plant-Based) Pleasure
Baking is built around tradition: Staple ingredients. Precise measurements. Generational recipes. Butter. But the humble cookie both honors its history and defies it, traversing cultures, continents, and cuisines. There’s the Snickerdoodle and Whoopie pie, Spritzgebäck and Speculoos, Mantecados and Ma’amoul, Pryaniki and Yakgwa. For Philip Khoury—the award-winning chef, artisan chocolate maker, and former head of pastry at Harrods—there’s a sweet evolution happening, and you can even find it in his recipe for a classic chocolate chip cookie.

The fascinating link between cherry pie and this bird
Meet the unpaid animal laborers who help safeguard our food.
If you’re lucky enough to enjoy a warm slice of cherry pie this holiday, you should probably thank this bird.
It’s an American kestrel, the smallest falcon in North America, which is roughly the size of a blue jay. And in some parts of Michigan — the nation’s tart cherry capital — this bird helps farmers produce cherries.

Behind the scenes of a state banquet: A glimpse inside St George’s Hall, Windsor Castle, as it was transformed
St George’s Hall at Windsor Castle was adorned with hand-cut flowers and a towering 25ft Christmas tree for the German state banquet
State banquets are always special occasions. But last night’s soiree, hosted by King Charles III and Queen Camilla in honour of the German President and First Lady, was particularly impressive as there was a distinctly Christmassy feel in the air.
St George’s Hall at Windsor Castle was transformed into a twinkling, festive dreamscape for the occasion, complete with flowers from the castle gardens and a towering 25ft Christmas tree. Guests including the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, Princess Anne and the Duchess of Gloucester, feasted on sumptuous dishes and sampled some of the finest wines from the royal cellar – all while surrounded by the beauty of the treasured royal residence.

Every tiara worn to the German state banquet – from the Duchess of Edinburgh’s favourite piece to the Duchess of Gloucester’s heirloom
It was a glittering affair at the German state banquet last night – and not just because of the lights on the Christmas tree. Queen Camilla, the Princess of Wales, Princess Anne, the Duchess of Edinburgh and the Duchess of Gloucester all put on sparkling showcases in some of their finest royal jewels for the occasion.
The highlights were, of course, their spectacular tiaras, which were among some of the finest in the royal collection. Princess Anne and the Duchess of Edinburgh opted for their favourite pieces, while the Princess of Wales made her debut in a rare diamond and ruby creation.
The Duchess of Gloucester stepped out in a stunning Cartier piece, and Queen Camilla wore a design favoured by the late Queen Elizabeth II.

14 Clever Uses for Old Bed Sheets, According to Experts
From DIY tote bags to closet organizers.
Whether because of discoloration, pilling, or stretching of the elastic, bed sheets start to show their age over time. Sheets typically lose their luster after two to three years, depending on the material and how often you wash them. But don’t toss the fabric once you’re ready for a new set. Old bed sheets are versatile and can be repurposed in various practical ways. We consulted our experts, who shared the best ways to reuse old sheets.

4 Easy Methods for Getting Onion Smell Off Your Hands—Fast
Some unassuming household staples make quick work of onion odors.
When you chop an onion, you might expect some tears—but the lingering smell on your hands can be an unwelcome surprise that lasts long after dinner. The compounds that give onions their sharp aroma tend to cling to skin, especially if you have been handling them directly. Even after multiple rounds of washing, the scent can stubbornly stick.
Executive chef Jeanne Strout has spent years working in busy kitchens where she handles fresh onions every day. She explains that onion odors form when sulfur-containing compounds bond to the natural oils on your skin. Removing the smell is all about breaking that bond or neutralizing the sulfur, which sounds more complicated than it is! There are a few reliable methods to lift that strong aroma that use simple ingredients you already have at home.

How to Grow Strawberries Indoors for Delicious Fruit All Year
You don’t need an expansive outdoor garden to enjoy these sweet treats—here’s how to grow them indoors.
The sweet flavor of freshly harvested strawberries is one of the best parts of spring. However, not everyone will have the outdoor space to grow these delicious morsels. The good news? With the right conditions and care, you can easily grow strawberries indoors.
Here, we spoke to experts about the best way to grow these sweet treats at home—from watering to propagating and everything in between. Follow these instructions, and you’ll be enjoying delicious berries in no time—even if you don’t have an outdoor garden.

The Viral Grocery Shopping Method That Will Streamline Your Weekly List
A simple formula that makes grocery planning feel effortless.
If your grocery trips feel chaotic, expensive, or uninspired, this simple formula might be the refresh you need: On TikTok and Instagram Stories, creators are sharing the “6 to 1” or the “5-4-3-2-1” grocery shopping methods, easily actionable systems that limit your grocery list to a certain number of staple items, plus one special treat. The goal is to streamline your weekly grocery runs and budgets. As a bonus, the methods also encourage creativity in the kitchen as you learn to get versatile with your ingredients list.

This U.S. National Park Has a Vineyard, 60-foot Waterfall, and Scenic Bike Trail—and It’s Not Where You’d Expect
Come for the Cuyahoga Valley waterfalls, stay for the local wine.
A patchwork of plunging waterfalls, weather-pocked gorges, and forested trails brings nature buffs to Northeast Ohio. The draw? Cuyahoga Valley National Park, an outdoor oasis that’s less than 40 minutes from my front door in Cleveland.
I hike, bike, or run in the 33,000-acre destination almost monthly, and in this local’s guide to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, I’m sharing everything you need to know about visiting Ohio’s only national park.

[Photo Credit: grecotel.com]

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