Posted on August 29, 2024
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Ah, that’ll do nicely, don’t you think? A THURSDAY sort of LOunge for a Thursday sort of mood. Spread out and settle in. We have much to discuss today.
UPDATE: Taylor Swift Is Not Releasing A Novel After All
The rumours of Taylor Swift publishing her debut novel, ‘A Girl Called Girl’ after the ‘Eras’ tour are, in fact, just that – rumours.
Taylor Swift Is Set To Release A Novel For The First Time
Once the dust has settled on the Eras tour in December 2024, Taylor Swift will be turning her attention to publishing her debut novel, ‘A Girl Called Girl’.
Not content with being a once-in-a-generation musical talent, Taylor Swift has now set her sights on becoming a novelist too once the dust has settled on her record-breaking Eras tour in December 2024.
According to reports, the star is planning to release her debut novel, which she first wrote at the age of 14. Titled A Girl Called Girl, the story follows a mother who had hoped for a son instead of a daughter, and while it was penned during her teenage years, it has remained under wraps — until now.
Meghan Markle Discusses Her Thoughtful Approach To Fashion In A Rare Interview
‘Times where I know there is a global spotlight, and attention will be given to each detail of what I may or may not be wearing, then I support designers that I have really great friendships with,’ she says.
Meghan Markle knows her influence. The Hollywood-actress-turned-entrepreneur and duch*ess of Sussex has long been known not only for her royal ties, charitable endeavours, and female empowerment projects, but for her sophisticated, modern style too.
The focus on Markle’s wardrobe has understandably skyrocketed since she married into the British royal family, and her thoughtful choices have certainly not gone unnoticed. When she and husband Prince Harry were still senior working royals, Markle regularly found ways to pay homage to his late mother, Princess Diana, with her ensembles (something she has continued to do since). And when Harry’s beloved grandmother Queen Elizabeth II died, Markle did the same, wearing a pair of pearl and diamond earrings gifted to her by the late monarch to the procession of the Queen’s coffin.
Christina Aguilera Defines Her Legacy
Christina Aguilera has clearly spent her life on set. The performance begins at the entrance of her dressing room; when she’s finally ready to emerge from hours in glam, her own BTS videographer captures the walk — a powerful strut and determined face — like she’s on a runway towards our cover shoot camera. She becomes Xtina, the provocative ultra-“Dirrty” pop legend, at one point flipping into a downward dog while keeping perfect eye contact with the photographer. In that pose — an odd choice that somehow really works — it’s apparent to everyone watching why she’s lasted this long at the top of entertainment. At 43 years old, Aguilera has carved out a legacy of surprising but committed choices, and is more clear-headed than ever with her next moves.
Demi Lovato is making a documentary on the dark side of being a child star
She will interview Drew Barrymore, Wednesday’s Christina Ricci, JoJo Siwa and more.
Demi Lovato is set to make her directorial debut, co-directing a documentary about the highs and lows of being a child star.
Named Child Star, the documentary film – which will be released in September – will explore what being a young person in the entertainment world can mean, with many famous faces appearing to share their experiences of growing up in the spotlight.
56 Halloween nails that are spooky yet stylish
Where my ghouls at?
It’s never too early to start thinking about Halloween and with pumpkin spiced latte season in full swing, we’ve lined up our edit of the best halloween nails to save for your next salon visit or DIY sesh.
Halloween manis have picked up a slightly sketchy rep, thanks to the novelty designs (no judgement here, if you love it, rock it). But, if you don’t think it’s possible for Halloween nails to be chic – allow us to prove you wrong.
6 autumn makeup trends that are taking off
From boyfriend blush to soft baddie.
We’re edging into a new season, so it’s time to assess the autumn makeup trends we need on our agenda. It’s never too early to get a jumpstart and begin thinking about our next makeup era(s), and from what we can see, it’s a tale of two halves. Fresh, peppy, preppy skin will take some of us (“glowy, dewy makeup” has overtaken matte this season), while moody, bratty makeup is also having a moment (Brat summer has more longevity than we gave it credit for). And, of course, there’s nothing stopping us from leaning into both. These are the autumn makeup trends you need to know for 2024…
BBC’s Reunion is a ‘milestone in inclusive storytelling’ with deaf cast and crew taking centre stage
It will star Sex Education‘s Anne-Marie Duff, Back to Black star Eddie Marsan and How To Have Sex‘s Lara Peake.
An upcoming exciting BBC thriller TV series needs to be on your radar – Reunion not only has a star-studded cast, it will be making history in terms of representation.
Written by deaf writer William Mage and with filming beginning earlier this year, it has operated a bi-lingual set – using both spoken English and British Sign Language (BSL), with a mixture of scenes in both languages.
According to the BBC, it “marks a milestone in inclusive storytelling, with the majority of cast and many members of the crew being deaf or using British Sign Language (BSL)”. Chief Executive of Screen Yorkshire Caroline Cooper Charles has added that Reunion “places inclusivity and representation at the heart of its storytelling and creative ambition”.
Woman of the Hour: Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut sees her encounter a male serial killer on a dating show
The true crime film has been described as a “damning commentary on societal misogyny”.
Pitch Perfect star Anna Kendrick is stepping behind the camera for the first time to bring us Woman of the Hour – a movie that looks at the true story of a male serial killer appearing on a dating show in the middle of spree. He won the show, in fact.
Anna will play Cheryl Bradshaw, a bachelorette on the show who dates the killer, named Rodney Acala. In real life, Rodney appeared on The Dating Game in 1978. He became known as the “Dating Game Killer” after being convicted as a sex offender and serial killer and sentenced to death.
Nicole Kidman’s new film Babygirl sees her play a CEO having a BDSM affair with her intern
She has spoken out about her role making her feel “vulnerable” and “exposed”.
We’re all talking about Nicole Kidman’s latest film, Babygirl. It explores an age-gap relationship in which a woman in a position of power embarks on a sexual affair with her intern. Yes, Nicole will be having the affair, and the intern will be played by The Iron Claw star Harris Dickinson.
This isn’t Nicole’s first movie centred around an age-gap relationship, let alone the only popular one we’ve seen in 2024. Earlier this year, she starred in A Family Affair alongside Zac Efron as her love interest – and of course, Anne Hathaway blew us all away in rom-com smash The Idea of You, where she plays a 40-something divorcée who begins an affair with a 20-something popstar.
Armie Hammer, Great-Grandson of Oil Tycoon, Can’t Afford Gas Anymore
The disgraced actor is officially trading in his gas-guzzling truck for a more affordable hybrid vehicle, as he documented on Instagram from outside of a CarMax.
Celebrities—they’re just like us? Days after Oscar nominee Chloë Sevigny inquired about a New York City sublet on her Instagram Story, Armie Hammer has taken to the ’gram to announce he’s selling his car—and saving some money in the process.
On Tuesday, the actor—who turns 39 Wednesday—told his followers, “I will be starting my birthday in a new car, in a new apartment, in a new life.” In the two weeks since moving back to Los Angeles from the Cayman Islands, where he briefly sold time-shares, Hammer said he’d “put about four or five hundred dollars’ worth of gas” in his truck. “And I can’t afford it. I can’t afford the gas anymore.”
From olive-toned green to yolky yellow—a transitional guide to tonal dressing
It’s bound to beckon the attention of monochrome lovers
Between dopamine, colour-blocking and monochrome dressing, colours (or lack thereof) have dominated fashion trends for several years but 2024 has encouraged a new wave of saturation and approach to dressing in the form of tonal dressing.
Characterised by a head-to-toe colour palette in a mix of varying shades, it’s become a refined and contemporary way to dress and celebrate the rich colours in our arsenal. This season has birthed a generous handful of hues, spanning khaki and olive green, to yellows and least forgetting red in all its rouge glory, so what better way to lean into these new trends than by wearing (in most cases) top-to-toe ensembles in one colour.
Why This Balkan Capital Is the Buzziest City in Europe Right Now
Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital, has certainly seen a lot of change over its 7,000-year history. It takes a casual stroll along its yellow stone-paved downtown dotted with ancient Roman ruins and elaborate examples of Byzantine, Ottoman, and 20th-century European architecture to recognize that its roots run deep.
However, its modern soul also shines through at every corner. Sofia is now a major tech and start-up hub in Southeast Europe, drawing international attention and talent. It is also home to one of Europe’s most prominent movie production studios, Nu Boyana, where many of Hollywood’s recent blockbusters have been partially produced. Sofia’s vibrant cultural life boasts dozens of galleries and museums, including the National Gallery, where this summer, two-time Oscar-winning actress and photographer Jessica Lange opened a retrospective. So too are there many food, music, literary, and performance art festivals, including the Sofia International Movie Festival, which this year presented 170 movies from over 50 countries, and the International A to Jazz Fest, attended by over 50,000 jazz enthusiasts yearly.
Snickers Teamed Up With a Fortune Teller to See How the NFL Season Will Pan Out
Football season just got a ton sweeter.
Want to have an edge on your fantasy football league this year? Snickers is here to help with the help of a “Chocomancer.”
On Tuesday, the candy company, which is the official chocolate sponsor of the National Football League, announced it’s giving fans a “satisfying glimpse into the future with SatisFORTUNES,” its guide to predicting your favorite team’s fortune with the help of Jennifer Billock, who is quite possibly the coolest person on the planet with a bio that reads: “writer, author, eclectic witch, and fortuneteller.”
“Emily in Paris” in the Late Streaming Era
Over four seasons, the Netflix series has hollowed out along with the streaming industry that spawned it.
How long can Emily possibly stay in Paris? The Netflix series in question débuted way back in October of 2020, in the benighted early days of the pandemic, when it seemed possible that nothing would ever be normal again. Here was a shining beacon of banality, a streaming series that didn’t even attempt to challenge viewers, instead bathing us in comfort as Emily jogged through the City of Light, became a successful influencer, and remained tackily American in the face of French decadence. We couldn’t leave our houses, but Emily, played by Lily Collins, was our tourist avatar.
Kids Today: Your guide to the confusing, exciting, and utterly new world of Gen Alpha
A newsletter about kids, for everyone.
Childhood in 2024 is an incredibly fraught topic. We’re all trying to make sense of the aftermath of a pandemic, the impact of social media, and the effects of climate change and war on the world kids grow up in. Children have also taken an outsize role in the upcoming presidential election, with Sen. JD Vance and others arguing that having kids is a patriotic duty, and not having them makes you “deranged.”
You Will Grow Old Waiting for Your Favorite Show to Come Back
Remember “Severance”? Remember “Stranger Things”? Today’s leisurely TV schedules are taxing memories and changing the experience.
There are, of course, different reasons for shows to take their time returning. We had a pandemic. There were labor strikes in Hollywood. Streaming platforms have been retrenching. Individual shows can have creative or staffing issues. Ambitious productions take longer.
But the practice is widespread enough to become a new, lackadaisical norm, which is frustrating to TV junkies who just want our damn stories — and it’s changing both the experience of the medium and our connection to it.
‘The Acolyte’ cancellation was ‘not a huge shock’ after ‘bigotry’ from online trolls, Amandla Stenberg says
“There has been a rampage of vitriol that we have faced,” the Star Wars series’ lead actor said on social media.
Amandla Stenberg is speaking out after Disney canceled Star Wars series The Acolyte after only one season.
“I’m gonna be transparent and say it’s not a huge shock for me. For those who aren’t aware, there has been a rampage of vitriol that we have faced since the show was announced,” Stenberg (who uses she/they pronouns) said In a 10-part story posted to Instagram Aug. 28.
“It became inarguable for me at a certain point that in order to continue to be myself, I would have to honor my value system by being vocal, even within the context of working for Disney and working within the large, massive IP that is Star Wars,” Stenberg said.
How to Make Vegan Versions of Your Favorite Cakes, Cookies, and Other Baked Goods
A Great British Bake Off finalist shares her tips for converting conventional baking recipes to vegan treats.
If you want to explore vegan baking, in addition to trying specific vegan recipes, you can also make your favorite baking recipes vegan. As much as we adore classic cookies, cakes, muffins, and quick breads, it turns out that baked goods free of dairy and eggs can also be downright decadent—as long as you swap them for the right substitutes. “I’m a firm believer in no one missing out on the goodness of food and the joy of baking, irrespective of diet choice,” says Ruby Bhogal, an author and baking expert adept at making traditional and plant-based bakes equally delicious. She shares her top tips and ingredient swaps so you can make vegan versions of all your go-to baked goods.
How to Regrow Celery From Scraps
If you’re thinking of tossing that celery heart, think again—you can use it grow another round of stalks.
You may already know that celery is the unsung hero of the snack world (it’s the perfect vessel for dips like peanut butter, vegetable spreads, and hummus), but did you also know that when you’re done with it, leftover celery can also become a windowsill propagation project? All you need is a celery heart, a cup of water, and a little bit of sunshine to give the vegetable a second life. We talked to two garden experts to find out everything you need to know to take your used celery heart from compost to cultivation.
This Charming North Carolina Town Is Called the ‘Apple Capital’ of the State — With Idyllic Weather, Beautiful Mountain Scenery, and Quaint Inns
For a quiet, family-friendly escape, visit the other Big Apple.
If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, then Hendersonville, North Carolina, should be one of the healthiest places in the United States. It’s known as the apple capital of North Carolina because Henderson County grows more than 80 percent of the state’s apples, plus it’s one of the top 20 apple-producing counties in the country. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the town embraces agritourism with local farms hosting corn mazes, wagon rides, apple cannons, cider doughnuts, and apple slushies. Beyond the orchards lies an outdoorsy traveler’s paradise of mountain trails, waterfalls, sweeping vistas, and a thriving arts community.
[Photo Credit: nong-studio.com]
- T Lou
